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HISTORY  OF  SUDBUEY 


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UNIVERSITY  OF  MASSACHUSETTS 
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THE 


HISTORY  OF  SUDBURY, 


MASSACHUSETTS. 


1638-1889. 


Br 
ALFRED  SERENO  HUDSON. 


There  is  no  past,  so  long  as  books  shall  Ywz.  —  Bulwer. 


PUBLISHED   BY 

THE   TOWN    OF   SUDBURY. 
1889. 

REPUBLISHED  BY  THE  SUDBURY  PRESS 
P.O.  BOX  218,  SUDBURY,  MASS.  01776 


This  edition  limited  to 
a  printing  of  one  thousand  copies 

.3.3.8... 


This  is  copy  number 


Special  contents  of  this  edition 
Copyright  1968  by  the  Sudbury  Press 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

MASSACHUSETTS 

amherstTmass. 


ERRATA. 

On  page  15,  read  Edmund  for  Edward. 

On  page  22,  line  20,  read  Massachusetts  for  Narragansetts. 

On  page  34,  line  30,  read  Goodnow  for  Haynes. 

Pages  35  and  36.  The  farm  of  William  Browne  at  Nob- 
scot  was  not  the  two  hundred  acres  allowed  him  by  special 
grant  of  the  General  Court  and  referred  to  on  page  62,  that 
land  being  situated  at  the  north-west  corner  of  the  town. 

On  page  58,  line  9,  read  south  for  north. 

On  page  70,  line  17,  read  (W.  by  S.). 

On  page  116,  line  16,  read  twenty-five  for  twenty. 

On  page  167,  lines  2  and  3,  read  and  an  ancestor  of  Dr. 
Moore  formerly  president,  etc. 

On  page  212,  line  17,  read  Watertown  for  Weston. 

On  page  274,  line  29,  read  Stow  for  Stowe. 

On  page  355,  line  23,  date  wrong. 

On  page  389,  line  37,  read  Fairbanks  for  Forbush. 

On  page  399,  Haynes  for  Hamynes. 

On  page  409,  line  5,  read  June  17th. 

On  page  487,  line  38,  read  1855  for  1857. 

On  page  494,  line  28,  read  north-easterly  for  northerly ; 
line  31,  read  Noyes  for  Haynes. 

On  page  609,  line  38,  read  horse  for  house. 

On  page  634,  line  1,  read  between  for  below. 

List  of  Illustrations,  No.  6,  read  Brigham  for  Haynes. 


INTRODUCTION 
Blaine  E.  Taylor 

It  is  a  hard  fact,  but  no  history  of  a  colonial  town  like  Hud- 
son's HISTORY  OF  SUDBURY  will  ever  be  written  again.  In 
our  mobile  society  few  build  up  the  pride  of  locality  and  form  their 
individual  identity  within  the  environment  of  a  particular  town.  Such  a 
work  would  be  commercially  unprofitable  in  even  the  largest  community. 
A  publication  of  the  size  and  limited  distribution  of  Hudson's  book 
would  today  have  to  sell  for  seventy-five  dollars  a  copy  and  even  then 
the  author  would  receive  only  five  thousand  dollars  for  two  years 
of  hard  work. 

This  book  is  reprinted  because  Sudbury  is  unique  in  its  formation 
and  in  what  its  history  reveals.  Its  historical  records  are  more  complete 
and  more  extensive  in  scope  than  those  of  any  other  town.  As  the 
second  town  formed  in  Massachusetts  "beyond  the  flow  of  the  tides," 
it  has  a  unique  heritage  as  a  puritan  village  on  the  edge  of  the  wilder- 
ness. After  Salem,  Sudbury  was  the  largest  town  in  Massachusetts 
during  colonial  times.  Even  during  the  Revolution  it  was  the  largest 
town  in  Middlesex  County.  In  his  brilliant  and  perceptive  study 
PURITAN  VILLAGE,  Sumner  Clinton  Powell  points  to  Sudbury 
as  a  "remarkable  experiment  in  the  formation  and  growth  of  a  social 
community.  " 

This  was  especially  true  for  Sudbury  was  one  of  the  few  com- 
munities representative  of  all  three  types  of  English  tradition  which 
together  formed  the  heritage  of  Massachusetts.  Settlers  of  Sudbury 
came  front  the  open-field  manoral  village,  the  incorporated  borough, 
and  the  enclosed  form  East  Anglican  village.  Here  in  one  place  in 
the  new  world  merged  the  influence  of  communal  town  life,  independent 
farming,  borough  government  and  the  experience  of  English  Parish 
Churches. 

The  nineteenth  town  to  be  founded  in  Massachusetts,  Sudbury 
was  on  the  Old  Connecticut  Path.  Bounded  on  the  east  by  Watertown 
and  on  the  north  by  Concord,  and  by  open  wilderness  to  the  south  and 
west,  her  history  is  full  of  the  experiences  of  the  frontier,  Indian 
wars,  and  experimental  civilization. 

Now  is  the  time  for  reclaiming  the  values  of  the  heritage  of  the 
small  town  for  it  has  only  recently  been  lost.  When  Sudbury  cele- 
brated its  three  hundredth  anniversary  in  1939,  it  was  still  a  small 
village  with  about  the  same  population  it  possessed  during  Revolutionary 
days.  Now,  no  longer  the  rural  town,  it  is  a  classic  example  of  the 
new  suburban  phenomena.  A  "bedroom  town"  for  Boston  and  Route 
128,  highly  mobile  in  population,  almost  completely  released  from 
dependence  on  its  soil,  Sudbury  must  now  become  selfconsciously  aware 
of  her  heritage  or  lose  it  forever.  Almost  as  many  people,  because  of 
mobility  and  population  explosion,  have  lived  within  its  borders  in  the 
last  thrity  years  as  in  the  previous  three  hundred.  If  the  values  and 
experiences  of  the  first  three  centuries  are  to  be  preserved,  now  is  the 
time  for  their  renewal. 

Hudson's  book  is  our  primary  resource  and  its  massiveness  forms 
a  rich  opportunity  for  a  treasure  hunt.  A  Protestant  minister,  com- 
missioned by  the  town  to  replace  the  first  historian,  Hudson  worked 
diligently  to  rediscover  his  roots  for  he  had  been  raised  in  the  com- 
munity. It  is  therefore  fitting  that  another  clergyman  who  loves  the 
town  should  introduce  the  fruits  of  his  concern. 


//  is  unfortunate  that  he  was  not  better  equipped  for  his  task. 
He  could  not  make  up  his  mind  which  course  he  wanted  to  follow. 
Although  he  filled  the  book  with  anecdotes  and  proclaimed  that  he 
would  write  in  a  style'  that  would  be  both  interesting  and  easy  to 
read,  he  also  filled  the  book  with  innumerable  lists  and  miscellaneous 
records  and  wrote  with  a  pedantic  overtone.  The  book's  inclusiveness 
is  both  its  value  and  its  weakness. 

Once  treated  to  the  clear  focus  and  analytical  style  of  Powell, 
Hudson  is  often  frustrating  and,  although  it  is  hard  to  believe,  in- 
complete. He  is  totally  uninterested  in  intellectual  history.  He  does  not 
care  about  what  men  thought  or  why  they  acted.  He  tells  us  what 
happened,  and  manages  to  be  unaware  or  unconcerned  about  why  or 
even  how  it  happened.  He  had  a  job  to  do  and  wrote  on  page  by 
page  without  creativity  or  an  awareness  of  great  themes.  Yet  this  is  the 
excitement  of  the  book.  The  reader  is  forced  to  be  his  own  detective 
and  this  is  raw  material.  The  Biblical  type  lists  of  names  and  places 
which  would  on  first  glance  be  boring  to  pursue,  are  the  rich  lode  of 
the  book.  Often  Hudson  is  unintentionally  humorous  as  his  Victorian 
style  gets  the  best  of  the  facts.  The  literary  quotations  at  the  head  of 
each  chapter  serve  as  his  alternative  for  serious  consideration  of  any 
ideas.  At  the  same  time  the  book  has  the  flavor  of  authenticity  and 
cannot  be  ignored. 

It  is  a  great  book  not  because  its  author  was  a  writer  or  able 
to  develop  ideas,  but  because  it  has  a  subject  detailed  nowhere  else. 
A  scholar  has  to  spend  ten  years  to  approach  the  excellence  of  Powell, 
and  then  cover  three  decades  of  history  rather  than  three  centuries. 
Hudson  is  necessary  today  because  he  opens  a  time  and  forms  the 
flavor  of  a  place.  He  puts  historical  supposition  in  human,  personal, 
perspective,  opening  the  fullness  of  the  records  and  the  majesty  of 
the  town 's  experience. 

Sudbury  is  the  mother  town  of  western  Massachusetts.   This  book 
covers    the    beginnings    of  Wayland,   Natick,    Cochituate,   Framingham, 
Marlboro,    Grafton,    Hudson,    Maynard,    Stow,   Rutland,   and  the  city 
of    Worcester,    for    each     of    these    communities  grew   directly  out  of 
Sudbury. 

This  is  the  story  of  the  revolt  of  youth.  Hudson  recalls  (p.  30-31) 
that  "the  settlers  of  Sudbury  were  young  men,  or  in  the  prime  of 
stirring  manhood.  They  were  not  patriarchs  near  the  close  of  their 
pilgrimage.  Even  those  with  whom,  because  of  their  prominence,  we 
most  associate  dignity  and  gravity  were  comparatively  young  men  when 
the  settlement  began."  A  young  society  has  a  great  deal  to  learn  from 
these  young  men  who  sailed  on  the  good  ship  "Confidence"  to  a 
world  which  was  almost  as  new  to  them  as  our  world  is  to  those 
of  us  who  have  lived  in  this  transitional  time.  Power  was  still  to  be 
obtained  by  a  combination  of  application  of  mind  with  the  courage 
to  act.  It  was  an  open  society  in  a  way  that  ours  needs  to  become. 
Vested  interest  was  yet  to  be  claimed  and  men  were  able  to  adhere  to 
both  principle  and  passion.  The  wilderness  was  as  frightening  and  as 
challenging  as  the  city  is  today  and  almost  as  complex. 

Hudson  wrote  in  the  days  when  war  could  still  be  romanticized. 
His  stories  of  the  great  battles  and  greater  wars  are  ones  of  suffering, 
drama  and  heroism.  We  do  not  worry  about  human  beings,  but  see 
the  Indians  as  savages  who  torture,  who  fight  with  ferocity,  and  terror- 
ize their  victims  as  the  white  man  valiantly  tries  to  shape  a  neu 
continent  and  find  his  destiny.  Each  war  is  an  opportunity  for  glory  anc 
a  vehicle  in  which  one  was  able  to  prove  his  manhood. 


The  reader  will  excuse  my  interest  in  Sudbury's  "do-it-yourself" 
approach  to  construction  in  those  early  days.  All  the  first  bridges, 
roads,  meeting  houses  and  community  facilities  were  built  by  means 
of  the  same  methods  later  used  by  the  contemporary  Sudbury  Metho- 
dist Church  to  construct  the  largest  house  of  worship  ever  built  by  the 
hands  of  volunteer  workers. 

Hudson  records  the  historical  background  and  locates  all  of  the 
town's  oldest  houses  and  historical  landmarks.  He  gives  the  story  of 
the  place  names  of  all  schools,  roads,  and  sections.  If  you  dip  into 
these  pages,  names  like  Nixon,  Loring,  JVoyes,  Peakham,  Dutton, 
Landham,  Fairbanks,  Haynes  and  Puffer  will  take  on  personal  iden- 
tity and  enrich  location  images.  There  are  more  descendents  of  early 
settlers  still  living  in  Sudbury  than  one  might  expect.  I  have  counted 
well  over  one  hundred  names  in  Hudson  that  I  recognize  as  still  being 
represented  in  the  town. 

No  town  can  furnish  such  a  pure  illustration  of  colonial  days 
or  colonial  government.  Communities  on  the  coast  were  much  more 
directly  under  the  control  of  the  Crown  and  influenced  more  by  mer- 
cantile activities  than  was  a  self-contained  village.  Here  is  the  classic 
picture  of  the  development  of  the  New  England  Town  Meeting.  Hudson 
writes:  {page  84)  "In  the  principle  of  its  operation  it  (the  town 
meeting)  is  similar  and  modeled  after  the  New  England  Congregational 
Church  meeting  .  .  .  by  these  meetings  each  town  became  like  a  little 
republic.  .  .  .  There  were  no  credentials  for  position  that  came  from  a 
titled  authority,  or  from  ancient  hereditary  rights  based  on  manorial 
acquisition  or  influence.  ..."  Although  Powell  has  taught  us  to  be 
questioning  about  such  conclusions,  the  raw  materials  are  both  fasci- 
nating and  suggestive. 

The  development  of  the  American  educational  system  is  available 
in  prototype  in  Sudbury's  experience.  The  town  was  slow  to  comply 
to  the  laws  of  the  colony  because  it  had  to  fight  in  the  wilderness  for 
survival.!  In  fact,  Hudson  states  {page  279)  that  "the  records  inform 
us  that  on  January  1,  1702,  the  town  voted  that  a  note  should  be 
made  'to  pay  the  5  pounds  the  town  was  fined  for  want  of  a  school 
master. '  '  Anyone  who  is  aware  of  today's  school  construction  costs 
or  has  to  pay  taxes  will  be  interested  to  learn  that  {page  464)  "in 
the  year  1800,  money  was  granted  for  building  three  school  houses, 
in  the  southeast  district,  two  hundred  and  eighteen  dollars;  in  the 
north-west,  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  and  fifty  cents;  and  in  the 
south-west,  two  hundred  dollars.  The  old  building  in  the  south-west 
was  sold  for  twenty-four  dollars.  "Jit  is  aim^ interesting  that  the  town 
always  paid  cash  for  its  schools  in  (■hbss=days.  The  changing  times  are 
apparent  when  we  realize  that  in  1779  Sudbury  spent  twice  as  much 
for  the  salaries  of  its  ministers  as  it  did  on  its  entire  school  budget. 
In  the  same  period  every  school  book  had  to  be  read  by  a  minister 
and  his  approval  secured  before  the  book  could  be  used  in  the  classroom.  / 

According  to  Hudson,  every  interesting  historical  adventure  came 
close  to  the  experience  of  the  townspeople.  He  includes  stories  on 
witchcraft,  slavery,  the  underground  railroad,  animal  bounties,  a  great 
pestilence  and  plague  that  wiped  out  great  numbers  of  Indians,  the 
winning  of  great  wars,  the  establishment  of  early  crafts  and  craftsmen, 
the  color  of  early  graveyard  markers,  church  politics  and  the  dismissal 
of  pastors,  and  the  methods  of  welfare  and  public  protection.  We  are 
told  on  page  328,  for  instance,  that  "in  1753  a  movement  was 
made  to  establish  a  work-house  in  Sudbury.  At  the  above  named 
date   a    vote    was    taken  where  it  passed  very  fully  in  the  affirmative, 


that    it    {the    town)    would  provide    a    work-house    in  the  town,    that 
Idle  and  Disorderly  people  may  be  properly  employed.  " 

When  we  consider  the  great  positive  influence  of  such  industries 
as  Raytheon  in  contemporary  Sudbury,  we  are  aware  of  the  difference 
in  the  first  three  hundred  years  of  history  when  no  major  business 
or  industry  had  yet  come  to  town.  The  community  had  to  make  special 
concessions  to  great  craftsmen.  A  miller  was  given  a  large  lot  and  a 
guaranteed  monopoly  before  he  agreed  to  locate  here.  A  blacksmith 
was  given  many  privileges  including  all  the  free  timber  needed  and 
free  land.  This  book  is  the  story  of  a  community's  beginnings  and 
its  evolution,  but  its  importance  lies  in  the  fact  that  the  community 
held  a  unique  place  in  early  America  and  its  history  demonstrates 
all  the  intricacies  of  our  national  heritage  and  it  stands  as  a  prototype 
of  the  American  experience. 

Although  many  facts  in  Hudson  are  now  subject  to  challenge 
and  some  sections  could  now  be  corrected  as  a  result  of  subsequent 
research,  it  has  been  decided  to  reprint  the  original  without  change  as 
an  historical  document.  It  is  hoped  that  this  work  will  again  stimulate 
discussion  and  inspire  one  to  take  up  the  task  of  recording  the  history 
of  the  last  hundred  years  of  this  unique  town.  During  this  period 
of  change  and  development,  the  community  has  held  its  place  in  the 
pattern  of  American  historical  experience. 

I  am  deeply  grateful  to  Mr.  Calvin  Otto  whose  interest,  ability 
and  experience  made  this  project  possible. 

In  this  book  Hudson  describes  the  custom  of  ringing  a  bell  on 
the  occasion  of  a  death  in  the  town.  He  writes  {page  587)  that  it 
used  "to  break  the  monotony  of  our  daily  toil  to  have  the  silence 
suddenly  broken  by  the  slow  tolling  bell,  that  said  plainer  than  words 
that  another  soul  had  dropped  into  eternity  .  .  .  three  times  it  rang 
if  it  were  a  man,  or  three  times  two  if  it  were  a  woman.  Another 
pause,  and  then  strokes  corresponding  in  number  to  the  years  of  the 
deceased.  " 

The  bell  now  tolls  three  hundred  and  thirty  for  Sudbury.  The 
puritan  village  is  dead.  Yet  the  experience  of  its  life  and  heritage 
might  live  on,  without  sentimentality  or  artificiality,  if  the  citizens 
of  our  time  know  the  past  and  face  the  future  with  a  recognized 
identity.   In  this  task  Hudson's  book  can  provide  a   new  beginning. 


PREFACE. 


In  submitting  this  volume  to  the  public,  we  do  not 
expect  to  be  so  fortunate  as  to  have  avoided  all  mistakes. 
We  hope,  however,  that  it  contains  as  few  as  could  be 
expected  in  a  work  relating  to  so  broad  a  field  of  facts  and 
so  long  a  period  of  time.  The  following  statements  con- 
cerning the  general  plan  of  the  work  may  assist  the  reader 
to  a  fairer  estimate  of  its  merits. 

The  primary  object  of  the  writer  has  been  to  present  the 
annals  or  general  history  of  Sudbury.  The  age  of  the  town, 
its  importance  and  prominence  in  the  past,  and  the  fullness 
of  its  records  have  left  no  room  for  complete  genealogies, 
and  partial  sketches  of  families  or  individuals  have  been 
given  only  so  far  as  pertains  to  the  general  design  of  the 
work. 

The  second  object  has  been  to  make  the  book  readable. 
If  a  local  history  is  to  be  read  it  must  be  more  than  a  col- 
lection of  statistics,  or  quotations  from  records,  or  a  compila- 
tion of  facts  given  apart  from  their  relation  to  each  other 
or  to  events  in  the  country  at  large.  To  accomplish  the 
second  object,  whenever  local  events  have  been  connected 
with  general  history,  we  have  taken  the  space  for  the 
latter  which  we  considered  essential  to  show  this  connec- 
tion, and  thus  to  broaden  the  view  of  the  reader  and  add 
interest  to  the  subject.  As,  for  example,  the  statement 
that  some  French  Neutrals  were  for  a  time  cared  for  by 
the  inhabitants  of  Sudbury  might  be  invested  with  no  in- 


VI.  PREFACE. 

terest  to  the  general  reader,  and  soon  be  forgotten,  unless 
somewhat  of  the  history  of  those  unfortunates  was  also 
given.  Secondly,  we  have  intended,  while  we  have  not 
neglected  minor  things,  to  give  greater  prominence  to  events 
in  which  the  general  public  is  most  interested.  Thirdly,  in 
some  instances  when  we  have  quoted  records  verbatim,  we 
have  also  taken  space  to  give  the  same  in  our  own  language 
that,  by  enlarging  upon  the  events  recorded,  we  might  add 
prominence  and  interest. 

In  gathering  historic  material  we  have  relied  upon  orig- 
inal sources  of  information,  except  in  such  instances  as  the 
reputation  of  an  author  has  warranted  us  in  accepting  of 
his  statements.  The  original  sources  from  which  we  have 
drawn  are  the  voluminous  mass  of  town  records,  the  loose, 
fragmentary  papers  of  the  Stearns  Collection,  the  State 
Archives,  the  traditions  of  old  inhabitants,  and  histories 
!  whose  authors  were  contemporaneous  with  the  events  they 
recorded.  The  first  source  referred  to  consists  of  several 
large  record  books,  the  first  of  which  dates  from  the  begin- 
ning of  the  settlement,  and  is  followed  by  a  series  of  well- 
kept  books  containing  a  detailed  and  unbroken  record  of  the 
transactions  of  the  old  historic  town.  These  books  cover  a 
space  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  years,  and  in  instances  the 
paper  is  worn  and  the  writing  illegible.  The  Stearns  Col- 
lection is  made  up  of  manuscripts  which  were  gathered  by 
Dr.  Thomas  Stearns  of  Sudbury.  Some  of  these  bear  an 
early  date,  and  consist  of  deeds,  wills,  journals  or  diaries, 
and  fragmentary  bits  of  information.  The  State  Archives 
contain  valuable  information  not  found  in  the  town  books. 
This  is  especially  so  as  regards  the  early  wars.  The  town 
books  contain  but  little  about  the  war  with  King  Philip,  and 
the  conflicts  that  occurred  during  the  last  of  the  seventeenth 
and  the  first  of  the  eighteenth  century,  and  also  but  little 
about  the  French  and  Indian  wars. 


PREFACE.  Vll. 

The  old  inhabitants  referred  to  are  some  who  are  now 
living  and  some  who  have  passed  away  since  this  work  was 
commenced.  Among  the  former  are  Mr.  John  Maynard, 
Capt.  James  Moore  and  Mr.  James  S.  Draper  of  Wayland. 
Among  the  latter  are  C.  G.  Cutler,  Esq.,  Mr.  Josiah  Haynes, 
Mrs.  Samuel  Jones,  Mrs.  J.  P.  Allen,  Mr.  Reuben  Rice  of 
Concord  and  Mr.  Abel  Heard  of  Wayland,  formerly  East 
Sudbury.  We  have  also  obtained  valuable  information  from 
local  histories  of  modern  date. 

In  our  system  of  arrangement,  we  have  combined  the 
chronological  with  the  topical ;  that  is,  we  have,  since  1650, 
considered  the  history  of  the  town  in  successive  periods  of 
a  quarter  century  each,  taking  topically,  in  the  main,  the 
events  which  each  contained.  We  consider  the  advantage 
of  this  system  to  be  that,  after  a  careful  perusal  of  this  work, 
the  reader  will  be  able  to  take  a  general  view  of  the  town 
in  all  its  relations  —  civil,  social,  and  religious  —  at  any 
period  of  its  history. 

In  the  selection  of  material  we  have  been  guided  by  the 
main  object  of  the  history,  namely,  to  give  a  correct  and 
vivid  impression  of  times,  characters,  and  events. 

We  have  endeavored  not  to  pass  lightly  by  any  event  that 
had  an  especially  formative  or  far-reaching  influence ;  but, 
in  the  history  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  years  of  a  town  once 
the  largest  in  the  county,  it  may  be  expected  that  much  will 
be  left  out  which  would  otherwise  be  gathered  up. 

In  making  reference  to  the  town  books  the  page  has  been 
generally  omitted,  partly  to  save  space,  partly  because  some 
of  the  books  are  not  paged,  and  partly  because  the  date  suf- 
ficiently indicates  the  place  where  the  record  may  be  found. 

In  seeking  information  we  have  been  kindly  received, 
and  we  extend  our  thanks  to  all  those  who  have  rendered 
assistance,  and  to  all  who,  by  the  confidence  they  have 
reposed  in  us  and  their  interest  in  the  work  and  apprecia- 


Vlll.  PREFACE. 

tion  of  its  magnitude,  have  made  the  difficult  task  more 
pleasant.  The  author  would  acknowledge  his  indebtedness 
to  the  members  of  his  own  family  for  substantial  aid  ;  and 
especially  to  Mrs.  L.  R.  Hudson,  who  has  shared  with  him 
in  the  arduous  work,  and  without  whose  sympathy,  encour- 
agement, and  assistance,  this  history  would  have  been  longer 
in  completion  and  of  less  value. 

Thanks  are  also  especially  due  to  Mr.  Jonas  S.  Hunt, 
Sudbury's  efficient  and  courteous  town  clerk,  whose  hearty 
co-operation  as  well  as  substantial  assistance  demand  the 
gratitude  of  both  the  town  and  the  author. 

Thanks  are  due  to  Mr.  John  Ward  Dean,  Librarian  of  the 
New  England  Historic-Genealogical  Society,  for  kindly  giv- 
ing access  to  the  books  of  the  Society,  Mr.  James  S.  Draper 
of  Wayland,  for  his  assistance  in  locating  and  drawing  a 
map  of  the  early  homesteads  of  the  settlers,  Mr.  Asahel 
Balcom  of  Maynard,  for  facts  about  the  north-west  district, 
Mr.  George  H.  Barton  of  the  Institute  of  Technology,  Bos- 
ton, for  preparing  a  paper  on  the  geology  of  Sudbury,  Miss 
G.  A.  Goodnow,  for  facts  concerning  the  Methodist  church, 
and  others  who  have  furnished  valuable  information. 

We  would  also  acknowledge  the  valuable  assistance  re- 
ceived from  Temple's  History  of  Framingham,  Shattuck's 
History  of  Concord,  Saunderson's  History  of  Charlestown, 
N.  H.,  Reed's  History  of  Rutland,  and  Drake's  History  of 
Middlesex  County.  We  would  also  take  this  occasion  to 
express  our  thanks  to  the  town  of  Sudbury  for  the  liberal 
appropriation  which  has  enabled  us  to  complete  the  work. 

Alfred  S.  Hudson. 
Ayer,  June  1st,  1889. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    I. 

Early  Condition  of  the  Country.  —  Original  Boundaries. —  Indian 
Names.  —  Primitive  Forests.  ■ —  Laws  concerning  Timber.  —  Clear- 
ings.—  Game.  —  Johnson's  Description.  —  Meaning  of  "Meadow 
Lands."  —  "  Old  Connecticut  Path."  —  Indian  Trails,  1 


CHAPTER    II. 

Indians  of  Sudbury  Territory.  —  Relics.  —  Localities  where  they 
Lived  :  at  Nobscot,  the  Vicinity  of  the  River,  Weir  Hill,  Cochit- 
uate.  —  Names  and  History  of  Prominent  Indians:  Karte,  Tanta- 
mous,  Nataous. —  Description  of  Wigwams.  —  Food.  —  Charac- 
teristics.—  Method  of  Hunting  and  Fishing.  —  Tribal  Relations. 
—  Nature  of  their  Early  Intercourse  with  the  English,  . 


CHAPTER   III. 

Origin  ok  the  Sudbury  Settlement.  —  Why  it  was  formed.  —  Names 
of  Early  Settlers :  Residents  of  Watertown,  Emigrants  from 
England.  —  Passenger  List  of  the  Ship  "  Confidence."  —  Tradition 
about  John  Rutter.  —  Character  of  the  Settlers.  —  Biographical 
Sketches, 24 


CHAPTER    IV. 

Method  of  Acquiring  Territory.  —  Character  and  Jurisdiction  of  the 
Massachusetts  Bay  Colony. —  Colonial  Court.  —  Response  to  the 
Petition  fpr  a  Plantation  at  Sudbury.  —  Successive  Land  Grants. 
—  Purchase  of  Territory.  —  Indian  Deeds.  —  Incorporation  of  the 
Town. —  Name.  —  Sketch  of  Sudbury,  Eng. —  Town  Boundaries,     57 


X.  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER   V. 


Place  and  Plan  of  Settlement. —  Data  of  House-lots.  —  Description 
of  Map.  —  Course  of  First  Street.  —  Sites  of  Early  Homesteads.  — 
Historic  Highway.  —  Time  of  Settlement.  —  Dimensions  of  First 
Dwelling-house.  —  Early  Experiences  of  the  Settlers,    .         .         .73 


CHAPTER   VI. 

Town  Meetings.  —  Their  Origin  and  Character.  —  Conditions  of 
Citizenship. —  Freemen.  —  Place  of  Town  Meeting.  —  Town  Offi- 
cers.—  Highways.  —  Bridges.  —  "Indian  Bridge."  —  The  "Old 
Town  Bridge."  —  Contracts  with  Ambrose  Leach  and  Timothy 
Hawkins.  —  Causeway. —  Formation  of  Church.  —  Settlement  of 
First  Minister. —  Erection  of  First  Meeting-House. —  Contract 
with  John  Kutter.— Building  of  Grist-Mill 83 


CHAPTER   VII. 

Land  Divisions.  —  Origin  of  the  Terms  "  Common  "  and  "  Lot."  — 
Permission  of  Colonial  Court  for  Land  Division. —  Principles 
upon  which  Land  Divisions  were  Made.  —  The  Meadows  a  Basis 
of  Division.  —  Meadow  Rights,  or  Meadow  Dividends.  —  Rules 
of  Division.  —  Quantity  of  Meadow  Received  in  Three  Early 
Allotments.— -  Division  of  Upland.  —  Town's  Common  or  Undi- 
vided Lands.  —  Proprietors'  Common  or  Undivided  Lands. — 
Proprietors'  Meetings  subsequent  to  1700.  —  Specimens  of  their 
Records.  —  Land  Allotments  to  be  Recorded.  —  Cow  Common. — 
Land  for  the  Support  of  the  Ministry.  —  Reservations  for  "  Plant- 
ing Fields,"  a  "  Training  Field,"  a  Mill,  a  Pasture  for  "  Working 
Oxen,"  Timber  Land, 104 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

Miscellaneous. —  Laws  concerning  Domestic  Animals,  Birds,  Wolves, 
Ammunition  and  Fire-arms.  —  Common  Planting  Fields.  —  Fence 
Viewers  and  Fences.  —  Staple  Crops. —  Meadow  Grass;  Abun- 
dance, Time  and  Price  of  Cutting,  Measures  for  Improving. — 
Mode  of  Travel.  —  Staking  the  Causeway.  —  Climate.  —  Rain  and 
Snow  Fall.  —  Occasion  of  Floods.  —  Breaking  Out  Roads.  —  Care 
of  the  Poor. —  Laws  for  the  Prevention  of  Poverty  Enacted  by 
the  Town;  by  the  Province.  —  Town  Action  for  the  Encourage- 
ment of  Industry.  —  Education.  —  Morality. —  Instruction  in  the 


CONTENTS.  XI. 

Use  of  Fire-arms.  —  Tything-men.  —  Stocks.  —  Lecture  Day. — 
Fasts.  —  Baptism  of  Infants.  —  Laws  Relating  to  Labor.  —  Pay- 
ments Often  Made  in  Produce.  —  Negroes  Bought  and  Sold. — 
Copy  of  Bill  of  Sale.  —  Schedule  of  Inhabitants  a  Century  and  a 
Half  Ago.  —  Respect  Shown  by  the  Use  of  Titles;  by  Gratula- 
tion ;  by  Seating  in  the  Meeting-House.  —  Careful  of  Dues. — 
Precaution  Against  Fire.  —  Borrowing  Canoes. — -Board  of  the 
Representatives.  —  Peculiar  Names  of  Places,        ....  128 


CHAPTER    IX. 

Sudbury  in  the  Colonization  of  Other  Towns :  Framingham,  Marl- 
boro, Worcester,  Grafton,  Rutland, 151 


CHAPTER    X. 

Activity  on  the  West  Side  of  the  River.  —  Early  Homesteads. — 
Laying  Out  of  the  "  New  Grant."  —  Land  Allotments.  —  Owners 
and  Occupants.  —  "The  Thirty  Rod  Highway." — Settlement  of 
Marlboro.  —  The  "  Hop  Brook  Mill."  —  Highway  to  the  New  Mill. 
—  "Old  Lancaster  Road."  —  New  Meeting-House;  Contract. — 
The  "Cow  Common"  Controversy, 177 


CHAPTER   XL 

1675-1700. 

Philip's  War :  Sources  of  Information  ;  Cause  and  Nature.  —  Defen- 
sive Measures  by  the  Town  :  Garrison- Houses  ;  Militia. — Defen- 
sive Measures  by  the  Colony.  —  Services  of  the  Town  outside  its 
Limits;  List  of  Men  Impressed.  —  Swamp  Fight.  —  Services  of 
Ephraim  Curtis  among  the  Nipnets:  As  a  Messenger  with  Pro- 
posals of  Peace;  As  a  Guide  in  Captain  Hutchinson's  Expedi- 
tion.—  Signs  of  Indian  Hostilities  in  and  about  the  Town. — 
Edmund  Brown's  Letter. —  Night  Attack  on  the  Indians,  and 
Death  of  Netus, 195 

CHAPTER  XII. 

1675-1700. 

Philip's  War. —  Indian  Invasion;  Date. —  Number  of  the  Enemy. 
—  Philip's  Preparation. —  Indian  Powwow.  —  Movements  of  the 
English.  —  General  Attack  on  the  Town.  —  Assault  on  the  Haynes 


Xll.  CONTENTS. 

Garrison.  —  Hostilities  on  the  East  Side.  —  Resistance  of  the  Eng- 
lish.—  Arrival  of  Reinforcements  ;  Concord  Company,  Watertown 
Company.  —  The  Indians  Driven  Over  the  Causeway  and  Bridge. 

—  Attempt  to  Reinforce  Captain  Wadsworth.  —  Description  Given 

in  "  The  Old  Petition," ,         .         .  217 

CHAPTER   XIII. 

1675-1700. 

Philip's  War.  —  The  Sudbury  Fight. —  Number  of  Men  in  Captain 
Wadsworth's  Company:  The  Arrival  at  Marlboro;  The  Return 
to  Sudbury.  —  The  Ambuscade:  Place  of  It.  —  Philip's  Plan  of 
Attack.  —  Number  of  Indians.  —  The  Battle.  —  The  Forest  Fire. 

—  Retreat  of  the  English.  —  Refuge  in  Hop  Brook  Mill.  —  Num- 
ber of  the  English  Slain.  —  Philip's  Loss.  — Treatment  of  Cap- 
tives.—  Rescue  of  the  Survivors.  —  Burial  of  the  Dead.  —  Place 
of  Burial.  —  Biographical  Sketches:  Captain  Wadsworth,  Captain 
Brocklebank.  —  Roxbury  Men.  —  Concord  Men.  —  Marlboro  Men. 

—  The  Christian  Indians.  —  Movements  of  the  English  after  the 
Battle.  —  Sudbury's  Loss 233 

CHAPTER   XIV. 
1675-1700. 

Revival  of  Prosperity  after  Philip's  War.  —  Payment  for  Fortifica- 
tion of  the  Meeting-House.  —  Erection  of  Saw-Mill  at  Hop 
Brook. —  Death  of  Rev.  Edmund  Browne;  Place  of  Burial;  His- 
torical Sketch.  —  Settlement  of  Rev.  James  Sherman. —  Purchase 
of  Parsonage. —  Building  of  New  Meeting-House. —  Political 
Disturbances. — Change  of  Charter.  —  Administration  of  Sir  Ed- 
mund Andros.  —  Indian  Hostilities.  —  The  Ten  Years  War. — 
Distribution  of  Ammunition.  —  Petition  of  Sudbury.  —  Phipps 
Expedition.  —  Sudbury  Canada  Grant.  —  Witchcraft.  —  Samuel 
Paris;  Historical  Sketch. —  Incorporation  of  Framingham. — 
Miscellaneous  Matters,  , 259 

CHAPTER   XV. 

1700-1725. 

Educational  Advantages;  Why  so  Small— School  Laws  by  the 
Province.  —  Town  Action.  —  Grammar  School ;  Location. — Mixed 
Schools. —  Masters. —  School- Houses.  —  Ecclesiastical  Matters.  — 


CONTENTS.  Xlll. 

Dismission  of  Rev.  Mr.  Sherman.  —  Ordination  of  Rev.  Israel 
Loring. —  Division  of  the  Town  into  Two  Precincts;  Petitions, 
Remonstrances,  Decision  of  the  Court,  Subsequent  Action  of  the 
Town.  —  Call  of  Mr.  Loring  by  the  People  of  the  West  Precinct; 
His  Acceptance.  —  Renewal  of  the  Church  Covenant  by  the  Peo- 
ple of  the  West  Side;  Subscribers  Thereto.  —  Settlement  of  Rev. 
Mr.  Cook  in  the  East  Parish.  —  Building  of  a  Meeting-House  on 
the  West  Side;  Location.  —  Removal  of  the  East  Side  Meeting- 
House  ;  New  Location 277 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

1700-1725. 

Queen  Anne's  War;  Attendant  Hardships.  —  Father  Ralle's  War ; 
Eastern  Expedition,  List  of  Sudbury  Soldiers.  —  Ranger  Service; 
Its  Nature.  —  Death  of  Samuel  Mossman.  —  Imperiled  Condition 
of  Rutland.  —  Death  of  Rev.  Joseph  Willard  by  the  Indians. — 
Petition  for  Assistance. —  List  of  Sudbury  Soldiers  at  Rutland. — 
Captain  Wright's  Letter.  —  Lieut.  William  Brintnall  ;  His  Letter. 
—  Province  Loans.  —  River  Meadow.  —  Causeway.  —  Roads. — 
Miscellaneous.  .  295 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

1725-1750. 

Highways.  —  Bridges.  —  Schools. —  Movement  for  a  New  Town- 
ship; Remonstrances.  —  Petition  Relating  to  the  River  Meadows. 
—  Sale  of  Peter  Noyes's  Donation  of  tiie  Hop  Brook  Mill. — 
Gratuities  to  the  Ministers.  —  Miscellaneous  Matters.    .         .         .  JJ05 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 
1725-1750. 

Third  French  and  Indian  War.  —  Sudbury  Soldiers  at  Cape  Breton. 
—  Fort  No.  4,  N.H.  —  Capt.  Phineas  Stevens.  —  Sketch  of  His 
Life.  —  His  Service  in  Connection  with  the  Building  and  Defense 
of  the  Fort.  —  Capt.  Josiah  Brown.  —  Engagement  with  French 
and  Indians  about  the  Fort. —  Petition  of  Captain  Brown. —  Peti- 
tion of  Jonathan  Stanhope.  —  Battle  between  the  Forces  of  Cap- 
tain Stevens  and  General  Debeline.  —  Expedition  of  Captain 
Hobbs.  —  Battle  between  the  Commands  of  Captain  Hobbs  and 
Chief  Sackett.  —  Sketch  of  Capt.  Josiah  Brown. —  List  of  Captain 
Brown's  Troopers, 313 


XIV.  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   XIX. 

1750-1775. 

The  Work-House.  —  Regulations  of  it.  —  Pest-  House  at  Nobscot.  — 
Graves  of  Small-Pox  Victims. —  Pest-Houses  on  the  East  Side. — 
Graves  of  Victims. —  Inoculation  for  the  Disease.  —  Statistics 
Relating  to  It. —  Highway  Work.  —  Lottery  for  Repairing  the 
Causeway.  —  Schools. —  School-Houses.  —  Fourth  French  and  In- 
dian War.  —  Causes  of  It. —  Lists  of  Sudbury  Soldiers  in  Various 
Campaigns.  —  First  and  Second  Foot  Companies.  —  Alarm  List.  — 
Troops  of  Horse. —  Battle  at  Half-Way  Brook. —  Death  of  Cap- 
tain Dakin.  —  Sketch  of  his  Life.  —  Covenant.  —  Correspondence. 
-^French  Neutrals. —  Death  of  Rev.  William  Cook.  —  Settle- 
ment of  Rev.  Josiah  Bridge. —  Death  of  Rev.  Israel  Loring. — 
Sketch  of  His  Life. —  Settlement  of  Rev.  Jacob  Bigelow. —  Divi- 
sion of  West  Part  into  Wards.  —  Powder  House.  —  Noon  Houses. 
—  Pound.  —  Measures  to  Suppress  Swindling,         ....  327 


CHAPTER   XX. 

1775-1800. 

War  of  the  Revolution.  —  Causes  of  It.  —  Attitude  of  the  Town 
Relative  to  the  Stamp  Act.' — Instructions  to  the  Representative 
Concerning  It.  —  Report  of  the  Committee  Relative  to  the  Impor- 
tation of  Tea.- — Patriotic  Resolutions  of  the  Town.  —  Instruc- 
tions to  its  Representatives.  —  An  Old  Document  Descriptive  of 
the  Times.  —  Military  Preparations.  —  Choice  of  Militia  Officers. 
—  Organization  of  Minute  Companies. —  Names  and  Captains  of 
Companies.  —  Muster  Rolls.  —  Equipments.  —  Drill.  —  Call  Roll 
of  Captain  Nixon's  Company. —  Military  Stores  Removed  to 
Sudbury.  —  The  Alarm.  —  The  Mustering  and  March.  —  The 
Arrival  at  Concord.  —  The  Encounter  at  the  North  Bridge. — 
Retreat  of  the  British.  —  The  Pursuit.  —  Encounter  at  Merriam's 
Corner.  —  At  Hardy's  Hill. —  Incident.  —  Sudbury's  Loss. — 
x       Sketch  of  Deacon  Josiah  Haynes.  —  Sketch  of  Mr.  Asahel  Read.  358 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

1775-1800. 

Revolutionary  War.  —  Sudbury  Soldiers  at  Bunker  Hill.  —  Muster 
Rolls  of  Captains  Russell,  Moore,  and  Haynes.  —  Battle  of  Bun- 
ker Hill.  —  Position  and  Service  of  the  Regiments  of  Colonels 


CONTENTS.  XV. 

Nixon  and  Brewer.  —  Number  of  Casualties.  —  The  Siege  of 
Boston, — List  of  Men  in  Two  Months  Service.  —  List  of  Men  in 
Colonel  Whitney's  Regiment.  —  Government  Storehouses  at  Sand 
Hill.  —  Service  outside  the  State. —  List  of  Officers  in  Sudbury 
Companies  in  1776.  —  List  of  Men  in  Capt.  Aaron  Haynes's 
Company.  —  Men  in  Captain  Wheeler's  Company  at  Ticonderoga ; 
in  Colonel  Robinson's  Regiment,  in  Colonel  Read's  Regiment. — 
Supplementary  List.  —  Soldiers  at  Ticonderoga  in  1770;  in  Cap- 
tain Wheeler's  Company,  Captain  Craft's  Company,  Captain  Edg- 
ell's  Company,  Captain  Aaron  Haynes's  Company.  —  Canada 
Campaign. —  New  York  Campaign.  —  Men  Enlisted  for  Three 
Years  in  1777.  —  Guard  Roll. —  Pay  Roll.  —  List  of  Two  Months 
Men  in  1777. —  List  of  Three  Months  Men  in  1777.  —  Names  of 
Sudbury  Captains  and  Companies  in  the  Field  in  1778.  —  Captain 
Maynard's  Company.  —  Captain  Wheeler's  Company.  —  Captain 
Moulton's  Company.  —  Captain  Haynes's  Company.  —  Captain 
Bowker's  Company.  —  Prices  Paid  for  Enlistment  in  1780.  .  383 


CHAPTER   XXII. 

1775-1800. 

Revolutionary  War.  —  Report  of  a  Committee  Appointed  by  the 
Town  to  Estimate  the  Service  of  Sudbury  Soldiers.  —  Appoint- 
ment of  a  Committee  to  Make  up  and  Bring  in  Muster  Rolls  of 
the  Services  of  Each  Soldier  in  the  War. —  Muster  Rolls:  Cap- 
tain Rice's,  Captain  Wheeler's,  Captain  Maynard's,  Captain  Cut- 
ting's.—  Whole  Number  of  Men  in  the  War.  —  Their  Valiant 
Service.  — Casualties.  —  Sketch  of  Gen.  John  Nixon.  —  Town- 
Meetings. —  Encouragements  to  Enlistment.  —  Specimen  of  En- 
listment Papers.  —  Various  Requisitions  Made  on  the  Town,       .  402 


CHAPTER   XXI II. 

1775-1800. 

Attention  the  Town  Bestowed  on  its  Home  Needs  during  the  War. 
—  Specimen  Report  of  a  Town-Meeting. —  Attitude  of  the  Town 
towards  the  Measures  of  Boston  Merchants  relative  to  the  Re 
duction  of  Prices. — -Appointment  of  Delegate  to  a  Convention 
Called  for  the  Purpose  of  Framing  a  New  Constitution.  —  Com- 
mittee Appointed  to  Regulate  Prices. —  Report  of  Committee. — 
Vote  on  the  New  Constitution. —  Educational  Matters.  —  Division 
of  the  Town.  —  Committee  on  a  Line  of  Division.  —  Committee 
Appointed  to  Present  a  Remonstrance  to  the  Court — Instructions 


\/ 


XVI.  CONTENTS. 

to  the  Committee.  —  Act  of  the  Court  Authorizing  a  Division. — 
Committee  Appointed  to  Make  a  Division  of  the  Money  and  Real 
Estate. —  Report  of  the  Committee. —  Appointment  of  Other  Com- 
mittees. —  Financial  Report. —  Official  Boards  for  1780  and  1781. — 
Miscellaneous. —  Shay's  Rebellion. —  Erection  of  Meeting-House. 

—  Miscellaneous, 415 

CHAPTER    XXIV. 

1800-1825. 

Early  Families  Residing  in  Sudbury  about  the  Beginning  of  the 
Present  Century.  —  Families  Who  Came  into  Sudbury  during  the 
Interval  between  the  Formation  of  the  Town  and  about  the  Mid- 
dle of  the  Present  Century.  —  Biographical  Sketches,    .         .         .  432 

CHAPTER   XXV. 
1800-1825. 

Continuation  of  Old  Customs  to  the  Beginning  of  the  Present  Cen- 
tury.—  Inventory  in  a  Will  of  1806.  —  Extracts  from  an  Old 
Account  Book.  —  Description  of  Manners  and  Customs  by  an  Old 
Inhabitant.  —  Changes  in  the  Early  Part  of  the  Nineteenth  Cen- 
tury.—  Extract  from  "Fireside  Hymns." — Highway  Work. — 
North  Sudbury  Road. —  South  Sudbury  Road. —  Rebuilding  Wash 
Bridge. —  Railing  the  Causeway.  —  Setting  out  Willow  Trees. — 
Rebuilding  the  Canal  Bridge. —  Miscellaneous.  —  Educational 
Matters.  —  Report  of  School  Committee  in  1802.  —  Removal  of 
Centre  School-House  to  the  Common. —  Singing  Society. —  Church 
Music.  —  Military  Matters.  —  Patriotic  Attitude  Assumed  by  the 
Town. —  Money  Pledged  to  Soldiers  as  Wages.  —  As  Bounty. — 
Patriotic  Resolutions. —  Militia  Officers. —  How  Chosen. —  Where. 

—  Specimen  of  Company  Order.  —  Soldiers  in  1812. —  Wages  per 
Day_  —  Settlement  of  Rev.  Timothy  Hilliard. —  Ordaining  Coun- 
cil, —  Dismission.  —  Bill  Allowed  for  Entertaining  the  Dismissing 
Council.  — Sketch  of  Mr.  Hilliard.  —  Appointment  of  a  Day  of 
Fasting  and  Prayer  Relative  to  the  Settlement  of  a  New  Minister. 

—  Call  Extended  to  Rev.  Rufus  Hurlbut.  —  Accepted.—  Death  of 
Rev.  Jacob  Bigelow.  —  His  Annuity.  —  Money  Paid  his  Widow 
for  Service  Rendered  by  the  Clergy  as  a  Gift  to  her. —  Funeral 
Expenses. —  Sketch  of  Mr.  Bigelow.  —  Addition  to  the  Church 
during  his  Ministry —  Enlarging  the  Burying  Ground.  —  Pur- 
chase of  a  Bier  and  Hearse.  —  Formation  of  "Sudbury  Minis- 
terial Land  Corporation."  —  Sale  of  Ministerial  Land.  —  Report  of 

the  "  Ministerial  Fund  Corporation," 454 


CONTENTS.  Xvil. 

CHAPTER    XXVI. 

1825-1850. 

History  of  the  Sudbury  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  —  Members 
of  a  Baptist  Society  in  Sudbury  in  1828.  —  Town  Farm.  —  Town 
House. —  Erection  of  Tombs. —  Ecclesiastical  Disturbance. —  For- 
mation of  a  New  Parish.  —  Building  of  a  Meeting-House.  —  Ded- 
ication of  it.  —  Death  of  Rev.  Rufus  Hurlbut.  —  Sketch  of  his 
Life.  —  Settlement  of  Rev.  Josiah  Ballard.  —  The  Old  Parish. — 
Settlement  of  Rev.  Linus  Shaw.  —  Sketch  of  his  Life. —  Succes- 
sion of  Pastors. —  Miscellaneous,     .  472 


CHAPTER   XXVII. 

1850-1875. 

Names  Applied  to  different  Sections  of  the  Town.  —  Division  into 
Districts.  —  Change  in  the  Districts.  —  Description  of  South 
Sudbury. —  Location.  —  Location  of  the  Railroad  Station.  —  The 
Boston  and  Worcester  Highway.  —  Houses  Situated  along  this 
Highway  half  a  Century  Ago.  —  Changes  in  Buildings. —  The 
Village  Grocery.  —  Captain  Kidder's  Shoe  Shop.  —  Sketch  of 
Captain  Kidder.  —  Sketch  of  Mrs.  Kidder.  —  The  Mill. —  Wads- 
worth  Monument.  —  Industries.  —  Modern  Improvements.  —  For- 
mer and  Present  Owners  or  Occupants  of  Homesteads.  —  The 
George  Pitts  Farm.  —  Description  of  Sudbury  Centre.  —  Loca- 
tion.—  Oldest  House. —  Location  of  Old  Buildings. —  Noon 
House.  —  Parsonages.  —  Old  Burying-Ground. —  Common. —  Gro- 
cery Stores.  —  Mills. —  Former  and  Present  Owners  or  Occupants 
of  Homesteads.  —  North  Sudbury.  —  Location.  —  Post  Office  and 
Postmasters. — Industries. — Iron  Ore.— Grocery  Stores. —  Change 
in  Construction  of  Houses.  —  Taverns.  —  Saw-Mill.        .         .         .484 


CHAPTER   XXVIII. 

1850-1875. 

Description  of  School  Districts.  —  Lanham  District.  —  Territorial 
Limits.  —  School-House. — -Old  School  Customs.  —  Order  of  Ex- 
ercises.—  Examination  Day. —  Former  Dwellings.  —  Their  Own- 
ers or  Occupants.  — Clay-Pits.  —  South-West  District.  —  Origin 
of  the  Term  Peakham. —  School-house.  —  Name  of  it.  —  District 
Limits.  —  Location  of  Railroad  Station. —  Places  of  Historic  In- 
terest.—  Mills. —  Present  and   Former  Owners  or  Occupants  of 


XV111.  CONTENTS. 

Homesteads.  —  North-West  District.  —  Location  of  School-House. 

—  Assabet  Village.  —  The  "  Rice  Tavern."  —  The  Oldest  House. 

—  Early  Inhabitants.  —  North-East  or  Pantry  District.  —  Territo- 
rial Limits.  —  Origin  of  the  Name.  —  Railroad  Station.  —  Pantry 
School-House.  —  Poetic  Description  of  it.  —  Mr.  Israel  Haynes.  — 
Incident  of  his  Life.  —  Block  House.  —  Old  Loring  Parsonage. — 
The  Gravel  Pit.  —  Historic  Reminiscences.  —  Taverns.  —  School- 
House.—  Indian  Grave.  —  Government  Store-Houses.  —  Training- 
Field. —  Irregularity  of  Town  Boundary  Line.  —  Cause  of  it. — 
Caleb  Wheeler  Farm, 501 

CHAPTER   XXIX. 

1850-1875. 

The  Wadsworth  Monument.  —  Petition  to  the  Legislature.  —  Re- 
sponse. —  Description  of  the  Monument.  —  The  old  Slate  Stone.  — 
Fac-simile  of  it.  —  Dedication  of  the  Monument.  —  Dismission  of 
Rev.  Josiah  Ballard.  —  Sketch  of  his  Life.  —  Ordination  of  Rev. 
Charles  V.  Spear. —  His  Dismission. —  Installation  of  Rev.  Eras- 
tus  Dickinson. —  His  Dismission.  —  Sketch  of  his  Life.  —  Rev. 
Webster  Patterson.  —  Settlement  of  Rev.  Philander  Thurston. — 
His  Dismission. —  Sketch  of  Rev.  George  A.  Oviatt.  —  Rev. 
Calvin  Fitts.  —  Rev.  David  Goodale.  —  Rev.  Warren  Richardson. 

—  Deacons. —  Donation  of  Samuel  Dana  Hunt.  —  Bequest  of 
Miss  Emily  Thompson.  —  Gilts  from  Mrs.  Abigail  Smith  and  Miss 
Ruth  Carter.  —  Wadsworth  Academy. —  Congregational  Chapel.  — 
Changes  in  School  Districts.  —  In  School-Houses.  —  Numbering 
the  Districts.  —  The  Goodnow  Library.  —  The  Building.  —  The 
Donor. —  Incorporation  of  Maynard.  —  The  Framingham  and 
Lowell  Railroad.  —  The  Massachusetts  Central  Railroad.  —  Mis- 
cellaneous,          514 


CHAPTER   XXX. 
1850-1875. 

The  Civil  War.  —  Causes  of  it.  —  Warlike  Activity  at  the  North. — 
First  War  Meeting  in  Sudbury. —  The  "  Wadsworth  Rifle  Guards." 

—  Acts  of  the  Town  Relating  to  the  War.  —  Soldiers'  Aid  Society. 

—  Enlistments.  —  Sketch  of  the  Thirteenth  Regiment.  —  The 
Sixteenth.  —  The  Eighteenth.  —  The  Twentieth.  —  The  Twenty- 
Sixth.— The  Thirty-Fifth.— The  Forty-Fifth.  — The  Fifty-Ninth. 

—  Enlistments  in  other  Regiments  of  Infantry.  —  Sketch  of  First 
Massachusetts  Cavalry.  —  Enlistments  in  other  Regiments  of 
Cavalry.  — -  Enlistments  in  the  Artillery  Service.  —  United  States 


CONTENTS.  XIX. 

Sanitary  Commission.  —  List  of  Conscripts.  —  Casualties.  —  Biog- 
graphical  Sketches  of  Men  who  Died  in  the  Service.  —  Of  Sol- 
diers now  Living  in  Sudbury. —  Summary  of  Service. —  List  of 
Citizens  Subject  to  a  Draft  in  1SG3.  —  Bicentennial  of  the  Wads- 
worth  Fight.  —  Laying  out  of  Road  to  Railroad  Station,  South 
Sudbury.  —  The  George  Goodnow  Bequest,    .....  535 

CHAPTER   XXXI. 

CEMETERIES. 

First  Burial  Place.  —  Old  Burying-Ground  at  Sudbury  Centre. — 
Mount  Wadsworth  Cemetery. —  Mount  Pleasant  Cemetery. —  New 
Cemetery.  —  North  Sudbury  Cemetery.  —  Burial  Customs,    .         .  568 

CHAPTER   XXXII. 

TAVERNS. 

Early  Names.  —  Character  and  Importance. —  First  Tavern.  —  Oth- 
ers on  the  East  Side.  —  Taverns  in  the  South  Part  of  the  Town.  — 
Description  of  the  South  Sudbury  Tavern.  —  '-Howe's  Tavern," 
or  the  "Wayside  Inn."  —  Mr.  Longfellow's  Connection  with  it. — 
Location  and  Early  History. —  Description.  —  The  Last  Land- 
lord.—  Traditions  Concerning  it.  —  Taverns  on  the  Central  Road 
of  the  Town. — Taverns  at  North  Sudbury, 588 

CHAPTER   XXXIII. 

PHYSICIANS. 

Early  Mention  of  Physicians.  —  Biographical  Sketch  of  Dr.  Eben- 
ezer  Roby.  —  Ebenezer  Roby,  2d. —  Ebenezer  Roby.  3d.  —  Josiah 
Langdon. —  Moses  Taft.  —  Moses  Mossman  —  Ashbel  Kidder.  — 
Thomas  Stearns. —  Levi  Goodenough.  —  Otis  O.  Johnson. — 
George  A.  Oviatt, 599 

CHAPTER    XXXIV. 

TEMPERANCE. 

Early  Customs.  —  Effects  of  Cider  Drinking  in  North  Sudbury. — 
Connection  of  Taverns  with  the  Liquor  Traffic.  —  Drinking  Cus- 
toms in  South  Sudbury.  —  Common  Use  of  Malt.  —  Extract  from 
James  Thompson's  Account  Book.  —  Dawn  of  Better  Times. — 
Pioneers  in  the  Temperance  Cause.  —  Reformatory  Measures. — 
Temperance  Reform, 605 


XX.  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   XXXV. 

COLLEGE    GRADUATES    AND    PROFESSIONAL    MEN. 

List  of  Graduates  before  1800.  —  Biographical  Sketches  of  College 
Graduates  and  Professional  Men  since  1800,  ....  612 

CHAPTER   XXXVI. 

NATURAL  FEATURES. 

Hills.  —  Forests. —  The  Flora. —  Ponds.  —  Brooks. —  Sudbury  River. 

—  Its  Rise  and  Course. —  Its  Fish.  —  Poetical  Description  of 
Pickerel  Fishing.  —  Birds  about  the  River.  —  Poetical  Descrip- 
tion of  Duck  Hunting. —  Fur  Bearing  Animals  about  the  River. 

—  Slow  Current  of  the  River, 621 

CHAPTER    XXXVII. 

THE  RIVER  MEADOWS. 

Width  of  the  Meadows.  —  Former  Productiveness.  —  Litigation  and 
Legislation. —  Change  in  Productiveness. —  Causes  of  it.—  Natural 
Features  at  the  Present  Time.  —  Grass, 633 

CHAPTER   XXXVIII. 
Zoology  and  Geology, 643 

CHAPTER   XXXIX. 

Public  Bequests.  —  Action  of  the  Town  relative  to  the  Publication 
of  the  History  of  Sudbury.  —  Preparations  for  the  Observance  of 
the  Two  Hundred  and  Fiftieth  Anniversary  of  the  Incorporation 
of  the  Town, 653 

CHAPTER    XL. 
Conclusion, 657 


LIST  OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Rev.  Alfred  S.  Hudson,  Frontispiece. 

View  of  Hop  Brook  Valley  and  Nobscot,     ....  13 

Jonas  S.  Hunt, 47 

Map  of  House-lots,  by  Draper, 77 

A  Portion  of  Sudbury  Centre, 107 

Map  of  1708,  by  Haynes, 125 

The  Goodnow  Library,  South  Sudbury,         ....  149 

Residence  of  Joseph  C.  Howe, 183 

The  Browne  Garrison  House, 199 

The  Haynes  Garrison  House, 225 

Map  of  1676,  by  Hudson, 237 

The  Wadsworth  Grave,  South  Sudbury,       ....  251 

The  Walker  Garrison  House, 271 

The  Loring  Parsonage,  Sudbury  Centre,       ....  291 

The  Woods,  or  Allen  House, 313 

The  Summer  Residence  of  Hon.  Homer  Rogers,          .        .  333 
The  Common,  Unitarian  Church,  Town  House  and  Meth- 
odist Church,  Sudbury  Centre, 365 

Residence  of  Charles  P.  Willis, 391 

Residence  of  Samuel  B.  Rogers,  South  Sudbury,        .        .  413 

Map  of  1794,  by  Mossman, 429 

Residence  of  Richard  R.  Horr,  South  Sudbury,         .        .  445 

The  Bigelow  Parsonage,  Sudbury  Centre,    ....  471 

The  Hurlbut  Parsonage,  Sudbury  Centre,           .        .        .  481 

Mill  Village  (South  Sudbury), 487 


XXli.  LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 

The  Residence  of  Nahum  Goodnow, 505 

Rev.  Josiah  Ballard, 523 

The  Wadsworth  Academy,  South  Sudrury,  .        .        .  527 

The  Wadsworth  Monument,  South  Sudbury,       .        .        .  555 

The  Wayside  Inn, 593 

Residence  of  Nichols  B.  Hunt,  South  Sudbury,         .        .  G05 

The  Residence  of  Hon.  C.  F.  Gerry,  Sudbury  Centre,      .  615 

Residence  of  George  E.  Harrington, 643 


HISTORY    OF   SUDBURY. 


CHAPTER  I. 


Early  Condition  of  the  Country. —  Original  Boundaries. —  Indian 
Names.  —  Primitive  Forests.  —  Laws  concerning  Timber.  —  Clear 
ings.  —  Game.  —  Johnson's  Description.  —  Meaning  of  "  Meadow 
Lands."  — "Old  Connecticut  Path."  —  Indian  Trails. 

'Tis  like  a  dream  when  one  awakes, — 

This  vision  of  the  scenes  of  old; 
'Tis  like  the  moon  when  morning  breaks, 

'Tis  like  a  tale  round  watch-fires  told. 

PlERPONT 

The  town  of  Sudbury  was  settled  in  1638,  and  received  its 
name  in  1639.  It  was  the  nineteenth  town  in  the  Massachu- 
setts Bay  Colony,  and  the  second  situated  beyond  the  flow  of 
the  tide.  Originally  it  was  bounded  on  the  east  by  that  part 
of  Watertown  which  is  now  Weston,  on  the  north  by  Con- 
cord, and  southerly  and  westerly  by  the  wilderness,  or  the 
unclaimed  lands  of  the  Colony.  Up  to  the  year  1637  there 
was  no  white  man's  trail  through  the  length  or  breadth  of 
this  land  tract.  The  smoke  of  no  settler's  cabin  curled 
upward  through  the  tree-tops  of  its  far-stretching  forests, 
and  it  was  only  the  home  of  the  Indian  and  the  haunt  of 
wild  beasts  and  birds. 

The  Indian  name  of  the  river  and  country  adjacent  on  the 
north  was  Musketaquid,  or  Musketahquid,  and  it  is  presuma- 


2  HISTORY    OF    SUDBURY. 

ble  that  the  same  name  was  applied  to  this  region.  Mus- 
ketahquid  is  supposed  to  be  made  up  of  two  Indian 
words,  muskeht,  meaning  "grass,"  and  ahkeit,  which  signifies 
"ground,"  the  whole  signifying  "grassy  ground;"  and  if 
applied  to  the  river,  "grassy  brook,"  or  "meadow  brook." 
The  name  formed  by  these  words,  it  is  stated,  as  nearly 
resembles  Musketahqnid  as  the  Indian  dialect  will  allow. 
(Shattuck.)  As  the  same  stream  runs  through  Concord  and 
Sudbury,  and  the  meadows  in  these  places  are  equally  green 
and  broad,  it  is  not  by  any  means  unlikely  that  the  same 
term  was  applied  to  each  place  and  the  river  as  it  runs 
through  them  both.  This  is  rendered  still  more  probable  by 
the  fact  that  Karte,  the  Indian  owner  of  the  land  first  granted 
at  Sudbury,  was  also  an  owner,  with  others  of  the  territory 
at  Concord ;  as  the  Colony  records  inform  us  that  Karte,  with 
Tahattawan,  the  sachem  of  that  place,  with  some  others, 
consented  to  the  sale  of  territory  to  the  English  in  1637. 
(See  Chapter  II.)  As  Karte  lived  in  the  territory  that  is 
now  Sudbury,  and  his  wigwam  was  not  far  from  the  river,  it 
is  presumable  that  he  would  call  the  stream  as  it  flowed  near 
his  home  by  the  same  name  that  it  was  known  by  as  it  flowed 
through  his  domains  a  few  miles  farther  north.  Moreover,  it 
is  not  to  be  supposed  that  the  Sudbuiy  Indians  had  no  name 
for  their  river. 

Probably  the  first  Englishman  who  made  a  record  of  this 
word  was  William  Wood,  in  a  work  entitled  "  New  England 
Prospects."  Mr.  Wood,  it  is  supposed,  came  to  this  country 
about  1633;  that  he  then  visited  the  Mnsketahquid  region, 
and  was  so  charmed  with  its  resources  and  scenery  that,  by 
representations  of  it  on  his  return  to  England,  plans  were 
formed  for  a  settlement  at  Concord.  However  this  may  be, 
he  first  made  a  record  of  this  Indian  name  of  the  river  and 
the  adjacent  country,  and  that  before  any  town  boundaries 
could  have  limited  its  application  or  made  local  the  name  of 
this  old  natural  landmark. 

The  country  about  Sudbury  at  the  time  of  its  settlement 
was  largely  covered  with  heavy  timber.  That  tar  making 
was,  to  an  extent,  an  early  occupation  indicates  that  these 
trees  were,  many  of  them,  pines.     But  probably  not  one  of 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  3 

them  now  remains  ;  the  rapid  growth  and  early  decay  of  these 
trees,  and  their  fitness  for  building  purposes,  causing  them 
to  disappear  long  since.  A  solitary  pasture  oak,  left  here 
and  there  for  a  landmark  or  serviceable  shade,  is  about  all 
that  remains  of  those  old  monarchs  of  the  wood. 

But,  notwithstanding  there  was  formerly  so  much  timber 
land,  we  are  not  to  suppose  the  country  was  one  unbroken 
forest;  on  the  contrary,  it  was  interspersed  with  clearings; 
and  the  fact  that  in  those  first  years  the  town  was  choice  of 
its  timber,  and  passed  stringent  laws  concerning  it,  indicates 
that  these  clearings  were  considerable.  The  following  are 
some  of  the  laws.  In  1645  Edmund  Goodnow  was  appointed 
to  look  after  the  timber  on  the  common,  and  liberty  was 
given  him  to  designate  what  timber  should  be  taken;  and 
"  it  was  ordered,  that,  if  any  one  took  any  without  his  leave, 
they  were  to  forfeit  nineteen  pence  a  tree." 

In  1646,  "Ordered,  that  no  oak  timber  shall  be  fallen  with- 
out leave  from  those  that  are  appointed  by  the  town  to  give 
leave  to  fell  timber,  that  shall  hew  above  eighteen  inches  at 
the  butt  end  " 

Also,  "  That  no  man  that  hath  timber  of  his  own  to  supply 
his  want  shall  have  any  timber  granted  upon  the  common." 

In  1647,  "  It  was  ordered  that  the  people  should  have  tim- 
ber for  that  year  to  supply  their  wants,  for  every  two  shill- 
ings that  they  paid  the  ministry,  one  tree." 

On  different  occasions  persons  were  permitted  to  take  the 
town's  timber  as  an  encouragement  to  business,  as  when  a 
blacksmith  was  allowed  so  much  as  was  necessary  to  build  a 
shop,  on  condition  he  would  set  up  his  trade  in  town. 

In  1664  "timber  was  granted  to  Elias  Reives  for  his  build- 
ing, and  also  timber  and  hoop  poles  for  carrying  on  his  coop- 
er's trade,  in  case  he  would  live  in  Sudbury  six  years,  and 
honestly  and  carefully  do  the  town  of  Sudbury's  cooper  work 
the  said  six  years,  both  for  making  and  trimming  casks  at 
such  honest  rates  as  they  are  made  and  trimmed  for  at  the 
bay  of  Boston." 

The  cleared  spaces  were  occasioned  by  both  natural  and 
artificial  causes.  The  Indians,  by  setting  fires,  cleared  places 
for  their  planting  grounds  and  sunny  spots  for  their  homes. 


4  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

The  natural  openings  were  the  broad,  beautiful  meadows  on 
the  river  and  brooks. 

A  remarkable  feature  of  these  forests  was  their  freedom 
from  underbrush.  The  early  settlers  could  traverse  large 
portions  of  them  on  horseback  and  meet  with  few  obstacles, 
except  the  streams  and  swamps.  In  places  the  forests  were 
kept  clear  by  means  of  the  annual  fires  which  the  Indians 
set  to  facilitate  transit  and  the  capture  of  game.  These  fires 
were  set  in  the  autumn,  after  the  equinoctial  storm,  that 
they  might  burn  with  less  intensity  and  be  more  easily  con- 
trolled. Afterwards  the  Colonial  Court  enacted  laws  regard- 
ing  forest  fires.  It  was  ordered  that  "  whoever  kindles  fires 
in  the  woods  before  March  10  or  after  April  2,  or  on  the  last 
day  of  the  week  or  Lord's  day,  shall  pay  any  damages  that 
any  person  shall  lose  thereby,  and  half  so  much  to  the  com- 
mon treasury." 

The  country  afforded  fine  ranges  for  wild  animals,  and  was 
well  stocked  with  game,  which  made  it  an  attractive  hunting 
ground  for  the  Indians.  (See  Chapter  II.)  Deer  reeves 
were  annually  chosen  by  the  town  for  years  after  the  settle- 
ment, and  wolves  were  considered  such  a  pest  that  a  bounty 
was  set  upon  them.  Prior  to  1646  ten  shillings  were  offered 
apiece  for  them  ;  and  repeatedly  were  laws  enacted  for  the 
destruction  of  these  forest  marauders.  Bears  found  favorite 
resorts  among  the  highlands  of  Nobscot  and  Goodman's  Hill, 
and  tradition  informs  us  that  within  about  a  century  one  has 
been  killed  at  Green  Hill.  Beaver  pelts  were  an  article  of 
merchandise  through  a  large  part  of  the  Musketahquid 
country.  Wild  fowl  were  abundant.  Turke}rs  strutted  with 
stately  tread  in  the  lowlands  by  the  meadow  margins,  and 
large  flocks  of  water  fowl  frequented  the  streams  and  made 
their  nests  on  their  sedgy  borders.  Pigeons  were  plentiful, 
and  grouse  enlivened  the  shrubbery  of  the  numerous  swamps. 
The  supply  of  fish  was  ample,  including  salmon,  alewives, 
shad  and  dace. 

The  following  is  a  description  of  the  place  as  given  by 
Johnson,  a  writer  of  1654,  in  a  book  entitled  "  Wonder- 
Working  Providence:"  "This  town  is  very  well  watered, 
and  hath  store  of  plow-land;  but  by  reason  of  the  oaken  roots 


HISTORY   OF    SUDBURY.  5 

they  have  little  broke  up,  considering  the  many  Acres  the 
place  affords  ;  but  this  kinde  of  land  requires  great  strength  to 
break  up,  yet  brings  very  good  crops,  and  lasts  long  without 
mending.  .  .  .  The  place  is  furnished  with  great  plenty  of 
fresh  marsh,  but,  it  lying  very  low,  is  much  indamaged  with 
land  floods,  insomuch  that  when  the  summer  proves  wet  they 
lose  part  of  their  hay ;  yet  they  are  so  sufficiently  provided 
that  they  take  in  cattel  of  other  towns  to  winter." 

In  those  early  times  meadow  land  had  a  meaning  a  little 
unlike  that  which  it  now  has.  The  term,  at  least  in  places, 
was  used  to  designate  mowing  land  of  whatever  description, 
after  the  manner  of  its  significance  in  England.  This  distinc- 
tion may  have  been  made  here  by  the  early  writer  just  quoted. 
The  marsh  he  refers  to  is  doubtless  the  meadow  on  the  so- 
called  Great  River,  and  the  meadows  those  tracts  by  the 
higher  banks  of  the  brooks  and  those  found  in  natural  forest 
openings,  or  wherever  the  grass  land  abounded. 

Before  the  Plantation  of  Sudbury  was  commenced,  there 
passed  through  the  southeasterly  corner  of  its  territory  a 
memorable  trail.  This  was  a  part  of  the  "  Old  Connecticut 
Path."  This  highway  extended  from  the  sea-board  settle- 
ments far  into  the  interior.  From  Watertown  it  passed 
through  what  is  now  Waltham  and  Weston  to  that  section 
of  Sudbury  now  Way  land  ;  from  thence  southwesterly  to  the 
north  side  of  Cochituate  Pond,  and  on  through  the  wilder- 
ness towards  Connecticut.  It  is,  we  believe,  the  road  now 
traveled  from  Weston  Corner,  by  the  "Five  Paths,"  Way- 
land,  to  Framingham.  Mention  is  made  of  this  wa\  in  the 
town  records  as  early  as  1643,  and  again  in  1648.  Where  it 
passed  through  the  town  it  was  called  "the  road  from  Water- 
town  to  the  Dunster  Farm,"  a  tract  of  six  hundred  acres  granted 
in  1640  to  President  Dunster  of  Harvard  College,  bounded  on 
the  west  by  Cochituate  Pond,  and  early  leased  by  Edmund 
Rice  of  Sudbury.  This  trail  was  first  made  known  to  the 
English  by  some  Nipnet  Indians,  who  came  to  Boston  bring- 
ing corn  at  a  time  when  there  was  a  scarcity  of  it  in  the  col- 
ony. From  this  time  for  years  it  was  the  way  travelled  by 
the  English  in  their  journeyings  to  the  Connecticut  valley. 
In  1633  John  Oldham  and  several  others  journeyed  by  it  to 


6  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

the  westward,  in  search  of  a  settlement.  In  1635  some 
inhabitants  of  Watertown  took  this  way  as  they  travelled  to 
Wethersfield,  Conn.,  where  a  large  part  of  them  settled.  A 
year  later  the  ministers  Hooker  and  Stone,  with  about  a  hun- 
dred others  and  their  families,  took  this  path  in  their  emigra- 
tion to  Hartford. 

Thus  through  a  portion  of  Sudbury  passed  an  old  and 
historic  road,  which  is  interesting  because  of  the  things  now 
mentioned.  But  other  associations  also  may  cluster  about 
it.  Because  of  this  path,  perhaps,  the  plantation  at  Sudbury 
was  started.  This  supposition  is  favored  by  various  circum- 
stances. The  Watertown  people,  as  they  journeyed  to  Con- 
necticut, may  have  been  pleased  with  the  country  along  this 
part  of  the  way,  and  as  some  of  them  returned  to  Water- 
town,  at  which  place  a  plantation  at  Sudbury  was  afterwards 
planned,  favorable  reports  may  have  been  rendered  concern- 
ing it. 

It  was  easy  to  obtain  a  view  of  it  from  the  top  of  Reeves's 
Hill,  along  which  their  path  led,  and  it  is  not  at  all  improba- 
ble that  more  than  one  traveler  ascended  that  sightly  emi- 
nence, and  from  it  obtained  a  broad  view  of  the  Musketahquid 
and  its  adjacent  meadows.  The  slow-winding  stream,  as  it 
flashed  afar  in  the  sunlight,  and  the  wood-covered  hills  that 
extended  beyond,  together  with  the  proximity  of  such  a 
desirable  spot  to  their  Watertown  home  and  the  sea-board 
towns,  may  have  led  to  the  plan  of  its  early  settlement. 
Favorable  to  this  conjecture  is  the  fact  that  the  Watertown 
people  petitioned  for  the  land  soon  after  the  return  of  the 
emigrants.  But  whether  or  not  emigration  through  the  place 
by  this  path  suggested  or  originated  the  settlement,  it  must 
have  aided  it  when  once  begun,  and  promoted  exploration  in 
that  locality. 

A  trail  so  near  what  was  to  be  the  first. street  of  Sudbury 
would  be  quite  helpful  in  the  conveyance  of  the  various  com- 
modities that  were  essential  in  starting  a  settlement.  The 
planters  journeying  from  Watertown  could  follow  this  well- 
worn  way  almost  to  the  spot  assigned  for  their  house-lots 
where  they  erected  their  cabin  homes. 

Besides  this  path  from  the  sea-coast  to  the  Nipnet  country, 


HISTORY   OF    SUDBURY.  7 

other  trails  doubtless  led  through  the  place,  which  were  used 
by  the  Indians,  and  which  afterwards  ma}r  have  become  trav- 
eled roads.  As  the  town  afforded  favorite  fishing  resorts, 
there  were  doubtless  paths  from  various  quarters  leading  to 
them.  There  were  doubtless  such  to  the  fishing  weir  and 
fording  place  in  the  town's  northerly  part,  and  to  the  rocky 
falls  of  the  Sudbury  River  at  the  south.  Karte  probably  had 
a  path  from  his  hill-top  home  to  the  lodge  of  Tahattawan 
at  Concord.  The  old  pasture  path  at  Nobscot,  which  still 
winds  along  the  northern  hill-slope  by  the  spring  and  the 
Nixon  farm,  was  perhaps  the  well-known  way  of  Tantamous 
as  he  visited  the  wigwam  of  JCarte  at  Goodman's  hill,  or 
attended  the  preaching  of  John  Eliot  at  Natick^  or  with  a 
pack  of  candle  or  light -wood  upon,  his  back,  went  with 
spear  or  net  to  the  Musketahquid  to  fish.  Tims  the  country 
of  Sudbury  at  the  time  of  its  settlement  was,  perhaps,  more 
than  ordinarily  broken  by  paths  ;  and  its  timber  lands,  rich 
pasturage,  and  facilities  for  the  capture  of  game  and  fish, 
made  it  attractive  to  both  the  Indians  and  the  English. 


CHAPTER   II. 

Indians  of  Sudbury  Territory.  —  Relics.  —  Localities  where  they  Lived: 
at  Nobscot,  the  Vicinity  of  the  River,  Weir  Hill,  Cochituate  — 
Names  and  History  of  Prominent  Indians:  Karte,  Tantamous, 
Nataous.  —  Description  of  Wigwams.  —  Food.  —  Characteristics.  — 
Method  of  Hunting  and  Fishing.  —  Tribal  Relations.  —  Nature  of 
their  Early  Intercourse  with  the  English. 

Chief,  sachem,  sage,  bards,  heroes,  seers, 

That  live  in  story  and  in  song, 
Time,  for  the  last  two  hundred  years, 

Has  raised,  and  shown,  and  swept  along. 

Pierpont. 

There  is  no  evidence  that  many  Indians  lived  in  Sudbury 
at  the  time  of  its  settlement  by  the  English.  But  few  of  their 
names  have  been  found  on  the  town  records,  and  compara- 
tively little  is  there  mentioned  of  business  transactions  be- 
tween the  natives  and  whites.  About  the  beginning  of  the 
seventeenth  centuiy,  a  great  pestilence  prevailed  among  the 
Indians  in  the  vicinity  of  Massachusetts  Bay,  and  it  is  not 
improbable  that  it  affected  the  population  of  Sudbury.  This 
pestilence  or  plague  was  in  places  severe.  It  is  stated  that 
the  New  England  Indians,  before  its  outbreak,  could  muster 
about  eighteen  thousand  warriors,  but  were  reduced  by  it  to 
about  eighteen  hundred.  Thousands  of  Indians  died  in  the 
country  along  the  south  shore.  The  Pilgrim  fathers  were 
informed  of  the  sad  ravages  of  this  dreadful  disease  by 
Squanto,  an  early  visitor  among  them.  It  is  stated  that 
Obbatinawat,  a  sachem  living  at  Shawmut,  now  Boston, 
treated  the  English  very  kindly,  and  was  glad  to  submit  him- 
self to  King  James,  that  he  might  find  protection  from  his 
enemies,  as  his  once  powerful  tribe  was  reduced  by  the  pes- 
tilence of  1616. 


HISTORY   OF    SUDBURY.  9 

Beside  this  sickness,  there  was  another  that  raged  a  little 
later.  This  was  the  small-pox  scourge,  which  prevailed  dur- 
ing the  winter  of  1633.  Drake  says  of  the  fatality  of  it, 
that  "  The  Indians  died  by  scores  and  hundreds  ;  so  fast, 
indeed,  that  the  services  of  the  white  men  were  called  into 
requisition  to  give  them  burial."  He  says  the  pestilence  was 
not  confined  to  a  single  locality,  but  swept  with  destructive 
effect  through  all  the  sea-board  nations.  The  Narragansetts 
were  reported  to  have  lost  seven  hundred  men,  and  the  war- 
like Pequots  an  unknown  number.  If  such  was  the  fatality 
of  these  diseases  along  the  Massachusetts  Bay  shores,  it  is 
not  unlikely  that  it  extended  as  far  inland  as  Sudbury,  and 
if  so,  that  it  thinned  out  the  inhabitants.  The  supposition 
that  this  was  the  case  is  strengthened  by  the  absence,  in  the 
records,  of  many  Indian  names  of  places.  Few  of  these  names 
suggest  that  there  were  few  people  to  speak  them,  or  to  pass 
them  along  to  the  race  that  next  possessed  the  land.  There 
are  but  few  places  in  Sudbury  whose  names  are  suggestive  of 
the  murmuring  woods  or  the  rippling  streams.  They  are 
more  of  English  than  of  Indian  origin.  The  name  of  Nob- 
scot  is  still  the  reminder  of  a  race  that  has  passed  away. 
Cochituate  Lake  and  the  highlands  about  it,  places  once  near 
the  town's  southeasterly  limits,  have  a  name  unmistakably 
Indian.  Assabet  or  Assabeth,  the  name  of  a  stream  running 
through  Maynard,  a  place  once  a  part  of  the  town,  savors  in 
sound  of  the  Indian  dialect ;  yet  the  origin  of  this  term  has 
been  a  matter  of  doubt,  as  it  has  been  spelled  Assabeth,  Eliz- 
beth,  Elzebet  and  Elizebeth.  Even  the  name  of  Karte,  who 
once  owned  a  large  part  of  the  town's  territory,  has  been 
spelled  and  pronounced  Cato,  and  the  place  of  his  abode 
called  Goodman's  Hill,  with  all  its  prosaic  simplicity.  The 
"  Great  River,"  as  the  town's  principal  stream  was  once 
called,  now  bears  no  name  suggestive  of  its  natural  features ; 
of  meadows  green  with  their  grassy  covering,  outstretching 
to  forest  and  flowery  bank,  or  winding  along  its  swampy  out- 
skirts, where  the  vine  and  berry  bush  produce  their  rich, 
plentiful  fruit;  but  it  is  now  known  as  plain  "Sudbury 
River." 

But  although  no  distinct  tribe  is  known  to  have  existed  in 


10  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

the  territory  when  it  was  settled,  and  the  evidence  is  that  the 
town  was  not  largely  occupied  by  Indians,  it  is  nevertheless 
probable  that  at  some  period  they  were  considerably  numer- 
ous. That  this  may  be  so  is  indicated  by  various  circum- 
stances. First,  the  natural  features  were  such  as  would 
invite  them  to  it,  and  induce  them  to  remain.  There  was 
the  hill,  valley  and  plain,  just  suited  for  corn  lands  or  fine 
ranges  for  game,  while  the  streams  and  ponds  had  supplies 
of  fish.  It  is  doubtful  if  there  is  a  town  about  it  where  more 
advantages  meet  to  make  the  Indian  life  easy  than  here. 
The  natives  depended  largely  for  subsistence  upon  maize, 
game  and  fish  ;  hence  good  land,  easily  worked  and  in  close 
proximity  to  places  where  they  could  take  game  and  fish,  were 
the  conditions  of  Indian  comfort.  That  these  natural  advan- 
tages were  once  improved  by  the  Indians  is  evident  from  the 
number  of  relics  which  have  been  found  in  various  localities. 
These  consist  of  arrow  and  spear  heads ;  stone  plummets ; 
chisels  and  gouges;  mortars  and  pestles,  implements  for 
pounding  and  crushing  corn  ;  stone  tomahawks  or  hatchets; 
and  what  may  have  been  the  stone  kettle.  Beside  these, 
there  have  been  unearthed  by  the  plowshare  small  stones, 
that  show  the  probable  action  of  heat,  and  which  may  have 
been  used  for  their  hearthstones,  or  to  form  rude  ovens  for 
the  purpose  of  cooking.  Where  these  stones  are  found  under 
circumstances  favorable  to  the  supposition,  they  indicate  the 
former  existence  of  a  wigwam  or  cluster  of  wigwams.  The 
favorable  circumstances  are  the  neighborhood  of  a  fishing  or 
fording  place,  or  the  common  conveniences  of  a  life  in  the 
woods.  These  wigwams  were  more  or  less  on  dry,  sandy 
spots,  such  as  are  in  the  present  wind-swept,  and  sparsely 
covered  with  grass.  Such  places  were  probably  selected  as 
natural  forest  openings,  where,  because  of  the  light,  sandy 
soil,  the  wood  growth  would  likely  be  small,  and  where  the 
rays  of  the  winter  sun  would  more  easily  penetrate,  to  give 
light  and  heat.  When  in  such  places  various  relics  are  found, 
it  is  highly  probable  that  there  may  have  been  situated  an 
Indian  ^welling-place. 

In  several  such  spots  in  Sudbury,  various  relics  have  been 
found,  notable  among  which  is  one  by  the  river  meadow,  just 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  11 

east  of  the  Jonathan  Wheeler  place.  It  is  between  the 
meadow  margin  and  the  Water  Row  road,  and  has  an  area 
of  one  or  two  acres.  It  is  a  light,  sandy  upland,  in  places, 
almost  or  quite  without  sod.  Arrow-heads  and  plummets 
have  been  found  there  in  abundance,  and  of  a  kind  of  stone 
unlike  any  native  to  the  neighborhood.  These  relics  have 
not  only  been  unearthed  there  by  the  plow  or  spade,  but 
some  have  been  uncovered  by  the  wind.  Another  place 
where  relics  have  been  found  in  abundance  is  on  the  Cool- 
idge  estate,  by  the  Lanham  Meadows,  a  little  south  of  the 
East  Sudbury  depot.  This  spot  is  also  of  a  light,  sandy  soil, 
and  has  a  sand  pit  within  it.  A  little  farther  north  in  this 
district,  on  the  Frank  Walker  estate,  arrow-heads  and  parts 
of  a  mortar  or  stone  kettle  were  found ;  while  southerly  of 
Lanham  Brook,  on  the  Albert  Larkin  estate,  on  an  upland 
some  rods  west  of  the  house,  arrow-heads  have  been  quite 
numerous. 

Another  place  worthy  of  mention  is  at  South  Sudbury,  on 
the  east  side  of  Mill  Brook,  on  what  was  lately  the  farm  of 
Israel  How  Brown.  The  spot  is  a  little  southeasterly  of  a 
rock  by  the  brook  called  "  Great  Rock,"  and  midway  between 
that  and  the  Goodnow  Library.  On  this  place,  which  is  a 
light,  loamy  upland,  within  the  space  of  a  few  rods  have  been 
plowed  up  quite  a  quantity  of  loose,  discolored  stones,  that 
look  as  if  they  had  been  subjected  to  the  action  of  fire,  and 
also  coal  and  charred  pieces  of  wood.  The  nature  of  the 
place  at  South  Sudbury  is  such  as  would  be  favorable  to 
Indian  occupation.  Before  the  mill  was  erected  there  was 
probably  quite  a  fall  to  Hop  Brook,  and  for  some  distance  the 
shoal,  sparkling  stream  might  form  a  fine  fishing  place  in  the 
season  of  the  alewives  or  shad. 

In  the  west  part  of  the  town,  at  a  sandy  spot  between  the 
Solomon  Dutton  and  Otis  Parmenter  places,  Indian  relics 
have  also  been  extensively  found. 

At  North  Sudbury  there  were  likewise  indications  of  the 
presence  of  these  former  inhabitants.  Says  Mr.  John  May- 
nard,  "  I  have  found  on  my  land,  east  of  Cedar  Swamp,  a 
stone  axe,  part  of  a  tomahawk,  a  gouge,  chisel,  flaying  knife, 
and  other  strange  things ;   also  about  four  hundred  arrow- 


12  HISTORY   OF    SUDBURY. 

heads,  one-half  of  them  broken.  I  have  plowed  over  seven 
or  eight  collections  of  paving  stones  that  were  discolored 
by  fire,  that  I  suppose  were  the  hearthstones  of  Indian  wig- 
wams." 

There  are  some  parts  of  the  town  which  we  will  especially 
notice  as  being  places  that  were  perhaps  occupied  by  the 
Indians  in  considerable  companies.  These  are  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Nobscot,  the  River,  Weir  Hill,  and  Cochituate  Pond. 
In  the  vicinity  of  Nobscot  there  is  little  doubt  but  that  Indi- 
ans once  made  their  homes  ;  as  tradition,  record  and  relics 
give  evidence  of  it.  As  we  shall  notice  further  on,  a  noted 
Indian  by  the  name  of  Jethro  had  a  wigwam  near  there,  and 
it  is  supposed  the  Indians  had  a  lookout  there.  At  the  base 
of  the  hill,  along  the  plain  land,  on  the  estate  of  Hubbard 
Brown,  by  the  brook,  and  also  on  the  land  south  of  the  Fra- 
mingham  road,  more  or  less  stone  relics  have  been  discovered. 
The  old  "  Indian  wash-bowl,"  so  called,  is  pointed  out  in  a 
field  about  east  of  the  hill.  This  is  an  excavation  shaped 
like  a  wash-bowl,  formed  in  a  large  rock,  and  may  have  been 
made  by  nature  or  art.  Probably  it  was  never  used  as  a 
washing  place  by  the  Indians,  but,  if  made  or  used  by  them 
at  all,  it  may  have  been  for  grinding  corn. 

That  the  Indians  largely  frequented  the  neighborhood  of 
the  river  is  quite  evident.  They  probably  lived  along  almost 
its  whole  course,  as  relics  of  them  have  been  found  here  and 
there  from  one  bound  of  the  town  to  the  other.  On  the  east 
side  of  the  river  was  an  Indian  burial  place.  (See  chapter  on 
cemeteries.)  An  Indian  skeleton  has  been  exhumed  by  the 
roadside  at  Sand  Hill.  This  was  discovered  when  the  road 
was  built,  by  a  person  who  was  passing  by.  He  drew  it 
from  the  bank,  together  with  several  Indian  relics.  The 
"old  Indian  bridge  "  was  supposed  to  be  southerly  of  Sand 
Hill,  over  West  Brook,  and  formed  a  crossing  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Heard's  Pond.  The  home  of  Karte  was  not  far  from 
the  river.  From  his  wigwam  home  on  the  hill,  he  could 
easily  reach  the  mooring  place  of  his  birch  canoe,  or  look 
down, upon  the  expanse  of  broad  meadow  lands,  green  with 
their  covering  in  Summer,  or  brown  with  the  frosts  of  Fall. 
He  could  watch  the  early  flight  of  wild  water  fowl,  or  per- 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  13 

haps  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  canoe  of  Tahatawan  as  it  glided 
up  the  Musketahquid. 

But  the  places  where  it  is  supposed  the  Indians  were  more 
numerous  than  at  any  other  point  along  the  river  were  toward 
the  town's  northeast  bound.  Near  this  point  were  fording 
and  fishing  places.  One  of  these  was  at  Weir  Hill,  below 
Sherman's  Bridge.  The  very  locality  of  this  place  is  favora- 
ble for  Indian  occupancy.  It  is  situated  at  a  point  of  the 
river  where,  as  we  have  been  informed,  at  low  water  the 
river  can  be  forded.  On  its  opposite  bank  a  hill  extends 
almost  to  the  stream,  and  on  either  side  the  meadow  bank  is 
hard,  which  is  a  circumstance  rare  on  the  river  course.  At 
this  place  tradition  says  there  was  an  Indian  fishing  weir, 
which  old  inhabitants  state  was  about  northeast  of  Weir 
Hill ;  and  from  this  the  hill  has  derived  its  name.  The  fish- 
ing weir  was  an  important  thing  for  the  Indians,  as  by  means 
of  it  large  quantities  of  fish  could  be  taken.  The  principle 
of  construction  was  the  placing  across  the  river  of  an  obstruc- 
tion, as  perhaps  some  kind  of  a  fence,  which,  running  diag- 
onally from  either  bank  to  the  centre  of  the  stream,  left  a 
small  aperture  at  the  apex,  where  the  fish  could  be  taken  in 
a  wicket  work  or  net.  Such  an  apparatus,  at  a  favorable 
place  on  the  river,  would  supply  fish  for  a  considerable  vil- 
lage. These  fish  served  not  only  a  present  purpose,  but  were 
dried  and  preserved  for  future  use.  Another  inducement  for 
Indians  to  locate  in  this  part  of  the  town  was  a  good  fording 
place  just  below  Weir  Hill,  which  is  at  or  near  a  small  hill 
called  Mount  Headley,  and  is  between  the  river  and  the 
county  road.  That  this  locality  was  improved  by  the  Indians 
is  evident  from  the  quantities  of  relics  that  have  been  found 
there.  Both  about  here  and  at  Weir  Hill  more  or  less  of 
these  have  been  picked  up ;  and,  at  the  latter  place,  their 
hearthstones  have  been  unearthed  by  the  plowshare,  with  the 
coals  still  upon  them. 

As  has  been  stated,  there  are  indications  that  the  Indians 
once  dwelt  in  considerable  numbers  about  Cochituate  Pond. 
The  region  about  there  was  favorable  to  Indian  occupation, 
not  only  on  account  of  the  lake  itself,  but  because  of  its  near- 
ness to  the  falls  of  Sudbury  River  (Saxonville).     The  name 


14  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

of  the  locality  has  been  spelled  Wachittuate,  Cochituet, 
Chochichawicke,  Coijchawicke,  Catchchauitt,  Charchittawick, 
Katchetuit,  Cochichawauke,  Cochichowicke.  The  word  as 
now  spelled  is  found  in  a  record  dated  1644,  in  connection 
with  laying  out  the  Glover  farm.  "  The  southwest  bounds 
are  the  little  river  that  issueth  out  of  the  Great  Pond  at 
Cochituate.'1''  This  record,  as  well  as  others,  also  shows  that 
originally  the  term  was  applied,  not  to  the  pond,  but  to  the 
region  near  the  outlet.  Temple  states  that  the  word  signi- 
fies, "place  of  the  rushing  torrent,"  or,  "  Avild  dashing  brook." 
On  the  westerly  side  of  the  pond  was  an  Indian  fort,  and, 
near  by,  a  permanent  settlement. 

Not  very  much  is  known,  at  most,  of  the  Indians  who  lived 
in  Sudbury  at  the  time  of  its  settlement;  but  a  few  facts  are' 
on  record  concerning  some  of  them. 

Karte  was  owner  of  the  first  land  tract  which  was  sold  to  the 
Sudbury  settlers.  His  home  at  one  time  was  at  Goodman's 
Hill,  —  sometimes  called  Wigwam  Hill, — but  where  he  lived 
in  his  last  years  is  unknown.  That  he  was  a  man  of  some 
prominence  in  and  about  the  town  is  probable,  not  only  from 
the  amount  of  his  landed  possessions  there,  but  from  his  asso- 
ciation with  certain  rulers  or  sagamores  at  the  sale  of  a  weir 
and  planting  grounds  at  Concord.  Of  this  transaction  the 
following  account  is  found  in  the  Colony  Records  :  — 

"5th,  6mo.,  1637.  — Wibbacowett;  Squaw  Sachem  ;  Natan- 
quatick,  alias  Old  Man ;  Carte,  alias  Goodmand ;  did  express 
their  consent  to  the  sale  of  the  Weirs  at  Concord,  over 
against  the  town  :  and  all  the  planting  ground  which  hath 
been  formerly  planted  by  the  Indians,  to  the  inhabitants  of 
Concord  ;  of  which  there  was  a  writing,  with  their  marks 
subscribed,  given  into  court  expressing  the  price." 

It  is  said  that  he  was  an  attendant  upon  the  ministry  of 
Rev.  Edmund  Brown,  first  minister  of  Sudbury;  and  that  by 
his  preaching  he  was  converted  to  the  Christian  religion. 

Another  Indian  of  some  notoriety  was  Tantamous,  who 
was  also  called  Jethro.  He  had  a  son  called  Peter  Jethro. 
On  an  old  surve}r  is  "  Peter  Jethro 's  field,"  near  Nobscot 
Hill,  where  Jethro  lived.  This  field  was  upon  a  farm  once 
in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Ezekiel  How.     According  to  Drake, 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  15 

Tantamous  lived  at  Nobscot  Hill  at  the  beginning  of  King 
Philip's  war,  and  there  were  about  twelve  persons  in  his 
family.  He  was  present  with  Waban  of  Natick,  and  some 
other  natives,  at  the  sale  of  the  territory  which  is  now  the 
town  of  Concord.  When  about  seventy  years  old,  he  made 
a  deposition  about  the  transaction,  and  in  connection  with 
that  deposition  is  spoken  of  as  a  Christian  Indian  of  Natick. 
In  1674,  Tantamous  was  appointed  missionary  to  the  Indians 
at  Weshakim  (Sterling),  but  remained  there  for  a  short  time 
only.  Mr.  Gookin  speaks  of  him  as  a  "grave  and  pious 
Indian,"  and  says  he  was  sent  to  be  a  teacher  at  a  place  near 
Lancaster.  In  1675,  while  Tantamous  was  living  at  Nobscot 
with  his  family,  he  was  ordered  by  the  Colony  to  Deer 
Island,  Boston  Harbor,  for  security.  Resenting  the  ill  usage 
that  was  received  from  those  conducting  them  there,  Jethro 
and  his  family  escaped  in  the  darkness  of  night.  He  was 
betrayed,  however,  by  his  son,  Peter  Jethro,  into  the  hands 
of  the  English,  by  whom,  according  to  Hubbard,  he  was  exe- 
cuted, Sept.  26,  1676. 

Peter  Jethro,  or  Jethro  the  Younger,  who  was  perhaps 
also  called  Ammatohu  (as  this  term  was  applied  to  one  of 
the  Jethros),  was  connected  with  several  real  estate  matters. 
He  was  among  the  Indians  who  conveyed  to  John  Haynes 
and  others  thirty-two  hundred  acres  of  land  east  of  "Quin- 
sigamoge  Pond,"  in  Worcester.  In  1684,  he  was  among  the 
Indian  grantors  of  the  two-mile  tract  which  was  granted  to 
the  Sudbury  settlers,  and  laid  out  on  the  town's  westerly  side. 
In  1683,  Peter  Jethro  lived  at  Dunstable,  with  Mr.  Jonathan 
Ting ;  and  in  consideration  of  this  man's  kindness,  as  shown 
to  himself  and  his  uncle,  Jethro  gave  Mr.  Tiug  a  tract  of 
land  six  miles  square  at  Machapoag,  north  of  Wachusett 
Mountain  and  west  of  Groton,  which  he  had  obtained  from 
his  uncle  Jeffy. 

Still  another  Indian  of  some  prominence  was  Nataous.  He 
was  also  called  William  of  Sudbury.  "Indian  William's 
Meadow  "  is  mentioned  in  the  Colony  Records  as  early  as 
1658.  Rev.  Edward  Brown  was  to  have  "  one  small  parcell 
of  three  acres  formerly  called  '  Indian  William's  Meadow,' 
lying  toward  the  falls  of  Cochittuat  River."    It  is  stated  that 


16  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

in  1662,  he  lived  at  Nipnax  Hill,  a  place  about  three  miles 
north  of  the  plantation  at  Natick,  perhaps  Reeves'  Hill. 
Hubbard  speaks  of  him  as  being  "  very  familiar  with  the 
whites."  Gookin  states  that  he  was  among  the  "good  men 
and  prudent "  who  were  rulers  at  Natick.  He  was  desig- 
nated also  as  the  Nipmuck  Captain,  and  was  called,  in  the 
Colony  Records,  Netus;  and  by  this  name  he  was  known  in 
some  of  the  sad  scenes  of  his  subsequent  life.  This  Indian, 
whose  beginning  as  a  Christian  was  so  bright,  and  who  left 
on  record  a  religious  confession,  did  sad  work  in  Framinjrham, 
b}r  leading,  near  the  outset  of  Philip's  war,  a  party  who 
destroyed  the  house  of  Mr.  Thomas  Eaines,  a  former  resident 
of  Sudbury. 

In  1668,  Mr.  Thomas  Eames  leased  the  "  Pelham  Farm  " 
(in  Wayland),  and  it  was  ordered,  that  during  his  lease  of 
the  place  he  should  "pay  to  the  minister  fore  pound  (for)  a 
man  and  20sh.  to  every  £20  rate."  Mr.  Eames  subsequently 
moved  to  Framingham,  and  made  his  home  near  Mt.  Waite, 
in  the  southerly  part  of  that  town.  When  absent  on  a  jour- 
ney to  Boston  for  a  stock  of  ammunition,  a  party  of  Indians, 
Feb.  1,  1676,  burned  his  dwelling-house  and  barn,  and  killed 
or  carried  away  captive  his  family.  We  may  not  know  all 
the  circumstances  that  led  to  this  act,  but  it  is  supposed  that 
some  of  them  were  of  an  aggravating  character. 

English  distrust  had  doubtless  led  to  Indian  suspicion. 
The  removal  of  certain  parties  from  their  homes  to  Deer 
Island  might  not  have  been  understood.  Besides  this,  it  is 
said  these  Indians  had  been  to  Maguncook,  an  Indian  station 
near  b}7,  and,  on  finding  that  corn  had  been  removed  from 
their  granaries,  they  started  out,  partly  for  food  and  partly 
for  revenge,  toward  the  nearest  English  settlement.  Netus, 
or  Nataous,  from  this  time  probably  joined  the  hostile  tribes, 
and  made  common  cause  with  King  Philip.  We  hear  of 
him  afterwards  near  Sudbury,  with  a  war  party  which  was 
attacked  in  the  night,  March  27,  1676,  by  a  party  of  English 
from  Sudbury  and  from  the  garrison  at  Marlboro.  (See 
chapter  on  Philip's  War.)  In  that  night  encounter  Netus 
was  slain,  with  several  others  of  the  enemy,  while  the}7  were 
asleep  about  their  camp-fire.     Thus  sad  were   the    closing 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  17 

scenes  in  the  history  of  Tantamous  and  Netus,  these  illustri- 
ous sons  of  the  forest. 

The  following-  are  Indian  names  that  have  been  preserved 
in  documents  concerning  real  estate  transactions  in  Sud- 
bury: Jehojakim,  Magos,  Muskqua,  Musquamog,  Wenneto, 
Nepamun. 

That  no  more  Indian  names  are  found  in  the  records  is  no 
evidence  that  other  Indians  did  not  inhabit  the  town  at  the 
time  of  its  settlement.  Those  whose  names  are  recorded 
were  landed  proprietors,  and  so  connected  with  real  estate 
transactions ;  but  others  of  humble  condition,  and  possessed 
of  nothing  but  a  few  utensils  for  the  wigwam  and  chase,  may 
have  ranged  through  the  valley  and  over  the  hills. 

Beside  the  Indians  whose  abode  was  in  Sudbury,  it  is  also 
probable  that  Indians  from  neighboring  hamlets  or  clans  made 
use  of  the  town's  hunting  grounds,  and  were  more  or  less 
residents  of  them.  On  the  north,  east,  and  west  were  Indian 
villages  of  considerable  importance.  At  Natick  they  were 
gathered  in  Christian  relations  by  John  Eliot,  the  apostle  of 
the  Indians.  At  Concord  were  Tahattawan's  subjects,  and 
at  Nashoba,  now  Littleton,  there  was  a  praying  band  of 
Indians.  On  the  west,  at  Whipsuffrage,  now  Marlboro, 
other  Indians  were  gathered  in  friendly  relations  ;  while  at 
Magunkaquog,  or  Maguncook,  a  place  in  Ashland,  there  was 
also  another  station  which  had  been  established  by  Mr. 
Eliot. 

It  is  hardly  supposable  that,  when  so  many  Indians  lived 
in  the  surrounding  localities,  they  did  not  from  time  to  time 
traverse  the  town,  and  resort  to  it  for  fishing  and  hunting,  so 
that,  if  the  native  inhabitants  were  few,  the  place  might  yet 
be  considerably  occupied.  It  should  furthermore  be  consid- 
ered that  one  Indian  householder  might  have  a  numerous 
family.  An  Indian  wigwam,  as  will  be  farther  observed, 
sometimes  had  capacity  for  several  residents.  It  is  said  that 
a  dozen  Indians  lived  at  Jethro's  house  at  Nobscot.  Karte's 
wigwam,  at  Goodman's  Hill,  may  not  have  been  the  home  of 
a  single  inhabitant,  but  a  numerous  family  may  have  been 
about  him.  His  wigwam  may  have  sheltered  several  families. 
About  the  hill  may  have  resounded  many  a  merry  voice  at 


18  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

the  coming  of  the  early  green  corn,  or  the  gathering  in  of 
berries  or  nuts,  or  when  the  alewife  or  shad  returned  in  the 
spring;  or  at  the  fall  migration  of  birds,  when  the  whistle  of 
the  wild  water  fowl's  wing  was  heard,  and  the  pigeons  made 
their  way  over  the  plains. 

Tims  merry  may  have  been  the  places  where  even  a  single 
wigwam  stood  ;  and  in  those  silent,  now  far-away  times,  there 
may  have  been  more  of  liveliness  connected  with  aboriginal 
life  than  we  are  wont  to  suppose.  The  inmates  of  wigwams 
or  villages  may  have  had  more  or  less  intercourse  in  a  neigh- 
bor-like way,  —  Nataous  visiting  the  residence  of  Karte,  and 
Karte  calling  on  Tantamous.  Tahattawan  or  his  people  may 
have  often  passed  through  Sudbury  from  Concord  to  visit 
John  Eliot  at  Natick,  and  more  than  one  may  have  been  the 
rough  wilderness  paths  they  trod  on  errands  of  toil  or  friendly 
intercourse.  So  that  the  town,  if  not  very  populous,  may 
have  been  far  from  a  desolate  or  lonely  place. 

The  character  and  habits  of  the  Indians  about  Sudbury 
were  naturally  in  common  with  those  of  others  in  the  near 
vicinity.  Probably  no  authority  on  this  subject  is  more  reli- 
able than  that  of  Mr.  Gookin.  He  was  associated  with  Mr. 
Eliot  in  his  labors,  and  was  conversant  with  the  mission  sta- 
tions in  the  vicinity  of  the  town.  From  him  we  learn  the 
following  about  the  customs,  houses  and  food  of  the  abo- 
rigines in  this  part  of  the  country.  The  houses  were  called 
"  wigwams,"  and  were  made  by  placing  poles  in  the  ground, 
and  fastening  them  together  at  the  top  by  the  bark  of  trees. 
The  best  of  these  structures  were  covered  neatly,  and  made 
quite  warm  by  strips  of  bark  placed  upon  them.  The  bark 
used  for  this  purpose  was  stripped  from  the  trees  when  the 
sap  was  up,  and  made  into  great  flakes  by  the  pressure  of 
weighty  timbers.  By  thus  securing  and  using  them  when 
green,  the  flakes  when  dry  retained  the  form  to  which  they 
were  fitted.  The  more  meanly  made  wigwams  were  covered 
over  with  mats  made  of  bulrushes.  The  Indian  houses  varied 
considerably  in  size  ;  some  were  twenty,  some  forty  feet  long. 
Says  Gookin,  "  I  have  seen  one  fifty  or  a  hundred  feet  long, 
and  thirty  feet  broad." 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  19 

We  are  informed  by  Mrs.  Rowlandson  (see  chapter  on 
Philip's  War)  that,  after  the  Wadsworth  fight,  the  Indians 
made  a  wigwam  sufficiently  large  to  contain  an  hundred  men 
as  a  place  in  which  to  celebrate  their  victory.  These  wig- 
wams were  kept  warm  by  a  fire  or  fires  made  within.  In 
the  smaller  dwelling  one  fire  was  made  in  the  centre  ;  in  the 
larger,  two,  three  or  four  were  sometimes  made.  A  door  was 
formed  by  a  mat  hung  at  the  entrance,  to  be  raised  as  the 
person  entered,  and  dropped  when  he  was  within.  Thus 
there  may  have  been  more  of  warmth  and  comfort  in  these 
rude  forest  homes  than  some  are  wont  to  suppose.  Says 
Gookin,  "  I  have  often  lodged  in  these  wigwams,  and  found 
them  as  warm  as  the  best  English  houses."  In  the  wisrwam 
was  a  sort  of  mattress  or  couch,  raised  about  a  foot  high. 
This  was  covered  with  boards  split  from  trees,  upon  which 
were  placed  mats  or  skins  of  the  bear  or  deer.  These 
couches  were  large  enough  for  three  or  four  persons  to  sleep 
on.  They  were  six  or  eight  feet  broad,  and  could  be  drawn 
nearer  to  or  further  from  the  fire,  as  one  chose. 

The  food  of  the  Indian,  to  an  extent,  consisted  of  game, — 
the  streams  furnishing  an  abundance  of  fish,  and  the  forests  a 
supply  of  game.  Such  a  diet  would  be  most  easily  obtained, 
and  the  methods  of  obtaining  it  most  in  accord  with  the  Indi- 
an's wild  nature  and  life.  But  this  food  was  by  no  means  all. 
Says  Gookin,  it  consisted  chiefly  of  Indian  corn  boiled.  Some- 
times they  mixed  beans  with  their  corn,  and  frequently  they 
boiled  in  their  pottage  fish  and  flesh  of  all  sorts,  either  fresh 
or  dry.  Bones  also  were  cut  in  pieces  and  used  ;  but,  says 
our  authority,  "they  are  so  dextrous  in  separating  the  bones 
from  the  fish  when  eating  that  they  are  never  in  danger  of 
being  choked."  They  also  mixed  with  their  pottage  various 
kinds  of  roots,  ground  nuts,  pompions  (pumpkins),  squashes, 
acorns,  walnuts  and  chestnuts,  dried  and  powdered.  Some- 
times they  beat  their  maize  into  meal,  and  sifted  it  through  a 
basket  made  for  that  purpose.  With  this  meal  they  made 
bread,  which  they  baked  in  the  ashes,  after  covering  it  with 
leaves.  They  also  made  of  this  maize  meal  what  was  called 
"  Nokake,"   which   it  was  said    was   sweet,  toothsome   and 


20  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

hearty,  —  so  much  so  that  when  the  Indian  was  going  on  a 
journey,  he  would  often  take  with  him  no  food  but  a  bag  or 
basket  of  this. 

The  corn  was  planted  in  places  perhaps  first  cleared  by 
fire.  It  was  planted  when  the  oak-leaf  was  about  the  size 
of  a  mouse's  ear,  and  fertilized  by  a  fish  placed  in  the  hill. 
Gookin  states  that  the  Indian  was  given  much  to  hospitality, 
and  that  strangers  were  given  their  best  lodging  and  diet. 
Their  religion  consisted  in  the  belief  in  a  Good  Spirit  called 
Kiton,  and  a  Bad  Spirit  called  Hobbammoc,  and  in  a  happy 
hunting  ground  beyond  the  grave.  They  had  their  pow- 
wows and  medicine  men  who  served  the  place  of  a  rude 
priesthood  among  them,  and  they  conformed  .to  various  cus- 
toms which  corresponded  to  their  wild  ways  of  life.  Some 
of  these  customs,  as  well  as  some  of  the  coarse  phases  of 
Indian  character,  are  indicated  by  the  following  orders  drawn 
up  and  agreed  upon  at  Concord,  and  as  set  forth  by  Rev. 
Thomas  Shepherd,  an  early  minister  at  Cambridge. 

These  "  conclusions  and  orders  made  and  agreed  upon  by 
divers  sachems  and  other  principal  men  amongst  the  Indians 
at  Concord  in  the  end  of  the  eleventh  month  (called  Janu- 
ary), An.  1646." 

"2.  That  there  shall  be  no  more  Powwowing  amongst  the 
Indians.  And  if  any  shall  hereafter  powwow,  both  he  that 
shall  powwow,  and  he  that  shall  procure  them  to  powwow, 
shall  pay  twenty  shillings  apiece." 

•'  6.  That  they  may  be  brought  to  the  sight  of  the  sinne 
of  lying." 

"  8.  They  desire  that  no  Indian  hereafter  shall  have  any 
more  but  one  wife." 

"16.  They  intend  to  reform  themselves  in  their  former 
greasing." 

"  20.  Whosoever  shall  play  at  their  former  games  shall 
pay  ten  shillings." 

"  23.  They  shall  not  disguise  themselves  at  their  mourn- 
ing as  formerly,  nor  shall  they  keep  a  great  noyse  by  howl- 
ing."    (Shattuck's  History  of  Concord.) 

Johnson  speaks  of  them  as  "  being  in  very  great  subjection 
to  the  Divel,"  and  the  powwows  as  being  "  more  conversant 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  21 

with  him  than  any  others."  But  to  the  great  glory  of  the 
religion  of  Christ,  it  is  said  these  notions  were  corrected 
wherever  civilization  and  Christianity  were  introduced.  The 
money  or  medium  of  exchange  was  wampumpage. 

In  the  capture  of  game  the  methods  were  various.  Fish 
was  taken  both  with  the  hook  and  spear.  In  the  migrations 
of  the  alewife  and  shad,  the  birch-bark  canoes,  torch  and 
spear,  were  probably  effective  means  in  the  catch.  The 
canoes  were  sometimes  forty  feet  long,  says  Gookin,  and 
would  carry  twenty  men.  The  larger  animals  were  perhaps 
sometimes  caught  by  the  pitfall,  a  place  dug  in  the  ground, 
and  covered  lightly  with  sticks  and  leaves,  through  which 
the  game  when  passing  would  fall ;  sometimes  by  a  forest 
drive,  by  which  means  a  portion  of  countiy  was  traversed  by 
a  company  of  men  deployed  at  short  distances,  who  moved 
towards  a  given  point,  where  was  a  partial  enclosure,  through 
which  the  animals  were  forced  to  pass ;  at  the  place  of  exit, 
hunters  were  stationed  to  dispatch  the  game  as  it  strove  to 
make  its  way  through. 

Part  of  the  Indians  living  in  Sudbury,  when  its  territory 
was  transferred  to  the  English,  belonged,  as  it  is  supposed,  to 
the  Massachusetts  Indians  who  lived  about  Massachusetts  Bay, 
and  the  remainder  to  the  Nipmucks  or  Nipnets,  who  lived  in 
the  interior  of  the  State.  Those  who  belonged  to  the  former 
were  probably  of  the  Mystic  Indians,  the  chief  of  which 
tribe  was  in  the  early  part  of  the  seventeenth  century  Nana- 
pashemit.  The  home  of  this  chieftain  was  at  Medford,  situ- 
ated on  a  prominent  place  which  overlooked  the  Mystic  River. 
He  was  killed  by  the  Tarrentines,  a  tribe  of  eastern  Indians. 
After  his  death,  his  wife  reigned  under  the  name  of  the  squaw 
sachem.  She  married  Wibbacowett,  the  chief  powwow  or 
priest  (Shattuck).  She  also  lived  near  the  Mystic.  The 
subjects  of  this  sachem  or  squaw  probably  extended  nearly 
or  quite  to  the  Nipmuck  country,  as  it  embraced  Tahattawan 
and  his  tribe  at  Concord. 

Tribal  relations  so  extended  would  probably  include  some 
of  Sudbury's  Indians.     Such  is  supposed  to  be  the  case. 

It  is  stated  in  the  Colony  Records,  that,  in  1637,  Karte  was 
associated  with  the  squaw  sachem  at  Medford  in  the  sale  of 


22  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

a  fishing  weir  at  Concord,  "  and  all  the  planting  grounds 
Avhich  hath  Jbeen  planted  by  the  Indians  there."  Nataous,  it 
is  supposed,  was  of  Nipnet  origin.  If  these  prominent  natives 
of  Sudbury  had  different  tribal  relations,  so  may  it  have  been 
with  others  less  prominent ;  but  whether  they  belonged  to  the 
Nipnet  or  Massachusetts  Indians,  they  all  alike  belonged  to 
the  great  family  of  Algonquins.  The  Algonquin  Indians 
included  the  class  of  American  aborigines  who  inhabited 
that  part  of  the  country  extending  for  hundreds  of  miles 
between  the  Atlantic  Ocean  and  the  Mississippi  River.  They 
included  Canada  on  the  north,  and  their  southern  limits  ex- 
tended as  far  as  North  Carolina.  Among  these  Indians  were 
various  and  powerful  tribes,  inhabiting  various  parts  of  this 
extended  territory.  "The  New  England  Indians  inhabited 
the  country  from  Connecticut  to  the  Saco  River.  The  prin- 
cipal tribes  were  the  Narragansetts  in  Rhode  Island  and  the 
western  shores  of  the  Narragansett  Bay,  the  Pokanokets  and 
Wampanoags  on  the  eastern  shore  of  the  same  bay  and  in  a 
portion  of  Massachusetts,  the  Nipmucks  in  the  centre  of  Mas- 
sachusetts, the  Narragansetts  in  the  vicinity  of  Boston  and 
the  shores  southward,  and  the  Patuckets  in  the  northeastern 
part  of  Massachusetts,  embracing  the  Pennacooks  of  New 
Hampshire."     (Lossing.) 

In  the  early  years  of  the  town's  history,  the  Indians  in  and 
about  the  place  were  on  friendly  terms  with  their  pale-faced 
brethren.  As  has  been  noticed,  on  several  sides  of  the  town 
were  Indian  mission  stations,  from  which  wilderness  outposts 
went  forth  the  voice  of  prayer  and  praise.  Influences  so  sal- 
utary not  far  from  the  borders  of  Sudbury  might  be  expected 
to  reach  into  the  town  itself,  and  tend  to  bring  its  people 
to  a  right  way  of  life.  These  stations  were,  to  an  extent, 
made  up  of  people  gathered  from  various  parts.  It  was  so 
at  Natick.  Mr.  Eliot  gathered  the  natives  from  different 
directions,  and  fostered  with  fatherly  care  those  who  sought 
at  his  hands  the  truth,  until  he  fell,  as  has  been  stated  by 
another,  "like  a  great  tree  in  the  stillness  of  the  woods." 
Truly  it  might  be  expected  that  such  influences,  radiating  like 
light  through  the  dark  shadows  of  the  unenlightened  land, 
would  bring  peace  to  the  people,  and  that  a  loving,  neighbor- 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  23 

like  spirit  would  pervade  the  life  of  both  the  Indian  and  his 
white  benefactors.  Such  natural  results  did  prevail  prior  to 
Philip's  war.  But  that  war  and  the  death  of  Mr  Eliot  were 
sad  blows  to  the  poor  aborigines :  by  the  latter  they  lost  a 
friend,  and  by  the  former  they  were  called  to  turn  their  backs 
on  the  graves  of  their  fathers,  knowing  not  what  the  end  was 
to  be.  Allured,  perhaps,  by  designing  men  of  their  race  to 
join  Philip,  and  ordered  from  their  homes  to  another  locality, 
it  is  not  strange  if  some  were  demoralized,  and  that  the  Indi- 
ans should  become  a  weak  and  broken  band.  It  is  said  that 
at  one  time  about  three  hundred  Indians  gathered  at  Natick 
on  a  training  occasion.  But,  as  years  passed  on,  they  grew 
rapidly  less,  even  at  this  their  old  mission  home.  The  last 
family  hereabouts  has  long  since  disappeared,,  their  name  is 
unspoken,  and  their  veiy  graves  are  unknown.  They  have 
been  gathered  to  their  fathers,  with  little  to  tell  the  stranger 
where  once  they  dwelt.  The  streams  still  sparkle,  but  not 
for  them ;  the  hills  are  crowned  with  our  corn ;  in  the  valley 
our  gardens  smile;  our  grain  makes  yellow  the  plain.  The 
town's  natural  outlook,  in  a  measure,  remains  unchanged, 
but  a  race  has  vanished,  and  the  customs,  language,  and  life 
of  another  race  is  here. 

"  Like  leaves  on  trees  the  race  of  man  is  found, 
Now  green  in  youth,  now  withering  on  the  ground ; 
Another  spring  another  race  supplies, 
These  fall  successive,  and  successive  rise. 
So  generations  in  their  course  decay, 
So  flourish  these  when  those  have  passed  away." 

It  is  true  the  Indian  is  still  in  the  land,  but  how  neglected 
and  lone  !     As  another  has  said  :  — 

"  His  eye  rests  on  the  earth,  as  if  the  grave 
Were  his  sole  hope,  his  last  and  only  home. 


His  pride  is  dead;  his  courage  is  no  more  ; 
His  name  is  but  a  by-word.     All  the  tribes 
Who  called  this  mighty  continent  their  own 
Are  homeless,  friendless  wanderers  on  earth." 

But  while  this  race  is  passing,  let  us  cherish  what  is  good 


24  HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY. 

in  their  history,  and  in  charity  excuse  what  we  reasonably 
can  of  their  faults.  Above  all,  let  us  present  to  them  the 
truths  that  their  great  apostle,  Mr.  Eliot,  so  long  and  so  suc- 
cessfully used. 


CHAPTER   III. 

Origin  of  the  Sudbury  Settlement.  —  Why  it  was  formed.  — Names  of 
Early  Settlers  :  Residents  of  Watertown,  Emigrants  from  England. — 
Passenger  List  of  the  Ship  "Confidence."  —  Tradition  about  John 
Rutter.  —  Character  of  the  Settlers.  —  Biographical  Sketches. 

And  that  pale  pilgrim  band  is  gone, 

That  on  this  shore  with  trembling  trod ; 

Ready  to  faint,  yet  bearing  on 
The  ark  of  freedom  and  of  God. 

Pierpont. 

In  passing  from  the  early  condition  of  the  territory  of 
Sudbury,  and  its  aboriginal  inhabitants,  we  will  next  notice 
who  they  were,  who  became  possessed  of  this  territory  as 
settlers,  and  so  changed  its  condition  ;  whence  they  came, 
their  names,  and  their  character. 

The  town  was  settled  by  Englishmen.  The  plan  of  set- 
tlement originated  at  Watertown,  which  was  settled  a  few 
years  previous  by  Sir  Richard  Saltonstall  and  Company,  who 
came  to  America  in  the  ship  "Arbella."  Mr.  Saltonstall's 
party  landed  at  Salem,  went  from  there  to  Charlestown,  and 
thence  about  four  miles  up  Charles  River,  where  they  founded 
Watertown.  Few,  if  any,  colonial  places  were  better  pros- 
pered than  this.  It  rapidly  grew  in  strength  and  importance, 
and  soon  parties  went  out  from  it  to  form  new  settlements. 
Some  went  to  the  places  now  Dedham  and  Concord,  and 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  25 

some  as  far  off  as  Wethersfield,  Conn.  In  fact,  emigration 
from  Watertown  helped  form  some  of  the  best  towns  of  the 
period. 

In  1637,  it  was  proposed  that  a  company  proceed  westerly, 
and  settle  at  what  is  now  Sudbury.  The  reason  for  starting 
this  settlement  was,  as  the  petitioners  state  in  their  paper, 
"  straitness  of  accommodation,  and  want  of  more  meadow." 
Going  westerly,  they  could  obtain  both  these  objects ;  for, 
bordering  on  the  mother  town  was  a  territory  through  which 
ran  a  large  stream,  with  abundance  of  fresh  water  marsh.  But 
though  the  plan  of  settlement  originated  in  Watertown,  not 
all  of  those  who  carried  it  into  effect  were  inhabitants  of  that 
place.  To  a  large  extent,  the  settlers  came  direct  from  Eng- 
land. Bond,  the  historian  of  that  town,  says,  "  Only  a  small 
proportion  of  the  names  of  the  early  grantees  of  Sudbury  are  on 
the  Watertown  records  ;  and  some  who  went  there  returned. 
Some,  whose  names  are  on  the  records  of  both  places,  were 
either  residents  of  Sudbury  but  a  very  short  time,  or,  it  may 
be,  never  lived  there  at  all."  The  explanation  of  this  may 
be,  first,  that  the  plantation  was  not  proposed  because  all  the 
petitioners  designed  to  make  it  their  permanent  home,  but 
that  it  might  be  an  outlet  to  an  over-populous  place.  Water- 
town,  it  was  considered,  had  too  many  inhabitants.  The 
emigrants  of  ship  after  ship,  as  they  arrived  at  these  shores, 
went  to  the  older  places  ;  and  this  led  to  what  was  called 
"straitness  of  accommodation."  New  land  would  present 
greater  allurements  to  the  new  comers,  and  the  earlier  settlers 
would  thus  be  left  undisturbed  in  their  original  estates. 
Secondly,  speculative  purposes  may  have  led  some  to  engage 
in  the  scheme  for  the  Sudbury  settlement.  More  or  less 
doubtless  enlisted  in  the  enterprise  designing  to  transfer  their 
titles  to  others,  as  fresh  emigrants  came  to  the  country. 
Sharing  Avith  the  residents  of  the  settlement  the  expense  of 
the  undertaking,  they  had  a  right  to  convey  the  lands  that 
were  allotted  them,  and  receive  such  compensation  therefor 
as  their  increased  value  might  bring.  Thus,  while  the  plan 
of  the  settlement  of  Sudbury  originated  at  Watertown,  and 
some  of  the  settlers  came  from  there,  yet  largely,  as  we  have 
said,  it  was  settled  by  emigration  direct  from  England.    Most 


26 


HISTORY   OF    SUDBURY. 


or  all  of  the  names  of  the  earlier  settlers  have  been  preserved, 
and  are  repeatedly  given  in  connection  with  land  divisions 
prior  to  the  close  of  1640. 

From  the  town  records  we  have  compiled  the  following 
list  of  the  early  grantees  or  settlers,  who  went  to  the  Sud- 
bury Plantation  about  1638  or  1639  :  — 


Mr.  William  Pelham, 
Mr.  Edmund  Browne, 
Mr.  Peter  Noyse, 
Bryan  Pendleton, 
Walter  Haine, 
John  Haine, 
John  Blandford, 
Hugh  Griffyn, 
Edmond  Good  no  we, 
Robert  Beast, 
Thomas  Noyse, 
Thomas  Browne, 
Robert  Darnill, 
William  Browne, 
Thomas  Goodnow, 
John  Freeman, 
Solomon  Johnson, 
William  Ward, 
Richard  Newton, 
John  Howe, 
George  Munnings, 
Anthony  Whyte, 
Andrew  Belcher, 
John  Goodnowe, 
John  Reddock, 
Thomas  Whyte, 
John  Knight, 
William  Parker, 


John  Parm enter,  Senior, 

Edmond  Rice, 

Henry  Rice, 

Wyddow  Buffumthyte, 

Henry  Curtis, 

John  Stone, 

John  Parmenter,  Jim., 

John  Rutter, 

John  Toll, 

Henry  Loker, 

John  Wood, 

John  Loker, 

Widow  Wright, 

John  Bent, 

Nathaniel  Treadaway, 

Robert  Hunt, 

Widow  Hunt, 

John  Maynard, 

Joseph  Tain  tor, 

Robert  Fordum,  or  Fordham, 

Thomas  Joslyn,  or  Jslen, 

Richard  Sanger, 

Richard  Bildcome, 

Robert  Davis, 

Henry  Prentiss, 

Wm.  Kerly, 

Thomas  Hoyte, 

Thomas  Flyn. 


The  following  are  names  of  persons  who  were  at  the  set- 
tlement soon  after  it  beuan  :  — 


Thomas  Axdell, 
Thomas  Read, 


John  Moore, 
Thomas  Bisbig, 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  27 

Thomas  Plympton,  John  Waterman, 

Hugh  Drury,  Goodman  Witherell, 

P}iilemon  Whale,  John  George, 

Win.  How,  Thomas  King, 

John  Smith,  Peter  King, 

Thomas  Buckmaster,  Jonas  or  James  Pendleton, 

John  Grout,  John  Woodward, 

Thomas  Cakebread,  Shadrach  Hapgood, 

John  Redit,  Edward  Wright. 

Of  the  Sudbury  settlers  who  once  lived  in  Watertown,  we 
have  the  following  names :  Robert  Betts  (Beast),  Thomas 
Cakebread,  Henry  Curtis,  Robert  Daniel  (Darnell),  John 
Grout,  Solomon  Johnson,  John  Knight,  George  Munnings, 
William  Parker,  Bryan  Pendleton,  Richard  Sanger,  Joseph 
Tainter,  Anthony  White,  Goodman  (John)  Wetherell,  Na- 
thaniel Treadaway,  John  Stone. 

Some  of  these  men  were  prominent  and  valuable  citizens 
of  Watertown.  Bryan  Pendleton  was  one  of  its  early  Se- 
lectmen. Nathaniel  Treadaway  and  John  Stone  were  sons-in- 
law  of  Elder  Edward  How.  Robert  Betts  had  a  share  in  the 
Great  Dividend  Allotment,  and  the  Beaver  Brook  "  plow 
lands."  Of  those  who  came  direct  from  England,  we  have 
on  a  single  ship's  list  of  passengers  the  names  of  some  of  the 
most  prominent  persons  in  the  Sudbury  Plantation,  namely: 

"  The  list  of  the  names  of  the  Passengrs  Intended  for  New 
England  in  the  good  shipp  the  Confidence  of  London  of  C  C. 
tonnes  John  Jobson  Mr  And  thus  by  vertue  of  the  Lord 
Treasrs  warr1  of  the  xjth  of  April,  1638.  Southampton, 
24Q  Aprill  1638. 

"  Walter  Hayne  of  Sutton  Mandifield    in    the 
County    of  Wilts  Lennen  Weaver         55 
Eliz :  Hayne  his  wife 
Thomas  Hayne  \  their  sonnes 
John  Hayne         \      under  16 
Josias  Hayne      )  yeaves  of  age. 
Sufferance  Hayne  ,       their 
Mary  Hayne  )  daughters 


28  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

John  Blanford       \       their         27 
John  Riddett         (  26 

Rich  Bildcombe    )  servants      16 

Peter  Noyce  of  Penton  in  the 

County  of  South"  (Southampton)  yeoman     47 

Thomas  Noyce  his  sonne  lf> 

Eliz  :  Noyce  his  daughter 

Robert  Davis  \        his  30 

John  Rutter  (  22 

Margarett  Davis     )  servants  26 

at-  t,  i       n       \  Upton  Gray,  Co.  of  /  rA 

Nicholas  Guy  j     PSouthJptoil        j  carpenter   50 

Jane  his  wife 

Mary  Guy  his  daughter 

Joseph  Taynter 


Robert  Bayley 

John  Bent  of  Penton  in  the 
County  of  South"  Husband- 
man 35 
Martha  Bent  his  wife 
Robert  Bent      ~) 
William  Bent,         their  children 
Peter  Bent,          }■  all  under  ye  age 
John  Bent                   of  12  years 
Ann  Bent           J 

John  Goodenowe  of  Semley 

of  Welsheir  Husbandman         42 
Jane  Goodenowe  his  wife 
Lydia  Goodenowe  J       their 
Jane  Goodenowe    \  daughters 

Edmund  Goodenowe  of  Dun- 
head  in  Wilsheire  Husbandman      : 
Ann  Goodenowe  his  wife 

,  ,       ~      ,  }  their  sonnes 

.John  (joodenowe  /    ,  , 

„      ,  >  4  years  and 

J  nomas  Goodenowe     \  , 

;       under 

Richard  Sanger  his  servant 


HISTORY   OF    SUDBURY.  29 

Thomas  Goodenowe  of  Shasbury  §         30 
Jane  Goodenow  his  wife 
Thomas  Goodenowe  his  sonne 
Ursula  Goodenowe  his  sister 
Edmond  Kerley  )  of  Ashmore     22 
William  Kerley  \  Husbandmen  " 

It  is  not  certain  that  the  young  men  mentioned  in  this 
ship's  list  as  "servants,"  or  "hired  men,"  ever  came  in  that 
capacity.  John  Rutter  was  by  trade  a  carpenter ;  Richard 
Sanger  was  a  blacksmith  ;  one  had  a  family  when  he  came ; 
two  others  were  afterward  sons-in-law  of  the  persons  in 
whose  employ  they  ostensibly  came  ;  and  all  of  them  took 
their  place  among  the  substantial  men  of  the  settlement. 

It  was  a  tradition  among  the  descendants  of  John  Rutter, 
without  their  having  a  knowledge  that  this  ship's  list  was  in 
existence,  that  their  ancestor  came  to  this  country  disguised 
as  a  servant. 

The  state  of  the  times  and  the  strictness  of  English  laws 
at  that  period,  with  regard  to  ships  and  emigrants  coming  to 
America,  might  be  a  reason  why  some  might  come  in  disguise. 
If  this  was  so  in  the  case  of  one,  it  might  have  been  so  with 
regard  to  the  rest. 

In  connection  with  the  names  of  the  settlers,  it  is  appropri- 
ate to  state  something  of  their  character.  In  attempting 
this,  perhaps  we  can  do  no  better  than  to  say  that  they  fitly 
represented  the  noble  element  that  came  to  the  New  England 
shores  at  that  period.  They  were  Puritans  both  in  theory 
and  practice  ;  and  afar  from  the  conveniences  and  luxuries 
of  their  native  land,  sought  in  a  new  country  a  home  remote 
from  ecclesiastical  and  political  strife.  They  embarked  for 
America  at  a  time  when  England  was  in  an  unsettled  condi- 
tion, and  when  ship  after  ship  was  bringing  to  these  shores 
some  of  her  purest  and  stanchest  citizens.  As  we  pass 
along,  we  shall  see  that  they  were  a  practical  people,  and 
possessed  of  energy  equal  to  the  emergencies  incident  to 
pioneer  life ;  and  that  they  began  the  settlement  as  men  who 
could  forecast  what  a  substantial  and  prosperous  community 
would  require.     The  whole  trend  of  their  conduct  is  indica- 


30  HISTORY   OF   SUDBUBY. 

tive  of  self-reliance,  though  recognizing  all  proper  authority. 
What  the  common  weal  required  they  took  hold  of  with  zest; 
and  in  their  adherence  to  what  they  thought  suitable,  they 
showed  a  perseverance  truly  commendable.  Their  proceed- 
ings in  town-meeting,  and  the  manner  in  which  the  records 
were  kept,  indicate  that  the  education  of  a  part  of  them  at 
least  was  good  for  the  times  ;  and  the  measures  enacted  for 
the  common  convenience  and  welfare  show  common  sense 
and  sagacity. 

As  a  religious  people,  they  in  no  way  lacked  what  we 
ascribe  to  the  historic  Puritan.  Although  compelled  by  cir- 
cumstances to  economize  all  their  resources,  and  to  make  the 
most  of  time,  talents  and  strength  to  meet  the  demands  of 
every  day  life,  yet  they  found  time  to  serve  their  Creator, 
and  praise  and  adore  Him  in  their  forest  home.  Their  Chris- 
tianity manifested  itself  in  their  steadfast  adherence  to  the 
Christian  faith,  in  their  reliance  on  God,  and  their  love  for 
His  holy  law. 

Industry  was  a  prominent  characteristic.  From  the  minis- 
ter down  to  the  humblest  citizen,  each  had  a  share  in  the 
manual  work  of  the  settlement.  Though  the  minister's  sal- 
ary was  in  part  paid  in  produce,  yet  he  was  assigned  lands 
and  attended  to  husbandry.  Another  characteristic  trait  of 
the  settlers  seems  to  have  been  their  desire  for  territorial 
enlargement  and  possession,  and  for  the  pioneering  of  new 
places.  To  such  an  extent  did  this  spirit  prevail  in  Sudbury 
and  its  neighboring  town,  Concord,  that  the  following  law 
was  passed  by  the  Court  in  1645  :  — 

"In  regard  of  the  great  danger  that  Concord,  Sudbury  and 
Dedham  will  be  exposed  unto,  being  inland  Townes  and  but 
thinly  peopled,  it  is  ordered  that  no  man  now  inhabiting  and 
settled  in  any  of  the  s'd  Townes  (whether  married  or  single) 
shall  remove  to  any  other  Town  without  the  allowance  of 
the  magistrates  or  the  selectmen  of  the  towns,  until  they 
shall  obtain  leave  to  settle  again." 

The  settlers  of  Sudbury  were  young  men,  or  in  the  prime 
of  stirring  manhood  :  they  were  not  patriarchs  near  the  close 
of  their  pilgrimage.  Even  those  with  whom,  because  of  their 
prominence,  we  most  associate  dignity  and  gravity  were  com- 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  31 

paratively  young  men  when  the  settlement  began.  B}r  the 
passenger-list  of  the  "  Confidence  "  it  will  be  noticed  that 
only  Walter  Haine  had  reached  the  age  of  55,  and  John  Rat- 
ter was  only  22 :  Robert  Davis,  30  ;  John  Blandford,  27  ; 
John  Reddet,  26  ;  Peter  Noyes,  47  ;  John  Bent,  35  ;  John 
Goodenow,  42  ;  Edmund  Goodenow,  27  ;  Thomas  Goodenow, 
30.  These  ages  are  doubtless  correct,  as  we  have  in  1666  a 
deposition  made  by  one  of  them,  Edmund  Goodenow,  in 
which  he  alleges  that  he  is  about  fifty -five  years  old.  Rev. 
Edmund  Browne  was  in  about  the  prime  of  life  when  he 
came  to  the  plantation  ;  and  Edmund  Rice  was  about  thirty- 
four.  In  fact,  we  find  in  an  old  petition  presented  at  the 
close  of  Philip's  war  in  1676,  from  a  dozen  to  a  score  or 
more  of  names  that  may' have  belonged  to  the  early  grantees. 
Probably  from  a  quarter  to  a  half  century  passed  before  there 
was  a  generation  of  old  men  in  Sudbury.  Having  noticed 
thus  much  of  the  character  of  the  Sudbury  settlers  collec- 
tively, we  will  give  a  few  facts  concerning  them  individu- 
ally. These  facts  will  serve  the  purpose  not  so  much  of 
genealogy,  as  an  introduction  of  these  ancient  worthies,  with 
whom  the  history  of  our  town  is  so  closely  connected. 

William  Pelham  came  to  this  country  in  the  fleet  with 
Winthrop,  and  may  have  been  a  brother  of  Herbert  and  John 
Pelham.  Savage  states  that  he  lost  the  passage  with  the 
"  Govenor's  son  Henry,  by  going  ashore  at  Cowes  from  the 
'Arbella,'  and  trusting  fortune  for  another  ship."  It  is 
recorded  in  the  Colonial  Records.  1645,  that  "  Mr.  William 
Pelham  being  recommended  to  this  Court  by  ye  town  of 
Sudbury  for  the  Captaine,  and  Edmund  Goodnow  as  the 
Ensign,  were  both  accepted  and  confirmed  in  their  places  by 
this  Court."  In  1645-6  he  was  selectman,  and  representa- 
tive in  1647.  He  returned  to  England,  and  was  the"ie  in 
1652. 

Edmund  Browne.  (See  chapter  on  First  Minister, 
Meeting-House,  etc.,  and  period   1675-1700.) 

Peter  Noyes  came  from  England  in  the  ship  "  Confi- 
dence," 1638.  He  is  called  "yeoman"  in  the  ship's  passen- 
ger list,  but  is  repeatedly  mentioned  in  the  records  of  this 


32  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

country  as  "gentleman;''  and  the  term  "Mr."  is  often 
applied.  After  a  short  stay  in  America,  he  returned  to 
England,  but  came  back  the  next  year  in  the  ship  "Jona- 
than," with,  it  is  supposed,  other  children,  viz.,  Nicholas, 
Dorothy,  Abigail  and  Peter ;  also  the  servants  John  Water- 
man, Richard  Barnes  and  William  Street.  Mr.  Koyes  was  a 
freeman  May  13,  1640,  a  selectman  eighteen  years,  and  rep- 
resented the  town  at  the  General  Court  in  1640,  '41  and  '50. 
He  died  Sept.  23,  1657.  Three  years  before  his  death  he 
gave  his  estate  in  England  to  his  son  Thomas.  The  day 
before  his  death  he  made  a  will  in  which  he  made  his  son 
Thomas  his  executor,  and  named  the  following  other  chil- 
dren :  Peter,  Joseph,  Elizabeth  (wife  of  Josiah  Haynes), 
Dorothy  (wife  of  John  ILiynes),  Abigail  (wife  of  Thomas 
Plympton),  his  daughter-in-law  Mary  (wife  of  his  son 
Thomas),  and  his  kinsman  Shadrach  Hapgood.  The  Noyeses 
have  lived  in  various  parts  of  the  town.  The  mill  on  the 
west  side  was  built  by  them.  (See  period  1650-75.)  Promi- 
nent members  of  the  family  are  buried  in  the  Old  Burying- 
ground,  Wayland. 

Bryan  (or  Brian)  Pendleton  came  from  England  in 
1634,  and  became  a  freeman  Sept.  3,  1634.  He  went  to 
Sudbury  from  Watertown,  where  he  was  a  grantee  of  ten  lots 
of  land,  which  he  sold  when  he  left  the  place.  He  was  one 
of  the  prominent  petitioners  for  a  plantation  at  Sudbury,  and 
his  name  is  on  the  town  records  as  one  of  the  foremost  busi- 
ness men  of  the  place.  He  was  early  appointed  to  lead  the 
"train  band,"  and  was  one  of  the  early  selectmen.  A  hill 
in  the  centre  of  the  town  still  bears  the  name  of  "  Pendleton 
Hill."  (See  chapter  on  Cemeteries.)  Mr.  Pendleton  did  not 
live  long  in  Sudbury,  but  returned  to  Watertown,  which 
place  he  represented  in  the  Colonial  Court  for  several  years. 
About  1642  he  moved  to  Portsmouth,  of  which  he  was  repre- 
sentative some  years,  and  from  thence  went  to  Saco.  At  the 
close  of  the  Indian  war  of  1676,  he  returned  to  Portsmouth, 
where  he  died  in  1681,  leaving  a  will  which  was  made  Aug. 
9,  1677,  and  probated  Aug.  5,  1681. 

Walter  Haynes  (Hayne  or  Haine)  came  to  America 
from   England   on   the  ship   "  Confidence,"   in    1638.     (See 


HISTORY   OF    SUDBURY.  33 

ship's  passenger-list.)  He  was  a  freeman  May  13,  1641.  He 
represented  the  town  in  the  General  Court  in  the  years  1641, 
'44,  '48  and  '51,  and  was  a  selectman  ten  years.  Mr.  Haynes 
was  probably  one  of  the  first  grantees  to  erect  a  house  on  the 
west  side  of  the  river,  which  house  was  probably  the  "Haynes 
Garrison."  He  died  Feb.  14,  1665.  In  his  will,  Thomas  is 
mentioned  as  being  away  from  home,  and  Sufferance  as  being 
the  wife  of  Josiah  Tread  way,  and  Mary  as  the  wife  of  Thomas 
Noyes.  One  piece  of  property  disposed  of  in  his  will  was  a 
tenement  in  Shaston,  Dorsetshire,  Eng.  The  Haynes  family 
has  been  well  known  and  quite  numerous  in  Sudbury.  Mem- 
bers of  it  have  lived  in  various  parts  of  the  town,  and  held 
prominent  offices,  both  civil  and  military.  Capt.  Aaron 
Haynes  commanded  a  Sudbury  company  that  marched  to 
Concord  on  the  memorable  19th  of  April,  1775,  and  partici- 
pated in  the  stirring  events  of  that  day.  Dea.  Josiah  Haynes 
was  slain  in  that  contest  at  the  age  of  eighty,  and  Joshua 
Haynes  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill.  (See  Revo- 
lutionary period.)  One  of  the  descendants  was  Capt.  Israel 
Haynes,  who  represented  the  town  in  the  Legislature  at  the 
session  when  Charles  Sumner  was  first  elected  United  States 
Senator.  (See  chapter  on  Pantry  District.)  A  descendant 
now  living  in  town  is  Hon.  C.  F.  Gerry,  who  has  served  both 
in  the  House  of  Represenatives  and  the  Senate  of  Massachu- 
setts, and  whose  wife,  a  great-granddaughter  of  Judge  Fos- 
ter, the  first  representative  in  Congress  from  New  Hampshire, 
was  a  well-known  authoress. 

John  Haynes,  son  of  Walter,  came  with  his  father,  in 
1638,  in  the  "Confidence,"  at  the  age  of  sixteen.  We  hear 
of  him  about  1658,  with  other  Sudbury  parties,  in  possession 
of  lands  in  the  territory  of  Worcester.  (See  chapter  on 
Colonists  from  Sudbuiy.) 

John  Rlandford  came  from  England  in  the  ship  "  Confi- 
dence," in  1638,  at  the  age  of  twenty-seven.  He  came  in 
the  empio}'  of  Walter  Haynes,  and,  it  is  supposed,  brought 
with  him  Mary,  his  first  wife,  who  died  Dec.  4,  1641.  He 
married  for  his  second  wife  Dorothy  Wright.  He  had  at 
least  four  children,  all  born  in  this  country,  Sarah,  Hannah, 
John  and  Steven.     He  made  a  will,  dated  Oct.  21,  1687,  pro- 


iH:  HISTORY    OF    SUDBUKY. 

bated  Nov.  23  following  before  Sir  Edmund  Andros.  His 
widow  received  all  of  the  estate  for  her  life. 

HUGH  Gbiffin  (or  Griffing)  was  a  freeman  in  1(14"),  and 
held  the  office  of  the  first  town  clerk  in  Sudbury.  The  Col- 
ony Records  state  that,  in  1645,  Hugh  Griffin  was  "appointed 
clerk  of  the  writs  in  place  of  Walter  Ilaynes."  He  married 
Elizabeth  Upsou,  a  widow,  who  had  one  daughter  by  a  former 
marriage.  He  died  1656,  and  left  a  will  in  which  are  men- 
tioned as  his  children,  Jonathan,  Abigail  (born  Nov.  16, 
1640),  Sarah  (born  Nov.  20,  1642),  Shemuel  (born  Jan.  9, 
1643,  O.S.),  and  also  Hannah,  daughter  of  his  wife  by  her 
former  marriage.  Among  his  descendants  was  Rev.  Ed- 
ward Dorr  Griffin,  D.  D.,  who  was  a  professor  of  Sacred 
Rhetoric  at  Andover,  a  pastor  of  Park-Street  Church,  Boston, 
and  third  president  of  Williams  College.  Dr.  Griffin  was  born 
at  East  Haddam,  Conn.,  in  1670,  and  graduated  at  Yale  Col- 
lege in  1790. 

Edmund  Goodnowe  (Goodnow,  Goodinow,  Goodenow  or 
Goodenough)  came  in  the  "Confidence,"  in  1638.  The 
house-lot  assigned  to  him  was  on  the  north  street,  the  third 
east  of  the  meeting-house,  and  adjacent  to  that  of  John 
liaynes.  He  was  an  early  inhabitant  on  the  west  side,  and 
probably  built  the  "  Goodnow  Garrison."  (See  chapter  on 
Philip's  War.)  He  was  a  freeman  May  13,  1640.  He 
repeatedly  represented  the  town  at  the  General  Court,  was 
appointed  to  lay  out  land,  and  was  a  captain  of  the  town 
militia.  He  died  April  6,  1688,  aged  seventy-seven.  His 
wife,  Ann,  died  March  9,  1675,  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven. 
Edmund  Goodnow  and  wife  were  buried  in  the  Old  Bury  in  g- 
ground,  Wayland.  Mr.  Haynes  brought  with  him  to  America 
his  children  John  and  Thomas.  Hannah  and  Sarah  were 
born  afterwards.  Thomas,  it  is  supposed,  died  young.  Han- 
nah married  James  Pendleton,  April  29,  1656.  Sarah  mar- 
ried John  Kettle.  The  Goodnow  family  has  had  a  promi- 
nent position  in  town  from  an  early  date.  It  has  largely 
dwelt  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  and  to  quite  an  extent 
in  the  south  part  of  the  town.  One  of  the  descendants  was 
John  Goodnow,  the  donor  of  the  Goodnow  Library,  who  was 
for  many  years  a  well-known  merchant  of  Boston  ;    as  was 


HISTORY   OF    SUDBURY.  35 

also  George  Good  now,  who  gave  a  fund  for  the  aid  of  the 
poor  in  Sudbury.  Their  father,  John  Goodnow,  lived  to  be 
over  a  hundred  years  old,  and  was  the  last  survivor  in  Sud- 
bury of  those  who  did  service  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  He 
was  born  on  the  Noah  Clapp  farm,  about  half  way  between 
Sudbury  Centre  and  South  Sudbury,  from  which  he  went  in 
early  life  to  lands  in  Lanham,  formerly  owned  and  occupied 
by  Thomas  Read  and  his  descendants. 

Robert  Betts  (Best  or  Beast)  came  from  Watertown, 
where  he  owned  lands.  He  died  at  Sudbury  in  1655, 
bequeathing  his  estate  to  his  brother-in-law,  William  Hunt, 
and  other  relatives. 

Thomas  Noyes.     (See  sketch  of  Peter  Noyes.) 

Thomas  Browne  was  at  Concord  in  1638,  and  was  per- 
haps a  brother  of  Rev.  Edmund  and  William  Browne.  He 
was  a  freeman  March  14,  1639.  His  wife's  name  was  Brid- 
get, who  died  Jan.  5,  1681,  and  he  had  several  children.  It 
is  supposed  he  removed  to  Cambridge.    He  died  Nov.  3,  1688. 

Robert  Darnel  (Darniel  or  Darvell)  came  to  Water- 
town,  where  he  was  a  grantee  of  five  house-lots.  He  died 
in  1655. 

William  Brown,  Bond  says  in  his  history  of  Watertown, 
has  been  thought  to  be  of  the  lineage  of  Christopher  Brown 
of  Hawkedon,'  of  the  Parish  of  Bury  St.  Edmunds,  County 
of  Suffolk,  Eng. ;  but  no  evidence  of  it  has  been  discovered. 
Probably  William,  Thomas  and  Edmund  Brown  were  rela- 
tives, if  not  brothers,  and  all  perhaps  arrived  at  Sudbury  at 
or  about  the  same  time.  William  Brown  was  assigned  a 
house-lot  on  the  south  street  of  the  settlement,  the  fourth 
east  of  the  first  meeting-house,  adjoining  that  of  Edmund 
Goodnow.  He  eventually  settled  near  Nobscot,  on  a  tract 
of  land  of  two  hundred  acres,  which  was  granted  him  by  the 
General  Court  in  answer  to  a  petition  presented  by  him  in 
1649.  (Colonial  Records,  Vol.  III.,  p.  155.)  He  was  a 
freeman  June  2,  1641,  and  became  a  prominent  man  at  the 
plantation,  and  at  one  time  captain  of  the  militia.  He  was 
the  first  deacon  of  the  church  at  Sudbury,  and  a  representa- 
tive under  the  new  charter  in  1692.  About  1643  he  "was 
chosen  and  sworne  surveyor  of  the  armes  of  Sudbury."     He 


36  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

was  married  Nov.  15,  1641,  to  Mary,  daughter  of  Thomas 
Berbeck  or  Bisby.  (See  sketch  of  Thomas  Bisby.)  He  had 
seven  children,  Mary,  Thomas,  William,  Edmund,  Hopestill, 
Susanna  and  Elizabeth.  His  son  Thomas,  born  May  22, 
1645,  known  as  Maj.  Thomas  Brown,  was  a  man  of  consid- 
erable prominence,  because  of  his  public  position  and  ser- 
vices. He  married,  in  1667,  Patience  Foster,  who  died 
August,  1706,  aged  fifty-two.  He  married  for  his  second 
wife  Mary  Phipps  of  Cambridge,  widow  of  Solomon  Phipps, 
Jr.,  and  daughter  of  Dep.-Gov.  Thomas  Danforth.  His 
daughter  Mary  married,  Jan.  8,  1691,  Jonathan  Willard  of 
Roxbury.  Major  Brown  was  a  man  much  engaged  in  town 
business,  a  representative  for  successive  years,  and  com- 
manded a  company  of  horse  in  the  Indian  war.  In  1701 
he  was  allowed  by  the  General  Court  compensation  for  a 
horse  lost  in  pursuit  of  the  Indians  in  1697.  He  died  May 
7,  1709,  and  the  following  note  is  found  concerning  him  in 
the  diary  of  Judge  Sewall :  "Maj.  Thomas  Brown,  Esq.,  of 
Sudbury,  was  buried  in  the  Old  Burying-place."'  We  con- 
sider it  quite  probable  that  the  "  Old  Brown  Garrison  "  in 
Sudbury  was  built  by  Major  Brown.  (See  chapter  on 
Philip's  War.)  Hopestill,  another  son,  married  for  his  first 
wife  Abigail  Haynes,  and  for  his  second  wife  Dorothy,  the 
widow  of  Rev.  Samuel  Paris  of  Salem  withcraft  notoriety. 
(See  period  1675-1700.)  The  original  William  Brown 
homestead  at  Sudbury  was  probably  at,  or  not  far  from, 
the  spot  where  the  house  now  occupied  by  Hubbard  Brown 
formerly  stood,  which  was  by  a  large  buttonwood  tree  on 
the  hillside,  a  short  distance  to  the  westward  of  its  present 
location.  A  short  distance  southerly,  at  or  near  the  edge  of 
the  plain,  is  still  visible  the  site  of  another  building.  Either 
of  these  may  be  the  spot  where  William  Brown  erected  the 
first  house  on  his  grant  of  two  hundred  acres  at  Nobscot. 
The  Brown  family  has  been  numerous  in  Sudbury,  living  for 
the  most  part  on  the  west  side  of  the  river.  Members  of  the 
family  have  never  ceased  to  dwell,  and  occupy  land,  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Nobscot.  In  the  old  homestead  located 
there  the  three  brothers,  John,  Israel  How  and  Edward, 
were  born  ;  and  on  the  ancestral  estate  Everett  and  Hub- 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  37 

bard,  two  sons  of  Edward,  still  live.  A  third  son  is  Dr. 
Frank  Brown  of  Reading,  a  graduate  of  Amherst  College, 
and  surgeon  in  the  Union  army  in  the  civil  war. 

Thomas  Goodnow  was  a  brother  of  John  and  Edmund, 
and  became  a  freeman  in  1643.  He  was  twice  married,  and 
had  seven  children  by  his  first  wife,  Jane.  In  his  will,  bear- 
ing date  1664,  he  mentions  his  brother  Edmund  and  John 
Rnddocke.  He  was  petitioner  for  the  Marlboro  Plantation, 
and  moved  there  at  its  settlement.  In  1661,  '62  and  '64,  he 
was  one  of  its  selectmen.  At  least  two  of  his  children  were 
born  in  Sudbury,  Thomas,  and  Mary,  who  was  born  Aug.  25, 
1640.  The  house  of  his  son  Samuel,  who  was  born  in  1646, 
was  one  of  the  Marlboro  garrison  houses.  Mary  was  hilled 
and  scalped  by  the  Indians  in  1707. 

John  Freeman.  We  have  received  but  few  facts  relating 
to  this  early  grantee  of  Sudbury.  His  wife's  name  was  Eliza- 
beth, and  he  had  one  child,  Joseph,  who  was  born  March  29, 
1645,  and  who  was  a  freeman  in  1678. 

Solomon  Johnson  became  a  freeman  in  1651.  He  was 
twice  married,  his  first  wife,  Hannah,  dying  in  1651.  By 
this  marriage  he  had  three  children,  Joseph  or  Joshua  and 
Nathaniel,  who  were  twins  (born  Feb.  3,  1640),  and  Mary 
(born  Jan.  23,  1644).  He  married  for  his  second  wife 
Elinor  Crafts,  by  whom  he  had  four  children,  Caleb,  who 
died  young,  Samuel  (born  March  5,  1654),  Hannah  (born 
April  27,  1656),  and  Caleb,  again  (born  Oct.  1,  1658). 
He  assisted  in  the  formation  of  the  Marlboro  Plantatation, 
and  was  assigned  a  house-lot  of  twenty-three  acres  there. 
He  was  selectman  from  1651  to  1666.  His  son  Caleb 
purchased,  with  Thomas  Brown  and  Thomas  Drury,  the 
Glover  farm  near  Cochituate  Pond,  of  John  Appleton,  Jr. 
Upon  this  land  Caleb  erected  a  house  near  Dudley  Pond, 
Wayland,  and  died  there  in  1777.  In  the  inventory  of  his 
real  estate  one  piece  of  land  was  "  Beaver-hole  meadow." 

William  Ward  came  to  this  country  about  the  time  of 
the  settlement  of  Sudbury,  bringing  with  him,  it  is  supposed, 
five  children,  John  (born  1626),  Joanna  (born  1628),  Oba- 
diah  (born  1632),  Richard  (born  1635),  and  Deborah  (born 
1637).     He  became  a  freeman  in  1643.     By  his  second  wife, 


38  HISTORY    OF   SUDIJUllY. 

Elizabeth,  he  had  eight  children  born  in  America,  Hannah 
(born  1639),  William  (born  Jan.  22,  1640),  Samuel  (born 
Sept.  24,  1641),  Elizabeth  (born  April  14,  1643),  Increase 
(born  Feb.  22  1645),  Hopestill  (born  Feb.  24,  1646),  Elea- 
zer  (born  1649),  and  Bethia  (born  1658).  In  1643  Mr. 
Ward  represented  the  town  as  deputy  to  the  General  Court. 
He  was  prominent  in  helping  to  establish  a  plantation  at 
Marlboro,  and  moved  there  in  1660.  He  was  made  deacon 
of  the  church  at  its  organization,  and  was  sent  as  representa- 
tive of  the  town  in  1666.  He  died  there  Aug.  10,  1687, 
leaving  a  will  made  April  6,  1686.     His  wife  died  Dec.  9, 

1700,  at  the  age  of  eighty-six. 

Richard  Newton  came  from  England,  and  was  a  freeman 
of  the  colony  in  1645.  He  was  a  petitioner  for  the  Marlboro 
Plantation,  and  settled  in  that  part  of  the  place  now  South- 
boro.  It  is  supposed  he  was  twice  married,  and  that  Han- 
nah, his  last  wife,  died  Dec.  5,  1697.     He  died  Aug.  24, 

1701,  at  the  age  of  about  one  hundred  years.  He  had  six 
children,  the  first  of  whom,  John,  was  born  in  1641.  The 
second  son  was  Moses,  who,  when  the  Indians  attacked 
Marlboro,  in  1676,  causing  the  inhabitants  who  were  at 
church  to  suddenly  disperse,  nobly  remained  to  assist  in 
the  escape  of  an  aged  woman.  He  received  a  ball  in 
his  arm,  but  succeeded  in  removing  the  woman  to  a  place 
of  safety. 

John  How  (or  Howe)  was  a  son  of  John  How,  whom  it 
is  supposed  came  from  Warwickshire,  Eng.,  and  was  de- 
scended from  John  How,  the  son  of  John  of  Hodinhull,  who 
was  connected  with  the  family  of  Sir  Charles  How  of  Lan- 
caster, Eng.  John  How  was  admitted  a  freeman  in  1641, 
and  two  years  later  was  one  of  the  town's  selectmen.  In 
1655  he  was  appointed  to  see  that  the  youth  were  well 
behaved  on  the  Sabbath.  He  was  said  to  be  the  first  white 
settler  on  the  new  grant  land.  He  was  petitioner  for  the 
Marlboro  Plantation  in  1657,  and  moved  to  that  place  about 
the  same  year.  He  was  located  east  of  the  Indian  "planting 
field,"  and  was  the  first  tavern-keeper  in  Marlboro,  having 
kept  a  public  house  there  as  early,  at  least,  as  1670.  At  this 
ordinary   his   grandson,   who   afterwards   kept  the  Sudbury 


HISTORY   OF    SUDBURY.  39 

"  Red  Horse  Tavern,"  may  have  been  favorably  struck  with 
the  occupation  of  an  innholder,  and  thus  led  to  establish  the 
business  at  Sudbury.  Mr.  How  was  a  man  of  kindly  feeling 
and  uprightness  of  character,  and  both  Sudbury  and  Marl- 
boro were  favored  with  the  presence  of  successive  genera- 
tions of  the  family.  John  How  died  at  Marlboro  in  1687,  at 
which  place  and  about  which  time  his  wife  also  died.  (See 
chapter  on  Wayside  Inn.) 

George  Munnings  (or  Mullings),  aged  thirty-seven, 
came  from  Ipswich,  County  of  Suffolk,  Eng.,  in  the  ship 
"  Elizabeth,"  in  1634.  He  was  accompanied  by  his  wife, 
Elizabeth,  aged  forty- one,  and  two  children,  Elizabeth  and 
Abigail,  aged  respectively  twelve  and  seven,  and  perhaps  a 
daughter  Rebecca.  He  was  for  a  time  at  Watertown,  and 
became  a  freeman  March  4,  1635.  He  was  an  active  man, 
and  prominent  in  public  affairs,  both  of  church  and  state. 
He  was  in  the  Pequot  war,  and  lost  an  eye  in  the  service. 
In  1845  lie  resided  at  Boston,  at  which  place  he  died  Aug. 
24,  1658.  By  a  will,  made  the  day  before  his  death,  he  gave 
his  estate  to  his  wife. 

Anthony  Whyte  (or  White),  aged  twenty-seven,  came 
from  Ipswich,  County  of  Suffolk,  Eng.,  in  1634.  He  came 
to  this  country  in  the  "  Francis,"  went  to  Watertown,  and 
subsequently  engaged  in  the  enterprise  of  a  settlement  at 
Sudbury.  Afterwards  he  returned  to  Watertown.  He  mar- 
ried Grace  Hall,  Sept.  8,  1645,  and  had  three  children,  all 
born  in  Watertown,  Abigail,  John  and  Mary.  He  died 
March  8,  1686,  leaving  a  will,  of  which  Rebecca,  widow  of 
his  son  John,  was  named  executrix. 

Andrew  Belcher  married  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Nicho- 
las Danforth  of  Cambridge,  Oct.  1,  1639.  His  occupation  at 
one  time  was  that  of  taverner.  He  had  six  children,  Eliza- 
beth (born  Aug.  IT,  1640),  Jemina  (born  April  5,  1642), 

Martha  (born  July  26,  1644),  Mary  (born ),  Andrew 

(born  Jan.  1,  1647),  and  Ann  (born  Jan.  1,  1649).  He 
died  June  26,  1680,  leaving  a  widow. 

John  Goodnowe  was  a  brother  of  Edmund,  and  came 
with  him  in  the  ship  "  Confidence,"  at  the  age  of  forty-two. 
He  was  a  freeman  June  2,  1641,  and  a  selectman  of  Sudbury 


40  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

in  1644.  His  daughters  L}dia  and  Jane  came  with  him. 
He  died  March  28,  1554. 

John  Reddocke  (Ruddocke  or  Reddick)  became  a  free- 
man of  the  colony  in  1640.  He  was  actively  engaged  in 
forming  the  plantation  at  Marlboro,  and  in  the  assignment 
of  house-lots  he  received  fifty  acres  of  land.  His  home- 
stead was  northwesterly  of  the  Marlboro  meeting-house.  He 
was  three  times  married,  his  second  wife,  Jane,  being  sister 
of  Rev.  Mr.  Brimsmead,  pastor  of  the  Marlboro  church.  He 
built  one  of  the  first  frame  houses  in  Marlboro,  was  one  of 
its  first  selectmen,  first  town  clerk,  and  deacon  of  the  church. 

Thomas  White  was  a  freeman  May  13,  1640.  He  was  a 
selectman  in  1642,  and  shared  in  the  first  three  divisions  of 
land. 

John  Knight  came  from  Watertown,  where  he  lived  in 
1636.  He  was  a  freeman  in  1642,  and  was  by  trade  a 
maulster. 

William  Parker  came  from  Watertown.  He  became  a 
freeman  June  2,  1641.  The  name  of  his  wife  was  Elizabeth, 
and  he  had  two  children,  Ephraim  (who  died  in  1640,  aged 
five  months)  and  Ruhamah  (born  Sept.  19,  1641).  He  had 
land  assigned  him  in  the  first  and  second  division  of  meadow 
lands,  which  amounted  to  five  and  one -half  acres.  The 
house-lot  assigned  him  was  on  Bridle  Point  Road,  adjacent 
to  Peter  Noyes.  None  of  the  Parker  family  bearing  the 
name  now  live  in  Sudbury. 

John  Parmenter,  Sr.,  (Parmeter  or  Permenter)  came 
from  England  to  Watertown,  and  from  there  to  Sudbury, 
and  was  made  a  freeman  May  13,  1640.  He  was  accom- 
panied to  America  by  his  wife  Bridget  and  his  son  John, 
who  became  a  freeman  May,  1642.  Other  children  may  have 
come  from  England  with  them.  His  wife  died  April  6,  1660, 
after  which  he  removed  to  Roxbury,  Mass.,  where  he  mar- 
ried Aug.  9,  1660,  Annie  Dane,  widow  of  John  Dane.  He 
died  May  1,  1671,  aged  eighty-three.  Mr.  Parmenter  was 
one  of  the  early  selectmen,  and  second  deacon  of  the 
church,  to  which  office  he  was  chosen  in  1658.  Sept.  4, 
1639,  he  was  appointed  one  of  the  commission  to  lay  out 
the  land. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  41 

Edmund  Rice  was  born  in  1594,  and  came  to  this  country 
from  Barkhamstead,  Hertfordshire,  Eng.  He  was  twice  mar- 
ried. His  first  wife,  Tamazine,  died  at  Sudbury,  where  she 
was  buried  June  18,  1654.  His  second  wife,  whom  he  mar- 
ried March  1,  1655,  was  Mercie  (Hurd)  Brigham,  widow  of 
Thomas  Brigham  of  Cambridge.  He  had  twelve  children, 
nine  of  whom  were  born  in  England,  and  the  others  in  Sud- 
bury: Henry  (born  1616),  Edward  (born  1618),  Edmund, 
Thomas,  Mary,  Lydia  (born  1627),  Matthew  (born  1629), 
Daniel  (born  1632),  Samuel  (born  1634),  Joseph  (born 
1637),  Benjamin  (born  1640),  Ruth  (born  1659),  and 
Ann  (born  1661).  Mr.  Rice  died  May  3,  1663,  at  Marl- 
boro, aged  about  sixty-nine,  and  was  buried  in  Sudbury. 
His  widow  married  William  Hunt  of  Marlboro.  .Mr.  Rice 
was  a  prominent  man  in  the  settlement.  He  early  owned 
lands  in  and  out  of  the  town,  some  of  which  came  by 
grant  of  the  General  Court.  His  first  dwelling-place 
at  Sudbury  was  on  the  old  north  street.  Sept.  1,  1642, 
he  sold  this  place  to  John  Moore,  and  Sept.  13  of  the 
same  year  leased,  for  six  years,  the  Dunster  Farm,  which 
lay  just  east  of  Cochituate  Pond.  He  bought  of  the  widow 
Mary  Axdell  six  acres  of  land  and  her  dwelling-house, 
which  were  in  the  south  part  of  the  town,  and  some  years 
afterwards  he  bought  of  Philemon  Whale  his  house  and  nine 
acres  of  land  near  "  the  spring"  and  adjacent  to  the  Axdell 
place  ;  and  these  taken  together,  in  part  at  least,  formed  the 
old  Rice  homestead,  not  far  from  the  "  Five  Paths  "  (Way- 
land).  This  old  homestead  remained  in  the  Rice  family  for 
generations.  Edmund  sold  it  to  Edmund,  his  son,  who 
passed  it  to  his  sons  John  and  Edmund,  and  afterwards  John 
transferred  his  share  of  it  to  his  brother  Edmund,  by  whom 
it  passed  to  others  of  the  family,  who  occupied  it  till  within 
the  last  half  century.  On  Sept.  26,  1647,  Mr.  Rice  leased 
the  "  Glover  Farm  "  for  ten  years,  and  April  8,  1657,  he  pur- 
chased the  '"  Jennison  Farm,"  which  comprised  two  hundred 
acres,  situated  by  the  town's  southerly  boundary,  and  be- 
tween the  "  Dunster  Farm  "  and  what  is  now  Weston  ;  and 
June  24,  1659,  the  "  Dunster  Farm  "  was  purchased  by  Mr. 
Rice  and  his  son.     Mr.  Rice  was  one  of  the  substantial  men 


42  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

of  the  Sudbury  plantation.  He  was  a  freeman  May  13,  1640, 
and  was  one  of  the  committee  appointed  by  the  Colonial 
Court,  Sept.  4,  1639,  to  apportion  land  to  the  inhabitants. 
He  served  as  selectman  from  1639  to  1644,  and  was  deputy 
to  the  General  Court  several  successive  years.  He  was  promi- 
nent in  the  settlement  of  Marlboro,  for  which  he  was  a  peti- 
tioner in  1656.  The  Rice  family  in  Sudbury  have  been 
numerous,  and  the  name  has  been  frequently  mentioned  on 
the  town  books. 

Henry  Rice  was  the  son  of  Edmund  (see  sketch  of 
Edmund  Rice),  and  was  born  in  England,  1616.  He  was 
assigned  a  house-lot  on  the  south  street  of  the  settlement, 
adjacent  to  that  of  John  Maynard  on  the  east,  and  his  father, 
Edmund,  on  the  west. 

Widow  Buffumthyte  (or  BufTumthrope).  We  have 
received  no  facts  concerning  this  early  grantee,  except  that 
she  received  early  allotments  of  land. 

Henry  Curtis  (or  Curtice)  had  his  homestead  on  the 
north  street  of  the  settlement,  probably  about  where,  until 
within  nearly  a  half  century,  an  old  house  called  the  Curtis 
House  stood.  His  descendants  have  been  conspicuous,  not 
only  in  town  history,  but  also  in  that  of  the  county  and 
colony.  Ephraim,  his  son,  was  a  famous  Indian  scout.  (See 
chapter  on  Philip's  War.)  Major  Curtis,  whose  grave  is  in 
the  west  part  of  the  "  Old  Burying-ground,"  Wayland,  was 
a  distinguished  citizen.     (See  chapter  on  Cemeteries.) 

John  Stone  came  to  Sudbury  from  Cambridge,  and  was 
son  of  Dea.  Gregory  Stone  of  that  place.  He  was  born  in 
England,  and  accompanied  his  father  to  America.  He  mar- 
ried Ann,  daughter  of  Elder  Edward  Howe  of  Watertown, 
and  had  ten  children,  most  of  whom  were  born  in  Sudbury. 
He  was  at  one  time  an  elder  in  the  church,  and  in  1655  was 
town  clerk.  He  was  an  early  settler  on  land  now  in  Framing- 
ham,  and  at  one  time  owned  the  land  that  is  now  included  in 
Saxonville.  It  is  supposed  when  the  Indian  war  began  he 
removed  to  Cambridge.  He  was  representative  of  that  town 
in  1682-83.     He  died  May  5,  1683,  aged  sixty-four. 

John  Parmenter,  Jr.,  was  also  an  early  proprietor,  and 
kept  a  tavern  or  ordinary,  at  which   the   committee  of  the 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY. 


43 


Colonial  Court  and  Ecclesiastical  Council  for  the  settlement 
of  difficulties  in  Sudbury,  in  1655,  were  entertained.  The 
old  ordinary  was  situated  on  the  south  street  of  the  settle- 
ment (Wayland),  on  the  house-lot  assigned  at  the  general 
allotment  of  1639.  And  until  near  the  beginning  of  the 
present  century  the  "Old  Parmenter  Tavern"  was  continued 
at  the  same  spot,  a  little  westerly  of  the  house  occupied  by 
the  late  Dana  Parmenter.  John  Parmenter,  Jr.,  had  six 
children,  among  whom  was  one  named  John.  His  wife,  Amy, 
died  1681.  The  Parmenter  family  has  been  numerous  in 
Sudbury;  they  have  lived  in  various  parts  of  the  town,  and 
been  a  people  of  industry  and  thrift. 


RUTTER. 

Armes.  —  Gules,  three  Garbs  and  Chief,  a  Lion  Passant  Argent, 
or  Mullet  for  difference. 

Nicholas  Rutter  descended  from  Kinsley  Hall  in  Com.  Chester,  who 
came  first  and  lived  at  Hilcot  in  Com.  Glouc. 


John  Rutter  came  to  America  in  the  ship  "Confidence," 
in  1638,  at  the  age  of  twenty-two.  He  married  Elizabeth 
Plympton,  who  came  to  this  country  in  the  ship  "Jonathan," 
in  1639,  having  as  fellow-passengers  Peter  Noyes,  who  was 


44  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

on  his  second  voyage  to  America,  and  also  ihe  mother  and 
sister  of  John  Bent,  both  of  whom  were  named  Agnes. 
(See  sketch  of  John  Bent.)  John  Rutter  had  a  house-lot 
assigned  him  on  the  north  street,  a  little  westerly  of  Clay-pit 
Hill.  He  was  by  trade  a  carpenter,  and  engaged  with  the 
town  to  build  the  first  meeting-house.  (See  chapter  on  First 
Meeting-house.)  He  had  three  children,  Elizabeth,  John 
and  Joseph.  About  the  time  of  the  settlement  several  acres 
of  land  were  given  him  by  the  town,  in  acknowledgment 
of  some  public  service.  He  was  selectman  in  1675.  His 
descendants  for  many  years  lived  on  the  south  street,  Way- 
land  ;  and  the  old  homestead  of  Joseph  Rutter,  which  name 
has  been  in  the  family  almost  from  the  very  first,  still  stands, 
being  occupied  at  present  by  Mr.  James  A.  Draper.  At  this 
spot  Gen.  Micah  Maynard  Rutter,  son  of  Joseph,  was  born 
in  1779.  Gen.  Rutter  was  a  prominent  man  in  Middlesex 
County.  For  years  he  held  the  position  of  sheriff,  and  re- 
ceived the  commission  of  General  from  Gov.  Lincoln.  He 
was  energetic  and  public  spirited,  and  interested  in  all  that 
pertained  to  the  well  being  of  the  community.  He  died  in 
1837.  Another  descendant  was  Dr.  Joseph  Rutter  Draper. 
He  was  a  graduate  of  Williams  College,  principal  of  the  high 
schools  in  Saxonville  and  Milford,  surgeon  in  the  Union 
army  in  the  Civil  War,  and  a  practising  physician  in  South 
Boston,  where  he  died  in  1885.  His  mother's  name  was 
Eunice,  daughter  of  the  last  Joseph  Rutter.  Until  her  mar- 
riage with  Mr.  Ira  Draper  she  lived  at  the  old  homestead. 
Dr.  Draper  well  represented  the  John  Rutter  family,  which 
as  a  race  was  noted  for  purity  and  uprightness  of  character. 
He  was  buried  in  the  Old  Burying -ground,  in  Wayland, 
where  generation  after  generation  of  this  ancient  family 
were  laid.  Another  grandchild  of  Joseph  Rutter  is  Mrs.  A. 
S.  Hudson  (L.  R.  Draper),  formerly  principal  of  Wadsworth 
Academy,  South  Sudbury,  and  of  the  high  schools  of  Lin- 
coln, Wayland,  and  Marlboro.  The  accompanying  fac  simile 
of  the  Coat  of  Arms  was  that  of  Nicholas  Rutter,  from  whom 
John  Rutter  is  supposed  to  have  descended. 

John   Toll.      We   have  received  but  little  information 
relative  to  this  early  grantee.     His  wife  was  named  Cath- 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  45 

erine,  and  they  had  three  children,  John  (born  Nov.  20, 
1641,  died  Jan.  31,  1643),  Mary  (born  Dec.  31,  1643),  and 
John  who  died  Jan.  8,  1657.  As  the  male  issue  all  died,  the 
family  name  was  not  continued  in  Sudbury.  There  is  still  a 
place  by  the  river  meadows,  between  the  old  causeway  and 
Sherman's  Bridge,  called  ''Toll's  Island." 

John  Wood  (or  Woods)  was  one  of  the  petitioners  for 
the  township  of  Marlboro,  and  a  prominent  man  of  that 
place,  being  one  of  its  selectmen  in  1663-5,  and  one  of  the 
early  members  of  the  church.  He  had  several  children;  and 
his  wife,  who  it  is  supposed  was  Mary  Parmenter,  died  Aug. 
17,  1690,  aged  eighty  years. 

John  Loker  was  assigned  a  house-lot  just  west  of  the 
meeting-house,  where  he  lived  in  a  house  with  his  mother 
as  late  as  1678.  The  town  purchased  of  him  at  that  date, 
for  a  parsonage,  the  east  end  of  his  house,  together  with  an 
orchard  and  four  acres  of  land,  and  the  reversion  due  to  him 
of  the  western  end  of  the  house,  which  his  mother  then  occu- 
pied. (See  period  1675-1700.)  It  is  said  that  before  1652 
he  married  Mary  Draper.  Families  by  the  name  of  Loker 
have  lived  within  the  ancient  limits  of  Sudbury  since  the 
days  of  its  settlement,  dwelling  for  the  most  part  in  the 
territory  now  Wayland,  and  more  especially  in  the  southerly 
portion.  Isaac  Loker  was  captain  of  a  troop  of  Sudbury 
men  on  the  memorable  19th  of  April,  members  of  his  com- 
pany coming  from  both  sides  of  the  river.  (See  Revolution- 
ary Period.) 

Henry  Loker  was  perhaps  brother  of  John. 

Widow  Wright  (or  Mrs.  Dorothy  Wright)  early  had 
land  at  Sudbury.  She  was  assigned  a  house-lot  on  the  south 
street,  east  of  the  meeting-house,  between  that  of  John  Toll 
and  John  Bent.  She  married  John  Blandford,  whose  wife 
Mary  died  December,  1641.  She  was  perhaps  the  mother  of 
Edward  Wright. 

John  Bent  came  to  America  from  Penton,  Eng.,  in  the 
ship  "  Confidence,"  in  1638,  at  the  age  of  thirty-five.  He 
was  by  occupation  a  husbandman.  He  was  accompanied  by 
his  wife  Martha,  and  by  five  children,  all  of  whom  were 
under  twelve  years  of  age,  whose  names  are  as  follows :  Rob- 


46  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

ert,  William,  Peter,  John,  Ann  (or  Agnes)  who  married 
Edward  Rice,  Joseph,  and  Martha  who  married  Samuel  How 
in  1668.  The  same  year  of  his  arrival  in  this  country  he 
returned  to  England  for  others  of  his  family,  and  came  back 
in  the  ship  "Jonathan"  the  next  year.  His  sister  Agnes 
Blanchard  and  her  infant  child  died  on  the  vo}Tage ;  and 
his  mother  Agnes  also  died  on  the  voyage  or  soon  after  the 
ship  reached  our  shores.  He  was  a  freeman  May  13,  164U. 
He  was  one  of  the  proprietors  of  the  Marlboro  Plantation, 
but  died  Sept.  27,  1672,  at  Sudbury.  His  wife  died  May  15, 
1679.  His  son  Joseph  was  born  at  Sudbury,  May  16,  1641. 
The  Bent  family  has  from  the  first  been  quite  numerous  in 
Sudbury.  Some  of  them  have  long  been  residents  of  Cochit- 
uate,  formerly  a  part  of  the  town.  John,  Jr.,  purchased 
land  of  Hemy  Rice  near  Cochituate  Brook,  where  he  built 
a  house ;  and  it  is  said  that  he  was  the  fourth  person  to  erect 
a  dwelling  in  the  territory  of  Framingham.  The  Bents  have 
lived  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  and  the  name  is  still  familiar 
within  the  present  limits  of  the  town. 

Nathaniel  Treadway  (Tredway  or  Treadaway)  was  a 
weaver  by  trade.  He  married  Suffrance,  daughter  of  Elder 
Edward  How,  and  was  brother-in-law  of  John  Stone,  eldest 
son  of  Dea.  Gregory  Stone  of  Cambridge.  He  had  seven 
children,  three  of  whom  were  born  in  Sudbury :  Jonathan 
(born  Nov.  11,  1640),  Mary  (born  Aug.  1,  1642),  and  per- 
haps James  (born  about  1644).  On  the  death  of  his  father- 
in:law  he  removed  to  Watertown.  There  he  was  appointed 
selectman.  He  inherited  property  from  Dea.  Stone's  estate. 
His  wife  died  July  22,  1682. 

Robert  Hunt  came  from  Charlestown,  where  he  was  in 
1638,  and  shared  in  the  meadow  divisions  of  Sudbury. 

The  Widow  Hunt,  one  of  the  original  proprietors,  might 
have  been  the  mother  or  the  sister-in-law  of  Robert.  She 
had  a  house-lot  assigned  on  the  south  street,  between  those 
of  John  Wood  and  John  Goodnow;  but  it  is  supposed  she 
sold  this,  and  took  one  at  "Pine  Plain."  (See  map  of  house- 
Lots.)  The  name  of  Hunt  has  long  been  familiar  in  Sudbury, 
but  more  or  less  of  this  name  probably  descended  from  the 
Concord  Hunts.     The  first  of  the    name  in    Concord   was 


"A^At — 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  47 

William,  who  was  there  as  early  as  1640,  became  a  freeman  in 
1641,  and  died  in  Marlboro,  October,  1667,  leaving  an  estate 
of  £596,  and  the  children  Nehemiah,  Isaac,  William,  Eliza- 
beth, Hannah  and  Samuel.  William  Hunt  was  born  in  1605, 
and  married  Elizabeth  Best,  who  died  in  1661.  He  after- 
wards married,  while  at  Marlboro,  Mercie  [Hurd]  Rice, 
widow  of  Edmund  Rice,  in  1664.  The  descendants  of 
William  Hunt  have,  for  more  than  fifty  consecutive  years, 
kept  a  store  at  South  Sudbury.  One  of  the  descendants  was 
Mr.  Sewall  Hunt,  who  died  in  1888,  at  which  time  he  was 
the  oldest  inhabitant  of  the  town,  and  the  last  of  a  family  of 
ten  children.  "  Mr.  Hunt  was  for  more  than  fifty  years  a 
member  of  the  Congregational  Church  of  Sudbury.  In  polit- 
ical matters  he  was  always  in  advance  of  the  times,  being  an 
'  Abolitionist '  when  to  be  such  required  strong  convictions 
and  great  moral  courage.  He  was  the  first,  and  for  two 
years  the  only,  voter  in  Sudbury  of  the  old  '  Liberty  party,1 
and  for  two  years  a  candidate  of  the  '  Free  Soilers '  for  rep- 
resentative to  the  General  Court."  His  farm  was  called 
the  "  Hunt  place,"  situated  a  short  distance  from  "  Hunt's 
bridge,"  which  crosses  Lowance  Brook  not  far  from  the 
southerly  limit  of  the  town.  He  had  five  children,  Sereno 
D.,  J.onas  S.,  Samuel  M.,  Edwin  and  Clara  J.  The  eldest, 
Sereno  D.,  has  been  principal  of  the  high  schools  at  Con- 
cord, Brockton  and  Milton.  Edwin,  a  graduate  of  Amherst 
College,  was  assistant  principal  of  the  high  school  in  Utica, 
N.  Y.  Jonas  S.,  the  second  son,  has  for  many  years  occu- 
pied official  positions  in  Sudbury,  having  been  representative 
to  the  General  Court  in  1876,  one  of  its  selectmen  and  asses- 
sors for  successive  years,  and  its  postmaster  and  town  clerk 
for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century,  which  positions  he  still 
holds.  Clara,  the  only  daughter,  married  Rev.  John  White- 
hill,  a  Congregational  clergyman.  Samuel  for  a  time  lived 
on  the  old  homestead,  and  died  some  years  since. 

John  Maynard  was  a  freeman  in  1644.  It  is  supposed 
he  was  married  when  he  came  to  this  country,  and  that  he 
brought  with  him  his  son  John,  who  was  then  about  eight 
years  old.  Perhaps  there  were  other  children.  He  married 
for  his  second  wife  Mary  Axdell,  in  1646.     He  had  by  this 


48  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

marriage  Zachery  (born  June  7,  1647),  Elizabeth,  Lydia, 
Hannah,  and  Mary  who  married  Daniel  Hudson.  Mr.  May- 
nard  was  one  of  the  petitioners  for  Marlboro,  and  died  at  Sud- 
bury, Dec.  10,  1672.  The  Maynard  family  has  been  promi- 
nent in  the  town,  and  honorably  connected  with  its  annals. 
Nathaniel  Maynard  was  captain  of  a  company  in  the  Rev- 
olutionary War. 

Joseph  Tainter  (or  Tayntor)  was  born  in  England  in 
1613.  He  sailed  for  America  in  1638.  He  was  at  Sudbury 
for  a  short  time,  where  he  married  Mary  Guy  (or  Gray) 
about  1640,  and  where  for  a  time  he  was  a  selectman.  He 
died  in  1690,  aged  eighty-six ;  and  his  wife  in  1705,  also 
aged  eighty-six.  He  had  nine  children,  four  of  whom  were 
sons. 

Robert  Fordum  (or  Fordham)  was  from  Southampton, 
L.  I.,  and  may  have  come  to  this  country  about  1640.  He 
was  for  a  short  time  at  Cambridge.  His  wife's  name  was 
Elizabeth,  and  he  had  two  children.  He  died  September, 
1674. 

Thomas  Joslin  (Joslyn  or  Jslyn)  came  from  London,  in 
1635,  on  the  ship  "  Increase."  He  was  aged  forty-three,  and 
by  occupation  a  husbandman.  His  wife's  name  was  Rebecca, 
and  her  age  was  forty-three.  He  had  five  children,  Rebecca, 
Dorothy,  Nathaniel,  Elizabeth  and  Mary.  He  was  for  a  time 
at  Hingham,  and  in  1654  at  Lancaster. 

Richard  Sanger  came  to  America  in  the  "  Confidence." 
He  was  by  occupation  a  blacksmith.  In  1649  he  went  to 
Watertown.  He  married  Mary,  daughter  of  Robert  Rey- 
nold of  Boston.  He  was  twice  married,  and  had  several 
children. 

Richard  Bildcome  came  in  the  "  Confidence,"  in  1638. 
He  was  sixteen  years  of  age,  and,  according  to  the  ship's 
passenger-list,  came  in  the  employ  of  Walter  Haynes. 

Robert  Davis  (or  Davies)  came  to  America  in  the  ship 
"  Confidence,"  with  Margaret  Davis,  who  was  perhaps  his 
sister.  His  wife's  name  was  Bridget.  He  had  two  daugh- 
ters, Sarah  (born  April  10,  1646)  and  Rebecca. 

Henry  Prentice  came  from  Cambridge.  He  was  a  free- 
man  in  1650,  and  died  June  9,  1654.     His  wife  Elizabeth 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  49 

died  May  13,  1643  ;  and  by  his  second  wife,  Joanna,  he  had 
six  children. 

William  Kerley  (Carsley  or  Carlsly)  came  in  the  ship 
"  Confidence,"  in  1638,  and  was  a  freeman  in  1666.  He 
was  a  man  of  some  prominence  in  the  colon}r,  having  land 
assigned  him  at  Pedock's  Island,  Nantasket,  in  1642.  He 
was  a  proprietor  of  Marlboro  in  1657,  and  a  selectman  for 
years.  At  one  time,  also,  he  was  sent  as  representative.  In 
1667  he  was  appointed  by  the  General  Court  to  lay  out  land 
between  Concord,  Lancaster,  and  Groton.  His  wife's  name, 
as  mentioned  in  his  will,  was  Anna,  daughter  of  Thomas 
King.  He  had  three  children,  Mary,  Sarah  and  Hannah. 
By  his  will  he  gave  his  brother  Henry  "  his  sword,  belt  and 
other  arms;   and  also  his  military  books." 

Thomas  Flyn.  This  name  is  found  among  the  earl}'  pro- 
prietors, on  the  town  books,  but  we  conjecture  it  may  have 
been  written  by  mistake  for  Thomas  Joslyn,  or  Jslyn. 

Thomas  Axtell  (or  Axdell)  came  to  this  country  about 
1642.  He  was  born  at  Burkhamstead,  Eng.,  in  1619.  A 
brother  was  Col.  Daniel  Axtell,  a  soldier  and  officer  under 
Oliver  Cromwell.  He  commanded  the  guard  at  the  trial  of 
Charles  I. ;  for  which  he  was  put  to  death  as  a  regicide, 
when  Charles  II.  was  restored.  Thomas  Axtell  settled  in 
Sudbury,  and  died  there  in  1646,  at  the  age  of  twenty-seven. 
His  son  had  land  in  Marlboro  in  1660,  married  in  1665,  and 
had  several  children.  He  was  killed  by  the  Indians,  April 
21,  1676.     His  descendants  were  early  settlers  of  Grafton. 

Thomas  Read  (or  Reed)  was  in  Sudbury  as  early  as  1654. 
He  was  the  son  of  Thomas  Reed  of  Colchester,  Essex  Co., 
Eng.,  a  carpenter;  a  memorandum  of  whose  will,  dated 
July,  1665,  and  probated  1666,  was  published  in  the  "New 
England  Historical  and  Genealogical  Register,"  Vol.  XXL, 
p.  369,  August,  1867,  by  Mr.  William  S.  Appleton  of  Boston, 
who  copied  it  in  London.  By  the  will  of  Rev.  Edmund 
Brown,  and  depositions  taken  in  court,  Thomas  Read  was  his 
nephew;  the  term  cousin  being  used  for  nephew  (Waters). 
In  the  will  of  Thomas  Read  of  Colchester,  his  son  Thomas  in 
America  is  mentioned  ;  also  there  is  mention  of  his  son-in- 
law,  Daniel  Bacon,   who  married   his  daughter  Mary,  who 


50  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

were  also  living  in  America.  Other  relations  are  also  men- 
tioned, but  not  as  being  in  this  country.  Thomas  Read  set- 
tled at  Sudbury,  in  the  Lanham  district,  on  land  which  he 
purchased  of  his  uncle,  Rev.  Edmund  Brown,  while  he  (Mr. 
Read)  was  in  England.  This  locality  was  probably  called  Lan- 
ham by  Rev.  Edmund  Brown,  from  a  little  place  in  England 
spelled  Lavenham,  but  pronounced  Lannam,  near  Sudbury, 
or  between  Sudbury  and  Bury  St.  Edmunds,  about  which 
locality  Mr.  Brown  and  Mr.  Read  are  supposed  to  have 
come  from,  and  from  which  place  Mary  Goodrich,  the  wife 
of  Thomas  Read,  the  son  of  Thomas  Read  of  Lanham,  came. 
Thomas  Read,  the  older  in  this  country,  married  for  his  first 
wife  Catherine,  and  for  his  second  wife  Arrabella.  He  had 
one  son,  whose  name  was  Thomas;  and  in  the  two  following 
generations  there  were  but  two  children,  both  sons,  and  both 
also  named  Thomas,  the  last  being  born  in  1678.  Thomas 
of  this  latter  date  had  five  children,  Nathaniel  (born  1762), 

Thomas   (born  ),   Isaac   (born   1704),    Daniel    (born 

1714),  and  Joseph  (born  1722).  Nathaniel  settled  in  War- 
ren ;  Thomas  and  Daniel  settled  in  Rutland,  Mass.;  Isaac 
and  Joseph  remained  in  Sudbury.  Joseph  had  one  son 
named  Joseph  (born  1773),  who  married  Olive  Mossman  of 
Sudbury,  who  died  there  March  9,  1877,  at  the  age  of  ninety- 
seven,  being  at  the  time  of  her  death  the  oldest  person  in 
town.  By  the  death  of  Joseph  Read  the  last  of  the  descend- 
ants bearing  the  family  name  ceased  to  be  residents  of  Sud- 
bury ;  but  descendants  bearing  other  names  have  long  lived 
there,  among  whom  were  his  daughters  Sybel,  wife  of  J.  P. 
Allen  ;  Almira,  wife  of  George  Heard  ;  Sarah,  wife  of  D.  L. 
Willis  ;  and  Maria,  wife  of  Martin  N.  Hudson.  Mr.  Joseph 
Read  and  wife  are  buried  in  Wadsworth  Cemetery,  in  the 
family  lot  of  A.  S.  Hudson,  a  grandson.  Thomas  Read  was 
a  prominent  citizen  of  Sudbury.  He  was  early  appointed 
one  of  the  tything-men,  and  in  1677  he  was  one  of  the  per- 
sons to  whom  the  town  gave  leave  to  build  a  saw-mill  upon 
Hop  Brook.  (See  period  1675-1700.)  His  place  at  Lan- 
ham was  for  many  years  in  the  family,  and  his  descendants 
have  been  widely  scattered  and  useful  citizens.  (See  chapter 
on  Lanham  District.)     Says  the  historian  of  Rutland  of  the 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  51 

descendants  of  the  Sudbury  Reads,  who  settled  there:  "This 
family  of  Reads  have  been  useful  and  industrious  inhabitants 
of  Rutland  for  one  hundred  and  twenty  years."  Asahel 
Read  was  one  of  the  two  Sudbury  soldiers  who  were  killed 
at  the  battle  of  Concord  and  Lexington.  (See  Revolution- 
ary Period.)  For  the  space  of  about  two  centuries  the  name 
of  Read  is  connected  with  the  annals  of  Sudbury.  One  of 
the  descendants  of  Nathaniel  Read  who  settled  at  Warren 
is  Alanson  Read,  Jr.,  a  well-known  citizen  of  Chicago,  and 
one  of  the  proprietors  of  Read's  "Temple  of  Music."  He 
has  been  lately  engaged  in  preparing  a  history  of  the  Read 
family. 

John  Moore  was  at  Sudbury  by  1643,  and  may  have 
come  to  America  from  London  in  the  *'  Planter,"  in  1635,  at 
the  age  of  twenty -four,  or  he  may  have  arrived  in  1638.  He 
was  twice  married,  his  first  wife's  name  being  Elizabeth,  and 
he  had  several  children.  His  second  wife  was  Ann,  daugh- 
ter of  John  Smith.  His  daughter  Mary  married  Richard 
Ward,  and  Lydia  (born  June  24,  1643)  married,  in  1664, 
Samuel  Wright.  In  1642  he  bought  the  house-lot  of 
Edmund  Rice.  In  1645  he  bought  of  John  Stone  "his 
house-lot,  with  all  other  land  belonging  to  the  said  John 
Stone  that  shall  hereafter  be  due  to  the  said  John  Stone  by 
virtue  of  his  first  right  in  the  beginning  of  the  plantation  of 
Sudbury;  and  also  all  the  fences  that  is  now  standing  about 
any  part  of  the  said  land,  and  also  all  the  board  and  shelves 
that  are  now  about  the  house,  whether  fast  or  loose,  and  now 
belonging  to  the  said  house."  (Town  Records,  Vol.1 .,  p.  54.) 
The  Moore  family  have  long  been  numerous  in  Sudbury, 
members  of  it  living  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  and  at  times 
taking  prominent  part  in  the  affairs  of  the  town,  Ephraim 
Moore,  who  lived  in  the  west  part,  was  major  of  the  Second 
Battalion  of  Rifles,  M.  V.  M. 

Thomas  Bisbig  Besbedge  (or  Bessbeck)  came  to  America 
in  the  ship  "  Hercules,  in  1635,  with  six  children  and  three 
servants.  He  embarked  at  Sandwich,  County  of  Kent.  He 
went  to  Sudbury,  joined  the  church  there,  and  afterwards 
went  to  Duxbury.  He  subsequently  came  back  to  Sudbury, 
where  he  died  March  9,  1674.     He  left  a  will,  which  was 


52  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

dated  Nov.  25,  1672,  and  probated  April  1,  1674.  In  this 
will  he  directed  that  his  body  be  buried  "at  the  east  end  of 
the  church  ;  "  and  he  gives  to  his  grandson,  Thomas  Brown, 
the  eldest  son  of  his  daughter  Mary,  wife  of  William  Brown, 
all  the  houses  and  lands  in  the  parishes  of  Hedcorn  and  Frit- 
tenden,  County  of  Kent,  Eng. ;  and  he  mentions  his  great- 
grandchildren, Mary,  Patience  and  Thankful,  daughters  of 
the  said  Thomas  Brown,  also  other  children  of  this  daughter 
Mary,  of  whom  there  were  seven. 

Thomas  Plympton  (or  Plimpton)  was  at  Sudbury  by 
1643.  He  may  have  come  to  America  in  the  ship  "  Jona- 
than," which  sailed  from  London,  for  Boston,  April  12, 1639, 
bringing  among  its  passengers  Elizabeth  Pbympton  and  Peter 
Noyes.  Sometime  before  1649  he  was  in  the  employ  of  Mr. 
Noyes,  as  is  shown  by  the  following  record:  "Peter  Noyes, 
Sr.,  did  give  unto  Thomas  Plympton,  once  his  servant,  the 
sum  of  six  acres  of  meadow,  of  his  third  addition  of  meadow 
lying  on  the  meadow  called  Gulf  Meadow,  with  the  com- 
monage unto  the  same  belonging.  Sept.  26,  1649."  (Town 
Records,  p.  89.)  He  married  Abigail,  daughter  of  Peter 
Noyes,  and  had  seven  children,  Abigail,  Jane,  Mary,  Eliza- 
beth, Thomas,  Dorothy  and  Peter.  Thomas  Plympton  and 
Elizabeth,  who  married  John  Rutter,  were  probably  brother 
and  sister,  as  both  were  legatees  of  Agnes  Bent,  a  grand- 
mother of  Elizabeth.  He  was  killed  by  the  Indians,  April 
20,  1676,  the  day  before  the  Wadsworth  fight,  while  he  was 
engaged,  tradition  says,  in  endeavoring  to  bring  a  Mr.  Boone 
and  son  to  a  garrison  house.  The  Plympton  family  has  been 
numerous,  and  members  of  it  have  been  prominent  in  the  an- 
nals of  Sudbury.  Thomas  Plympton  was -a  tower  of  strength 
to  the  town  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  being  a  member  of  the 
Provincial  Congress,  and  the  one  to  whom  the  news  of  the  ap- 
proach of  the  British  to  Concord  was  first  brought.  He  was 
at  Concord  the  19th  of  April,  and  had  a  bullet  put  through 
his  clothing.  (See  Revolutionary  period.)  The  old  Plymp- 
ton house,  a  large  unpainted  structure,  was  about  a  mile 
from  Sudbury  centre,  and  was  demolished  a  few  years  since. 

Hugh  Drury  was  in  Sudbury  as  early  as  1641,  and  was 
by  trade  a  carpenter.   He  married  Lydia,  daughter  of  Edmund 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  53 

Rice,  for  his  first  wife,  who  died  April  5,  1675 ;  and  for  his 
second  wife,  Mary,  the  widow  of  Rev.  Edward  Fletcher. 
He  had  two  children,  John  and  Hugh.  After  dwelling  in 
Sudbury  for  a  time,  where  he  bought  a  house  and  land  of 
William  Swift,  he  removed  to  Boston,  and  died  July  6,  1689, 
and  was  buried  in  the  Chapel  Burying-ground  with  his  wife, 
Lydia. 

Philemon  Whale  was  in  Sudbury  in  1646.  He  was  a 
freeman  May  10,  1688,  and  Nov.  7,  1649,  married  Sarah,  the 
daughter  of  Thomas  Cakebread.  His  wife  died  Dec.  28, 
1656  ;  and  Nov.  9,  1657,  he  married  Elizabeth  Griffin.  He 
owned  land  in  various  parts  of  the  town,  but  his  early  home 
is  supposed  to  have  been  not  far  from  the  head  of  the  mill- 
pond  (Wayland),  perhaps  by  the  present  Concord  road.  He 
afterwards  built  a  house  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  "  Rice 
Spring."  A  culvert  or  bridge  at  the  head  of  the  mill-pond 
is  still  called  Whale's  Bridge  ;  but  the  name,  except  as  it  is 
thus  perpetuated,  is  now  seldom  heard  within  the  limits  of 
the  town. 

John  Smith  was  at  Sudbury  in  1647.  He  may  have  been 
John  Smith,  an  early  settler  of  Watertown,  or  a  relative  of 
his.  His  wife's  name  was  Sarah.  He  had  assigned  him  lot 
No.  29  in  the  second  squadron  of  the  two-mile  grant.  The 
name  Smith  has  been  a  common  one  in  town.  Capt.  Joseph 
Smith  commanded  a  company  from  Sudbury  on  the  19th  of 
April,  1775.  The  Smiths  have  lived  in  various  parts  of  the 
town,  and  were  early  settlers  of  what  is  now  Maynard,  the 
names  of  Amos  and  Thomas  Smith  being  prominent  among 
the  pioneers  of  that  part  of  Sudbury  territory.  A  descend- 
ant of  the  Smiths  on  the  east  side  of  the  river  is  Mr.  Elbridoe 
Smith,  formerly  principal  of  the  Norwich  Free  Academy  and 
present  master  of  the  Dorchester  High  School. 

Thomas  Buckmaster  (or  Buckminster)  it  is  supposed 
was  of  the  family  of  John  of  Peterborough,  Northampton- 
shire, Eng.  He  was  a  freeman  in  1646,  and  was  at  one  time 
at  Scituate  and  afterwards  at  Boston.  His  wife's  name  was 
Joanna,  and  he  had  several  children.  He  died  Sept.  28, 
1656.  Descendants  of  the  family  early  went  to  Framing- 
ham,  and  have  been  numerous   and   prominent.     One  was 


54  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

Col.  Joseph,  an  officer  in  the  French  and  Indian  War  period. 
Another  was  Major  Lawson,  who  was  in  the  Revolutionary 
War.  A  third,  and  one  well  known,  was  Thomas,  a  tavern- 
keeper,  deacon  and  selectman  ;  and  another  was  William, 
who  was  publisher  and  editor  of  "  The  Boston  Cultivator  " 
in  1839-41,  and  who  established  "The  Massachusetts  Plough- 
man." 

John  Grout  came  from  Watertown  to  Sudbury  about 
1643,  and  about  the  same  time  came  into  possession  of  the 
Cakebread  mill,  and  was  allowed  by  the  town  "  to  pen  water 
for  the  use  of  the  mill  "  on  land  adjacent  to  the  stream  above. 
The  name  of  his  first  wife  was  Mary,  and  for  his  second  wife 
he  married  the  widow  of  Thomas  Cakebread.  He  had  ten 
children,  two  of  them  by  his  first  marriage,  John  (born  Aug. 
8,  1641)  and  Mary  (born  Dec.  11,  1643).  His  children  by 
his  second  marriage  were  John,  Sarah  (who  married  John 
Loker,  Jr.),  Joseph,  Abigail  (who  married,  in  1678,  Joseph 
Curtis),  Jonathan,  Elizabeth  (who  married  Samuel  Allen), 
Mary  (who  married  Thomas  Knapp),  and  Susanna  (who 
married  John  Woodward). 

Thomas  Cakebread  was  from  Watertown,  and  became  a 
freeman  May  14,  1634.  In  1637  he  married  Sarah,  daughter 
of  Nicholas  Busby.  He  was  for  a  while  at  Dedham,  and 
subsequently  at  Sudbury,  where  he  died  Jan.  4,  1643.  He 
erected  the  first  mill  at  Sudbury,  for  which  the  town  granted 
him  lands.  (See  chapter  on  First  Church,  Meeting-house, 
Mill,  etc.)  The  Colony  Records  state  that,  in  1642,  "Ensign 
Cakebread  was  to  lead  the  Sudbury  company."  His  widow 
married  Capt.  John  Grout,  and  his  daughter  Mary  married 
Philemon  Whale,  at  Sudbury,  Nov.  1,  1649. 

John  Rediat  lived  at  Sudbury  for  a  time.  He  became  an 
original  proprietor  at  Marlboro,  and  at  the  assignment  of 
house-lots  he  received  twenty-two  and  one-half  acres.  He 
had  one  child  born  in  Sudbury,  in  1652.  He  died  April  7, 
1687. 

John  Waterman  came  to  this  country  in  the  ship  "Jona- 
than," and  landed  at  Boston,  1639.  His  passage  was  paid 
by  Mr.  Peter  Noyes,  and  hence  it  is  supposed  he  was  in  his 
employ.     No  descendants  of  this  name  live  in  Sudbury,  and 


HISTORY   OF    SUDBURY.  55 

we  have  found  nothing  to  designate  the  former  dwelling- 
place  of  this  early  inhabitant. 

Goodman  Witherell  early  received  land  in  the  town. 
His  name  is  mentioned  in  the  list  of  those  who  received  land 
in  one  of  the  divisions  of  meadow. 

John  George.  We  have  found  no  facts  relative  to  the 
genealogy  of  this  early  grantee,  and  the  name  is  not  familiar 
in  Sudbury.     He  was  in  the  town  as  early  as  1644. 

Thomas  King  was  at  Sudbury  near  1650.  In  1655  he 
married  Bridget  Davis.  He  owned  land  in  the  fourth  squad- 
ron of  the  two-mile  grant,  his  lot  being  No.  50,  and  adjoining 
the  cow-pen  in  the  southwest  part  of  Sudbury.  (See  chapter 
on  periods  1650-75.)  He  was  one  of  the  petitioners  for  the 
plantation  of  Marlboro,  in  1656,  and  was  on  the  first  board 
of  selectmen  of  that  town. 

Peter  King  was  at  Sudbury  not  far  from  1650.  He  was 
a  man  of  some  prominence  in  the  town,  being  a  deacon  of 
the  church,  and  a  representative  to  the  Colonial  Court  in 
1689-90.  He  was  one  of  the  contracting  parlies  for  the 
erection  of  the  second  meeting-house.  Peter  King's  home- 
stead was  probably  not  far  from  the  town  bridge,  on  the  east 
side  of  the  river,  a  place  on  the  river  not  far  from  this  point 
being  still  called  "King's  Pond."  The  name  King  was  often 
spoken  in  earlier  times  in  the  town ;  but  perhaps  not  in  the 
memory  of  any  now  living  have  any  descendants  of  these 
early  inhabitants,  of  this  name,  lived  there. 

James  Pendleton  was  a  son  of  Brian,  and  came  from 
Watertown.  His  wife,  whose  name  was  Mary,  died  Nov.  7, 
1655,  and  he  married  for  a  second  wife  Hannah,  daughter  of 
Edmund  Goodnow,  at  Sudbury,  April  29,  1656.  By  his 
first  marriage  he  had  one  son,  James  (born  Nov.  1,  1650), 
and  by  his  second  marriage  he  had  Brian,  Joseph,  Edmund, 
Ann,  Caleb  and  James.  He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the 
first  church  at  Portsmouth,  in  1671.  He  lived  at  Stoning- 
ton  in  1674-8,  and  at  Westerly  in  1586-1700.  He  acquired 
the  title  of  captain,  and  served  in  Philip's  war. 

John  Woodward,  at  the  age  of  thirteen,  came  to  this 
country  in  the  ship  "  Elizabeth,"  in  1634.  He  was  accom- 
panied by  his  father,  and  was  for  a  time  at  Watertown.     His 


56  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

wife's  name  was  Mary,  and  they  had  a  son,  horn  March  20, 
1650,  who  it  is  supposed  died  young.  He  went  to  Sudbury, 
where  his  wife  died  July  8,  1654.  He  afterwards  moved  to 
Charlestown,  and  there  married  Abigail,  daughter  of  John 
Benjamin,  widow  of  Joshua  Stubbs.  He  returned  to  Sud- 
bury, and  by  his  second  marriage  he  had  three  children, 
Rose  (born  Aug.  18,  1659),  John  (born  Dec.  12,  1661),  and 
Abigail.  He  was  a  freeman  1690,  and  died  at  Watertown, 
Feb.  17,  1696.  John  Woodward  received  in  the  division  of 
the  two-mile  grant  lot  No.  41,  adjoining  that  of  John  Moore, 
in  the  fourth  squadron.  The  name  appeared  from  time  to 
time  in  the  earlier  annals  of  Sudbury,  but  has  for  many  years 
ceased  to  be  as  familiar  to  the  town's  people  as  formerky. 
Daniel  Woodward,  who  died  in  1760,  built  a  mill  on  Hop  or 
Wash  Brook  in  1740,  and  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  years 
ago  he  also  erected  the  house  occupied  by  Capt.  James  Moore, 
who  is  one  of  his  descendants. 

Shadrach  (or  Sydrach)  Hapgood,  at  the  age  of  fourteen, 
embarked  at  Gravesend,  Eng.,  for  America,  May  30,  1656,  on 
the  ship  "  Speedwell,"  Robert  Locke,  master.  He  settled  in 
Sudbury,  and  married  Elizabeth  Treadway,  Oct.  21,  1664. 
He  was  killed  in  the  Nipnet  country,  near  Brookfield,  in  an 
expedition  against  the  Indians  under  the  command  of  Capt. 
Hutchinson.  (See  chapter  on  Philip's  War.)  He  left  three 
or  more  children,  one  of  whom,  Thomas,  was  born  in  Sud- 
bury, Oct.  1,  1669.  He  settled  in  the  northeast  part  of 
Marlboro,  at  which  place  he  died  Oct.  4,  1765,  aged  ninety- 
five.  He  left  nine  children,  ninety-two  grandchildren,  two 
hundred  and  eight  great-grandchildren,  and  four  great-great- 
grandchildren. 

Edward  Wright  was  perhaps  a  son  of  the  Widow  Doro- 
thy Wright,  and  may  have  come  to  Sudbury  with  her.  He 
married  Hannah  Axtell  (or  Adell),  June  18,  1659,  who  died 
Ma}r  18,  1708.  He  had  eight  children,  one  of  whom  was 
Capt.  Samuel  Wright,  one  of  the  prominent  settlers  of  Rut- 
land, and  conspicuous  in  one  of  the  Indian  wars,  having 
charge  of  a  company  of  rangers,  and  doing  good  service  on 
the  frontier.    Edward  Wright  died  at  Sudbury,  Aug.  7,  1703. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

Method  of  Acquiring  Territory.  —  Character  and  Jurisdiction  of  the 
Massachusetts  Bay  Colony.  —  Colonial  Court.  —  Response  to  the 
Petition  for  a  Plantation  at  Sudbury.  —  Successive  Land  Grants. — 
Purchase  of  Territory.  —  Indian  Deeds.  —  Incorporation  of  the 
Town.  —  Name.  —  Sketch  of   Sudbury,  Eng.  —  Town  Boundaries. 

We  have  no  title-deeds  to  house  or  lands; 

Owners  and  occupants  of  earlier  dates 
From  graves  forgotten  stretch  their  dusty  hands, 

And  hold  in  mortmain  still  their  old  estates. 

Longfellow. 

Before  considering  the  successive  steps  in  the  settlement 
of  the  town,  we  will  notice  the  methods  by  which  the  set- 
tlers became  possessed  of  the  territory.  There  were  two 
parties  with  which  contracts  were  to  be  made,  namely,  the 
Colonial  Court  and  the  Indian  owners  of  the  land.  To  ignore 
either  would  invalidate  their  claim.  From  the  former  it  was 
essential  to  obtain  a  permit  to  make  a  settlement,  to  sell  out 
and  remove  from  Watertown,  to  secure  the  appointment  of  a 
committee  to  measure  and  lay  out  the  land ;  and  from  the 
Indians  they  were  to  purchase  the  territory. 

In  order  to  obtain  a  right  knowledge  of  the  matter  before 
us,  it  is  important  to  consider,  first,  the  authority  and  nature 
of  the  Colony  of  the  Massachusetts  Bay.  King  James  of 
England  claimed  by  right  of  discovery  all  the  continent  of 
North  America.  In  the  eighteenth  year  of  his  reign,  he 
transferred  a  portion  of  this  to  a  company  called  "  The 
Colony  of  Plymouth  in  the  County  of  Devon,  for  the  plant- 
ing, ruling,  ordering  and  governing  of  New  England  in 
America."  "  The  territory  conveyed  was  all  that  part  of 
America  lying  and  being  in  breadth  from  forty  degrees  to 
forty-eight    V^rees  of  north  latitude,  and  in  length  of  and 

67 


58  HTSTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

within  all  the  breadth  aforesaid  through  the  mainland  from 
sea  to  sea."  And  a  condition  upon  which  the  conveyance 
was  made  was,  that  "  the  grantees  should  yield  and  pay 
therefor  the  fifth  part  of  the  ore  of  gold  and  silver  which 
should  happen  to  be  found  in  any  of  the  said  lands."  From 
this  "  Council  of  Plymouth  in  the  County  of  Devon  "  a  com- 
pany, in  1628,  purchased  a  tract  of  territory  defined  as  being 
"  three  miles  north  of  any  and  every  part  of  the  Merrimac 
River,"  and  "  three  miles  north  of  any  and  every  part  of 
the  Charles  River,"  and  extending  westward  to  the  Pacific 
Ocean.  Some  of  the  chief  men  of  this  company  were  John 
Humphry,  John  Endicott,  Sir  Henry  Roswell,  Sir  George 
Young,  Thomas  Southcoote,  Simon  Whitcomb,  John  Win- 
thrope,  Thomas  Dudley  and  Sir  Richard  Saltonstall. 

The  proprietors  received  a  charter  from  the  King,  March 
14,  1629,  and  were  incorporated  by  the  name  of  "  the  Gov- 
ernor and  Company  of  the  Massachusetts  Bay  in  New  Eng- 
land." The  government  of  this  company  was  vested  in  a 
governor,  deputy  governor  and  eighteen  assistants,  who  were 
to  be  elected  annually  by  the  stockholders  of  the  corporation. 
A  general  assembly  of  the  freemen  of  the  colony  (see  chap- 
ter on  Town-meetings)  was  to  be  held  once  in  four  years  at 
the  least,  for  purposes  of  legislation.  The  king  claimed  no 
jurisdiction,  since  he  regarded  the  affair,  not  as  the  founding 
of  a  nation  or  state,  but  as  the  incorporation  of  a  trading 
establishment.  But,  although  the  common  rights  of  British 
subjects  were  conferred  upon  these  Massachusetts  Bay  colo- 
nists, a  broader  and  better  basis  was  soon  to  be  adopted. 
In  September,  1629,  the  members  of  the  new  company,  at  a 
meeting  in  Cambridge,  Eng.,  signed  an  agreement  to  trans- 
fer the  charter  and  government  to  the  colonists.  Upon  this 
desirable  change,  enterprising  men  set  sail  for- this  country, 
and  soon  that  portion  of  it  now  Salem  and  Boston  was 
smiling  with  settlements  that  were  founded  by  persons  of 
marked  character  and  intelligence.  In  May,  1631,  it  was 
decided,  at  an  assembly  of  the  people,  that  all  the  officers  of 
the  government  should  thereafter  be  chosen  by  the  freemen 
of  the  colony;  and  in  1634  the  government  was  changed  to 
a  representative   government,   the   second   of   the   kind   in 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  59 

America.  This  government  had  its  court,  to  which  dele- 
gates were  sent  by  the  people,  called  "  The  Great  and  Gen- 
eral Court  of  the  Massachusetts  Colony." 

By  the  authority  of  a  Court  thus  established,  land  grants 
were  allowed  the  New  England  colonists.  Some  of  these 
grants  were  to  companies  who  designed  to  establish  towns, 
and  some  to  individuals,  for  considerations  that  the  court  saw 
fit  to  recognize.  In  the  former  case,  certain  conditions  were 
imposed,  namely,  that  the  place  sought  should  be  settled 
within  a  specified  time,  that  a  certain  number  of  settlers 
should  go  there,  and  that  a  church  should  be  established  and 
the  gospel  ministr}r  maintained.  These  land  grants  were 
usually  preceded  by  a  petition,  stating  the  object  for  which 
the  land  tract  was  sought,  and  perhaps  reasons  why  the 
court  should  allow  it.  The  territory  of  Sudbury  was  in 
part  granted  to  the  people  collectively  who  formed  the  plan- 
tation and  established  the  town,  and  in  part  to  individuals. 
The  grants  to  the  former  were  allowed  at  three  different 
times,  and  were  preceded  by  three  different  petitions.  The 
first  petition  met  with  a  response.  Nov.  20,  1637,  of  which 
the  following  is  a  copy :  — 

"  Whereas  a  great  part  of  the  chief  inhabitants  of  Water- 
town  have  petitioned  this  Court,  that  in  regard  to  their 
straitness  of  accommodation,  and  want  of  meadow,  they 
might  have  leave  to  remove  and  settle  a  plantation  upon 
the  river,  which  runs  to  Concord,  this  Court,  having  respect 
to  their  necessity,  doth  grant  their  petition,  and  it  is  hereby 
ordered,  that  Lieut.  (Simon)  Willard,  Mr.  (William)  Spen- 
cer, Mr.  Joseph  Weld  and  Mr.  (Richard)  Jackson  shall  take 
view  of  the  places  upon  said  river,  and  shall  set  out  a  place 
for  them  by  marks  and  bounds  sufficient  for  fifty  or  sixty 
families,  taking  care  that  it  be  so  set  out  as  it  may  not  hinder 
the  settling  of  some  other  plantation  upon  the  same  river,  if 
there  be  meadow,  and  other  accommodations  sufficient  for 
the  same.  And  it  is  ordered,  further,  that  if  the  said  inhabi- 
tants of  Watertown,  or  any  of  them,  shall  not  have  removed 
their  dwellings  to  their  said  new  plantation,  before  one  year 
after  the  plantation  shall  be  sot  out,  that  then  the  interest  of 


60  HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY. 

all  such  persons,  not  so  removed  to  the  said  plantation,  shall 
be  void  and  cease,  and  it  shall  be  lawful  for  such  as  are 
removed  and  settled  there,  or  the  greater  part  of  them,  being 
freemen,  to  receive  other  persons  to  inhabit  in  their  rooms, 
in  the  said  plantation  ;  provided,  that  if  there  shall  not  be 
thirty  families  at  least  there  settled  before  the  said  time  lim- 
ited, that  then  this  Court,  or  the  Court  of  Assistants,  or  two 
of  the  Council,  shall  dispose  of  the  said  plantation  to  any- 
other.  And  it  is  further  ordered,  that  after  the  place  of  the 
said  plantation  shall  be  set  out,  the  said  petitioners,  or  any 
such  other  freemen  as  shall  join  them,  shall  have  power  to 
order  the  situation  of  their  town,  and  the  proportioning  of 
lots,  and  all  other  liberties  as  other  towns  have  under  the 
proviso  aforesaid.  And  it  is  lastly  ordered,  that  such  of  the 
said  inhabitants  of  Watertown,  as  shall  be  accommodated  in 
their  new  plantation,  may  sell  their  houses  and  improved 
grounds  in  Watertown ;  but  all  the  rest  of  the  land  in  Water- 
town,  not  improved,  shall  remain  freely  to  the  inhabitants, 
which  shall  remain  behind,  and  such  others  as  shall  come  to 
them. 

"And  the  said  persons  appointed  to  set  out  the  said  plan- 
tation, are  directed  so  to  set  out  the  same,  as  there  may  be 
1500  acres  of  meadow  allowed  to  it,  if  it  be  there  to  be  had, 
with  any  convenience,  for  the  use  of  the  town."  (Colony 
Records,  Vol.  I.,  p.  210.) 

A  further  record  of  Court  action,  dated  March  12,  1637-8, 
is  as  follows  :  — 

"The  Court  thinketh  meet  that  they  (of  Watertown) 
should  have  liberty  to  sell  their  allotments  in  Watertown, 
and  they  are  to  give  their  full  answer  the  next  Court, 
whether  they  will  remove  to  the  new  plantation  and  John 
Oliver  put  in  the  room  of  Richard  Jackson,  for  to  lay  out 
the  said  plantation,  which  they  are  to  do  before  the  next 
Court." 

The  Court  having  granted  the  request  for  a  plantation  at 
Sudbury,  allowed  the  petitioners  to  go  on  with  their  work, 


HISTORY   OF    SUDBURY.  61 

and  appointed  a  committee  to  establish  the  bounds  and 
make  an  allotment  of  land,  as  set  forth  by  the  following 
record :  — 

"At  Gennall  Court  held  at  Boston  the  6th  Day  of  the 
7th  Month,  a  1638  [Sept.  6,  1638]. 

"  The  petitioners  Mr  Pendleton,  Mr  Noyse,  Mr  Brown,  and 
Compa,  are  allowed  to  go  on  in  their  plantation,  &  such  as 
are  associated  to  them  and  Lift.  Willard,  Thomas  Bro 
[Brown]  and  Mr  John  Oliver  are  to  set  out  the  bounds  of 
the  said  plantation  &  they  are  alowed  4s  a  day,  each  of  them 
&  Mr  John  Oliver  5  shs  a  day,  to  bee  borne  by  the  new  plan- 
tation. And  the  petitioners  are  to  take  care  that  in  their 
alotments  of  land  they  have  respect  as  well  to  men's  estates 
&  abilities  to  improve  their  lands,  as  to  their  number  of  per- 
sons ;  and  if  any  difference  fall  out  the  Court  or  the  couusell 
shall  order  it."     (Colony  Records,  Vol.  I.,  p.  238.) 

The  land  first  appropriated  was  supposed  to  comprise  a 
tract  about  five  miles  square.  It  had  for  boundaries  Concord 
on  the  north,  Watertown  (now  Weston)  on  the  east,  and  on 
the  south  a  line  running  from  a  point  a  little  east  of  Nobscot 
Hill  along  the  present  Framingham  and  Sudbury  boundary 
direct  to  the  Weston  town  bound,  and  on  the  west  a  line 
two  miles  east  of  the  present  western  boundary. 

The  second  grant  was  of  an  additional  mile.  This  was 
allowed,  to  make  up  a  deficiency  in  the  first  grant,  which  defi- 
ciency was  discovered  on  making  a  survey  a  few  years  after 
the  settlement  began,  and  it  was  petitioned  for  May  13,  1640. 
The  petition  was  for  a  mile  in  length  on  the  southeast  and 
southwest  sides  of  the  town ;  and  it  was  allowed  on  condition 
that  it  would  not  prevent  the  formation  of  another  plantation, 
"  or  hinder  Mrs.  Glover's  farm  of  six  hundred  acres  formerly 
granted."     (Colony  Records,  Vol.  I.,  p.  289.) 

The  third  tract  was  granted  in  1649.  It  contained  an  area 
two  miles  wide,  extending  along  the  entire  length  of  the  west- 
ern boundary.  The  Colony  Record  concerning  this  grant  is : 
"That  Sudberry  is  granted  two  miles  westward  next  adjoin- 
ing to  them  for  their  furthr  inlargement,  provided  it  [preju- 


62  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

dice]  not  Wm  Browne  in  his  200  acres  already  granted."  (Vol. 
II.,  p.  273). 

Besides  these  three  grants,  there  were  others  made  to  indi- 
viduals. One  of  these  was  to  William  Browne,  of  which  the 
record  is  as  follows:  "In  answer  to  the  petition  of  Wm  Browne 
ffor  two  hundred  acrs  dew  for  twenty  five  pounds  putt  into 
the  joynet  stocke  by  Mrs  Ann  Harvey  his  Aunt,  from  whom 
he  made  it  appear  to  the  Court  he  had  sufficyent  deputacon 
to  require  it,  his  request  was  grannted  ;  viz.,  200  acrs  of  land 
to  be  layed  out  to  him  wthout  the  west  lyne  of  Sudbury  by 
Capt.  Simon  Willard  &  Seargeant  Wheeler."  This  land  was 
easterly  of  Nobscot  Hill,  and  about  the  locality  where  the 
Browns  have  since  lived. 

Another  grant  was  the  Glover  Farm,  situated  on  the  town's 
southerly  border.  This  tract  was  largely  in  the  territory  of 
Framingham.  It  consisted  of  six  hundred  acres,  granted  to 
Elizabeth,  the  widow  of  Rev.  Josse  Glover.  Mr.  Glover, 
rector  of  Sutton,  Eng.,  in  the  June  of  1638  made  a  contract 
with  Steven  Day,  a  printer,  to  come  over  at  his  expense, 
designing  to  set  up  a  printing-press  in  Cambridge,  the  seat 
of  the  university.  Shortly  afterward  he  embarked  for  this 
country,  but  died  on  the  passage,  and  was  buried  at  sea. 
Mr.  Glover  had  aided  the  colonists  in  various  ways,  and  by 
his  death  they  lost  a  valuable  friend.  This  land  tract  may 
have  been  given  to  his  widow  in  recognition  of  service 
received.  It  lay  westerly  and  northerly  of  Cochituate  Pond, 
extending  to  the  northeast  corner  of  Dudley  Pond,  thence  to 
the  Sudbury  old  town  bound ;  being  bounded  on  the  west  by 
the  river,  and  on  the  south  by  Cochituate  Brook. 

Another  grant  was  that  of  the  "Dunster  Farm,"  some- 
times called  the  "Pond  Farm."  This  was  a  tract  of  six 
hundred  acres,  granted,  in  1640,  to  Henry  Dunster,  first 
president  of  Harvard  College,  who  in  1641  married  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  Glover.  This  farm  was  situated  southeasterly  of 
the  "  Glover  Farm,"  and  had  Cochituate  Lake  for  its  west- 
ern boundary. 

Beyond  this  farm  easterly  was  a  tract  of  two  hundred 
acres,  extending  towards  the  Weston  town  line,  and  called 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  63 

the  "Jennison  Farm."  This  was  granted,  in  1638,  to  Capt. 
William  Jennison  of  Watertown,  for  service  that  he  rendered 
in  the  Pequot  war.     It  was  laid  out  in  1646. 

Another  grant  was  to  Mr.  Herbert  Pelham,  Sept.  4,  1639. 
This  land  grant  was  situated  in  the  present  territory  of 
Way  land,  and  was  what  is  called  "  The  Island."  For  many 
years  it  was  mostly  owned  and  occupied  by  the  Heards.  Mr. 
Pelham  came  to  America  in  1638,  and  for  a  time  lived  at 
Cambridge.  Savage  states  that  he  was  a  gentleman  from 
the  county  of  Lincoln,  and  when  in  London,  where  he  may 
have  been  a  lawyer,  was  a  friend  of  the  colony.  Governor 
Hutchinson  says,  "  He  was  of  that  family  which  attained  the 
highest  rank  in  the  peerage,  one  hundred  years  ago,  as  Duke 
of  Newcastle."  He  was  much  engaged  in  public  service, 
and  put  into  the  common  stock  of  the  colony  .£100.  He 
became  a  freeman  in  1645,  at  which  time  he  was  chosen  an 
assistant.  He  was  the  first  treasurer  of  Harvard  College  in 
1743.  In  1645  Herbert  Pelham,  Thomas  Flynt,  Lieutenant 
Willard  and  Peter  Noyes  were  appointed  commissioners  of 
sewers  "  for  bettering  and  improving  of  ye  ground  upon 
ye  river  running  by  Concord  and  Sudbury "  (Colony  Rec- 
ords, Vol.  III.,  p.  13).  He  returned  to  England  in  1649, 
and  resided  at  Buers  Hamlet,  County  of  Essex.  He  died 
in  England,  and  was  buried  at  Bury  St.  Mary's,  in  Suffolk 
County,  July  1,  1673.  By  his  will,  dated  Jan.  1,  1672,  he 
gave  his  lands  in  Sudbury  to  his  son  Edward.  His  daughter 
Penelope  married,  in  1657,  Gov.  Josiah  Winslow.  "Pelham's 
Island"  was  sold  in  1711  by  the  Pelhams,  who  were  then 
in  Newport,  R.  I.,  to  Isaac  Hunt  and  Samuel  Stone,  Jr.,  who 
in  November  of  that  year  sold  a  part  of  it  to  Jonathan  and 
George  Read. 

Land  was  also  granted  to  Mr.  Walgrave,  who  was  father- 
in-law  of  Herbert  Pelham.  The  Records  state  concerning 
both  of  these  men  that  ''they  are  granted  their  lots  at  Sud- 
bury absolutely  wth  condition  of  dwelling  there  only  Mr. 
Pelham  p  mised  to  build  a  house  there,  settle  a  family  there 
and  to  be  there  as  much  as  he  could  in  the  summer  time." 
(Colony  Records,  Vol.  I.,  p.  292). 


64  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

The  Colonial  Court  as  a  rule  did  not  interfere  with  the 
disposition  of  the  lands  granted.  It  held  in  reserve  the 
power  to  adjust  any  difficulties,  and  to  see  that  the  condi- 
tions on  which  a  township  was  allowed  were  kept. 

As  has  been  already  observed,  the  Court  was  not  the 
only  party  with  which  the  settlers  had  to  deal  if  they  would 
obtain  indisputable  titles  to  their  estates.  While  the  Eng- 
lish claimed  the  country  by  right  of  discovery,  there  were 
those  who  held  it  by  right  of  ancient  hereditary  posses- 
sion, and  the  English  were  in  justice  called  upon  to  recog- 
nize this  right,  and  purchase  the  territory  of  the  native  pro- 
prietors. 

This  was  done  by  the  Sudbury  settlers.  The  first  tract 
for  the  plantation  was  purchased  in  1638  of  Karte,  the  Indian 
proprietor  (see  Chapter  II.),  and  it  has  been  supposed  that 
a  deed  was  given ;  but  this  is  not  essential  as  evidence  of  the 
purchase,  since  in  the  deed  given  by  Karte  for  land  subse- 
quently bought  he  acknowledged  the  sale  of  the  first  tract, 
in  the  statement  that  it  was  sold  to  "  George  Munnings  and 
to  the  rest  of  the  planters  of  Sudbury."  In  this  first  bar- 
gain of  real  estate  it  is  supposed  that  Mr.  Munnings  acted  as 
agent  for  the  settlers,  and  that  he,  together  with  Brian  Pen- 
dleton, advanced  the  money  for  payment. 

The  second  tract  was  also  purchased  of  Karte,  who  gave  a 
deed,  of  which  the  following  is  a  true  copy :  — 

INDIAN    DEED. 

Bee  it  known  vnto  all  men  by  these  presents  that  I  Cato  otherwise 
Goodman  for  &  in  consideration  of  fyve  pounds  wch  I  have  received  in 
commodities  &  wompumpeage  of  Walter  Hayne  &  Hugh  Griffin  of  Sud- 
bury in  behalf  of  themselves  &  the  rest  of  the  planters  of  Sudbury;  doe 
this  my  write  in  give  &  grant  bargain  &  sell  vnto  the  said  Walter  Hayne 
—  (Haine)  —  &  Hugh  Griffin  &  the  said  planters  of  the  town  of  Sudbury 
so  much  land  southward  &  so  much  land  westward  next  adjoining  to  a 
tract  of  land  wfh  I  said  Cato  formerly  souled  vnto  George  Munnings  & 
the  rest  of  the  planters  of  Sudbury  as  may  make  the  bounds  of  the  said 
town  to  be  full  fyve  miles  square  wth  all  meadows,  brooks,  liberties  privi- 
ledges  &  appertenances  thereto  belonging  wth  all  the  said  tract  of  land 
granted.  And  I  grant  vnto  them  for  me  &  mine  heirs  &  brethren  that  I 
&  they  shall  &  will  at  any  tyme  make  any  further  assurance  in  writing 
for  the  more  p'fct  assuring  of  the  s'd  land  &  all  the  premises  wth  the 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  65 

appertenances  vnto  the  s'd  Walter  Haine  &  Hugh  Griffin  &  the  sd  plant- 
ers &  their  succssors  forever  as  they  shall  require. 

In  witness  whereof  I  herevnto  put  my  hand  &  seal  the  twentieth  day 
of  the  fourth  month  one  thousand  six  hundred  forty  eight. 

Signed  sealed  and  delivered  in  the  presence  of 

Emmanuel  Downing 

Ephraim  Child 

Cutchamckin  [mark] )  ,      . ,  c   ~  . 

,i  J  r  brothers  of  Cato 

Jojenny  [mark]  > 

This  deed  was  sealed  &  acknowledged  by  the  sd  Cato  (who  truly  under- 
stood the  contents  of  it  the  day  &  year  above  written)     Before  mee. 

John  Winthrop,  Governor. 

Registry  of  Deeds 

Suffolk  Co.  Mass. 

The  deed  for  the  land  last  granted,  or  the  two-mile  tract 
to  the  westward,  is  on  record  at  the  Middlesex  Registry  of 
Deeds,  Cambridge,  of  which  the  following  is  a  true  copy : 

For  as  much  as  the  Gen1  Court  of  the  Massachusetts  Colony  in  New 
England  hath  formerly  granted  to  the  Towne  of  Sudbury  in  the  County 
of  Middlesex  in  the  same  Colony,  an  addition  of  land  of  two  miles  west- 
ward of  their  former  grant  of  five  miles,  which  is  also  layd  out  &  joyneth 
to  it:  and  whereas  the  English  occupiers,  proprietors  and  possessors 
thereof  have  chosen  Capt.  Edmond  Goodenow,  Leif  Josiah  Haynes, 
John  Goodenow,  John  Brigham  &  Joseph  Freeman  to  be  a  comittee  for 
themselvs  &  for  all  the  rest  of  the  English  proprietors  thereof,  giving 
them  their  full  power  to  treat  with  &  to  purchase  the  same  of  the  Indian 
proprietors  of  the  sd  tract  of  land  &  to  satisfy  &  pay  them  for  their 
native,  ancient  &  hereditary  right  title  &  intrest  thereunto. 

Know  all  People  by  these  presents  — That  wee,  Jehojakim,  John 
Magus,  John  Muskqua  &  his  two  daughters  Esther  &  Rachel,  Benjamen 
Bohue,  John  Speen  &  Sarah  his  wife,  James  Speen,  Dorothy  Wennetoo,  & 
Humphry  Bohue  her  son,  Mary  Neppamun,  Abigail  the  daughter  of  Josiah 
Harding,  Peter  Jethro,  Peter  Muskquamogh,  John  Boman,  David  Man- 
roan  &  Betty  who  are  the  ancient  native  &  hereditary  Indian  proprietors 
of  the  aforesd  two  miles  of  land  (for  &  in  consideration  of  the  just  &  full 
sum  of  twelve  pounds  of  current  mony  of  New  England  to  them  in  hand 
well  &  truly  paid  at  or  before  the  ensealing  &  delivery  hereof  by  the  said 
Cap1  Edmond  Goodenow,  Leift.  Josiah  Haines,  John  Goodenow,  John 
Brigham  &  Joseph  Freeman  in  behalfe  of  themselvs  &  of  the  rest  of  the 
English  possessors,  occupiers,  proprietors  &  fellow-purchasers)  the  receipt 
whereof  they  do  hereby  acknowledge  &  therwith  to  be  fully  satisfied, 
contented  &  paid  &  thereof  and  of  every  part  &  parcell  thereof  they  do 


A 


66  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

hereby  for  themselvs  &  their  heyrs  Executors  Administrators  &  assigns 
clearly  fully  &  absolutely  release,  acquitt  exonerate  &  discharge  them  & 
all  the  English  possessors,  occupiers,  proprietors  &  fellow-purchasers  of 
the  same  &  all  &  every  one  of  their  heyrs  Executors,  Administrators, 
Assigns  &  successors  forever)  Have  given,  granted,  bargained,  sold, 
aliened,  enseossed,  made  over  &  confirmed,  &  by  these  presents,  do  give, 
grant,  bargain,  sell,  alien,  enseosse,  make  over,  confirme  &  deliver  all  that 
their  sd  tract  &  parcells  of  lands  of  two  miles  (bee  it  more  or  less  scitu- 
ate  lying  &  being)  altogether  in  one  entire  parcell  in  the  sd  Town  of  Sud- 
bury in  the  County  of  Middlesex  aforesd  &  lyeth  al  along  throughout  on 
the  westerne  side  of  the  old  five  miles  of  the  sd  Towne  &  adjoyneth 
thereunto  (together  with  the  farme  lands  of  the  heyrs  of  William  Browne 
that  lyeth  within  the  same  tract,  unto  the  sd  Capt.  Edmond  Goodenow, 
Leif  Josiah  Haines,  John  Goodenow,  John  Brigham  &  Joseph  Freeman 
&  unto  all  &  every  one  of  the  rest  of  the  English  possessors,  occupiers, 
proprietors  &  fellow-purchasers  thereof  as  the  same  is  limited,  butted  & 
bounded  on  the  East  by  the  old  part  of  the  sd  Towne  of  Sudbury  (which 
was  the  five  miles  at  first  granted  to  the  sd  Towne)  &  is  butted  &  bounded 
northerly  by  the  line  or  bounds  of  the  Towne  of  Concord,  Westerly  by 
the  line  or  bounds  of  the  Towne  of  Stow  &  is  bounded  southerly  &  partly 
westerly  by  the  lands  of  Mr  Thomas  Danforth.  All  the  lands  within 
said  bounds  of  hills,  vallies  planes,  intervalls,  meadows,  swamps,  with 
all  the  timber,  trees,  woods,  underwoods,  grass  &  herbage,  rocks,  stones, 
mines,  mineralls,  with  all  rivers,  rivoletts  brooks,  streams,  springs,  ponds 
&  all  manner  of  watercourses  &  whatsoever  is  therein  &  thereupon,  above 
ground  &  underground,  with  all  rights  members,  titles,  royaltyes,  liber- 
tyes  priviledges,  proprietyes,  uses,  proffitts  &  commodityes  thereof  & 
every  part  &  parcell  thereof  &  that  is  every  way  &  in  any  wise  thereunto 
belonging  and  appertaining.  To  Have,  Hold,  use,  occupie,  pos- 
sess enjoy  to  the  only  absolute  propper  use  benefitt,  behoofe  and  dis- 
pose of  them  the  sd  English  possessors,  occupiers  proprietors  &  fellow- 
purchasers  of  the  Towne  of  Sudbury  &  their  heyrs  executors,  adminis- 
trators assigns  &  successors  in  a  free  full  &  perfect  estate  of  inheritance 
from  the  day  of  the  date  hereof  &  so  for  ever.  And  the  above  named 
indian  Grantors  do  also  hereby  covenant  promise  &  grant  to  &  with  the 
above  named  Edmond  Goodenow,  Josiah  Haynes,  John  Goodnow  John 
Brigham  &  Joseph  Freeman  &  with  all  the  rest  of  the  Knglish  possessors, 
occupiers,  proprietors  &  fellow-purchasers  of  the  said  two  miles  of  land 
(bee  it  more  or  less)  as  above  bounded  that  at  the  ensealing  &  delivery 
hereof,  they  are  the  only  &  absolute  Indian  proprietors  of  the  premises 
&  that  they  (&  none  else)  have  just  and  full  power  in  themselvs  the  same 
thus  to  sell,  convey  confirme  make  over  &  deliver  &  they  do  hereby 
engage  &  bind  themselvs  &  their  heyrs  executors  administrators  & 
assigns  from  time  to  time  &  at  all  times  hereafter  fully  &  sufficiently  to 
secure  save  harmless  &  forever  defend  the  hereby  granted  &  bargained 
two  miles  of  land  (as  is  above  bounded  bee  it  more  or  less)  with  all  the 
rights,  members  &  appurtenances  there  unto  belonging,  against  all  man- 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  67 

ner  &  singular  other  titles  troubles  charges  demands  &  incumbrances 
that  may  be  made  or  raysed  by  any  person  or  persons  (especially  Indian 
or  Indians)  else  whatsoever  lawfully  having  or  claiming  any  right,  title  or 
intrest  in  or  to  the  premises  or  to  any  part  or  parcell  thereof  to  the  trou- 
ble vexation  charges  interruption  or  ejection  of  the  abovesd  English  pos- 
sessors, occupiers,  proprietors  or  fellow-purchasers  of  the  same  or  any 
one  of  them,  they  or  any  one  of  their  heyrs  executors  administrators  or 
assigns  in  his  or  their  quiet  and  peaceable  possession  free  &  full  use 
enjoyment  or  dispose  thereof  or  any  part  or  parcell  thereof  forever- 
Furthermore  wee  the  above  named  Indian  Grantors  do  hereby 
oblige  &  engage  ourselvs  all  and  every  one  of  our  heyrs  executors 
Admrs  assigns  &  successors  unto  the  sd  English  possessors  occupiers  & 
proprietors  &  fellow-purchasers  &  to  all  and  every  one  of  their  heyrs 
executors  administraters  and  assigns  that  wee  and  every  one  of  us  & 
ours  as  aforesd  shall  &  will  from  time  to  time  &  at  all  times  readily  & 
effectually  do  (at  our  own  propper  costs  &  charges)  or  cause  to  be  so 
done  any  other  or  further  act  or  acts  thing  or  things  that  the  law  doth 
or  may  require  for  more  sure  making  &  full  confirming  of  all  &  singu- 
lar the  hereby  granted  premises  unto  the  sd  Edmond  Goodenow,  Josiah 
Haines,  John  Goodenow,  John  Brigham  &  Joseph  Freeman  &  unto  all 
&  every  one  of  the"  rest  of  the  English  possessors,  occupiers  proprietors 
and  fellow-purchasers  of  the  premises  &  unto  all  &  every  one  of  their 
heyrs  executors  administrators  and  assigns  for  ever.  In  Witness 
whereof  the  above  named  Indian  Grantors  have  hereunto  each  for  them" 
selvs  &  altogether  sett  their  hands  and  seals,  dated  the  11th  day  of  July 
in  the  year  of  our  Lord  God  one  thousand  six  hundred  eighty  &  four. 
Annoqe  Regni  Regis  Caroli  Secundi  XXXVI. 

Jehojakim  his  mark  X  for  himselfe  &  by  order  of  &  for  John 
Boman  &  seale.   O 

John  Magos  for  himselfe  &  by  order  of  &  for  Jacob  Magos  his 
father  &  seale.     O 

Muskqua  John   &  for  his   two  daughters    Rachel   &  Esther 
&  seale.  O 

John  Speen  his  marke  |  &  for  &  by  order  of  Sarah  his  wife 
&  seale.  O 

Abigail  Daughter  of  Josiah  Harding  and  his  sole  heyr  (£=<  her 
marke  &  seale.     O 

Sarah  C  her  marke  who  is  the  widdow  of  Josiah  Harding  & 
mother  of  sd  Abigail  &  her  Guardian. 

Peter  Muskquamog  -J-  his  mark  &  seale.     O 

Benjamen  Bohew  his  R  marke  &  seale.        O 

Dorithy  Wenneto  her  O  marke  &  seale.     O 

Mary  Nepamun  he  Q  marke  &  seale.  O 

Betty  her  )  marke  &  seale 

Peter  Jethro  &  a  seale 

John  x  Boman  his  marke  &  seale 

James  Speen  &  seale 


68  HISTORY   OF    SUDBURY. 

Cambe  15  Octob  1684  All  the  persons  that  have  signed  &  sealed  this 
instrument  appeared  before  me  this  day  &  year  above  written  &  freely 
acknowledged  this  writing  to  be  their  act  &  deed 

Daniel  Gookin  Senr  Assist. 

Endorsement  —  All  the  Grantors  of  the  instrument  within  written 
beginning  with  Jehojakim  &  ending  with  Peter  Muskquamog  did  sign 
seale  &'  deliver  sd  instrument  in  presence  of  us. 

John  Greene —   James  Bernard  — 

Moreover  wee  underwritten  did  see  Benjamen  Bohew  Dorothy  Wan- 
neto  &  Mary  &  Betty  Nepamun  signe  seale  &  deliver  this  instrument 
the  15th  day  of  Octob  1684.  Andrew  Pittamee  ^[  his  marke 

James  Rumny     marke 
Samuel  Goff,  James  Barnard 
Daniel  Sacowambatt 

Febr  1,  1684     Memorandum  —  Wee  whose   names  are  underwritten 
did  see  Peter  Jethro  signe  &  seale  &  deliver  ye  within  written  instrument 
James  Barnard —  Stephen  fjfj  Gates  his  marke 

Peter  Jethro,  Indian,  appeared  before  me  the  fifth  day  of  February  — 
1684  &  freely  acknowledged  this  writing  within  to  be  his  act  &  deed  & 
ythe  put  his  hand  &  seale  thereunto.  Daniel  Gookin  Senr  Affift 

John  Boman  did  signe  seale  &  deliver  the  within  written  deed  the  23  : 
of  February  in  the  year  our  Lord  one  thousand  six  hundred  eighty  & 
four  in  presence  of  us 

John  Balcom  —  -f-  Samuel  Freeman  his  marke. 

James  Speen  &  John  Bowman  appeared  before  me  in  court  at  Natick 
&  acknowledged  they  have  signed  &  sealed  this  instrument  among  others 
May  13th  1684.  James  Gookin  Senr  Affist 

Roxbury  April  16.  85. 

Charles  Josias,  Sachem  of  the  Massachusetts,  having  read  &  consid- 
ered the  within  written  deed  with  the  consent  of  his  Guardians  &  Coun- 
cellors  underwritten  doth  for  himself  &  his  heyrs  allow  of,  ratify  & 
confirm  the  within  written  sale  to  the  Inhabitants  of  Sudbury  &  their 
heyrs  for  ever,  the  lands  therein  bargained  &  sold.  To  have  &  to  hold 
to  the  s'd  Inhabitants  of  Sudbury  their  heyrs  and  assigns  for  ever  &  hath 
hereunto  set  his  hand  &  seale  the  day  above  written. 

Charls  yi  Josias  his  marke  &  Seale 

Allowed  by  us  \ 

William   Stoughton  >  Guardians  to  j 

Joseph  Dudley  )  ye  Sachem     \         Robert  8  Montague 

William  W.  Ahowton 

Recorded  19.  3.  1685 

by  Tho.  Danforth  Recorder. 

A  true  copy  of  record  Book  9  Pages  344  to  352  inclusive 

Attest        Chas  B  Stevens  Reg. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  69 

The  above  deed  was  not  received  until  years  after  the 
grant  was  made  by  the  Court,  and  the  lands  divided  up  and 
apportioned  to  the  inhabitants.  The  records  do  not  state 
what  occasioned  the  long  delay,  but,  as  was  the  case  else- 
where, perhaps  the  papers  were  not  passed  until,  in  process 
of  time,  the  settlers  questioned  whether  the  claim  to  the  ter- 
ritory was  valid  until  purchased  of  the  Indian  proprietors. 
A  similar  instance  occurred  at  Groton,  where  the  deed  came 
long  after  the  lands  were  occupied.  The  grant  was  allowed 
by  the  Court  as  early  as  1655,  but  no  title  was  obtained  from 
the  natives  till  about  1683  or  1684. 

From  lands  thus  allowed,  the  Plantation  of  Sudbury  was 
formed.  It  required,  however,  more  than  the  allowance  and 
laying  out  of  the  land  and  the  settlement  of  it  to  make  it  a 
town.  A  separate  act  of  incorporation  was  necessary  to  com- 
plete the  work.  This  was  done  September  4,  1639,  when  the 
Court  ordered  that  "the  newe  Plantation  by  Concord  shall 
be  called  Sudbury."     (Colony  Records,  Vol.  I.,  p.  271.) 

By  the  granting  of  the  name,  the  act  of  incorporation  is 
supposed  to  have  been  made  complete.  It  was  a  short  process 
for  an  act  so  great,  yet  such  was  the  manner  of  the  Court. 
Says  Mr.  Sewall,  in  the  history  of  Woburn,  of  the  incorpo- 
ration of  that  place,  "  The  act  of  Court  for  this  purpose  is 
contained  in  these  five  words  :  ;  Charlestown  Village  is  called 
Wooborne.' '  The  Court  action  in  this  matter  was  dated 
Sept.  4,  1639  ;  but  it  does  not  follow  that  this  specific  day  of 
the  month  was  the  exact  date  of  incorporation,  as  sometimes 
the  date  of  the  beginning  of  the  Court  session  was  given, 
instead  of  the  date  of  the  particular  day  when  the  transac- 
tion took  place.  As,  for  example,  we  find  the  permit  for  a 
division  of  land  to  be  of  the  same  date  as  that  on  which 
Sudbury  was  named. 

The  name  ordered  by  the  Court  is  that  of  an  old  English 
town  in  the  county  of  Suffolk,  from  which  some  of  the  town's 
settlers  are  supposed  to  have  come,  or  with  which  they  may 
have  had  an  acquaintance.  It  is  situated  near  the  parish  of 
Bury  St.  Edmunds,  at  or  near  which  place  it  is  supposed  the 
Browns  may  have  dwelt.  (See  chap.  Biographical  Sketches.) 
It  is  not  improbable  that  the  name  was  given  by  Rev.  Edmund 


70  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

Brown,  the  first  minister  of  Sudbury,  who  sold  lands  in  the 
district  of  Lanham  to  Thomas  Read,  his  nephew,  and  it  is 
supposed  may  have  also  named  that  locality  from  Lavenham, 
Eng.,  a  place  between  Sudbury  and  Bury  St.  Edmunds.  (See 
sketch  of  Thomas  Read.)  The  place,  though  spelled  Laven- 
ham, is  pronounced  Lannam  in  England  (Waters).  The 
proximity  of  Sudbury  and  Lavenham,  Eng.,  to  what  was 
probably  the  original  home  of  Mr.  Brown,  together  with  the 
fact  that  he  was  an  early  owner  of  the  lands  at  Lanham,  and 
a  prominent  man  at  the  settlement,  affords  at  least  a  strong 
presumption  that  Mr.  Edmund  Brown  named  both  Sudbury 
and  Lanham.  It  is  appropriate,  then,  to  give  a  sketch  of  this 
old  English  town,  and  we  present  the  following  from  Lewis's 
Topographical  Dictionary  of  England:  — 

"  Sudbury  is  a  borough  and  market  town,  having  separate 
jurisdiction  locally  in  the  hundred  of  Babergh,  County  of 
Suffolk,  22  miles  (why  s)  from  Ipswich,  and  50  (N.  E.  by  N.) 
from  London,  containing,  according  to  the  last  census,  3950 
inhabitants,  which  number  has  since  increased  to  nearly  5000. 
This  place,  which  was  originally  called  South  Burgh,  is  of 
great  antiquity,  and  at  the  period  of  the  compilation  of 
Domesday-book  was  of  considerable  importance,  having  a 
market  and  a  mint.  A  colony  of  the  Flemings,  who  were 
introduced  into  this  country  by  Edward  III.  for  the  purpose 
of  establishing  the  manufacture  of  woollen  cloth,  settled 
here,  and  that  branch  of  trade  continued  to  flourish  for  some 
time,  but  at  length  fell  to  decay.  The  town  is  situated  on 
the  river  Stour,  which  is  crossed  by  a  bridge  leading  into 
Essex.  For  some  years  after  its  loss  of  the  woollen  trade  it 
possessed  few  attractions,  the  houses  belonging  principally  to 
decayed  manufacturers,  and  the  streets  being  very  dirty ;  it 
has  however  within  the  last  few  years  been  greatly  improved, 
having  been  paved  and  lighted  in  1825,  under  an  act  obtained 
for  the  purpose,  and  some  good  houses  built.  The  town  hall 
recently  erected  by  the  corporation,  in  the  Grecian  style  of 
architecture,  is  a  great  ornament  to  the  town,  in  which  is  also 
a  neat  theatre.  The  trade  principally  consists  in  the  manu- 
facture of  silk  crape,  and  buntings  used  for  ships'  flags  ;  that 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  71 

of  silk  was  introduced  by  the  manufacturers  from  Spitalfields 
in  consequence  of  disputes  with  their  workmen,  and  now 
affords  employment  to  a  great  number  of  persons,  about  one 
thousand  five  hundred  being  engaged  in  the  silk  and  four 
hundred  in  the  crape  and  the  bunting  business.  The  river 
Stour,  navigable  hence  to  the  Manning  tree,  affords  a  facility 
for  the  transmission  of  coal,  chalk,  lime  and  agricultural 
produce.  The  statute  market  is  on  Saturday,  and  the  corn 
market  on  Thursday.  Fairs  are  held  on  the  12th  of  March 
and  10th  of  July,  principally  for  earthen  ware,  glass  and  toys. 
The  first  charter  of  incorporation  was  granted  by  Queen 
Mary  in  1554,  and  confirmed  by  Elizabeth  in  1559.  Another 
was  given  by  Oliver  Cromwell,  but  that  under  which  the  cor- 
poration derives  its  power  was  bestowed  by  Charles  II.  Sud- 
bury comprises  the  parishes  of  All  Saints,  St.  Gregory,  and 
St.  Peter,  in  the  archdeaconry  of  Sudbury,  and  diocese  of 
Norwich.  The  living  of  All  Saints  is  a  discharged  vicarage, 
rated  in  the  king's  books  at  X4.11.5J  endowed,  £400  royal 
bounty,  and  Xl^.00  parliamentary  grant." 

"Quaint  old  town  of  toil  and  traffic, 
Quaint  old  town  of  art  and  song. 
Memories  haunt  thy  pointed  gables, 
Like  the  rooks  that  round  them  throng." 

From  this  description  we  learn  that  it  is  a  stanch  old  town 
from  whicli  Sudbury  probably  received  its  name  ;  a  place 
busy  and  of  good  repute.  The  word  has  been  variously 
spelled,  as :  Sudberry,  Soodberie,  Sudwrowe,  Sudborrough, 
Sudborow  or,  as  it  is  called  in  Doomsday  book,  Sutburge. 

The  boundaries  of  the  town  received  early  attention  from 
the  settlers,  and  at  different  dates  there  are  records  concern- 
ing it.  As  already  stated,  the  southern  boundary  line  at  the 
first  was  from  a  point  a  little  east  of  Nobscot,  to  the  northern 
point  of  Dudley  Pond ;  thence,  direct  to  Weston.  That 
part  of  the  line  outside  the  present  territory  of  Wayland  has 
never  varied  much  in  its  general  character.  Some  slight 
changes  have  been  made  within  about  fifty  years,  by  which 
a  few  acres  have  been  taken  from  Sudbury  and  annexed  to 
Framingham ;  this  was  the  case  along  the  line  by  the  Brown 


72  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

farm  and  the  northerly  slope  of  Nobscot.  Before  the  altera- 
tion the  line  was  slightly  irregular,  and  the  design  may  have 
been  solely  to  straighten  it.  Concerning  the  boundary  in  the 
easterly  part  of  the  town's  original  territory,  we  have  the 
following  order  of  the  General  Court,  dated  June  6,  1701:  — 

"  Ordered  that  the  line  between  Sudbury  and  the  farms 
annexed  to  Framingham,  as  set  forth  in  the  plat  exhibited 
under  the  hand  of  John  Gore,  be  and  continue  the  boundary 
line  between  the  said  farms  and  Sudbury  forever,  viz.:  from 
the  northerly  end  of  Cochittwat  pond  to  the  bent  of  the  river, 
by  Daniel  Stone's  and  so  as  the  line  goes  to  Framingham  and 
Sudbury  line." 

Concerning  the  Sudbury  and  Watertown  boundary,  the  fol- 
lowing facts  are  recorded  :  "  In  1649  persons  were  appointed 
by  the  town  to  search  the  records  for  the  grant  of  Water- 
town,  and  to  see  if  they  can  find  any  means  to  prevent 
Watertown  from  coming  so  near."  The  Colony  Records 
state  that  a  year  later  the  Court  ordered  that  the  inhabitants 
of  Sudbury  should  have  their  bounds  recorded,  and  about 
the  same  time  the  town  sent  a  petition  to  the  General  Court 
for  a  commission  to  lay  out  the  boundary  between  the  two 
towns.  In  1651  a  report  was  rendered  about  the  boundary, 
which,  with  slight  abridgment,  is  as  follows:  — 

"The  committee  appointed  to  lay  out  the  Watertown 
and  Sudbury  boundary  report  that  the  line  drawn  by  John 
Oliver,  three  years  previous,  called  'the  old  line,'  shall  be 
the  line  between  the  two  towns,  and  forever  stand.  This 
line,  beginning  at  Concord  south  bound,  ran  through  a  great 
pine  swamp,  a  small  piece  of  meadow  to  upland,  and  '  then 
to  an  angle  betwixt  two  hills.'  After  the  line  left  the  afore- 
said angle  on  its  southerly  course,  it  had  '  these  remarkable 
places  therein :  one  rock  called  Grout's  head,  and  a  stake  by 
the  cartway  leading  from  Sudbury  to  Watertown,  and  so  to 
a  pine  hill  being  short  of  a  pond  about  eighty-eight  rods,  att 
which  pine  hill  Sudbury  bounds  ends.'  "  (Colony  Records, 
Vol.  IV.,  page  53.) 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  73 

Such  was  the  territory  of  Sudbury,  the  manner  in  which 
the  lands  were  allowed,  and  the  parties  from  whom  they  were 
bought.  B^rom  this  plantation  was  formed  the  town ;  and 
land  divisions  and  allotments  were  subsequently  made,  until 
no  portion  of  it  was  held  by  proprietary  right,  nor  as  public 
domain,  but  all  passed  into  private  estates  except  the  high- 
ways and  commons,  and  here  and  there  a  small  three-cornered 
nook. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Place  and  Plan  of  Settlement.  —  Data  of  House-lots.  —  Description  of 
Map.  —  Course  of  First  Street.  —  Sites  of  Early  Homesteads.  — 
Historic  Highway. — Time  of  Settlement.  —  Dimensions  of  First 
Dwelling-house.  —  Early  Experiences  of  the  Settlers. 

Ay,  call  it  holy  ground, 

The  spot  where  first  they  trod ! 
They  have  left  unstained  what  there  they  found  — 

Freedom  to  worship  God. 

Mrs.  Hemans. 

The  settlement  of  the  town  began  on  the  east  side  of  the 
river.  The  first  road  or  street,  beginning  at  Watertown 
(now  Weston),  extended  along  a  course  of  about  two  miles, 
and  by  this  the  house-lots  of  the  settlers  were  laid  out  and 
their  humble  dwellings  stood.  The  plan  of  the  settlement 
can,  to  an  extent,  be  made  out  by  tradition  and  the  data  of 
house-lots  which  are  preserved  on  the  Sudbury  records,  and 


74  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

which  we  here  give  in  abbreviated  form,  the  figures  in  paren- 
theses denoting  the  acres  allowed  :  — 

DATA  OF  HOUSE-LOTS. 

Edmond  Brown  (80),  on  Timber  Neck  (east  of  Mill 
Brook,  Wayland). 

John  Blanford  (3),  north  by  highway  to  river,  south  by 
Joseph  Taynter. 

Jos.  Taynter  (4),  between  John  Blanford  and  Tho.  Whyte. 

Tho.  Whyte  (4),  between  Hugh  Griffin  and  Jos.  Taynter. 

Hugh  Griffin  (4),  north  by  Tho.  Whyte,  south  by  John 
Howe. 

John  Howe  (4),  north  by  Hugh  Griffin,  south  by  Edmund 
Rice ;  (also  one  acre  parted  from  his  house-lot  by  highway 
between  Edmund  Rice  and  Hugh  Griffin ;  also  four  on  Pine 
Plain,  on  road  from  Sudbury  to  Watertown,  west  by  Mrs. 
Hunt). 

Edmund  Rice  (4),  between  John  Howe  and  Henry  Rice. 

Henry  Rice  (4),  between  Edmund  Rice  and  John  Maynard. 

John  Maynard  (4),  between  Henry  Rice  and  highway. 

Robert  Daniel  (8),  northwest  by  John  Maynard  and  Robert 
Boardman  (or  Fordum). 

Robert  Boardman  (4),  between  Robert  Daniel  and  Robert 
Best. 

Robert  Best  (4),  north  by  Mr.  Boardman,  south  by  John 
Loker.  . 

John  Loker  (4),  between  Robert  Best  and  Tho.  Flinn 
(or  Joslyn),  [also  (one  acre)  parted  from  his  house-lot  by 
the  highway.] 

Tho.  Flinn  (4),  between  John  Loker  and  John  Haynes. 

John  Haynes  (4),  north  by  Tho.  Flinn,  south  by  Edmund 
Goodnow. 

Edmund  Goodnow  (4),  north  by  John  Haynes,  west  by 
River  Meadows. 

Wm.  Brown  (4),  north  by  Edmund  Goodnow,  south  by 
John  Toll. 

John  Toll  (4),  between  Edmund  Goodnow  and  Widow 
Wright. 

Widow  Wright  (6),  between  John  Toll  and  John  Bent. 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  75 

John  Bent  (6),  between  Widow  Wright  and  John  Wood. 

John  Wood  (4),  between  John  Bent  and  Widow  Hunt. 

Widow  Hunt  (4),  between  John  Wood  and  John  Good- 
now. 

John  Goodnow  (5),  north  by  Widow  Hunt,  south  by  Henry 
Loker,  east  end  on  highway  going  to  mill,  and  west  by  the 
great  River  Meadows. 

Henry  Loker  (4),  between  John  Goodnow  and  John  Par- 
menter,  Sr. 

John  Parmenter,  Sr.  (4),  between  Henry  Loker  and  the 
highway  to  Bridle  Point. 

ON   NORTHWEST   ROW. 

John  Freeman  (4),  on  northwest  corner  of  highwa}r  leading 
to  River  Meadows. 

Solomon  Johnson  (6),  east  by  Wm.  Ward. 

Wm.  Ward  (20),  on  northeast  side  of  Northwest  Row. 

Solomon  Johnson  (7),  between  Wm.  Ward  and  Wm. 
Pelham. 

Wm.  Pelham  (50),  northeast  part,  near  Wm.  Ward. 

ON  THE  NORTH  STREET  OR  EAST  STREET. 

John  Rutter  (4),  (near  clay  pits). 

John  Ruddick  (4). 

Henry  Curtis  ( — ). 

John  Stone  (9),  between  Henry  Curtis  and  Nathl.  Tread- 
way. 

Nathl.  Tread  way  ( — ),  on  East  Street,  between  John  Stone 
and  John  Knight. 

John  Knight  (12). 

ON    EAST   STREET. 

Bryan  Pendleton  (5),  north  by  Tho.  Noyes  south  by  Pond 
Brook  that  runs  to  the  river. 

Tho.  Noyes  (4),  south  by  Bryan  Pendleton,  north  by  Geo. 
Munning. 

Geo.  Munning  (4),  between  Tho.  Noyes  and  Walter  Hayne. 

Walter  Hayne  (6),  south  by  Geo.  Munning,  north  by  high- 
way to  Common  Swamp. 


76  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

ON    BRIDLE   POINT    HIGHWAY. 

Tho.  Brown  (4),  north  by  highway  leading  to  Bridle  Point, 
east  by  the  Common,  south  end  running  to  Mill  Brook,  west 
by  Anthony  White. 

Anthony  Whyte  (4),  north  by  Bridle  Point  Road,  south 
by  Mill  Brook.     Between  Tho.  Brown  and  Win.  Parker. 

Win.  Parker  ( — ). 

Peter  Noyes  (8),  north  by  Bridle  Point  Road,  south  by 
Mill  Brook.     Between  Wm.  Parker  and  Thomas  Goodnow. 

Tho.  Goodnow  (5),  north  by  Bridle  Point  Road,  south  by 
Mill  Brook.  Between  A.  Belcher  and  P.  Noyes.  He  sold 
to  P.  Noyes,  making  Noyes'  lot  thirteen  acres. 

Andrew  Belcher  (4),  north  by  Bridle  Point  Road,  south 
by  Mill  Brook.    Between  Tho.  Goodnow  and  Richd.  Newton. 

Richard  Newton  (4),  north  by  Bridle  Point  Road,  south 
by  Mill  Brook.    Between  A.  Belcher  and  John  Parmenter,  Jr. 

John  Parmenter,  Jr.  (4).  Between  Richd.  Newton  and 
Henry  Prentiss. 

Henry  Prentiss  (4).  Between  John  Parmenter,  Jr.,  and 
Herbert  Pelham. 

ON    MILL   ROAD    FROM    PINE    PLAIN. 

William  Kerley  (4),  on  southwest  side  of  "  Pine  Swamp," 
on  highway  leading  to  mill,  northwest  of  Richd.  Sanger. 
Richd.  Sanger  (4),  northwest  by  Wm.  Kerley. 

ON    ROAD   TO    COTCHITUATT. 

Tho.  Goodnow  [also  on  Cotchituatt  Road].  Probably  the 
present  Pousland  lot. 

ON   PINE   PLAIN. 

John  Howe.  Also  four  acres  on  Pine  Plain,  north  side  of 
road  from  Sudbury  to  Watertown,  west  by  land  of  Mrs.  Hunt. 

Mrs.  Hunt,  or  Widow  Hunt.  She  probably  sold  her  lot  on 
J'  The  Street,"  and  took  a  lot  here. 

John  How.  Probably  sold  his  lot  on  "The  Street"  to 
either  Griffin  or  Rice,  and  took  a  lot  on  The  Plain. 

Henry  Loker  (4).  Between  John  Goodnow  and  J.  Par- 
menter, Sr. 


gwamp 


Original  trail  or  way  from  Watertown  through  Sudbury, 
now  discontinued  for  public  travel. 


TESnSDKTS"5!rjC55r 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  77 

John  Parmenter,  Sr.  (4).  Between  Henry  Loker  and 
Bridle  Point  Road. 

John  Goodnow  (5).  North  by  Widow  Hunt  and  south 
by  Henry  Loker.  The  east  end  on  the  mill  road,  and  the 
west  end  on  the  great  river  meadows. 

Thomas  Hoyt.  His  house-lot  containing  four  acres,  having 
the  house-lot  of  Brian  Pendleton  on  the  south  side,  and  the 
house-lot  of  George  Munnings  on  the  north  side. 

The  map  that  accompanies  the  data  of  house-lots  was 
made  by  James  Sumner  Diaper  of  Wayland,  as  the  result 
of  the  united  investigation  of  himself  and  the  writer.  Mr. 
Draper  has  a  life-long  familiarity  with  the  locality,  is  a  prac- 
tical surveyor,  and  acquainted  with  the  traditions  and  old 
roads  of  this  ancient  part  of  Sudbury.  It  is  not  absolutely 
certain  that  every  one  to  whom  a  lot  was  assigned  ever 
became  a  householder  in  the  settlement;  furthermore,  it  may 
be  that  an  exchange  was,  in  some  cases,  made  before  the 
settlers  began  to  build.  With,  however,  a  suitable  allow- 
ance for  possible  or  probable  changes,  and  making  such  slight 
departures  in  certain  cases  from  the  data  as  was  thought  war- 
ranted by  the  circumstances,  the  locality,  and  tradition,  we 
believe  this  map  to  be  a  fair  representation  of  the  locations 
of  most,  if  not  all,  of  the  first  homesteads  in  Sudbury. 

We  will  now  consider  the  plan  of  the  settlement,  and  trace 
the  course  of  the  street.  The  settlement  lay  along  three 
roads,  which  afterwards  became  the  common  highway.  The 
principal  one  of  these  roads,  called  "the  North"  or  "East 
Street,"  and  also  the  "  Old  Watertown  Trail,"  started  at 
what  is  now  "  Weston  and  Wayland  Corner,"  and  probably 
followed  the  course  of  the  present  road  over  "The  Plain" 
and  Clay-pit  Hill  to  a  point  near  the  Abel  Gleason  estate ; 
from  this  place  it  is  supposed  to  have  made  its  way  a  little 
northerly  of  Mr.  Gleason's  house,  and  winding  southwesterly 
passed  just  south  of  Baldwin's  Pond,  and  thence  to  the  river 
at  the  bridge.  The  road  originally  called  "Northwest  Row" 
ran  from  this  street  to  what  is  still  called  "  Common  Swamp," 
and  by  the  spot  designated  as  the  house-lot  of  Walter  Haynes. 
This  spot  still  bears  the  traces  of  having,  long  years  ago,  been 


78  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

the  site  of  a  house.     The  cart-path  which  ran  from  it  to  the 
meadow  is  still  used. 

Along  this  road  traces  and  traditions  of  homesteads  are 
unmistakable :  old  building  material  has  been  unearthed, 
and  depressions  in  the  ground  are  still  to  be  seen.  Mr. 
Draper,  a  little  east  of  his  house,  by  the  brook,  unearthed 
the  stones  of  a  fire-place,  with  fragments  of  coals  still  upon 
them.  Between  this  and  Clay-pit  Bridge  (the  second  bridge 
or  culvert  from  the  mill-pond,  or  the  first  above  "  Whale's 
Bridge")  there  are,  north  of  the  road,  several  depressions 
indicating  the  sites  of  old  houses.  Just  beyond  Clay-pit 
Bridge,  the  writer,  with  Mr.  Draper,  went  to  look  for  traces 
of  houses  on  the  lots  assigned  to  Bryan  Pendleton  and 
Thomas  Noyes  ;  and  there,  in  the  exact  locality,  were  dis- 
tinct depressions,  just  where  they  were  looked  for.  The 
Curtis  homestead,  until  within  a  very  few  years,  was  stand- 
ing in  about  the  place  assigned  for  the  house-lot.  Thus 
strong  is  the  probability  that  the  lots  on  this  street  were 
largely  built  upon. 

Another  of  the  principal  streets  was  that  which,  starting 
from  a  point  on  the  north  street  near  the  town  bridge,  ran 
easterly  along  what  is  now  the  common  highway,  to  the 
head  of  the  mill-pond,  and  then  to  the  mill.  Upon  this 
street  was  the  first  meeting-house,  at  a  spot  in  the  old 
burying-ground  (see  chapter  on  First  Meeting-house,  &c), 
and  the  Parmenter  Tavern.  The  house-lots  were  mainly  at 
the  west  end  of  this  street,  and  the  road  was  probably 
extended  northeasterly  to  give  access  to  the  mill.  Here, 
asrain,  tradition  confirms  the  record  of  house-lots,  and  shows 
that  the  lots  were  more  or  less  built  upon. .  The  John  May- 
nard  and  John  Loker  estates  were  kept  for  years  in  their 
families,  and  the  Parmenter  estate  is  still  retained  in  the 
family.  In  later  years  the  descendants  of  John  Rutter  built 
on  that  street. 

The  third  road  was  called  the  "Bridle  Point  Road."  This 
started  near  the  Parmenter  Tavern,  crossed  the  knoll  at  the 
Harry  Reeves  place,  and  ran  along  the  ridge  of  "  Braman's 
Hill"  for  about  two-thirds  of  its  length,  when  it  turned 
southerly,  and,  crossing  Mill  Brook,  ran  towards  the  town's 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  79 

southern  limits.  While  tradition  positively  locates  this  road, 
it  points  to  but  one  homestead  upon  it,  and  that  the  resi- 
dence of  Rev.  Edmund  Brown,  which  it  undoubtedly  declares 
was  at  the  spot  designated  by  the  house-lot  data.  Along 
this  street  are  no  visible  marks  of  ancient  dwelling-places 
north  of  Mill  Brook;  but  beyond,  various  depressions  in  the 
ground,  and  remnants  of  building  material,  indicate  that  at 
one  time  this  street  had  houses  upon  it.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  those  on  the  south  street,  the  dwellings  were  about 
equally  distant  from  the  meeting-house,  and  all  within 
easy  access  to  the  River  Meadows  and  the  mill.  Proba- 
bly they  settled  largely  in  groups,  that  they  might  more 
easily  defend  themselves  in  case  of  danger.  They  were  in  a 
new  country,  and  as  yet  had  had  little  experience  with  the 
Indians ;  hence  we  should  not  expect  the}r  would  scatter 
very  widely.  In  the  early  times  so  essential  was  it  consid- 
ered by  the  Colonial  Court  that  the  people  should  not  widely 
scatter,  that,  three  years  before  Sudbury  was  settled,  it 
ordered,  that,  for  the  greater  safety  of  towns,  "  hereafter  no 
dwelling-house  should  be  built  above  half  a  mile  from  the 
meeting-house  in  any  new  plantation."  (Colony  Records, 
Vol  I.) 

It  will  be  noticed  that  the  positions  selected  for  these 
streets  were,  to  an  extent,  where  the  shelter  of  upland  could 
be  obtained  for  the  house.  The  sandy  slope  of  Bridle  Point 
Hill  would  afford  a  protection  from  the  rough  winds  of 
winter ;  so  of  the  uplands  just  north  of  South  Street.  It 
was  also  best  to  settle  in  groups,  to  lessen  the  amount  of 
road-breaking  in  winter.  It  will  also  be  noticed  that  these 
groups  of  house-lots  were  near,  not  only  meadow  land,  but 
light  upland,  which  would  be  easy  of  cultivation.  Various 
things  indicate  that  the  most  serviceable  spots  were  selected 
for  homesteads,  that  roads  were  constructed  to  connect  them 
as  best  they  could,  and  that  afterwards  the  roads  were  ex- 
tended to  the  mill.  Probably  the  people  on  North  Street 
made  the  short  way  to  South  Street,  that  now  comes  out  at 
Mr.  Jude  Damon's,  in  order  to  shorten  the  way  to  church. 
Those  midway  of  that  street,  for  a  short  cut  to  the  mill,  the 
church  and  the  tavern,  would  naturally  open  a  path  from  the 


80  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

turn  of  the  road  by  the  clay-pits  to  the  mill.  To  accommo- 
date the  people  on  "  The  Plain,"  a  road  was  opened  to  the 
mill  in  a  southwesterly  course,  which  is  in  part  the  present 
highway,  but  has  in  part  been  abandoned,  —  the  latter  part 
being  that  which  formerly  came  out  directly  east  of  the 
mill. 

These  several  sections  of  road  probably  formed  what  was 
called  the  "Highway."  A  large  share  of  it  is  in  use  at  the 
present  time,  and  is  very  suggestive  of  historic  reminiscences. 
By  it  the  settlers  went  to  the  Cakebread  Mill,  to  the  little 
hillside  meeting-house,  and  to  the  John  Parmenter  Ordinary. 
By  these  ways  came  the  messenger  with  fresh  news  from  the 
seaboard  settlements,  or  with  tidings  from  the  tribes  of  the 
woods.  In  short,  these  formed  the  one  great  road  of  the 
settlement ;  the  one  forest  pathway  along  which  every  one 
more  or  less  trod. 

The'  erection  of  dwelling-places  along  these  first  streets 
probably  began  in  1638 ;  but  we  have  no  tradition  or  record 
of  the  week  or  month  when  the  inhabitants  arrived  at  the 
spot,  nor  as  to  how  many  went  at  any  one  time.  They  may 
have  gone  in  small  companies  at  different  dates ;  and  the 
entire  removal  from  Watertown  may  have  occurred  in  the 
process  of  months.  It  is  quite  probable,  however,  that  they 
went  mainly  together,  or  in  considerable  companies,  both  for 
the  sake  of  convenience  and  safety;  and  that  they  were 
largely  there  by  the  autumn  of  1638.  On  the  arrival  of  the 
"  Confidence,"  the  emigrants  would  naturally  be  eager  to 
settle  somewhere  at  once.  They  would  hardly  wait  long  in 
Watertown,  if  their  design  was  to  make  their  homes  farther 
west.  The  cold  winter  being  just  ahead,  .they  would  pre- 
sumably hasten  to  the  proposed  place  of  settlement,  to  pre- 
pare things  for  their  comfort  before  cold  weather  fairly 
set  in. 

We  have  found  no  record  of  the  dimensions  of  any  of  the 
first  dwelling-places,  but  we  may  judge  something  of  their 
size  by  that  of  the  first  house  of  worship,  and  by  the  specifi- 
cations in  a  lease  of  a  house  to  be  built  by  Edmund  Rice 
prior  to  the  year  1655.  This  house  was  to  be  very  small,  — 
"  30  foot  long,  10  foot  high,  1  foot  sill   from  the  ground, 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  81 

16  foot  wide,  with  two  rooms,  both  below  or  one  above  the 
other,  all  the  doors,  walls  and  staires  with  convenient  fix- 
tures, and  well  planked  under  foot  and  boored  sufficiently  to 
lay  corn  in  the  story  above  head."  But  it  is  doubtful  if  this 
small,  low  structure  fitly  represents  the  settlers'  first  forest 
home  ;  very  likely  that  was  a  still  more  simple  building,  that 
would  serve  as  a  mere  shelter  for  a  few  months  or  years,  till 
a  more  serviceable  one  could  be  built.  Houses  of  ordinary 
capacity  would  hardly  be  necessarj'  when  the  settlement 
commenced.  The  furniture  of  the  dwelling  would  for  a 
time,  probably,  be  simple  and  scant,  and  consist  mainly  of  a 
few  household  utensils,  their  firearms,  and  tools. 

The  way  from  Watertown  being  at  first  only  a  forest  trail, 
it  was  a  difficult  task  to  transport  many  goods,  even  if  thej'" 
were  brought  to  this  country.  That  carts  were  made  use  of 
the  first  year  for  transportation  to  Watertown  is  doubtful, 
although  they  were  used  a  few  years  later.  In  1641  it  was 
ordered,  "  That  every  cart  with  four  sufficient  oxen  and  a 
man  shall  have  for  a  day's  work  five  shillings  ;  "  and  that 
"  none  shall  take  above  six  pence  a  bushel  for  the  bringing 
up  of  corn  from  Watertown  to  Sudbury  and  twenty  shillings 
a  day  for  any  other  goods."  (Town  Records,  p.  17.)  The 
transportation  of  corn  may  have  been  on  horseback. 

What  the  settlers  experienced  in  the  rough  cabins  of 
logs,  the  first  years,  we  can  only  conjecture.  The  deep 
snow-fall  of  winter,  as  it  covered  their  lonely  forest  path, 
presented  a  strong  contrast  to  the  mild  climate  from  which 
they  came.  But  they  had  enough  to  employ  their  time. 
There  were  cattle  to  care  for,  and  lands  to  clear  and  make 
ready  for  the  coming  spring;  and  it  was  no  small  task  to  keep 
the  household  supplied  with  wood.  The  wide-mouthed  fire- 
place, with  hearth  broadening  to  almost  midway  of  the  cabin 
itself,  with  its  huge  andirons,  beyond  which  was  the  stout 
back-log,  had  the  capacity  of  a  dozen  stoves ;  and  to  supply 
this  was  a  matter  of  work.  But  the  routine  of  work  was 
broken  by  experiences  both  sad  and  glad.  In  the  first 
year  or  two  there  were  the  birth,  bridal,  and  burial.  On 
the  1st  of  October,  1639,  ''Andrew  Belcher  and  his  wife 
were  married."     "  On  ye  first  day  of  ye  first  month  (March 


82  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

1),  1640,  Edward  the  servant  of  Robert  Darnill  was  buried." 
A  year  after,  Joseph  Rice  was  born.  "  On  the  third  day  of 
the  twelvth  month,  1639,  Joseph  and  Nathaniel  the  sons  of 
Solomon  Johnson  were  born."  In  November,  1644,  John 
Rutter  married  Elizabeth  Plimpton.  The  first  body  buried 
was  probably  borne  to  the  northerly  side  of  the  old  meeting- 
house hill,  where  tradition  says  the  Indians  had  a  burying- 
ground.  Here,  doubtless,  was  buried  the  servant  of  Robert 
Darnill,  who  was  the  first,  or  one  of  the  first,  in  that  long 
procession  which,  for  nearly  two  centuries  and  a  half,  has 
been  borne  to  the  ancient  burying-place  upon  or  about  that 
hill.  Beside  these  experiences,  there  were  others  that  would 
tend  to  break  up  the  monotony  of  the  settlers'  experience, 
such  as  "log-rollings,"  when  the  neighbors  collected  together 
and  helped  clear  the  land  of  logs  and  brush ;  "  house-rais- 
ings," where  many  joined  hands  to  help  raise  the  heavy 
frames;  "road-breaking,"  when,  with  ox-teams,  they  cleared 
the  snow  from  the  path ;  corn-planting  in  the  common  fields, 
or  "huskings,"  when  the  corn  was  gathered,  —  these,  with 
town -meetings,  and  an  occasional  drill  of  the  train -band, 
when  Bryan  Pendleton  exercised  his  little  host,  would  serve 
to  break  up  the  monotony  and  enliven  the  scene  at  the  set- 
tlement.    Thus,  — 

Toiling,  rejoicing,  sorrowing, 

Onward  through  life  he  goes ; 
Each  morning  sees  some  task  begun, 

Each  evening  sees  it  close  ; 
Something  attempted,  something  done, 

Has  earned  a  night's  repose. 

Longfellow. 


CHAPTER   VI. 

Town  Meetings.  —  Their  Origin  and  Character.  —  Conditions  of  Citizen- 
ship. —  Freemen  —  Place  of  Town  Meeting.  —  Town  Officers.  — 
Highways.  —  Bridges.  —  "  Indian  Bridge."  —  The  "  Old  Town 
Bridge."  —  Contracts  with  Ambrose  Leach  and  Timothy  Hawkins. — 
Causeway. —  Formation  of  Church.  —  Settlement  of  First  Minister. — 
Erection  of  First  Meeting- House.  —  Contract  with  John  Rutter. — 
Building  of  Grist-Mill. 

But  the  good  deed,  through  the  ages 
Living  in  historic  pages, 
Brighter  grows  and  gleams  immortal, 
Unconsumed  by  moth  or  rust. 

Longfellow. 

The  first  steps  in  the  settlement  of  the  town  having  been 
considered,  —  namely,  the  acquisition  of  the  territory,  the 
assignment  of  house-lots,  and  laying  out  of  the  principal 
highways,  —  we  will  now  notice  further  projects  for  the  gen- 
eral good.  The  people  acted  first  in  town-meeting  ;  hence  it 
may  here  be  appropriate  to  consider  the  origin  and  character 
of  these  occasions,  and  the  manner  in  which  they  were  con- 
ducted. The  New  England  town-meeting  is  an  institution 
that  originated  in  the  exigencies  of  New  England  colonial 
life,  and  sprang  into  existence  at  the  call  of  men  who  op- 
posed the  concentration  of  political  power,  and  who  would 
confer  it  on  no  person  or  persons,  only  as  it  was  conferred 
on  them  by  the  people's  choice.  Situated  far  remote  from 
the  home  government  in  Europe,  too  much  time  was  con- 
sumed in  the  transmission  of  laws,  and  too  little  acquaint- 
ance was  had  by  the  English  government  with  the  needs  of 
American  life,  to  make  it  practicable  to  rely  on  such  a  source 
of  authority. 

Something  was  needed  to  meet  an  independent  and  extem- 

83 


84  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

porized  order  cf  things ;  and  the  result  was  a  New  England 
town-meeting,  which  is  unlike  any  other  political  assembly. 
In  the  principle  of  its  operation  it  is  similar  and  modelled 
after  the  New  England  Congregational  Church  meeting. 
The  same  general  freeness  and  equality  to  an  extent  pre- 
vailed, and  by  these  meetings  each  town  became  like  a  little 
republic.  Whatever  offices  were  needed  were  made,  and 
the  men  selected  to  fill  them  had  a  fitness  based  on  personal 
merit.  There  were  no  credentials  for  position  that  came 
from  a  titled  authority,  or  from  ancient  hereditary  right 
based  on  manorial  acquisition  or  influence.  Before  planta- 
tions became  incorporated  towns,  and  while  undivided  lands 
still  remained  which  were  held  by  proprietary  or  collective 
right,  there  were  certain  privileges  possessed  by  these  pro- 
prietors or  land  companies,  which  related  to  their  real 
estate,  such  as  the  right  to  dispose  of  and  improve  their 
lands,  or  to  enjoy  exclusive  privileges  that  were  based  upon 
them.  But  when  all  the  lands  were  divided  and  sold,  the 
proprietary  dissolved,  and  left  the  community  purely  repub- 
lican, in  which  each  public  meeting  was  an  open  town- 
meeting,  whether  it  pertained  to  matters  of  church  or  state. 
Thus  the  New  England  town-meeting  was  original,  and  its 
principles  of  operation  were  in  harmony  with  the  character 
and  purposes  of  the  men  who  had  fled  from  ecclesiastical  and 
civil  restraint. 

As  might  be  expected,  the  General  Court,  which  was  more 
or  less  dependent  on  the  action  of  town-meetings,  was  in  gen- 
eral harmony  with  them  ;  and,  in  its  definition  of  the  power 
of  towns,  gave  them  the  elements  of  democratic  government. 
In  1635  it  was  "  Ordered,  that  the  freemen  of  any  town,  or 
the  major  part  of  them,  shall  only  have  power  to  dispose  of 
their  own  lands  and  woods,  with  all  the  privileges  and  appur- 
tenances of  said  towns,  to  grant  lots  and  make  such  orders 
as  may  concern  the  well  ordering  of  their  own  towns,  not 
repugnant  to  the  orders  of  the  General  Court."  They  were 
authorized  to  impose  fines,  not  exceeding  twenty  shillings, 
and  "to  choose  their  own  particular  officers,  as  constables, 
surveyors  for  highways  and  the  like."  (Colony  Records, 
Vol.  I.,  p.  72.) 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  85 

There  were  some  restrictions  that  related  to  citizenship  in 
those  days  that  have  since  been  removed.  At  one  period 
only  "freemen"  could  participate  in  the  shaping  of  public 
affairs.  A  "freeman"  was  a  person  who,  by  act  of  the  Gen- 
eral Court,  was  admitted  to  the  rights  and  privileges  that 
correspond  to  those  now  pertaining  to  American  citizenship. 
In  early  times  people  did  not  attain  to  political  privileges,  as 
now,  by  passing  from  minority  and  paying  a  town  tax;  but  to 
attain  to  full  citizenship,  with  eligibility  to  office,  as  late  as 
1631,  it  was  necessary  to  be  a  member  of  a  church  within 
the  jurisdiction  of  the  Massachusetts  Bay  Colony.  Later,  in 
1662,  the  law  was  so  changed  that  an  Englishman,  on  pre- 
senting a  certificate  of  good  character,  and  upon  giving  evi- 
dence of  orthodox  belief,  together  with  a  certificate  from  a 
town  selectman  that  the  party  was  a  freeholder  and  ratable 
to  the  county  on  a  single  rate  to  the  amount  of  ten  shillings, 
might  apply  to  the  General  Court  for  admission  as  freeman. 
If  accepted  by  the  Court,  it  was  on  condition  that  the  appli- 
cant take  what  was  termed  the  "freeman's  oath,"  which  is  as 
follows  :  — 

"I,  A.  B.,  being  by  God's  providence  an  inhabitant  and 
freeman  within  the  jurisdiction  of  this  commonwealth,  do 
freely  acknowledge  myself  to  be  subject  to  the  government 
thereof,  and  therefore  do  swear,  by  the  great  and  dreadful 
name  of  the  everlasting  God,  that  I  will  be  true  and  faithful 
to  the  same,  and  will  accordingly  yield  assistance  and  sup- 
port thereunto  with  my  person  and  estate,  as  in  equity  I  am 
bound,  and  also  truly  endeavor  to  maintain  and  preserve  all 
the  liberties  and  privileges  thereof,  submitting  myself  to  the 
wholesome  laws  and  orders  made  and  established  b}r  the 
same ;  and,  further,  that  I  will  not  plot  nor  practise  any 
evil  against  it,  nor  consent  to  any  that  shall  do  so,  but  will 
timely  discover  and  reveal  the  same  to  lawful  authority  now 
here  established,  for  the  speedy  prevention  thereof;  more- 
over, I  do  solemnly  bind  myself,  in  the  sight  of  God,  that 
when  I  shall  be  called  to  give  my  voice  touching  any  such 
matter  of  this  state  wherein  freemen  are  to  deal,  I  will  give 
my  vote  and  suffrage,  as  I  shall  judge  in  my  conscience,  may 
best  conduce  and  tend  to  the  public  weal  of  the  body,  with- 


86  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

out  respect  of  persons,  or  favor  of  any  man.    So  help  me  God, 
in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.'''' 

After  being  thus  qualified  by  the  vote  of  the  Court,  and 
by  taking  the  above  oath,  the  freeman  was  allowed  to  vote 
in  the  elections  in  the  following  manner  and  under  the  fol- 
lowing penalty:  "It  is  ordered  by  this  Court,  and  by  the 
authority  thereof,  that  for  the  yearly  choosing  of  assistants, 
the  freemen  shall  use  Indian  corn  and  beans  —  the  Indian 
corn  to  manifest  election,  the  beans  the  contrary;  and  if  any 
freeman  shall  put  in  more  than  one  Indian  corn  or  bean,  for 
the  choice  or  refusal  of  any  public  officer,  he  shall  forfeit  for 
every  such  offence  ten  pounds;  and  that  any  man  that  is  not 
a  freeman,  or  hath  not  liberty  of  voting,  putting  in  any  vote, 
shall  forfeit  the  like  sum  of  ten  pounds." 

But,  though  corn  and  beans  were  sufficient  to  elect  an 
assistant,  for  governor,  deputy  -  governor,  major  -  general, 
treasurer,  secretary,  and  commissioners  of  the  united  colo- 
nies, it  was  required  that  the  freemen  should  make  use  of 
written  ballots. 

The  freemen  at  first  were  all  required  to  appear  before  the 
General  Court  to  give  their  votes  for  assistants  ;  but  it  was 
found  inconvenient,  and  even  dangerous,  for  all  of  them  to 
assemble  in  one  place,  leaving  their  homes  unprotected,  and 
hence  it  was  ordered,  "  That  it  shall  be  free  and  lawful  for 
all  freemen  to  send  their  votes  for  elections  by  proxy,  in  the 
next  General  Court  in  May,  and  so  for  hereafter,  which  shall 
be  done  in  this  manner:  The  deputy  which  shall  be  chosen 
shall  cause  the  freemen  of  the  town  to  be  established,  and 
then  take  such  freemen's  votes,  as  please  to  send  them  by 
proxy,  for  any  magistrate,  and  seal  them  up  severally,  sub- 
scribing the  magistrates  name  on  the  back  side,  and  to  bring 
them  to  the  Court,  sealed,  with  an  open  roll  of  the  names  of 
the  freemen  that  so  send  them." 

Until  as  late  as  the  nineteenth  century,  the  town-meetings 
were  held  in  the  meeting-house.  After  the  meeting-house 
was  built  sometimes  they  were  held  in  a  private  house  or  at 
the  "  ordinary."  As  for  example,  Jan.  10,  1685,  and  again 
Feb.  18,  1686,  there  was  an  adjournment  of  town-meeting  to 
the  house  of  Mr.  Walker,  "  by  reason  of  the  extremity  of  the 


HISTORY   OF    SUDBURY.  87 

cold."  In  1764  the  town  adjourned  one  of  its  meetings  to 
the  house  of  "  William  Rice,  innholder."  In  1782,  "  adjourned 
town-meeting  to  the  house  of  Mr.  Aaron  Johnson,  innholder 
in  sd  town."  After  the  division  of  the  town  into  the  east 
and  west  precincts,  the  town-meetings  alternated  from  the 
east  to  the  west  side. 

In  1682-3  the  time  of  meeting  was  changed  from  February 
to  October,  the  day  of  the  week  to  be  Monday.  The  reason 
of  this  change  may  be  found  in  the  fact  that  it  was  difficult 
at  some  seasons  to  make  a  journey  to  the  east  side  meeting- 
house ;  the  passage  of  the  causeway  was  occasionally  rough, 
and  town  action  might  be  thereby  delayed  or  obstructed. 
The  meeting  was  for  a  period  warned  by  the  board  of  select- 
men. At  the  date  of  the  change  just  mentioned,  it  "was 
voted  and  ordered,  that  henceforth  the  selectmen  every  year 
for  the  time  being  shall  appoint  and  seasonably  warn  the 
town-meeting  ;  "  but  afterwards  this  became  the  work  of  the 
constables.  In  the  warning  of  town-meetings  at  one  period, 
the  "  Old  Lancaster  Road  "  was  made  use  of  as  a  partial  line 
of  division.  A  part  of  the  constables  were  to  warn  the  peo- 
ple on  the  north  side  of  the  road,  and  part  those  who  lived 
south  of  it. 

The  town -meeting  was  opened  by  prayer.  There  is 
a  record  of  this  about  1654,  and  presumably  it  was  prac- 
tised from  the  very  first.  At  an  early  date  voting  was 
sometimes  done  by  "dividing  the  house,"  each  party  with- 
drawing to  different  sides  of  the  room.  An  example  of  this 
is  as  follows :  In  1654,  at  a  public  town-meeting,  after  "  the 
pastor  by  the  desire  of  the  town  had  sought  the  Lord  for 
his  blessing  in  the  actings  of  the  day,  this  following  vote 
was  made,  You  that  judge  the  act  of  the  selectmen  in  sizing 
the  Commons  to  be  a  righteous  act,  discover  it  by  drawing 
yourselves  together  in  the  one  end  of  the  meeting-house." 
After  that  was  done,  "  It  was  then  desired  that  those  who 
are  of  a  contrary  mind  would  discover  it  by  drawing  them- 
selves together  in  the  other  end  of  the  meeting-house." 

In  what  was  done  at  these  meetings,  marked  respect  was 
usually  had  for  order  and  law.  We  find  records  of  protest 
or  dissent  when  things  were  done  in  an  irregular  way,  as  for 


88  HISTORY   OF    SUDBURY. 

instance,  in  16Y6,  we  have  the  following  record :  "  We  do 
hereby  enter  our  Decent  against  the  illegal  proceeding  of  the 
inhabitants  of  the  town  :  :  :  for  the  said  proceedings 
have  Ben  Directly  Contrary  to  law.  First,  That  the  Town 
Clerk  did  not  Solemnly  read  the  Laws  against  Intemperance 
and  Immorality  as  the  Laws  Require."  Mention  is  also 
made  of  other  irregularities,  and  the  whole  is  followed  by  a 
list  of  names  of  prominent  persons. 

The  town  officers  were  mostly  similar  to  those  elected  at 
the  present  time.  At  a  meeting  of  the  town  in  1682-3,  it 
was  ordered  that  the  town-meeting  "  shall  be  for  the  electing 
of  Selectmen,  Commissioners,  and  Town  Clerk."  Names 
of  officers  not  mentioned  here  were  "Constables,  Invoice 
Takers,  Highway  Surveyors,  and  Town  Marshal."  About 
1648  the  persons  chosen  to  conduct  the  affairs  of  the  town 
were  first  called  selectmen.  The  number  of  these  officers 
varied  at  different  times.  In  1646  there  were  seventeen 
selectmen. 

The  service  expected  of  the  selectmen,  beside  being  cus- 
todians at  large  of  the  public  good,  and  acting  as  the 
town's  prudential  committee,  were,  before  the  appointment 
of  tything-men  (which  occurred  first  in  Sudbury,  Jan.  18, 
1679),  expected  to  look  after  the  morals  of  the  community. 
This  is  indicated  by  the  following  order:  At  a  meeting  of 
the  inhabitants,  Jan.  18,  1679,  "  It  is  ordered,  that  the  select- 
men shall  visit  the  families  of  the  town,  and  speedily  inspect 
the  same,  but  especially  to  examine  children  and  servants 
about  their  improvement  in  reading  and  the  catechism. 
Captain  Goodnow  and  Lieutenant  Haines  to  inspect  all 
families  at  Lanham  and  Nobscot  and  all  others  about  there 
and  in  their  way,  .  .  .  and  these  are  to  return  an  account  of 
that  matter  at  the  next  meeting  of  the  selectmen,  appointed 
to  be  on  the  30th  of  this  instant  January."  We  infer  from 
certain  records  that  the  selectmen's  orders  were  to  be  audi- 
bly and  deliberately  read,  that  the  people  might  take  notice 
and  observe  them. 

The  officials  known  as  "  highway  surveyors  "  had  charge 
of  repairs  on  town  roads.     This  term  was  early  applied,  and 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  89 

has  continued  in  use  until  now.  As  early  in  the  records  as 
1639,  Peter  Noyes  and  John  Parmenter  are  mentioned  as 
surveyors. 

The  business  of  town  clerk,  or  "  dark,"  first  held  in  Sud- 
bury by  Hugh  Griffin,  is  shown  by  the  following  extracts 
from  the  town  book :  "  He  is  to  take  charge  of  the  records 
and  discharge  the  duties  of  a  faithful  scribe."  "  To  attend 
town-meeting,  to  write  town  orders  for  one  year,  .  .  .  for 
which  he  was  to  have  ten  shillings  for  his  labor."  In  1643 
he  was  "  to  take  record  of  all  births  and  marriages  and 
[deaths],  and  return  them  to  the  recorder."  "It  is  also 
agreed  that  the  rate  of  eight  pound  9  shillings  [be]  levied 
upon  mens  estate  for  the  payment  of  the  town  debt  due  at 
the  present,  and  to  buy  a  constable's  staff,  to  mend  the 
stocks,  and  to  buy  a  marking  iron  for  the  town,  and  it  shall 
be  forthwith  gathered  by  Hugh  Griffin,  who  is  appointed 
by  the  town  to  receive  rates,  and  to  pa}r  the  town's  debt." 
(Town  Book,  p.  75.)  Feb.  19,  1650,  Hugh  Griffin  "was 
released  from  the  service  of  the  town."  The  work  that  he 
had  performed  was  "to  attend  town-meetings,  to  write  town 
orders,  to  compare  town  rates,  to  gather  them  in,  and  pay 
them  according  to  the  towns  appointment,  and  to  sweep  the 
meeting-house,  for  which  he  is  to  have  fifty  shillings  for  his 
wages." 

Other  officers  were  "commissioners  of  rates,"  or  "invoice- 
takers."  These  corresponded  perhaps  to  "assessors,"  which 
term  we  find  used  in  the  town  book  as  early  as  the  beginning 
of  the  eighteenth  century.  The  office  of  marshal  was  the 
same  as  that  of  constable.  There  is  the  statement  on  page  34 
"  that  there  shall  be  a  rate  gathered  of  ten  pounds  for  the 
finishing  of  the  meeting-house,  to  be  raised  upon  meadows 
and  improved  land,  and  all  manner  of  cattle  above  a  quarter 
old  to  be  prized  as  they  were  formerly  prized,  the  invoice  to 
be  taken  by  the  marshall." 

At  an  early  period  persons  were  appointed  for  the  special 
purpose  of  hearing  "small  causes."  In  1655  "  Lietenant 
Goodnow,  Thomas  Noyes,  and  Sergeant  Groute  were  chosen 
commissioners  to  hear,  issue,  and  end  small  causes  in  Sud- 


90  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

bury,  according  to  law,  not  exceeding  forty  shillings."  In 
1648  Peter  Noyes  was  "  to  see  people  ioyne  in  marriage  in 
Sudbury."     (Colonial  Records,  p.  97.) 

In  the  early  times  towns  could  send  deputies  to  the  Gen- 
eral Court  according  to  the  number  of  their  inhabitants. 
Those  that  had  ten  freemen  and  under  twenty,  could  send 
one  ;  those  having  between  twenty  and  forty,  not  over  two. 
(Palfrey's  History.) 

We  infer  that  if  a  person  was  elected  to  any  town  office 
he  was  expected  to  serve.  It  is  stated  in  the  records  of  1730 
that  David  Rice  was  chosen  constable,  and  "  being  called  up 
[by]  the  moderator  for  to  declare  his  exception,  or  non- 
exception,  upon  which  David  Rice  refused  for  to  serve  as 
constable,  and  paid  down  five  pounds  money  to  sd  town,  and 
so  was  discharged." 

Having  considered  the  nature  of  the  town-meeting,  the 
place  where  works  of  a  public  nature  were  discussed  and 
decided  upon,  we  will  now  notice  some  of  the  works  them- 
selves.    First,  Highways,  the  Causeway  and  Bridge. 

HIGHWAYS. 

In  providing  means  for  easy  and  rapid  transit,  it  was  impor- 
tant for  the  town  to  make  haste.  Indian  trails  and  the  paths 
of  wild  animals  would  not  long  suffice  for  their  practical  needs. 
Hay  was  to  be  drawn  from  the  meadows,  and  for  this  a  road 
was  to  be  made.  Another  was  to  be  made  to  Concord,  and 
paths  were  to  be  opened  to  the  outlying  lands.  The  first 
highway  work  was  done  on  the  principal  street,  which  was 
doubtless  at  first  but  a  mere  wood  path  or  trail.  An  early 
rule  for  this  labor,  as  it  is  recorded  on  the  Town  Records, 
Feb.  20,  1639,  is  as  follows  :  "  Ordered  by  the  commissioners 
of  the  town,  that  every  inhabitant  shall  come  forth  to  the 
mending  of  the  highway  upon  a  summons  by  the  surveyors." 
In  case  of  failure,  five  shillings  were  to  be  forfeited  for  every 
default.     The  amount  of  labor  required  was  as  follows  :  — 

"  1st.    The  poorest  man  shall  work  one  day. 

"  2nd.  For  every  six  acres  of  meadow  land  a  man  hath  he 
shall  work  one  day. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  91 

"  3d.  Every  man  who  shall  neglect  to  make  all  fences 
appertaining  to  his  fields  by  the  24th  of  April  shall  forfeit 
five  shillings  (Nov.  19th,  1639)." 

Highways  and  cart-paths  were  laid  out  on  both  sides  of 
the  meadows  at  an  early  date.  The  town  records  make  men- 
tion of  a  highway  "  from  below  the  upland  of  the  meadow 
from  the  house-lot  of  Walter  Haynes  to  the  meadow  of  John 
Goodnow,  which  shall  be  four  rods  wide  where  it  is  not 
previously  bounded  already,  and  from  the  meadow  of  John 
Goodnow  to  the  end  of  the  town  bound."  Also  of  a  high- 
way on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  "  between  the  upland  and 
the  meadow  six  rods  wide  from  one  end  of  the  meadow  to 
the  other."  These  roads,  we  conjecture,  have  not  entirely 
disappeared.  On  either  side  the  meadow  margin  a  hay-road, 
or  "  right  of  way,"  still  exists.  It  is  probable  that  the  town 
way  called  "  Water  Row  "  may  have  been  a  part  of  those 
early  roads  ;  also,  that  by  the  margin  of  Sand  Hill,  as  it  ex- 
tends southwesterly  towards  West  Brook,  and  that  by  the 
Baldwin  place,  that  starts  north  of  the  bridge.  An  impor- 
tant road  laid  out  in  1648  was  that  from  Watertown  to 
the  Dunster  Farm,  or  the  "Old  Connecticut  Path." 
(See  Chapter  I.)  The  record  states,  "Edmund  Rice  and 
Edmd  Goodenow,  John  Bent  and  John  Grout,  are  appointed 
to  lay  out  a  way  from  Watertown  bound  to  the  Dunster 
Farm."  Another  important  road  laid  out  in  the  first  decade 
was  that  which  went  to  Concord.  In  1648  "^Edmond  Goode- 
now is  desired  to  treat  with  Concord  men,  and  to  agree  with 
them  about  the  laying  out  of  the  way  between  Concord  and 
Sudbury."  The  term  "  laying  out,"  as  it  was  employed  at 
that  period,  might  not  always  imply  the  opening  of  a  new 
path,  but  perhaps  the  acceptance  or  formal  recognition  of  an 
old  one,  which  hitherto  had  been  only  a  bridle-way  or  mere 
forest  foot-trail,  that  had  been  used  as  the  most  available 
track  to  a  town,  hamlet,  or  homestead.  Tradition  informs 
us  that  at  an  early  date  a  way  from  "The  Island"  to  the  east 
side  settlement  was  by  a  fording-place,  which  was  by  the 
present  "  Bridle-Point  Bridge  ;  "  and  that  there  was  a  road 
from  "The  Island"  to  Lanham,  which  passed  Heard's  Pond 


92  HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY. 

on  the  north,  to  the  right  of  the  present  highway,  or  between 
that  and  the  meadow  margin.  By  this  way  hay  could  be 
drawn  from  the  meadow  on  the  south  of  West  Brook,  and 
the  Lanham  settlers  could  pass  by  it  to  the  Cakebread  Mill 
and  to  the  home  of  their  minister  on  Timber  Neck. 

BRIDGES. 

In  the  work  of  bridge  building  Sudbury  has  had  fully  its 
share  from  the  first.  Its  original  territory  being  divided  by 
a  wide,  circuitous  stream,  which  was  subject  to  spring  and 
fall  floods,  it  was  a  matter  of  no  small  importance  to  the  set- 
tlers to  have  a  safe  crossing.  Ford-ways,  on  a  river  like  this, 
were  uncertain  means  of  transit.  Without  a  bridge  the  east 
and  west  side  inhabitants  might  be  separated  sometimes  for 
weeks,  and  travelers  to  the  frontier  beyond  would  be  much 
hindered  on  their  way.  All  this  the  people  well  knew,  and 
they  were  early  astir  to  the  work.  Two  bridges  are  men- 
tioned in  the  town  book  as  early  as  1641.  The  record  of  one 
is  as  follows:  "It  was  ordered  from  the  beginning  of  the 
plantation,  that  there  should  be  two  rods  wide  left  in  the 
meadow  from  the  bridge  at  Munning's  Point  to  the  hard 
upland  at  the  head  of  Edmund  Rice's  meadow."  The 
other  record  is  of  the  same  date,  and  states  that  there 
was  to  be  a  road  "  between  the  river  meadow  and  the  house- 
lot  from  the  bridge  at  John  Blandford's  to  Bridle  Point." 
The  bridge  referred  to  in  the  former  of  these  records  may 
have  been  the  "  Old  Indian  Bridge,"  which  is  repeatedly 
mentioned  in  the  town  book.  From  statements  on  the 
records  we  conclude  it  crossed  the  lower  part  of  Lanham 
Brook  —  sometimes  also  called  West  Brook  —  at  a  point 
between  Sand  Hill  and  Heard's  Pond.  This  bridge  was 
probably  found  there  by  the  settlers,  and  may  have  been 
nothing  more  than  a  fallen  tree  where  but  one  person  could 
pass  at  a  time.  It  doubtless  was  of  little  use  to  the  settlers, 
and  may  only  have  served  them  as  a  landmark  or  to  desig- 
nate a  fording-place  where  at  low  water  a  person  could  pass. 
The  bridge  referred  to  in  the  latter  record  was  probably  the 
first  one  built  by  the  English  in  Sudbury.  It  was  doubtless 
situated  at  the  locality  since  occupied  by  successive  bridges, 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  93 

each  of  which  was  known  as  the  "  Old  Town  Bridge." 
The  present  one  is  called  the  Russell  Bridge,  after  the  name 
of  the  builder.  The  location  is  in  Wayland  at  the  east  end 
of  the  old  causeway,  near  the  house  of  Mr.  William  Baldwin. 
The  first  bridge  at  this  place  was  probably  a  simple  contriv- 
ance for  foot-passengers  only,  and  one  which  would  cause 
little  loss  if  swept  away  by  a  flood.  The  reason  why  this 
spot  was  selected  as  a  crossing,  may  be  indicated  by  the  laj' 
of  the  land  and  the  course  of  the  river ;  at  this  point  the 
stream  winds  so  near  the  bank  of  the  hard  upland,  that  a 
causeway  on  the  eastern  side  is  unnecessary.  These  natural 
features  doubtless  led  to  the  construction  of  the  bridge  at 
that  particular  spot,  and  the  location  of  the  bridge  deter- 
mined the  course  of  the  road.  About  the  time  of  the  erec- 
tion of  the  first  bridge  a  ferry  is  spoken  of.  In  1642  Thomas 
Noyes  was  "  appointed  to  keep  a  ferry  for  one  year,  for 
which  he  was  to  have  two  pence  for  every  single  passenger 
and  if  there  be  more  to  take  two  apiece."  This  ferry  may 
have  been  used  only  at  times  when  high  water  rendered  the 
bridge  or  meadow  impassable.  As  in  the  price  fixed  for 
transportation  only  "passengers"  are  mentioned,  we  infer 
that  both  the  bridge  and  ferry  were  for  foot-passengers 
alone.  But  a  mere  foot-path  could  not  long  suffice  for  the 
settlement.  The  west  side  was  too  important  to  remain 
isolated  for  want  of  a  cart-bridge.  About  this  time  it  was 
ordered  by  the  town,  "  That  Mr.  Noyes,  Mr.  Pendleton, 
Walter  Haynes,  John  Parmenter,  Jr.,  and  Thomas  King 
shall  have  power  to  view  the  river  at  Thomas  King's,  and  to 
agree  with  workmen  to  build  a  cart-bridge  over  the  river 
according  as  they  shall  see  just  occasion."  The  following 
contract  was  soon  made  with  Ambrose  Leach :  — 

"BRIDGE   CONTRACT   1643. 

"It  is  agreed  betweene  the  inhabitants  of  the  towne  of 
sudbury  and  Ambrose  Leech,  That  the  towne  will  give  unto 
the  said  Ambrose  6  acres  in  Mr  Pendleton's  2nd  Addition  of 
meadow  wch  shall  run  on  the  north  side  of  his  meadow  lyinge 
on  the  west  side  of  the  river  &  shall  run  from  the  river  to 
the  upland.     Allsoe  foure  acres  of  meadowe  more  wch  shall 


94  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

be  wth  convenient  as  may  be.  Allsoe  twenty  acres  of  upland 
lyinge  on  the  west  side  of  the  river  on  the  north  side  of  the 
lande  of  Walter  Haynes  if  he  approve  of  it  else  so  much 
upland  where  it  may  be  convenient.  For  and  in  considera- 
tion whereof  the  said  Ambrose  doth  propose  to  build  a  suffi- 
cient cart  bridge  over  the  river  three  feet  above  high  water 
mark  twelve  foot  wyde  from  the  one  side  of  the  river  to  the 
other  provided  that  the  towne  doe  fell  and  cross  cutt  the  tim- 
ber and  saw  all  the  plank  and  carry  it  all  to  place  and  when 
it  is  ready  framed  the  towne  doth  promise  to  help  him  raise 
it  so  that  he  and  one  man  be  at  the  charge  of  the  sayd  Am- 
brose and  he  doth  promise  to  acomplish  the  work  by  the  last 

day  of  Aug.  next. Allsoe  the  towne  doth  admitt  of  him 

as  a  townsman  wth  right  to  comonage  and  upland  as  more 
shall  be  laid  out  and  allsoe  ten  acres  of  meadowe  to  be  layed 
out  which  other  meadowe  is  in  first  addition  of  meadowe. 
"Ambrose  Leech  Brian  Pendleton 

"  Walter  Haynes." 

This  contract  is  on  the  original  town  book  without  date. 
On  the  preceding  page  is  a  record  dated  1642,  and  beyond  is 
one  dated  1641,  which  plainly  shows  either  that  events  were 
not  recorded  chronologically,  or  that  the  leaves  were  not 
placed  in  their  original  order  when  the  book  was  rebound  in 
1840.  It  may  then  be  safe  to  conjecture  that  the  date  of  this 
contract  was  1642  or  1643.  That  Mr.  Leach  carried  out  his 
agreement  in  good  faith,  is  indicated  by  the  privileges  that 
were  afterwards  accorded  to  him.  Repeatedh',  on  the  Pro- 
prietors' book,  in  the  record  of  their  meetings  held  in  after 
years,  are  the  names  of  Ambrose  Leach  and  Thomas  Cake- 
bread  included  in  the  list  of  the  early  grantees,  upon  whose 
original  rights  the  Proprietors  based  their  titles  to  the  com- 
mon lands.  No  other  names  are  in  the  list  except  those  of 
the  early  or  original  grantees ;  and  the  presumption  is,  that 
they  were  included  on  account  of  some  service  performed  for 
the  town :  one  perhaps  for  building  a  bridge,  and  the  other 
for  building  a  mill.  The  next  contract  for  building  a  bridge 
was  with  Timothy  Hawkins  of  Watertown,  and  is  as  fol- 
lows :  — 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  95 

"The  26th  day  of  November,  16**. 

"Agreed  between  the  Inhabitants  of  Sudbury  on  the  one 
part,  and  Timothy  Hawkins  of  Watertown  on  the  other  part 
that  the  said  Timothy  shall  build  a  sufficient  cart  bridge  over 
the  river,  beginning  at  the  west  side  of  the  river  running 
across  the  river,  five  rods  long  and  twelve  feet  wide,  one  foot 
above  high  water  mark,  the  arches  to  be  .  .  .  foot  wide, 
all  but  the  middle  arch  which  is  to  be  14  feet  wide,  the  silts 
—  inches  square  26  feet  long,  the  posts  16  inches  square  the 

cups and  16,  the  braces  8  inches  square,   the  bridge 

must  have  a  rail  on  each  side,  and  the  rails  must  be  braced 
at  every  post,  the  plank  must  be  two  inches  thick  sawn,  there 
must  be  5  braces  for  the  plank,  —  the  bridge  the  bearers  12 
inches  square,  the  bridge  is  by  him  to  be  ready  to  raise  by 
the  last  day  of  May  next.  For  which  work  the  Inhabitants 
do  consent  to  pay  unto  the  said  Timothy  for  his  work  so  done, 
the  sum  of  13  pounds  to  be  paid  in  corn  and  cattle,  the  corn 
at  the  general  price  of  the  country,  and  the  cattle  at  the  price 
as  two  men  shall  judge  them  worHi. 

"  The  said  Timothy  is  to  fell  all  the  timber  and  saw  it,  and 
then  the  town  is  to  carry  it  to  the  place." 

The  town  was  also  to  help  raise  it.  The  time  of  this  con- 
tract also  is  uncertain.  The  record  of  the  date  is  so  muti- 
lated that  it  is  uncertain  whether  it  is  1643  or  1653.  On  the 
page  preceding  are  the  dates  1652  and  1653.  If  this  contract 
was  made  in  1643,  then  that  with  Ambrose  Leach  might  have 
been  earlier  than  has  been  conjectured,  and  the  bridge  built 
by  him  may  have  been  destroyed  by  a  flood  soon  after  com- 
pletion, which  caused  the  erection  of  another  so  soon. 

In  1645,  it  was  ordered  "that  £20  should  be  alowed  ye 
town  of  Sudbury  toward  ye  building  of  their  bridge  and  way 
at  ye  end  of  it  to  be  paid  ym  when  they  shall  have  made  ye 
way  passable  for  loaden  horses,  so  it  be  done  wlhin  a  twelve 
month."  (Colony  Records,  Vol.  II.,  p.  102.)  The  town 
was  also  for  this  reason  at  one  time  favored  by  an  abatement 
of  rates,  as  we  are  informed  by  the  following  record :  — 

"Whereas  it  appears  to  us  that  Concord,  Sudbury  and  Lan- 


96  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

caster  are  at  a  greater  charge  in  bridges  for  the  publicque  use 
of  the  countrye  than  some  other  of  theire  neighbor  tovvnes, 
we  conceive  it  meete  that  they  be  abated  as  followeth ;  Con- 
cord and  Lancaster  all  theire  rates,  whether  payd  or  to  be 
payd  to  those  two  bridges  above  named,  and  Sudbury  the  one 
half  of  theire  rates  to  the  sayd  bridges,  and  theire  abatement 
to  be  satisfied  to  the  undertakers  of  those  bridges,  or  repayed 
againe  to  such  as  have  payed  as  followeth."  (Colony  Rec- 
ords, Vol.  IV.,  p.  307.) 

The  bridge  built  at  this  spot  is  said  to  be  the  first  framed 
bridge  in  Middlesex  County.  The  locality  is  one  rich  in 
reminiscences  of  Sudbury's  early  History.  Over  this  cross- 
ing the  Indians  were  forced,  on  that  memorable  day  when 
King  Philip  attacked  the  town.  At  the  "Bridge  foot"  were 
buried  the  bodies  of  the  Concord  men  who  were  slain  on 
that  dismal  day.  (See  period  1675-1700.)  It  was  the 
bridge  of  the  old  stage  period.  Just  beyond,  by  the  "gravel 
pit,"  was  the  beginning  of  the  "Old  Lancaster  road."  Here 
was  the  crossing,  over  which  Washington  passed  when  he 
went  through  the  town.  Thus  suggestive  are  the  associa- 
tions that  cluster  about  the  spot,  and  chime  in  with  the  nat- 
ural loveliness  that  sometimes  adorns  it.  When  the  mead- 
ows grow  green  in  the  spring-time  as  the  floods  are  passing 
away,  and  the  willows,  standing  in  hedgerows  like  silent 
sentinels,  send  forth  their  fragrant  perfume,  here  surely  is  a 
fit  place  for  reflection,  a  suitable  spot  in  which  to  meditate 
upon  things  that  were  long  ago. 

CAUSEWAY. 

Westerly  beyond  the  bridge  was  built  a  raised  road  or 
causeway,  which  was  sometimes  called  the  "  Casey "  or 
"Carsey."  This  is  a  memorable  piece  of  highway.  Repeat- 
edly has  it  been  raised  to  place  it  above  the  floods.  At  one 
time  the  work  was  apportioned  by  lot ;  and  at  another  the 
Legislature  allowed  the  town  to  issue  tickets  for  a  grand 
lottery,  the  avails  of  which  were  to  be  expended  upon  this 
causeway. 

Stakes  were  formerly  set  as  safeguards  to  the  traveler,  that 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  97 

he  might  not  stray  from  the  way.  In  1653,  it  is  recorded 
that  speedy  measures  were  to  be  taken  to  repair  the  cause- 
way and  highways.  Just  when  this  causeway  was  built  we 
have  found  no  record,  but  we  infer  that  it  was  begun  as  early 
as  1643,  since  at  that  time  the  cart-bridge  was  made,  and 
about  that  time  the  service  of  Thomas  Noyes  as  ferryman 
ceased.  With  the  construction  of  a  cart-bridge,  the  people 
would  naturally  construct  a  cart  causeway,  since  without  this 
a  cart-bridge  could  be  of  no  use  for  vehicles.  The  older 
causeway  is  that  which  is  a  few  rods  west  of  the  town  bridge 
further  east,  and  takes  a  southwesterly  course  at  the  parting 
of  the  ways. 

GRIST-MILL. 

Another  necessary  convenience  to  the  settlers  was  a  grist- 
mill, or,  as  they  expressed  it,  "  a  mill  to  grind  the  town's 
corn."  Such  a  mill  was  erected  in  the  spring  of  1639  by 
Thomas  Cakebread.  The  following  is  the  record  concerning 
it :  "  Granted  to  Thomas  Cakebread  for  and  in  considera- 
tion of  building  a  mill,  40  a.  of  upland  or  thereabout  now 
adjoining  to  the  mill,  and  a  little  piece  of  meadow  down- 
wards, and  a  piece  of  meadow  upward,  and  which  may  be  16 
or  20  a.  or  thereabout.  Also  there  is  given  for  his  accommo- 
dation for  his  estate  30  a.  of  meadow  and  40  a.  of  upland." 
(Town  Records.) 

Mr.  Cakebread  did  not  long  live  to  make  use  of  his  mill. 
His  widow  married  Sargent  John  Grout,  who  took  charge  of 
the  property.  "  In  1643,  the  cranberry  swamp  formerly 
granted  to  Antient  Ensign  Cakebread  was  confirmed  to  John 
Grout,  and  there  was  granted  to  Sargent  John  Grout  a  swamp 
lying  by  the  house  of  Philemon  Whale,  to  pen  water  for  the 
use  of  the  mill,  and  of  preparing  it  to  remain  for  the  use  of 
the  town." 

Probably  the  house  of  Philemon  Whale  was  not  far  from 
the  present  Concord  road,  near  Wayland  Centre,  and  pos- 
sibl}r  stood  on  the  old  cellar  hole  at  the  right  of  the  road, 
north  of  the  Dana  Parmenter  house.  The  bridge  at  the 
head  of  the  mill-pond  long  bore  the  name  of  Whale's  Bridge. 
This   mill  stood  on   the   spot  where  the  present  grist-mill 


98  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

stands,  near  Wayland  Centre,  and  which  has  been  known  as 
Reeves's,  Grout's,  and,  more  recently,  Wight's  mill.  Some 
of  the  original  timber  of  the  Cakebread  Mill  is  supposed  to 
be  in  the  present  structure.  The  stream  by  which  it  is  run 
is  now  small,  but  in  early  times  it  was  probably  somewhat 
larger.  The  dimensions  of  the  mill  are  larger  than  formerly, 
it  having  been  lengthened  toward  the  west. 

CHURCH. 

The  town  now  being  laid  out,  and  the  necessary  means  for 
securing  a  livelihood  provided,  the  people  turned  their  atten- 
tion to  ecclesiastical  matters.  The  church  was  of  paramount 
importance  to  the  early  new  England  inhabitants.  For  its 
privileges  they  had  in  part  embarked  for  these  far-off  shores. 
To  preserve  its  purity  they  became  pilgrims  on  earth,  exiles 
from  friends  and  their  native  land.  Borne  hither  with  such 
noble  desires,  we  have  evidence  that  when  they  arrived  they 
acted  in  accordance  with  them.  In  1640  a  church  was  orga- 
nized, which  was  Congregational  in  government  and  Calvin- 
istic  in  creed  or  faith.  A  copy  of  its  covenant  is  still  pre- 
served. The  church  called  to  its  pastorate  Rev.  Edmund 
Brown,  and  elected  Mr.  William  Brown  deacon.  It  is  sup- 
posed that  the  installation  of  Rev.  Edmund  Brown  was  at 
the  time  of  the  formation  of  the  church.  The  town  in  se- 
lecting Mr.  Brown  for  its  minister  secured  the  services  of 
an  energetic  and  devoted  man.  Edward  Johnson  says  of 
him,  in  his  "  Wonder-Working  Providence,"  "  The  church 
in  Sudbury  called  to  the  office  of  a  pastor  the  reverend, 
godly  and  able  minister  of  the  word,  Mr.  Edmund  Brown, 
whose  labors  in  the  doctrine  of  Christ  Jesus  hath  hitherto 
abounded,  wading  through  this  wilderness  work  with  much 
cheerfulness  of  spirit,  of  whom  as  followeth :  — 

"  Both  night  and  day  Brown  ceaseth  not  to  watch 

Christ's  little  flock  in  pastures  fresh  them  feed, 
The  worrying  wolves  shall  not  the  weak  lambs  catch ; 

Well  dost  thou  mind  in  wildernesse  their  breed. 
Edmund,  thy  age  is  not  so  great  but  thou 

Maist  yet  behold  the  Beast  brought  to  her  fall, 
Earth's  tottering  Kingdome  shew  her  legs  gin  bow, 

Thou  'mongst  Christ's  Saints  with  prayers  maist  her  mawle. 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  99 

"  What  signes  wouldst  have  faith's  courage  for  to  rouse? 

See  Christ  triumphant  hath  his  armies  led, 
In  Wildernesse  prepar'd  his  lovely  Spouse, 

Caused  Kings  and  Kingdomes  his  high  hand  to  dread; 
Thou  seest  his  churches  daily  are  increasing, 

And  though  thyself  amongst  his  worthyes  warring, 
Hold  up  thv  hands,  the  battel's  now  increasing, 

Christ's  Kingdom's  ay,  it's  past  all  mortall's  marring." 

The  home  of  Mr.  Brown  was  in  the  territory  of  Wayland, 
by  the  south  bank  of  Mill  Brook,  on  what  was  called  "  Tim- 
ber Neck."  (See  map  of  house-lots,  Chapter  V.)  The  house 
was  called  in  his  will  "Brunswick,"  which  means  "mansion 
by  the  stream,"  and  stood  near  the  junction  of  Mill  Brook 
with  the  river,  a  little  southeast  of  Farm  Bridge,  and  nearly 
opposite  the  Richard  Heard  place.  Nothing  now  visible 
marks  the  spot,  but  both  record  and  undisputed  tradition 
give  its  whereabouts.  (For  further  of  Mr.  Brown  see  period 
1675-1700.)  Mr.  Brown's  salary  the  first  year  was  to  be 
.£40,  one-half  to  be  paid  in  money,  the  other  half  in  some 
or  all  of  these  commodities  :  "  Wheate,  pees,  butter,  cheese, 
porke,  beefe,  hemp  and  flax,  at  every  quarters  end."  In  the 
maintenance  of  the  pastor  and  church  the  town  acted  as  in 
secular  matters.  The  church  was  for  the  town  ;  its  records 
were  for  a  time  town  records.  Civil  and  ecclesiastical  mat- 
ters were  connected.  If  there  was  no  state  church,  there 
was  a  town  church,  a  minister  and  meeting-house,  that  was 
reached  by  and  reached  the  masses.  "  Rates  "  were  gath- 
ered no  more  surely  for  the  "king's  tax"  than  to  maintain 
the  ministry.  To  show  the  manner  of  raising  the  money  for 
the  minister's  salary  shortly  after  his  settlement,  we  insert 
the  following :  "  The  first  day  of  the  second  month,  1643. 
It  is  agreed  upon  by  the  town  that  the  Pastor  shall  [have] 
for  this  year,  beginning  the  first  day  of  the  first  month, 
thirty  pound,  to  be  gathered  by  rate  and  to  be  paid  unto  him 
at  two  several  payments,  the  first  payment  to  be  made  one 
month  after  midsummer,  the  other  payment  to  be  made  one 
month  after  Michaelmas,  for  the  gathering  of  which  the  town 
hath  desired  Mr.  Pendleton  and  Walter  Hayne  to  undertake 
it,  and  also  the  town  hath  discharged  the  pastor  from  all 


100  HISTORY   OF    SUDBURY. 

rates,  for  this  year,  and  the  rate  to  be  levied  according  to  the 

rate  which  was  for  the meeting-house,  the  invoice  being 

taken  by  John  Freeman."  Of  the  prosperity  of  this  little 
church,  Johnson  says,  in  his  "Wonder-Working  Providence," 
"This  church  hath  hitherto,  been  blessed  with  blessings  of 
the  right  hand,  even  godly  peace  and  unity;  they  are  not 
above  50  or  60  families  and  about  80  souls  in  church  fellow- 
ship, their  Neat  head  about  300." 

MEETING-HOUSE. 

A  church  formed  and  pastor  secured,  an  early  movement 
was  made  for  a  meeting-house. 

"'Mid  forests  unsubdued 

The  Sabbath  dome  rose  fair, 
And  in  their  rude  unsheltered  homes 
Was  heard  the  call  —  to  prayer." 

Simes. 

The  spot  selected  was  at  what  is  now  the  "Old  Burying- 
ground,"  in  Wayland.  The  building  stood  in  its  westerly 
part,  and  a  few  rods  northerly  of  the  Sudbury  Centre  and 
Wayland  highway.  The  site  is  marked  by  a  slight  embank- 
ment, and  by  a  row  of  evergreens  set  by  Mr.  J.  S.  Draper. 
The  house  was  built  by  John  Rutter,  and  the  contract  was 
as  follows :  — 

"  February  17th,  1642. 

"  It  is  agreed  between  the  townsmen  of  this  town  on  the 
one  part,  and  John  Rutter  on  the  other  part,  that  the  said 
John  Rutter  for  his  part,  shall  fell,  saw,  hew  and  frame  a 
house  for  a  meeting-house  thirty  foot  long,  twenty  foot  wide, 
eight  foot  between  joint  three  foot  between,  stude  two  cross 
dorments  in  the  house  six  clear  story  windows,  two  with 
four  lights  apiece,  and  four  with  three  lights  apiece,  and  to 
ententise  between  the  stude,  which  frame  is  to  be  made 
ready  to  raise  the  first  week  in  May  next. 

"John  Rutter. 

"And  the  town  for  their  part  do  covenant  to  draw  all  the 
timber  to  place,  and  to  help  to  raise  the  house  being  framed 
and  also  to  pay  to  the  said  John  Rutter  for  the  said  work 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  101 

six  pounds,  that  is  to  say,  three  pound  to  be  paid  in  corn 
at  three  shillings  a  bushel,  or  in  money,  in  and  upon  this 
twenty  seventh  day,  of  this  present  month,  and  the  other 
three  pounds  to  be  paid  in  money,  corn  and  cattle  to  be 
prized  by  two  men  of  the  town,  one  to  be  chosen  by  the 
town  and  the  other  to  be  chosen  by  John  Rutter,  and  to  be 
paid  at  the  time  that  the  frame  is  by  the  said  John  Rutter 
finished. 

"  Peter  Noyse,  Walter  Haynes, 

"Brian  Pendleton,        John  How, 
"William  Ward,  Thomas  Whyte." 

(Town  Book,  p.  27.) 

An  act  relative  to  the  raising  and  locating  of  the  building  is 
the  following,  dated  May,  1643:  The  town  "agreed  that  the 
meeting-house  shall  stand  upon  the  hillside,  before  the  house- 
lot  of  John  Loker,  on  the  other  side  of  the  way ;  also  that 
every  inhabitant  that  hath  a  house-lot  shall  attend  [the  rais- 
ing of]  the  new  meeting-house,  or  send  a  sufficient  man  to 
help  raise  the  meeting-house."  The  year  after  the  contract 
was  made  a  rate  was  ordered  for  the  finishing  of  the  house, 
to  be  raised  on  "  meadow  and  upland  and  all  manner  of 
cattle  above  a  quarter  old,  to  be  prized  as  they  were  for- 
merly: Shoates  at  6  shillings  8  pence  apiece,  kids  at  4  shil- 
lings apiece." 

A  further  record  of  the  meeting-house  is  as  follows  :  — 

"Nov.  5th,  1645. 
"  It  is  ordered  that  all  those  who  are  appointed  to  have 
seats  in  the  meeting-house  that  they  shall  bring  in  their  first 
payment  for  their  seats  to  Hugh  Griffin  or  agree  with  him 
between  this  and  the  14th  day  of  this  month,  which  is  on 
Friday  next  week  and  those  that  are  (deficient)  we  do 
hereby  give  power  to  the  Marshall  to  distrain  both  for  their 
payment  for  their  seats  and  also  for  the  Marshall's  own  labor 
according  to  a  former  order  twelve  pence. 

"Walter  Hayne,  William  Warde. 

"Edmund  Goodnow,       John  Reddicke, 

"  Hugh  Griffin." 


102  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

Considerable  importance  was  attached  in  the  early  times 
to  the  seating  of  people  in  the  meeting-house,  and  in  the 
records  of  new  houses  of  worship  mention  is  made  of  this 
matter.  Respect  was  had  to  social  condition  and  circum- 
stance ;  committees  were  chosen  to  adjust  these  matters  in 
the  payment  of  rates,  and  references  are  made  in  the  records 
of  town-meeting  to  the  requests  of  parties  about  their  seats 
in  the  meeting-house.  A  rule  that  was  general  was,  that 
the  men  should  sit  at  one  end  of  the  pew  and  the  women  at 
the  other.  In  the  third  meeting-house  erected  in  Sudbury 
it  was  a  part  of  a  plan  that  the  pews  should  be  so  arranged 
as  to  seat  seven  men  on  one  side  and  seven  women  on  the 
other.  In  this  first  meeting-house  of  Sudbury,  the  people 
purchasing  seats  had  a  right  to  dispose  of  their  purchase,  in 
case  they  should  leave  the  settlement ;  but  the  right  was 
reserved  by  the  town  of  seating  the  parties  who  purchased, 
as  is  declared  hy  the  following  record,  Jan.  26,  1645 :  It  was 
"ordered,  that  all  those  that  pa}^  for  seats  in  the  meeting- 
house shall  have  leave  to  sell  as  many  seats  as  they  pay  for, 
provided,  they  leave  the  seating  of  the  persons  to  whom  they 
sell,  to  the  church  officers,  to  seat  them  if  they  themselves 
go  out  of  town."  About  this  first  meeting-house  a  burial 
place  was  soon  started.  No  land  purchase  was  made  for  this 
purpose  until  subsequent  years  (see  chapter  on  Cemeteries), 
but,  after  the  old  English  custom,  graves  were  gathered  about 
the  church.  The  services  held  in  the  first  meeting-house 
were  probably  like  those  held  in  other  houses  of  the  period. 
There  were  two  sermons  on  Sunday,  with  a  short  intermis- 
sion at  noon.  The  sermon  was  usually  about  an  hour  in 
length,  and  the  time  of  preaching  was  measured  by  an  hour- 
glass that  was  placed  in  the  pulpit.  Long  prayers,  if  not  in 
favor,  were  in  use ;  and  the  minister  prayed  for  the  practical 
needs  of  his  little  flock,  detailing  in  his  supplications  the 
wants  of  the  sick,  the  sorrowful,  the  sinful,  and  asking  that 
all  things  might  be  sanctified  to  the  soul's  spiritual  good. 
Strangers  were  sometimes  asked  to  exhort  or  prophesy. 
Scripture  reading,  except  reading  the  text,  and  incidental 
readings  in  the  course  of  the  sermon,  was  not  known  in  the 
early  churches.     We  are  informed   by  Mr.  Loring's   Diary 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  103 

that  the  reading  of  the  Scriptures,  as  a  part  of  the  Sabbath 
service,  was  introduced  into  the  Sudbury  church,  without 
opposition,  in  1748.  When  the  Scriptures  were  read,  an 
exposition  was  expected ;  and  without  this  it  was  called 
"  dumb  reading."  The  church  music  was  of  a  congrega- 
tional character,  and  made  use  of  for  worship.  There  were 
no  useless  mummeries  of  meaningless  tunes.  Most  of  the 
churches  for  a  time  after  1640  used  "The  Bay  Psalm  Book," 
which  was  gotten  up  by  New  England  ministers,  and  which 
Avas  the  second  hymn  book  used  in  British  America.  It  is 
stated  (Palfrey)  that,  for  three-quarters  of  a  centurj',  not 
more  than  ten  different  tunes  were  used  in  public  worship, 
among  which  were  "York,"  "Hackney,"  "St.  Martyns," 
"Windsor,"  and  "St.  Marys."  The  people  were  called  to 
meeting  by  the  beating  of  a  drum.  In  a  record,  bearing  date 
1652,  is  a  statement  as  follows :  "  It  shall  be  agreed  with 
Edmund  Goodenow,  that  his  son  shall  beat  the  Drum  twice 
every  lecture  day,  and  twice  every  forenoon,  and  twice  every 
afternoon  upon  every  Lord's  day,  to  give  notice  what  time  to 
come  to  meeting;  for  which  the  town  will  give  him  twenty 
shillings  a  year  —  and  to  pay  him  in  the  town  rates."  This 
son  of  Edmund  Goodenow  was  John,  as  the  records  state 
that,  in  1654,  "  John  Goodenow  was  discharged  from  the 
town's  engagement  for  beating  the  drum  to  call  persons  to 
meeting."  A  sexton  was  soon  appointed,  and  it  is  recorded 
that,  in  1644,  John  Toll  was  to  "  make  clean  the  meeting- 
house for  one  year,  and  to  have  for  his  labor  six  shillings, 
eight  pence." 


CHAPTER   VII. 

r 

Land  Divisions.  —  Origin  of  the  Terms  "  Common  "  and  "  Lot." —  Per- 
mission of  Colonial  Court  for  Land  Division. —  Principles  upon  which 
Land  Divisions  were  Made. —  The  Meadows  a  Basis  of  Division. — 
Meadow  Rights,  or  Meadow  Dividends. —  Rules  of  Division.  —  Quan- 
tity of  Meadow  Received  in  Three  Early  Allotments. —  Division  of 
Upland. — Town's  Common  or  Undivided  Lands. —  Proprietors'  Com- 
mon or  Undivided  Lands.  —  Proprietors'  Meetings  subsequent  to 
1700. —  Specimens  of  their  Records. —  Land  Allotments  to  be  Re- 
corded.—  Cow  Common.  —  Land  for  the  Support  of  the  Ministry. — 
Reservations  for  "  Planting  Fields,"  a  "  Training  Field,"  a  Mill,  a 
Pasture  for  "  Working  Oxen,"  Timber  Land. 

These  are  the  records,  half  effaced, 
Which,  with  the  hand  of  youth,  he  traced 
On  History's  page. 

Longfellow. 

The  settlers  had  little  more  than  got  fairly  located  at  the 
plantation,  when  they  began  dividing  their  territory,  and 
apportioning  it  in  parcels  to  the  inhabitants.  Before  these 
divisions  were  made  there  were  no  private  estates,  except 
such  house-lots  and  few  acres  as  were  assigned  at  the  outset 
for  the  settler's  encouragement  or  help,  or  such  land  tracts 
as  were  obtained  by  special  grant  from  the  Colonial  Court. 
But  divisions  soon  came.  Piece  afterpiece  was  apportioned, 
and  passed  into  private  possession.  Soon  but  little  of  the 
public  domain  was  left,  save  small  patches  at  the  junction  of 
roads,  or  some  reservation  for  a  school-house,  meeting-house 
or  pound,  or  plot  for  the  village-green. 

From  common  land,  which  the  undivided  territory  was 
called,  has  come  the  word  "  common  "  as  applied  to  a  town 
common,  park  or  public  square.  And  from  the  division  of 
land  by  lot,  the  term  "  lot"  has  come  into  use,  as  "  meadow- 
lot,"  "  wood-lot,"  and  "  house-lot."     The  early  land  divisions 


HISTORY   OF    SUDBURY.  105 

were  made,  on  permission  .of  the  Colonial  Court,  by  such 
commissioners  as  the  town  or  court  might  appoint.  As  a 
specimen  of  these  permits,  we  give  the  following :  — 

"A  Generall  Court,  holden  at  Boston  the  4th  Day  of  the 
7th  month  1639. 

"  The  order  of  the  Court,  vpon  the  petition  of  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Sudbury,  is,  that  Peter  Noyes,  Bryan  Pendleton,  J 
[John]  Parmrn  A  [Parmenter],  Edmond  B  [Brown],  Walter 
Hayne,  George  Moiling,  &  Edmond  Rise  have  comission  to  lay 
out  lands  to  the  p'sent  inhabitants,  according  to  their  estates 
&  persons  &  that  Capt  Jeanison,  Mr  Mayhewe,  Mr  Flint,  Mr 
Samuel  Sheopard,  &  John  Bridge,  or  any  3  of  them,  shall,  in 
convenient  time,  repaire  to  the  said  towne,  &  set  out  such 
land  and  accomodations,  both  for  house-lots  &  otherwise, 
both  for  Mr  Pelham  &  Mr  Walgrave,  as  the}'  shall  think  suit- 
able to  their  estates,  to  bee  reserved  for  them  if  they  shall 
come  to  inhabite  them  in  convenient  time,  as  the  Court  shall 
think  [fit]." 

But  while  these  divisions  were  by  the  permission  of  the 
court,  the  principles  of  division  were  largely  left  to  the  peo- 
ple themselves  ;  and  in  the  early  New  England  towns  various 
methods  were  adopted,  in  accordance  with  the  plan  or  com- 
pact on  which  the  plantation  was  formed.  In  more  or  less  of 
the  towns,  the  petitioners  for  a  land  tract  of  which  a  town 
was  to  be  composed  were  a  company  of  proprietors  which 
might  correspond  to  a  corporation  of  to-day.  They  had  a 
moderator,  clerk,  record  book,  and  committee.  The  officials 
of  these  proprietaries,  before  a  place  was  incorporated,  per- 
formed functions  to  some  extent  corresponding  to  those  of 
town  officials  afterwards.  The  committees  corresponded  to 
the  town's  selectmen,  the  clerk  to  a  town  clerk,  and  the  pro- 
prietors' books  to  town  records.  The  proprietors'  books  were 
not  only  a  record  of  their  proceedings,  but  served  also  as  a 
registry  of  deeds,  and  were  the  evidence  of  land  sales,  bound- 
aries, etc. 

These  companies  or  proprietors  could,  by  majority  vote, 
divide  up  and  dispose  of  their  land  in  a  way  subject  only  to 


106  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

the  terms  of  the  proprietors'  compact,  to  restrictions  of  the 
court,  and  the  common  law.  When  the  plantation  by  incor- 
poration became  a  town,  the  proprietors  did  not  lose  their 
original  territorial  rights,  but  the  principle  of  ownership  and 
control  was  the  same  as  before.  If,  when  the  place  was  a 
plantation  or  proprietary,  a  person  owned  certain  shares  in 
the  territory  by  reason  of  money  paid  in,  or  as  a  reward  or 
recompense  for  some  service  performed,  when  it  became  a 
town  he  retained  his  right  to  those  shares  and  the  rights  that 
appertained  to  them  ;  and  when  the  lands  were  divided  those 
rights  would  be  allowed.  Hence,  whether  it  were  plantation 
or  town  when  the  division  of  land  was  made,  though  the  act 
of  division  was  subject  to  a  majority  vote,  the  mode  of  divis- 
ion was  to  have  reference  to  the  original  right  of  every 
grantee. 

The  town  of  Sudbury,  as  a  plantation,  was  formed  on 
what  we  consider  the  proprietary  principle.  The  persons 
that  petitioned  for  the  land  tract,  and  those  whom  they 
represented,  or,  in  other  words,  the  original  grantees,  at 
first  possessed  the  whole  territory.  In  their  collective 
capacity,  they  had  power  to  divide  up  their  lands  or  keep 
them  as  common  property ;  but  when  divisions  were  made, 
it  must  be  done  in  an  equitable  manner,  that  is,  in  proportion 
as  each  had  paid  in,  or  in  proportion  to  the  value  of  the  orig- 
inal right ;  or  they  were  to  dispose  of  them  in  such  a  way  as 
was,  by  general  consent,  for  the  common  good  of  the  com- 
pany, as  the  selling  of  land  to  meet  public  expenses,  or  the 
granting  of  it  as  a  gratuity  to  help  on  the  settlement ;  or  the 
setting  apart  of  a  portion  of  it  for  a  common  pasture.  But 
while  the  town  had  a  right  to  do  any  or  all  of  these  things, 
as  a  matter  of  fact  it  did  not  at  first  divide  up  all  of  its  land, 
except  the  meadows.  These  it  divided  proportionally,  as 
we  have  stated,  and  the  meadows  being  thus  divided,  became 
the  basis  of  future  allowance  and  rights ;  in  other  words,  it 
is  supposed  that  the  settlers  put  into  the  enterprise  different 
amounts  of  money,  and  received  meadow  lands  in  proportion 
to  what  each  put  in  ;  and  that,  on  the  basis  of  the  amount  of 
meadow  received,  rates  were  raised  for  public  purposes,  and 
certain  rights  were  possessed, —  as  the  right  of  commonage,  or 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  107 

to  divisions  of  uplands.  So  far  as  we  know,  no  lands  were 
sold  at  the  outset  solely  and  directly  to  construct  public 
works,  or  to  pay  for  a  foot  of  the  common  territory. 

Thus  the  division  of  meadow  land  was  an  important 
transaction.  It  was  not  only  a  disposal  of  common  prop- 
erty of  the  proprietors,  but  it  established  a  standard  of 
rates,  and  in  a  certain  sense  of  valuation.  For  example, 
money  to  pay  for  land  purchased  of  Karto  was  to  "  be  gath- 
ered according  to  such  quantity  of  meadow  as  are  granted  to 
the  inhabitants  of  the  town."  In  the  division  of  "  uplands," 
the  rule  of  receiving  was  according  as  a  person  was  possessed 
of  "  meadow."  In  the  pasturage  of  the  extensive  cow  com- 
mon, the  people  were  to  be  limited  in  the  number  of  cattle 
put  in  by  their  meadows,  or  their  rates  as  based  upon  them,    j 

In  the  erection  of  the  meeting-house  and  pay  of  the  minister 
reference  was  had  to  rates  paid  on  the  meadows.  Perhaps  the 
meadows  thus  assigned  might  properly  be  termed  "meadow- 
rights."  As  in  some  places  the  "acre-right"  would  procure 
lands  or  privileges  in  proportion  to  the  part  paid  into  the  com- 
mon venture  by  the  proprietor,  so  in  Sudbury  the  meadow-right 
might  do  likewise  ;  and  a  person  who  possessed  an  original 
meadow-right  might  possess  a  right  to  subsequent  land  allot- 
ments, or  the  right  of  his  cattle  to  commonage,  so  long  as  the 
town  had  undivided  territory.  Thus  it  might  be  said  that  the 
proprietors  received  values  on  their  investment  in  the  enter- 
prise, not  by  monied  divisions,  but  by  land  divisions.  Hence, 
these  divisions  of  land  might  be  called  the  dividends  of  those 
early  days,  and  the  money  raised  by  the  town  on  the  basis  of 
these  early  divisions  of  meadow  might  be  called  assessments 
on  the  stock  made  to  meet  public  expenses.  We  conclude  that 
these  meadow-rights  or  dividends  were  merchantable,  to  the 
extent  that  a  person  in  selling  them  might  or  might  not  con- 
vey the  right  that  belonged  to  them,  as  related  to  commonage 
and  other  allotments.  The  lands  that  were  given  by  gratu- 
lation,  for,  worthiness  or  work  done  for  the  public,  might 
or  might  not  have  the  privileges  of  an  original  meadow- 
right  or  dividend.  In  raising  money  to  pay  Karto  for  the 
land  which  the  town  last  bought  of  him,  it  was  ordered 
that  "  all  meadow  was  to  pay  at  one  price,  and  that  all 


108  HISTORY   OF    SUDBURY. 

meadow  given  by  way  of  gratulation  should  have  right  of 
commonage." 

That  the  original  grantees,  and  those  subsequently  given 
the  privileges  of  such,  as  a  "gratulation"  for  services  per- 
formed for  the  settlers,  could  transfer  the  right  to  subsequent 
divisions  of  the  common  and  undivided  land,  is  indicated  by 
the  records  of  the  proceedings  of  the  proprietors  of  these 
lands  many  years  after  the  settlement  of  Sudbury.  In  the 
Proprietors'  Book  of  Records,  as  will  be  noticed  further  along, 
are  given  repeated  lists  of  the  names  of  the  early  grantees, 
even  after  the  most  if  not  all  of  them  had  passed  away. 
These  lists  are  referred  to  as  those  possessing  an  original 
right  to  the  town's  undivided  land,  and  may  indicate  that 
wherever  or  whenever  one  possessed  that  right  as  it  had  been 
conveyed  through  the  years,  in  whatever  way,  that  person 
could  claim  land  when  a  division  was  made,  or  could  vote  on 
the  disposal  of  the  proprietors'  undivided  territory. 

With  this  explanation,  or  setting  forth  of  the  principles  of 
division,  we  are  prepared  to  notice  the  divisions  themselves, 
which  are  of  two  kinds :  first,  those  made  as  an  encourage- 
ment and  help  to  the  settlement ;  second,  those  made  on  the 
principle  of  meadow  dividends  or  meadow  rights.  The  divis- 
ions made  under  the  first  head  were  probably  two.  The 
first  of  them  was  that  of  house-lots,  which,  as  we  have  said, 
comprised  only  a  comparatively  small  area,  perhaps  sufficient 
for  a  garden  or  orchard,  and  a  small  clearing  about  the  door, 
and  intended  as  an  encouragement  to  the  owner  to  continue 
there  as  a  citizen.  It  is  supposed  these  lots  were  given  in  an 
equable  manner,  the  average  being  about  four  or  five  acres  ; 
and  when  there  is  much  variation  from  this,  it  was  doubtless 
to  make  up  for  inequality  of  situation,  soil,  or  some  circum- 
stance which  called  for  exception.  It  mattered  not  whether 
married  or  unmarried,  each  received  a  like  lot.  As  a  rule,  it 
was  expected  that  those  receiving  lots  should  build  upon 
them,  as  the  Colony  Records  state  (Vol  I.,  p.  222)  that  "Mr. 
Pelham  and  Walgrave  are  granted  their  lots  at  Sudbury  abso- 
lutely wlh  out  condition  of  dwelling  there  only  Mr.  Pelham 
p  mised  to  build  a  house  and  settle  a  family  there  &  to  be 
there  as  much  as  he  could  in  the  summer  time." 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  109 

It  was  essential  that  the  plantation  should  be  peopled.  The 
condition  of  the  grant  by  the  Colonial  Court  was,  that  there 
should  be  settled  a  certain  number  of  families  within  a  speci- 
fied time  ;  and,  in  case  of  failure,  the  lands  were  forfeited. 
It  was  an  object,  then,  to  encourage  settlement  by  the  gift  of 
a  lot  for  a  homestead,  and  so  much  land  as  was  essential  to 
give  the  settler  a  start.  Beside  this  first  allotment  for  homes, 
at  an  early  period  an  allotment  was  made  of  meadows,  which 
may  have  also  been  for  encouragement  and  help.  An  early 
rule  for  the  apportionment  of  meadow,  which  we  think  may 
have  been  for  this  purpose,  is  this :  — 

"It  was  ordered  and  agreed  that  the  meadows  of  the  town 
of  Sudbury  shall  be  laid  out  and  given  to  the  present  inhab- 
itants, as  much  as  shall  be  thought  meet  according  to  this 
rule  following. 

Imprimis.     To  every  Mr  of  a  ffamilie  G    akers. 
To  every  wiffe  6£  akers. 

To  every  child  1J  akers. 

To  every  mare,  cow,  ox,  or  any  other  cattle  that  may  amount 
to  20  <£  or  so  much  money  3  akers." 

We  conjecture  that  lands  given  by  this  rule  were  for 
encouragement,  from  the  fact  that  a  house-lot  of  itself  would 
not  suffice  to  give  a  support,  or  afford  food  for  the  cattle.  It 
was  also  essential  that  some  meadow  should  at  first  be  allowed 
on  other  than  a  property  basis,  as  was  the  case  in  other  divis- 
ions. The  larger  the  household  and  the  cattle  herd,  the  more 
need  of  much  meadow.  We  have  no  record  to  inform  us 
how  much  meadow  was  assigned  by  this  rule.  By  other 
rules,  about  a  thousand  acres,  more  or  less,  were  divided;  and 
if  there  were  fifteen  hundred  acres  of  meadow  in  the  grant 
which  the  court  allowed,  supposing  as  much  was  found  to 
exist  there,  then  about  five  hundred  may  have  been  divided 
in  this  way.  By  this  rule,  the  settlers  who  came  on  the  ship 
"Confidence  "  would  receive  about  a  hundred  acres,  allowing 
a  fair  amount  for  their  stock. 

We  come  now  to  consider  the  second  class  of  divisions 
referred  to,  viz. :  those  of  the  meadow  lands  which  were  to 


110  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

be  as  land  dividends,  or  as  the  basis  of  assessments  for  raising 
money  to  meet  public  expenses,  or  for  the  allotment  of  other 
lands.  It  is  supposed  that  three  such  divisions  of  meadow 
were  made  on  different  occasions,  all  before  the  close  of  the 
year  1640.  An  original  record  of  these  divisions  has  been 
given  on  the  town  books,  but  it  is  now  so  worn,  that  parts  of 
it  are  entirely  gone.  It  is  placed  early  in  the  first  book,  and 
some  one  has  added  to  it  the  date  1638,  which  is  incorrect, 
since  no  divisions  were  made  so  soon.  In  another  part  of 
the  first  town  book  (p.  137)  is  found  another  list,  signed  by 
John  Grout,  a  subsequent  clerk.  The  list  was  probably 
copied  by  him  from  the  original,  before  it  became  so  defaced, 
or  the  lost  part  may  have  been  restored  by  him  from  his  per- 
sonal knowledge,  or  from  some  source  not  now  extant.  Still 
another  list  is  given  in  the  Stearns'  Collection,  written  by 
Noah  Clapp  ;  and  other  lists  are  given  in  the  Proprietors' 
Book.  We  give  the  first  list  found  in  the  original  town  book 
so  far  as  it  can  be  read,  together  with  the  preamble,  and  com- 
plete the  list  from  the  point  where  the  part  is  wanting  by  the 
list  of  John  Grout :  — 

"A  record  of  the  names  of  the  Inhabitants  of  Sudbuiy, 
with  their  several  quantity  of  meadow  to  every  one  granted 
according  to  their  estates  or  granted  by  gratulation  for  ser- 
vices granted  by  them,  which  meadow  is  ratable  upon  all 
common  charges. 


Imprimis 

The  first 
division. 

Second. 

Third. 

Gratu- 

laiiuii. 

Mr  William  Pelham 

16* 

m 

25 

Mr  Edmund  Brown 

164 

33i 

25 

15 

Mr  Noyse 

16 

32 

24 

Bryan  Pendleton 

13£ 

30i 

22 

16 

Walter  Haine 

13i 

29i 

22^ 

10 

John  Hayne 

2h 

5* 

4 

John  Blandford 

H 

4 

2| 

hugh  Griffvn 

2 

3 

6* 

Edmond  Goodnowe 

5 

11 

8 

Bobert  Beast 

3i 

7* 

6* 

Thomas  Noyse 

4i 

10 

Ti 

Thomas  Browne 

7 

16 

m 

HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 


Ill 


William  Browne 
Robert  Darnill 
Thomas  Goodnow 
John  Freeman 
Solomon  Johnson 
william  ward 
Richard  Newton 
John  Howe 
George  Munnings 
Anthony  whyte 
Andrew  Belcher 
John  Goodnowe 
John  Reddock 
Thomas  Whyte 
John  Parmenter  Senior 
Edmond  Rice 
Henry  Rice 

wyddow  Buffamthwyte 
Henry  Curtis 
John  Stone 
John  Parmenter  Jim 
John  Rutter 


The  first 

Gratu- 

division. 

Second. 

Third. 

lation. 

2i 

3 

2| 

4 

8 

17 

12i 

5 

2 

4 

3 

4 

8 

6 

4* 

11 

7! 

2 

4 

3 

2 

4 

3 

3i 

7 

5i 

10 

o 
O 

6i 

4| 

4 

8 

6i 

2| 

9 

51 

oi 

-2 

5 

3| 

5 

10 

7i 

H 

12 

8| 

9* 

19 

14i 

8 

4 

7 

H 

1 

3 

2 

2 

4i 

4f 

2 

5i 

3| 

The  following  names  are  from 
the  list  of  John  Grout :  — 


John  Toll 

5 

4 

John  Wood 

H 

7 

5± 

Henry  Loker 

1 

H 

01 

-4 

John  Loker 

1 

3 

2 

Widow  Wright 

2 

4 

3 

John  Bent 

1 

14 

lQi 

4 

Nathaniel  1  Treadway 

5 

10 

7i 

•  2 

Widow  Hunt 

1 

3 

2 

10 

John  Maynard 

H 

4± 

3 

Joseph  Taintor 

l* 

5 

3| 

Richard  Fordom 

30 

Thomas  Cakbread 

30 

Mr.  Herbert  Pelham 

112  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

The  first  Gratu- 

division.         Second.  Third.         lation. 

Mr.  Glover 

Richard  Bitlcom  (Bildcome) 

Robert  Davis 

Henrv  Prentis  1|  4  2|  3 


Wm  Kerly 


Beside  the  list  in  this  tabulated  form,  we  have  a  record  on 
the  town  book  of  the  first  two  divisions  of  meadow,  together 
with  the  reason  assigned  for  the  record  and  for  the  divisions 
of  land,  and  also,  in  some  cases,  the  locations  of  the  lands. 
This  record,  which  is  as  follows,  we  give  in  the  order  that  is 
found  in  the  book  :  — 

"  It  is  ordered  that  all  the  inhabitants  of  this  town  shall 
have  §  of  their  total  meadows  laid  out  this  present  year, 
viz. :  the  first  divided  according  to  discretion,  and  the  sec- 
ond by  lot,  and  the  quantity  of  every  man's  particular  sum 
amounts  to  the  sum  following. 

"  Here  followeth  a  record  of  the  particular  quantity  of  the 
acres  of  meadows,  which  were  laid  out  in  the  first  division 
unto  the  inhabitants,  as  they  lie  successively  upon  the  great 
River,  with  the  allowance  of  such  acres  which  were  added 
to  supply  for  the  badness  to  be  a  proportionate  rule  to  the 
inhabitants." 

"  The  22nd  day  of  February  1639. 

"It  is  ordered  and  agreed  that  whereas  now  the  commis- 
sioners of  Sudbury  have  a  levy  to  gather  some  money  to  pay 
for  the  purchase  of  our  plantation,  and  also  other  rates  for 
divers  occasions,  do  order  that  all  our  rates  shall  now  be  gath- 
ered according  to  such  quantity  of  meadows  as  are  granted 
to  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  according  to  the  rate  or  fixed 
propotion,  as  in  pages  following,  which  we  have  annexed  for 
future  reference. 

"  Impr  To  Henry  Prentise  was  laid  out  1^  acres  being  his 
just  quantity  is  to  be  rated  for,  and  lieith  on  the  north  side 
of  Bridle  Point,  so  called  now,  and  on  the  other  side  of  the 
river,  and  adjoineth  to  the  brook,  the  end  bounded  by  marked 
stakes. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 


113 


John  Parmenter  Junior 

Acres. 

2* 

John  How 

2£ 

Richard  Newton 

2 

and  an  acre  for  allowance 

Andrew  Belcher 

4 

Hugh  Griffyn 

2 

Peter  Noyse 

16 

and  11  acres  for  allowance 

William  Parker 

H 

Thomas  Whyte 

5 

Thomas  Browne 

7 

and  3  for  allowance 

John  Parmenter  Senior 

5* 

Joseph  Tayntor 

2* 

and  2  acres  for  allowance 

1  acre  for  allowance 

Henry  Loker 

li 

John  Blandford 

H 

John  Goodnow 

4* 

£  acre  for  allowance 

John  Wood 

H 

Bryan  Pendleton 

12i 

Robert  Hunt 

1 

1  acre  for  allowance 

Richard  Whyte 

2 

Edmond  Browne 

16i 

Thomas  Goodnow 

2 

2\  for  allowance 

Anthony  White 

3 

George  Munnings 

H 

John  Bent 

7 

3^  for  allowance 

Widow  Noyes 

2 

Walter  Haynes 

13£ 

William  Browne 

1 

James  Buckmaster 

3 

The  Minister's  Meadow 

John  Freeman 

4 

Thomas  Joslyn 

1 

Goodman  Witherill 

2 

Edmond  Goodnow 

5£ 

Solomon  Johnson 

3 

Thomas  Hayne 

2± 

John  Knight 

16i 

John  Loker 

1 

Nathaniell  Treadaway 

5 

Robert  Beast 

3* 

Henry  Curtise 

1 

Robert  Darnell 

8i 

John  Stone 

2 

Thomas  Noyse 

4± 

John  Reddicke 

2* 

John  Maynard 

1± 

William  Pellam 

16i 

and  one  acre  for  allowance. 

"  Here  followeth  a  record  of  the  particular  quantity  of  the 
acres  of  meadow  which  now  laid  out  in  the  second  division 
of  them  unto  the  inhabitants,  as  they  fall  to  them  by  lot. 


Acres. 

Acres. 

Impr.  John  How 

4 

Goodman  Witherill 

4 

Bryan  Pendleton 

30i 

Hugh  Griffin 

5 

The  Ministers  Meadow 

Robert  Hunt 

3 

Nathaniel  Tread  way 

10 

Richard  Newton 

4 

James  Buckmaster 

7 

Thomas  Flyn 

3 

114 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 


Acres. 

Acres. 

John  Parmenter  Senior 

12 

Robert  Darnell 

17 

John  Ruddicke 

5 

Henry  Curtys 

3 

John  Blandford 

4 

Robert  Beast 

7± 

John  Wood 

7 

John  Goodnow 

n 

Thomas  Haynes 

5i 

Edmond  Goodnow 

Hi 

William  Brown 

3 

8  for  allowance 

Richard  Whyte 

George  Mannings 

7 

Thomas  Goodnow 

4 

4  for  allowance 

Andrew  Belcher 

H 

Anthony  Whyte 

«i 

Widow  Noyse 

4 

Henry  Prentise 

4 

William  Pellam 

331 

John  Parmenter  Junior 

5i 

Thomas  Browne 

16 

William  Parker 

4 

John  Stone 

4£ 

Edmund  Rice 

18i 

Heniy  Loker 

H 

Solomon  Johnson 

7 

"  Peter  Noyse  had  the  moiety  of  his  second  addition  of 
meadows,  his  16  acres,  laid  out  below  next  Concord  bounds 
and  he  has  laid  out  6  acres  more  next  adjoining  unto  20 
acres  laid  out  unto  Edmond  Browne,  about  and  against  the 
Bridle  Point.  Now  in  case  the  said  Peter  shall  be  inhibited 
from  the  enjoying  of  the  said  16  acres  last  specified,  it  shall 
be  lawful  for  the  said  Peter  to  have  it  laid  out  upon  or  in 
any  meadow  not  laid  out  to  any. 

"  Edmond  Browne  is  to  have  15  acres  for  his  second  addi- 
tion, in  part  lying  about  the  timber  neck  on  the  south  side, 
if  he  accepteth  it,  and  20  acres  laid  out  next  over  bridle 
point,  which  2  acres  if  he  shall  not  enjoy,  or  if  Mr.  Pellam 
cometh  not  up  he  is  then  to  choose  where  he  will  have  it 
laid  out  and  upon  any  meadow  that  shall  be  assigned  by  and 
of  Mr  Herbert  Pellam 

"  20,h  2  m  : 

"Edmond  Brown,  Peter  Noyse, 

"Bryan  Pendleton,     Walter  Haynes, 
"Edmund  Rice,  George  Munnings." 


Beside  the  foregoing  record  of  the  first  two  divisions,  there 
is  a  record,  which  directly  follows,  of  an  "  addition  "  made 
Nov.  18,  1640,  which  is  this :  — 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY. 


115 


"  We  whose  names  are  under  written  being  chosen  by  the 
town  of  Sudbury,  and  part  in  commission  for  to  assign  to  the 
inhabitants  of  such  land  as  by  order  was  given  them  which 
was  called  the  third  additions,  have  affixed  unto  them  as 
followeth,  the  eighteenth  day  of  November  1640. 

"  Granted  unto 


John  Knight 

Acres. 

55 

Joseph  Tayntor 

Acres. 

7i 

Hugh  Griffin 

20 

These  lands  lie  at  gravel  pitte. 

Acres. 

Acres. 

To  John  Stone 

9 

John  Wood 

4 

Nathaniel  Treadavvay 

16i 

William  Ward 

8 

Henry  Curtys 

4 

John  Freeman 

13 

John  Reddicke 

9* 

Solomon  Johnson 

11 

Edmond  Rice 

9 

John  Knight 

6 

Edmond  Goodenough 

7* 

Upon  the  south  side 

of  the 

land  last  above  written. 

Acres. 

Acres. 

Brian  Pendleton 

38 

Widow  Hunt 

4* 

Walter  Haynes  and  John 

John  Bent 

23 

Haynes 

67 

John  Maynard 

9 

Edmond  Goodenough 

11 

Thomas  Jslyn 

4£ 

John  Goodenough 

9 

Andrew  Belcher 

14 

William  Kerly 

10 

Thomas  Goodnough 

8£ 

Robert  Beast 

8 

Mr.  Noyse 

53 

Thomas  Noyse 

17i 

William  Brown 

18 

John  Waterman 

12 

Thomas  Brown 

29 

Walter  Haynes 

22 

Anthony  Whyte 

10£ 

Bryan  Pendleton 

18 

Thomas  Cakbread 

44 

John  Blandford 

17 

John  Parmenter  Sr 

19i 

Edmond  Rice 

25 

Henry  Loker 

8 

John  Howe 

8 

John  Goodnough 

8 

Robert  Darnill 

18 

John  Wood 

Hi 

Henry  Prentiss 

9 

Widow  Rite 

8£ 

John  Parmenter  Jn 

9 

John  Loker 

6i 

Richard  Newton 

6* 

"  Peter  Noyse,  Bryan  Pendleton,  Edmond  Rice,   Walter 
Haynes,  Edmund  Goodnough." 


116  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

Such  are  some  of  the  larger  land  divisions  recorded  in  the 
earlier  days  of  the  town,  and  before  the  division  of  the  new- 
grant  on  the  west  side.  Other  divisions  took  place  as  the 
years  went  by.  Not  only  the  meadows  but  the  uplands 
were  parcelled  out  and  apportioned,  some  for  public  use, 
some  to  the  early  grantees,  and  some  to  individuals  in  return 
for  value  or  service. 

In  1642  an  addition  of  upland  was  made  "  in  acres  accord- 
ing to  the  1st  and  2ond  divisions  of  meadows  granted  unto 
them  by  the  rule  of  their  estate  ;  and  Peter  Noyes,  Bryan 
Pendleton,  George  Munnings,  Edmund  Rice  and  Edmund 
Goodenow  were  to  have  power  to  lay  out  the  3d  division  at 
their  discretion." 

In  1678  John  Loker  was  to  have  for  a  house  and  some 
land  which  the  town  desired  of  him  for  the  minister,  and 
which  was  situated  just  west  of  the  meeting-house,  "  twenty 
pounds  of  money  of  New  England,  and  also  forty  acres  of 
land  on  the  west  side  of  the  great  river  of  Sudbury,  in  some 
place  of  the  common  land,  that  he,  the  said  John  Loker,  shall 
choose,  near  to  that  called  the  World's  End.  Only  it  is  to 
be  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  highway,  that  there  leads  from 
Pantry  Bridge  to  Concord,  and  lieth  also  on  the  north  side  of 
the  Pantry  and  Gulf  meadows." 

Rev.  Mr.  Sherman,  also,  about  the  same  time,  was  to  have 
"  six  acres  of  common  upland,  being  on  the  back  side  of  the 
town,  at  the  end  of  Smith  field ;  and  also  six  acres  of  meadow 
ground,  some  where  out  of  the  common  meadows  of  this 
town."  He  was  also  to  pasture  his  cattle  on  the  common 
lands,  and  have  firewood  and  timber  from  them. 

These  records  show  that  a  variety  and  abundance  of  terri- 
tory was  at  the  disposal  of  the  town  as  late  as  towards  the 
last  of  the  seventeenth  century ;  but  years  after  the  town 
had  ceased  to  apportion  undivided  lands  to  the  inhabitants, 
and  the  original  grantees  were  all  or  nearly  all  dead,  there 
existed  a  portion  of  territory  owned  and  controlled  by  par- 
ties who  were  called  in  their  record  book  "  ye  Proprietors  of 
ye  Common  and  undivided  land  in  Sudbury."  These  pro- 
prietors based  their  claim  to  this  property  on  the  transferred 
ownership  and  right  of  the  original  grantees.    These  proprie- 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  117 

tors  met  at  times  far  along  into  the  eighteenth  century.  They 
kept  a  record  of  their  meetings,  transacted  business  in  an 
orderly  way,  and  determined  matters  by  majority  vote.  By 
their  records  we  learn  that  they  sold  and  gave  away  lands, 
discontinued  and  laid  out  highways,  and  allowed  territory  to 
the  town  for  public  purposes.  About  the  beginning  of  the 
eighteenth  century  the  persons  making  up  this  proprietary, 
as  given  in  their  records,  are  as  follows :  — 

Thomas  Frink,  John  Allen, 

Win,  Jennison,  Jonas  Barnard, 

Peter  Jennison,  Joseph  Noyes, 

David  Haynes,  John  Grout, 

Peter  Haynes,  Jonathan  Rice, 

Samuel  Wright,  John  Adams, 

Widow  Blandford,  John  Parmenter, 

Jonas  Rice,  Elisha  Rice, 

Caleb  Jonson,  Nathaniel  Rice, 

Samuel  Howe,  Samuel  Graves, 
Attorney  for  Mr.  Ed.  Pelham,     Jonathan  Grout, 

Thomas  Reed,  Benjamin  Parmenter, 

John  Smith,  James  Reed, 

Thomas  Godfrey,  John  Long, 

Joseph  Moore,  John  Loker, 

Benjamin  Moore,  John  Haynes, 

Jonathan  Griffin,  Hopestill  Bent, 

Thomas  Brown,  Thomas  Brown,  Jr. 

The  names  of  the  proprietors  changed  as  the  years  passed 
by.  They  held  their  meetings  at  a  private  residence,  and 
one  house  is  designated  on  their  records  as  the  place  where 
they  convened  for  years.  Their  lands  were  widely  scattered 
throughout  the  town,  and  were  divided  sometimes  by  lot. 
When  a  difference  existed  that  was  not  settled  among  them- 
selves, they  referred  the  matter  to  others.  In  1705  a  com- 
mittee, consisting  of  Edward  Goffe,  Joseph  Noyes  and  Joseph 
Sherman,  were  chosen  by  the  proprietors  for  the  adjustment 
of  matters  relating  to  their  division,  and  the  following  is  the 
report,  Sudbury,  March  15,  1705  :  — 


118  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

"  We  whose  names  are  underwritten  being  chosen  as  a 
committee  by  the  Proprietors  of  the  Common  Land  in  Sud- 
bury to  adjust  and  settle  the  difference  between  persons 
drawing  their  rights  in  the  division  of  common  land  either 
by  rate  or  by  meadow  Ave  the  subscribers  do  agree  that  he 
that  hath  right  in  the  common  land  by  his  meadow  and 
chooses  to  draw  by  his  rate  our  opinion  is  that  every  person 
who  hath  a  right  in  ye  common  by  virtue  of  his  meadow  and 
chooses  to  draw  by  his  rate  made  in  the  year  1655  that  two 
shillings  in  sd  rate  shall  be  equal  in  proportion  with  ye  right 
of  one  acre  of  meadow  provided  the  rate  did  arise  upon  their 
own  proper  estate. 

"Edward  Noyes,  Joseph  Noyes,  Joseph  Sherman." 

Thus  at  an  early  date  was  the  land  tract  first  assigned  by 
the  Colonial  Court  for  the  settlement  apportioned  and  set 
apart  for  private  and  public  purposes.  Little,  doubtless,  did 
those  early  inhabitants  conceive  of  the  changed  condition 
that  a  century  would  bring  forth.  Little  did  they  think  that 
their  meadow  paths  would  become  county  roads,  and  their 
cow  commons  the  site  of  thriving  villages. 

A  few  specimens  of  the  proprietors'  records  may  serve  to 
show  something  of  the  character  and  doings  of  "  ye  Proprie- 
tors of  ye  Common  and  Undivided  lands  of  Sudbury  :  "  — 

"  Sudbury,  Janary  ye  15th  1705. 

"Att  a  meeting  of  The  Proprietors  of  ye  Common  and 
undivided  Land  In  Sudbury  Tho  Browne  was  Chosen  mod- 
erator To  Gary  on  ye  work  of  Sd  Day  By  a  vote  of  ye  Pro- 
prietors of  The  Common  and  undivided  Land  in  Sudbury 
Thomas  Frink  was  Chosen  and  Sworn,  at  ye  above  sd  meet- 
ing, To  Perform  ye  office  of  a  Clark  for  ye  proprietor  as  above 
sd.     By  Thomas  Brown  Justes  of  ye  peace. 

"Att  ye  above  sd  meeting,  voted  yl  ye  proprietors  of  ye  Com- 
mon and  undivided  land  In  Sudbury  will  Lay  out  all  or  part 
of  Their  undivided  Lands  In  Sudbury.  Att  ye  above  sd 
meeting  voted  yl  Samuell  King  **  Graves  William  Jenison 
Are  Chosen  a  Commitey  to  prosecute  Those  y'  have  or  Shall 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  119 

Traspass  In  falling  of  wood  or  timber  on  our  undivided 
lands." 

"  Sudbury,  febuaiy  13th  1707-8. 

"  Upon  the  Consideration  of  the  Great  Strip  and  waste  of 
ye  wood  and  timber  In  the  Comon  or  undivided  Land  In 
Sudbury,  and  in  an  espesiall  manner  In  the  Lands  called  the 
Cow  Comons,  for  the  prevention  hereof  we  the  Commetey 
hereafter  named  Doe  notefy  the  Proprietors  of  said  Common 
or  undivided  Land,  to  meet  at  the  House  of  Susanna  Blan- 
ford  on  tuesday  the  24th  of  this  Instant,  feburary  at  ten  of 
the  Clock  on  said  Da}',  then  and  there  to  take  sum  speedy 
Care  for  the  prevention  thereof,  By  Laying  out  said  Lands 
Either  part  of  it  or  the  whole,  Either  In  said  Cow  Commons 
or  without  the  Cow  commons :  or  any  other  Business  said 
Proprietors  shall  see  cause  to  act  or  Doe  when  meet  on  said 
Day." 

"  Sudbury  October  24th,  1710  at  a  meeting  of  ye  Proprie- 
tors Of  ye  Common  and  undivided  Land  in  Sudbury  which 
meeting  was  by  adjournment  from  Sept  19  1710  Cap  John 
Goodenow  Petitioning  to  ye  Proprietors  to  buy  of  Them  one 
acre  of  land  in  sudbury  on  ye  west  side  of  The  River  being 
ye  point  of  Land  between  ye  road  y'  Leads  to  Marlborough 
Northerly:  and  to  Lanham  southerly  And  Esterly  of  ye  Land 
of  Thomas  Brintnall  without  any  violation  to  Her  Majesa 
Highways  on  every  side." 

"  Sudbury  February  16  17\l  At  a  meeting  of  }'e  Proprie- 
tors Of  the  Common  and  undivided  Land  in  Sudbury  which 
meeting  was  by  adjorunment  from  January  12 :  1712-13. 
Said  Proprietors  by  a  vote  Granted  to  John  Brooks  and  his 
wife  During  Their  Natural  Lives  having  a  small  Hous  on 
the  same  And  is  Fenced  in  :  :  Shall  be  and  Remaine  for 
Ever  for  the  use  of  the  poor  To  be  ordered  and  Disposed  of 
by  the  selectmen  of  Sudbury  for  ye  use  and  Benefit  of  the 
poor.  Likewise  said  Proprietors  Granted  yl  There  should 
be  so  much  Land  Added  to  this  Land  as  to  make  ye  same 

seven  acres  of  the  Land  near  or  adjoining  to  ye  same 

Likewise  ye  Proprietors  Granted  that  There  should  be  Two 
Acres  of  Land  added  to  the  Donation  of  Ensign  Peter  Noyes 


120  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

to  the  Town  of  Sudbury  for  the  use  of  the  poor.  The  said 
Two  Acres  to  be  Laid  out  as  said  David  Hayns  shall  Judge 
most  conveniant  Joyning  to  said  Donation.  Likewise  said 
Proprietors  Granted  that  There  shall  be  a  further  Addition 
to  }re  above  said  Donation  of  Ensign  Noyes  and  Impowered 
sarj  David  Hayns  to  lay  out  so  much  Land  as  he  shall  think 
needful  for  flowing  and  in  larging  the  mill  pond." 

"Sudbury  May  25th  1713.  At  a  Meeting  of  ye  Proprie- 
tors of  the  Common  and  undivided  Land  in  Sudbury  which 
Meeting  was  by  Adjournment  from  March  The  23:  1713 
The  Proprietors  Chosen  and  Impowered  The  Comitte  here- 
after Named  To  view  and  lay  out  Two  Conveniant  Training 
places  or  Fields  in  said  Sudbury  and  on  each  side  ye  River 
where  it  may  Be  most  Conveniant  and  the  Comitte  are  to 
agree  with  any  prson  or  prsons  yl  owneth  ye  Land  y*  is  most 
Convenient  for  said  Training  places  if  Land  may  not  Con- 
veniently be  found  for  said  uses  in  ye  said  undivided  Land 
in  said  Sudbury:  the  Comitte  are  Capt  Brown  Capt  Hayns 
Leiut  Frink  Leiut  Hayns  Ens  Noyes  Ens  John  Balcom 
Quartr  Brintnal  Quarf  Carter  ye  Major  part  of  said  Comitte 
are  Impowered  to  act  in  said  affair  and  to  make  Return  of 
Their  Doings  in  it  to  ye  Proprietors  at  their  next  meeting  : 
Likewise  the  Proprietors  Adjourned  their  meeting  to  the 
14  Day  Septemb  1713  to  be  at  ye  hous  of  Mrs  Susan  ah 
Blanford  in  said  Sudbury  at  Twelve  of  ye  clock  Noon  on 
said  Day." 

At  a  meeting  "of  ye  Proprietors  of  The  Common  and  undi- 
vided Land  in  Sudbury  on  June  ye  14:  1714  =  said  Pro- 
prietors by  a  vote  Granted  yl  the  Land  Layd  out  on  ye  East 
side  of  ye  River  in  said  Sudbury  for  a  Training  Field  shall 
Lye  for  ye  use  aforesaid  for  ever  according  to  ye  Plott  and 
return  of  ye  Comitte  :  :  Said  Proprietors  at  said  meeting  by 
a  vote  Adjourned  their  meeting  untill  Monday  the  28  of  this 
Instant  June  at  Twelve  of  ye  Clock  noon  of  said  Day:  to  be 
at  ye  Hous  of  Mrs  Susanah  Blanford  in  said  Sudbury." 

The  proprietors,  at  a  meeting  on  April  5,  1715,  "  granted 
by  a  vote  to  Ens  John  Noyes  a  Liberty  To  fence  in  the  old 
burying  place  but  yet  ye  said  Noyes  his  heirs  and  assigns  are 
for  ever  prohibited  and  hindered  from  breaking  up  said  bury- 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  121 

ing  Place  or  seting  up  any  building  on  the  same  it  being  kept 
and  reserved  for  burying  ground. 

"Peter  Hayns,  Moderator." 

"  Sudbury  July  1715  :  Upon  The  Desire  of  John  Rice  Jun 
yt  he  might  have  a  high  way  from  his  hous  into  the  Country 
road  To  pass  to  meeting  Market  &  Mill  &c:  we  the  Sub- 
scribers being  Apointed  by  the  Proprietors  &c  for  The 
Squadron  have  Layd  out  an  Open  high  way  of  Two  rods 
wide  Beginning  at  the  said  Rice  Land  near  his  Barn  on  the 
south  Side  To  ye  road  that  leads  To  Framingham,  and 
marked  Trees  runing  from  where  we  began  The  Cow  Comon 
Land  To  Ensig"  Jonathan  Rices  Lot,  so  runing  through  that 
to  The  South  east  Corner  of  Mathew  Gibbs  his  field,  and  so 
along  by  his  fence  to  the  road  upon  Lanham  Plain,  and  the 
said  Jonathan  Rice  being  present  Did  Agree,  Provided  the 
Proprietors  would  make  him  Allowance  And  he  would  have 
his  Allowances  Upon  the  Gravel  Hill  by  his  hous. 

44  Benjmin  Moor,  )  „     . 

44  Sam- Wright,  jComitte' 

14  Sudbury  February  26:  1716:  17:  at  a  meeting  of  ye  Pro- 
prietors of  the  Comon  and  undivided  Land  in  Sudbury  by 
adjournment  from  December  18:  1716  voted  by  the  Proprie- 
tors that  they  will  have  another  Addition  as  big  as  their 
Division  first  Layd  out  in  the  Comon  and  undivided  Land 
in  Sudbury.  And  that  they  will  draw  lots  who  shall  be  ye 
first  and  so  successively  till  all  the  Lots  are  Drawn  Pitched 
and  Layd  out  and  if  any  Proprietor  after  notice  given  him 
by  the  Surveyor  or  Chain  ...  By  ye  Comittes  order  or  ye 
Committe  To  pitch  their  Lots  Doe  neglect  or  refuse  to  Doe 
the  same,  and  not  pitch  Their  Lot  or  Lots  in  the  space  of 
Twenty  four  hours  after  notice  given :  That  then  the  Comitte 
shall  pitch  It  and  the  surveyors  shall  proceed  to  the  next 
Lot  or  Lots  every  man  paying  the  charge  before  any  Record 
be  made  of  it." 

44  The  proprietors  voted  that  there  shall  be  a  Burying 
place  Layd  out  on  the  west  side  of  The  River  of  one  acre 
and  a  half  in  ye  most  Convenient  Place :  Cap1  Hayns  Mr 
Peter  Hayns  Sarj  Benj  Moors  Lt  Hayns  Corp1  Nathanel  Rice 


122  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

are   the    Comitte    Chosen    by  the   Proprietors   to    Doe    this 
work."' 

"At  a  meeting  of  the  proprietors  held  1717  At  the  house 
of  Mrs.  Susannah  Blanford  there  is  the  following  record  of 
roads  granted  to  be  laid  out.  Highway  laid  out  in  the  south 
squadron  on  ye  West  Side  of  The  River  in  Sudbury  Aprill 
1715  by  us  the  Subscribers  A  highway  from  ye  Country 
road  To  Blandford's  pond  of  four  rods  wide  beginning 
Between  Sam11  wrights  and  Joseph  Goodnows  and  so  by 
Lt  Thomas  Brintnalls  hous  and  so  by  Brookss  and  over 
green  hill  and  over  Pinners  wash  to  ye  Said  Pond  marked 
as  the  path  now  runs  and  So  to  be  Lye  and  continue.  The 
said  highway  to  run  up  to  the  Thirty  rod  highway  at  the 
new  grants  This  Said  highway  to  be  held  four  rod  wide  and 
at  Benj  wrights  land  bounded  by  said  Land  and  by  wrights 
land  where  it  toucheth  :  :  Also  a  highway  out  of  said  High- 
way into  Lancaster  Road  beginning  on  ye  North  end  of  Green 
hill  so  running  Down  to  Noah  Claps  Land  on  the  nor  west 
corner  as  the  path  now  goes  by  the  Land  of  Benj  Moor  as 
the  path  goes  to  Long  meadow  brook  Between  ye  land  of 
said  Moor  from  thence  as  the  path  goes  to  the  lower  end  of 
south  meadow  into  Lancaster  road  holding  four  rods  wide 
through  ;  and  marked  trees  all  along :  Also  a  highway  from 
Brooks3  Hous  into  the  mill  path  and  so  over  Goodmans  Hill 
as  the  path  goes  the  Said  road  to  be  a  bridle  road  through 
Lt  Thorn5  Brintnells  Land  by  Brooks  s  for  People  to  pas  and 
repass  with  horse  and  team  without  molestation  or  interrup- 
tion with  opening  and  shutting  gates  after  Them :  not  being- 
allowed  to  Cutt  any  wood  within  said  Brintalls  Land  or 
fences :  and  to  be  an  open  road  then  to  the  end  running  as 
the  path  goes  By  the  Land  of  Benj  Moor  unto  the  Mill  Path 
and  to  the  corner  of  Thomas  Plympton  Land  and  so  over 
Goodmans  Hill." 

Such  are  some  of  "ye  Proprietors'  "  records  that  have  date 
after  1700.  But  a  few  specimens  have  been  selected  from 
the  scores  of  pages  contained  in  their  book.  As  the  pro- 
prietors held  their  meetings  several  times  in  a  year,  and  met 
occasionally  more  than  once  a  month,  their  records  consid- 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  123 

erably  accumulated  as  time  passed  by.  In  the  present,  we 
hear  little  or  nothing  of  "  ye  Proprietors'  "  acts  ;  tradition  is 
silent  concerning  them  ;  but  old  bridle-ways  and  cart-paths, 
that  may  be  marked  by  fallen  or  moss-covered  walls,  were 
first  traced,  it  may  be,  by  "ye  Proprietors'"  committee,  as 
they  laid  out  a  right-of-way  to  some  ancient  meadow  lot,  or 
to  some  wood-land  just  divided  up.  Though  the  farm  boy 
knows  little  of  the  lane  to  the  pasture  bars,  except  that  the 
herd  pass  along  it,  and  the  farmer  little  of  the  history  of  his 
familiar  home,  yet  "ye  Proprietors"  may  have  determined 
the  locality  of  both  homestead  and  lane  at  a  meeting  held  at 
Susannah  Blanford's,  where  they  Ave  re  accustomed  to  meet. 
The  old  oak  left  alone  on  the  hillside,  or  that  midway  stands 
on  the  plain,  may  have  been  "  blazed  "  by  strokes  of  the  pro- 
prietors' axe,  and  served  as  a  boundary  of  some  new  allot- 
ment. Thus,  though  no  chronicler  may  trace  out  their  ways, 
nor  map  off  their  ancient  domain,  various  farms  in  the  town 
contain  more  or  less  of  the  many  broad  acres  of  "ye  Proprie- 
tors' Common  and  undivided  lands." 

After  the  divisions  of  the  toAvn  land,  care  Avas  taken  to 
have  them  duly  recorded.  This  is  indicated  by  the  following 
record  from  the  Toavii  Book  :  — 

"  In  a  public  toAvn  meeting,  Avarned  for  the  examination  of 
the  record  of  land  according  to  the  town  grant,  which  thing 
Avas  duly  performed,  all  the  record  both  first  and  last,  respect- 
ing the  town  grant  to  the  inhabitants,  were  published  read 
and  approved  ;  and  hereupon  the  toAvn  ordered,  that  any 
Inhabitant  should  have  liberty  to  repair  to  Hugh  Griffin  our 
town  clerk,  Avho  upon  their  desire,  shall  Avithin  three  days 
space,  give  them  a  true  copy  of  the  record  of  such  land  as 
they  have  record  of  in  the  town  book  under  his  hand  Avhich 
shall  be  a  correct  title,  they  pa}dng  the  clerk  for  his  service." 

It  Avas  not  only  a  privilege  to  have  a  record  of  lands  pre- 
served, but  at  an  early  date  it  Avas  made  compulsory.  In 
1641  it  Avas  ordered  that  all  Avho  had  land  laid  out  should 
bring  in  a  copy  of  it,  that  it  might  be  recorded  by  the  tAven- 
tieth  day  of  September;  and,  for  neglecting  to  do  this,  twenty 
shillings  Avere  to  be  forfeited. 


124  HISTORY   OF    SUDBURY. 

We  do  not  propose  to  engage  in  the  work  of  locating  each 
allotment  of  land;  this  could  not  be  done  in  many  instances, 
and,  if  undertaken,  would  be  liable  to  mistakes,  so  often 
did  property  change  hands  in  those  days.  Moreover,  the 
boundary  marks  that  were  made  use  of  oftentimes  were  of  a 
transient  or  changeable  character,  which,  though  familiar  to 
the  people  of  that  generation,  are  now  wholly  obliterated. 
For  example  :  — 

"•Here  folio  we  th  the  line  of  the  new  grants  with  the  mark. 
1  a  black  oak  2  a  white  oak,  3  a  black  oak  4  a  black  oak 
dead  5  a  walnut  tree,  6  a  white  oak  near  Jethro's  field,  7  a 
lone  red  oak,  [8]  in  a  swamp  a  dead  [red]  oak,  9  a  white 
ash  tree  in  a  run  of  water,  10  a  naked  pine  tree  on  rocky 
hill,  11  a  chestnut,  12  a  white  oak,  13  a  white  oak,  14  a 
white  oak,  15  is  a  dead  black  oak  stands  at  the  westerly 
corner  with  a  heap  of  stones  at  the  root  of  the  tree. 

"  John  Goodnow  in  the  name  of  the  rest  who  went 
last  on  parambulation." 

(Date  1640.) 

While  the  early  land  divisions  were  being  made,  reserva- 
tions were  also  made  of  lands  for  pasturage,  which  it  was 
understood  were  to  remain  undivided.  These  lands  were 
called  "Cow  Commons,"  and  the  record  of  them  explains 
their  use.  The  first  was  laid  out  or  set  apart  the  26th  of 
November,  1643,  and  was  on  the  east  side  of  the  river.  The 
record  concerning  the  location  is  as  follows :  — 

"  It  is  concluded  by  the  town  that  all  the  lands  south- 
ward that  lie  from  the  southeast  corner  of  the  house-lot 
of  Robert  Darnill,  unto  the  common  cartbridge  going  to 
Edmund  Goodnow's  meadow,  and  so  upon  a  strait  line  to 
Watertown  bound,  which  lands  so  granted,  for  a  cow  com- 
mon, shall  never  be  reserved  or  laid  down  without  the  con- 
sent of  every  Inhabitant  that  hath  right  in  commonage.  All 
the  lands  we  say  that  are  contained  within  these  terms,  that 
is  between  the  houselot  of  Robert  Darnill  and  the  cartbridge 
before  specified,  southward  within  the  five  miles  bound  first 
granted,  down  to  the  great  river,  and  bounded  on  the  side 


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HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  125 

which  the  extremity  of  our  line  bounding  Watertown  and 
Sudbury,  all  our  land  contained  within  these  terms  except  all 
such  land  as  have  been  granted  out  in  particular,  that  is  to 
say  a  neck  of  upland  lying  between  mill  brook  and  Pine 
brook,  also  another  neck  of  land  with  the  flat  belonging  to 
it  lying  between  the  aforesaid  neck  and  the  great  river  on 
the  other  side,  also  another  plat  of  land  that  lieth  westward 
from  them,  containing  some  3  or  4  score  acres  and  granted 
out  to  particular  men. 

"  The  Inhabitants  of  the  town  are  to  be  limited  and  sized, 
in  the  putting  in  of  cattle  upon  the  said  commoYt  in  propor- 
tion according  to  the  quantity  of  meadow  the  said  inhabi- 
tants are  stated  in  upon  the  division  of  the  meadow,  or  shall 
be  instated  in  by  purchase  hereafter,  provided  they  buy  with 
the  meadow  the  liberty  of  commonage  alloted  to  such  a  quan- 
tity of  acres  as  shall  be  purchased. 

"  Bryan  Pendleton,     Walter  Hayne, 
"  Peter  Noyes,  William  Ward, 

"John  Wood,  Thomas  Jslyn, 

"  Edmund  Goodnow,     Thomas  Goodnow, 
"  John  Reddicke." 

It  is  somewhat  difficult  to  define  the  bounds  of  this  cow 
common  exactly  from  the  description  given  in  the  records, 
but  the  following  may  be  considered  its  general  outline : 
From  Weston  bound  direct  to  Wayland  centre,  thence  west 
of  south  to  the  river,  and  thence  again  direct  to  Weston 
bound. 

The  cow  common  on  the  west  side  was  reserved  in  1647, 
and  is  thus  described  in  the  Town  Book:  — 

"  It  is  ordered  by  the  town  that  there  shall  be  a  cow  com- 
mon laid  out  on  the  west  side  of  the  river  to  remain  in  per- 
petuity, with  all  the  upland  within  these  bounds,  that  is  to 
say,  all  the  upland  that  lies  within  the  bound  that  goes  from 
Bridle  point  through  Hopp  meadow,  and  so  to  the  west  line, 
in  the  meadow  of  Walter  Hayne,  and  all  the  upland  within 
the  gulf  and  the  pantre  brook  to  the  uper  end  of  the  meadow 
of  Robert  Darnill,  and  from  thence  to  the  west  line,  as  it 
shall   be  bounded   by  some   men   appointed   by  the   town, 


126  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

except  it  be  such  lands  as  are  due  to  men  already,  and 
shall  be  laid  out  according  to  the  time  appointed  by  the 
town.  Walter  Hayne  and  John  Groute  are  appointed  to 
bound  the  common,  from  Goodman  Darnill's  meadow  to  the 
west  line." 

The  territory  which  was  comprised  in  this  common  may 
be  outlined,  very  nearly,  by  the  Massachusetts  Central  Rail- 
road on  the  south,  the  Old  Colony  Railroad  on  the  west, 
Pantry  Brook  on  the  north,  and  the  river  on  the  east.  It 
will  be  noticed  that  these  two  commons  included  most  of  the 
hilly  portions  of  the  town,  on  both  sides  of  the  river;  and  it 
was  doubtless  the  design  of  the  settlers  to  reserve  for  com- 
mon pasturage  these  lands,  because  less  adapted  to  easy  cul- 
tivation. But  in  process  of  time  they  ceased  to  be  held  in 
reserve.  More  or  less  controversy  subsequently  arose  about 
what  was  known  as  "  sizing  the  commons,"  and  by  the  early 
part  of  the  next  century  they  were  all  divided  up  and  appor- 
tioned to  the  inhabitants  ;  and  now  over  the  broad  acres  of 
those  ancient  public  domains  are  scattered  pleasant  home- 
steads and  fertile  farms,  and  a  large  portion  of  three  consid- 
erable villages,  namely,  Sudbury,  South  Sudbury,  and  Way- 
land  Centre. 

Beside  the  reservation  of  territory  for  common  pasturage, 
lands  were  laid  out  "for  the  use  of  the  ministry."  Two 
such  tracts  were  laid  out  on  each  side  of  the  river,  consist- 
ing of  both  meadow  and  upland,  which  were  let  out  to  indi- 
viduals, the  income  derived  therefrom  going  towards  the 
minister's  salary.  The  lands  that  were  situated  on  the  west 
side  have  passed  from  public  to  private  possession,  being 
sold  in  1817  for  $3,200.98. 

Various  other  portions  of  land  were  reserved  for  public 
use.  In  1647  fifty  acres  of  upland  about  Hop  Brook  Meadow 
(South  Sudbury),  "near  the  cart-path  that  goes  over  the 
brook,"  was  "  to  be  reserved  for  the  use  of  the  town  when 
they  shall  set  a  mill  upon  it."  (See  period  1650-75.) 
Lands  situated  in  various  places  were  assigned  for  general 
planting  fields.  (See  Chapter  VIII.)  A  training  field  was 
laid  out  in  1640,  consisting  of  about  nine  acres,  near  the 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  127 

present  Abel  Gleason  estate,  a  portion  of  it  lying  southerly 
of  Mr.  Gleason's  house.  And  the  same  year  there  was 
reserved  in  the  space  enclosed  by  the  first  streets,  and  lying 
in  the  direction  of  Mill  Brook  or  the  present  Concord  and 
Way  land  highway  a  common  pasture  "for  working  oxen." 

Besides  the  reservations  thus  made,  there  were  small  tracts 
set  apart  for  timber  lands  or  other  public  purposes.  In  1642 
three  swamps  were  reserved ;  "  one  back  of  the  house  [lot] 
of  Walter  Haynes,  and  by  a  fresh  pond ;  "  "  another  lying 
under  the  north  side  of  a  hill  called  Long  Hill  lying  towards 
Concord;"  and  "another  swamp  that  butteth  against  Con- 
cord line  ;  also  these  swamps  are  reserved  in  common  for  the 
use  of  the  inhabitants." 

April  5,  1662,  it  was  "  ordered  that  the  town  of  Sudbury 
will  keep  the  said  one  hundred  and  thirty  acres  of  land 
which  the  said  Thomas  Noyes  did  lay  down  at  Doescine 
Hill  [Doeskin  Hill,  Nobscot  District]  to  be  a  peculiar  store 
of  timber  for  the  use  of  the  town.  Also  voted  that  no 
inhabitant  of  Sudbury  whatsoever  shall  fell  any  tree  or  trees 
whatsoever  growing  upon  the  said  one  hundred  and  thirty 
acres  at  Doescine  Hill  upon  the  forfeiture  of  19s.  a  tree." 
In  1685  the  town  ordered  that  there  should  be  "  a  piece  of 
ten  or  a  dozen  acres  of  the  best  timber  land  at  or  about 
Goodman's  Hill  for  a  reserve  for  timber  for  the  town's  only 
use." 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

Miscellaneous.  —  Laws  Concerning  Domestic  Animals,  Birds,  Wolves, 
Ammunition  and  Fire-arms.  —  Common  Planting  Fields.  —  Fence 
Viewers  and  Fences  — Staple  Crops.  —  Meadow  Grass;  Abundance, 
Time  and  Price  of  Cutting,  Measures  for  Improving. —  Mode  of 
Travel.  —  Staking   the  Causeway.  —  Climate.  —  Rain  and  Snow  Fall. 

—  Occasion  of  Floods.  —  Breaking  Out  Roads.  —  Care  of  the  Poor. — 
Laws  for  the  Prevention  of  Poverty  Enacted  by  the  Town  ;  by  the 
Province.  —  Town  Action  for  the  Encouragement  of  Industry.  — 
Education. —  Morality. —  Instruction  in  the  Use  of  Fire-arms. — 
Tything-men.  —  Stocks.  —  Lecture  Day. —  Fasts.  —  Baptism  of  In- 
fants.—  Laws  Relating  to  Labor. —  Payments  Often  Made  in  Produce. 

—  Negroes  Bought  and  Sold.  —  Copy  of  Bill  of  Sale.  —  Schedule  of 
Inhabitants  a  Century  and  a  Half  Ago  — Respect  Shown  by  the  Use 
of  Titles;  by  Gratulation  ;  by  Seating  in  the  Meeting-House.  —  Care- 
ful of  Dues. —  Precaution  Against  Fire. —  Borrowing  Canoes. — 
Board  of   the   Representatives. —  Peculiar  Names  of    Places. 

For  the  structure  that  we  raise, 

Time  is  with  materials  filled; 
Our  to-days  and  yesterdays 

Are  the  blocks  with  which  we  build. 

Longfellow. 

In  early  colonial  days,  and  also  later  in  the  provincial 
period,  laws  were  enacted  and  customs  existed  that  now 
look  curious  and  quaint.  These  laws  and  customs  were  the 
result,  not  only  of  the  characteristic  ways  of  the  people,  but 
also  of  the  condition  and  circumstances  of  the  country  and 
the  times.  These  changed,  new  rules  and  practices  came 
into  use  ;  and,  as  we  become  accustomed  to  them,  the  old 
look  far  distant,  as  if  belonging  to  another  race.  It  is  our 
purpose  in  the  present  chapter  to  relate  some  of  these  cus- 
toms, usages  and  laws,  and  also  to  give  an  account  of  some 
incidental  matters  that  belong  not  only  to  this  but  to  subse- 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  129 

quent  periods.  To  do  this  by  grouping  them  in  a  single 
chapter  will  make  less  of  a  break  in  the  narrative  than  to 
mention  them  in  chronological  order  as  we  proceed  with  this 
work. 

LAWS    RELATING   TO   DOMESTIC    ANIMALS. 

In  1641  it  was  ordered  that  "  every  one  that  keeps  any 
hogs  more  than  his  own  within  one  fortnight  after  this  day 
shall  rid  them  out  of  this  town  only  that  for  every  hog 
that  shall  be  taken  in  to  be  kept  by  any  won  more  than  his 
own  for  every  week  shall  pay  five  shillings."  In  1643  it  was 
ordered  "  that  every  inhabitant  should  drive  out  his  hog 
every  morning  into  the  wood,  and  when  they  come  home  at 
night  to  see  them  shut  up  safe  or  else  if  they  be  about  the 
street  to  ring  and  yoke  them."  In  1643  it  was  voted  in  town 
meeting,  "  that  every  swine  that  shall  be  found  of  any  man 
out  of  his  own  properity  without  a  sufficient  yoke  and  ring, 
after  the  first  of  March  next,  the  owner  thereof  shall  forfeit 
for  every  swine  so  taken  one  shilling,  and  if  the  swine  be 
yoked  and  not  ringed  or  ringed  and  not  yoked,  then  six 
pence  for  any  swine  so  taken,  beside  all  the  damage  done  by 
any  such  swine."  It  was  also  "  agreed  that  all  yokes  should 
be  under  the  throat  of  the  swine,  and  so  long  as  the  swine 
was  high  and  a  rope  go  up  on  each  side  to  be  fastened  above, 
and  that  swine  should  not  be  accounted  sufficiently  ringed  if 
they  could  root." 

In  1643  it  was  "ordered  by  the  freemen  of  the  town  that 
all  the  cattle  within  this  town  shall  this  summer  not  be 
turned  abroad  without  a  keeper,  and  the  keeper  shall  not 
keep  any  of  the  herd  in  any  of  the  great  river  meadows  from 
Bridle  Point  downwards  towards  Concord,  the  intent  of  the 
order  to  preserve  the  river  meadows."  In  1655  it  was 
orderd  that  "all  young  new  weaned  calves  shall  be  herded 
all  the  summer  time." 

It  was  ordered  that  "every  goat  that  is  taken  in  any  man's 
garden,  orchard  or  green  corn  shall  be  impounded  and  the 
owner  shall  pay  for  any  such  goat  so  taken  3  pence." 

In  1754  it  was  voted  "that  a  fine  of  two  shillings  be  laid 
upon  the  owner  of  any  dog  or  dogs  that,  should  cause  and 


130  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

make  any  disturbance  at  either  of  the  meeting-houses  on  the 
Lord's  day,  or  Sabbath  day,  one  half  of  the  fine  was  to  go  to 
complainant  and  the  other  half  to  the  use  of  the  town." 

There  is  a  record  of  a  contract  made  with  William  Brown 
and  Edmund  Goodnow  for  making  a  pound.  It  was  to  be 
six  feet  or  six  and  a  half  from  the  ground  to  the  top  of  the 
upper  rail,  the  posts  a  foot  square,  with  seven  rails,  the  upper 
vail  pinned  at  each  end.  In  1664  Joseph  Noyes  was  to  keep 
the  pound,  and  to  have  "four  pence  for  every  particular 
man's  cattle  every  time  they  are  impounded."  The  only 
pound,  so  far  as  we  know,  that  within  a  few  years  belonged 
to  the  town  of  Sudbury,  was  situated  at  the  northeast  corner 
of  the  Sudbury  Centre  old  burying-ground. 

In  1647  the  town  mark  ordered  by  "  ye  General  Co'te  for 
Horses  to  be  set  upon  one  of  ye  nere  yrtrs"  was  "Sudberry." 
(Colony  Records,  Vol.  II.,  p.  225.) 

LAWS    CONCERNING    BIRDS. 

In  1651  it  was  ordered  by  the  town  "  that  whoso  shall 
take  pains  by  nets,  guns,  line  or  otherwise,  to  destroy  com- 
mon offensive  blackbirds,  whether  old  or  young,  that  for 
encouragement  therein,  they  shall  be  paid  for  every  dozen 
of  heads  of  those  birds  that  are  brought  to  any  public  town 
meeting,  six  pence  in  the  next  town  rate."  The  order  was 
to  continue  five  years,  and  the  birds  were  to  be  killed  in 
town  and  by  the  people  of  the  town.  The  law  for  destroy- 
ing blackbirds  as  late  as  1700  stood  thus  :  "  Voted  that  what 
Persons  of  or  belonging  to  Sudbury  shall  kill  any  old  black- 
birds from  the  29th  March  1700,  to  the  last  of  May  1700, 
shall  have  a  pennv  per  hed."  In  1654  a  person  who  killed 
a  woodpecker  or  jay  might  receive  one  penny.  The  same 
year  an  inhabitant  killing  a  fox  within  the  town  precincts 
was  allowed  one  shilling  six  pence. 

LAWS    CONCERNING   WOLVES. 

That  an  order  was  passed  relating  to  wolves  we  learn  from 
the  following  notice  of  its  repeal  in  1646:  "The  order  for 
wolves,  that  was  formerly  made  by  the  town  was  ten  shil- 
lings for  any  wolf  killed  within   this   town,  is  repealed." 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  131 

Whether  the  bounty  was  too  great,  or  the  wolves  had 
become  thinned  out,  we  know  not.  But,  though  this 
order  was  repealed,  an  order  relating  to  these  animals  was 
passed  afterwards.  In  1679  "  the  town  granted  in  addi- 
tion to  the  ten  shillings  which  the  law  gave  ten  shillings 
more,  upon  the  presentation  of  the  wolf's  head  to  the  town 
constable."  The  wolf  was  to  be  killed  in  town,  but  it  was 
ordered  that  "  all  borderers  that  paid  town  rates,  that  killed 
any  wolf  upon  their  own  lands  tho'  not  within  the  town 
lands,  should  have  the  reward."  As  this  order  was  after 
King  Philip's  war,  it  may  be  that  during  its  continuance  the 
wolves  increased.  If  some  of  the  more  exposed  estates  were 
during  that  period  abandoned,  the  wild  animals  of  the  woods 
might  have  been  left  to  a  freer  range  than  was  allowed  them 
for  a  season  before  the  war.  A  wolf  bounty  was  granted  as 
late  as  1709,  when  the  town  allowed  "any  of  ye  inhabitants 
of  Sudbury  that  kills  any  wolf  or  wolves  above  a  month  old 
within  ye  Bound  of  Sudbury  shall  have  ten  shillings  allowed 
him  or  them." 

LAWS   CONCERNING   AMMUNITION   AND   FIRE-ARMS. 

In  1653,  "The  town  appointed  Edmund  Goodnow  and 
Hugh  Griffin  to  divide  the  shot  and  overplus  of  bullets  to 
the  inhabitants,  what  was  wanting  in  shot  to  make  up  out  of 
the  overplus  of  bullets,  and  the  shot  and  bullets  to  be  divided 
to  each  man  his  due  by  proportion  according  to  what  every 
man  paid  so  near  as  they  can." 

In  1669,  "Edmund  Goodnow,  John  Parmenter,  Jr.,  and 
John  Stone  were  to  see  to  the  barrel  of  powder,  to  the  trial 
of  it,  to  the  heading  it  up  again,  and  to  take  some  course  for 
the  safe  bestowing  of  it." 

The  same  year  the  selectmen  not  only  ordered  for  the  pro- 
viding of  a  barrel  of  powder,  but  a  hundred  pounds  and  a  half 
of  musket  bullets,  and  a  quarter  of  a  hundred  of  matches. 
When  the  third  meeting-house  was  built,  it  was  ordered  that 
there  should  be  in  it  "  a  conveniant  place  for  the  storing  of 
the  ammunition  of  the  town  over  the  window  in  the  south- 
west ffable."  About  that  time  the  town's  stock  of  ammuni- 
tion  was  divided  and  intrusted  to  persons  who  would  "  engage 


132  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

to  respond  for  the  same"  in  case  that  it  was  "not  spent  in 
real  service  in  the  resistance  of  the  enemy." 

The  Colonial  Court  at  an  early  date  ordered  that  "  the 
town's  men  in  every  town  shall  order  that  ev'y  house,  or 
some  two  or  more  houses  ioyne  together  for  the  breeding 
of  salt  peetr  i'  some  out  house  used  for  poultry  or  the  like." 
The  duty  of  looking  after  this  matter  for  Sudbury  was 
assigned  to  Ensign  Cakebread.  The  saltpetre  thus  obtained 
was  for  the  manufacture  of  gunpowder.  In  1645,  Sudbury 
was  "freed  from  ye  taking  further  care  about  salt  peeter 
houses  :  :  :  in  answer  to  their  petition." 

In  1642  the  Court  made  more  stringent  the  laws  previously 
existing  against  selling  fire-arms  to  the  Indians,  exacting  a 
forfeiture  of  .£10  for  the  sale  to  them  of  a  gun,  and  £5  for  a 
pound  of  powder. 

In  1643  the  Court  ordered  "  that  the  military  officers  in 
every  town  shall  appoint  what  arms  shall  be  brought  to  the 
meeting-house  on  the  Lord's  days,  and  other  times  of  meet- 
ing, and  to  take  orders  at  farms  and  houses  remote  that 
ammunition  bee  safely  disposed  of  that  an  enemy  may  not 
possess  himself  of  them." 

COMMON    PLANTING    FIELDS. 

In  the  town's  earlier  years  it  was  the  practice  to  plant  fields 
in  common  ;  and  repeatedly  in  the  records  are  these  common 
fields  referred  to.  These  planting  places  were  situated  in  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  town  ;  between  the  old  North  and  South 
street  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Gleasons,  also  between  Mill 
Brook  and  Pine  Brook  along  "the  Plain"  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  Drapers,  and  towards  the  south  bound  of  the  town,  near 
the  new  bridge.  In  1642,  five  general  planting  fields  are 
spoken  of.  Various  reasons  suggest  themselves  for  this 
planting  in  common.  The  "plow  lands"  that  were  easily 
worked  were  comparatively  few  as  late  as  1654,  as  Johnson 
states  in  his  "  Wonder  Working  Providence."  (See  Chap.  I.) 
When  there  was  a  large  open  space  of  easy  cultivation,  it 
was  better  to  make  of  it  one  field,  that  several  might  share 
in  its  benefits.  Moreover,  these  fields  required  vigilant 
watching  to  protect  them  from  marauding  beasts  and  birds ; 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  133 

the  several  owners  of  the  crops  could  stand  guard  by  turns, 
and  so  many  hands  make  light  work ;  sometimes,  also,  it 
would  be  necessary  to  join  teams.  Besides  these  general 
fields,  there  were  also  "  men's  particular  fields." 

FENCE   VIEWERS    AND   FENCES. 

A  good  degree  of  attention  was  early  bestowed  by  the  town 
on  its  fences.  Several  surveyors  were  appointed  each  year 
to  look  after  them  ;  and  although  the  office  of  "  fence  viewer" 
has  now  gone  into  disuse,  it  was  once  one  of  considerable 
responsibility.  As  early  as  1655,  "  Surveyors  were  appointed 
to  judge  of  the  sufficiency  of  the  fences  about  men's  particu- 
lar properties  in  cases  of  damage  and  difference."  We  read 
in  the  records  that  John  Maynard  and  John  Blanford  were, 
a  certain  year,  to  attend  to  the  fences  "of  the  field  and  the 
cornfield  on  the  other  side  of  the  way  from  the  pond  to  the 
training  place."  "  Edmund  Rice  and  Thomas  Goodenow  for 
all  the  fences  of  cornfields  from  new  bridge  southward  within 
the  town  bound." 

In  1674,  "  The  work  of  fence  viewing  on  the  west  side  of 
the  river  was  assigned  to  Serjeant  :  :  Haynes,  Thomas  Reed 
and  Edward  Wright.  These  were  appointed  surveyors  of 
all  the  field  fences  on  the  west  side  of  the  great  river  of  the 
town  and  Lanham  Penobscott  new  mill."  The  persons  ap- 
pointed to  view  the  fences,  likewise,  had  power  to  enforce 
their  orders.  In  1641,  "  It  was  ordered  that  those  men  who 
were  deputed  to  look  after  the  fences  shall  have  power  to 
distrain  for  every  rod  of  fence  not  lawful,  half  a  bushel  of 
corn,  the  one-half  to  him  that  looks  to  the  fence  the  other 
half  to  the  town." 

In  1666  the  records  state  that  "  Persons  were  appointed 
surveyors  for  this  year  over  the  fields  where  Henry  Loker 
dwells,  and  the  field  fences,  where  Solomon  Johnson  dwell- 
eth."  Field  fences  are  mentioned  as  being  on  the  south  side 
of  Pine  Brook,  also  as  being  between  Mill  Brook  and  Pine 
Brook ;  also,  "  upon  the  hill  from  the  little  pond  by  the 
dwelling  house  of  John  Blanford  unto  Mill  brook."  Sev- 
eral kinds  of  fences  were  used.  One  kind  was  made  by 
ditching.     It  was  ordered,  in  1671,  "That  all  the  great  river 


134  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

meadows  shall  be  fenced,  that  is  to  say  that  all  the  proprie- 
tors of  the  great  river  meadows  shall  fence  the  heads  or  both 
ends  of  the  meadows,  and  where  it  may  be  necessary,  to  have 
a  ditch  made  from  the  upland  to  the  river  at  the  charge  of  the 
squadron  that  shall  lie  on  both  sides  of  the  said  ditch  accord- 
ing to  their  benefit."  For  the  upland,  also,  this  mode  of 
fencing  was  sometimes  used.  By  the  roadside,  about  half 
way  between  Wayland  Centre  and  the  Plain,  are  distinct 
traces  of  one  of  these  ancient  fences. 

Hedges  were  sometimes  made  use  of.  Mention  is  made  of 
fences  that  were  to  be  made  up  "  of  good  rails  well  set  three 
feet  and  one-half  high  or  otherwise  good  hedge  well  staked 
or  such  fences  as  would  be  an  equivelant  the  fences  to  be 
attended  to  by  April  1st  if  the  frost  give  leave  if  not  then 
ten  days  after."  After  a  certain  date  all  the  field  fences 
were  to  be  closed,  as  is  indicated  by  the  following :  "  It  is 
ordered,  that  all  the  fences  that  are  in  general  fields,  in  this 
town  of  Sudbury,  shall  be  shut  up  by  the  10th  May  or  else 
to  forfeit  for  every  rod  unfenced  five  shillings." 

STAPLE    CROPS. 

Some  of  the  staple  crops  were  Indian  corn,  —  sometimes 
called  by  the  one  word  "Indian,"  —  rye,  barley,  wheat,  peas 
and  oats.     Hemp  and  flax  were  also  raised. 

Hay  was  early  a  great  staple  article ;  this,  as  we  have 
noticed,  the  river  meadows  bountifully  produced.  To  such 
an  extent  did  this  crop  abound,  that  the  settlers  not  only 
kept  their  own  stock,  but  they  received  cattle  from  abroad. 
(See  Chapter  I.) 

The  time  for  cutting  the  meadow  grass  is  indicated  by  such 
statements  as  these.  When  Sergant  John  Rutter  hired  the 
Ashen  swamp  meadow,  "  he  was  to  cut  the  grass  by  the  10th 
of  July,  or  else  it  shall  be  lawful  for  any  other  man  to  cut 
the  said  meadow."  He  was  to  pay  for  it  that  year  4s.  and  6 
pence.  Such  prices  as  the  following  are  also  mentioned  :  two 
bushels  of  wheat  and  one  bushel  of  Indian  corn  for  Long 
Meadow.  Strawberry  Meadow  was  let  out  the  same  3rear, 
1667,  for  one  bushel  of  wheat ;  also  the  minister's  meadow 
in  Sedge  Meadow  was  let  out  for  eight  shillings  to  be  paid  in 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  135 

Indian  corn  ;  Ashen  Swamp  Meadow  was  let  out  the  same 
year  to  Ensign  John  Grout  for  three  shillings,  to  be  paid 
one-half  in  wheat,  the  other  in  Indian  corn.  The  meadow 
on  the  southeast  side  of  the  town  was  let  out  to  Henry  Rice 
for  a  peck  of  wheat.  These,  we  think,  were  probably  com- 
mon meadows  of  the  town,  and  let  out  from  year  to  year. 

Measures  were  taken  from  time  to  time  for  improving  the 
meadow  lands.  In  1645,  a  commission  was  granted  by  the 
colonial  authorities  (Colony  Records,  Vol.  II.,  p.  99)  "for 
ye  bttr  &  impvng  of  ye  medowe  ground  vpon  ye  ryver  running 
by  Concord  &  Sudberry."  Later,  also  in  1671,  a  levy  of 
four  pence  an  acre  was  to  be  made  "  upon  all  the  meadow 
upon  the  great  river  for  the  clearing  of  the  river ;  that  is, 
from  Concord  line  to  the  south  side,  and  to  Ensign  Grout's 
spring.*'  J 

MODE   OF   TRAVEL. 

The  travel  by  vehicle  in  those  early  times  was,  for  the 
most  part  or  wholly,  by  means  of  the  cart,  as  we  infer  from 
the  mention  of  this  term  in  connection  with  bridges  and 
ways  ;  as  Avliere  the  Court  orders  that  Sudbury  should 
make  cartways,  and  as  in  a  contract  for  a  cart-bridge  over 
the  river,  and  a  cart-bridge  at  Lanham.  This  was  probably 
a  clumsy  conveyance,  and  used  for  farm  work  and  freight, 
rather  than  for  passenger  travel. 

Travelers  probably  went  on  horseback  or  on  foot ;  in  early 
times  the  pillion  was  used,  by  which  two  could  ride  on  one 
beast.  To  keep  people  from  danger  in  passing  over  the 
causeway,  stakes  were  arranged  along  the  roadside,  and  we 
read  about  1742  of  staking  the  long  causeway  for  a  guide. 
In  1730,  the  following  article  is  found  in  a  warrant:  "To  see 
if  the  town  Avill  take  care  and  order  that  the  fences  on  the 
north  side  of  the  Long  causeway  be  taken  or  struck  down  so 
as  to  prevent  the  snow  from  drifting  thereon." 

CLIMATE. 

The  following  records  will  serve  to  indicate  the  character 
of  the  climate  at  that  period  compared  with  the  present.  It 
was  at  one  time  ordered  by  the  town  that  the  fences  should 


136  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

be  set  by  the  1st  or  the  10th  of  April.  In  1642.  "it  was 
ordered  that  no  cattle  were  to  be  found  on  the  planting  fields 
and  all  the  fences  were  to  be  up  by  March  1st." 

Tradition  says  the  snow-fall  was  formerly  greater  than  at 
present.  If  this  is  so,  the  fact  may  be  due  to  the  removal  of 
a  great  quantity  of  timber.  The  same  cause  might  also  lessen 
the  fall  of  rain.  Greater  rain-falls  and  the  retention  of  mois- 
ture in  the  vast  forest  tracts  may  have  enlarged  the  small 
streams,  and  rendered  them  more  efficient  for  mill -power 
than  they  are  now.  The  same  cause  may  have  made  exten- 
sive river  floods.  This  may  also  explain  the  fact  that  for- 
merly there  were  freshets,  notwithstanding  the  absence  of 
dams  along  the  river  course. 

But  if  the  temperature  was  ordinarily  about  the  same  as  it 
is  now,  there  were  seasons  of  unusual  severity. 

"  In  ye  year  1667  from  ye  middle  of  November  until  ye  mid- 
dle of  March  was  the  tereblest  winter  for  continuance  of  frost 
and  snow  and  extremety  of  cold  that  ever  was  remembered 
by  any  since  it  was  planted  with  English;  and  was  attended 
with  terebell  coughs  and  colds  and  fever  which  passed  many 
out  of  time  into  eternity,  and  also  through  want  and  scarcity 
of  fother  multitudes  of  sheep  and  cattle  and  other  creatures 
died.  It  is  a  duty  incumbent  on  all  those  that  call  themselves 
the  people  of  God  to  consider  his  great  works  and  the  opera- 
tions of  his  hands.  John  Goodnow   Clerk." 

"  Feb.  7,  1763.  There  has  been  no  rain  this  Winter  nor 
sence  the  snow  came,  and  the  springs  is  low  and  they  grind 
but  two  bushels  in  a  day  at  this  mill,  the  snow  is  on  a  leavil 
3  foot  and  3  inches  in  open  land."     (Stearns'  Collection.) 

With  great  snow-falls  came  the  necessity  of  "breaking  out 
the  roads."  In  early  times  this  was  done  with  ox-teams. 
Most  of  the  farmers  had  one  or  more  "  yokes  of  oxen  "  or 
"steers."  Perhaps  a  dozen  of  these  were  attached  to  a  stout 
ox-sled,  and  thus  the  roads  were  ploughed  through.  Often 
a  plow  was  attached  to  the  sled's  side,  the  more  effectually 
to  widen  the  path.  Sometimes  strips  of  road  were  abandoned 
entirely  for  the  season  where  the  way  was  unusually  blocked, 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  137 

and  the  fields  used  instead.  A  very  merry  morning  it  was 
for  the  men  and  boys  when  all  hands  were  called  out  for  this 
work.  The  train  starts  out  with  a  single  ox-team,  but  is 
joined  by  others  as  house  after  house  is  reached  until  rein- 
forcements make  a  long  train. 

CARE   OF    THE   POOR. 

In  1649,  it  was  ordered  that  certain  persons  "  have  power 
to  speak  with  Mrs.  Hunt,  about  her  person,  house  [or  home] 
and  estate,  and  to  take  some  care  for  her  relief."  The  fol- 
lowing vote  was  recorded  years  afterwards  :  that  "  Mrs  Hunt 
shall  have  fifty  shillings,  out  of  a  rate  to  be  made  this  present 
February  1665,  this  in  respect  of  her  poverty."  In  1669 
[or  7]  Mrs.  Hunt  was  to  have  fifty  shillings  pension  paid  out 
of  the  town  rate.  In  1673,  "  because  of  the  poverty  of  her 
famely,  it  was  ordered  that  Mr.  Peter  Noyes  do  procure  and 
bring  sergeon  Avery  from  Dedham  to  the  Widow  Hunt  of 
this  town  to  inspect  her  condition  to  advise,  and  direct,  and 
administer  to  her  relief,  and  cure  of  her  distemper."  Ten 
pounds  were  also  to  be  put  "  into  the  hands  of  Peter  Noyes 
with  all  speed  to  assist  Mrs.  Hunt  with." 

About  1663,  a  contract  was  made  with  Thomas  Rice  to 
keep  a  person  a  year,  "  if  he  live  as  long,"  for  which  he  was 
to  have  five  pounds  sterling;  and  if  the  person  kept  had  any, 
or  much  sickness  during  the  year,  the  town  was  to  give  Mr. 
Rice  "  satisfaction  to  content,  for  any  physic,  attendance  or 
trouble."  In  1663,  £1  were  added  to  the  present  rate,  "for 
the  use  of  Thomas  Tfling's  sickness,  and  to  pay  for  intend- 
ance  of  him."  In  1664,  John  White  was  "  exempted  from 
paying  his  present  rate  to  the  town,  and  also  unto  the  minis- 
ter." Dr.  Loring,  in  his  diary,  gives  repeated  instances  of 
collections  taken  for  the  afflicted  in  the  time  of  his  ministry; 
as,  for  example,  in  1750 :  "  Lord's  day,  had  a  contribution 
for  Thomas  Saunders,  laboring  under  a  severe  and  incurable 
cancer;  collected  £16-8-0."  In  1757  or  '59,  "  had  a  contri- 
bution for  our  brother,  Tristam  Cheeny.  £31  was  gathered." 
About  1762,  October  7th,  public  Thanksgiving :  "  A  contri- 
bution was  made  for  the  wife  of  Asahel  Knight  of  Worcester. 
£18  was  collected." 


138  HISTORY  OF  SUDBURY. 

LAWS  FOR  THE  PREVENTION  OF  POVERTY. 

But,  while  the  people,  as  shown  by  such  instances,  were 
generous  to  the  deserving  poor,  as  a  town  they  took  strin- 
gent measures  for  the  prevention  of  poverty.  This  it  did, 
both  by  discouraging  its  importation,  and  by  encouraging 
what  tended  to  thrift.  In  the  records  we  find  the  following: 
"In  consideration  of  the  increase  of  poor  people  among  us, 
:  :  :  as  also  considering  how  many  poor  persons  from  other 
towns  come  in  to  reside,  Ordered,  That  not  any  one  who 
owned  houses  or  lands  in  town  should  either  let  or  lease  any 
of  them  unto  any  strangers  that  is  not  at  present  a  town- 
dweller,  without  leave  or  license  first  had  and  obtained  of 
the  selectmen  in  a  selectmen's  meeting  or  by  leave  had  and 
obtained  in  a  general  town-meeting  or  otherwise  shall  stake- 
down,  depositate,  and  bind  over  a  sufficient  estate  unto  the 
selectmen  of  Sudbury,  which  said  estate  so  bound  over  unto 
the  said  selectmen,  that  shall  be  in  their  the  said  selectmen's 
judgment  sufficient  to  have  and  secure  the  town  of  Sudbury 
harmless  from  any  charge  that  may  so  come  by  the  said  lands 
so  leased,  and  if  any  person  notwithstanding  this  order  shall 
lease  any  houses  or  lands  unto  any  stranger  as  above  said 
without  lisence  and  giving  good  security  as  above  said,  shall 
for  every  week's  entertainment  of  a  stranger  into  his  houses 
or  lands,  forfeit  the  sum  of  19  shillings  6  pence  to  the  town 
of  Sudbury;  and  any  person  bringing  a  stranger  presuming 
to  come  as  a  truant  contrary  to  order  as  above  said,  shall  for 
every  week's  residence  forfeit  19  shillings  6  pence  to  the 
town  of  Sudbury." 

In  1683,  Mathew  Rice  was  to  be  warned  to  come  before 
the  town  clerk,  for  admitting  to  some  part  of  his  land 
Thomas  Hedley,  who  brought  his  wife  and  child.  Thomas 
Hedley  was  also  to  be  warned  to  quit  the  town.  Another 
person  was  censured  for  "  taking  in  and  harboring  of  Chris- 
topher Petingal,  who  is  rendered  to  be  a  person  of  a  vicious 
nature,  and  evil  tongue  and  behavior,  and  otherwise  discour- 
aging enough."  In  1692-3  a  law  was  enacted  by  the  prov- 
ince, by  which  towns  were  allowed  to  warn  away  strangers. 
If  the  warning  was  not  given  within  three  months,  then  the 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  139 

parties  so  far  became  residents,  that,  if  in  need,  they  were  to 
receive  assistance  from  the  town.  If  persons  warned  did  not 
leave  within  fourteen  days,  the  constable  could  remove  them 
by  law.     The  town  repeatedly  made  use  of  this  power. 

ENCOURAGEMENT   OP   INDUSTRY. 

About  1663  the  town  voted  to  grant  "  Mr.  Stearns  of 
Charlestown,  ironmonger  and  blacksmith,"  certain  meadow 
lands,  and  "  firewood  for  his  family  use,  and  wood  for  coals 
for  to  do  the  smithy  work."  He  was  also  to  take  timber  in 
the  commons  "to  build  his  house  and  shop  and  fence."  A 
little  later  Joseph  Graves  Avas  allowed  to  take  timber  to 
build  a  house,  and  part  of  the  land  formerly  given  him  to 
erect  a  smith  shop  upon.  Also  there  was  granted  to  Rich- 
ard Sanger  "  six  acres  of  meadow,  on  the  west  side  of  the 
river,  upon  the  condition  he  stay  amongst  us  to  do  our 
smith's  work  for  four  years,  the  time  to  begin  the  twenty- 
fourth  day  of  August,  1646." 

EDUCATION. 

The  following  records  afford  some  information  concerning 
early  educational  advantages  in  Sudbury.  In  1664  "  the 
town  promised  to  give  answer  at  the  next  meeting  whether 
or  no  they  will  accommodate  Mr.  Walker  [with]  any  lands 
towards  his  encouragement  to  keep  a  free  school  in  Sud- 
bury." We  infer  that  Mr.  Walker  was  encouraged  in  his 
project  by  the  following  report  on  educational  matters  ren- 
dered in  1680 :  — 

"And  as  for  schools,  tho'  there  be  no  stated  school  in  this 
town,  for  that  the  inhabitants  are  so  scattered  in  their  dwell- 
ings that  it  cannot  well  be,  yet  such  is  the  case  that,  by  hav- 
ing two  school  dames  on  each  side  of  the  river,  that  teacheth 
small  children  to  spell  and  read,  which  is  so  managed  by  the 
parents  and  governors  at  home,  and  prosecuted  after  such 
sort  as  that  the  selectmen  who  distributed  themselves  did 
within  three  months  last  past  so  examine  families,  children, 
and  youth,  both  as  to  good  manners,  orderly  living,  chate- 
chizing,  and  reading,  as  that  they  returned  from  all  parts  a 
comfortable  good  account  of  all  these  matters,  and  render 


140  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

them  growing  in  several  families  beyond  expectation,  rarely 
reprovable  anywhere,  encouraging  in  most  places,  and  in 
others  very  commendable,  so  as  that  the  end  is  accomplished 
hitherto.  And  for  teaching  to  write  or  cypher,  here  is  Mr. 
Thomas  Walker,  and  two  or  three  others  about  this  town, 
that  do  teach  therein,  and  are  ready  to  teach  all  others  that 
need,  if  people  will  come  or  send  them." 

From  the  report  rendered  the  court  for  the  county  of  Mid- 
dlesex, in  reference  to  education  in  morals,  we  infer  that 
attention  was  early  turned  to  that  matter.  In  1655  persons 
were  "appointed  for  to  take  pains  for  to  see  into  the  general 
families  in  town,  to  see  whether  children  and  servants  are 
employed  in  work,  and  educated  in  the  ways  of  God  and  in 
the  grounds  of  religion,  according  to  the  order  of  the  General 
Court."  The  same  year  John  How  was  "appointed  by  the 
Pastor  and  Selectmen  to  see  to  the  restraining  from  the  prof- 
anation of  the  Lord's  day  in  time  of  public  exercise." 

The  stocks  were  employed  as  a  means  of  punishment.  In 
1651,  "John  Rutter  promised  to  mend  the  stocks."  They 
were  used  as  late,  at  least,  as  1722,  when  it  was  voted 
"  uv  ye  town  to  grant  five  shillings  to  bye  to  pad  Locks 
for  ye  pound  and  stocks."  This  old-time  appliance  was  for 
a  period  near  the  meeting-house,  as  the  records  state  that,  in 
1681,  "Samuel  How  was  to  build  a  new  pair  of  stocks,"  and 
was  "  to  set  them  up  before  the  meeting-house."  In  subse- 
quent years,  tything-men  were  appointed,  and  duly  sworn 
before  the  selectmen,  as  the  law  directed.  All  these  agencies 
were  made  use  of  to  maintain  a  wholesome  morality.  That 
they  succeeded  in  accomplishing  something,  the  following 
from  the  foregoing  report  of  1680  indicates:  "  And  the  select- 
men having  also  been  made  acquainted  that  the  court  expects 
their  inspection  touching  persons  who  live  from  under  family 
government,  or  after  a  dissolute  or  disorderly  manner,  to  the 
dishonor  of  God,  or  corrupting  of  youth,  the  selectmen  of 
the  town  as  above  having  personally  searched  and  enquired 
into  all  families  and  quarters,  in  and  about  this  town,  do 
return  this  answer,  that  they  find  none  such  amongst  us." 

Not  only  were  the  youth  in  colonial  days  instructed  in 
intellectual  and  moral  things,  but  also  in  the  use  of  arms. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  141 

In  1645,  "  it  was  ordered  that  the  youth  from  ten  to  sixteen 
should  be  instructed  upon  ye  usual  dayes  in  ye  exercise  of 
amies,  as  small  guns,  halfe  pike,  bows  and  arrows,  provided 
the  parent  did  not  object." 

It  was  expected  in  early  times  that  the  children  of  believ- 
ing parents  would  be  presented  in  baptism.  These  children 
were  usually  baptized  the  Sabbath  following  their  birth,  and, 
if  born  on  Sunday,  sometimes  on  the  day  of  their  birth. 

Besides  the  ordinary  Sabbath  exercises,  religious  services 
were  held  on  some  secular  day  of  the  week,  which  was  called 
"  Lecture  Day."  A  Friday  afternoon  meeting  was  held  in 
the  Sudbuiy  Orthodox  Church  until  about  the  beginning  of 
the  last  quarter  century.  In  1652,  when  a  bargain  was 
made  with  John  Goodnow  to  beat  the  drum  twice  every 
Sabbath,  he  was  also  to  beat  it  for  service  on  "  Lecture 
Day."  (See  Chapter  VI.)  "  Training  Days  "  were  sup- 
posed to  be  opened  and  also  closed  with  prayer.  Fast  days 
were  more  frequent  than  now.  In  some  of  the  New  England 
towns  they  were  observed  at  the  haying  and  planting  sea- 
sons, and  at  the  close  of  the  harvest.  Private  fasts  were 
sometimes  observed.  As  late  as  July  4,  1749,  there  was  a 
fast  observed  at  the  Widow  Winch's,  "  on  account  of  one 
of  her  daughters  having  a  cancer.  Mr.  Mudge  prayed  and 
Mr.  Stone  preached."  (Extracts  from  Loring's  Diary.) 
Special  seasons  of  prayer  were  also  sometimes  observed. 
"Apr.  10th,  1757,  Lord's  day,  the  church  voted  that  they 
would  spend  a  part  of  the  last  Thursday  of  every  month  in 
extraordinary  Prayer  to  God,  on  account  of  the  calamitous 
war  with  our  enemies  the  French." 

LAWS   RELATING   TO   LABOR. 

It  was  ordered  "that  one  shall  take  for  mowing  by  the 
acre  fourteen  pence  for  every  acre,  or  one  and  thirty  pence  a 
day."  It  was  "  ordered  that  all  Carpenters,  Bricklayers  and 
thatchers,  shall  have  one  and  twenty  pence  for  a  day's  work, 
and  common  laborers  eighteen  pence  a  day."  It  was  "  ordered 
that  a  yearly  covenanted  servant,  the  best  of  them,  shall  take 
but  five  pounds  for  a  year's  service,  and  maid  servants,  the 
best,  shall  take  but  fifty  shillings  the  year's  service."     As 


142  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

late  as  1751,  the  town  voted  that  "  for  highway  work,  eight 
hours  be  accounted  for  a  day's  work,  and  two  shillings  shall 
be  the  price  of  a  day's  work,  one  shilling  for  a  yoke  of  oxen, 
three  pence  for  a  good  cart." 

Commercial  relations  were  not  always  carried  on  by  pay- 
ments in  money,  but  sometimes  wholly  or  in  part  in  produce. 
Edmund  Rice,  in  1654,  "for  service  as  deputy,"  was  to  have 
"  six  pounds  to  be  paid  in  wheat  at  John  Parmenters  senior, 
and  so  much  more  as  shall  pay  seven  pence  a  bushell  for  the 
carraige  of  it,  to  be  paid  within  one  week  after  next  Michel- 
mas."  For  work  on  the  meeting-house,  about  the  year  1688, 
"he  was  to  have  country  pay,  at  country  price."  The  country 
pay  was  to  be  "  in  good  sound  merchantable  Indian  corn,  or 
rye,  or  wheat,  or  barley,  or  malt,  or  peas,  or  beef,  or  pork,  or 
work."  At  a  meeting  of  the  selectmen,  Oct.  25,  1678,  it  was 
ordered  that  "Mr.  Peter  Noyes,  Peter  Kinge  and  Thomas 
Stevens  or  any  of  them  are  appointed  to  collect  of  the  Inhab- 
itants of  this  town  what  may  be  wanted  of  the  sum  granted 
by  any  person  or  persons  towards  the  new  college  at  Cam- 
bridge in  building  according  to  an  order  by  the  Gen  C  *  *  *." 
This  being  attended  to,  the  town  received  its  discharge,  of 
which  the  following  is  a  copy:  — 

"  Discharge.  Received  then  of  several  persons  of  the  town 
of  Sudbury  several  parcels  of  corn  amounting  to  (with  the 
transportation  from  S.  to  Cam.)  the  full  sum  of  what  was 
there  subscribed  to  contribute  to  the  new  building  for  the 
college. 

"I  say  received  by  me,  William  Manning." 

Sometimes  payments  were  promised  either  in  produce  or 
money,  as,  in  1696,  Benjamin  Parmenter  was  to  sweep  the 
meeting-house,  from  April  1  of  that  year  to  April  1  of  the 
next  year,  "for  ten  bushells  of  Indian  corn,  or  twenty  shil- 
lings in  money."  Whether  Mr.  Parmenter  was  to  take  which 
he  chose,  or  the  party  engaging  him  was  to  give  which  they 
chose,  is  not  stated.  Sometimes  the  produce  was  rated,  or 
paid  for  town  rates,  in  accordance  with  what  the  produce 
was  rated  or  paid  for  in  count}'  rates ;  as,  in  1673,  it  was 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  143 

ordered  that  "all  corn  or  grain,  paid  into  the  towns  rate  for 
this  year,  shall  be  paid  in  at  such  prices  as  the  county  rate  is 
paid  in  at  for  the  year."  We  conclude  that  the  town  had 
the  liberty  to  establish  the  value  of  produce  that  was  to  pay 
the  town  rates ;  as,  for  the  year  1686,  wheat  was  rated  at 
five  shillings  per  bushel,  peas  at  four  shillings,  oats  at  two 
shillings,  Indian  corn  at  two  shillings  nine  pence. 

SERVANTS. 

Jan,  9,  1653,  "  it  was  determined  that  the  land'  last  granted 
to  the  town  by  the  court  shall  be  divided  to  the  inhabitants, 
according  to  their  several  estates  and  families,  counting  the 
family  to  be  husband,  wife,  children  and  servants  as  men 
have,  that  they  have  either  bought  or  brought  up."  In  Mr. 
Loring's  Diary  is  the  following,  dated  1758,  March  1:  "Died 
Toby,  negro  servant  of  Col.  Brown." 

In  Vol.  LXXIX.,  p.  247,  State  Archives,  is  a  petition 
from  Richard  Heard,  to  the  effect  that  he  had  a  negro  man 
in  His  Majesty's  service ;  that  he  was  in  Captain  Nixon's 
company,  and  was  taken  sick  in  Deerfield  on  his  way  home, 
and  remained  there  sick  for  a  long  time  ;  and  that  he  had  to 
take  his  two  horses  and  go  after  him.  He  asks  that  the 
court  will  take  his  case  into  consideration  ;  and  the  commit- 
tee reported  "  twenty-five  shillings  in  full  to  be  paid  to  Col. 
John  Noyes  for  the  use  of  the  Petitioner." 

It  is  stated  (Temple's  History  of  Framingham)  that  in 
1733  Thomas  Frost  of  Framingham  bought  of  Jonathan 
Smith  of  Sudbury,  for  sixty  pounds  current  money,  a  negro 
man  named  Gloster,  aged  about  thirty  years.  Rev.  Mr. 
Swift  of  Framingham  disposed  of  five  slaves  by  his  will,  one 
of  whom,  named  Nero,  he  gave  to  his  son-in-law,  Ebenezer 
Roby  of  Sudbury.  In  1764,  Josiah  Richardson  of  Sudbury 
sold  a  negro  girl  named  Phebe  to  Elizabeth  Balch  of  Fram- 
ingham, and  the  following  is  the  bill  of  sale  :  — - 

Know  All  Men  by  these  Presents,  that  I,  Josiah  Richardson  Jun.  of 
Sudbury  in  the  county  of  Middlesex,  Gentleman,  for  and  in  considera- 
tion of  the  sum  of  1  Pound  6  shillings  and  8  pence,  lawful  money,  to  me 
in  hand  well  and  truly  paid  at  the  ensealing  hereof  by  Elizabeth  Balch 
of  Framingham  Widow,  the  Receipt  whereof  I  do  hereby  acknowledge, 


144  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

and  for  the  consideration  thereof,  Do  Sell  to  the  said  Elizabeth  Balch 
and  to  her  heirs  and  assigns  forever,  A  Negro  female  Child  named 
Phebe,  of  about  two  years  old,  with  her  wearing  apparel  she  now  hath. 
And  I  the  said  Josiah  covenants  to  and  with  the  said  Elisabeth  Balch 
and  her  heirs  and  assigns  that  the  said  Negro  Child  is  my  slave  For 
Life,  and  that  I  have  good  right  to  sell  and  convey  her  in  manner  afore- 
said for  the  term  of  her  natural  life ;  and  that  by  force  and  virtue  hereof 
the  said  Elisabeth  Balch  shall  hold  her  the  said  Phebe  for  a  slave  for 
the  term  of  her  natural  life.  In  Witness  whereof,  I  the  said  Josiah 
Richardson  Jun.,  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  and  seal  this  13th  day  of 
August  17G4.  Josiah  Richardson,  Jun.    [Seal.] 

In  presence  of  Samuel  Jones. 

Colored  people  were  sometimes  held  in  high  esteem  by  the 
town's  people,  as  is  indicated  by  an  entry  made  in  the  diary 
of  Rev.  Israel  Loring,  April  80,  1755,  where  he  speaks  thus 
of  Simeon,  a  negro  who  was  born  and  bred  in  his  household, 
and  a  short  time  before  had  arrived  at  the  age  of  freedom  : 
"  April  30th,  1755.  This  morning  Simeon  was  taken  ill  of 
colic,  but  soon  recovered.  May  10th,  Simeon  died  aged  21. 
Altho'  he  partly  recovered  he  grew  worse  again.  He  was 
greatly  beloved  by  the  family  and  has  drowned  us  in  tears. 
In  the  evening  we  committed  the  remains  of  Simeon  to  the 
grave.  A  great  number  of  the  congregation  attended  the 
funeral."  Mr.  Loring  preached  a  sermon  on  his  death  the 
Sabbath  following,  from  Psa.  lxxxix.  48. 

A  century  and  a  half  ago  but  few  negroes  were  living  in 
Sudbury,  as  is  shown  by  the  following  statement :  — 

Number  of  white  people  in  town,  on  both 

sides  of  the  river  ....  1,745 

Number  of  negroes,  males       .         .     15 
Number  of  negroes,  females    .         .     12 

Total  number  of  blacks  ....        27 
(Memoirs  of  Sudbury.) 

In  early  times  titles  were  quite  commonly  used ;  and  terms 
designating  military  positions,  such  as  "  corporal,"  "  cap- 
tain," "ensign,"  "sergeant"  or  "  sargeant,"  are  not  infre- 
quently met  with  on  the  town  records.     The  terms  "  Mr." 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  145 

and  "  Mrs."  are  seldom  found,  except  when  applied  to  the 
minister  and  his  wife.  The  term  "  esquire  "  is  almost  un- 
known. The  term  "goodman"  was  in  quite  common  use. 
It  was  employed  to  designate  a  person  of  excellent  charac- 
ter, rather  than  one  of  exceptional  gentility.  The  following 
is  its  use  in  a  record  of  the  Town  Book  dated  1640:  "It  is 
ordered  by  the  town  that  Goodman  Hayne  shall  have  the 
remainder  of  the  meadow  which  Mr.  Brown  the  Pastor 
divided  up,  except  one  acre  that  is  to  be  divided  between 
Goodman  Knight  and  Goodman  Hayne,  if  it  be  there." 

But  not  alone  by  the  application  of  titles  was  there  a  rec- 
ognition of  merit  and  respect  shown  where  it  was  due.  In 
1666,  the  Town  Book  states,  "  We  have  chosen,  constituted 
and  appointed  our  trusty  friends  Mr.  Joseph  Noyes,  Sar- 
geant  John  Grout  and  Corporal  John  Rutter  to  read,  issue 
and  determine  all  matters  of  difference  ensuing  about  suffi- 
ciency of  fence."  It  was  customary  to  "  gratulate  "  some- 
times for  service  done  for  the  public.  In  a  single  list  in  the 
Town  Book  are  the  following  persons,  who  were  "gratu- 
lated  "  for  some  service  done  by  them,  and  the  quantity  of 
land  given  :  — 


Brian  Pendleton, 

14  acres 

meadow. 

George  Munning, 

10     " 

a 

10  of  upland. 

Walter  Haynes, 

10     " 

ti 

10 

John  Parmenter,  Sr., 

10     '* 

u 

Edmund  Brown, 

15     " 

it 

20  of  upland. 

Peter  Noyes, 

20 

John  Bent, 

4  acres 

meadow, 

6 

Edmund  Goodnow, 

6     " 

ti 

William  Ward, 

12     " 

u 

Another  way  of  showing  respect  was  in  the  appointment 
of  seats  in  the  meeting-house.  The  following  rule  was 
made  in  1687-8 :  "  The  most  considerable  rule  for  seating 
of  persons  in  the  meeting-house  (the  new  one)  shall  be  by 
what  they  pay  to  the  building  thereof,  excepting  in  respect 
to  some  considerable  persons  as  to  age  and  other  considera- 
ble qualifications." 


146  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

The  following  records  show  that  the  town  was  not  care- 
less in  collecting  its  dues  :  "  November,  1670,  "  Ordered  that 
Jon.  Stanhope  do  see  that  the  minister's  rate  be  duly  paid, 
and  in  case  any  neglect  or  refuse  to  pay  their  proportions  to 
said  rates  when  due,  he  is  appointed  and  impowered  by  the 
town  to  summons  such  persons  before  a  magistrate,  there  to 
answer  for  their  neglect."  In  1683-4  it  was  voted,  "  That 
whereas  certain  proprietors  and  inhabitants  of  the  town  have 
neglected  to  pay  their  proportions  to  the  minister's  rate,  and 
added  to  the  evil  by  not  paying  the  proportion  due  upon  the 
two  six  months'  rates  made  since,  to  the  dishonor  of  God, 
contempt  of  his  worship,  unrighteousness  to  their  neighbors, 
as  if  they  ;  ;  ;  slyly  intended  they  should  pay  their  rates 
for  them  again,  and  to  the  disturbance  in  and  damage  of  this 
town,  after  so  much  patience  used,  and  to  the  end  this  town 
may  not  longer  be  baffled  ;  ;  ;  In  his  majesties  name  you 
are  therefore  now  required  forthwith  to  [collect]  by  distress 
upon  the  monies,  neat  cattle  sheep  or  other  beasts,  corn, 
grain,  hay,  goods  or  any  other  estate  movable  (not  dis- 
allowed by  law)  you  can  find  so  much  of  each  person  herein 
named  so  greatly  transgressing,  the  several  sum  or  sums  set 
off  against  each  man's  name." 

In  the  early  times  there  were  people  living  on  the  town's 
border,  who  were  designated  "  farmers,"  and  their  estates 
were  called  "farms."  It  was  probably  with  reference  to 
these  that  the  following  order  was  passed  in  1677-8 :  "  All 
persons  bordering  upon  this  town  and  who  live  and  dwell 
near  unto  the  precinct  thereof  shall  pay  (not  only  to  the 
ministry  but  also)  to  all  town  rates,  for  that  they  belong  to 
us,  they  shall  be  assessed  their  due  proportions,  as  all  other 
inhabitants  of  this  town  are,  and  in  case  of  any  of  them 
refusing  to  pay,  the  same  shall  be  levied  by  distress." 

PRECAUTIONS    AGAINST   FIRE. 

An  order  was  issued  whereby  every  householder  was  to 
have  a  ladder  sufficiently  long  to  reach  the  top  of  the  house. 
For  non-compliance  with  this  act  a  person  was  subject  to  a 
fine  of  ten  shillings. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  147 

BORROWING   CANOES. 

It  was,  in  1648,  voted  by  the  town  "  that  whosoever  :  :  : 
shall  take  away  any  man's  canoe  without  the  leave  of  the 
owner  shall  forfeit  for  every  default  so  made  two  shillings." 

BOARD   OF   REPRESENTATIVES. 

On  page  157  of  the  records  it  is  recorded  that  "  the  sum 
of  three  pounds  shall  be  added  to  the  town  rate  for  the  pay- 
ment of  our  deputie's  diet  at  Hugh  Drurvs  at  Boston  during 
his  attendance  at  the  Genral  Court."  Years  later,  in  1679, 
Peter  Noyes  "  openly  declared  at  that  town-meeting  that  he 
freely  gave  to  the  town  his  time,  charge,  diet,  in  and  about 
his  service  at  the  fore  said  session  of  the  General  Court 
which  the  town  thankfully  accepted." 

PAYMENT   AND    PROTECTION   OF    PROPERTY. 

While  the  people  were  busy  in  the  formation  of  the  new 
plantation  and  dividing  and  improving  their  lands,  they  were 
careful  to  provide  means  for  the  pa}rment  and  protection  of 
them.  The  records  state,  May  26,  1648,  "  Walter  Hayne 
and  Hugh  Griffin  are  appointed  to  go  down  to  the  Governor 
and  Magistrate  to  confirm  the  bargain  of  land  now  bought 
of  Goodman's,  and  to  take  course  for  the  payment  of  Good- 
mans, and  they  shall  be  paid  for  their  labor." 

Sept.  11,  1648:  "It  is  agreed  upon  by  the  town  that  the 
five  pound  that  is  paid  to  Goodemans  shall  be  raised  only  by 
the  meadows  as  every  .man  is  possessed  of." 

"It  is  also  agreed  that  all  meadows  that  are  given  by  way 
of  gratulation  shall  have  right  in  commonage  as  the  meadows 
which  are  first,  second,  and  third  division  of  meadow,  and 
that  for  the  raising  of  the  rate  for  the  payment  of  the  last 
purchase  of  Goodman's  all  meadows  shall  pay  at  one  price." 

MISCELLANEOUS   NOTES. 

In  1661  the  town  appointed  men  "  to  agree  with  Robert 
Proctor  of  Concord,  about  his  trespass  of  burning  up  our 
pine  for  making  tar."    They  were  to  sue  him  if  they  could 


148  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

not  agree.  In  1671,  James  Adams  was  to  have  liberty  to 
feed  his  cattle  on  Sudbury  bounds,  and  "to  take  old  and  dry 
wood  that  shall  be  upon  the  ground,  the  said  Adams  to  pre- 
vent any  trespass  by  Concord  herds,  or  cattle,  also  in  our 
wood  and  timber,  forth  with  to  give  notice  to  the  town." 

PECULIAR    NAMES   OF    PLACES. 

Peculiar  names  have  been  attached  to  many  places  in  Sud- 
bury, which  have  been  preserved,  some  by  record  and  some 
by  usage. 

One  of  these  is  "  Lanham."  It  is  mentioned  in  connection 
with  a  deed  as  early  as  1666.  (See  Liber  III.,  pp.  233  and 
234,  Registry  of  Deeds,  Cambridge.)  The  deed  mentioned  a 
piece  of  land  "  lying  and  being  on  the  west  side  of  the  Ham- 
lett  called  Lanham."  (See  Chapter  III.,  sketch  of  Thomas 
Read  ;  also  Chapter  VI.) 

uLo\vance"  is  the  name  of  a  stream  which  enters  Mill 
Brook  between  South  Sudbury  and  Lanham  bridge.  Proba- 
bly it  was  first  applied  to  the  meadows  along  its  banks.  It  is 
found  as  early  as  1666  (Liber  III.,  p.  233,  Registry  of  Deeds, 
Cambridge).  It  is  doubtless  a  contraction  of  "allowance," 
which  term  was  used  to  designate  lands  that  were  allowed 
the  settlers  in  the  territorial  divisions.  Sometimes  an  allow- 
ance of  land  was  given  in  one  place  to  make  up  for  deficiency 
of  quality  or  quantity  in  another. 

The  term  "  Pantry,"  applied  to  one  of  the  school  districts, 
is  found  in  connection  with  a  land  sale  in  1657.  (Liber  III., 
p.  7,  Middlesex  Registry  of  Deeds.)  In  the  document  referred 
to  it  is  used  in  connection  with  both  the  brook  and  meadow. 
This  term  may  have  been  derived  from  the  words  "pine" 
and  "  tree ; "  and  this  theory  receives  favor  from  the  fact 
that  in  the  Town  Book,  page  98,  it  is  spelled  "  Pantree." 

"  Piners  Wash,"  or  "Pinners  Wash,"  was  a  term  formerly 
applied  to  the  brook  above  South  Sudbury,  commonly  called 
"  Wash  Brook."  It  occurs  repeatedly,  both  on  the  Town 
Book  and  the  Proprietors'  Book.  The  following  record  is 
taken  from  the  former,  dated  1779:  "To  see  if  the  town  will 
discontinue  a  town  road  laid  out  through  the  enclosures  of 
Ensiffn  Josiah  Richardson  over  the  '  Mill  Brook '  or  '  Piners 


THE    GOODNOW    LIBRARY.   SO.   SUDBURY. 
See  page  28. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  149 

Wash '  from  being  an  open  way  and  leave  it  a  bridle  way  as 
formerly."  This  motion  "passed  in  the  negative."  The  road 
here  referred  to  is  that  over  Hayden's  Bridge.  We  have 
found  nothing  definite  by  which  to  determine  the  origin  of 
this  name.  We  conjecture  that  this  brook  passed  through  a 
pine  district,  and  that  by  some  connection  of  the  brook  with 
the  trees,  or  with  those  who  may  have  livedor  worked  among 
them,  who  were  perhaps  called  "Piners,"  the  name  may  have 
come  into  use.  "  Wash  Brook  "  doubtless  came  from  this 
term. 

"Indian  Bridge."  This  is  supposed  to  have  crossed  West 
Brook,  as  the  lower  part  of  Lanham  Brook  is  called,  between 
Sand  Hill  and  Heard's  Pond.  (See  Chapter  VI.)  The 
term  is  repeatedly  found  in  the  town  records.  On  page  52 
is  the  statement  that  Mr.  Herbert  Pelham  was  to  have  "  all 
the  land  lotts  of  meadow  and  upland  joining  to  his  farm 
which  lies  between  the  Indian  Bridge  and  the  utmost  bound 
of  the  great  pond  joining  upon  a  short  line  from  the  Indian 
Bridge  to  the  extremity  of  the  pond,  also  twenty  acres  of 
upland  joining  to  the  Indian  Bridge  to  the  land  granted  to 
Mr.  Herbert  Pelham,  and  going  thence  downward  to  the  hill 
on  the  west  side  the  great  pond,  and  west  ward  joineth  to 
the  land  of  Wm  Pelham,  and  is  parted  from  the  west  meadow 
by  land  reserved  for  a  highway."  Jan.  13,  1667,  the  town 
appointed  a  committee  "to  set  a  substantial  mark  where  the 
old  Indian  Bridge  was  in  West  Meadow." 

The  word  "sponge"  was  in  early  use  as  applied  to  local- 
ities. In  1646,  "John  Rutter  was  to  have  a  sponge  of 
meadow;"  and  the  following  is  also  a  record  of  early  date  in 
which  the  Avord  is  used:  "To  Brian  Pendleton  14  acres  of 
meadow  lying  in  a  sponge  upon  the  west  side  of  the  great 
meadow  over  against  Munning's  point."  This  word  was 
formerly  used  in  connection  with  real  estate  in  New  Eng- 
land, but  long  since  ceased  to  be  so  used.  Says  Dr.  Green, 
"It  was  a  local  word  in  England,  used  in  Suffolk,  and  meant 
an  irregular,  narrow  projecting  part  of  a  field,  whether  planted 
or  in  grass." 

The  term  "Honey  Pot  Brook"  is  found.  In  1778,  Mr. 
Jonathan  Puffer  of  Stow  was  released  from  rates  on  condi- 


150  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

tion  "that  he  keep  the  causeway  and  bridge  over  Honey  Pot 
brook  from  Stow  line  to  the  eastward  of  said  causeway  in 
good  repair  for  ten  years." 

The  term  "Cedar  Croft"  is  spoken  of  in  papers  from  1700 
to  1725  in  connection  with  the  homestead  of  Thomas  Bryant 
(Wayland).  (State  Archives,  Vol.  XVII.,  p.  520.)  The 
same  term  is  found  in  Liber  III.,  p.  233,  date  1666,  Middle- 
sex Registry  of  Deeds,  spelled  "Cedar  Crought." 

Another  term  long  and  frequently  used  is  "  Bridle  Point," 
spelled  "  Bridell  Poynt "  in  a  deed  dated  1666.  (Liber  III., 
pp.  232  and  272.)  This  is  a  point  of  land  at  the  southwest 
end  of  Braman's  Hill,  near  the  wooden  bridge  on  the  new 
road  from  Wayland  to  Sudbury. 

The  term  "  Gulf*  is  used  as  early  as  1647.  "  Granted  to 
the  Pastor  to  lay  down  his  third  division  in  the  Gulf."  This 
term  is  applied  to  the  meadows  that  lie  along  the  banks  of 
the  easterly  part  of  Pantry  Brook. 

"  Doeseine  Hill"  is  mentioned  in  1661.  It  probably  means 
Doeskin  Hill.  Thomas  Noyes  had  one  hundred  and  thirty 
acres  of  land,  the  second  lot  in  the  new  grant  near  this  hill. 

The  term  "Goodman's  Wigwam  Hill"  is  found  in  Book  II., 
Town  Records ;  also  the  term  "  Wigwam  Hill  "  is  found  in 
the  first  part  of  Book  I. 

Other  terms  are  "Rocky  Plain"  (Sudbury  Centre)  ;  "  Pine 
Plain"  (in  the  Draper  neighborhood,  east  part  of  Wayland); 
"  World's  End  "  (in  the  Gulf  neighborhood,  northeast  part 
of  Sudbury);  "  Haynes'  Island"  (northeast  side  of  Gulf 
Brook)  ;  "  Castle  Hills  "  (north  part  of  Wayland);  "  Spruce 
Swamp"  or  "Cranberry  Swamp"  (north  of  the  highway,  by 
Whale's  Bridge,  Wayland). 

The  following  names  are  on  the  Proprietors'  Book,  and  the 
places  they  designate  are  on  the  west  side  :  "  Lake's  End 
Hill,"  "Log  Slough,"  "Lake's  End  Bridge,"  "Pine  Island," 
"Long  Meadow,"  "Strawberry  Meadow,"  "Mine  Way," 
"Mill  Field,"  "Hop  Meadow,"  "Cedar  Swamp  Plane," 
"  Ridge  Meadow  Brook,"  "  Dunsdale,"  "  Haynes'  Slough," 
"Log  Hole." 

The  following  are  also  on  the  Proprietors'  Book:  "Hog 
House  Hill,"  "  Windmill  Hill,"  "  Bow  Leg  Meadow,"  "  Penny 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  151 

Meadow  Brook,'*  "  Swath  Meadow,"  "Porringer  Hill,"  "Com- 
mon Swamp  Bridge,"  "Prospect  Hill,"  "Long  Meadow," 
"  Highway  from  Lake's  End  to  Log  Slough,"  "  Path  from 
Log  Slew  to  Pine  Island,"  "  Common  Meadow  Bridge," 
"Ashen  Swamp,"  "Widow  Rice's  Plain,  "Lake  End"  or 
"Lake's  End,"  "Gulf  Neck,"  "Iron  Works  Meadow," 
"\Valnut  Tree  Hill,"  "  Bare  Hill." 


CHAPTER   IX. 

Sudbury  in  the  Colonization  of  Other  Towns :  Framingham,  Marlboro, 
Worcester,  Grafton,  Rutland. 

His  echoing  axe  the  settler  swung 

Amid  the  sea-like  solitude, 
And,  rushing,  thundering,  down  were  flung 

The  Titans  of  the  wood  ; 
Loud  shrieked  the  eagle,  as  he  dashed 
From  out  his  mossy  nest,  which  crashed 

With  its  supporting  bough, 
And  the  first  sunlight,  leaping,  flashed 

On  the  wolf's  haunt  below. 

Alfred  B.  Street. 

The  settlement  of  Sudbury  in  its  earlist  stages  having 
now  been  noticed,  let  us,  before  considering  farther  what 
occurred  within  the  town  limits,  give  our  attention  to  the 
work  of  its  people  in  the  settlement  of  other  towns.  The 
sons  of  Sudbury  wrought  nobly,  not  only  within  but  with- 
out their  own  borders.  A  pioneer  spirit  very  early  pre- 
vailed, and  as  the  town's  citizens  reached  out  for  new  acqui- 
sitions of  land,  the}'  helped  establish  some  of  the  best  towns 
in  the  State.     In  this  work  of  colonization  were  both  hard- 


152  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

ship  and  hazard.  Few  but  such  as  were  of  an  adventurous 
nature  would  so  speedily  have  removed  from  newly  con- 
structed homesteads  to  erect  other  abodes  in  the  farther 
forest.  But  a  brave  band  of  frontiersmen  pushed  boldly  for- 
ward and  out  into  the  dark  outstretching  wood  ;  and,  amid 
perils  of  climate,  wild  beasts,  and  uncivilized  men,  they 
opened  new  paths  and  prepared  the  way  for  new  settle- 
ments. In  narrating  the  work  thus  performed,  we  will  to 
an  extent  present  an  outline  of  facts  as  they  are  afforded  by 
the  histories  of  the  towns  in  which  the  work  here  mentioned 
was  done.  On  the  south  and  west  of  Sudbury,  at  the  time 
of  its  settlement,  was  a  wilderness.  On  the  west  was  what 
is  now  Marlboro,  on  the  south  what  is  Framingham  and. 
Natick,  and  beyond  this  border  territory  was  a  far  out- 
stretching forest  awaiting  the  approach  of  the  English  to 
give  it  the  light  of  civilized  life. 

FRAMINGHAM. 

First  there  was  an  occupation  of  the  lands  on  the  south. 
This  territory  —  so  much  of  it  as  is  now  Framingham,  and 
which  was  called  a  plantation  by  1675,  and  was  incorporated 
as  a  town  in  1700  —  was,  at  the  earliest  occupation  by  the 
English,  unclaimed  land  of  the  colony.  It  never  was  granted 
to  a  company  of  petitioners,  as  was  the  case  with  Sudbury, 
but  was  allowed  to  individuals  at  different  dates,  whose 
names  became  associated  with  the  lands  granted.  The  fol- 
lowing is  a  list  of  the  prominent  grants,  and  the  quantity 
of  land  comprised  in  some  of  them  :  The  Stone  Grants ;  the 
Glover  Farm,  600  acres ;  the  Rice  Grants;  the  Eames  Grant, 
200  acres ;  the  Corlett  Grant,  200  acres ;  the  Gookin  and 
How  Purchase  ;  the  Mayhew  Farm,  300  acres ;  the  Danforth 
Farms ;  Crowne's  Grant,  500  acres ;  Russell's  Grant,  500 
acres ;  Wayte's  Grant,  300  acres ;  the  Natick  Plantation 
Grants.  Several  of  these  tracts  were  either  granted,  as- 
signed or  conveyed  to,  or  in  part  settled  by  people  from  Sud- 
bury. 

The  Stone  Grants.  —  Mr.  Temple,  in  his  "  History  of 
Framingham,"  says :  "  The  first  man  to  build  upon  our  soil 
was  John  Stone,  who  removed  from  Sudbury  (now  Way- 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  153 

land),  and  put  up  a  house  at  Otter  Neck,  on  the  west  side  of 
Sudbury  River,  in  1646  or  1647."  The  lands  owned  by  Mr. 
Stone  were  in  several  parcels,  and  granted  at  different  times. 
In  1643  he  had  a  grant  of  six  acres  in  "  Natick  bounds;" 
and  in  1656  he  purchased  lands  of  the  Indians  at  the  Falls 
of  Sudbury  River  (Saxonville).  This  land  was  situated 
northwesterly  of  the  falls,  and  on  the  southeasterly  and  east- 
erly slope  of  the  hill.  It  was  confirmed  to  Mr.  Stone  by  the 
Court,  May,  1656,  with  fifty  acres  in  addition.  The  land 
last  granted  was  laid  out  May  26,  1658,  by  Edmund  Rice 
and  Thomas  Noyes,  and  is  described  as  "joining  to  Sudbury 
river  at  the  falls  of  the  said  river,  twenty  acres  of  the  said 
fifty  being  southward  joining  to  the  lands  of  John  Stone, 
which  said  lands  were  purchased  of  the  Indians,  and  after 
confirmed  by  the  honoured  Court;  also  the  other  thirty  acres 
of  the  said  fifty  lying  northward  of  the  aforesaid  purchased 
land  and  joining  to  it."  Other  land  tracts  were  obtained  by 
Mr.  Stone  in  the  territory  of  Framingham,  till  he  possessed 
several  hundred  acres.  Two  of  his  sons,  Daniel  and  David, 
settled  near  their  father  in  1667. 

The  Glover  Farm.  —  This  was  the  next  grant  to  be 
occupied  by  a  Sudbury  citizen.  (For  description,  see  Chap- 
ter IV.)  This  farm  was  leased  Sept.  29,  1647,  by  President 
Dunster,  guardian  for  the  Glover  heirs,  to  Edmund  Rice  for 
the  term  of  ten  years.  By  agreement  in  the  lease,  he  was  to 
erect  a  house  on  the  place.  (For  dimensions  of  this  house, 
see  Chapter  V.)  He  was  also  to  build  a  barn,  with  dimen- 
sions as  follows  :  "  Fifty  long,  eleven  foote  high  in  the  stud, 
one  foote  above  ground,  the  sell  twenty  foote  if  no  leantes 
or  eighteen  foote  wide  with  leantes  on  the  one  side,  and  a 
convenient  threshing-floare  between  the  doares."  (Barry.) 
These  buildings,  it  is  supposed,  were  located  near  Dudley 
Pond,  and  on  that  part  of  the  Glover  Farm  which,  by  an 
adjustment  of  the  town  bounds  in  1700,  came  into  the  town 
of  Wayland.  When  the  Glover  estate  was  settled,  the  farm 
became  the  property  of  John  Glover  and  Priscilla  Appleton, 
his  sister.  Subsequently  John  transferred  his  part  to  his 
sister,  and  the  place  became  known  as  the  Appleton  Farm. 
In  1697,  John  Appleton  and  wife  sold  the  estate,  then  esti- 


154  HISTORY   OF    SUDBURY. 

mated  at  about  nine  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  to  three  Sud- 
bury parties, —  namely,  Thomas  Brown,  Thomas  Drury,  and 
Caleb  Johnson,  —  for  four  hundred  and  forty  pounds.  The 
land  was  divided  among  these  purchasers,  and  with  the  result 
that,  after  some  exchange  of  the  property  among  themselves, 
Mr.  Brown  had  as  his  part  of  the  upland  two  .hundred  acres 
on  the  northerly  side,  and  situated  westerly  in  Fraraingham 
territory ;  Mr.  Drury,  two  hundred  acres  on  the  southerly 
side,  also  in  Fraraingham,  and  one  hundred  acres  in  the 
northeasterly  part  in  Wayland  ;  and  the  land  possessed  by 
Mr.  Johnson  was  the  middle  portion,  and  consisted  of  two 
hundred  acres  of  upland,  upon  which  he  erected  a  dwelling, 
where  the  Mars  house  now  stands.  Thus,  not  only  was  the 
Glover  Farm  first  occupied  by  a  Sudbury  citizen,  but  in  its 
subsequent  divisions  it  became  the  property  of  three  others. 

The  Rice  Grants.  —  Not  only  did  Edmund  Rice  lease 
the  large  land  tract  just  mentioned,  but,  by  petitioning  the 
General  Court,  he  became  owner  of  the  several  pieces  of  land 
that  are  called  the  "  Rice  Grants.""  In  1652  he  was  allowed 
three  pieces  of  meadow,  comprising  about  twenty  acres,  and 
thirty  acres  of  upland,  which  was  situated  about  a  mile  from 
Cochituate  Brook,  and  in  a  part  of  Fraraingham  called  Rice's 
End.  In  1665  he  again  petitioned  the  Court,  and  received 
about  eighty  acres  more,  which  was  also  in  the  southeast 
part  of  the  town.  In  1659,  Mr.  Rice  gave  a  deed  of  the 
land  at  Rice's  End  to  his  son  Henry,  who  built  upon  it,  and 
who,  it  is  supposed,  was  the  second  person  to  build  on  Frara- 
ingham soil. 

The  Eames  Grants.  —  These  grants  were  of  lands  ob- 
tained from  the  General  Court  and  the  Indian  owners  by 
Thomas  Eames,  who  was  a  former  inhabitant  of  Sudbury. 
In  1669,  Mr.  Eames  built  a  house  and  barn  on  the  southerly 
slope  of  Mt.  Wayte,  South  Framingliara.  The  land  was  of 
the  Wayte  grant,  and  Avas  owned  by  Thomas  Danforth,  who 
purchased  it  of  Mr.  Richard  Wayte.  On  Feb.  1,  1676,  the 
Indians  burned  the  buildings  of  Mr.  Eames,  and  killed  or 
took  captive  his  family.  (See  Chapter  II.  and  period  1675- 
1700.)  As  a  return  for  the  loss  of  property  then  incurred, 
which  amounted  to  about  three  hundred  and  thirty  pounds, 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  155 

the  General  Court,  in  1677,  granted  him  two  hundred  acres 
of  land;  and  by  consent  of  the  Court  he  obtained,  in  1676-7, 
a  tract  of  two  hundred  acres  of  the  Indians,  which  was  situ- 
ated near  where  his  former  dwelling  stood.  "  The  Eames 
Farm  "  was  situated  in  the  southerly  part  of  Frainingham, 
south  of  Sudbury  River,  and  ran  westerly  as  far  as  Farm 
Pond.  The  grant  of  two  hundred  acres  allowed  by  the 
Court  in  1677  was  laid  out  by  John  Brigham  of  Sudbury,  in 
1686,  and  is  said  to  have  been  "land  in  the  wilderness  adjoin- 
ing to  Lancaster  line." 

The  Corlett  Grant.  —  This  land  tract  was  laid  out 
May  28,  1661,  to  Mr.  Elijah  Corlett,  a  schoolmaster  of  Cam- 
bridge. It  was  situated  "  about  a  mile  distant  from  the 
southwest  angle  of  the  lands  formerly  granted  to  Sudbury  ; 
also  having  a  parcel  of  meadow  granted  to  Mr.  Edmond 
Browne,  teacher  to  the  church  in  Sudbury,  on  the  south, 
also  being  about  half  a  mile  distant  northerly  from  the  river 
which  runneth  to  Sudbury,  also  being  about  a  mile  and  a 
quarter  distant  west  northwesterly  of  the  now  dwelling- 
house  of  John  Stone."  In  1661,  Mr.  Thomas  Dan  forth 
purchased  the  land  of  Mr.  Corlett,  and  the  same  year  trans- 
ferred it  to  Mr.  John  Stone. 

The  Gookin  and  How  Purchase. — This  was  a  land 
tract  that  came  into  possession  of  Samuel  Gookin  of  Cam- 
bridge, a  son  of  Maj.-Gen.  Daniel  Gookin,  who  was  colonial 
commissioner  to  the  Indians,  and  a  co-worker  with  Rev. 
John  Elliot  and  Samuel  How  of  Sudbury.  The  tract  was 
obtained  of  the  Indians,  who  gave  a  deed  of  it  dated  May 
19,  1682.  A  specification  in  the  deed  was  that  it  contain, 
"by  estimate,  two  hundred  acres  more  or  less." 

The  Mayhew  Farm.  —  This  was  a  land  tract  of  three 
hundred  acres  granted  to  Thomas  Mayhew,  Oct.  17,  1643. 
It  is  described  as  "  lying  between  Marlboro,  Magunkook  and 
Frainingham,"  and  was  assigned  by  will  of  Thomas  Mayhew, 
bearing  date  Sept.  15,  1666,  to  John  Stone  and  Nathaniel 
Treadaway,  both  grantees  of  Sudbury.  In  1708  it  was  laid 
out  to  their  heirs. 

The  Danforth  Farm.  —  These  lands  consisted  of  several 
parcels  that  came  to  Thomas  Danforth  by  grant  or  purchase. 


156  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

One  of  these  was  granted  in  1G60,  and  contained  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  acres,  which  were  laid  out  adjacent  to  the 
south  boundary  of  Sudbury,  west  of  the  river,  and  joining 
the  land  occupied  by  John  Stone.  Another  tract  was  granted 
in  1662,  and  consisted  of  two  hundred  acres  adjoining  the 
"  same  land  he  hath  between  Conecticot  path  and  Marl- 
borough." The  Court  appointed  to  lay  out  this  land  "  Ensign 
Noyes  of  Sudbury  with  old  Goodman  Rice  and  John  How," 
and  "the  act  of  any  two  of  these  was  to  be  valid  both  for 
quantity  and  qualit}-."  This  tract  was  adjacent  to  and 
west  of  the  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres  just  mentioned, 
and  extended  along  the  south  line  of  the  Lanham  District. 
Other  lands  were  allowed  to  Mr.  Danforth  until,  by  grant  or 
purchase,  he  owned  about  two-thirds  of  the  Framingham 
Plantation.  These  Danforth  lands  were  from  time  to  time, 
more  or  less  of  them,  leased  to  individuals,  and  among  those 
leasing  them  were  Samuel  Winch  and  Thomas  Frost,  who 
were  formerly  inhabitants  of  Sudbury,  and  both  of  whom 
lived  at  Lanham,  —  the  former  as  early  as  1670,  when  he 
purchased  land  there  of  Samuel  How,  and  the  latter  about 
1685.  The  lease  to  Messrs.  Winch  and  Frost  is  dated  March 
25,  1693,  and  was  of  land  that  had  been  occupied  by  Mr. 
Winch  on  parole  lease  for  several  years.  The  time  of  the 
lease  was  nine  hundred  and  ninety-nine  years,  and  a  payment 
was  to  be  made  of  four  pounds  ten  shillings  per  annum. 
The  farm  was  bounded  northerly  by  "Sudbury  line,"  easterly 
by  the  river  and  Dea.  John  Stones'  land,  and  southeasterly 
by  "Mr.  Danforth's  own  land,"  southerly  by  the  "  Lynde 
Farm,"  westerly  by  the  six  hundred  acres  of  reserved  land 
(at  Nobscot).  The  tract  comprised  three  hundred  acres, 
more  or  less,  and  contained  "all  those  mesuages  and  tene- 
ments wherein  they,  the  said  Samuel  Winch  and  Thomas 
Frost,  do  now  dwell,  containing  two  dwelling-houses,  out- 
houses, and  lands  adjoining."  This  estate  was  situated  in 
the  northerly  part  of  Framingham,  and  with  the  Stone  Farm 
probably  comprised  largely  the  midway  border  territory  in 
the  northerly  part  of  that  town. 

Another  Sudbury  settler  who  was  one  of  the  early  occu- 
pants of  Framingham  territory  was  John  Bent,  son  of  Peter 


HISTORY   OP   SUDBURY.  157 

Bent.  In  1662  he  purchased  of  Henry  Rice  a  piece  of  land 
westerly  of  Cochituate  Brook,  and  built  a  house  there  "  near 
the  fordway  over  that  brook  on  the  west  side  of  the  '  Old 
Connecticut  Path.'  "     (Temple.) 

Other  parties  from  Sudbury  connected  with  the  coloniza- 
tion of  Framingham  were  Josiah  B radish,  who  it  is  supposed 
settled  northerly  of  Nobscot  Hill ;  John  Adams,  who  bought 
two  hundred  acres  of  Gookin  and  How  at  Saxonville,  and 
erected  a  dwelling  not  far  from  the  location  of  the  present 
railroad  station  ;  Thomas  Walker,  who  bought  eighty  acres 
of  Gookin  and  How,  and  built  a  house  at  Rice's  End  ;  Sam- 
uel King,  John  Loker,  Mathew,  David  and  Benjamin  Rice. 

Such  are  some  of  the  facts  which  set  forth  the  service  of 
Sudbury  in  the  settlement  of  Framingham.  From  Nobscot 
to  Cochituate,  and  from  there  scattered  along  southerly  into 
"  Natick  bounds,"  the  frontier  was  pioneered  by  them  as 
they  marked  out  new  trails  or  opened  rude  forest  paths.  It 
is  supposed  that  at  the  time  of  Philip's  war,  the  Stones, 
Rices,  Bents,  Eameses,  and  Bradishes  were  the  only  English 
occupants  on  the  Framingham  Plantation.  John  Stone,  at 
the  falls  of  Sudbury  River,  was  one  of  the  nearest  neighbors 
of  Thomas  Eames  at  Mt.  Wayte  ;  and  at  his  home  in  the 
hollow,  near  the  locality  of  the  present  railroad  station,  was 
the  only  English  hearthstone  from  which  a  light  gleamed  at 
night,  while  about  Dudley  Pond  and  Cochituate  the  Rices 
had  their  share  of  solitude  in  their  lone  woodland  home. 
Thus  the  loneliness  of  the  settlers'  life  was  a  notable  circum- 
stance in  the  colonization  experience  of  these  bold  Sudbury 
frontiersmen.  The  wild  rushing  of  the  water  in  the  circui- 
tous stream  at  the  "falls,"  the  sounds  heard  in  the  forest  as 
the  tall  tree-tops  were  tossed  by  the  wintry  storms,  and  the 
wind  swept  through  the  dark  woody  dells,  were  in  strange 
contrast  with  the  noise  of  business  that  now  proceeds  from 
that  active  place. 

The  settlers  who  went  from  Sudbury  to  the  present  terri- 
tory of  Framingham  were  called  "  Sudbury  Out-dwellers," 
or  "  Sudbury  Farmers."  Their  ecclesiastical  and  social  rela- 
tions were  for  a  time  with  the  town  of  Sudbury, — that  is, 
they  were  expected  to  pay  rates  levied  for  certain  objects 


158  HISTORY    OF   SUDBURY. 

the  benefit  of  which  they  shared.  To  such  an  extent  were 
they  identified  with  Sudbury,  that  it  has  been  supposed  b}T 
some  they  were  a  part  of  the  town.  This  claim,  it  is  said, 
was  made,  among  others,  by  Dr.  Stearns.  Some  tilings  indi- 
cate that  they  were  of  the  town,  others  that  they  were  not. 
That  they  were  not  of  the  town  is  indicated  by  the  following 
statement  made  about  1694—5,  in  a  petition  to  the  General 
Court,  "  Whereas  ourselves  and  sundry  more  families,  to  the 
number  of  fifty  or  upwards,  are  settled  upon  the  waste  lands 
lying  between  Sudbury,  Natic,  Marlbury,  and  Sherborn,  and 
as  yet  have  not  been  orderly  settled,  with  a  township,  but 
are  forced  to  travell  to  the  nearest  of  the  meeting-houses, 
some  to  one  and  some  to  another."  It  is  also  indicated  in 
a  petition  to  the  General  Court  in  1698  for  the  appointment 
of  a  committee  to  view  lands  of  which  it  was  desired  to 
make  the  town  of  Frainingham.  The  petition  was  sent  in 
by  John  Bent  and  Nathaniel  Stone,  and  the  farmers  about 
Cochituate,  who  set  forth  that  they  "had  been  for  a  long 
time  united  to  Sudbury  in  civil  and  social  rights  and  privi- 
leges." A  further  indication  of  no  territorial  relationship  to 
Sudbury  is  the  following  from  the  Sudbury  Records  :  "  Oct. 
26,  1686.  Agreement  between  the  town  of  Sudbury  and 
certain  out -dwellers,  viz.,  Corp.  Henry  Rice,  Corp.  John 
Bent,  Mathew  Rice,  Benjamin  Rice,  William  Brown,  Daniel 
Stone,  John  Loker,  John  Adams,  Samuel  King,  and  David 
Rice,  who  are  inhabitants  bordering  upon,  but  dwelling 
without  the  line  or  bounds  of  this  town  —  have  engaged  to 
pay  all  rates  for  building  the  meeting-house,  and  lor  the 
maintenance  of  the  ministry  of  the  town,  and  for  defraying 
town  debts  and  the  support  of  the  poor — provided  the  town 
do  relieve  the  poor  amongst  them  and  free  them  from  repair- 
ing the  highways  within  the  town's  bounds." 

Still  another  thing  that  may  indicate  that  there  was  no 
territorial  relation  is  a  report  made  at  a  selectmen's  meet- 
ing in  Sudbury,  in  1682.  They  represent  in  this  report  the 
acres  of  land  given  to  those  dwelling  in  the  town,  a  list  of 
lands  of  persons  dwelling  up  and  down  the  country,  and  a 
list  of  men's  lands  bordering  about  or  near  the  town.  The 
amount  in   the  latter  list  is  spoken  of  as  amounting  to  five 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  159 

thousand  one  hundred  and  three  acres,  in  which  Mr.  Dan- 
forth's  lands  (which  were  in  the  region  now  Framingham) 
and  Mr.  Gookin's  lands  are  not  cast,  because  the  contents 
were  not  certain.  (See  period  1675-1700.)  The  inference 
is  that  considerable  land  tracts  were  about  Sudbury,  largely 
on  the  southerly  side,  on  which  the  town  claimed  some  finan- 
cial rights,  but  which  were  not  claimed  as  territory  of  the 
town. 

A  reason  why  some  may  have  supposed  that  these  farmers 
were  a  part  of  the  town  of  Sudbury  is  found  in  the  following 
answer  to  a  petition  sent  to  the  General  Court,  Mar.  8, 1691-2: 
kt  In  answer  to  the  petition  of  the  Selectmen  of  Sudbury,  or- 
dered ;  That  the  out-dwellers  adjoining  unto  the  said  Town, 
comprehended  within  the  line  beginning  at  Matth.  Rice's, 
from  thence  to  Cornet  Wm  Brown's  Corp.  Henry  Rice's, 
Thomas  Drury's,  Tho.  Walker,  Jr.,  John  How,  and  Samuel 
Winch's  (not  belonging  to  "any  other  towne),  be  annexed 
unto  the  Town  of  Sudbury,  and  continue  to  bear  their  part 
of  all  duties  and  partake  of  all  privileges  then  as  formerly 
until  further  order."  As  to  how  the  order  was  interpreted 
by  those  who  had  petitioned,  may  be  indicated  by  a  petition 
sent  to  the  Court  July  4,  1700,  to  which  these  same  farmers 
attach  their  signatures:  "■The  said  town  of  Sudbury  have  for 
above  a  year  denied  your  Petitioners  the  liberty  of  voting 
and  other  town  privileges,  utterly  disclaiming  them  as  not 
belonging  to  the  said  town,  though  your  Petitioners  have 
contributed  to  the  building  the  meeting-house  and  mainte- 
nance of  the  minister,  and  have  paid  several  town  rates  and 
done  many  town  duties  ;  wherefore  they  pray  to  be  annexed 
to  the  town  of  Framingham." 

Another  statement  bearing  upon  the  question  is  the  fol- 
lowing from  a  petition  sent  to  the  Court,  in  1730,  by  the 
inhabitants  of  Framingham  living  on  the  east  and  south  of 
the  river.  They  state  "  that  they  are  principally  consisting 
of  those  Farmers  taken  from  Sudbury  and  Sherborn  and 
those  of  Sudbury  Farmers  with  others  remote  from  meeting 
before  the  Court  had  taken  emm  off  from  Sudbury  and 
annexed  them  to  Framingham  were  designing  to  address  the 
General  Court  to  have  been  made  a  separate  town  :::::: 


160  HTSTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

And  your  petitioners  would  intimate,  that  we  of  Sudbury 
farmers  and  Sherborn  farmers  should  never  have  yielded  to 
be  annexed  to  Framingham  had  we  not  expected  the  meet- 
ing house  had  been  fixed  in  the  place  where  it  now  is." 

MARLBORO. 

About  the  time  that  the  Sudbury  settlers  were  pioneer- 
ing on  the  south  of  their  plantation,  their  attention  was 
turned  in  a  westerl}7  course  also.  Marlboro,  which  formerly 
included  Northboro,  Southboro,  Westboro,  and  Hudson, 
was  a  wilderness  country  bordering  in  that  direction.  Very 
naturally,  as  the  people  began  to  feel  the  need  of  more  ter- 
ritory, they  sought  it  thitherward  as  well  as  towards  the 
south. 

The  result  was,  that,  in  1656,  the  following  petition  was 
presented  to  the  General  Court:  — 

_"To  the  Hon.  Governor  &c  assembled  in  Boston.  The 
humble  petition  of  several  of  the  inhabitants  of  Sudbury 
whose  names  are  here  underwritten  showeth,  that  whereas 
your  petitioners  have  lived  divers  years  in  Sudbury  and  God 
hath  been  pleased  to  increase  our  children  which  are  now 
divers  of  them  grown  to  man's  estate  and  we  many  of  us 
grown  into  years  so  that  we  should  be  glad  to  see  them  set- 
tled before  the  Lord  take  us  away  from  hence  and  also  God 
having  o-iven  us  some  considerable  cattle  so  that  we  are  so 
straightened  that  we  cannot  so  comfortably  subsist  as  could 
be  desired  and  some  of  us  having  taken  some  pains  to  view 
the  country  we  have  found  a  place  which  lyeth  westward 
about  eight  miles  from  Sudbury  which  we  conceive  might  be 
comfortable  for  our  subsistence,  It  is  therefore  the  humble 
request  of  your  Petitioners  to  this  Hon'd  Court  that  you 
would  bee  pleased  to  grant  unto  us  eight  miles  square  or  so 
much  land  as  may  containe  to  eight  miles  square  for  to  make 
a  Plantation."^] 

This  petition  was  signed  by  the  following  parties:  "Ed- 
mund Rice,  Wm  Ward,  Thomas  King,  John  Wood,  Thomas 
Goodnow,  John  Ruddock,  Henry  Rice,  John  How,  John 
Bent  Senr,  John  Maynard,  Richard  Newton,  Peter  Bent, 
Edward  Rice." 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  161 

Answer  was  given  to  this  petition  at  a  General  Court  ses- 
sion held  in  Boston,  May  14,  1656,  to  the  effect  that  a  tract 
of  land  six  miles  square  be  granted,  provided  it  hinder  no 
prior  grant,  and  that  a  town  be  settled  thereon  with  twenty 
or  more  families  within  three  years  time,  so  that  an  able  min- 
istry might  there  be  sustained.  A  committee  was  appointed 
to  lay  out  the  bounds,  and  make  report  to  the  "  Court  of 
Election."  Unless  they  did  this,  the  grant  would  be  void. 
A  portion  of  the  territory  desired  had  previously  been 
granted  to  the  Indians,  on  petition  of  Rev.  John  Elliot,  but 
a  committee  was  appointed  who  amicably  adjusted  the  mat- 
ter, so  that  each  party  had  their  lands  laid  out  and  duly 
confirmed.  The  plantation  of  the  Indians  was  known  as 
Ockoocangansett,  and  was  partly  surrounded  by  the  plan- 
tation of  the  English,  which  for  a  brief  period  was  called 
Whipsuppenicke.  A  plan  of  the  latter  was  made  in  1667, 
and  approved  by  the  authorities  the  same  year.  It  contained 
29,419  acres,  which,  with  the  6,000  acres  which  had  been 
reserved  for  the  Indians,  made  35,419  acres. 

The  first  proprietors'  meeting  was  held  Sept.  25,  1656,  and 
the  same  year  William  Ward,  Thomas  King,  John  Ruddock, 
and  John  How  were  "  chosen  to  put  the  Affairs  of  the  said 
new  Plantation  in  an  orderly  way."  A  petition  for  incor- 
poration was  soon  sent  to  the  General  Court,  and,  being 
favorably  received,  in  1660  the  place  ceased  to  be  merely  a 
plantation  legally  connected  with  Sudbury,  but  became  a 
town  of  itself,  and  was  called  "  Marlborrow." 

The  places  where  some  of  the  Sudbury  settlers  early  had 
their  abodes  in  Marlboro  are  still  known,  and  some  of  them 
have  been  designated  in  the  history  of  the  town.  Such 
places  furnish  food  for  reflection  to  the  thoughtful  mind,  and 
not  the  least  so,  perhaps,  to  the  people  of  the  town  from 
whence  the  early  occupants  of  those  dwellings  went  forth. 
May  the  sites  of  those  primitive  dwelling-places,  on  which 
the  roof-tree  long  since  decayed,  continue  to  be  pointed  out, 
and  suggest  the  spirit  of  enterprise  that  inspired  that  little 
company  who  went  forth  from  Sudbury  in  search  of  new 
lands ! 


162  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

WORCESTER. 

But  Sudbury  helped  settle  towns  still  farther  westward. 
Beyond  Marlboro  were  the  lands  of  what  is  now  the  city  of 
Worcester,  then  a  wilderness  across  the  frontier.  To  this 
spot  repaired  some  of  the  people  of  Sudbury.  Among  these 
was  Lieutenant  Curtis,  the  sturdy  backwoodsman  of  whose 
service  in  the  war  with  King  Philip  we  are  yet  to  speak.  (See 
period  1675-1700.)  Ephraim  Curtis  was  a  son  of  Henry  Cur- 
tis, an  original  grantee  of  Sudbury.  He  was  of  a  sturdy,  ad- 
venturesome nature,  a  frontiersman,  soldier  and  scout.  The 
customs  of  the  red  men,  the  resort  of  wild  game,  the  camp-fire 
and  the  night  ambuscade,  were  all  familiar  to  him.  A  short 
time  before  the  outbreak  of  King  Philip's  war  Lieut.  Ephraim 
Curtis  turned  his  face  towards  the  west,  and  made  his  camp 
at  what  is  now  Worcester.  We  quote  the  following  con- 
concerning  his  subsequent  experience  in  that  locality :  "  It 
was  in  the  fall  of  1673,  as  near  as  can  now  be  ascertained  by 
tradition  and  otherwise,  that  Ephraim  Curtis,  the  first  actual 
white  settler,  left  Sudbury,  with  a  pack  on  his  back,  a  long, 
light  Spanish  gun  on  his  shoulder,  and  an  axe  in  in  his  hand, 
and  set  his  face  towards  Worcester ;  arriving,  after  two 
days'  travel,  on  the  very  spot  still  owned  and  occupied  by 
his  descendants,  on  Lincoln  Street,  to  the  sixth  generation. 
The  principal  reason  for  his  selecting  this  locality  to  settle 
upon  was  the  supposition  of  mineral  wealth  in  the  soil,  from 
the  report  of  a  valuable  lead  mine  having  been  discovered  in 
the  vicinity  by  the  Indians,  who  had  a  sort  of  rendezvous  on 
Wigwam  Hill  while  on  their  fishing  and  hunting  excursions. 
Here  Ephraim  Curtis  was  all  alone  in  the  wilderness  for  a 
year  or  more,  and  in  subsequent  times  used  to  tell  how,  after 
working  all  day,  he  would  sit  down  and  look  towards  Sud- 
bury, and  shed  tears  in  spite  of  himself.  But  he  had  a  will 
that  bore  him  through.  For  a  time  he  claimed  the  whole 
town  of  Worcester,  but  had  to  be  content  with  two  hundred 
acres  near  the  upper  part  of  Plantation  Street,  and  another 
plantation  near  Grafton  Gore,  granted  by  the  Great  and 
General  Court  as  his  share  of  the  territory  of  Worcester. 
Curtis  and  others  (who  had  followed  him)  stayed  in  Worces- 


HISTORY   OF    SUDBURY.  163 

ter  until  driven  from  there  by  the  Indians  in  1675.  He  left 
the  spot  which  he  attempted  to  settle  to  his  descendants, 
with  no  other  personal  memorials,  it  is  said,  than  his  gun 
and  silver-headed  cane  marked  '  E.  C  In  his  later  life  he 
returned  to  Sudbury,  where  he  died  at  the  age  of  ninety- 
two.  He  left  Worcester  plantation  to  the  care  of  his  son 
John,  and  in  1734  lie  conveyed  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres, 
on  the  border  of  Worcester,  Auburn,  and  Millbury,  to  his  son 
Ephraitn  Curtis,  Jr."  (Fall's  "Reminiscences  of  Worces- 
ter.") 

The  violet  sprung  at  Spring's  first  tinge, 

The  rose  of  Summer  spread  its  glow, 
The  maize  hung  out  its  autumn  fringe, 

Rude  Winter  brought  his  snow  ; 
And  still  the  lone  one  labored  there, 
His  shout  and  whistle  broke  the  air, 

As  cheerily  he  plied 
His  garden  spade,  or  drove  his  share 

Along  the  hillock's  side. 

Alfred   B.  Street. 

But  the  pioneer  work  done  by  Sudbury  in  the  settle- 
ment of  Worcester  was  by  no  means  confined  to  one 
man.  In  1657  thirty-two  hundred  acres  were  granted  to 
Increase  Nowell  of  Charlestown.  His  right  was  purchased 
by  Josiah  and  John  Haynes,  Thomas  Noyes,  and  Nathaniel 
Treadaway ;  and  in  1664  the}r  became  proprietors  of  a  large 
tract  east  of  Qninsigamond  Pond.  Haynes,  Treadaway,  and 
Noyes  petitioned  the  General  Court  for  a  committee  "to 
view  the  country."  The  death  of  Mr.  Noyes,  and  the  dis- 
turbed condition  of  things,  prevented  the  commissioners 
whom  the  Court  appointed  from  carrying  out  the  order. 
But,  in  1667,  the  Court  again  took  measures  towards  a  set- 
tlement of  the  country,  and  appointed  a  committee,  who 
state  in  their  report  that  "  about  five  thousand  acres  is  laid 
out  to  particular  persons,  and  confirmed  by  this  Court,  as 
we  are  informed,  which  falls  within  this  tract  of  land,  viz., 
to  Ensign  Noyes,  deceased,  his  brother  three  thousand  two 
hundred  acres,  unto  the  church  at  Maiden  one  thousand 
acres,    and    others    five    hundred    acres   bought    of    Ensign 


164  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

Noyes  ;  but  all  this  notwithstanding,  we  conceive  there  may 
be  enough  meadow  for  a  small  plantation  or  town  of  about 
thirty  families,  and  if  these  farms  be  annexed  to  it,  it  may 
supply  about  sixty  families."  The  committee  recommended 
to  the  Court  that  it  "  reserve  it  for  a  town  ;  "  and,  for  the 
settling  of  it,  it  advised  "  that  there  be  a  meet  proportion  of 
land  granted  and  laid  out  for  a  town,  in  the  best  form  the 
place  will  bear,  about  the  contents  of  eight  miles  square." 
(Colonial  Records,  Vol.  IV.,  p.  587.) 

Another  Sudbury  citizen  who  assisted  in  the  settlement  of 
Worcester  was  Digory  Sargent.  So  much  of  interest  clusters 
about  the  character  and  experience  of  this  adventurous  man, 
that  we  will  quote  entire  the  account  of  him  as  given  in  Lin- 
coln's "  History  of  Worcester:"  "Among  those  who  attempted 
the  settlement  of  Worcester,  after  the  first  unsuccesful  enter- 
prise, was  Digory  Sargent,  who  had  built  his  home  on  Saga- 
tabscot  Hill,  southeastward  of  the  present  town.  He  was  a 
native  of  Sudbury,  and  had  been  a  carpenter  by  occupation 
before  his  removal.  A  will  made  by  him  in  1679  is  preserved 
on  the  Middlesex  records.  As  the  list  of  goods  and  effects, 
strangely  mingled  together,  presents  an  example  of  the  hum- 
ble personal  possessions  of  pioneer  times,  and  the  style  affords 
specimen  of  quaint  peculiarity,  it  will  not  be  uninteresting. 

"  '  digory  sargent's  will. 

" '  March  the  17th  day  1696.  The  last  Will  and  Testa- 
ment of  Digory  Sargent.  I,  Digory  Sargent,  being  in  my 
health  and  strength  and  in  my  perfect  memory,  blessed  be 
the  Lord  for  it ;  these  few  lines  may  satisfy  whom  it  may 
concern,  that  I,  Digory  Sargent,  do  freely  give  unto  my 
daughter,  Martha  Sargent,  my  house  and  land  with  all  its 
rights  and  privileges  there  unto  belonging:  this  house  and 
four  score  acre  lot  of  land  lieth  within  the  township  of 
Worcester ;  I  likewise  do  give  unto  her  all  my  goods ;  one 
flock  bed  and  boulster,  with  one  rugg,  and  two  blankets  and 
two  coverlets ;  six  froes  ;  one  broad  ax  and  one  pujling  ax 
and  one  hand  saw;  one  frying  pan  ;  one  shave  ;  one  drawing 
knife ;  one  trunk  and  a  sermon  book  that  is  at  Mrs.  Mary 
Mason's  Widow,  at  Boston  ;  with  one  pewter  pint  pot ;   one 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  165 

washing  tub;  one  cow  and  calf;  one  [ — ]  ;  three  iron  wedges; 
two  butte  rings  ;  and  if  in  case  the  Lord  should  see  good  to 
take  away  the  said  Digory  Serjent  by  death,  then  I,  the  said 
Digory  Serjent,  do  leave  these  things  above  written  unto 
George  Parmenter  of  Sudbury  to  be  disposed  of  as-  he  shall 
see  good  to  bring  up  the  said  Digory  Serjent's  child  ;  and  if 
in  case  that  this  child  should  die  likewise,  then  I  do  freely 
give  my  house  and  land  with  all  the  goods  above  mentioned 
unto  George  Parmenter  forever,  and  to  his  heirs,  to  look 
after  these  things  and  to  dispose  of  them  as  he  shall  see 
cause.  In  witness  whereof  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  and 
seal  the  day  and  year  above  named.     There  is  one  gun  too. 

" '  Digory  Serjent. 
"  '  Witnessed  by  John  Keyes,  John  Wetherby.' 

"  Having  afterwards  been  married  to  the  sister  of  Parmen- 
ter, his  family  became  more  numerous,  and  afforded  more 
victims  to  be  involved  in  the  miseries  of  death  and  captivity. 
Long  after  the  other  planters  had  fled  from  the  perils  of  the 
conflict  that  raged  around  them,  Sargent  remained  with  his 
children,  the  solitary  occupants  of  the  town,  resisting  all 
importunity  to  seek  safety  by  desertion,  and  resolving  with 
fearless  intrepidity  to  defend  from  the  savage  the  fields  his 
industry  had  redeemed  from  the  waste.  During  the  summer 
of  1702  his  residence  was  unmolested.  As  winter  approached 
the  committee,  alarmed  by  his  situation  on  the  frontier  of 
danger,  sent  messengers  to  advise  his  removal  to  a  place  of 
security.  As  their  admonitions  were  disregarded,  they  at 
length  despatched  an  armed  force  of  twelve  men,  under  Cap- 
tain Howe,  to  compel  compliance  with  the  order.  At  the 
close  of  day  the  party  arrived  at  a  garrison  near  the  mills. 
Here  they  halted  for  the  night,  which  grew  dark  with  storm 
and  snow,  and,  kindling  their  fires,  laid  down  to  rest,  while 
one  of  the  band  watched  the  slumbers  of  his  comrades.  In 
the  morning  they  went  onwards,  and  reached  the  house  of 
Sargent,  on  Sagatabscot,  at  the  distance  of  nearly  two  miles 
from  the  post  where  they  had  halted.  They  found  the  door 
broken  down,  the  owner  stretched  in  blood  on  the  floor,  and 
the  dwelling  desolate.     The  prints  of  many  moccasins  lead- 


166  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

ing  westward,  still  visible  through  the  snow,  indicated  that 
they  had  been  anticipated  by  a  short  time  only  in  the  object 
of  their  mission.  It  was  soon  found  that  the  children  of 
Sargent  Avere  living  in  Canada.  On  the  release  of  the  eldest 
she  related  the  particulars  of  the  fearful  catastrophe  they  had 
witnessed.  When  the  Indians,  headed  by  Sagamon  John, 
as  it  is  said,  surrounded  the  house,  Sargent  seized  his  gun  to 
defend  his  life,  and  was  fired  on.  As  he  retreated  to  the 
stairway,  a  ball  took  effect  and  he  fell.  The  savages  rushed 
in,  with  their  tomahawks  completed  the  work  of  death,  and 
tore  off  his  scalp  from  his  head  as  a  token  of  victory.  They 
seized  the  mother  and  her  children,  John,  Daniel,  Thomas, 
Martha,  and  Mary,  and,  having  discovered  the  neighborhood 
of  the  white  men,  commenced  a  rapid  retreat  westward. 
The  wife  of  Sargent,  fainting  with  grief  and  fear,  and  in 
feeble  circumstances,  faltered,  and  impeded  their  progress. 
The  apprehension  of  pursuit  induced  the  Indian  to  forego 

[ ]    torturing   his   victim.      As    they    ascended    the 

hills  of  Tataesset,  a  chief  stepped  out  from  the  file,  and, 
looking  around  among  the  leafless  forests  as  if  for  game, 
excited  no  alarm  in  the  exhausted  and  sinking  captive,  and 
awoke  no  cry  of  horror  to  betray  their  course.  When  she 
had  passed  by,  one  merciful  blow  from  the  strong  arm  of  the 
sachem  removed  the  obstruction  of  their  flight.  The  chil- 
dren they  carried  away  reached  the  northern  frontier  in 
safety,  and  were  a  long  time  in  Canada.  Daniel  and  Mary, 
preferring  the  wild  freedom  of  their  captors  to  the  restraints 
of  civilized  life,  adopted  the  habits  and  manners  of  the  Indi- 
ans. They  never  again  resided  with  their  relatives,  although 
they  once  made  them  a  visit  when  Miss  Williams,  taken  at 
Deerfield,  was  restored.  In  1715,  Thomas  was  in  Boston. 
John  had  been  liberated  in  1721.  Martha  was  probably 
redeemed  earlier  than  her  brothers,  married  Daniel  Shattuck, 
and  returned  to  dwell  on  the  spot  so  fatal  to  her  family. " 
(Lincoln's  "  History  of  Worcester.") 

Another  inhabitant  of  Sudbury  who  went  to  Worcester,  in 
the  third  attempt  to  settle  that  town,  was  Nathaniel  Moore. 
He  was  one  of  the  most  prominent  citizens  of  that  place  dur- 
ing the  first  half  century,  and  was  for  twelve  }rears  one  of  its 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  1G7 

selectmen.  Mr.  Moore  was  one  of  the  first  two  deacons  of  the 
Old  South  Church,  an  ancestor  of  Dr.  Moore,  and  formerly 
president  of  Williams  and  the  first  president  of  Amherst 
College.  Still  another  who  went  from  the  town  was  Capt. 
Moses  Rice.  He  went  to  Worcester  about  1719,  and  built  a 
tavern  there.  Captain  Rice  was  commander  of  a  cavalry 
company,  and  fought  in  several  engagements  with  the  Indi- 
ans. He  went  to  Rutland  about  1742,  where  he  was  killed 
by  the  Indians  in  1755,  aged  sixty.  Others  who  went  there 
were  Thomas  Brown,  Benjamin  Crane,  John  Curtis,  Simon 
Meyling,  Jonathan  Grout,  —  all  of  whom  received  lands  in 
that  vicinity. 

GRAFTON. 

Another  place  in  whose  settlement  Sudbury  citizens  had 
some  share  was  Grafton,  a  town  in  Worcester  County.  Its 
Indian  name  was  Hassanamesit,  which  means  a  place  of 
small  stones.  The  land,  which  contained  seven  thousand 
five  hundred  acres,  was  purchased  of  the  native  proprietors, 
upon  leases  obtained  of  the  General  Court,  May,  1724. 
The  petition,  asking  the  privilege  of  making  the  purchase, 
was  presented  by  a  number  of  persons,  principally  from 
Marlboro,  Sudbury,  Concord,  and  Stow;  and  the  petitioners 
sought  leave  "  to  purchase  of  the  Hassanamisco  Indians  land 
at  that  place."  In  the  Indian  deed  concerning'  the  territory, 
among  other  specific  declarations  is  the  following  :  "  To 
Jonathan  Rice  and  Richard  Taylor  both  of  Sudbury  in  the 
County  of  Middlesex  aforesaid  husbandmen  each  one  fortieth 
part  thereof  ...  to  them  and  their  respective  heirs  and 
assigns  forever."  After  the  purchase  of  the  territory,  and 
the  establishment  of  the  plantation,  those  who  composed  the 
company  laying  claim  to  the  territory  held  proprietors'  meet- 
ings, more  or  less  of  which  were  at  the  house  of  Jonathan 
Rice  in  Sudbury.  Their  records  and  proceedings  show  the 
prominent  part  taken  by  Sudbury  citizens  in  the  formation 
of  the  township.  A  few  specimens  of  these  records  are  as 
follows:  "At  a  meeting  of  the  Proprietors  of  the  common 
and  undivided  lands  in  Hassanamisco  holden  at  the  house  of 


168  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

Jonathan  How  in  Marlboro,  April,  1728,  Mr.  Jonathan  Rice 
was  chosen  clerk  for  the  Proprietors  to  enter  and  record  all 
votes  and  orders  from  time  to  time  as  shall  be  made  and 
passed  in  said  Proprietors  meetings."  "July  9,  1728.  The 
Proprietors  held  a  meeting  at  Sudbury,  at  the  house  of  Jona- 
than Rice,  and  chose  a  committee  to  take  charge  of  building 
a  meeting  house."  "Jan.  6,  1730.  At  the  house  of  Jona- 
than Rice,  voted  to  lay  out  3  acres  to  each  Proprietor  30 
acres  of  land  for  the  third  division  ;  voted  to  raise  seven 
pounds  of  money  on  each  Proprietor  for  the  finishing  of  the 
meeting  house  and  school  house." 

In  the  appointment  of  committees  for  important  business 
Sudbury  was  creditably  represented.  The  committee  chosen 
"to  take  a  survey  of  the  plantation  of  Hassanamisco,  and 
find  out  and  stake  the  centre  plot  of  the  plantation,"  were 
Captain  Brigham  of  Marlboro,  John  Hunt  of  Concord,  and 
Richard  Taylor  of  Sudbury.  Jan.  1(3,  1734,  it  was  voted 
that  Col.  John  Chandler  of  Concord  and  Jonathan  Rice  of 
Sudbury  should  be  "  a  committee  to  make  Hassanamisco  a 
town."  Thus,  at  Sudbury  and  by  her  citizens,  were  more  or 
less  of  the  plans  laid  and  business  transacted  at  the  begin- 
ning of  this  thriving  town. 

RUTLAND. 

Another  town,  in  the  settlement  of  which  Sudbury  was 
early  and  creditably  represented,  is  Rutland,  Mass.  This 
town  was  incorporated  by  the  General  Court  at  a  session  of 
1722.  The  territory,  however,  which  included  the  portion 
incorporated  at  this  time,  and  which  was  six  miles  square, 
was  some  years  before  this  explored  by  daring  pioneers,  and 
embraced,  in  its  full  extent,  a  tract  twelve  miles  square, 
and  took  in  a  part  or  the  whole  of  the  territory  of  what  is 
now  Hubbardston,  Princeton,  Holden,  Oakham,  Paxton,  ftnd 
Barre.  The  original  territory  in  these  latter-named  limits 
was  purchased,  for  twenty-three  pounds,  of  Puagastion  of 
Pennicook,  Pompamamay  of  Natick,  Wananapan  of  Wamas- 
sick,  Sassawannow  of  Natick,  and  other  natives,  on  Dec.  22, 
1686.     The  name  of  the  whole  place  was  Naquag,  and  the 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  169 

deed  of  it,  signed  and  acknowledged  by  the  above-named 
Indians,  was  received  April  14,  1714,  and  is  on  record  at  the 
Middlesex  Registry  of  Deeds,  page  511  of  Book  XVI. 

The  ownership  of  this  twelve-mile  land  tract  was  confirmed 
by  the  General  Court  in  1713,  on  petition  of  the  heirs  of 
Maj.  Simon  Willard,  of  Indian  war  fame,  and  others  whose 
names  were  in  the  associate  deed.  One  condition  imposed 
by  the  Court  in  the  confirmation  of  ownership  was,  that, 
within  seven  years,  there  be  sixty  families  settled  there,  and 
a  reservation  of  land  for  church  and  school  purposes.  On 
Dec.  14,  1715,  the  proprietors,  at  a  meeting  in  Boston, 
decided  that  a  tract  of  six  miles  square  of  the  original 
twelve  miles  should  be  surveyed  and  set  apart  for  the  set- 
tlement of  sixty-two  families,  in  order  to  keep  the  conditions 
by  which  the  grant  was  to  be  allowed.  It  decided  to  grant 
to  Capt.  Benjamin  Willard,  for  certain  considerations,  one  of 
which  was  that  he  build  a  mill,  k'  one-third  part  of  a  thirty- 
third  part  of  said  township,  or  nine  hundred  and  thirty 
acres."  A  portion  of  this  large  grant  to  Captain  Willard 
passed  into  the  hands  of  several  prominent  Sudbury  citizens, 
who  were  assignees  to  Captain  Willard.  Three  of  them  were 
Rev.  Israel  Loring,  Capt.  Samuel  Stone,  and  Capt.  Samuel 
Wright.  The  land  thus  assigned  went  to  the  parties  as  fol- 
lows: To  Mr.  Loring,  three  hundred  acres;  to  Captain  Stone, 
two  hundred  and  forty  acres  ;  and  to  Captain  Wright,  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres. 

So  much  of  the  land  of  the  twelve  miles  square  as  amounted 
to  six  miles  square  having  now  been  confirmed  to  the  claim- 
ants, and  surveyed,  and  positions  assigned  for  settlement,  on 
petition  to  the  General  Court,  at  a  session  beginning  May  30, 
1722,  an  act  of  incorporation  was  passed,  making  of  this  ter- 
ritory the  town  of  Rutland.  The  place  thus  being  in  readi- 
ness for  settlement,  and  quite  a  portion  of  it  being  in  the 
hands  of  Sudbury  citizens,  and  a  leader  in  the  enterprise, 
Captain  Wright,  being  a  Sudbury  man  who,  for  years  before 
Rutland  was  incorporated,  was  a  manager  in  its  affairs,  it  is 
no  wonder  that  emigration  flowed  from  the  town  into  this 
new  country.  It  was  as  the  great  West  to  a  place  as  near 
the  seaboard  settlements  as  Sudbury;  and  the  romance  and 


170  HTSTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

adventure  of  pioneer  life  very  likely  took  hold  of  the  inhabi- 
tants, as  the  same  spirit  led  their  ancestors  to  seek  homes 
about  the  borders  of  Sudbury  River  about  a  century  before. 
Accordingly,  as  might  be  expected,  we  find  an  early  exodus 
from  the  town  to  the  place  ;  and  among  the  names  of  parties 
who  found  homes  in  Rutland,  or  in  the  towns  of  the  original 
twelve  miles  square,  we  find  the  following,  which  now 
are,  or  have  been,  familiar  in  Sudbury:  Newton,  Moore, 
Howe,  Knight,  Ward,  Brown,  Hunt,  Bent,  Stevens,  Wright, 
Read,  Dakin,  Goodenow,  Rice,  Brintnal,  Haynes,  Stone, 
Parment'er,  Estabrook,  Clapp,  Walker,  Maynard. 

Other  towns  about  Sudbury  that  were  represented  in  the 
settlement  of  this  place  were  Marlboro,  Concord,  and  Fra- 
mingham,  besides  some  from  Boston,  Lexington,  Lancaster, 
and  Brookfield,  and  some  emigrants  from  Ireland. 

But  it  is  not  simply  the  matter  of  names  and  numbers  of 
parties  from  the  town  that  makes  it  important  and  interest- 
ing to  mention  the  part  taken  by  Sudbury  in  the  settlement 
of  Rutland,  but  tin1  prominence  of  several  of  them.  More  or 
less  were  leaders  in  the  enterprise,  and  active  and  influen- 
tial in  shaping  the  young  town's  life.  As  showing  their 
character,  we  will  give  a  short  sketch  of  some  of  them. 

Among  the  most  valuable  men  of  the  place  Avas  Capt. 
Samuel  Wright,  who  came  from  the  West  Parish  in  Sud- 
bury, and  was  proprietor  of  lot  No.  1  in  the  first  apportion- 
ment of  Rutland  territory.  Captain  Wright  was  the  first 
deacon  of  the  church  there,  justice  of  the  peace,  captain  of 
the  militia,  and  for  years  held  various  other  town  offices. 
He  was  clerk  and  one  of  the  proprietors  of  the  twelve-miles- 
square  land  tract.  It  was  at  a  meeting  at  his  house  that 
land  divisions  of  the  town  were  confirmed,  June  2o,  1721. 
He  was  the  first  moderator,  town  clerk,  and  selectman 
chosen  after  Rutland  became  incorporated.  Captain  Wright 
kept  a  tavern  for  some  time  opposite  the  first  meeting-house, 
at  which  place  much  of  the  business  of  the  town  was  trans- 
acted. He  was  prominent  in  defending  the  town  against  the 
incursions  of  the  Indians,  who  assailed  it  savagely  in  its  early 
history  ;  and  in  this  defense  he  was  reinforced  by  soldiers 
from    Sudbury.       Captain    Wright    was    the    sixth    son    of 


HISTORY   OF    SUDBURY.  171 

Edward  Wright,  who  is  supposed  to  have  been  a  son  of 
one  of  Sudbury's  early  inhabitants  or  grantees.  He  was  born 
April  9,  1670.  He  married  Mary  Stevens,  a  daughter  of 
Cyprian  Stevens,  whose  wife  was  Mary  Willard,  daughter 
of  Major  Simon  Willard  of  Lancaster,  and  of  his  third  wife, 
Mary  Dunster,  who  was  a  relative  of  Mr.  Dunster,  president 
of  Harvard  College.  Captain  Wright  was  by  this  marriage 
one  of  the  heirs  to  the  large  land  tract  originally  assigned  as 
the  Rutland  territory,  which,  as  we  have  mentioned,  was,  in 
1713,  confirmed  as  to  ownership,  on  petition  of  the  sons  and 
grandsons  of  Major  Simon  Willard;  and  his  daughter  Mary's 
name  was  among  the  other  heirs  in  the  associate  deed.  He 
was  also  by  this  marriage  with  Mary  made  brother-in-law  of 
Deacon  Joseph  Stevens,  another  early  and  prominent  citizen 
of  Rutland,  who  was  the  father  of  Capt.  Phineas  Stevens, 
the  settler  of  whom  we  shall  next  speak  in  this  sketch.  Mr. 
Wright  had  several  children,  one  of  whom  married  Rev. 
Thomas  Frink,  the  first  settled  minister  of  the  place,  and  of 
whom  mention  will  be  made  further  on.  The  Wright  family 
years  ago  almost  or  wholl}r  ceased  to  be  inhabitants  of  Rut- 
land. 

One  of  the  next  in  prominence  as  an  historic  character  in 
the  early  history  of  Rutland,  and  who  lived  in  Sudbury  and 
had  children  while  there,  was  Deacon  Joseph  Stevens.  He 
was  a  son  of  Cyprian  Stevens,  who,  as  we  have  seen,  married 
Mary  Willard  of  Lancaster.  He  went  from  Sudbury  to  Fra- 
mingham,  and  from  there  removed  to  Rutland  about  1719. 
He  married  Prudence  Rice,  a  daughter  of  John  Rice  of  Sud- 
bury, and  while  at  Sudbury  his  son  Phineas,  the  Indian 
lighter  and  famous  captain  in  the  French  and  Indian  war, 
was  born.  Mr.  Stevens  was  thus  by  relationship  grandson 
of  Major  Simon  Willard,  and  by  heirship  had  an  interest  in 
the  land  tract.  In  the  homestead  allotment  he  received  lots 
Nos.  15  and  56.  He  also  had  two  hundred  acres  of  other 
land.  He  filled  various  offices,  military,  ecclesiastical,  and 
civil,  among  which  were  those  of  captain  of  militia  and  dea- 
con of  the  church.  He  put  up  a  small  hut  on  some  meadow 
land  five  miles  from  his  dwelling-place,  and,  there  being  no 
road  to  the  place,  he  went  to  it  daily  on  rackets  or  snow- 


172  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

shoes  to  feed  his  stock.  On  the  14th  of  August,  1728,  after 
the  daily  devotional  service  with  his  family,  Mr.  Stevens 
staited  with  four  young  men  to  gather  hay,  and  while  en- 
gaged in  the  work  he  was  assailed  by  the  Indians,  two  of  his 
sons  were  killed,  the  eldest  and  youngest  were  taken  prison- 
ers, and  he  alone  escaped.  The  captives  were  taken  to  Can- 
ada ;  and,  being  kept  there  a  year,  were  redeemed  at  great 
expense,  after  the  father  had  taken  two  trips  to  Canada.  It 
is  said,  that,  after  the  capture  of  these  boys,  the  Indians, 
thinking  that  Isaac,  the  younger,  who  was  but  four  years 
old,  would  be  troublesome  to  them  on  their  way  to  Canada, 
were  about  putting  him  to  death,  when  their  design  was  dis- 
covered by  Phineas,  who  made  signs,  that,  if  his  brother 
were  spared,  he  would  carry  him  along  on  his  back.  The 
request  being  granted,  little  Isaac  was  carried  by  his  brother 
Phineas,  then  about  seventeen,  to  the  Indians'  far-off  wilder- 
ness home.  Isaac  was  so  young  when  taken  captive  that  he 
soon  acquired  the  customs  and  habits  of  the  Indians.  It  is 
stated  that  the  Indian  woman  who  had  this  young  child  in 
charge  was  so  kind  in  her  treatment  of  him,  that  he  would 
have  remained  among  the  savages.  By  the  redemption  of 
Phineas  Stevens  from  his  captivity  in  Canada,  the  country 
received  a  man  whose  services  were  invaluable  in  after  years. 
This  son  of  Sudbury  afterward  became  an  historic  character, 
from  his  masterly  military  prowess  in  and  about  Fort  No.  4,  a 
place  on  the  Connecticut  River  at  Charleston,  N.H.  Deacon 
Stevens  had  three  daughters,  Mindwell,  Mary,  and  Kather- 
ine.     He  died  Nov.  15,  1769,  and  his  wife  about  1776. 

Capt.  Edward  Rice  and  Rachel,  his  wife,  were  from  Sud- 
bury, and  were  some  of  the  most  prominent  people  of  Rut- 
land. He  was  proprietor  of  two  lots  —  Nos.  34  and  60  —  and 
their  after  divisions.  One  of  these  lots  he  sold  to  Mr.  Benja- 
min Dudley,  and  settled  on  the  other,  which  was  located  at 
Muschapauge  Hill,  and  contained  one  hundred  and  forty- 
five  acres;  but,  after  building  upon  it,  he  sold  it,  and  bought 
a  lot  south  of  Pomagussett  Meadow,  at  which  place  he 
lived,  and  where  he  died,  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven,  during 
a  remarkable  sickness  which,  in  1756,  swept  over  Rutland, 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  173 

destroying  during  the  fall  months  nearly  sixty  children. 
Mrs.  Rice,  his  wife,  died  of  small  pox,  Jan.  7,  1760.  Cap- 
tain Rice  was  a  useful  citizen  for  his  country,  town,  and 
church.  He  entered  into  the  service  of  his  country  in  1724, 
and  after  his  return  home  held  both  militia  and  town  offices. 

Capt.  Samuel  Stone  was  of  Lexington,  but  previously  was 
a  citizen  of  Sudbury.  He  was  proprietor  of  lot  No.  25;  but, 
with  his  sons,  he  eventually  became  owner  of  about  nine 
hundred  acres  of  land.  Samuel  Stoue,  Jr.,  on  Oct.  20,  1732, 
married  a  daughter  of  Deacon  Stevens,  by  whom  he  had  sev- 
eral children.  He  was  an  ardent  patriot,  and  died  in  the 
service  of  his  country  at  the  time  of  the  Revolutionary  War. 
His  son  Isaac  died  in  the  French  War,  Nov.  20,  1756. 

Capt.  Phineas  Walker  and  his  wife,  Beulah  Clapp,  were 
from  Sudbury,  where  their  first  two  children  were  born. 
Mr.  Clapp  owned  land  at  the  junction  of  Ware  and  Long- 
meadow  Brooks,  to  which  place  he  moved  in  1750.  He  was 
a  valuable  inhabitant  of  Rutland,  and  filled  various  important 
town  offices,  and  was  also  a  captain  in  the  Revolutionary 
War.  Mr.  Walker  and  wife,  soon  after  arriving  at  Rutland, 
united  with  the  church,  and  it  is  stated  of  them,  that,  though 
living  four  miles  from  the  meeting-house,  "  their  seats  were 
seldom  empty."  In  the  great  sickness  of  1756,  their  two 
sons,  Abel  and  John,  were  buried  in  one  grave.  Two  of 
their  other  sons  were  physicians  ;  one,  named  Asa,  practised 
in  Barre ;  the  other  died  Nov.  30,  1797.  Jonas  was  a  minute- 
man  and  officer  in  the  Revolution. 

Col.  Daniel  Clapp  was  a  Sudbury  man,  and  in  1768  bought 
land  in  Rutland,  to  which  place  he  moved  from  the  town  of 
Princeton.  He  filled  many  important  offices  while  at  Rut- 
land, was  an  officer  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  for  many 
years  registrar  of  deeds  for  Worcester  County. 

Lieut.  Luke  Moore  and  Lucy,  his  wife,  were  other  citizens 
from  Sudbury.  Mr.  Moore  was  an  officer  of  militia,  and  a 
worthy  citizen.  He  subsequently  removed  from  Rutland  to 
New  Hampshire.  It  is  stated  that  Mr.  Luke  Moore  was  a 
brother  of  all  the  women  of  the  name  of  Moore  who  went 
from  Sudbury  to  Rutland. 


174  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

Lieut.  Paul  Moore,  another  titled  citizen,  was  from  Sud- 
bury. He  was  by  trade  a  carpenter.  He  filled  various  town 
offices,  as  town  clerk,  selectman,  and  treasurer.  Mr.  Moore 
married,  May  3,  173-3,  Hannah  Hubbard,  a  daughter  of  Capt. 
John  Hubbard,  who  moved  from  Worcester  to  Rutland  about 
1728;  and  for  his  second  wife  he  married  Azubah  Moore  of 
Sudbury.  The  wife  of  Lieutenant  Moore  was  a  well-known 
maker  of  deer-skin  clothes.  A  grandson  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Moore  was  Rev.  John  Hubbard  Church,  formerly  of  Pelham, 
N.H. 

Cornet  Daniel  Estabrook  and  Hannah,  his  wife,  were  both 
from  Sudbury.  It  is  stated  that  Mr.  Estabrook,  in  1723, 
bought  land  laid  out  to  Samuel  Goodnow  to  his  right  of  lot 
No.  46,  situated  on  Worcester  Hill ;  and  that  when  he  began 
to  fell  trees  it  was  perilous  going  to  his  work  without  his 
gun,  not  only  from  exposure  to  Indians,  but  also  to  bears 
and  wolves. 

Another  Sudbury  citizen  who  owned  land  in  Rutland,  and 
whose  family  was  represented  among  its  early  settlers,  was 
Thomas  Read,  proprietor  of  Lot  22,  with  its  divisions. 
Thomas  Read,  the  son  of  Thomas,  moved  from  Sudbury  to 
Rutland  with  Sarah,  his  wife,  and  located  their  homestead 
on  the  lot  just  mentioned.  They  were  some  of  the  first  pio- 
neers, and  shared  the  perils  incident  to  a  settler's  life.  Mr. 
Read  had  five  children,  Jason,  Thomas,  Mary,  Jonathan,  and 
Micah.  All  Mr.  Read's  sons  married  wives  from  Framing- 
ham.  Mr.  Read  was  of  the  old  Read  family  in  Sudbury,  the 
first  of  whiclf  family  in  the  town  was  Thomas,  who  settled  at 
Lanham  as  early  as  1654.  It  is  said,  in  the  "  History  of  Rut- 
land," that  "this  family  of  Reads  have  been  useful  and  indus- 
trious inhabitants  of  Rutland  for  one  hundred  and  twenty 
years." 

Jonathan  Stearns,  who  married  Abigail  Moore,  bought 
lands  adjacent  to  what  is  called  the  East  Wing. 

Moses  Maynard  and  his  wife,  Tabitha  Moore,  bought 
land  in  Rutland  adjacent  to  the  East  Wing,  which  was 
once  granted  to  Jonathan  Waldo,  and  first  division  of  upland 
to  the  right  of  lots  Nos.  26  and  27.     The  descendants  of  Mr. 


HISTORY   OF    SUDBURY.  175 

and  Mrs.  Maynard  were  numerous,  and  settled  to  quite  an 
extent  in  New  Hampshire  and  Georgia.  In  1836  it  was  said 
that  Mr.  Maynard  was  the  largest  man  that  ever  lived  in 
Rutland,  and  that  about  a  year  and  a  half  before  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  his  sixty-eighth  year,  he  weighed  four 
hundred  and  fifty-one  pounds. 

Mr.  Moses  Baxter,  a  carpenter,  who  married  Mary  Moore 
of  Sudbury,  bought  a  farm  joining  the  East  Wing. 

Mr.  Eliphalet  Howe  was  of  the  old  Howe  family  in  Sud- 
bury, and  bought  land  on  Walnut  Hill,  Rutland. 

Among  the  settlers  in  and  about  Rutland  are  other  and 
familiar  Sudbury  names  ;  but  those  which  have  been  given 
show  how  much  the  town  contributed  towards  the  settle- 
ment. In  the  establishment  of  the  church,  also,  Sudbury 
was  quite  prominent.  The  first  deacon  was  Samuel  Wright, 
at  whose  house  was  held  a  meeting  for  the  signing  of  the 
church  covenant,  July  18,  1727.  July  24,  1721,  Rev.  Joseph 
Willard  was  chosen  pastor,  but  was  slain  by  the  Indians 
August  14  of  the  same  year.  At  a  meeting  held  May  17, 
1727,  at  which  Capt.  Samuel  Wright  presided,  Rev.  Thomas 
Frink  was  chosen  by  unanimous  vote  to  be  the  settled  pas- 
tor. He  was  a  native  of  Sudbury,  and  took  his  degree  at 
Harvard  College  in  1722.  His  father  came  from  England, 
with  two  brothers.  He  was  settled  at  Rutland,  Nov.  1, 
1727,  and  dismissed  Sept.  8,  1740.  Previous  to  the  installa- 
tion of  Mr.  Frink,  letters  missive  were  sent  to  six  churches, 
among  which  were  those  of  the  East  and  West  Parishes, 
Sudbury.  Samuel  Wright  and  Lieut.  Simon  Davis  were 
chosen  to  sign  these  letters  for  the  church.  In  accordance 
with  the  invitation,  Revs.  Loring  and  Cook  of  Sudbury  were 
present.  Mr.  Frink  and  Capt.  Samuel  Wright  joined  the 
church  by  letters  brought  from  the  West  Precinct  Church. 
Rev.  Israel  Loring  preached  the  installation  sermon,  from 
2  Cor.  ii.  16 :  "  And  who  is  sufficient  for  these  things." 
After  laying  on  of  hands  by  Revs.  Loring,  Prentice,  Par- 
sons, and  Chenery,  Mr.  Frink  "  was  ordained  a  Presbiter 
of  the  Church  and  Pastor  of  Rutland."  Mr.  Loring  gave 
the  right  hand  of  fellowship.      After  singing  part  of  the 


176  HISTORY   OF    SUDBURY. 

Eighty-ninth  Psalm,  the  pastor  "pronounced  the  Bless- 
ing. 

After  Mr.  Frink  was  dismissed  from  Rutland,  he  was 
installed  pastor  of  the  Third  Church,  Plymouth,  Nov.  7, 
1743 ;  and  October,  1753,  he  was  installed  pastor  at  Barre, 
where  he  labored  until  July  17,  1766.  He  married  Isabella, 
daughter  of  Capt.  Samuel  Wright,  Feb.  13, 1729,  and  had  a 
family  of  ten  children.  He  was  a  man  of  considerable  ability, 
and  preached  the  election  sermon  at  Boston  in  1758.  His 
son  Samuel  was  also  a  minister ;  and  at  the  time  of  Mr. 
Whitefield's  visit  to  the  country  he  was  rector  of  a  church 
in  Savannah,  Ga.  John  Frink  was  a  physician,  and  prac- 
ticed in  Rutland. 

Thus  the  influence  of  Sudbury  in  the  settlement  of  Rut- 
land was  strongly  marked ;  and  it  may  be  gratifying  to  the 
town's  people  to-day  that  such  good  and  prominent  results 
have  accrued  from  the  presence  of  her  citizens  abroad. 


CHAPTER  X. 

1650-1675. 

Activity  on  the  West  Side  of  the  River.  —  Early  Homesteads.  —  Laying 
Out  of  the  "New  Grant."  —  Land  Allotments.  —  Owners  and  Occu- 
pants.—"The  Thirty  Rod  Highway."  —  Settlement  of  Marlboro. — 
The  "Hop  Brook  Mill."  — Highway  to  the  New  Mill.  — "Old  Lan- 
caster Road."  —  New  Meeting-House;  Contract.  —  The  "  Cow  Com- 
mon "  Controversy. 

The  smoke  wreaths  curling  o'er  the  dell, 
The  low,  the  bleat,  the  tinkling  bell, 

All  made  a  landscape  strange, 
Which  was  the  living  chronicle 

Of  deeds  that  wrought  the  change. 

A.  B.  Street. 

Having  noticed  the  leading  events  in  the  establishment 
of  the  town,  we  will  now  consider  its  history  mainly  by 
periods  of  a  quarter  of  a  century  each.  In  doing  this  we 
shall  consider  events  somewhat  in  chronological  order,  tak- 
ing liberty,  however,  to  deviate  as  much  as  convenience  and 
a  proper  treatment  of  the  subject  may  direct. 

Between  1650  and  1675  the  west  side  had  rapid  develop- 
ment. Prior  to  the  beginning  of  this  period  the  pioneer 
spirit  of  the  settlers  had  led  to  a  thorough  exploration  of 
this  part  of  the  town,  and  they  had  located  by  its  hills  and 
along  its  meadows  and  valleys,  as  if  undaunted  by  distance 
from  the  meeting-house  and  mill,  and  indifferent  to  the  perils 
of  the  wilderness.  But  although  there  was,  to  an  extent,  an 
occupation  of  the  west  part  of  the  town  from  the  very  begin- 
ning of  the  settlement,  yet  the  greater  activity  was  for  a 
time  on  the  east  side ;  in  that  part  was  the  centralization  of 
people,  and  things  were  more  convenient  and  safe.  Indeed, 
the  settlers  for  a  season  may  have  regarded  the  west  side  as 

177 


178  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

a  wilderness  country,  destined  long  to  remain  in  an  unbroken 
state.  The  view  westward  from  certain  points  along  the  first 
street  was  upon  woody  peaks  and  rocky  hillsides.  Beyond 
the  valley  of  Lanham  and  Lowance,  towered  Nobscot;  its 
slope,  thickly  covered  with  forest,  might  look  like  an  inhos- 
pitable waste;  while  the  nearer  eminence  of  Goodman's  Hill, 
with  its  rough,  rocky  projections,  may  have  had  a  broken 
and  desolate  aspect.  It  is  no  wonder,  then,  that  in  the  ear- 
lier years  of  the  settlement  we  read  of  so  many  corn-fields  on 
the  east  side  of  the  river,  and  find  parties  desirous  of  obtain- 
ing new  farms  seeking  them  in  a  southerly  rather  than  a 
westerly  direction.  But  when  absolute  wants  were  once 
met,  and  things  essential  to  existence  were  provided ;  when 
the  settlers  had  acquired  a  better  knowledge  of  the  country 
and  of  the  character  of  its  native  inhabitants,  and  a  substan- 
tial causeway  was  made, — then  began  a  greater  development 
of  the  west  part  of  the  town. 

The  indications  are  that  these  things  were  accomplished 
about  the  year  1650.  At  this  time  we  begin  to  notice  the 
mention  of  homesteads  on  the  west  side,  and  the  construc- 
tion of  works  for  public  convenience.  The  lands  first  occu- 
pied, probably,  were  those  near  Lanham  and  Pantry,  and 
along  the  meadows  by  the.  river  course ;  while  the  more 
central  portion,  called  "  Rocky  Plain,"  was  not  taken  till 
somewhat  later.  This  is  indicated,  not  only  by  the  known 
locations  of  early  homesteads,  but  by  the  locality  of  the  west 
side  cow  common.  (See  Chapter  VII.)  These  sections 
may  have  been  first  taken  on  account  of  the  abundance  of 
meadow  land,  and  the  existence  of  roads  which  had  been 
made  for  the  transportation  of  hay. 

A  prominent  person  who  early  located  there  was  Walter 
Haynes.  He  had  a  house  b\  the  meadow  margin,  which,  in 
1676,  was  used  as  a  garrison,  and  which  early  in  town  his- 
tory was  called  "  Mr.  Haynes'  old  house."  In  1646  he  was 
granted  liberty  to  run  a  fence  "  from  his  meadow,  which  lies 
on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  across  the  highway  to  his 
fence  of  his  upland  at  his  new  dwelling-house,  provided  that 
Walter  Hayne  do  keep  a  gate  at  each  side  of  his  meadow  for 
the  passing  of  carts  and  the  herds  along  the  highway  that 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  179 

his  fence  may  not  be  prejudicial  to  the  town."  Both  rec- 
ord and  tradition  indicate  that  John  and  Edmund  Goodenow 
early  had  lands  near  the  Gravel  Pit,  and  also  at  or  near  the 
present  Farr  and  Coolidge  Farms.  By  1659,  Thomas  Noyes 
and  Thomas  Plympton  had  established  houses  on  the  west 
side,  —  the  former  on  lands  at  Hop  Brook,  and  the  latter  at 
Strawberry  Bank.  As  early  at  least  as  1654,  Thomas  Read 
was  at  Lanham  ;  and  by  1659  Peter  Bent  was  there  also. 

Some  public  acts  which  indicate  activity  on  the  west  side, 
as  set  forth  by  the  records,  are  as  follows  :  In  1654  it  was 
ordered  that  Walter  Hayne  and  John  Stone  "  shall  see  to 
the  fences  of  all  the  corn-fields  on  their  side  the  river  ;  "  and 
in  1659  a  committee  was  appointed  to  look  after  the  high- 
ways there.  The  mention  of  bridges  by  1641,  the  ferry  of 
Mr.  Noyes  in  1642,  and  the  contract  for  a  cart-bridge  in 
1643,  are  all  indications  of  early  activity  in  the  west  part 
of  the  town.  But  the  more  important  matters  of  a  public 
nature  were  in  connection  with  the  laying  out  of  new  lands, 
the  construction  of  important  roads,  and  the  erection  of  a  mill. 

LAYING  OUT  OF  NEW  LANDS. 

These  lands  consisted  of  the  two-mile  grant,  allowed  in 
1649.  (See  Chapter  IV.)  Its  eastern  boundary  line  ex- 
tended nearly  as  follows:  A  little  west  of  North  Sudbury, 
Sudbury  Centre,  and  South  Sudbury,  or,  more  specifically, 
by  the  Moses  Mossman  place,  across  the  Poor  Farm,  by 
the  east  bank  of  Willis's  Mill  Pond,  across  or  just  east  of 
Blandford's  Pond,  over  the  Walter  Rogers  place,  and  a  little 
west  of  Hunt's  Bridge.  From  this  easterly  limit,  it  extended 
to  the  town's  western  boundary.  Oct.  27,  1651,  John  Sher- 
man and  others  were  appointed  to  lay  out  this  land.  The 
following  record  indicates  how  the  money  was  raised  to  meet 
the  expense  of  this  work,  and  also  a  rule  that  was  agreed 
upon  for  the  apportionment  of  the  land:  — 

Nov.  27,  1651.  "It  is  agreed  in  a  public  town  meeting 
warned  for  that  purpose,  that  the  rate  now  to  be  levied  for 
the  payment  of  John  Sherman  and  others  for  laying  out  the 
two  miles  westward  joining  to  our  former  bounds  which  Was 
last  granted  by  the  Court  for  our  enlargement  shall  be  paid 


180  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

by  the  inhabitants  every  man  to  pay  alike,  the  same  in  quan- 
tity and  when  that  the  two  miles  shall  be  layed  out  that 
every  man  shall  enjoy  a  like  quantity  of  that  land." 

About  two  years  later  a  dispute  arose  relative  to  the  man- 
ner in  which  the  two-mile  grant  was  to  be  divided.  "  Two 
ways  were  proposed,  neither  of  which  gave  satisfaction  ;  the 
first  was  to  divide  them  equally  to  every  man ;  the  other  was 
to  divide  by  estate  or  family  —  to  every  man  four  parts  —  to 
every  wife,  child  or  servant  bought  or  brought  up  in  the 
family  one  part." 

On  Jan.  4,  1655,  at  a  selectmen's  meeting  it  was  "  voted 
to  take  some  means  to  get  the  new  grants  laid  out ;  "  and  it 
was  also  agreed  "  to  keep  a  herd  of  cattle  upon  the  land  the 
next  summer."  Thus  the  subject  of  the  new  grant  was  a 
prominent  one,  and  how  to  apportion  it  was  an  important 
matter.  At  length  the  plan  was  adopted  of  dividing  it 
into  squadrons,  the  arrangement  of  which  was  as  follows: 
"The  south  east  was  to  be  the  first,  the  north  east  the 
second,  the  north  west  the  third,  and  the  south  west  the 
fourth."  It  was  voted  there  should  be  a  highway  extending 
north  and  south,  "  30  rods  wide  im  the  new  grant  joining  to 
the  five  miles  first  granted;"  also,  "Voted  that  there  should 
be  a  highway  30  rods  wide,  from  south  to  north,  paralel  with 
the  other  said  highway  in  the  middle  of  the  remaining  tract 
of  land." 

The  records  further  state,  that,  as  there  was  a  pond  in  the 
third  and  second  squadrons,  "  so  that  the  middle  highway 
from  south  to  north  cannot  pass  strait,"  it  was  voted  to  have 
it  "go  round  the  pond."  These  squadrons  were  subdivided 
into  parcels  of  equal  size,  each  containing  one  hundred  and 
thirty  acres,  and  were  apportioned  to  the  people  by  lot.  It 
was  voted  that  "the  first  lot  drawn  was  to  begin  at  the 
south  side  of  the  first  squadron  running  east  and  west 
betwixt  our  highways ;  the  second  lot  to  be  in  the  north 
side  of  the  first,  and  so  every  lot  following  successively  as 
they  are  drawn  till  we  come  to  Concord  line  and  so  the  first 
and  second  squadron." 

Persons  who  received  parts  of  this  land,  and  the  order  of 
receiving  it,  are  thus  given  in  the  records :  — 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 


181 


JohnBlanford 
Thomas  Noyes 
Walter  Hains 
William  Kerley 
Joseph  Freeman 
Henry  Curtis 
Mr.  Brian  Pendleton 
Thomas  Rice 
Edward  Rice 
Mr.  Herbert  Pelham 
L[t]  Edmund  Goodenow 
Robert  Davis 

The  second  squadron  are  : 

William  Ward 

Josiah  Hains 

Henry  Loker 

John  How 

Edmund  Rice 

Philemon  Whale 

John  Loker 

Mr.  Edmund  Browne 

John  Parmenter,  Dea 

John  Maynard 

Robert  Darnill 

Thomas  White 

Richard  Newton 

John  Reddicke,  part  of  his 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 


13 

14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 


These  twelve  lots  written,  are  the 
first  squadron,  the  first  of  them 
joining  to  the  country  land  on  the 
south,  and  the  last  of  them  join- 
ing to  Lancaster  highway  on  the 
north,  each  lot  containing  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty  acres,  the  length 
being  nearest  hand  east  and  west, 
the  breadth  north  and  south. 


These  thirteen  lots  and  a  part  afore  written  are  the  second  squadron, 
the  first  whereof  being  William  Ward's  who  joineth  to  Lancaster  high- 
way on  the  south,  the  last  being  part  of  Sargent  Reddicke's  lot  which 
joineth  to  Concord  line  on  the  north  all  this  squadron  of  lots,  with  the 
other  aforegoing,  being  bounded  on  the  east  by  a  highway  thirty  rods 
wide,  and  part  of  the  two  miles  last  granted  to  Sudbury  each  lot  contain- 
ing one  hundred  and  thirty  acres  ;   third  squadron  are  as  followeth  :  — 


John  Ward 
Peter  Kin<;e 
John  Smiih 
Hugh  Griffin 
Henry  Rice 

John  [ ] 

Robert  Beast 
William  Kerley  Sen 
John  Wood 
John  Rutter 


27  Mr   Wm    Browne  his  farm  of 

28  two  hundred  acres,  and  his  lot  of 

29  one  hundred  and  thirty  acres,  be- 

30  ing   granted   to   be  in   the  north 

31  west  angle  beyond  Asibath  river 

32  before  the  lots  were  laid  out.  Also 

33  the   other  part  of   Sargent   Red- 

34  dicke's  lot  joining  to  Mr.  William 

35  Browne's  farm  on  the  north. 
36 


182  HISTORY  OF  SUDBURY. 

Solomon  Johnson  Sen  37 

John  Toll  38 

Widow  Goodenow  39 

The  thirteen  lots  last  written  with  Mr.  Wm  Browne's  farm  and  lot 
and  the  part  of  Sergent  Reddicke's  lot,  are  the  third  squadron.  Mr. 
Browne's  farm  joineth  to  Concord  line  on  the  north,  and  the  widow 
Goodenow's  lot  joineth  the  same  said  Lancaster  highway  on  the  south, 
the  said  squadron  of  lots  and  farm  being  on  the  east  the  middle  highway 
thirty  rods  wide  and  the  second  squadron,  and  butting  on  the  west  upon 
the  wilderness. 

The  fourth  squadron  are  as  followeth  :  — 

John  Moores  40 

John  Woodward  41 

John  Grout,  42 

John  Bent  Sen,  43 

Thomas  Goodenow  44 

Thomas  Plympton,  45 

John  Haines,  46 

Mr.  Peter  Noyes,  47 

Mr  William  Pelham  48 

John  Parmenter  Junior,  49 

Thomas  Kinge  50 
The  Cowpen  land  being  one 

hundred  and  thirty  acres         51 

These  above  eleven  lots  going  with  the  cowpen  land,  are  the  fourth 
and  last  squadron,  the  first  [one]  of  [which]  being  [that  of]  John  Moores, 
who  joineth  on  the  north  the  same  said  Lancaster  highway,  the  cowpen 
being  the  last,  which  joineth  on  the  south  to  the  wilderness  the  said 
eleven  lots  and  cowpen  butting  on  the  east  the  aforesaid  -J-  highway  and 
first  squadron  and  butting  on  the  west  the  wilderness.  Also  let  it  he 
remembered  that  the  long  highway  from  south  to  north  goeth  at  the 
west  end  of  the  pond  through  the  lands  of  John  Toll  and  Solomon  John- 
son, and  is  twelve  rods  wide  at  the  narrowest,  which  way  the  said  John 
Toll  and  Johnson  have  sufficient  allowance. 

This  land,  laid  out  so  regularly,  was  good  property.  Some 
of  the  most  substantial  homesteads  of  the  town  have  been, 
and  still  are,  upon  it.  The  names  of  Howe,  Parmenter, 
Woodward,  Moore,  Browne,  Walker,  Noyes,  Balcom,  and 
Rice,  of  the  older  inhabitants,  and,  later,  of  Fairbanks, 
Stone,  Willis,  Smith,  Hayden,  Maynard,  Perry,  Bowker, 
Vose,  Brigham,  and  others,  —  all  had  residences  there.  The 
possession  of  this  new  grant  territory,  and  its  early  appor- 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  183 

tionment,  would  serve  naturally  to  keep  the  people  in  town. 
It  opened  new  resources  to  the  settlers  by  its  timber  lands ; 
and  the  circuitous  course  of  Wash  Brook  gave  meadows  and 
mill  privileges  which  the  people  were  not  slow  to  improve. 
Probably  the  earlier  settlers  of  this  tract  went  from  the  east 
side  of  the  river  as  into  a  new  country  or  wilderness.  There 
they  erected  garrisons ;  and  that  there  were  in  this  territory 
at  least  three  of  these  houses  indicates  the  exposed  condition 
of  the  place  at  the  time  of  its  early  occupation  by  the  English. 
"Willis,"  the  largest  pond  in  town,  a  part  of  "Nobscot,"  the 
highest  hill,  and  the  most  extensive  timber  tracts,  are  in  this 
new  grant.  In  it  have  been  located  no  less  than  five  saw  or 
grist  mills.  From  this  territory  was  taken  part  of  the  town 
of  Maynard,  and  in  it  were  located  for  years  two  out  of  five 
of  the  old-time  district  school-houses.  The  Wayside  Inn 
and  the  Walker  Garrison  are  still  there ;  and  although  the 
stirring  scenes  of  the  old  stage  period,  which  gave  liveliness 
to  the  one,  and  the  dismal  war  days,  which  gave  importance 
to  the  other,  have  passed  away,  yet  there  remains  a  thrift 
and  prosperity  about  the  substantial  farms  of  the  ancient 
new  grant  lots  that  make  this  locality  one  of  importance  and 
interest. 

THE  THIRTY-ROD   HIGHWAY. 

But,  while  these  new  lands  proved  so  beneficial  to  the 
town,  the  "  Thirty-Rod  Highway  "  in  time  caused  considera- 
ble trouble.  It  was  laid  out  for  the  accommodation  of  the 
•owners  of  lots,  and,  as  the  name  indicates,  was  thirty  rods 
wide.  The  unnecessary  width  may  be  accounted  for  as  we 
account  for  other  wide  roads  of  that  day :  land  was  plentiful, 
and  the  timber  of  so  large  a  tract  would  be  serviceable  to  the 
town. 

But  the  width  tended  to  cause  disturbance.  The  land  was 
sought  for  by  various  parties,  —  by  abutters  on  one  or  both 
sides,  it  may  be ;  by  those  dwelling  within  the  near  neigh- 
borhood ;  and  by  such  as  desired  it  for  an  addition  to  their 
outlying  lands,  or  a  convenient  annex  to  their  farms.  The 
result  was  that  to  protect  it  required  considerable  vigilance. 
Encroachments  were  made  upon  it,  wood  and  timber  were 


184  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

taken  away,  and  at  successive  town-meetings  what  to  do 
with  this  Thirty-Rod  Highway  was  an  important  matter 
of  business.  But  at  length  it  largely  ceased  to  be  public 
property.  Piece  after  piece  had  been  disposed  of;  some  of  it 
had  been  purchased  by  private  parties,  some  of  it  exchanged 
for  lands  used  for  other  highways,  and  some  of  it  may  have 
been  gained  by  right  of  possession. 

But,  though  so  much  of  this  road  has  ceased  to  be  used  by 
the  public,  there  are  parts  still  retained  by  the  town  and 
open  to  public  use.  The  Dudley  Road,  about  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  from  the  William  Stone  place,  and  which  passes  a  small 
pond  called  the  Horse  Pond,  tradition  says  is  a  part  of  this 
way.  From  near  the  junction  of  this  with  the  county  road, 
a  part  of  the  Thirty-Rod  Way  runs  south,  and  is  still  used  as 
a  way  to  Nobscot.  On  it,  tradition  also  says,  is  the  Small- 
Pox  Burying-Ground  at  Nobscot.  A  part  of  this  road,  as  it 
runs  east  and  west,  is  probably  the  present  Boston  and  Ber- 
lin Road,  or  what  was  the  "  Old  Lancaster  Road."  Other 
parts  of  this  way  may  be  old  wood-paths  that  the  Sudbury 
farmers  still  use  and  speak  of  as  being  a  part  of  this  ancient 
landmark. 

"OLD    LANCASTER   ROAD." 

This  road,  which  was  at  first  called  the  "  Road  to  Nashu- 
way,"  probably  followed  an  ancient  trail.  In  1653  it  was 
"  agreed  by  the  town  that  Lieutenant  Goodenow  and  Ensign 
Noyes  shall  lay  out  the  way  with  Nashuway  men  so  far  as  it 
goes  within  our  town  bound."  A  record  of  this  road  is  on  the 
Town  Book,  and  just  following  is  this  statement :  — 

"This  is  a  true  copy  of  the  commissioners  appointed  by 
the  town  taken  from  the  original  and  examined  by  me. 

"  Hugh  Griffin." 

This  record,  which  is  among  those  for  1646,  by  the  lapse 
of  time  has  become  so  worn  that  parts  are  entirely  gone.  It 
is  supposed,  however,  that  some  of  the  lost  parts  have  been 
restored  or  supplied  by  the  late  Dr.  Stearns.  We  will  give 
the  record,  so  far  as  it  can  be  obtained  from  the  Town  Book, 
and  insert  in  brackets  the  words  that  have  been  supplied 
from  other  sources  :  — 


RESIDENCE    OF   JOSEPH    C.    HOWE. 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  185 

We  whose  names  are  hereunto  subscribed  appointed  by]  Sudbury 
and  the  town  of  Lancaster  to  lay  out  the  high[way  over  the]  river 
meadow  in  Sudbury  near  Lancaster  to  the  [town]  bound  according  to  the 
Court  order,  have  agreed  as  follows  [viz.]  That  the  highway  beginning 
at  the  great  river  meadow  [at  the  gravel]  pitt  shall  run  from  thence  [to 
the  northwest  side  of]  Thomas  Plympton's  house,  [and  from  thence]  to 
timber  swa[mp  as]  marked  by  us  and  so  on  to  Hart  Pond  leaving  the 
[rock]  on  the  north  side  of  the  way  and  from  thence  to  the  extreme 
[Sudbury  bounds]  as  we  have  now  marked  it  the  breadth  of  the  way  is 
to  be  the  gravel  pitt  to  the  west  end  of  Thomas  Plympton's  lot  and  .  .  . 
rods  wide  all  the  way  to  the  utmost  of  Sudbury  bound  and  thence  upon 
the  common  highway  towards  Lancaster  through  Sud[bury]  therefore 
we  have  hereunto  set  our  hand  the  22nd  day  of  this  pres[ent  month] 

Edmund  Goodenow 

Date  1653  Thomas  Noyes 

William  Kerley 

This  road  has  for  many  years  been  a  landmark  in  Sud- 
bury ;  but  the  oldest  inhabitant  cannot  remember  when,  in 
its  entire  length,  it  was  used  as  a  highway.  Parts  of  it  were 
long  since  discontinued,  and  were  either  sold  or  reverted  to 
the  estates  of  former  owners.  In  1806,  an  article  was  in  the 
warrant  "  to  see  if  the  town  would  take  any  measures  for 
opening  the  road  called  '  Lancaster  Old  Road '  at  a  gate  a 
little  north  of  Curtis  Moore's  dwelling  house  thence  running 
southerly  till  it  comes  into  the  road  leading  from  the  mills  to 
the  meeting  house."  The  road  here  referred  to  is  probably 
that  which  comes  out  by  the  present  Horatio  Hunt  place, 
about  midway  of  the  two  villages.  This  record  shews  the 
track  of  the  road  from  its  intersection  with  the  present 
meeting-house  road  to  the  point  referred  to  as  being  "a  little 
north  of  Curtis  Moore's  dwelling  house  ;  "  and,  from  that 
point,  it  probably  continued  along  the  present  travelled  way 
to  the  Berlin  road.  Its  course  east  of  the  Hunt  place,  so  far 
as  we  can  judge  from  tradition,  record,  visible  traces,  and 
the  lay  of  the  land,  took  the  following  course :  Going  east- 
erly a  few  rods,  it  goes  southerly,  and  at  a  point  about  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  easterly  of  the  Wadsworth  Monumesfc  it 
takes  a  southeasterly  course,  and  intersects  the  present 
Graves  Road  at  the  junction  of  two  roads,  near  the  William 
Jones  place.  It  then,  we  believe,  ran  northeasterly  over  the 
length  of  the  ridge,  by  what  is  still  a  rude  wood-path,  and 


186  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

came  out  on  the  eastern  slope  of  the  hill,  near  the  Albert 
Haynes  place,  where  Mr.  Plympton  once  kept  a  grocery  store. 
A  little  east  of  this,  and  south  of  the  Elbridge  Bent  place, 
there  are  traces  of  a  road,  that  for  a  little  distance  has  a  stone- 
wall on  either  side,  and  which  comes  out  a  little  south  of  the 
western  end  of  the  northern  causeway,  or  at  a  point  a  little 
south  of  where  the  Water-row  Road  intersects  the  road  going 
from  Sudbury  Centre  to  Wayland.  Some  have  placed  that 
part  of  this  road  which  is  east  of  the  Graves  Road  a  little 
further  south,  —  that  is,  along  the  south  side  of  the  hill, 
rather  than  upon  it,  —  but  we  believe  the  nature  of  the 
meadow  at  the  east,  and  the  absence  of  all  trace  of  the  road 
in  the  valley,  together  with  traces  of  an  ancient  road  through 
the  woods  on  the  hill  and  also  near  the  Elbridge  Bent  place, 
are  evidences  that  it  took  the  course  first  described.  Prob- 
ably mistakes  have  been  made  relative  to  the  course  of  this 
road  west  of  Sudbury  Centre,  from  the  fact  that  formerly 
there  were  two  Lancaster  roads.     (See  map  of  1794.) 

The  two-mile  grant  was  hardly  disposed  of,  and  the  Lan- 
caster Road  laid  out,  before  there  was  a  plan  for  the  forma- 
tion of  a  new  plantation.  The  result  was  the  settlement  of 
the  town  of  Marlboro.  (See  Chapter  IX.)  But  the  loss 
of  population  did  not  materially  affect  the  prosperity  of  the 
town  or  delay  the  progress  on  the  west  side. 

THE   HOP-BROOK   MILL. 

In  1659  a  mill  was  put  up,  where  the  present  Parmen- 
ter  Mill  stands  in  South  Sudbury.  This  mill  was  erected  by 
Thomas  and  Peter  Noyes.  In  recognition  of  the  servicea- 
bleness  of  their  work  to  the  community,  the  town  made  them 
a  land  grant,  and  favored  them  with  such  privileges  as  are 
set  forth  in  the  following  record  :  — 

Jan.  7th  1659.  Granted  unto  Mr  Thomas  Noyes  and  to  Mr  Peter 
Noyes  for  and  in  consideration  of  building  a  mill  at  Hop  brook  laying 
and  being  on  the  west  side  of  Sudbury  great  river  below  the  cart  way 
that  leads  to  Ridge  meadow  viz :  fifty  acres  of  upland  and  fifteen  acres  of 
meadow  without  commonadge^o  the  said  meadow  four  acres  of  the  said 
fifteen  acres  of  meadow  lying  and  being  within  the  demised  tracts  of 
uplands ;  Also  granted  to  the  above  named  parties  timber  of  any  of  Sud- 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  187 

bury's  common  land,  to  build  and  maintain  the  said  mill.  Also  the  said 
Thomas  and  Peter  Noyes  do  covenant  with  the  town  for  the  foregoing 
consideration,  to  build  a  sufficient  mill  to  grind  the  town  of  Sudbury's 
corn ;  the  mill  to  be  built  below  the  cart  way  that  now  is  leading  to 
Ridge  meadow,  the  said  Grantees,  their  heirs  and  successors  are  to  have 
nothing  to  do  with  the  stream  above  four  rods  above  the  aforementioned 
cartway  of  said  mill  to  be  ready  to  grind  the  corn  by  the  first  of  Decem- 
ber next  ensueing,  and  if  the  said  grantees,  their  heirs  or  assigns  shall 
damage  the  highway  over  the  brook,  by  building  the  said  mill,  they  are 
to  make  the  way  as  good  as  now  it  is,  from  time  to  time,  that  is  to  say, 
the  above  specified  way,  over  the  Mill  brook  of  said  Thomas  Noyes  and 
Peter  are  also  to  leave  a  highway  six  rods  wide  joining  to  the  brook 
from  the  east  way  that  now  is  to  the  Widow  Loker's  meadow.  (Town 
Records,  Vol.  I.) 

While  the  new  mill  was  being  built,  a  way  was  being 
made  to  it  from  the  causeway,  as  we  are  informed  by  the 
following  record,  dated  Feb.  7,  1659:  — 

We  the  Selectmen  of  Sudbury,  finding  sundry  inconveniences,  by  rea- 
son of  bad  and  ill  highways  not  being  passable  to  meadow  lands  and 
other  towns,  and  finding  the  law  doth  commit  the  stating  of  the  highways 
to  the  prudence  of  the  selectmen  of  towns,  we  therefore  being  met  the 
day  and  year  above  written,  on  purpose  to  view  the  highways  in  the  west 
side  of  Sudbury  river,  and  having  taken  pains  to  view  them,  do  we  say, 
conclude  and  jointly  agree  that  the  highway  from  the  Gravel  pits  shall 
go  through  the  land  newly  purchased  of  Lieut.  Goodenow  to  that  end, 
and  from  thence  down  the  brow  of  the  hill  the  now  passed  highway, 
unto  the  place  where  the  new  mill  is  building,  that  is  to  say,  the  way  that 
is  now  in  occupation,  we  mean  the  way  that  goeth  to  the  south  and  Mr 
Beisbeich  his  house,  we  conclude  and  jointly  agree,  that  the  way  to  the 
meadows,  as  namely,  the  meadow  of  John  Grout,  Widow  Goodenow, 
John  Maynard,  Lieut.  Goodenow,  shall  go  as  now  it  doth,  that  is  to  say, 
in  the  hollow  to  the  said  meadows,  the  highway  to  be  six  rods  wide  all 
along  by  the  side  of  the  said  meadows. 

The  new  road  here  mentioned  is,  probably,  mainly  the 
same  as  that  leading  from  the  old  causeway,  or  Gravel  Pit, 
to  South  Sudbury  to-day.  Until  within  about  a  century  it 
passed  round  the  southern  brow  of  Green  Hill.  This  road 
was  probably  part  of  a  path  or  trail  that  had  been  travelled 
before.  This  is  indicated  both  by  the  circumstances  and  the 
language  of  the  record.  It  is  not  improbable,  that,  before 
the  formal  recognition  or  laying  out  of  this  road,  a  part  of 
it  was  a  way  from  the  Gravel  Pit,  or  end  of  the  long  cause- 


188  HISTORY   OF    SUDBURY. 

way,  to  Lieutenant  Goodenovv's,  southeasterly  of  the  present 
Coolidge  place,  and  extended  from  that  point  to  Lanham,  and 
was  the  road  travelled  by  Thomas  Read  and  others  of  Lan- 
ham to  the  meeting-house.  There  is  still  an  old  lane  easterly 
of  the  Cooledge  Farm,  marked  by  fragments  of  wall,  which 
may  have  been  a  part  of  the  way  to  the  old  Goodenow  Gar- 
rison. It  is  not  improbable  that  this  lane  extended  as  a  path- 
way along  the  margin  of  Lanham  Meadows  to  Lanham.  If 
this  was  the  case,  then  the  land  spoken  of  as  purchased  of 
Lieutenant  Goodenow,  for  the  "  new  mill  "  road,  may  have 
extended,  from  the  point  where  this  lane  leaves  the  present 
county  road,  along  towards  Green  Hill  ;  and  the  "  now  passed 
highway  "  mentioned  may  have  been  the  road  in  Soutli  Sud- 
bury called  the  "  old  road,"  which,  it  is  conjectured,  was  a 
part  of  the  path  leading  from  South  Sudbury  to  the  old  Lan- 
caster trail.  (See  period  1675-1700.)  Or,  in  other  words, 
two  ways  may  be  referred  to  in  the  records  as  making  a  part 
of  this  new  road  ;  one,  a  portion  of  the  path  leading  from  the 
old  Lancaster  trail  to  the  southwest  part  of  the  town,  which 
was  probably  travelled  by  those  living  in  the  vicinity  of  Nob- 
scot,  as  they  passed  to  the  east  part  of  the  town  ;  the  other, 
an  early  path  by  the  Goodenow  Garrison  to  Lanham. 

NEW    MEETING-HOUSE. 

While  the  town  was  making  improvements  on  the  west 
side  of  the  river,  it  was  active  on  the  east  side  also  ;  and  one 
of  the  important  works  there,  in  this  period,  was  the  erection 
of  a  new  meeting-house.  Whether  the  people  had  outgrown 
the  old  one,  or  desired  a  better,  is  not  stated  ;  but  it  is  a  mark 
of  thrift,  or  of  increase,  that  they  proposed  to  build  anew. 
That  more  room  was  wanted,  is  indicated  by  this  record,  in 
1651 :  "  It  was  agreed  by  the  town  that  Edmd  Rice  Senior, 
William  Browne,  John  Reddicke  and  Henry  Rice  that  they 
four  shall  desire  the  Pastor's  approbation  to  build  galleries 
in  the  old  meeting-house,  and  if  the  Pastor  do  consent,  then 
the  town  doth  hereby  give  full  power  to  the  Pastor  and  these 
four  men  to  continue  the  work,  and  to  let  it  out  to  work- 
men." 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  189 

Probably  these  galleries  were  never  put  in,  as  they  soon 
afterwards  commenced  building  a  new  meeting-house.  Be- 
fore, however,  it  was  decided  to  build  anew,  various  plans 
were  suggested  relative  to  the  enlargment  and  improvement 
of  the  old  one.  In  1650  it  was  ordered  that  the  deacons 
should  "mend  the  meeting  house  and  make  it  comfortable." 
One  plan  was  to  enlarge  it  by  the  addition  of  "  13  foote  at 
the  end  of  it,"  and  that  the  committee  should  "  finish  the 
back  side  which  enlargement  is  for  a  watchouse."  A  plan 
a  little  later  was  that  the  meeting-house  "  be  enlarged  by 
building  10  foote  on  the  foreside  of  it  all  the  length  of  the 
meeting  house  to  be  built  with  two  gable  ends  in  the  front  ; 
and  Mr.  Brown  the  Pastor  doth  promise  to  give  twenty  shil- 
lings toward  the  work ;  the  former  order  for  enlarging  the 
meeting  house  at  the  north  west  end  is  hereby  repealed.  It 
is  also  ordered  that  the  back  side  of  the  meeting  house  be 
made  hansom." 

On  Dec.  10,  1651,  the  town  succeeded  in  passing  a  vote 
for  the  erection  of  a  new  meeting-house,  the  vote  standing 
twenty-five  for  and  fourteen  against  it.  But  this  vote  was 
repealed  at  a  meeting  January  23  of  the  same  year  (Old 
Style),  together  with  all  orders  for  the  repairing  or  altera- 
tion of  the  old  one.  The  following  year  it  was  "  agreed  that 
the  meeting  house  shall  be  made  use  of  for  a  watch  house 
until  some  further  course  be  taken  by  the  town."  At  length 
it  was  again  decided  to  build  a  new  meeting-house ;  and  in 
1652  a  contract  was  made  for  the  work. 

This  contract  is  on  the  Town  Records,  but  has  become 
considerably  worn  and  defaced,  so  that  parts  are  almost 
or  quite  unintelligible.  There  is,  however,  a  copy  in  the 
"Stearns  Collection,"  which,  with  some  slight  immaterial 
alterations,  is  as  follows  :  — 

The  town  agreed  with  Thomas  Plympton  Peter  King  &  Hugh  Griffin 
to  build  a  new  meeting  house  which  was  to  be  forty  feet  long  &  twenty 
feet  wide  measuring  from  outside  to  outside,  the  studds  were  to  be  6 
inches  by  4  to  stand  for  a  four  foot  clapboard.  There  were  to  be  4  tran- 
som windows  five  feet  wide  &  6  feet  high,  and  in  each  gable  end  a  clear- 
story window,  each  window  was  to  be  4  feet  wide  and  3  feet  high.  There 
were  to  be  sufficient  dorments  across  the  house  for  galleries  if   there 


190  HISTORY   OP   SUDBURY. 

should  afterward  be  a  desire  for  galleries  the  beams  to  be  12  inches  by 
14  and  the  ground  sills  were  to  be  of  white  oak  8  inches  square.  The 
posts  were  to  be  a  foot  square,  and  the  2  middle  beams  to  be  smoothed 
on  three  sides  and  the  lower  corners  to  be  run  with  a  bowkell.  They 
the  said  Plympton  King  &  Griffin  are  to  find  timber  to  fell,  hew,  saw, 
cart,  frame,  carry  to  place  &  they  are  to  level  the  ground  and  to  find 
them  sufficient  help  to  raise  the  house,  they  are  to  inclose  the  house 
with  clap  boards  and  to  lyne  the  inside  with  cedar  boards  or  otherwise 
with  good  spruce  boards,  &  to  be  smoothed  &  over  lapped  and  to  be 
lyned  up  the  windows,  &  they  are  to  hang  the  doors  so  as  to  bolt.  One 
of  the  doors  on  the  inside  is  to  be  sett  with  a  lock.  They  are  to  lay  the 
sleepers  of  the  doors  with  white  oak  or  good  swamp  pine,  &  to  floor  the 
house  with  plank.  They  are  to  finish  all  the  works  but  the  seats,  for 
which  the  town  do  covenant  to  give  them  *  *  *  *  5  pound  20  to  be 
paid  in  march  next  in  Indyan  [corn]  or  cattle,  30  more  to  be  paid  in  Sep' 
next  to  be  paid  in  wheat,  butter,  or  money  &  the  rest  to  be  paid  as  soon 
as  the  work  is  done  in  Indyan  corn  or  cattle  the  corn  to  [be]  merchanta- 
ble at  the  price  current. 

Witness  Edmd.  Goodnow 
Thomas  Noyes 

The  new  building  was  to  be  erected  on  the  site  of  the  old 
one.  The  town  ordered  "  that  the  carpenters  should  provide 
12  men  to  help  them  raise  the  meeting  house,"  for  which 
they  were  to  be  allowed  half  a  crown  a  day.  The  roof  was  to 
be  covered  with  thatch,  and  the  workmen  were  to  have  "  the 
meadow  afterwards  the  minister's  to  get  their  thatch  upon." 
In  1654  a  committee  was  appointed  "to  agree  with  some- 
body to  fill  the  walls  of  the  meeting  house  with  tempered 
clay  provided  they  do  not  exceed  the  sum  of  5  pounds  10 
shillings."  The  parties  who  were  to  build  the  house  were 
employed  "  to  build  seats  after  the  same  fashion  as  in  the  old 
meeting  house,"  and  they  were  to  have  for  every  seat  one 
shilling  eight  pence.  The  seats  were  to  be  made  of  white 
oak,  "both  posts  and  rails  and  benches."  In  1655  the  pas- 
tor and  Mr.  Noyes  were  empowered  lt  to  appoint  a  man  to 
remove  the  pulpit  and  the  deacons'  seat  out  of  the  old  meet- 
ing house  into  the  new  meeting  house."  Hugh  Griffin  was 
appointed  for  the  work,  and  was  k  to  have  18  shillings  for 
the  work  if  the  work  is  done  this  week  or  next  according  to 
the  pastor's  approbation." 

The  records  also  state  that  "  upon  the  pastor's  request  the 
town  hath  granted  that  he  shall  have  liberty  for  to  set  up 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  191 

the  seat  for  his  wife  in  the  new  meeting  house  under  the 
window  by  the  pulpit." 

Dec.  27,  1655,  it  was  voted  that  the  meeting-house  should 
be  seated  with  new  seats,  "that  the  seats  now  brought  into 
the  meeting  house  shall  be  carried  out  again  and  the  select 
men  shall  have  power  to  place  men  in  the  seats  when  they 
are  built." 

The  new  building  being  brought  to  completion,  the 
people  probably  left  the  little  first  meeting-house  that  the 
deft  hands  of  John  Rutter  had  reared,  and  went  into  this 
with  hearts  thankful  for  new  comforts  and  conveniences. 
It  may,  however,  have  been  with  some  reluctance  that  they 
left  the  old  meeting-house,  as  around  it  doubtless  clustered 
memories  both  glad  and  sad ;  for  it  had  sheltered  them 
in  times  of  united  worship  in  their  earlier  experience  in 
Sudbury ;  when  they  had  special  need  of  divine  support 
as  strangers  in  a  wilderness  country,  there  they  met,  and 
together  found  strength  for  their  trials  and  toils,  and  grace 
which  brought  patience  and  faith.  Surely  the  old  meeting- 
house was  a  place  only  to  be  exchanged  for  another,  as  that 
other  brought  new  comforts  and  was  better  adapted  to  meet 
their  needs.  Thus  at  the  beginning  of  this  period  the  town 
was  in  a  thrifty  condition,  and  had  a  fair  prospect  of  speedy 
development  and  future  prosperity.  Civilized  life  was  cast- 
ing its  brightness  over  the  hills  and  along  the  valleys,  and 
the  scattered  corn  and  wheat  fields  were  gladdening  the 
plains,  which  were  being  dotted  on  both  sides  of  the  river 
with  pleasant  homesteads.  The  young  people  who  early 
came  to  the  settlement  were  now  coming  into  the  full 
strength  of  sturdy  manhood  and  womanhood ;  and  all  had 
been  sufficiently  long  in  the  country  to  know  what  it  re- 
quired of  them  and  what  they  might  expect  from  it.  No 
outbreak  had  as  yet  occurred  between  the  white  man  and 
his  copper-colored  brother  of  the  woods,  and  both  Nature 
and  her  children  worked  together  in  harmonious  relations  to 
bring  plenty  and  peace.  There  are  various  small  matters  on 
record  which  indicate  that  the  town  looked  well  to  its 
minor  relations  or  interests,  and  exercised  a  vigilant  watch- 
fulness  in   making    provision    for   whatever   called   for   its 


192  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

care.     The  following  are  the  records  of  some  of  these  mat- 
ters. 

March  6,  1650,  it  was  ordered  "  that  the  town  rate  of  | 
now  to  be  raised  for  the  payment  of  the  town  debt  shall  be 
paid  in  corn."  The  same  year  it  "ordered,  a  rate  for  the 
town  pound  to  the  value  of  10  pound  shall  be  leved  to  be 
paid  in  wheat  5  bush  butter  6d,  and  |  shall  pay  as  much  as  a 
bushel  of  wheat." 

A  controversy  was  going  on  about  this  time  with  regard 
to  the  Sudbury  and  Watertown  bounds,  and  the  town  made 
"provision  to  prevent  the  encroachments  of  Watertown;" 
and  a  committee  was  appointed  "  to  seek  for  the  stopping  of 
Watertown  proceedings  in  coming  too  near  our  bound." 
The  same  year  it  was  ordered  that  "  a  part  of  the  town  rate 
should  be  appropriated  for  the  drum  and  halberd,"  and  a 
rate  was  assessed  "  for  repairing  the  Bridge,  and  Hugh  Grif- 
fin was  to  have  some  pine  poles  for  the  staying  of  the  same." 
In  March,  1654,  the  controversy  about  the  territorial  bounds 
between  Sudbury  and  Watertown  was  ended  by  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  boundary  line  between  the  two  towns,  by 
agents  appointed  from  both  places.  In  1655,  "the  line  of 
the  New  Grant  was  run  by  John  Ruddock,  Thomas  Noyes, 
and  John  Howe." 

But  while  the  town  was  growing  and  increasing  in  strength, 
a  controversy  occurred  which  was  of  a  somewhat  serious  char- 
acter. Questions  arose  relating  to  the  division  of  the  "  two- 
mile  grant,"  to  the  title  of  parties  to  certain  lands,  and  to 
rights  in  the  east  side  cow  common.  The  controversy  con- 
cerning this  latter  subject  was  in  relation  to  "sizing"  or 
"  stinting "  the  common.  It  was  specified  when  this  land 
was  reserved,  that  it  "  should  never  be  ceded  or  laid  down, 
without  the  consent  of  every  inhabitant  and  townsman  that 
hath  right  in  commonage ;  "  and  the  rule  for  pasturing  cat- 
tle upon  it  was,  "  The  inhabitants  are  to  be  limited  in  the 
putting  in  of  cattle  upon  the  said  common,  according  to  the 
quantity  of  meadow  the  said  inhabitants  are  rated  in  upon 
the  division  of  the  meadows."  The  rule  of  allowance  on 
this  basis  was  as  follows :  "For  every  two  acres  of  meadow 
one  beast,  that  is  either  cow,  ox,  bull  or   steer,   or  heifer 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  193 

above  a  year  old,  and  every  horse  or  mare  above  a  year  old 
to  go  as  one  beast  and  a  half,  and  every  six  sheep  to  go  for 
one  beast,  and  that  all  cattle  under  a  year  old  shall  go  with- 
out sizing."  The  endeavor  to  define  rights  of  commonage, 
or  the  relation  of  the  individual  to  this  piece  of  town  prop- 
erty, proved  a  difficult  task.  As  might  be  expected  among 
a  people  of  positive  natures,  strong  opinions  were  enter- 
tained, and  decided  attitudes  were  taken  concerning  a  mat- 
ter of  individual  rights.  The  affair  was  not  wholly  confined 
to  the  town  in  its  social  and  civil  relations,  but  the  church 
became  connected  with  it.  The  result  was  that  a  council 
was  called  to  adjust  ecclesiastical  matters,  and  advice  was 
also  sought  and  obtained  of  the  General  Court. 

It  is  not  our  purpose  to  give  all  the  details  of  this  once 
memorable  case.  We  will,  however,  state  a  few  facts  that 
may  suggest  something  of  its  general  character.  The  case 
came  before  the  people  by  a  call  in  town-meeting  for  a  vote 
as  to  whether  they  considered  "  the  act  of  the  selectmen  in 
sizing  the  commons  a  righteous  act."  The  affair  not  being 
satisfactorily  adjusted  in  town-meeting,  all  the  issues  con- 
cerning the  controversy,  whether  related  to  the  cow  com- 
mons or  other  matters  in  dispute,  were  laid  before  a  com- 
mittee of  the  Colonial  Court.  In  answer  to  a  petition  of 
Edmund  Brown,  Peter  Noyes,  Jr.,  Walter  Haynes,  and 
divers  others  of  Sudbury,  the  Court  ordered  that  Maj.  Simon 
Willard,  Ensign  Jn°  Sherman  and  Mr.  Thomas  Danforth 
should  be  a  committee  "  to  hear  and  determine  the  differ- 
ence between  all  or  any  of  the  inhabitants  of  Sudbury  in 
reference  to  what  is  mentioned  in  the  petition  which  petition 
is  on  file."  (Colonial  Records,  Vol.  IV.,  p.  228,  date  1655.) 
The  committee  met  at  the  ordinary  kept  by  John  Parmen- 
ter,  and  the  questions  which  came  before  them  were  as  fol- 
lows :  first,  as  to  the  right  or  title  of  certain  individuals  to 
certain  lands,  and  specifically  as  to  some  held  by  Rev.  Ed- 
mund Brown  and  Hugh  Griffin  ;  second,  as  regarding  the 
right  of  suffrage  exercised  by  some  not  considered  town 
inhabitants ;  third,  as  regarding  the  right  of  sizing  or  stint- 
ing the  common  ;  fourth,  as  regarding  the  act  of  defacing 
the  town  records.     The  committee  appointed  by  the  Court 


194  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

to  adjust  matters  rendered  this  report:  "Concerning  the  title 
of  lands  appropriated  to  several  inhabitants  ...  we  do  not 
find  just  cause  to  make  valid  their  claims ;  "  and  as  concerns 
the  land  held  by  Mr.  Brown  the  pastor  of  the  Church  there 
touching  a  part  thereof  some  objection  has  been  made  and 
clamoring  report  laid  against  him,  we  do  not  find  any  just 
ground  for  the  same."  The  committee  concluded  his  titles 
were  good,  and  confirmed  them.  Concerning  the  stinting  of 
the  common  within  the  compass  of  the  five  miles,  the  com- 
mittee concluded  that  the  rule  was  "  not  as  clear  as  desira- 
ble ; "  and  they  made  the  following  recommendations,  which 
are  given  mainly  in  their  own  words :  That,  in  the  rule  for 
stinting  the  common,  respect  should  be  had  for  both  those 
whose  estates  had  been  weakened  and  those  which  had  been 
prospered,  that  those  of  the  former  class  should  be  consid- 
ered and  proportioned  according  to  their  several  allotments 
of  meadow,  which  gave  them  their  right  in  the  other  part 
of  the  common  already  determined,  the  rule  for  which  was 
in  the  Town  Book,  folio  27,  and  there  was  no  disagree- 
ment about,  and  those  of  the  latter  class,  namely,  whose 
estate  had  been  prospered,  should  be  considered  and  propor- 
tioned according  to  the  invoice  of  their  estates  given  in  for 
the  county  rate  last  past,  without  any  respect  had  to  their 
meadow  formerly  allotted  them.  The  committee  also  de- 
clared that  no  person  should  have  power  to  vote  about  the 
common  "  but  such  as  have  been  allowed  as  free  inhabitants 
of  the  town  or  have  come  upon  the  right  of  some  that  were 
so  allowed."  Since  the  committee  found  that  the  records, 
folio  58,  touching  the  case,  had  been  "  crossed  and  defaced, 
they  censured  the  act,  and  recommended  that  they  be  kept 
by  the  recorder  of  the  court  until  there  be  a  loving  com- 
posure and  agreement  for  former  differences  and  a  mutual 
choice  of  a  fit  person  to  keep  the  same."  As  some  com- 
plaint had  been  made  in  reference  to  the  title  of  Hugh  Grif- 
fin's land,  they  stated  that  they  considered  his  title  valid. 
They  finally  concluded  that  every  "allowed  inhabitant  of  the 
town  should  have  his  commonage  according  to  his  meadow 
or  invoice  of  his  estate  at  his  pleasure  ;  "  and  that  no  person 
who  is  not  an  allowed  inhabitant,  or  had  meadow,  in  case  of 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  195 

voting  should  have  any  claim  to  commonage.  The  people 
of  Sudbury  expressed  full  assent  to  the  report  of  the  com- 
missioners, and  returned  "  hearty  thanks  unto  them  for  their 
paines  faithfulness  and  love  expressed."  The  council  of 
churches  having  also  met  and  considered  the  case,  a  for- 
mal adjustment  of  matters  was  made,  and  again  things 
moved  on  in  their  accustomed  way.  "John  Parmenter 
having  expended  the  sum  of  17-5-12  in  entertaining  both  the 
council  and  committee  appointed  to  end  their  differences,  the 
Court  orderes  the  said  charges  to  be  borne  by  all  the  town."  j 


CHAPTER    XI. 

1675-1700. 

Philip's  War:  Sources  of  Information;  Cause  and  Nature.  —  Defensive 
Measures  by  the  Town:  Garrison- Houses ;  Militia.  —  Defensive 
Measures  by  the  Colony.  —  Services  of  the  Town  outside  its  Limits; 
List  of  Men  Impressed.  —  Swamp  Fight.  —  Services  of  Ephraim 
Curtis  among  the  Nipnets :  As  a  Messenger  with  Proposals  of  Peace; 
As  a  Guide  in  Captain  Hutchinson's  Expedition.  —  Signs  of  Indian 
Hostilities  in  and  about  the  Town.  —  Edmund  Brown's  Letter. — 
Night  Attack  on  the  Indians,  and  Death  of  Netus. 

Over  the  hillsides  the  wild  knell  is  tolling, 
From  their  far  hamlets  the  yeomanry  come; 

As  thro'  the  storm-clouds  the  thunder-burst  rolling 
Circles  the  beat  of  the  mustering  drum. 

O.  W.  Holmes. 

The  last  quarter  of  the  seventeenth  century  began  dark 
and  threatening  to  the  colonists.  A  memorable  Indian  war 
was  at  hand,  and  gloomy  and  portentous  was  the  outlook  as 
the  year  1675  set  in.  Sudbury,  on  account  of  its  frontier 
position,  was  to  be  badly  harassed  by  the  enerr^;  and  per- 


196  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

haps  no  New  England  town  became  more  prominent  than 
this  in  the  annals  of  that  remarkable  period. 

But,  notwithstanding  the  prominence  of  Sudbury  in  this 
remarkable  conflict,  there  is  little  information  pertaining  to 
it  in  the  records  of  the  town.  This  absence  of  information, 
however,  is  not  very  remarkable.  The  town  books  were  for 
town  business,  and  the  military  movements  of  that  period 
largely  related  to  the  colony.  The  sources  from  which 
mainly  we  derive  information  are  papers  preserved  in  the 
State  archives,  historians  of  the  period,  and  a  valuable  paper 
recently  discovered  among  the  old  Court  files.  The  paper 
last  mentioned  consists  of  a  petition  presented  by  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Sudbury  to  the  General  Court  assembled  Oct.  11, 
1676.  This  document  settles  the  date  of  the  Sudbury  fight, 
and  gives  in  detail  some  of  the  events  connected  with  Philip's 
attack  on  the  town.  We  shall  refer  to  it  as  "  The  Old  Peti- 
tion." 

Before  commencing  the  narrative  of  the  war,  we  will  con- 
sider briefly  the  cause  and  nature  of  it.  This  war  originated 
with  and  was  conducted  by  Philip,  a  Wampanoag  chieftain. 
His  aboriginal  name  was  Metacomet,  but  he  was  called  Philip 
by  Governor  Prince,  because  of  his  bravery.  Philip  was  a 
son  of  Massasoit,  a  friend  of  the  Pilgrims  at  Plymouth,  and 
lived  at  Mount  Hope,  near  Bristol,  R.I.,  a  place  on  the  west 
side  of  Mount  Hope  Bay.  The  Indian  name  of  the  place  was 
Pokanoket.  Metacomet,  unlike  his  father,  distrusted  the 
English.  He  feared  the  gradual  encroachment  upon  his 
broad  forests  betokened  no  good  ;  and  he  sought  to  check 
the  English  advance  and  increase  by  a  devastating  war.  To 
accomplish  his  object,  he  sought  alliance  with  most  of  the 
tribes  of  New  England,  and  so  far  succeeded  that  a  large 
portion  of  them  were  engaged  in  the  hostilities  that  followed. 
With  his  combination  of  tribes,  Philip  had  the  material  to  do 
great  mischief. 

Probably  of  all  the  foes  that  New  England  ever  encoun- 
tered, Philip  of  Pokanoket  was  most  dreaded  ;  and  this  war 
was  the  most  destructive  of  any  Indian  war  waged  for  the 
same  length  of  time  in  this  country.  Villages  and  hamlets 
faded  before  his  savage  force  ;  homes  became  smouldering 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  197 

ash-heaps;  and  lands,  smiling  in  the  sunlight  of  civilized  life, 
were  left  forsaken  and  desolate,  again  to  be  draped  in  the  old 
forest  shade. 

Besides  the  usual  ferocity  expected  in  an  Indian  combatant, 
the  peculiar  characteristics  of  the  time  and  place  aggravated 
the  unhappy  situation  of  the  settlers.  The  wild  condition 
of  the  country,  the  isolation  of  dwellings,  the  slow  commu- 
nication of  place  with  place, —  all  these  were  circumstances 
suited  to  arouse  feelings  of  distrust,  and  to  stir  the  inhabi- 
tants to  a  state  of  alarm.  They  were  subjected  to  constant 
expectation  of  sudden  Indian  attack.  Any  sign  might  fore- 
bode the  approach  of  the  foe,  and  send  the  people  to  the 
shelter  of  their  friendly  garrisons.  The  strange  foot-print  of 
a  moccasin  on  the  outskirts  of  an  outlying  field,  the  freshly 
made  trail  in  the  forest,  the  mysterious  smoke  rising  above 
the  distant  woodlands,  or  the  dull  sound  of  a  gun  in  the 
thicket,  were  omens  mysterious  and  strange.  Besides  the 
arousing  of  apprehension  by  signs  of  a  material  character, 
the  situation  was  such  that  the  superstitious  nature  of  the 
inhabitants  was  wrought  upon  to  an  unusual  degree.  It  was 
thought  there  were  mysterious  prognostications  of  what  was 
to  come.  Strange  omens  were  supposed  to  be  seen  in  the 
sky,  and  wild,  rushing  sounds  heard  over  the  tree-tops, 
which  were  considered  ominous  of  evil.  So  marked,  indeed, 
were  these  circumstances,  that  perhaps  the  impressions  made 
were  different  from  those  of  any  other  war  in  New  Eng- 
land. 

Long  after  its  devastations  had  ceased,  the  tale  of  Philip's 
raids  was  rehearsed  by  the  farm-house  fireside ;  tradition 
passed  the  story  of  the  times  to  posterity ;  children  received 
it  from  the  lips  of  the  parent  who  had  heard,  while  within 
garrison  walls,  the  wild  whoop  from  the  woods,  or  witnessed 
the  skulk  of  the  savage  along  forest,  bramble,  and  rock.  It 
was  a  wild,  weird  story  to  tell,  and  late  listeners  lingered 
about  the  bright  hearthstone,  and  left  with  reluctance  the 
warm  kitchen  precinct  for  the  remote  chamber  beneath  the 
old  roof. 

For  a  better  understanding  of  the  particular  relation  of 
this  war  to  Sudbury,  we  divide  the  subject  thus :  — 


198  HISTORY   OF  SUDBURY. 

First,  the  defensive  condition  of  the  town  when  the  con- 
flict set  in. 

Second,  The  part  its  citizens  took  in  military  operations 
outside  the  town  limits. 

Third,  the  Indians'  near  approach,  their  repulse,  and  the 
death  of  Netus. 

Fourth,  the  attack  on  the  town  and  the  defense  of  the  gar- 
risons. 

Fifth,  the  contest  at  the  causeway  and  old  town  bridge. 

Sixth,  the  battle  at  Green  Hill,  or  the  Sudbury  fight. 

DEFENSIVE   MEASURES. 

The  principal  means  of  defense  in  this  war  were  the 
garrison-houses.  These  were  not  always  under  colonial 
authority,  but  were  often  private  dwelling-places  conven- 
iently located.  They  were  sometimes  a  rendezvous  for  the 
town's  militia  in  times  of  expected  attack,  and  used  occa- 
sionally to  shelter  colonial  soldiers  when  sent  to  a  belea- 
guered place.  Some  of  these  garrison-houses  were  built 
strong,  for  the  purpose  of  defense,  while  others  were  built 
in  the  ordinary  way,  and  fortified  when  the  danger  became 
imminent. 

Sudbury  had  several  of  these  places  of  defense,  a  knowl- 
edge of  which  has  come  down  to  us,  namely :  The  Brown 
Garrison,  the  Walker  Garrison,  the  Goodenow  Garrison, 
the  Haynes  Garrison,  two  others  whose  names  are  now 
unknown,  and  a  block-house.  Of  these  places  we  give  the 
following  information,  derived  from  personal  knowledge,  rec- 
ord, and  tradition :  — 

THE  BROWN  GARRISON. 

This  stood  on  the  present  estate  of  Luther  Cutting,  about 
a  dozen  rods  southeasterly  of  his  residence,  or  a  few  rods 
east  of  the  Sudbury  and  Framingham  road,  and  about  a  half 
mile  from  the  town's  southern  boundary.  It  had  a  gable 
roof,  was  made  of  wood,  and  lined  with  brick.  It  was  per- 
haps built  by  Major  Thomas  Brown,  and  was  owned  and 
occupied  by  the  descendants  of  the  Brown  family  till  a  mod- 


THE    BROWNE    GARRISON    HOUSE. 

From   an   original   painting  by  A.    S.    Hudson,    from    descriptions    given    by  persons 

once  familiar  with   it. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  199 

ern  date.      It  was  demolished  about  thirty-five  years  ago, 
when  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Conant. 

THE   WALKER    GARRISON. 

The  Walker  Garrison-house  is  in  the  west  part  of  the 
town,  a  little  south  of  the  Massachusetts  Central  Railroad, 
on  the  Willard  Walker  estate.  This  building  is  a  curious 
structure,  with  massive  chimney,  large  rooms,  and  heavy 
frame-work.  It  is  lined  within  the  walls  with  upright  plank 
fastened  with  wooden  pins.  It  may  have  been  erected  by 
Thomas  Walker,  whose  name,  with  others,  is  subscribed  to 
"The  Old  Petition." 

THE  GOODNOW   GARRISON. 

This  garrison  stood  a  little  southeasterly  of  the  present 
Coolidge  house,  or  a  few  rods  northeast  to  east  of  the  East 
Sudbury  railroad  station,  and  perhaps  twenty  or  thirty  rods 
from  the  South  Sudbury  and  Way  land  highway.  A  lane 
formerly  went  from  the  road  to  a  point  near  the  garrison. 
This  house  was  standing  about  three-quarters  of  a  century 
ago.  Tradition  states,  that  an  old  building  a  few  feet  square 
stood  by  it,  which  was  called  "  the  old  barrack,"  and  was 
removed  to  the  Farr  Farm.  An  old  inhabitant,  —  C.  G. 
Cutler,  —  who  had  been  to  the  house  in  his  early  life, 
informed  the  writer  that  there  was  no  mistake  about  this 
being  the  Goodnow  Garrison  ;  for  years  ago  it  was  generally 
considered  so  by  the  community. 

THE    HAYNES   GARRISON. 

This  garrison  stood  on  the  Water-Row  Road,  by  the  mar- 
gin of  the  river  meadow,  a  little  northerly  or  northeasterly 
of  the  Luther  Goodenow  house.  It  was  about  an  eighth 
of  a  mile  from  the  Wayland  and  Sudbury  Centre  highway, 
two  or  three  rods  from  the  road,  and  fronted  south.  In  later 
years  it  was  painted  red.  In  1876  it  was  still  standing,  but 
has  since  been  demolished.  It  is  supposed  to  have  been 
erected  by  Walter  Haynes,  and  was  probably  the  place 
which,  in  the  early  records  of  the  town,  was  repeatedly 
referred  to  as  "Mr.  Haynes'  old  house." 


200  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

One  of  the  buildings  which  common  tradition  says  was  a 
garrison,  but  whose  name  is  unknown,  stood  near  the  Adam 
How  place,  about  twenty-five  rods  northwest  of  the  house. 
It  was  one  story  high,  and  had  a  room  at  each  end.  For  a 
time  it  was  owned  and  occupied  by  Abel  Parmenter,  and 
was  torn  down  years  ago.  It  is  stated  by  tradition,  that, 
when  the  Wayside  Inn  was  built,  the  workmen  repaired  to 
this  house  at  night  for  safety. 

The  garrisons  previously  mentioned  were  named  from  their 
early  occupants.  Parmenter  was  the  name  of  the  first  occu- 
pant of  this  house  of  whom  we  have  any  knowledge ;  if  he 
was  the  first,  then  doubtless  this  house  was  formerly  known 
as  the  Parmenter  Garrison. 

The  other  garrison,  the  name  of  which  is  unknown,  was 
north  of  the  Gulf  Meadows,  and  on  or  near  the  present 
Dwier  Farm  (Bent  place).  Tradition  concerning  this  one 
is  less  positive  than  concerning  the  other.  An  old  inhabi- 
tant, once  pointing  towards  the  old  Bent  house,  said,  "There 
is  where  the  people  used  to  go  when  the  Indians  were  about." 
It  is  quite  evident  that  the  Bent  house  was  not  a  garrison, 
for  that  was  built  about  a  century  ago ;  but  across  the  road 
southwesterly  there  are  indications  that  some  structure  once 
stood,  which  may  have  been  a  garrison. 

THE  BLOCK-HOUSE. 

The  block-house  stood  in  the  north  part  of  the  town,  on 
the  Israel  Haynes  Farm.  It  was  situated,  perhaps,  from 
thirty  to  fifty  rods  southwest  of  the  house  of  Leander 
Haynes,  on  a  slight  rise  of  ground.  It  was  small,  perhaps 
fifteen  feet  square,  more  or  less,  and  so  strongly  built  that  it 
was  with  difficulty  taken  to  pieces.  It  was  demolished  about 
three-quarters  of  a  century  ago,  when  owned  by  Mr.  Moses 
Haynes.  Mr.  Reuben  Rice  of  Concord,  a  relative  of  Mr. 
Haynes,  when  over  ninety  years  of  age  informed  the  writer 
that  when  it  was  torn  down  he  chanced  to  be  passing  by, 
and  looked  for  bullet-marks,  and  believed  he  found  some. 
He  stated  there  was  no  mistake  about  the  house  being  used 
as  a  garrison. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  201 

There  may  have  been  garrisons  in  town  about  which  tra- 
dition is  silent;  and  doubtless  other  dwellings  were  put  in 
a  defensive  attitude  when  Indian  hostilities  began.  It  is 
stated  that  "  many  houses  were  fortified  and  garrisoned." 
On  the  east  side  we  have  heard  of  no  garrisons,  but  Rev. 
Edmund  Brown  fortified  his  house.  In  a  letter  sent  to  the 
Governor,  Sept.  26,  1675,  he  states  as  follows:  "  I  have  been 
at  a  round  charge  to  fortify  my  house,  and  except  finishing 
the  two  flankers  and  my  gate  have  finished.  Now  without 
four  hands  I  cannot  well  secure  it,  and  if  for  want  of  hands 
I  am  beaten  out,  it  will  be  very  advantageous  to  the  enemy, 
and  a  thorn  to  the  town."  The  men  asked  for  were  granted 
him  ;  and  his  house  afforded  a  place  of  defense  to  the  inhabi- 
tants of  that  locality,  who  were  directed  to  resort  to  it  in 
time  of  peril.  After  the  war  began  the  meeting-house  was 
made  a  place  of  security,  and  fortifications  were  constructed 
about  it. 

Such  were  some  of  the  means  provided  for  protection  in 
the  coming  conflict.  These  were  the  strongholds  that  stout 
hearts  defended.  In  view  of  their  service,  it  is  unfortunate 
that  these  relics  have  to  such  an  extent  been  destroyed.  But, 
as  we  have  stated,  only  one  remains.  With  regard  to  the 
others,  all  that  can  now  be  done  is  carefully  to  mark  the  site 
and  preserve  the  traditions  concerning  them. 

MILITIA. 

Beside  the  garrison-houses,  the  town  had  a  small  force  of 
militia.  Says  "The  Old  Petition":  "The  strength  of  Our 
towne  upon  ye  Enemy's  approaching  it,  consisted  of  eighty 
fighting  men."  These  men  were  able  bodied  and  strong  for 
the  work  of  war,  liable  to  do  duty  for  either  country  or 
town  ;  while  others,  younger  and  less  vigorous,  could  stand 
guard  and  do»some  light  service.  When  the  war  was  fairly 
begun,  the  town's  force  was  replenished  by  outside  help. 
So  that,  with  the  people  collected  in  garrisons,  and  the  armed 
men  able  to  fight  in  a  sheltered  place,  a  stout  defense  could 
be  maintained  against  a  considerably  larger  force. 


202  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 


COLONIAL   MEASURES   OF    DEFENSE. 

Beside  the  defensive  measures  adopted  by  the  town,  there 
were  also  others  devised  by  the  colony.  The  cause  was  a 
common  one.  If  the  frontier  towns  were  left  unprotected, 
the  seaboard  settlements  would  be  rendered  unsafe.  Some 
of  the  defensive  measures  adopted  by  the  colony,  in  which 
Sudbury  shared,  are  set  forth  in  the  following  papers :  — 

Cambridge,  28:  1  mo.  1676. 
In  obedience  to  an  order  of  the  Honorable  Council,  March,  1675-6, 
appointing  us,  whose  names  are  underwritten,  as  a  committee  to  consult 
the  several  towns  of  the  county  of  Middlesex,  with  reference  to  the  best 
means  of  the  preservation  of  our  out-towns,  remote  houses,  and  farms, 
for  their  security  from  the  common  enemy,  we  having  sent  to  the  several 
towns  to  send  us  their  apprehensions  by  some  one  meet  person  of  each 
to\vn,  this  day  we  consulted  concerning  the  same,  and  have  concluded 
to  purpose  as  followeth. 

1.  That  the  towns  of  Sudbury,  Concord  and  Chelmsford  be  strength- 
ened with  forty  men  apiece,  which  said  men  are  to  be  improved  in  scout- 
ing between  town  and  town',  who  are  to  be  commanded  by  men  of  pru- 
dence, courage  and  interest  in  the  said  towns,  and  the  parties  in  each 
town  are  to  be  ordered  to  keep  together  in  some  place  commodious  in 
said  towns,  and  not  in  garrisoned  houses ;  and  these  men  to  be  upon 
charge  of-  the  country. 

2.  That  for  the  security  of  Billerica  there  be  a  garrison  of  a  number 
competent  at  Weymessit,  who  may  raise  a  thousand  bushel  of  corn  upon 
the  lands  of  the  Indians  in  that  place,  may  be  improved  daily  in  scouting 
and  ranging  the  woods  between  Weymessit  and  Andover,  and  on  the 
west  of  Concord  river  on  the  east  and  north  of  Chelmsford,  which  will 
discover  the  enemy  before  he  comes  to  the  towns,  and  will  prevent  lurk- 
ing Indians  about  our  towns.  Also  that  they  shall  be  in  a  readiness  to 
succor  any  of  these  towns  at  any  time  when  in  distress;  also  shall  be 
ready  to  join  with  others  to  follow  the  enemy  upon  a  sudden  after  their 
appearing. 

3.  That  such  towns  as  Lancaster,  Groton,  and  Marlborough,  that  are 
forced  to  remove,  and  have  not  some  advantage  of  settlement  (peculiar) 
in  the  Bay,  be  ordered  to  settle  at  the  frontier  towns, , that  remain,  for 
their  strengthening;  and  the  people  of  the  said  towns  to  which  they  are 
appointed,  are  to  see  to  their  accommodation  in  the  said  towns. 

4.  That  the  said  towns  have  their  own  men  returned  that  are  abroad, 
and  their  men  freed  from  impressment  during  their  present  state. 

5.  That  there  be  appointed  a  select  number  of  persons  in  each  town 
of  Middlesex,  who  are,  upon  any  information  of  the  distress  of  any  town, 


HISTORY   OF    SUDBURY. 


203 


forthwith  to  repair  to  the  relief  thereof;  and  that  such  information  may 
be  seasonable,  the  towns  are  to  dispatch  posts,  each  town  to  the  next, 
till  notice  be  conveyed  over  the  whole  country,  if  need  be. 

Your  humble  servants, 

Hugh  Mason, 
Jonathan  Danforth, 
Richard  Lowdon. 


Another  paper,  setting  forth  suggestions  for  defensive 
measures,  is  the  following:  — 

For  the  better  securing  our  frontier  towns  from  the  incursion  of  the 
enemy,  it  is  ordered  by  this  Court,  and  authority  thereof,  that  in  each 
and  every  of  these  towns  hereinafter  mentioned,  respectively,  shall  be 
allowed  for  their  defence  a  sutible  numbers  of  soldiers,  well  armed  and 
furnished  with  ammunition  fit  for  service;  the  number  or  proportion  in 
such  towns  to  be  as  follows,  viz. 


Groton, 

Pawtucket, 

Sudbury, 

Braintree, 

Bradford, 

Haverhill, 

Chelmsford, 

Medfield, 


20  men. 
—  men. 
30  men. 
15  men. 
10  men. 
20  men. 
20  men. 
30  men. 


Weymouth, 

Billerica, 

Andover, 

Concord, 

Milton, 

Hingham, 

Dedham, 


15  men. 
20  men. 
20  men. 
20  men. 
10  men. 
20  men. 
20  men. 


And  it  is  further  ordered,  that  each  and  every  of  the  towns  above 
mentioned,  shall  well  and  sufficiently  maintain  their  several  proportions 
of  men  with  suitable  provisions,  respecting  diet,  at  their  own  proper  cost 
and  charge  during  the  time  of  their  service. 

These  garrison  soldiers,  together  with  those  who  are  to  be  in  the 
prosecution  of  the  enemy,  are  to  be  raised  out  of  the  four  counties  in 
which  the  garrisons  are  to  be  settled,  and  that  these  soldiers  that  are 
raised  out  of  the  garrison  towns,  shall  be  allowed  them  in  part  of  the 
garrison,  according  as  their  proportion  shall  be,  and  that  the  settling 
of  these  garrisons  in  the  respective  towns,  as  to  the  place,  and  also  the 
commander-in-chief,  together  with  direction  for  the  improvements  of 
said  garrisons  to  the  best  advantage  for  the  security  of  towns  and  per- 
sons, it  shall  and  is  hereby  left  to  the  committee  of  militia  in  the  several 
towns,  who  are  hereby  required  and  impowered  to  act  therein  according 
to  this  order.  And  this  to  be  instead  of  a  line  of  garrisons  formerly 
proposed. 

The  deputies  have  past  this  with  reference  to  the  consent  of  the 
honored  magistrates  hereto.  William  Torrky,  Clerk. 


204  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

Still  another  paper,  showing  the  country's  alarming  condi- 
tion, and  the  effort  made  by  the  colony  to  meet  it,  is  the  fol- 
lowing: It  was  ordered,  May  3,  that  each  of  the  frontier 
towns  be  "divided  into  so  man}^  parties  as  a  meete  number 
may  each  day  by  turns  be  sent  forth  vpon  the  scout  wth 
whom  a  party  of  Indians  at  the  charge  of  the  county  shall  be 
joined."  (Colonial  Records,  Vol.  V.,  p.  79.)  These  were 
to  be  managed  by  suitable  commanders  appointed  by  the 
military  committee,  and  the  soldiers  who  were  absent  "  in 
service  appertaining  to  sayed  townes  "  were  to  be  returned 
home  and  freed  from  the  impress.  In  connection  with  said 
order,  Sudbury  was  mentioned.  Six  others  only  were  given. 
It  was  also  ordered,  at  the  same  time,  that  when  any  town 
was  assailed  by  the  savages  the  chief  commander,  if  present 
in  any  town,  shall  "send  forth  with  what  ayde  can  be  spared 
with  safety  at  home,  for  the  security  of  the  distressed."  It 
was  also  ordered,  —  lest  the  frontier  towns  be  endangered  by 
persons  leaving  them  in  an  exposed  condition, —  that  no  per- 
son "who  is  by  law  engaged  to  trayne,  watch,  ward  or  scout, 
is  to  leave  the  town  he  is  an  inhabitant  of,  without  the  con- 
sent of  the  committee  of  mellitie,  or  vpon  their  denial  of  the 
council  of  the  commonwealth."  Also,  no  party  capable  of 
doing  garrison  duty  was  to  absent  himself  without  the  leave 
of  the  garrison  commander.  The  Court  also  ordered,  that 
soldiers  should  be  employed  daily  "in  scouting  and  warding, 
to  prevent  the  skulking  of  the  enemy  about  the  sayd  townes, 
and  to  give  tymely  notice  of  approaching  danger,  and  also 
that  the  brush  in  highways  and  other  places  [judged  neces- 
sary] be  cut  up;"  "such  persons,  youth,  &c."  as  were  not  in 
"traine  bands,  and  exempt  by  law,"  were  to  be  under  obliga- 
tions "  to  attend  command  for  that  service." 

Thus  the  inhabitants  of  the  frontier  towns  were  to  remain 
at  their  posts,  and  fight.  If  they  fled  to  the  forest,  it  was  a 
lurking  place  for  the  foe ;  if  they  ventured  for  security  to  the 
seaboard  settlements,  they  were  liable  to  seizure  and  exile. 
All  they  could  do  was  to  gird  themselves  for  the  contest, 
and,  gathered  about  their  cordon  of  garrisons,  await  the  com- 
ing foe. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  205 


SERVICES    OF    SUDBURY    OUTSIDE    ITS    OWN   TERRITORY. 

The  people  did  not  have  long  to  wait  inactive  about  their 
garrisons  ;  for  though  at  the  beginning  of  the  war  the  town 
of  Sudbury  was  not  attacked,  as  the  Indians  chiefly  confined 
hostilities  to  the  county  of  Plymouth,  yet  it  was  soon  called 
upon  to  send  aid  to  other  places.  Nov.  22,  1675,  a  warrant 
came  from  Major  Willard  to  John  Grout,  Josiah  Haynes  and 
Edmund  Goodnow,  who  called  themselves  the  li  humble  ser- 
vants the  militia  of  Sudbury,"  requiring  the  impressment  of 
nine  able  men  to  the  service  of  the  country.  They  state  to 
the  Governor  and  Council  that  they  have  impressed  the  fol- 
lowing men,  namely:  William  Wade,  Samuel  Bush,  John 
White,  Jr.,  Thomas  Rutter,  Peter  Noyes,  Jr.,  James  Smith, 
Dennis  Headly,  Mathew  Gibbs,  Jr.,  and  Daniel  Harrington ; 
but  that  they  wish  to  have  them  released.  Joseph  Graves, 
master  of  Harrington,  states  that  his  servant  had  not  cloth- 
ing fit  for  the  service;  that  he  was  well  clothed  when  he  was 
impressed  before,  but  that  he  wore  his  clothes  out  in  that 
service,  and  could  not  get  his  wages  to  bu}r  more.  The  ser- 
vice that  he  was  formerly  impressed  for  was  the  guarding  of 
families  in  "  Natick  Bounds."  One  of  those  families  is  sup- 
posed to  be  that  of  Thomas  Eames,  which  was  attacked  by 
the  Indians  near  the  outbreak  of  the  war.  (See  Chapter  II.) 
A  further  reason  for  their  release  from  this  service  is  found 
in  the  following  extracts  from  their  petition :  "  Considering 
our  condition  as  a  frontier  town,  and  several  of  our  men 
being  already  in  the  service,  our  town  being  very  much  scat- 
tered ; "  furthermore,  that,  several  families  being  sickly,  no 
use  could  be  made  of  them  for  "  watching,  warding,  scout- 
ing or  impress,  whereby  the  burden  lies  very  hard  on  a  few 
persons." 

But,  notwithstanding  the  imperiled  condition  of  the  peo- 
ple, we  find  that  the  town  was  represented  a  few  weeks 
later  in  the  "swamp  fight,"  which  was  one  of  the  hard- 
fought  battles  of  the  war.  This  conflict  occurred  Dec.  19, 
1675,  in  what  is  now  Kingston,  R.  I.  At  this  place  the  Nar- 
ragansett  Indians  had  a  stronghold  that  the  English  resolved 
to  attack.     For  this  purpose  an  expedition  of  one  thousand 


206  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

men  was  fitted  out  from  the  united  colonies  of  Massachusetts, 
Plymouth,  and  Connecticut,  under  command  of  Major  Josiah 
Winslow,  Governor  of  the  Plymouth  Colony.  The  march 
of  the  expedition  was  in  winter,  and  heavy  snows  impeded 
the  progress  of  the  troops.  The  fort,  for  one  built  by 
Indians,  was  unusually  strong.  It  was  situated  on  a  few 
acres  of  upland,  in  a  swampy  morass.  The  work  was  con- 
structed of  pallisades,  surmounted  by  brush  work,  and  the 
way  to  it  was  by  fallen  trees,  which  could  be  protected  by 
firing  from  a  block-house.  As  the  English  charged  over  this 
bridge,  they  were  swept  by  the  fire  of  the  foe  in  a  murderous 
manner,  and  before  the  fight  was  over  seventy  of  the  English 
were  slain,  and  one  hundred  and  fifty  were  wounded,  while 
the  Narragansetts,  it  is  supposed,  lost  about  one  thousand. 
Sudbury  was  represented  in  Captain  Mosely's  company 
which  company,  together  with  Captain  Davenport's,  it  is 
said,  led  the  van.  Among  the  nine  of  Captain  Mosely's 
men  who  were  wounded  was  Richard  Adams  of  Sudbur}\ 

Not  only  did  Sudbury  furnish  its  quota  of  militia,  but  it 
supplied  farther  aid  to  the  colony  by  the  services  of  Lieut. 
Ephraim  Curtis,  the  famous  guide  and  scout.  Mr.  Curtis 
was  a  carpenter  by  trade,  and  at  this  time  about  thirty-three 
years  of  age.  He  had  an  intimate  acquaintance  with  the 
country  and  its  native  inhabitants,  and  could  speak  their 
language  with  fluency.  One  prominent  service  that  he  per- 
formed was  in  acting  as  a  messenger  of  the  colonial  authori- 
ties to  the  Nipnet  Indians,  who  inhabited  western  and  cen- 
tral Massachusetts.  Supposing  that  an  alliance  of  those 
Indians  with  Philip  had  not  already  been  made,  or  that,  if 
made,  it  might  be  broken,  the  authorities  selected  Ephraim 
Curtis  to  go  among  them  and  make*  overtures  of  peace.  In 
giving  information  to  the  country  of  what  had  been  done  to 
avert  the  war,  the  authorities  state  as  follows :  "  When  our 
forces  were  sent  out  against  Philip,  We  to  satisfy  and  secure 
them,  (the  Nipnets),  sent  them,  by  Ephraim  Curtis,  a  dec- 
laration with  the  public  seal,  that  we  had  no  design  or  intent 
to  disturb  them  or  any  other  Indians,  that  would  remain  in  the 
plantation  peaceable.  Which  message  and  messenger  were 
rudely  entertained  by  many  of  them  there  assembled,  and  the 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  207 

messenger  much  endangered  by  the  younger  men,  and  not 
with  any  satisfaction  by  the  sachems,  as  the  event  showed." 
Lieutenant  Curtis  went  on  more  than  one  expedition  to  the 
Nipnets.  June  25,  he  was  sent  '"to  make  a  perfect  discovery 
of  the  motions  of  the  Nipmug  Indians."  In  a  letter  to  the 
colonial  authorities,  dated  July  4,  he  says  that  he  delivered 
the  letter  to  the  committee  at  Brookfield,  and  from  there 
went  directly  to  the  Indians,  whom  he  found  at  the  same 
place  where  he  had  met  them  before.  The  task  undertaken 
by  Curtis  in  carrying  out  his  embassy  was  dangerous  in  the 
extreme,  and  his  thrilling  experiences  as  set  forth  in  a  letter 
addressed  to  the  Governor  and  Council,  July  16,  show  a 
sagacity  and  daring  unsurpassed  even  in  those  heroic  times. 
We  will  give  this  letter  in  substance,  quoting  verbatim  as 
far  as  space  will  allow :  "  Whereas  your  Honors  employed 
your  servant  to  conduct  and  also  to  make  a  perfect  discovery 
of  the  motions  of  the  Nipmugs  and  western  Indians,  Your 
Honor  may  be  pleased  here  to  see  my  return  and  behaviour." 
After  giving  some  incidents  of  the  journey  before  he  reached 
Brookfield,  he  goes  on  to  say,  that,  entering  the  woods,  they 
proceeded  westward,  till  they  discovered  an  Indian  trail, 
which  they  followed  many  miles,  till  they  came  to  "  the  low 
river  by  Springfield  old  road."  He  says,  "  Here  we  saw  new 
footings  of  Indians,  and  so,  looking  out  sharp,  in  about  two 
miles  riding  we  saw  two  Indians,  which  when  I  saw,  I  sent 
the  Indians  that  were  with  me  from  Marlborow,  to  speak  with 
them,  but  as  soon  as  they  had  discovered  us,  they  ran  away 
from  us,  but  with  fast  riding  and  calling,  two  of  our  Indians 
stopped  one  of  them,  the  other  ran  away.  We  asked  this 
Indian,  where  the  other  Indians  were.  He  being  surprised 
with  fear,  so  he  only  told  us  that  the  Indians  were  but  a 
little  way  from  us.  So  then  I  sent  the  Marlborow  Indians 
before,  to  tell  them  that  the  messenger  of  the  Governor  of 
the  Massachusetts  was  coming  with  peaceable  words,  but 
when  he  came  to  them  they  would  not  believe  him."  Mr. 
Curtis  describes  their  place  of  encampment  as  being  an 
island,  in  area  about  four  acres,  encompassed  by  a  broad, 
miry  swamp.  Before  reaching  the  river  there  met  them  at 
least  forty  Indians,  some  with  their  guns  on  their  shoulders, 


208  HISTORY   OF    SUDBURY. 

others  with  them  in  their  hands  ready  cocked  and  primed  ; 
and  most  of  those  next  to  the  river  presented  at  them. 
He  addressed  them  in  the  name  of  the  Governor,  whom  lie 
called  his  master,  the  Great  Sachem  of  the  Massachusetts, 
and  required  them  to  own  their  fidelity.  He  informed  them 
that  he  came  not  to  fight  or  to  hurt  them,  hut  as  a  messenger 
from  the  Governor.  He  states  that  there  was  a  great  uproar 
among  them,  and  some  would  have  him  killed.  Says  he, 
"  I  requested  their  sachems  to  come  over  the  river,  hut  they 
refused,  saying  that  I  must  come  over  to  them.  My  com- 
pany was  something  unwilling,  for  they  thought  themselves 
in  very  great  danger  where  they  were.  I  told  them  we 
had  better  never  have  seen  them,  than  not  to  speak  to  the 
sachems,  and  if  we  ran  from  them  in  the  time  of  this  tumult 
they  would  shoot  after  us,  and  kill  some  of  us.  So  with 
much  difficulty  we  got  over  the  river,  and  moist  meadow,  to 
the  island  where  they  stood  to  face  us  at  our  coming  out 
of  the  mire,  many  Indians  with  their  guns  presented  at  us 
ready  cocked  and  primed,  so  we  rushed  between  them  and 
called  for  their  sachems.  Still  the  uproar  continued  with 
such  noise  that  the  air  rang.  I  required  them  to  lay  down 
their  arms,  and  they  commanded  us  to  put  up  our  arms 
first  and  come  off  our  horses,  which  I  refused  to  do.  With 
much  threatening  and  persuasion  at  last  the  uproar  [ceased] . 
Many  of  them  said  they  would  neither  believe  me  nor  my 
master,  without  he  would  send  them  two  or  three  bushels  of 
powder.  At  length  I  spoke  with  their  sachems  which  were 
five,  and  their  other  grandees,  which  I  think  were  twelve 
more.  Our  Natic  Indians  seemed  to  be  very  industrious,  all 
this  time  to  still  the  tumult,  and  so  persuade  the  Indians, 
and  as  I  came  to  speak  with  the  sachems  we  dismounted 
and  put  up  our  arms."  Mr.  Curtis  says  their  number  was 
about  two  hundred.  (State  Archives,  Vol.  LXVIL,  p.  215.) 
Thus  important  and  perilous  was  the  work  in  which  Curtis 
engaged  for  the  colony;  and  that  he  was  selected  for  the 
undertaking  indicates  the  confidence  of  the  authorities  in 
both  his  courage  and  sagacity.  It  may  be  in  connection  with 
work  among  the  Nipnets  that  the  following  order  came  to 
the  constables  of  Sudbury,  July  1G,  directing  them  "to  im- 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  209 

press  two  or  three  valuable  horses  with  men  and  arms  as 
Ephraim  Curtis  shall  require."  These  were  to  be  delivered 
to  Curtis,  and  to  accompany  him,  with  two  or  three  "  able 
and  confiding  Indians  which  Captain  Gookin  will  provide  to 
go  with  him  on  the  country's  service."  The  order  was  to  be 
carried  out  with  all  speed.  If  the  carrying  out  of  this  order 
related  to  work  among  the  Nipnets,  then  more  than  one  Sud- 
bury citizen  participated  in  it  and  encountered  its  perils. 

Still  another  service  that  was  rendered  by  Curtis  was  in 
connection  with  the  ill-fated  expedition  sent  out  under  com- 
mand of  Capt.  Edward  Hutchinson.  July  27,  1675,  Captain 
Hutchinson  was  ordered  to  take  with  him  Capt.  Thomas 
Wheeler  of  Concord,  and  a  score  or  more  of  his  troop  of 
horse,  Ephraim  Curtis  as  a  guide,  and  three  Christian  Indi- 
ans as  interpreters,  and  forthwith  to  repair  to  the  Nipmuck 
country,  to  ascertain  the  movements  of  the  Indians.  The 
company  went  from  Cambridge  to  Sudbury,  July  28,  1675, 
and  August  1  they  arrived  at  Brookfield.  They  there  learned 
that  the  Indians  were  about  ten  miles  away.  Messengers 
were  sent  to  inform  them  of  the  approach  of  the  English 
with  friendly  intentions.  An  interview  was  had  with  the 
sachems,  who  promised  to  meet  the  English  near  Brook- 
field  the  next  morning.  At  the  appointed  time  the  English 
repaired  to  the  place  agreed  upon,  but  the  Indians  were  not 
there.  It  was  considered  inexpedient  to  follow  them  fur- 
ther ;  but,  urged  by  the  people  of  Brookfield,  they  pro- 
ceeded, contrary  to  the  advice  of  their  guides,  several  miles, 
to  a  place  near  a  swamp,  when  they  found  themselves  in  an 
ambuscade.  The  Indians,  consisting  of  two  or  three  hun- 
dred, suddenly  attacked  the  little  company,  killing  eight  and 
wounding  three.  Among  the  killed  was  Sydrack  (or  Shad- 
rack)  Hapgood  of  Sudbury,  and  among  the  wounded  were 
Captains  Hutchinson  and  Wheeler.  A  retreat  was  at  once 
made  to  Brookfield ;  and,  having  reached  there,  the  soldiers 
entered  one  of  the  strongest  houses  and  prepared  for  defense. 
Ephraim  Curtis  and  Henry  Young  from  Concord  were  sent 
to  acquaint  the  Council  at  Boston  of  their  imperiled  condi- 
tion. The  brave  emissaries  started  at  once  on  their  venture- 
some mission  ;  but  the  town  was  so  beset  with  the  savages 


210  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

that  they  were  forced  back  to  the  garrison.  Soon  afterwards 
the  house  was  assailed  with  great  fury.  Young,  looking 
from  the  garret  window,  was  shot  and  mortally  wounded. 
The  night  that  followed  was  terrible.  The  shot  pelted  on 
the  walls  like  hail,  and  the  Indians  attempted  to  set  the 
building  on  fire.  The  situation  was  critical,  the  ammunition 
was  growing  scant,  and  unless  something  was  done  to  bring 
relief  all  would  inevitably  be  killed  or  taken  captive.  The 
undertaking  was  extremely  hazardous.  To  succeed  required 
a  man  of  great  courage  and  endurance,  with  a  sagacity  suffi- 
cient to  outmatch  the  foe.  Few  were  fit  for  such  a  service, 
even  if  any  could  be  found  to  serve.  But  the  task  was  to 
fall  upon  some  one,  and  the  man  selected  was  Ephraim  Cur- 
tis. Again  the  bold  adventurer  set  forth  from  the  garrison, 
a  lone  soldier,  to  rely  on  his  prowess  and  a  protecting  Provi- 
dence to  shield  him  on  his  course.  Captain  Wheeler  in  his 
official  report  states  of  the  affair  as  follows :  "  I  spake  to 
Ephraim  Curtis  to  adventure  forth  again  on  that  service,  and 
to  attempt  it  on  foot  as  the  way  wherein  was  the  most  hope 
of  getting  away  undiscovered.  He  readily  assented,  and 
accordingly  went  out;  but  there  were  so  many  Indians  every 
where  threatened,  that  he  could  not  pass,  without  apparent 
hazard  of  life,  so  he  came  back  again,  but  towards  morning 
the  said  Ephraim  adventured  forth  the  3d  time,  and  was  fain 
to  creep  on  his  hands  and  knees  for  some  space  of  ground 
that  he  might  not  be  discovered  by  the  enemy,  but  through 
God's  mercy  he  escaped  their  hands,  and  got  safely  to  Marl- 
boro, though  veiy  much  spent  and  ready  to  faint  by  reason 
of  want  of  sleep  before  he  went  from  us,  and  his  sore  travel 
night  and  day  in  that  hot  season  till  he  got  thither."  On 
arriving  at  Marlboro  he  met  Major  Simon  Willard  and  Capt. 
James  Parker  of  Groton,  with  forty-six  men,  who  were  there 
to  scout  between  Marlboro,  Lancaster,  and  Groton.  These, 
on  receiving  intelligence  of  affairs  at  Brookfield,  hastened  at 
once  with  relief.  They  arrived  August  7,  just  in  season  to 
rescue  the  survivors.  After  this  narration,  it  is  unnecessary 
to  speak  of  the  bravery  of  this  Sudbury  scout,  or  the  value 
of  his  services  to  the  country.  It  was  a  forlorn  hope  upon 
which  he  went  forth,  and  none  better  than  he  knew  the  haz- 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  211 

ardous  nature  of  his  task,  or  the  sad  consequences  of  capture. 
Many  weary  miles  of  travel  lay  between  him  and  the  sea- 
board settlements,  but,  tired  and  faint,  he  sped  on  his  way 
till  he  had  faithfully  discharged  his  trust,  and  sent  the  res- 
cuers to  his  beleaguered  comrades. 

But  the  time  was  near  when  Sudbury  was  to  need  all  her 
resources  for  the  defense  of  her  own  territory.  The  foe  that 
hitherto  largely  operated  in  the  county  of  Plymouth  was 
soon  to  invade  that  of  Middlesex,  and  make  Sudbury  the 
scene  of  most  important  events.  The  first  approach  of  the 
Indians  to  the  town  and  its  vicinit}'  with  hostile  intent  was, 
we  judge,  in  small  bands,  which  ranged  the  forest  in  an  inde- 
pendent way,  or  which  acted  as  detachments  to  spy  out  the 
land.  These  scouting  parties  alarmed  the  inhabitants,  who 
sent  messages  to  the  colonial  authorities,  with  a  statement  of 
facts  and  request  for  relief.  The  indications  are  that  the 
colonial  authorities  did  not  anticipate  that  great  peril  was  so 
near.  After  the  defeat  of  the  Narragansetts  in  the  swamp 
fight,  it  was  supposed  that  the  Indians  were  in  a  crippled 
condition,  and  that  the  devastating  effect  of  that  fight  would 
tend  to  discourage  and  keep  them  in  check.  To  so  great  an 
extent  was  a  sense  of  security  felt  by  the  authorities,  that  in 
some  cases  soldiers  were  dismissed  from  the  garrison-houses. 
Captain  Brocklebank,  who  was  stationed  at  Marlboro,  asked 
to  be  dismissed  from  that  place,  stating  that  he  had  little  to 
do.  But  the  weakness  of  the  enemy  was  evidently  overesti- 
mated ;  and  it  was  not  long  before  the  frontier  towns  were 
made  aware  that  a  formidable  foe  was  near.  Feb.  23,  1G75, 
Hugh  Clark  stated  to  the  Council,  that  he  "  being  the  last 
week  upon  the  scout  with  Capt.  Gibbs,  about  Lancaster, 
Concord  and  Sudbury,  found  several  houses  deserted,  having 
corn  in  them,  and  cattle  about  them,  belonging  to  the  late 
inhabitants  thereof,  who  for  fear  left  their  habitations."  He 
states  that  they  found  at  least  about  sixty  bushels  of  corn  in 
one  house.  And  he  assured  the  Council  that  "  it  would  be 
of  advantage  to  the  Indians  and  straighten  the  English  unless 
something  is  done  to  prevent  it." 

The  Rev.  Edmund  Brown,  who,  as  we  have  before  noticed, 
fortified  his  house,  sent  information  to   the   authorities   by 


212  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

Ensign  Grout  about  the  presence  of  a  lurking  enemy  in  Sud- 
bury. He  says:  "  It  is  reported  that  our  woods  are  pestered 
with  Indians.  One  Adams  within  our  bounds  was  shot  at 
by  a  lurking  Indian  or  more.  He  was  shot  through  the 
coat  and  shirt  near  to  the  arm  pit.  One  Smith  walking  the 
woods  was  assailed  by  3  or  4  Indians,  whom  he  discovered 
swooping  down  a  hill  toward  him,  but  Smith  saved  himself 
by  his  legs.  One  Joseph  Freeman  coming  up  about  4  mile 
Brook  discovered  two  Indians,  one  in  the  path  presenting 
his  gun  at  him  in  the  way  (in  a  bright  moonlight  night),  but 
Freeman  dismounting  shot  at  him,  and  mounting  rode  for  it. 
One  Joseph  [Shaley]  coming  home  from  Marlboro  on  Thurs- 
day last  discovered  Indians  in  our  bounds,  one  of  which  made 
a  shot  at  him,  the  bullet  passing  by  him,  but  being  mounted 
and  riding  for  it  he  escaped.  One  Joseph  Curtis,  son  to 
Ephraim  Curtis  on  Saturday  last  heard  3  volleys  of  shot 
made  by  Indians  between  us  and  Weston.  This  being  to 
long.  Ensign  Grout  can  give  a  full  narrative  to  your  Honor 
and  Councill.  The  consideration  of  all  which  I  hope  will 
excite  you  :  :  :  to  order  that  these  woods  may  be  scoured 
and  that  our  town  of  Sudbury  a  frontier  town  may  be  ena- 
bled to  contribute  aid  therein  and  defend  itself  with  its 
quantity  of  men,  I  humbly  move.  And  this  I  shall  [present] 
unto  the  Honorable  Councill  that  we  may  not  have  men 
pressed  out  of  our  small  town."  Date,  "  Sudbury  26th  7th  mo." 
In  another  letter  dated  "  Sudbury  7th  of  12th  mo.  75,"  Mr. 
Brown  refers  to  a  late  order  of  the  authorities  dismissing 
garrison  soldiers,  and  requests  that  John  Gleason,  who  had 
been  impressed  but  returned  in  safety,  might  be  at  his  dis- 
posal. He  also  speaks  of  Zenias  Parmenter,  whom  they 
"were  pleased  to  free  from  impress."  He  objected  to 
having  his  guard  dismissed,  on  any  general  order  for  the 
dismissal  of  garrisons,  since  he  maintained  it  at  his  own 
expense. 

Thus,  towards  the  close  of  1675,  Sudbury  and  its  vicinity 
felt  a  sense  of  insecurity,  because  of  a  lurking  foe.  The 
indications  are,  that  before  the  Indians  made  an  advance 
in  great  force  they  came  in  small  detachments  or  bands, 
doing  occasional  mischief,   and  keeping   the   inhabitants  in 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  213 

a  state  of  suspense.  No  one  was  safe  who  went  abroad 
unarmed ;  and  those  living  in  the  more  exposed  localities 
had  even  abandoned  their  homes.  In  the  instance  related 
by  Hugh  Clark,  the  flight  was  precipitous,  the  corn  being 
left  in  the  crib.  But  it  was  not  long  after  these  evidences 
of  a  mere  scattered  foe  before  there  were  indications  that  the 
town  was  to  suffer  a  more  general  attack  by  a  considerably 
increased  force.  In  the  towns  beyond  its  western  border 
more  or  less  havoc  had  already  been  made,  and  one  after 
another  of  them  had  already  succumbed.  Feb.  10,  1675, 
Lancaster  suffered  by  the  loss  of  fifty  killed  or  taken  cap- 
tive ;  and  the  same  month  a  requisition  was  made  upon  Con- 
cord and  Sudbury  requiring  them  "forthwith  to  impress  8 
carts  in  each  town  for  the  bringing  down  of  goods  of  such 
persons  of  Lancaster  as  being  bereaved  by  the  late  hand  of 
God  are  disabled  from  continuing  there."  By  March  13, 
Groton  was  made  desolate,  and  forty  dwellings  were  burned; 
and  Marlboro  alone  remained  between  Sudbury  and  the  vast 
wilderness  that  sheltered  the  foe.  The  first  blow  that  fell 
on  the  town,  that  has  been  noted  by  historians  of  that  day, 
was  on  the  10th  of  March,  167(3.  Sajs  Mather,  "  Mischief 
was  done,  and  several  lives  were  cut  off  by  the  Indians.  An 
humbling  Providence,  inasmuch  as  man}'  churches  were  this 
day  fasting  and  praying."  This  attack  on  the  town  was  evi- 
dently sufficient  to  put  the  people  more  on  their  guard,  and 
the  better  prepared  them  to  meet  the  great  force  which  was  to 
assail  them  in  the  following  month.  It  was  about  three  days 
before  this  attack  of  March  10  that  Rev.  Edmund  Brown's 
letter  was  dated,  in  which  he  writes  to  the  authorities,  and 
mentions  the  "  eminent  danger  yet  remaining  over  our  heads 
which  occasions  divers  of  our  towns  to  make  address  for 
some  grant  and  with  good  success."  Eleven  days  after  this 
attack,  "  at  the  motion  and  request  of  Ensign  Grout  of  Sud- 
bury, on  behalf  of  Lieut.  Ephraim  Curtis,  it  was  ordered  that 
the  said  Curtis,  together  with  any  other  volunteers  which 
shall  join  with  him,  shall  march  under  his  command  into  the 
woods,  and  endeavor  to  surprise,  kill,  or  destroy,  any  of  the 
Indians  our  enemies  :  :  :  and  he  may  expect  such  encour- 
agement as  the  late  order  of  the  General  Court  directs." 


214  HTSTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

THE    NEAR    APPROACH    OF    THE    INDIANS,    THEIR    REPULSE, 
AND   THE   DEATH    OF   NETUS. 

While  the  prospect  was  thus  threatening,  the  design  of 
the  Indians  for  a  season  was  effectually  stayed,  and  a  disas- 
trous invasion  prevented,  by  a  bold  move  made  by  the  inhab- 
itants of  the  town.  The  event  referred  to  occurred  March 
27,  1676.  A  force  of  savages,  near  three  hundred  in  num- 
ber, were  within  about  a  half  mile  of  Sudbury's  western 
boundary.  The  force  was  led  by  Netus,  the  Nipmuc  cap- 
tain. (See  Chapter  II.)  This  band  was  intent  on  mischief. 
It  was  on  the  trail  for  prey.  Flushed  with  the  expectation 
of  easy  victory,  they  waited  the  dawn  of  day  to  begin  their 
foul  work,  and  seize  such  persons  and  spoil  as  were  found 
outside  the  garrisons.  On  Sabbath  night  they  made  their 
encampment  within  half  a  mile  of  a  garrison.  Their  mis- 
chievous course  through  the  previous  day  had  been  so  little 
opposed  that  they  felt  secure  as  if  in  a  world  of  peace.  But 
the  English  were  on  their  track. 

Intelligence  of  their  presence  at  Marlboro  had  reached 
Sudbury,  and  a  movement  was  made  to  oppose  them.  A 
score  of  bold  citizens  set  forth  for  the  beleaguered  place. 
On  their  arrival  at  Marlboro  they  were  reinforced  by  twenty 
soldiers,  who  were  taken  from  the  garrisons,  and  the  two 
forces  went  in  search  of  the  enemy.  Before  daybreak  they 
discovered  them  asleep  about  their  fires.  The  English,  in 
night's  stillness,  crept  close  upon  the  camp.  Wrapped  in 
slumber,  and  unsuspicious  of  what  was  so  near,  the  Indians 
were  suddenly  startled  by  a  destructive  volley  from  an  unex- 
pected foe.  The  English  took  them  by  complete  surprise. 
So  effectually  had  they  directed  their  fire  that  the  Indians 
speedily  fled.  About  thirty  of  their  number  were  wounded, 
of  whom  it  is  said  fourteen  afterwards  died.  Not  only  were 
the  Indians  numerically  weakened,  but  demoralized  some- 
what by  such  a  bold  and  unlooked-for  assault.  Probably 
this  act  saved  Sudbury  for  a  time.  Netus  was  slain,  and  for 
near  a  month  there  was  a  cessation  of  hostilities  within  and 
about  the  town. 

As  the  importance  of  this  event  is  considerable,  and  the 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  215 

evidence  is  quite  clear  concerning  it,  we  will  present  the 
narrative  as  given  by  several  authorities.  Says  Mather: 
"  March  27th  some  of  the  inhabitants  of  Sudbury  being 
alarmed  by  what  the  Indians  did  yesterday  to  their  neigh- 
bors in  Malbury,  apprehending  that  they  might  come  upon 
the  enemy  unawares,  in  case  they  should  march  after  them 
in  the  night  time,  they  resolved  to  try  what  might  be  done, 
and  that,  not  altogether  without  success,  for  toward  the 
morning  whilst  it  was  yet  dark,  they  discovered  where  the 
Indians  lay  by  their  fires.  And  such  was  their  boldness,  as 
that  about  800  of  them  lay  all  night  within  half  a  mile  of  one 
of  the  garrison  houses,  in  that  town  where  they  had  done 
so  much  mischief  the  day  before.  Albeit  the  darkness  was 
such  as  an  English  man  could  not  be  distinguished  from 
an  Indian  ;  yet  ours  being  40  in  number  discharged  several 
times  upon  them,  and  (as  Indians  taken  at  that  time  do  con- 
fess) God  so  disposed  of  the  bullets  that  were  shot  at  that 
time,  that  no  less  than  thirty  Indians  were  wounded,  of 
whom  there  were  14  that  died,  several  of  which  had  been 
perpetrators  in  the  late  bloody  tragedies.  They  fired  hard 
upon  the  English,  but  neither  killed  nor  wounded  so  much 
as  one  man  in  the  skirmish." 

Captain  Brocklebank,  garrison  commander  at  Marlboro, 
states  thus  in  his  report  to  the  colonial  authorities:  "Sabbath 
day  night  there  came  about  20  men  from  Sudbury,  and  we 
out  of  the  several  garrisons  drew  20  more,  and  in  the  night 
time  they  went  out  to  see  if  they  could  discover  the  enemy 
and  give  them  some  check."  He  states,  that  "  they  found 
them  by  their  fires,  and  fired  on  them,  and  they  ran  away  ; 
but  their  number  being  few,  and  not  knowing  the  number 
of  the  enemy,  but  apprehending  by  their  noise  and  firing  at 
them  that  the  force  of  the  enemy  was  considerable,  they 
returned  home  without  the  loss  of  any  men  or  wounds  from 
the  enemy,  and  only  one  man  had  his  hand  shattered  by  the 
breaking  of  a  gun." 

Thus  straightforward  and  plain  are  these  authorities  in 
their  description  of  this  nightly  encounter.  No  better  evi- 
dence could  be  desired  than  Captain  Brocklebank's  letter. 
From  these  narratives  we  are  informed   that  the  people  of 


216  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

Sudbury  formed  this  bold  project ;  that  a  score  of  her  brave 
citizens  went  forth  to  stay  the  course  of  the  Indian  invaders ; 
that  they  went  beyond  the  limits  of  Sudbury  into  a  neigh- 
boring town  that  had  already  been  attacked  by  the  foe ; 
and  that,  upon  receiving  aid  from  a  government  official  in 
command  of  the  garrison,  they  made  this  successful  assault. 
There  is  no  evidence  that  when  they  started  they  had  any 
assurance  that  reinforcements  would  be  afforded  them.  They 
knew  the  enemy  were  in  force  at  Marlboro,  and  courageously 
marched  to  check  their  advance.  Whether  the  reinforce- 
ments that  they  received  at  Marlboro  were  citizens  of  that 
town,  or  some  of  the  soldiers  who  were  sent  there  b}'  the 
government,  we  are  not  informed.  We  know  that  Captain 
Brocklebank  was  a  government  commander,  and  that  a  part 
of  the  Marlboro  garrison  were  government  men,  some  of 
whom  subsequently  accompanied  Captain  Brocklebank  to 
the  Sudbury  fight. 

That  Sudbury  people  in  this  affair  acted  not  simply  in 
their  own  defense  is  implied  in  "The  Old  Petition,"  in  which 
it  is  stated  that  "  the  Indians  in  their  disastrous  invasions 
were  resolved  by  our  mine  to  revenge  ye  reliefe  which  our 
Sudbury  volunteers  approached  to  distressed  Marlborough, 
in  slaying  many  of  ye  enemy  &  repelling  ye  rest." 


CHAPTER   XII. 

1675-1700. 

Philip's  War.  —  Indian  Invasion;  Date. —  Number  of  the  Enemy. — 
Philip's  Preparation. —  Indian  Powwow.  —  Movements  of  the  Eng- 
lish.—  General  Attack  on  the  Town.  —  Assault  on  the  Haynes  Garri- 
son.—  Hostilities  on  the  East  Side.  —  Resistance  of  the  English. — 
Arrival  of  Reinforcements ;  Concord  Company,  Watertown  Company. 
—  The  Indians  Driven  Over  the  Causeway  and  Bridge.  —  Attempt 
to  Reinforce  Captain  Wadsworth.  —  Description  Given  in'"  The  Old 
Petition." 

Up  the  hillside,  down  the  glen, 
Rouse  the  sleeping  citizen; 
Summon  out  the  might  of  men! 
It  is  coming,  —  it  is  nigh  ! 
Stand  your  homes  and  altars  by; 
On  your  own  free  thresholds  die. 

Whittier. 

Having  noticed  the  course  of  hostilities  in  and  about 
Sudbury  by  scattered  detachments  and  skulking  squads  of 
Indians,  we  will  now  consider  a  more  prominent  event  of  the 
war,  —  namely,  the  attack  upon  the  town  by  King  Philip^ 
with  one  of  the  most  formidable  forces  that  he  ever  led 
along  the  New  England  frontier.  We  have  found  no  evi- 
dence that,  up  to  April,  1676,  Philip  himself  ever  visited  the 
place;  but  in  the  final  assault  the  great  chieftain  directed  his 
warriors  in  person.  At  the  time  of  the  invasion  there  was 
nothing  west  of  Sudbury  to  obstruct  his  course.  The  last 
town  was  Marlboro,  and  this  was  devastated  as  by  a  close 
gleaner  in  the  great  field  of  war.  The  people  had  almost 
wholly  abandoned  the  place  ;  the  dwellings  were  reduced  to 
ash-heaps,  and  a  few  soldiers  only  were  quartered  there  to 
guard  the  road  to  Brookfield  and  the  Connecticut.  Sudbury 
at  this  time  was  the  objective  point  of  King  Philip.     That 

217 


218  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

he  had  a  special  purpose  in  assailing  the  place,  other  than 
what  led  him  to  conduct  the  war  elsewhere,  is  implied  in 
"  The  Old  Petition,"  in  the  words  before  quoted,  where  the 
object  of  revenge  is  mentioned.  Certain  it  is,  he  had  a 
strong  force,  and  fought  hard  and  long  to  destroy  the  place. 

date  of  philip's  attack  on  the  town. 

Before  entering,  however,  on  the  details  of  the  conflict,  we 
will  notice  the  time  at  which  it  occurred.  Previous  to  the  dis- 
covery of  "The  Old  Petition,"  two  dates  had  been  assigned, 
namely,  the  18th  and  the  21st  of  April.  Various  authorities 
were  quoted  in  support  of  each.  So  important  was  the  mat- 
ter considered,  that  a  committee  was  appointed  to  examine 
evidence  on  the  subject.  The  committee  reported  in  favor 
of  the  21st.  (Report  of  Kidder  and  Underwood.)  Notwith- 
standing this  decision,  opinions  still  differed ;  but  the  dis- 
covery of  "  The  Old  Petition  "  has  fully  settled  this  matter, 
and  established  beyond  question  that  the  date  of  Philip's 
attack  on  the  town  and  the  garrisons,  and  the  "  Sudbury 
Fight,"  was  the  21st.  We  can  understand  how,  before  the 
discovery  of  this  paper,  opinions  might  vary ;  how  an  histo- 
rian might  mistake  as  to  a  date,  and  a  monument  might  per- 
petuate the  error.  When  President  Wads  worth  erected  a 
slate-stone  at  the  grave  of  Captain  Wadsworth,  the  date  in- 
scribed might  have  been  taken  from  the  historian  Hubbard, 
who  might  have  received  it  from  an  unreliable  source.  But 
we  can  hardly  suppose  that  a  mistake  could  occur  in  the  paper 
above  referred  to  concerning  the  date  of  this  event.  This 
paper  is  a  calm,  deliberate  document,  signed  by  inhabitants 
of  Sudbury,  and  sent  to  the  Colonial  Court  less  than  six 
months  after  the  invasion  by  Philip.  It  gives  the  date  of 
the  invasion  in  the  following  words:  "An  Account  of  Losse 
Sustained  by  Severall  Inhabitants  of  ye  towne  of  Sudbury  by 
ye  Indian  Enemy  21st  April  1676." 

NUMBER   OF   THE    ENEMY. 

Philip  arrived  with  his  force  at  Marlboro  on  or  about  the 
18th  of  April,  and  soon  started  for  Sudbury.  The  number 
of  his  warriors  has  been  variously  estimated.     In  the  "  Old 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  219 

Indian  Chronicle  "  it  is  given  as  "  about  a  thousand  strong." 
Gookin  states,  in  his  history  of  the  Christian  Indians,  "  that 
upon  the  21st  of  April  about  mid-day  tidings  came  by  many 
messengers  that  a  great  body  of  the  enemy  not  less  as  was 
judged  than  fifteen  hundred,  for  the  enemy  to  make  their 
force  seem  very  large  there  were  many  women  among  them 
whom  they  had  fitted  with  pieces  of  wood  cut  in  the  forms 
of  guns,  which  these  carried,  and  were  placed  in  the  centre, 
they  had  assaulted  a  place  called  Sudbury  that  morning,  and 
set  fire  of  sundry  houses  and  barns  of  that  town  .  .  .  giving 
an  account  that  the  people  of  the  place  were  greatly  dis- 
tressed and  earnestly  desired  succor." 

Besides  Gookin's  statement  as  to  the  presence  of  squaws 
in  the  company,  we  have  the  authority  of  Mrs.  Rowlandson, 
who  mentions  an  Indian  that  went  to  the  Sudbury  fight 
accompanied  by  his  squaw  with  her  pappoose  upon  her  back. 
Mrs.  Rowlandson  was  the  wife  of  Rev.  Mr.  Rowlandson  of 
Lancaster,  and  was  made  captive  in  the  attack  on  that  town. 
She  went  with  Philip  to  Sudbury,  and  became  a  witness  to 
some  of  the  sad  scenes  there,  which  were  published  in  a  book 
entitled  "  Mrs.  Rowlandson's  Removes." 

Other  evidence  of  the  size  of  Philip's  force  is  found  in  the 
"  Old  Petition,"  which  says,  "  Let  ye  Most  High  have  ye 
high  praise  due  unto  him,  but  let  not  ye  unworthy  Instru- 
ments be  forgotten.  Was  there  with  vs  any  towne  so  beset 
since  ye  ware  begun,  with  twelve  or  fourteen  hundred  fight- 
ing men,  warriors,  sagamores,  from  all  Parts  with  their  men 
of  Arms  ?  " 

THE    PREPARATION. 

Before  the  Indians  went  to  Sudbury  they  made  careful 
preparation.  Says  Mrs.  Rowlandson,  "  They  got  a  company 
together  to  pow-wow."  The  manner  as  she  describes  it  is  as 
follows :  — 

There  was  one  that  kneeled  upon  a  deer  skin  with  a  company  round 
him  in  a  ring,  who  kneeled  striking  upon  the  ground  with  their  hands 
and  with  sticks,  and  muttering  or  humming  with  their  mouths.  Beside 
him  who  kneeled  in  the  ring  there  also  stood  one  with  a  gun  in  his  hand. 
Then  he  on  the  deer  skin  made  a  speech,  and  all  manifest  an  assent  to 


220  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

it,  and  so  they  did  many  times  together.  Then  they  bid  him  with  a  gun, 
go  out  of  the  ring,  which  he  did,  but  when  he  was  out  they  called  him  in 
again,  but  he  seemed  to  make  a  stand.  Then  they  called  the  more  ear- 
nestly till  he  turned  again.  Then  they  all  sang.  Then  they  gave  him 
two  guns,  in  each  hand  one,  and  so  he  on  the  deer  skin  began  again,  and 
at  the  end  of  every  sentence  in  his  speaking  they  all  assented,  and  hum- 
ming or  muttering  with  their  mouths,  and  striking  upon  the  ground  with 
their  hands.  Then  they  bid  him  with  the  two  guns  go  out  of  the  ring 
again,  which  he  did  a  little  way.  Then  they  called  him  again,  but  he 
made  a  stand.  So  they  called  him  with  greater  earnestness.  But  he 
stood  reeling  and  wavering  as  if  he  knew  not  whether  he  should  stand  or 
fall,  or  which  way  to  go.  Then  they  called  him  with  exceeding  great 
vehemence,  all  of  them,  one  and  another.  After  a  little  while  he  turned 
in,  staggering  as  he  went,  with  his  arms  stretched  out,  in  each  hand  a 
gun.  As  soon  as  he  came  in  they  all  sang,  and  rejoiced  exceeding 
awhile,  and  then  he  upon  the  deer  skin  made  another  speech,  unto  which 
they  all  assented  in  a  rejoicing  manner,  and  so  they  ended  their  business 
and  forthwith  went  to  Sudbury  fight. 

The  foregoing  statements  plainly  show  that  a  large  force 
was  being  led  to  Sudbury.  The  great  chieftain  doubtless  felt 
sure  of  his  prey.  Mrs.  Rowlandson  says,  "  To  my  thinking 
they  went  without  any  scruple  but  that  they  should  prosper 
and  gain  the  victory."  Philip  was  not  aware  of  the  strong 
reinforcements  which  were  to  be  seut  to  the  town's  relief. 
The  tramp  of  Wadsworth  and  his  company  had  not  as  }ret 
reached  his  ears.  For  aught  he  knew,  the  forest  resounded 
with  only  the  tramp  of  his  own  stalwart  men. 

But,  while  the  Indians  were  preparing  for  the  attack,  the 
English  were  by  no  means  idle.  Things  were  fast  being  put 
in  readiness  to  meet  the  worst.  The  blow  received  was  to 
be  returned,  and  the  spoils  of  conquest  were  to  be  dearly 
obtained.  Notwithstanding  the  customary  cunning  of  the 
Indians,  and  their  usual  sly  way,  the  attack  in  this  instance 
was  not  an  entire  surprise.  Their  coming  was  announced  by 
several  acts  of  hostility  on  the  day  previous  to  the  general 
assault.  According  to  tradition,  they  began  their  marauding 
by  burning  several  houses  and  killing  several  inhabitants. 
Among  the  slain  were  a  Mr.  Boone  and  son,  and  Mr. 
Thomas  Plympton,  who  was  endeavoring  to  conduct  them, 
with  some  of  their  goods,  to  a  place  of  safety.  This  skir- 
mishing on  the  outskirts  put  the  people  on  their  guard,  and 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  221 

warned  them  to  flee  for  their  lives.  It  showed  the  hostile 
intent  of  the  enemy,  and  the  necessity  of  making  haste  if 
they  would  escape  capture  or  death.  Adequately  to  describe 
the  state  of  affairs  in  Sudbury  on  the  eve  of  this  Indian  inva- 
sion would  be  a  difficult  task.  We  may,  however,  conjec- 
ture that  the  scene  was  a  thrilling  one,  and  that  it  was  a 
time  of  uncertainty  and  anxious  suspense  to  the  inhabitants. 
What  had  come  upon  others  was  about  to  come  upon  them. 
The  dismal  intelligence  of  disaster  to  far-off  settlements  was 
to  be  made  more  vivid  by  the  same  dread  foe  in  their  midst. 
It  was  their  dwellings  that  were  soon  to  be  ash-heaps,  their 
herds  that  were  to  be  spoils  of  war,  their  fields  that  were  to 
suffer  invasion.  The  wild  omens  were  to  bring  presaged 
wrath  to  their  doors;  and  the  warm  homes  once  smiling  with 
comfort  were  to  be  forsaken  and  left  to  the  foe.  With  but 
a  partial  realization  of  what  was  to  come,  we  may  conclude 
that  Sudbury  was  never  before  or  since  so  astir.  There 
were  men  struggling  for  life ;  families  hurrying  together  to 
the  shelter  of  garrisons,  with  whatever  of  household  goods 
they  could  snatch;  loving  ones  bearing  the  feeble  and  sick  in 
their  arms,  and  all  rushing  to  a  place  of  safety.  From  hither 
and  yon  flocked  the  company.  Again  and  again  the  latch- 
string  was  flung  loose  from  the  garrison,  as  one  by  one  new 
arrivals  came  in.  None  knew  when  they  abandoned  their 
homes  that  they  would  see  them  again,  nor  that  they  them- 
selves would  ever  reach  a  safe  place.  The  Indian  invader 
was  hard  by  their  track.  He  might  spring  any  moment  upon 
them.  Each  object  might  be  his  place  of  concealment.  He 
lurked  by  the  woody  wayside,  he  crept  along  the  margin  of 
the  open  lands ;  and  on  the  outskirt  of  the  woodland  he  peered 
to  get  a  sight  at  some  late  refugee  whom  he  might  bear  away 
as  his  prey. 

Within  the  garrisons  the  scenes  were  also,  doubtless,  of  a 
stirring  character.  These  places  were  soon  to  be  isolated. 
Communication  with  them  was  to  be  cut  off.  They  were  to 
be  surrounded  by  a  fierce  horde  of  beleaguering  savages  ; 
and  before  help  could  arrive  the  doors  might  be  battered  by 
tomahawks,  or  the  torch  be  applied  to  the  wall.  Anxiously 
might  those  who  had  entered  these  places  watch  and  await 


222  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

coming  events ;  eagerly  may  they  have  looked  to  catch  a 
glimpse  of  their  belated  townsmen  who  might  be  coming 
from  the  more  exposed  outskirts,  or  who,  like  the  brave 
Thomas  Plympton,  had  gone  forth  to  bring  to  the  garrison 
the  dwellers  on  lonely  homesteads.  The  sound  of  firing  over 
the  distant  woodlands  ;  the  smoke  rising  in  clouds  upon  the 
far-off  horizon  ;  occasional  new  arrivals  from  different  locali- 
ties, bringing  evidence  of  the  near  approach  of  the  Indians, — 
all  these  would  present  a  scene  of  a  startling  character ;  and 
as  the  night  shadows  of  April  20  crept  about  the  lonely  gar- 
risons, those  within  had  no  assurance  but  that  it  was  as  the 
darkness  of  the  shadow  of  death. 

But,  though  the  scene  was  thrilling  and  one  of  anxious  sus- 
pense, it  was  nevertheless  one  of  courage  and  hope.  From 
what  we  know  of  the  character  of  the  Sudbury  inhabitants, 
and  of  their  conduct  when  the  attack  was  begun,  we  con- 
clude that  in  those  hours  of  ingathering  there  were  hearts 
full  of  determination,  and  that  plans  were  laid  for  a  success- 
ful defense.  Doubtless  the  ammunition  was  carefully  looked 
to  and  put  in  a  convenient  place,  the  flints  scraped,  the 
priming-wire  used,  and  every  aperture  in  the  garrison  walls 
closed  and  secured,  except  such  as  were  left  to  fire  from. 

Beside  the  regular  force  of  the  town's  militia  who  were  to 
assist  in  defense  of  the  garrisons,  it  is  supposed  some  militia 
were  present  from  other  places.  Some  men  from  the  force 
of  Captain  Brocklebank,  the  garrison  commander  at  Marl- 
boro, are  supposed  to  have  been  there.  Of  twelve  soldiers 
who  went  from  Rowley,  and  did  service  in  Sudbury,  seven 
returned  to  their  homes.;  and  it  is  hardly  supposable  that  so 
many  should  have  escaped  if  in  the  Wadsworth  fight.  We 
presume,  therefore,  with  the  historian  of  Rowley,  that  they 
helped  man  these  garrisons. 

THE  ATTACK. 

During  the  night  of  the  20th  of  April,  Philip  advanced  his 
forces,  and  took  positions  for  the  coming  day.  The  Indians 
possessed  such  a  knowledge  of  the  country  as  enabled  him 
to  do  this  to  advantage.  Every  path  through  the  woodland 
had  been  trod  by  the  moccasined  foot ;  every  log  crossing  or 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  223 

rude  bridge,  from  the  Connecticut  to  the  river  at  Sudbury, 
were  on  old  and  well-worn  trails.  Among  the  invaders  were 
some  who  had  lived  thereabouts  for  years,  or  had  ranged  the 
forest  for  game,  or  frequented  the  Musquetahquid  (Sudbury 
River)  fur  fish.  From  these  Philip  might  obtain  information 
of  the  country,  and  thus  be  enabled  to  lay  his  plans.  This 
doubtless  was  what  he  did.-  Probably  every  homestead,  how- 
ever humble,  was  noted  ;  every  highway  guarded,  and  every 
wood-path  carefully  watched.  No  lone  haystack  in  secluded 
meadow  nook,  no  rude  shelter  for  cattle,  no  rough  shed  for 
the  sheep,  escaped  the  vigilance  of  his  roving  marauders  as 
in  night's  stillness  they  ranged  through  the  town.  As  they 
reconnoitred  about  the  garrisons,  they  doubtless  noticed  each 
object  from  which  they  could  direct  their  fire,  and  each  way 
of  approach  and  retreat. 

Of  the  movements  of  the  Indians  the  English  probably 
knew  but  little  as  the  night  wore  on.  The  soft  tread  of 
the  moccasin,  as  the  dusky  squad  stole  silently  about  these 
strongholds,  was  too  gentle  for  even  the  ears  of  such  anxious 
listeners  in  the  ominous  stillness  of  that  solitude.  Even  the 
slow-moving  bush  which  may  have  hidden  from  view  some 
adventurous  savage,  as  he  approached  a  little  nearer  to  recon- 
noitre the  place  and  discover  its  weak  or  strong  points,  though 
it  aroused  suspicion  of  a  lurking  foe,  yet  revealed  nothing  of 
his  number  or  strength,  nor  of  the  squad  in  concealment 
near  by,  who  awaited  the  whispered  report  of  their  comrade. 
No  night-fires  lit  the  heavens  with  their  lurid  glow,  disclos- 
ing the  foe's  intent.  His  dark  encampment  wras  doubtless 
within  the  dense  pines,  where  he  lay  on  his  evergreen  couch 
until  called  forth  by  the  signal  of  daybreak.  The  stillness 
of  nature  and  of  man  were  both  there.  It  was  the  calm  that 
foreboded  a  storm  which  was  to  burst  upon  man  and  his 
dwelling,  the  herd  and  its  stall. 

But  the  silence  soon  broke.  With  the  morning  the  mys- 
tery cleared.  It  was  early  discovered  by  the  inhabitants 
that  during  the  night-time  the  Indians  had  gotten  possession 
of  ever}rthing  in  the  west  part  of  the  town  but  the  garrisons, 
and  that  they  had  become  so  scattered  about  in  squads,  and 
had  so  occupied  various  localities,  that  at  a  given  signal  they 


224  HrSTORY   OP    SUDBURY. 

could  strike  a  concerted  blow.  Says  the  "Old  Indian  Chron- 
icle,^ "The  houses  were  built  very  scatteringly,  and  the  en- 
emy divided  themselves  into  small  parties,  which  executed 
their  design  of  firing  at  once."  The  smoke  of  dwellings 
curled  upward  on  the  morning  air,  the  warwhoop  rang  out 
from  the  forest,  and  from  the  town's  westerly  limit  to  the 
Waterto wn  boundary  the  destructive  work"  was  begun.  Tt 
is  said  by  tradition  that  the  Indians  even  entered  the  Water- 
town  territory,  and  set  fire  to  a  barn  in  what  is  now  Weston. 

About  the  time  of  firing  the  deserted  houses,  the  Indians 
made  their  attack  on  the  garrisons.  The  detachments  for 
this  work  were  probabljr  as  specifically  set  apart  as  were 
those  for  burning  the  dwelling-places  ;  and  doubtless  hours 
before  daybreak  the  foe  lay  concealed  in  their  picked  places 
ready  to  pour  their  shot  on  the  wall.  The  attack  on  the 
Haynes  house  was  of  great  severity.  The  position  of  the 
building  favored  the  near  and  concealed  approach  of  the 
enemy.  The  small  hill  at  the  north  afforded  a  natural  ram- 
part from  which  to  direct  his  fire  :  behind  it  he  could  skulk 
to  close  range  of  the  house,  and  drive  his  shot  with  terrible 
force  on  the  walls.  There  is  a  tradition,  that,  by  means  of 
this  hill,  the  Indians  tried  to  set  the  building  on  fire.  They 
filled  a  cart  with  flax,  ignited,  and  started  it  down  the 
hill  towards  the  house  ;  but  before  it  reached  its  destination 
it  upset,  and  the  building  was  saved.  Tradition  also  states 
that  near  the  house  was  a  barn,  which  the  Indians  burned  ; 
but  that  this  proved  advantageous  to  the  inmates  of  the  gar- 
rison, as  it  had  afforded  a  shelter  for  the  Indians  to  fire  from. 
Probably  this  barn  was  burned  with  the  expectation  of  set- 
ting fire  to  the  house. 

But  it  was  not  long  that  the  Indians  were  to  fight  at 
close  range.  The  bold  defenders  soon  sallied  forth,  and 
commenced  aggressive  warfare.  They  fell  on  the  foe, 
forced  them  back,  and  drove  them  from  their  "  skulking 
approaches."  Could  Philip  have  spared  reinforcements  at 
this  critical  time,  he  doubtless  would  have  readily  done  so, 
rather  than  suffered  defeat  at  this  garrison.  But  his  main 
force  was  lying  in  wait  at  Green  Hill  for  Captain  Wads- 
worth,  other  detachments  were  plundering  on  the  east  side, 


THE    HAYNES    GARRISON    HOUSE. 
From  original   painting  by   A.   S.    Hudson. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  225 

and  some  were  besieging  other  garrisons.  The  force  needed 
at  different  localities  prevented  a  concentration  at  any  one 
point.  Thus  the  day  was  won  at  the  Haynes  house.  In 
the  skirmish  the  Indians  suffered  considerably,  while  the 
English  lost  but  two,  and  that  through  their  own  indiscre- 
tion. 

While  the  conflict  was  going  on,  the  inmates  of  the  garri- 
son showed  stout  hearts  and  commendable  coolness  and  cour- 
age ;  even  the  women  manifested  but  little,  if  any,  timidity. 
Perhaps  they  served  in  opening  and  closing  the  apertures 
to  the  garrison,  when  the  musket  was  thrust  out  and  with- 
drawn ;  they  ma}7-  have  swabbed  the  foul  guns,  wiped  the 
priming-pan,  and  scraped  the  flints ;  they  may  have  stood, 
powder-horn  in  hand,  with  the  powder  all  poured  for  the 
charge,  and  the  tow  wadding  all  torn  for  the  ramrod's  ready 
work.  Such  was  the  work  at  the  old  Haynes  Garrison, — 
the  noble  work  of  a  noble  company. 

The  service  at  the  other  garrisons  was  probably  all  that 
was  needed.  That  none  of  these  houses  were  captured  is 
enough  to  indicate  a  stout  and  manly  defense.  They  were 
all  coveted  objects  of  the  enemy,  and  plans  for  the  capture 
of  each  had  been  carefully  laid.  That  all  the  garrisons  did 
both  defensive  and  aggressive  work  is  shown  by  "  The  Old 
Petition,"  which  says,  "  Our  Garrison  men  kept  not  within 
their  Garrisons,  but  issued  forth  to  fight  ye  Enemy  within 
their  skulking  approaches."  Thus  manly  was  the  defense  of 
the  garrisons  during  the  long  morning  hours  of  that  eventful 
day.  From  the  dawning  till  noon  the  clouds  gathered  and 
broke  over  those  frail,  scattered  fortresses.  All  about  them 
was  confusion  and  turmoil ;  in  various  directions  the  dense 
smoke-cloud  drooped  its  dismal  drapery  over  smouldering 
homesteads ;  and  on  the  ears  of  the  beleaguered  inhabitants 
frequently  broke  the  wild  yell  of  the  foe.  But  still  they 
fought  on,  with  none  near  to  assist  them.  No  drum-beat 
announced  the  approach  of  reinforcements.  They  might  not 
have  known  that  relief  parties  had  started.  The  tramp  of 
Wadsworth  and  his  company,  as  they  passed  through  to 
Marlboro  the  preceding  night,  might  have  been  mistaken  for 


226  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

the  tramp  of  the  foe  ;   and  nothing,  for  aught  they  knew, 
awaited  the  garrisons  but  to  win  the  victory  alone. 

HOSTILITIES   ON    THE   EAST   SIDE. 

While  the  conflict  was  raging  around  the  garrisons  on 
the  west  side,  there  was  by  no  means  inactivity  on  the  east 
side.  The  condition  of  things  was  critical  there  also  ;  the 
circumstances  in  the  two  places,  however,  were  different. 
The  east  side  was  so  protected  by  the  high  water,  which  at 
that  time  covered  the  meadows,  that  the  savages  would  nat- 
urally be  more  cautious  in  their  mode  of  attack ;  with  a 
crossing  only  at  the  town  bridge  and  causeway,  it  would  be 
unsafe  to  scatter  their  forces  very  much,  or  to  venture  far 
from  the  place  of  retreat ;  nevertheless  they  invaded  the  ter- 
ritory, and  commenced  their  mischievous  work  by  plunder- 
ing dwelling-houses.  They  doubtless  intended  to  take  what 
spoils  they  could  carry  away,  and  then  burn  the  place ; 
but  they  were  effectually  checked  in  their  work.  The  in- 
habitants fell  upon  them  with  fury.  They  beat  them  from 
the  very  thresholds  of  their  humble  homes,  and  snatched 
the  spoil  from  their  savage  clutch;  they  even  forced  them 
to  retreat  on  the  run,  and  seek  safety  in  precipitous  flight. 

During  the  progress  of  the  conflict  the  women  and  chil- 
dren were  probably  at  the  stockade  of  Rev.  Edmund  Brown, 
at  Timber  Neck.  This  stockade  was  sufficient  to  shelter 
all  in  that  neighborhood.  It  was  admirably  situated  as  a 
place  of  defense :  being  at  the  junction  of  Mill  Brook 
and  the  river,  at  high  water  it  had  but  two  sides  of  attack, 
and  the  Indians  could  only  reach  it  by  a  circuitous  course. 
From  these  circumstances  it  is  hardly  probable  that  it  would 
require  many  soldiers  to  man  this  stockade;  hence  more  could 
be  spared  to  defend  their  homes.  But  all  that  could  be  spared 
made  a  very  small  company  at  best. 

The  entire  defensive  force  of  the  town  being  but  about 
eighty  militia  men,  with  a  few  added  who  had  come  from 
outside,  we  may  conclude  that  the  fighting  was  largely  done 
by  a  few.  Says  "  The  Old  Petition,"  "•  The  enemy  was  by 
few  beaten  out  of  houses  which  they  had  entered  and  by  a 
few  hands  were  forced  to  a  running  fight  which  way  they 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  227 

could,  ye  spoil  taken  by  them  on  ye  East  side  of  ye  river  was 
in  great  parte  recovered."  This  gives  an  outline  of  the  facts, 
which,  like  the  rest  of  "  The  Petition,"  suggest  various  pos- 
sible and  probable  details  of  the  conflict ;  and  the  conjecture 
is  by  no  means  extravagant,  that  those  morning  hours  on 
both  sides  of  the  river  witnessed  scenes  of  daring  by  those 
brave  little  companies  unsurpassed  in  the  annals  of  King 
Philip's  War. 

Before  leaving  this  part  of  the  subject,  we  will  quote  from 
"  The  Old  Petition,"  which  to  an  extent  has  furnished  the 
facts  from  which  the  foregiven  description  has  been  taken : 
"  The  Enemy  well  knowing  Our  grounds,  passes,  avenues, 
and  situations,  had  near  surrounded  Our  town  ni  ye  morning 
early  (Wee  not  knowing  of  it)  till  discovered  by  fireing  sev- 
erall  disserted  houses ;  the  Enemy  with  greate  force  &  fury 
assaulted  Deacon  Haines'  house  well  fortified  yet  badly  scit- 
uated  as  advantagous  to  ye  Enemy's  approach  &  dangerous 
to  ye  Repellant  yet  (by  ye  help  of  God)  ye  Garrison  not 
onely  defended  ye  place  fro  betweene  five  or  six  of  ye  clock 
in  ye  Morning,  till  about  One  in  ye  Afternoon  but  forced 
ye  Enemy  with  considerable  slaughter  to  draw  off.  Many 
Observables  worthy  of  Record  hapened  in  this  assault,  vizt : 
that  noe  man  or  woman  seemed  to  be  possessed  with  feare ; 
Our  Garrisonmen  kept  not  within  their  Garrisons,  but  issued 
forth  to  fight  ye  Enemy  in  their  sculking  approaches:  We 
had  but  two  of  Our  townes  men  slaine,  &  yl  by  indiscretion 
none  wounded." 

ARRIVAL   OF   REINFORCEMENTS. 

While  the  town's  inhabitants  were  defending  the  garri- 
sons, and  at  the  same  time  endeavoring  to  prevent  the  sav- 
ages from  further  plundering  their  dwellings  and  making  off 
with  the  spoils,  reinforcements  were  approaching  the  town 
from  several  directions.  Among  the  principles  of  action 
proposed  by  the  authorities  at  the  beginning  of  the  war  was, 
that  one  town  should  assist  another  with  what  men  it  could 
spare,  on  the  giving  of  a  general  alarm  ;  so  it  was  in  the 
case  before  us.  Intelligence  of  the  enemy  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Sudbury  spread  rapidly  to  surrounding  places,  and 


228  HISTORY   OF    SUDBURY. 

men  hastened  from  Concord  and  Watertown,  and  were  sent 
by  the  colonial  authorities  from  the  vicinity  of  Boston.  As 
each  of  these  three  reinforcements  had  a  history  of  its  own, 
we  will  describe  them  separately. 

THE    CONCORD   COMPANY. 

This  consisted  of  "  twelve  resolute  young  men,"  who 
endeavored  to  render  assistance  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
Haynes  Garrison-house.  Before  they  had  reached  it,  how- 
ever, and  formed  a  junction  with  the  citizens  of  the  town, 
they  met  with  a  melancholy  fate  in  the  neighboring  meadow. 
The  account  of  the  affair  is  thus  given  by  Mr.  Shattuck  in 
the  Concord  history,  which  account,  he  states,  is  preserved 
by  tradition  :  "Arriving  near  the  garrison-house  of  Walter 
Haynes,  they  observed  several  squaws,  who,  as  they  drew 
near,  danced,  shouted,  powwowed,  and  used  every  method 
to  amuse  and  decoy  them.  Eleven  of  the  English  pursued 
and  attacked  them,  but  found  themselves,  too  late,  in  an 
ambuscade,  from  which  a  large  number  of  Indians  rushed 
upon  and  attacked  them  with  great  fury.  Notwithstanding 
they  made  a  bold  resistance,  it  was  desperate,  and  ten  of 
them  were  slain.  The  other  escaped  to  the  garrison,  where 
the  neighboring  inhabitants  had  fled  for  security,  which  was 
bravely  defended." 

Of  those  who  were  killed  at  this  time  belonging  to  Con- 
cord, Shattuck's  history  gives  the  following  names :  James 
Hosmer,  Samuel  Potter,  John  Barnes,  Daniel  Corny,  and 
Joseph  Buttrick.  The  Middlesex  Probate  Records  have  the 
following  concerning  James  Hosmer,  in  connection  with  the 
settlement  of  his  estate :  "  being  slayne  in  the  engagement 
with  the  Indians  at  Sudbury  on  the  21st  of  the  second 
month  [April]  in  the  year  1676."  In  the  Middlesex  County 
Probate  Records  are  also  the  following  names  of  soldiers 
slain  in  Sudbury,  April  21:  David  Curry  and  Josiah  Wheeler 
of  Concord,  and  William  Haywood  of  Sudbury.  Says  the 
Old  Indian  Chronicle:  "They  were  waylaid  and  eleven  of 
them  cut  off."  Says  Hubbard  of  this  affair  :  »«  These  men  at 
the  first  hearing  of  the  alarm,  who  unawares  were  surprised 
near  a  garrison-house,  in  hope  of  getting  some  advantage 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  229 

upon  a  small  party  of  the  enemy  that  presented  themselves 
in  a  meadow.  A  great  number  of  the  Indians,  who  lay  un- 
seen in  the  bushes,  suddenly  rose  up  and  intercepting  the 
passage  to  the  garrison-house,  killed  and  took  them  all." 

The  men  thus  slain  on  the  meadow  were  left  where  they 
fell  until  the  following  day,  when  the  bodies  were  brought 
in  boats  to  the  foot  of  the  old  town  bridge  and  buried.  Two 
of  the  parties  who  helped  perform  the  work  of  burial  were 
Warren  and  Pierce  of  the  Watertown  company.  The  fol- 
lowing is  their  description  of  the  scene,  as  given  in  a  petition 
to  the  General  Court:  "On  the  next  day  in  the  morning,  so 
soon  as  it  was  light,  we  went  to  look  for  the  Concord  men 
who  were  slain  in  the  River  meadow,  and  there  we  went  in 
water  up  to  our  knees,  where  we  found  five,  and  we  brought 
them  in  canoes  and  buried  them  there."  The  spot  men- 
tioned here  as  the  burial  place  is,  we  conjecture,  on  the 
northerly  side  of  the  town  bridge,  on  the  eastern  bank  of 
the  river.  This  supposition  is  based  on  the  fact  that  it  was 
high  water  on  the  meadow  at  that  time,  and  hence  this  place 
was  probably  the  only  one  suitable  for  burial.  A  monument 
to  this  brave  relief  company  would  be  very  appropriate,  and 
serve  to  mark  a  locality  which  on  that  day  was  full  of  stirring 
events. 

THE    WATERTOWN    COMPANY. 

The  reinforcements  from  Watertown  were  more  fortunate 
than  those  from  Concord,  and  were  spared  to  assist  in  saving 
the  town.  This  company  was  under  the  command  of  Capt. 
Hugh  Mason,  a  bold  and  gallant  commander.  Captain  Mason 
was  of  a  committee  of  four  appointed  March  15  to  provide 
for  the  defence  of  the  frontier  towns  of  Middlesex  county. 
At  the  head  of  forty  Watertown  men  he  had  marched  pre- 
viously to  the  relief  of  Groton.  He  was  now  prompt  to  meet 
the  foe  at  Sudbury,  and,  although  seventy-five  years  old,  he 
came  in  a  timely  manner. 

These  reinforcements  probably  arrived  some  time  before 
noon.  As  the  attack  began  about  daybreak,  and  took  the 
inhabitants  of  Sudbury  somewhat  by  surprise,  it  is  hardly 
probable  that  the   news  would  reach  Watertown   until  the 


230  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

morning  was  well  advanced.  Watertown  was  the  border 
town  on  the  east.  The  part  now  Weston  was  called  the 
"Farmers'  Precinct."  At  this  locality  the  sound  of  guns 
could  without  doubt  be  heard,  and  the  smoke  rising  over 
the  woods  in  dark  ominous  clouds  might  bespeak  what  was 
befalling  the  neighborhood.  Moreover,  the  intelligence  may 
have  reached  Watertown  by  couriers,  who  carried  it  to  Bos- 
ton, arriving  there  about  midday. 

When  Captain  Mason  reached  Sudbury,  about  two  hun- 
dred Indians  were  on  the  east  side  the  river  engaged  in  mis- 
chievous work.  The  little  company  of  town's  people  who 
could  be  spared  from  the  stockade  was  too  small  to  drive 
them  back  over  the  river.  The  best  they  could  do  was  to 
keep  them  from  too  close  range  of  their  little  stronghold, 
and  save  a  part  of  their  property  and  dwellings.  But  when 
these  reinforcements  arrived,  the  united  forces  compelled  the 
foe  to  make  a  general  retreat.  Whereas,  before  the  arrival 
of  reinforcements,  the  Indians,  as  stated  in  "The  Old  Peti- 
tion," "  were  by  few  beaten  out  of  houses  which  they  had 
entered  and  were  plundering,  and  by  a  few  hands  were 
forced  to  a  running  fight,"  they  were  now  driven  beyond 
the  causeway  and   bridge. 

The  contest  that  preceded  this  retreat  of  the  savages  was 
doubtless  severe.  Two  hundred  Indians  were  a  force  suffi- 
cient to  offer  stubborn  resistance.  They  were  near  a  large 
force  held  in  reserve  by  King  Philip  on  the  west  side  of  the 
river,  and  might  at  any  time  receive  reinforcement  from 
him :  and  if  they  could  hold  the  causeway  and  bridge,  the 
day  might  be  won.  On  the  other  hand,  the  English  had  a 
vast  deal  at  stake  ;  if  the  foe  was  forced  over  the  stream,  the 
east  side  would  for  a  time  be  safe.  They  could  defend  the 
narrow  causeway  and  bridge,  while  the  high  water  would 
protect  their  flanks.  Such  were  the  circumstances  that 
would  cause  each  to  make  a  hard  fight.  But  the  English 
prevailed.  The  foe  was  forced  back,  and  the  bridge  and 
causeway  were  held,  so  that  they  could  not  repass  them. 

But  the  English  did  not  stop  with  this  victory;  though  the 
day  was  won  here,  the  contest  still  waged  on  the  west  side. 
From  beyond   Green   Hill,  about  two  miles  westerly,  came 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  231 

the  sound  of  combat;  and  they  knew  that  Captain  Wads- 
worth  and  his  company,  who  passed  through  Watertown  on 
their  way  to  Marlboro,  were  engaged  in  stern  conflict.  The 
scent  of  battle  as  it  came  borne  on  the  April  breeze,  the  dull 
sound  of  the  distant  firing,  and  the  outlying  detachments  sent 
to  keep  reinforcements  away,  indicated  that  the  contest  at  the 
hill  was  hot.  But,  undaunted,  the  English  pushed  forward. 
Beyond  the  bridge  and  the  causeway,  up  the  slope  of  the 
hill,  perhaps  by  the  Old  Lancaster  Road,  they  moved  on  to 
the  work  of  rescue ;  but  they  failed  in  the  accomplishment 
of  their  object.  The  Indians  were  too  many  for  that  small 
company.  Notwithstanding  their  courage,  they  had  but  lim- 
ited strength.  The  Indians  endeavored  to  surround  them, 
and  being  forced  to  retreat  they  sought  refuge  in  the  Good- 
now  Garrison.  There  they  remained  until  nightfall,  when 
they  again  sallied  forth  ;  but  this  time  it  was  not  to  meet 
the  enemy.  The  conflict  was  over.  The  disastrous  day  was 
done.  Night  covered  as  with  a  friendly  mantle  the  terrible 
scene  ;  its  shadows  were  unbroken  by  the  flash  of  guns,  and 
its  stillness  undisturbed  by  the  rude  sounds  of  war.  The 
foe  had  retired,  their  victims  lay  dead  where  they  fell,  and  a 
"few  surviving  comrades"  were  all  they  could  bear  with 
them  to  the  east  side  settlement. 

Thus  noble  was  the  work  of  that  company ;  and  the  peril 
attendant  upon  the  undertaking  is  indicative  of  the  courage 
with  which  they  entered  upon  it.  Major  Gookin,  in  his 
"  History  of  the  Christian  Indians,"  states  concerning  this 
affair  as  follows :  "  Upon  April  21,  about  midday,  tidings 
came  by  many  messengers  that  a  great  body  of  the  enemy 
had  assaulted  a  town  called  Sudbury  that  morning.  Indeed 
(through  God's  favor)  some  small  assistance  was  already 
sent  from  Watertown  by  Capt.  Hugh  Mason.  These  with 
some  of  the  inhabitants  joined  and  with  some  others  that 
come  in  to  their  help,  there  was  vigorous  resistance  made, 
and  a  check  given  to  the  enemy,  so  that  those  that  were  got- 
ten over  the  river  were  forced  to  retreat,  and  the  body  of 
the  enemy  were  repulsed,  that  they  could  not  pass  the 
bridge,  which  pass  the  English  kept." 

Says  Warren  and  Pierce,  who  were   of  the  Watertown 


232  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

company:  "But  we  who  were  with  them  can  more  largely 
inform  this  Honored  Council,  that  as  it  is  said  in  the  peti- 
tion that  we  drove  two  hundred  Indians  over  the  river,  we 
followed  the  enemy  over  the  river  .  .  .  and  with  some  others 
joined  and  went  to  see  if  we  could  relieve  Capt.  Wadsworth 
upon  the  hill,  and  there  we  had  a  fight  with  the  Indians, 
but  they  being  so  many  of  them,  and  we  stayed  so  long,  that 
we  were  almost  encompassed  by  them,  which  caused  us  to 
retreat  to  Capt.  Goodnow's  Garrison,  and  there  we  stayed  it 
being  near  night  till  it  was  dark." 

We  have  found  no  list  of  Watertown  soldiers  with  the 
express  statement  that  they  served  at  Sudbury,  but  we  give 
the  following  names  of  men  who  were  impressed  from  that 
town  in  November,  1675,  for  the  defense  of  the  colony,  and 
who  were  returned  by  Captain  Mason  as  "  rationally  most 
fit  to  goe  upon  the  servis " :  "  Daniell  Warrin,  Sr.,  John 
Bigulah,  Sr.,  Nathaniel  Hely,  Joseph  Tayntor,  John  Whit- 
ney, Sr..  George  Harrington,  William  Hagar,  Jr.,  John  Park- 
hurst,  Michael  Flagg,  Jacob  Bullard,  Isaac  Learned,  Joseph 
Waight,  George  Dill,  William  Pierce,  Nathaniel  Sangar, 
Moses  Whitney,  John  Windam,  Joseph  Smith,  Nathaniel 
Barsham,  John   Barnard." 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

1675-1700. 

Philip's  War.  —  The  Sudbury  Fight. —  Number  of  Men  in  Captain 
Wadsworth's  Company:  The  Arrival  at  Marlboro;  The  Return 
to  Sudbury.  —  The  Ambuscade :  Place  of  It.  —  Philip's  Plan  of 
Attack.  —  Number  of  Indians.  —  The  Battle.  —  The  Forest  Fire. — 
Retreat  of  the  English.  —  Refuge  in  Hop  Brook  Mill.  —  Number 
of  the  English  Slain.  —  Philip's  Loss.  —  Treatment  of  Captives. — 
Rescue  of  the  Survivors.  —  Burial  of  the  Dead.  —  Place  of  Burial. — 
Biographical  Sketches:  Captain  Wadsworth,  Captain  Brocklebank. — 
Roxbury  Men.  —  Concord  Men.  —  Marlboro  Men.  —  The  Christian 
Indians.  —  Movements  of  the  English  after  the  Battle.  —  Sudbury's 
Loss. 

Fast  on  the  soldier's  path 

Darken  the  waves  of  wrath  ; 
Long  have  they  gather'd,  and  loud  shall  they  fall ; 

Red  glares  the  musket's  flash, 

Sharp  rings  the  rifle's  crash, 
Blazing  and  clanging  from  thicket  and  wall. 

O.  W.  Holmes. 

When  the  intelligence  readied  Boston  that  the  Indians 
had  invaded  Marlboro,  the  Council  sent  to  its  relief  a  com- 
pany of  soldiers  under  command  of  Capt.  Samuel  Wadsworth 
of  Milton.  The  number  in  this  company  has  been  variously 
estimated.  Mather  sets  it  at  seventy ;  "  The  Old  Indian 
Chronicle  "  says,  "  Wadsworth  being  designed  of  a  hundred 
men,  to  repair  to  Marlboro,  to  strengthen  the  garrison  and 
remove  the  goods."  Hubbard  says,  "  That  resolute,  stout 
hearted  soldier,  Capt.  Wadsworth  .  .  .  being  sent  from 
Boston  with  fifty  soldiers  to  relieve  Marlboro."  It  is  not 
remarkable  that  estimates  should  differ  with  regard  to  the 
number  in  this  company,  since  all  the  men  who  accompanied 
Wadsworth  from  Boston   were   not  in  the  engagement  at 

233 


234  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

Sudbur}r.  When  Captain  Wadsworth  reached  Marlboro  he 
exchanged  a  part  of  his  younger  men,  who  were  wearied 
with  the  march,  for  some  at  the  garrison,  and  accompanied 
by  Captain  Brocklebank,  the  garrison  commander,  started 
back  to  Sudbur}\  Lieutenant  Jacobs,  who  commanded  the 
garrison  in  the  absence  of  Brocklebank,  in  reporting  to  the 
authorities  in  regard  to  the  number  of  men  left  with  him, 
states  as  follows:  "There  is  remaining  in  our  company  forty- 
six,  several  whereof  are  young  soldiers  left  here  by  Captain 
Wadsworth,  being  unable  to  march.  But  though  he  left  a 
part  of  his  men  he  took  some  from  the  garrison  at  Marlboro." 
From  what  we  know  of  the  fate  of  a  large  part  of  this  com- 
pany, and  the  circumstances  attendant  upon  the  expedition, 
we  conclude  the  number  engaged  in  the  Sudbury  fight  was 
not  much  over  fifty.  If  twenty-nine  men  were  found  slain 
after  the  battle,  and  fourteen  escaped,  and  about  a  half  dozen 
were  taken  captive,  the  number  would  not  be  far  from  the 
foregoing  estimate. 

Captain  Wadsworth  arrived  at  Marlboro  some  time  during 
the  night  of  the  20th.  Upon  ascertaining  that  the  Indians 
had  gone  in  the  direction  of  Sudbury,  he  did  not  stop  to 
take  needed  refreshment,  but  started  upon  the  enemy's  trail. 
Hubbard  sa}rs,  "Understanding  the  enemy  had  gone  through 
the  woods  towards  Sudbury,  this  unwearied  company,  before 
even  they  had  taken  any  considerable  rest,  marched  immedi- 
atelv  back  towards  Sudbury  [East  Sudbury],  that  lies  ten 
miles  nearer  Boston."  Says  Gookin  ("  History  of  Christian 
Indians"),  "He  [Wadsworth]  understanding  that  the  enemy 
had  attacked  Sudbury,  took  a  ply  of  his  men,  about  six  files, 
and  marched  for  their  relief,  with  whom  Capt.  Broklebank, 
who  kept  guard  at  Marlboro  went.  Taking  this  opportunity 
as  a  good  convoy,  to  speak  with  the  council.  Capt.  Wads- 
worth being  a  valient  and  active  man  and  being  very  desir- 
ous to  rescue  his  friends  at  Sudbury,  marched  in  the  night 
with  all  the  speed  he  could."  Says  Lieutenant  Jacobs,  in 
his  official  letter,  of  Wadsworth's  departure,  "  Although  he 
had  marched  all  the  day  and  the  night  before,  and  his  men 
much  wearied,  yet  he  hastened  back  again,  and  was  accom- 
panied by  Capt.  Broklebank,  commander  of  the  garrison  of 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  235 

Marlboro  with  the  small  number  he  durst  spare  out  of  his 
garrison."  (Date  April  24,  1676.  State  Archives,  Vol. 
LXVIII.,  p.  227.) 

The  English  encountered  no  Indians  until  they  had  gone 
some  distance  into  Sudbury  territory,  when  they  came  upon  a 
small  party,  who  fled  at  their  approach.  Captain  Wads  worth 
with  his  company  pursued  until  they  found  themselves  in  an 
ambush,  where  the  main  body  of  Philip's  force  lay  concealed. 

THE    BATTLE-FIELD. 

Before  considering  the  battle  which  followed,  we  will  give 
some  description  of  the  place  where  it  occurred.  This  place 
was  at  what  is  now  South  Sudbury,  a  little  northeasterly  of 
the  village,  and  on  the  westerly  side  of  Green  Hill.  The 
ambush  was  probably  laid  near  the  foot  of  the  hill,  a  few 
rods  east  of  the  place  where  Wadsworth  was  buried.  At 
this  point  there  was,  until  within  a  Very  few  years,  an  old 
path  through  the  woods  (see  map),  which  we  conjecture 
once  led  from  the  Hop  Brook  Mill  to  the  Old  Lancaster 
Road,  and  may  have  been  the  way  travelled  to  that  mill,  and 
to  the  westward  of  it,  before  the  construction  of  the  new 
road  that  was  built  in  1659.  This  road,  in  our  recollection, 
extended  to  the  edge  of  the  cleared  land  on  the  Joseph  Rich- 
ardson farm  (present  Newton  place),  but  since  the  clearing 
up  of  the  woods  in  that  locality  it  has  almost  or  quite  dis- 
appeared. We  conjecture  that  at  or  along  this  path  the 
battle  began.  This  we  think  is  indicated  by  several  circum- 
stances . 

First,  it  was  very  near  the  spot  where  the  slain  soldiers 
were  buried.  The  burial-place  would  naturally  be  not  far 
from  the  greater  number  of  the  slain,  or  about  midway  of 
the  battle-field,  unless  the  nature  of  the  ground  was  such  as 
to  make  it  inexpedient  to  dig  the  grave  there.  From  the  top 
of  Green  Hill  to  near  the  spot  where  the  soldiers  were  buried 
is  hard,  rocky  ground,  while  at  the  place  of  burial  was  easy 
digging;  and,  moreover,  being  of  sandy  soil,  it  may  have  been 
covered  with  but  small,  scanty  shrubbery,  and  been  a  sunny 
spot  in  the  woods  quite  suitable  for  the  purpose.  It  is  not 
therefore  unlikely,  if  the  main  part  or  all  of  the  slain  were 


236  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

scattered  from  about  the  foot  to  the  summit  of  the  hill,  that 
they  were  Carried  to  that  spot  for  interment. 

Second,  it  was  not  far  from  the  foot  of  the  hill,  which  the 
English  ascended  as  the  battle  advanced.  The  space  fought 
over  could  not  have  been  great,  since  every  foot  of  it  was 
hotly  contested,  and  the  engagement  lasted  but  a  few  hours. 
The  distance  from  the  path  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  to  the 
summit,  where  the  English  made  their  stand,  was  about  an 
eighth  of  a  mile.  Therefore  we  judge  the  battle  began  on 
or  near  the  path. 

But  the  one  thing  which  more  than  any  other  may  indi- 
cate the  place  of  ambush  was  the  probable  plan  of  King 
Philip.  This  plan  was  to  intercept  Captain  Wadsworth 
before  he  could  reach  the  east  side,  or  get  into  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  Goodnow  or  Haynes  Garrisons.  To  do  this, 
he  would  naturally  allow  the  English  to  pass  on  to  Marlboro 
during  the  night  undisturbed,  and  then  conceal  his  force  to 
intercept  him  on  his  return.  The  wily  chieftain  knew  that 
his  return  was  only  a  matter  of  time,  and  he  hastened  to 
get  his  ambush  in  readiness  for  him.  But,  to  have  the  plan 
a  success,  it  was  all-important  to  choose  the  spot  where 
Wadsworth  would  be  most  likely  to  pass.  To  the  west- 
ward of  Hop  Brook  it  might  be  hard  to  determine  what  way 
the  English  would  take.  But  it  was  probable  they  would  so 
direct  their  course  as  to  cross  Hop  Brook  at  the  bridge,  near 
Noyes'  Mill  (South  Sudbury),  since  at  that  season  of  the 
year  the  stream  might  be  swollen  so  as  to  make  it  difficult  to 
pass  it  at  any  other  place.  At  some  point  easterly  of  the 
bridge,  then,  the  ambush  would  naturally  be  laid. 

But  from  Hop  Brook  to  the  east  side,  as  before  noticed, 
there  were  two  ways :  one,  a  part  of  the  Old  Lancaster  Road 
north  of  Green  Hill,  connected  with  Hop  Brook  Mill  by  the 
wood-path  before  mentioned  ;  the  other,  the  "  new  road," 
which  went  south  of  Green  Hill.  As  it  was  uncertain  which 
of  these  roads  Wadsworth  would  take,  Philip  would  natu- 
rally lay  his  ambuscade  upon  the  path  which  we  have  con- 
jectured connected  these  two  highways  (see  map) ;  so  that 
if  Wadsworth  went  by  way  of  the  Lancaster  Road  he  would 
fall  into  the  ambush,  and  if  he  went  by  the  south  road  Philip 


A  ROCKY  PLAIN.     (Sudbury  Center.) 

B  NOYES'S  MILL      (So.  Sudbury,) 

C  WIGWAM  HILL      (Goodman's  Hill.) 

D  GREEN  HILL. 

E  WADSWORTH  BURIAL  PLACE. 

F  HAYNES  GARRISON  HOUSE. 

G  EDMUND  GOODNOW  GARRISON. 

H  TOWN  BRIDGE. 

I  FIRST  MEETING  HOUSE. 

J  ROAD  TO  HOP  BROOK  MILL.     Constructed  1659 


K    OLD  LANCASTER  ROAD-     Constructed  I65« 

L    HOP  BROOK. 

M  LANHAM  BROOK. 

N    LOWANCE  BROOK. 

0   OLD  WOOD  ROAD  OR  CART  PATH. 

P    CAUSEWAY 

Q   GRAVEL  PIT; 

R    MARLBORO'  ROAD. 

S   SUPPOSED  PART  OF  CART  PATH. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  237 

would  lead  him  into  the  fatal  path  by  decoys.  This  is  what 
we  suppose  Philip  did.  He  allowed  Wadsworth  to  pass  to 
Marlboro  at  night,  then  selected  a  place  by  this  path  in 
which  to  conceal  his  men.  Wadsworth,  all  unsuspicious  of 
his  plan,  had  probably  passed  the  Hop  Brook  Bridge,  and 
was  passing  by  the  south  road  to  East  Sudbury,  when  the 
Indian  decoys  turned  him  from  his  course,  and  led  him  to 
the  place  of  ambush. 

The  following  statements  from  several  well-known  authori- 
ties favor  the  foregoing  suppositions.  Says  "  The  Old  Indian 
Chronicle,"  "  When  they  arrived  within  a  mile  and  a  half 
of  Sudbury,  the  enemy  having  hid  themselves  behind  the 
hills,  sent  forth  two  or  three  to  cross  the  march  of  our  forces, 
and  being  seen  to  counterfeit  themselves  affrighted  and  fly, 
whereby  to  trepan  our  men  into  their  ambuscade,  which  mis- 
chievous plan  succeeded  according  their  to  wishes."  Hub- 
bard says,  "Being  come  within  a  mile  of  the  town,  we  espied 
a  party  of  Indians  not  far  from  them,  about  a  hundred,  not 
more  as  they  conceived.  These  they  might  easily  deal  with, 
who  turning  back  awhile  drew  Capt.  Wadsworth  and  his 
company  above  a  mile  into  the  woods."  Says  Gookin,  "Be- 
ing spent  and  weary  with  travel  and  want  of  rest  Capt. 
Wadsworth  fell  into  the  enemy's  ambushment  on  the  morn- 
ing, and  the  enemy  being  numerous  encompassed  him  round." 

It  is  noticeable  by  these  statements,  that  the  distance  that 
these  men  were  decoyed  is  variously  estimated  at  from  a  mile 
to  a  mile  and  a  half.  This  does  not  exactly  correspond  with 
the  distance  between  the  supposed  place  of  ambush  and  the 
aforesaid  roads.  But  they  may  have  been  allured  by  a  cir- 
cuitous course,  or  the  distance  mentioned  by  these  authors 
may  have  been  a  loose  estimate.  It  would  not  be  strange  if 
authors  should  be  somewhat  inexact  on  a  point  like  this.  It 
was  an  unfamiliar  locality  to  them.  If  they  received  infor- 
mation from  survivors  of  the  fight,  the  place  also  was  strange 
to  them,  and  they  might  think  the  distance  over  which  they 
were  led  by  decoy  to  be  greater  than  it  in  reality  was ;  and  as 
in  the  case  of  the  date  of  the  fight,  one  historian  might  trans- 
mit another's  mistake.  If  our  conjectures,  then,  are  correct, 
we  think  these  soldiers  were  allured  from  some  point  on 


238  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

the  road  from  Hop  Brook  to  East  Sudbury  to  a  spot  ne;ir 
the  place  of  their  burial. 

THE    AMBUSCADE. 

The  force  that  lay  in  ambush  is  supposed  to  have  been 
quite  strong.  Gookin  speaks  of  "  the  enemy  being  numer- 
ous." "The  Old  Indian  Chronicle  "  speaks  of  it  as  about  a 
thousand.  The  latter  estimate  is  probably  not  far  from 
right.  If  two  hundred  Indians  were  engaged  about  the  old. 
town  bridge,  and  if  Philip  entered  Sudbury  with  towards 
fifteen  hundred,  about  one  thousand  may  have  been  in  am- 
bush. As  the  foe  appeared,  the  English  pursued,  and  fol- 
lowed hard  as  they  withdrew.  That  they  should  do  this 
unsuspicious  of  peril  may  be  a  matter  of  some  surprise. 
Captain  Wadsworth  was  not  inexperienced  in  Indian  war- 
fare ;  before  this  he  had  been  on  their  trail.  When  Lan- 
caster was  assailed,  he  had  gone  to  its  relief.  It  might 
seem  strange,  then,  that  he  should  be  led  into  ambush, 
when  aware  of  Indian  strategy,  and  accompanied  by  Cap- 
tain Brocklebank,  who  could  advise  him  of  King  Philip's 
strength. 

A  little  reflection,  however,  may  diminish  surprise.  If 
one  hundred  Indians,  as  is  stated  by  Hubbard,  at  once  hove 
in  sight,  the  English  may  have  considered  it  King  Philip's 
main  force.  These  by  their  flight  may  have  acted  surprised. 
They  were  in  the  vicinity  of  the  place  whither,  it  is  said,  the 
Indians  had  gone.  Wadsworth  was  not  far  from  two  of 
Sudbury's  garrisons,  and  not  far  from  the  outskirts  of  the 
east  side  settlement.  He  may  have  heard  the  sound  of  guns 
in  different  directions,  and  especially  the  firing  at  the  old 
town  bridge ;  this,  perhaps,  led  him  to  suppose  Philip's 
forces  much  scattered  about,  and  that  what  he  saw  was  the 
nucleus  of  his  powerful  host.  It  is  not,  then,  very  remark- 
able if  he  was  thrown  off  his  guard,  and  that  he  considered 
that  but  little  caution  was  required. 

But  the  pursuit  was  fatal.  The  Indians  retreated  until 
the  place  of  ambush  was  reached.  Then  suddenly  the  foe 
opened  his  fire  from  a  chosen  place  of  concealment,  where 
each  man  had  the  opportunity  of  working  to  advantage.     By 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  239 

these  means  the  trap  was  sprung.  Simultaneous  with  this 
sudden  onslaught  of  the  ambushed  foe  an  attempt  was  made 
to  surround  the  English.  Mather  says  that,  "  a  great  body 
of  the  Indians  surrounded  them."  Hubbard  states,  "  On  a 
sudden  a  great  body  of  the  enemy  appeared.  About  five 
hundred  as  was  thought  compassed  them  around."  This 
was  shrewd  on  the  part  of  Philip.  The  first  move  of  the 
English  would  naturally  be  to  regain  the  main  path,  and 
make  for  the  highway  so  near  at  hand.  A  short  run  to  the 
northerly  would  lead  Wadsworth  to  the  Old  Lancaster  Road, 
or  a  quick  retreat  southerly  would  soon  bring  him  to  the 
road  from  Hop  Brook  to  East  Sudbury ;  while  one  of  these 
ways  would  bring  him  to  the  town  bridge  and  the  old 
Haynes  Garrison,  and  the  other  to  the  Goodnow  Garrison. 
It  might,  then,  be  expected  that  Philip  would  cut  off  the 
retreat. 

But,  though  suddenly  surrounded  and  beset  on  all  sides, 
they  maintained  a  most  manly  defense.  It  may  be  doubtful 
if  there  is  its  equal  in  the  annals  of  the  early  Indian  wars. 
From  five  hundred  to  one  thousand  savages,  with  Philip  him- 
self to  direct  their  manoeuvres,  pouring  their  fire  from  every 
direction,  and  this  against  about  four-score  of  English,  hard 
marched,  in  an  unfamiliar  locality,  could  do  deadly  work. 
Yet  there  is  no  evidence  of  undue  confusion  among  the  ranks 
of  the  English. 

The  sudden  onslaught  of  the  savages  was  attended,  as 
usual,  with  shoutings  and  a  horrible  noise,  -which  but  in- 
creased the  threatening  aspect,  and  tended  to  indicate  that 
things  were  worse  than  they  were.  In  spite  of  all  this, 
the  brave  company  maintained  their  position,  and  more  than 
held  their  own.  Says  Mather,  "  They  fought  like  men  and 
more  than  so."  Says  "The  Old  Indian  Chronicle,"  "  Not  at 
all  dismayed  by  their  numbers,  nor  dismal  shouts  and  horrid 
yellings,  ours  made  a  most  courageous  resistance."  Not  only 
was  the  foe  kept  at  bay,  and  the  English  force  mainly  kept 
compact,  but  a  movement  was  made  to  obtain  a  better  posi- 
tion ;  hard  by  was  the  summit  of  Green  Hill,  and  thither- 
ward, fighting,  Wadsworth  directed  his  course.  This  he 
reached,  and  for  hours  he  fought  that  furious  host,  with  such 


240  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

success  that,  it  is  said,  he  lost  but  five  men.  Says  "The  Old 
Indian  Chronicle,"  "  Having  gained  the  top  of  the  hill,  they 
from  thence  gallantly  defended  themselves,  with  a  loss  of 
five  men,  near  four  hours."  Hubbard  informs  us  that  "  the 
Indians  forced  them  to  the  top  of  an  hill,  where  they  made 
very  stout  resistance  considerable  while."  Thus  successfully 
was  the  battle  waged  by  the  English,  despite  circumstances 
and  the  strength  of  the  foe. 

THE    FOREST    FIRE. 

But  a  new  element  was  to  be  introduced.  The  fight  had 
doubtless  been  prolonged  far  beyond  what  Philip  had  at  first 
supposed  it  would  be.  Desperate  in  his  disappointment  that 
the  English  had  not  surrendered,  they  again  resort  to  strat- 
egy to  accomplish  their  work.  The  day  was  almost  done. 
Philip's  force  had  been  decimated  by  Wadsworth's  stubborn 
defense.  Darkness  was  soon  to  set  in,  and  under  its  friendly 
concealment  the  English  might  make  their  escape.  New 
means  were  to  be  employed,  or  the  battle  to  the  Indians 
was  lost,  and  the  fate  of  Philip's  slain  warriors  would  be  un- 
avenged. Wadsworth  might  form  a  junction  with  the  sol- 
diers at  the  east  side  of  the  town,  or  make  his  way  to  the 
Goodnow  Garrison  just  beyond  Green  Hill.  A  crisis  was  at 
hand.  Philip  knew  it,  and  made  haste  to  meet  it.  The 
fight  began  with  strategy,  and  he  sought  to  close  it  with 
strategy.  He  set  fire  to  the  woods,  the  leaves  of  which  at 
that  season  are  sometimes  exceedingly  dry;  and  the  flames, 
fiercely  fanned  in  the  April  breeze,  drove  Wadsworth  from 
his  advantageous  position.  The  English  were  forced  to  fly 
before  the  devouring  element.  Says  "  The  Old  Indian 
Chronicle,"  "  The  cowardly  enemy  disheartened  by  so  many 
of  their  fellows  slain  in  the  first  attack,  not  daring  to  ven- 
ture close  upon  them,  yet  that  we  may  not  think  these  bar- 
barians altogether  unacquainted  with  strategem,  nor  so  silly 
as  to  neglect  any  advantages,  at  last  they  set  the  woods  on 
fire  to  the  windward  of  our  men,  which  by  reason  of  the 
wind  blowing  very  hard,  and  the  grass  being  exceedingly 
dry,  burnt  with  a  terrible  fierceness,  and  with  the  smoke  and 
heat  it  was  like  to  choke  them,  so  that  being  no  longer  able 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  241 

at  once  to  resist  the  approaching  fire,  and  the  cruel  enemy, 
they  are  forced  to  quit  that  advantageous  post  in  disorder." 
The  historian  Hubbard  says  nothing  about  the  fire ;  he  states, 
however,  "  The  night  drawing  on,  and  some  of  the  English 
beginning  to  scatter  from  the  rest,  their  fellows  were  forced 
to  follow  them  so  as  the  enenry  taking  the  chase,  pursued 
them  on  every  side  as  they  made  too  hasty  a  retreat."  That 
Hubbard  mentioned  no  fire  may  naturally  occasion  surprise; 
but  the  silence  of  one  historian  concerning  an  event  should 
not  invalidate  the  affirmation  of  it  by  another,  especially 
since  by  a  little  reflection  it  may  be  a  matter  of  surprise  that 
the  English  should  retreat  in  such  haste  without  the  menace 
of  some  new  peril,  when  night's  friendly  help  was  so  near. 
The  statement  then  of  one  author,  with  no  reason  to  doubt 
his  veracity,  but  a  strong  presumption  to  confirm  his  words, 
may  remove  any  doubts  that  might  be  suggested  by  the 
silence  of  others. 

THE  RETREAT. 

With  this  new  combination  of  forces  pressing  hard  upon 
them,  nothing  was  left  but  retreat.  But  the  results  of  the 
retreat  were  disastrous  and  exceedingly  sad.  There  is  some- 
thing melancholy  indeed  attendant  on  that  precipitous  flight. 
For  hours,  shoulder  to  shoulder,  those  men  had  manfully 
stood.  Inch  by  inch  they  had  gained  the  hill-top.  The 
wounded  had  likely  been  borne  with  them,  and  laid  at 
their  protectors'  feet;  and  the  brave  company  awaited  night's 
friendly  shades  to  bear  them  gently  to  a  place  of  relief.  But 
they  were  to  leave  them  now  in  the  hands  of  a  foe  less  mer- 
ciful than  the  flames  from  which  they  had  been  forced  to 
retire.  Their  defenders  had  fired  their  last  shot  that  would 
keep  the  foe  at  bay,  and  in  hot  haste  were  to  make  a  rush 
for  the  Hop  Brook  Mill.  It  was  a  race  for  life ;  a  gauntlet 
from  which  few  would  escape. 

Historians  agree  that  the  rout  was  complete.  Hubbard 
mentions  the  too  hasty  retreat,  "  by  which  accident,  being 
so  much  overpowered  by  the  enemy's  numbers,  they  were 
most  of  them  lost."  Says  "  The  Old  Indian  Chronicle," 
"  The  Indians  taking  advantage  of  [the  rout]  came  in  upon 


242  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

them  like  so  many  tigers,  and  dulling  their  active  swords 
with  excessive  numbers  obtained  the  dishonor  of  a  victory. 
Our  two  Captains  after  incomparable  proof  of  their  resolu- 
tion and  galantry,  being  slain  upon  the  place  with  most  of 
their  men."  So  closed  the  scene  on  Green  Hill,  as  the  fitful 
gleam  of  the  forest  conflagration  lighted  the  night  shadows 
and  revealed  the  terrible  work. 

The  flight  of  the  men  to  the  mill  was  doubtless  attended 
with  fearful  loss.  It  was  situated  at  what  now  is  South 
Sudbury  village,  on  the  site  of  the  present  Parmenter  Mill. 
The  distance  from  the  top  of  Green  Hill  is  from  a  quarter  to 
half  a  mile.  This  distance  was  enough  to  make  the  slaughter 
great.  A  break  in  the  ranks,  and  the  foe  could  close  in,  and 
the  tomahawk  and  war-club  could  do  a  terrible  work.  It 
is  said  that  a  small  company  broke  away  from  the  enemy. 
Says  "The  Old  Indian  Chronicle,"  "But  those  few  that 
remained  escaped  to  a  mill  which  they  defended  until 
night."  This  statement  indicates  that  the  rout  began  before 
night,  while  Hubbard  says  "the  night  drawing  on."  This 
disparity  of  statement  is  slight.  Each  may  mean  the  same 
thing,  if  the  rout  occurred  about  night,  as  it  probably  did. 
We  would  expect  Philip's  strategy  to  be  employed  before 
the  day  closed,  as  he  wished  to  scatter  the  English  before 
darkness  afforded  the  means  of  escape.  Gookin  informs  us 
that  "  Wadsworth's  men  were  generally  cut  off,  except  a  few 
who  escaped  to  a  mill  which  was  fortified  but  the  people 
were  fled  out  of  it,  and  the  enemy  knew  not  of  their  flight." 
Other  authorities  give  different  estimates.  Hubbard  states, 
"scarce  twenty  escaping  in  all." 

Thus  closed  that  tragic  day.  The  firing  had  ceased.  Silence 
settled  with  the  nightfall  over  that  usually  peaceful  spot ;  yet 
night's  natural  stillness  was  not  undisturbed.  The  shouts 
of  the  captor  as  he  exultingly  looked  over  his  fallen  foe,  the 
groans  of  the  wounded  white  man  and  savage,  the  gathering 
of  Philip's  scattered  forces,  each  to  narrate  the  deeds  of  that 
eventful  day,  the  blaze  of  the  Indian's  night-fire,  and  the 
strange  forms  that  flitted  to  and  fro,  —  all  together  might 
present  a  scene  that  was  dismal,  weird,  and  strange. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  243 


LOSS    OP    THE    ENGLISH. 


As  to  the  number  of  English  slain,  accounts  somewhat 
differ.  This  is  not  strange,  when  men  differ  as  to  the  num- 
ber engaged.  Mather  says  "  that  about  fifty  of  the  men 
were  slain  that  day."  Gookin  speaks  of  "  thirty-two  besides 
the  two  captains."  Hubbard  says,  "  So  as  another  captain 
and  his  fifty  perished  that  time  of  as  brave  soldiers  as  any 
who  were  ever  emplo}red  in  the  service."  Lieut.  Richard 
Jacobs  of  the  garrison  at  Marlboro,  in  his  letter  to  the 
Council,  dated  April  22,  1676  (Vol.  LXVIIL,  p.  223,  State 
Archives),  says,  "  This  morning  about  sun  two  hours  high 
ye  enemy  alarmed  us  by  firing  and  shouting  toward  ye  gov- 
ernment garrison  house  at  Sudbury."  He  goes  on  to  state 
that  "  soon  after  they  gave  a  shout  and  came  in  great  num- 
bers on  Indian  Hill,  and  one,  as  their  accustomed  manner  is 
after  a  fight,  began  to  signify  to  us  how  many  were  slain  ; 
they  whooped  seventy  four  times  which  we  hope  was  only  to 
affright  us,  seeing  we  have  had  no  intelligence  of  any  such 
thing,  yet  we  have  reason  to  fear  the  worst,  considering  the 
numbers,  which  we  apprehend  to  be  five  hundred  at  the 
most,  others  think  a  thousand."  The  Indians  informed  Mrs. 
Rowlandson  that  "  they  killed  two  captains  and  almost  an 
hundred  men."  She  states,  "One  Englishman  they  brought 
alive  with  them,  and  he  said  it  was  too  true,  for  they  had 
made  sad  work  at  Sudbury." 

Thus,  according  to  the  various  accounts,  by  far  the  greater 
part  were  slain.  There  is  one  thing  which  goes  to  show, 
however,  that  Mather  may  not  be  far  from  correct,  —  that  is 
the  evidence  of  the  exhumed  remains.  When  the  grave  was 
opened  a  few  years  ago,  parts  of  the  skeletons  of  twenty-nine 
men  were  found.  We  can  hardly  suppose,  however,  that 
these  were  all  the  slain.  Some  who  were  wounded  may 
have  crawled  away  to  die.  Others,  disabled,  may  have  been 
borne  from  the  spot  by  the  foe;  and  in  various  ways  the 
wounded  may  have  been  removed,  to  perish  near  or  remote 
from  the  field  of  battle. 

According  to  the  testimony  of  Mrs.  Rowlandson,  the  bodies 
of  the  slain  were  plundered.     She  remarks,  that,  "after  the 


244  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

master  came  home,  he  came  to  her  and  bid  her  make  a  shirt 
for  his  pappoose  of  a  pillow-bier."  She  says  also,  "About 
that  time  there  came  an  Indian  to  me  and  bid  me  come  to 
his  wigwam  that  night,  and  he  would  give  me  some  pork 
and  ground  nuts.  I  did,  and  as  I  was  eating,  another  Indian 
said  to  me,  he  seems  to  be  your  good  friend,  but  he  killed 
two  Englishmen  at  Sudbury,  and  there  lie  the  bloody  clothes 
behind  you,  I  looked  behind  me,  and  there  I  saw  the  bloody 
clothes  behind  me  with  bullet  holes  in  them."  No  signs 
of  equipments  or  attire  were  found  in  the  grave  when  the 
remains  were  disinterred ;  and  it  is  probable  that  the  slain 
were  stripped  by  the  savages,  and  the  garments  and  equip- 
ments were  carried  away. 

LOSS    OF   PHILIP. 

As  to  the  number  of  savages  slain  on  that  day,  we  can 
hardly  expect  to  obtain  any  accurate  knowledge.  The 
Indians  would  intend  to  leave  no  traces  of  what  havoc 
the  English  had  made.  They  would  likely  care  for  their 
wounded,  and  remove  or  conceal  their  dead.  Tradition 
states  ("History  of  Framingham"),  that  one  of  the  sons  of 
Eames  of  Framingham  was  present  as  a  captive  at  the  attack 
on  Sudbury,  and  he  is  said  to  have  reported  that  the  Indians 
suffered  severely  by  the  fire  from  the  garrison  ;  and  that  an 
aged  squaw  lost  six  sons,  all  of  whom  were  brave  and  distin- 
guished warriors. 

From  all  the  circumstances,  there  is  space  for  fair  infer- 
ence that  their  loss  was  large.  Wadsworth  and  Brocklebank 
were  bold  and  sagacious  men  ;  their  soldiers  were  doubtless 
valiant  to  a  great  degree.  During  those  hours  of  defensive 
work  there  is  little  doubt  but  the  ranks  of  King  Philip  were 
greatly  thinned.  Encompassed  as  the  English  were  by  hun- 
dreds of  combatants  eager  to  rush  in  and  close  the  contest 
with  hatchet  and  club,  it  is  safe  to  infer  that  only  an  effective 
and  quickly  repeated  fire,  such  as  would  be  deadly  to  many, 
would  keep  such  a  host  at  bay.  The  very  fact  that  Philip 
by  daybreak  withdrew,  after  his  destructive  work  at  Green 
Hill,  is  a  presumption  that  he  was  in  a  crippled  state.  With- 
out losses  so  severe  as  to  make  it  utterly  unwise  to  push  on, 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  245 

flushed  by  Wadsworth's  defeat,  he  would  naturally  move  for- 
ward to  destroy  the  east  side  settlement,  and  go  with  con- 
quering march  toward  the  sea.  But  he  retraced  his  steps 
westward. 

A  further  evidence  that  the  havoc  in  Philip's  force  was 
great,  is  the  statement  of  Mrs.  Rowlandson,  "  that  they  came 
home  without  that  rejoicing  and  triumphing  over  their  vic- 
tory which  they  were  wont  to  show  at  other  times ;  but 
rather  like  clogs  (as  they  say)  which  have  lost  their  ears, 
yet  I  could  not  perceive  that  it  was  from  their  own  loss  of 
men.  They  said  they  lost  not  above  five  or  six.  And  I 
missed  none,  except  from  one  wigwam.  When  they  went 
they  acted  as  if  the  devil  had  told  them  that  they  should 
gain  a  victory,  and  now  they  acted  as  if  the  devil  had  told 
them  they  should  have  a  fall.  Whether  it  were  so  or  no,  I 
cannot  tell,  but  so  it  quickly  proved,  for  they  quickly  began 
to  fall,  and  so  they  held  on  that  summer  till  they  came  to 
utter  ruin.  They  came  home  on  a  Sabbath  day,  and  the 
powwow  that  kneeled  upon  the  deerskin  came  home,  I  may 
say,  without  any  abuse,  as  black  as  the  devil."  She  further 
strtes  that  "  it  was  their  usual  manner  to  remove  when  they 
had  done  any  mischief,  lest  they  should  be  found  out ;  and 
so  they  did  at  this  time.  We  went  about  three  or  four 
miles,  and  there  they  built  a  great  wigwam,  big  enough  to 
hold  one  hundred  Indians,  which  they  did  in  preparation  to 
a  great  day  of  dancing.  They  would  now  say  among  them- 
selves that  the  governor  would  be  so  angry  for  the  loss  at 
Sudbury  that  he  would  say  no  more  about  the  captives." 

Hubbard  says,  "It  was  observed  by  some  (at  that  time 
their  prisoners,  since  released),  that  they  seemed  very  pen- 
sive after  they  had  come  to  ther  quarters,  showing  no  such 
signs  of  rejoicing  as  they  were  usually  wont  to  do  in  like 
cases.  Whether  from  the  loss  of  some  of  their  own  com- 
pany in  that  day's  enterprise  (said  to  be  an  hundred  and 
twenty)  or  whether  it  were  the  devil  in  whom  they  trusted, 
that  deceived  them,  and  to  whom  they  paid  their  addresses 
the  day  before  by  sundry  conjurations  of  their  powwows,  or 
whether  it  were  by  any  dread  that  the  Almighty  sent  upon 
their  excreable  Blasphemies  which  'tis  said  they  used  in  the 


246  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

torturing  of  some  of  their  poor  captives  (bidding  Jesus  come 
and  deliver  them  out  of  their  hands  from  death  if  He  could) 
we  leave  as  uncertain,  though  some  have  so  reported.  Yet 
sure  it  is,  that  after  this  day  they  never  prospered  in  any 
attempt  they  made  against  the  English,  but  were  continu- 
ally scattered  and  broken  till  they  were  in  a  manner  all  con- 
sumed." 

As  ultimate  authority  in  this,  as  in  other  matters,  we 
refer  to  "  The  Old  Petition,"  in  which  it  is  stated  as  fol- 
lows of  the  Indians  slain :  "  Secondly,  ye  service  pformed  at 
Sudbury  by  ye  help  of  ye  Almighty  whereby  ye  Enemy  lost 
some  say  100,  some  105,  some  120,  and  by  that  service  much 
damage  prevented  from  hapning  to  other  places  whereby  ye 
Country  in  Generall  was  advantaged,  reason  requires  some 
favorable  considerations  to  ye  servants  of  Sudbury.  For  if  it 
be  considered  what  it  hath  cost  our  Country  in  sending  out 
some  forces  some  of  which  p  ties  have  not  returned  with 
ye  certaine  newes  of  such  a  number  slaine  as  with  us." 

These  things  indicate  that  Philip's  loss  was  severe.  He  was 
stayed  in  his  course ;  he  was  unable  to  reinforce  his  outstand- 
ing detachments  in  their  attempt  to  destroy  the  town,  and  he 
quickly  made  his  retreat.  Wadsworth  did  not  die  in  vain. 
Not  only  did  he  help  save  the  east  side  settlement,  but,  keep- 
ing the  foe  hotly  engaged  for  hours,  he  crippled  their  force 
to  such  a  degree  that  they  abandoned  their  plans  of  conquest 
in  that  vicinity. 

THE   CAPTURED. 

But  the  sad  story  is  not  wholly  told  when  we  speak  of  the 
slain.  The  tragedy  was  not  complete  when  the  surviving 
few  had  left  the  field  and  taken  refuge  in  the  mill.  Some 
were  captured  alive.  These  were  subjected  to  such  atrocious 
treatment  as  only  a  savage  would  be  expected  to  give.  Says 
Hubbard,  "  It  is  related  by  some  that  afterwards  escaped 
how  they  cruelly  tortured  five  or  six  of  the  English  that 
night."  Mather  says,  "They  took  five  or  six  of  the  Eng- 
lish, and  carried  them  away  alive,  but  that  night  killed  them 
in  such  a  manner  as  none  but  savages  would  have  done,  .  .  . 
delighting  to  see  the  miserable  torments  of  the  wretched 
creatures.     Thus  are  they  the  perfect  children  of  the  devil." 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  247 

THE    SURVIVORS. 

The  few  English  who  escaped  to  the  mill  found  it  a  place 
of  safety.  Says  tradition,  this  was  a  fortified  place,  but  it 
was  then  left  in  a  defenceless  condition.  This  latter  fact  the 
Indians  were  ignorant  of,  hence  it  was  left  unassailed.  The 
escaped  soldiers  were  rescued  at  night  by  Warren  and  Pierce, 
with  some  others,  among  whom  was  Captain  Prentis,  "  who 
coming  in  the  da}r  hastily  though  somewhat  to  late  to  the 
relief  of  Capt.  Wadsworth  having  not  six  troopers  that  were 
able  to  keep  way  with  him  fell  into  a  pound  or  place  near 
Sudbury  town  end,  where  all  passages  were  stopped  by  the 
Indians."  Captain  Cowell  also  gave  assistance,  and  thus 
these  weary,  war-worn  men,  the  remnant  of  the  gallant  com- 
pany that  fought  on  that  memorable  day,  were  conducted  to 
a  place  of  safety. 

BURIAL    OF    THE    DEAD. 

The  morning  light  of  the  22d  of  April  broke  upon  a  sad 
scene  in  Sudbury.  The  noise  of  the  battle  had  ceased,  and 
the  fires  had  faded  away  with  the  night-shadows.  Philip 
had  betaken  himself  from  the  field  of  his  hard-earned  and 
unfortunate  victory,  and  nothing  of  life  was  left  but  the  leaf- 
less woods,  and  these  charred  as  if  passed  over  by  the  shadow 
of  death.  It  was  a  scene  of  loneliness  and  desolation.  The 
dead,  scalped  and  stripped,  were  left  scattered  as  they  fell ; 
while  their  victors  by  the  sunrising  were  far  on  their  way 
back  over  the  track  which  the^  had  made  so  desolate.  This 
scene,  however,  was  shortly  to  change.  Warm  hearts  and 
stout  hands  were  pushing  their  way  to  see  what  the  case 
might  demand,  and  if  possible  render  relief. 

Before  nightfall  of  the  21st,  so  far  as  we  have  learned,  lit- 
tle, if  any  intelligence  was  received  by  the  parties  who  had 
rushed  to  the  rescue,  of  the  true  state  of  things  about  Green 
Hill.  Wadsworth  and  Brocklebank  were  encompassed  about 
by  the  foe,  so  that  no  communication  could  be  conveyed  to 
the  English,  who  anxiously  awaited  tidings  of  their  condi- 
tion. It  was  known  at  the  easterly  part  of  the  town  that 
hard  fighting  was  in  progress  at  or  near  Green  Hill.     The 


248  HTSTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

shouting,  firing,  and  smoke  betokened  that  a  battle  was  in 
progress,  but  how  it  would  terminate  none  could  tell.  After 
the  Sudbury  and  Watertown  men  had  driven  the  Indians 
over  the  river,  they  strove  hard  to  reach  the  force  on  the 
hill.  Says  Warren  and  Pierce,  in  their  petition  :  "  We  who 
were  with  them  can  more  largely  inform  this  Honored  Coun- 
cil that  as  it  is  said  in  the  petition,  that  we  drove  two  hun- 
dred Indians  over  the  river  and  with  some  others  went  to 
see  if  Ave  could  relieve  Capt.  Wadsworth  upon  the  hill,  and 
there  we  had  a  fight  with  the  Indians,  but  they  being  so 
many  of  them,  and  we  stayed  so  long  that  we  were  almost 
encompassed  by  them,  which  caused  us  to  retreat  to  Capt. 
Goodnow's  garrison  house,  and  there  we  stayed  it  being  near 
night  till  it  was  dark." 

But  another  force  had  also  striven  to  reach  the  town, 
and  join  in  the  work  of  rescue.  This  was  a  company  from 
Charlestown,  commanded  by  Captain  Hunting.  Of  this 
company,  Gookin  says  ("  History  of  Christian  Indians ") : 
"  On  the  21st  of  April,  Capt.  Hunting  had  drawn  up  and 
ready  furnished  his  company  of  forty  Indians  at  Charles- 
town.  These  had  been  ordered  by  the  council  to  march  to 
the  Merrimac  river  near  Chelmsford,  and  there  to  settle  a 
garrison  near  the  great  fishing  places  where  it  was  expected 
the  enemy  would  come  to  get  fish  for  their  necessary  food." 
But,  says  Gookin,  "  Behold  God's  thoughts  are  not  as  ours, 
nor  His  ways  as  ours,  for  just  as  these  soldiers  were  ready  to 
march  upon  the  21st  of  April,  about  midday,  tidings  came  by 
many  messengers  that  a  great  body  of  the  enemy  .  .  .  had 
assembled  at  a  town  called  Sudbury  that  morning."  He 
says  "  that  just  at  the  beginning  of  the  lecture  there,  as  soon 
as  these  tidings  came,  Major  Gooken  and  Thomas  Danforth, 
two  of  the  magistrates  who  were  there  hearing  the  lecture 
sermon,  being  acquainted,  he  withdrew  out  of  the  meeting 
house,  and  immediately  gave  orders  for  a  ply  of  horses  belong- 
ing to  Capt.  Prentis's  troop  under  conduct  of  Corporal  Phipps, 
and  the  Indian  company  under  Capt.  Hunting,  forthwith  to 
march  away  for  the  relief  of  Sudbury;  which  order  was  ac- 
cordingly put  into  execution.  Capt.  Hunting  with  his  Indian 
company  being  on  foot,  got  not  into  Sudbury  until  a  little 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  249 

within  night.  The  enemy  as  is  before  [narrated]  were  all 
retreated  unto  the  west  side  of  the  river  of  Sudbury,  where 
also  several  English  inhabited." 

But  though  the  rescuing  parties  were  either  repulsed,  or 
too  late  to  render  assistance  at  the  fight,  they  were  on  hand 
to  bury  the  dead.  Says  Warren  and  Pierce :  "  After  hurry- 
ing the  bodies  of  the  Concord  men  at  the  bridge's  foot,  we 
joined  ourselves  to  Capt.  Hunting  and  as  many  others  as 
we  could  prbcure,  and  went  over  the  river  to  look  for  Capt. 
Wadsworth  and  Capt.  Broklebank  ;  and  we  gathered  them 
up  and  burried  them." 

The  manner  in  which  this  burial  scene  proceeded  is  nar- 
rated thus  by  Mr.  Gookin  ("History  of  Christian  Indians"): 
"  Upon  the  22nd  of  April  early  in  the  morning  over  forty  In- 
dians having  stripped  themselves  and  painted  their  faces  like 
to  the  enemy,  they  passed  over  the  bridge  to  the  west  side 
of  the  river  without  any  Englishmen  in  the  company,  to 
make  discovery  of  the  enemy  (which  was  generally  con- 
ceded quartered  thereabout),  but  this  did  not  at  all  discour- 
age our  Christian  Indians  from  marching  and  discovering, 
and  if  they  had  met  with  them  to  beat  up  their  quarters. 
Bat  God  had  so  ordered  that  the  enemy  were  all  withdrawn 
and  were  retreated  in  the  night.  Our  Indian  soldiers  having 
made  a  thourough  discovery  and  to  their  great  relief  (for 
some  of  them  wept  when  they  saw  so  many  English  lie  dead 
on  the  place  among  the  slain),  some  they  knew,  viz,  those 
two  worthy  and  pious  Captains,  Capt.  Broklebank  of  Rowley 
and  Capt.  Wadsworth  of  Milton,  who  with  about  thirty  two 
private  soldiers  were  slain  the  day  before.  ...  As  soon  as 
they  had  made  a  full  discovery,  [they]  returned  to  their 
Captains  and  the  rest  of  the  English,  and  gave  them  an 
account  of  their  motions.  Then  it  was  concluded  to  march 
over  to  the  place  and  bury  the  dead,  and  the}'  did  so. 
Shortly  after,  our  Indians  marching  in  two  files  upon  the 
wings  to  secure  those  that  went  to  bury  the  dead,  God  so 
ordered  it  that  they  met  with  no  interruption  in  that  work." 

Thus  were  the  slain  soldiers  buried  on  that  April  morning, 
in  the  stillness  of  the  forest,  far  away  from  their  kindred, 
friends,    and    homes.      Those,    who    through   inability   had 


250  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

failed  to  defend  them  in  the  day  of  battle,  now  tenderly 
took  them  to  their  last  long  resting-place.  A  single  grave 
contained  them.  Though  scattered,  they  were  borne  to  one 
common  place  of  burial,  and  a  rough  heap  of  stones  was  all 
that  marked  that  lone  forest  grave.  Such  was  that  soldiers' 
sepulchre,  a  mound  in  the  woods,  left  to  grow  gray  with  the 
clustering  moss  of  years,  yet  marking  in  its  rustic  simplicity 
one  of  the  noblest  and  most  heroic  events  known  in  the 
annals  of  King  Philip's  War.     They  sleep  — 

"  While  the  bells  of  autumn  toll, 
Or  the  murmuring  song  of  spring  flits  by, 
Till  the  crackling  heavens  in  thunder  roll, 
To  the  bugle-blast  on  high." 

PLACE   OF   BURIAL. 

The  grave  was  made  on  the  westerly  side  of  Green  Hill, 
near  its  base,  and  was  in  the  northeast  corner  of  the  South 
Sudbury  cemetery  before  its  recent  enlargement.  In  our 
recollection,  the  grave  was  marked  by  a  rude  stone-heap,  at 
the  head  of  which  was  a  plain  slate-stone  slab.  The  heap 
was  made  of  common  loose  stones  such  as  a  man  could  easily 
lift,  and  was  probably  placed  there  when  the  grave  was 
made.  It  was  perhaps  three  or  four  feet  high,  and  a  dozen 
feet  wide  at  the  base.  The  slab  was  erected  about  1730  by 
President  Wadsworth  of  Harvard  College,  son  of  Captain 
Wadsworth.  As  we  remember  the  spot,  it  was  "barren  and 
briar-grown ;  loose  stones,  fallen  from  the  top  and  sides  of 
the  mound,  were  half  concealed  in  the  wild  wood  grass  that 
grew  in  tufts  about  it.  It  remained  in  this  condition  for 
years,  and  the  villagers  from  time  to  time  visited  it  as  a  place 
of  interest. 

In  the  year  1851  the  town  agitated  the  matter  of  erecting 
a  monument,  and  the  Legislature  was  petitioned  for  aid, 
which  was  granted.  But  the  monument  does  not  mark  the 
original  grave.  The  committee  who  had  the  matter  in  charge 
located  it  about  fifty  feet  to  the  north.  The  old  grave  was 
at,  or  about  the  turn  of  the  present  avenue  or  path,  at  the 
northeast  corner  of  the  Adam  Smith  family  lot,  in  the  pres- 


THE    WADSWORTH    GRAVE, 

So.   Sudbury 

From   an  original   painting  by  A.  S.  Hudson. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  251 

ent  Wadsworth  Cemetery.  After  it  was  decided  to  erect 
the  monument  in  its  present  position,  the  remains  of  the 
soldiers  were  removed.  The  grave  was  opened  without 
ceremony  in  the  presence  of  a  small  company  of  villagers. 
It  was  the  writer's  privilege  to  be  one  of  the  number,  and 
according  to  our  recollection  the  grave  was  about  six  feet 
square,  in  which  the  bodies  were  placed  in  tiers  at  right 
angles  to  each  other.  Some  of  the  skeletons  were  large,  and 
all  well  preserved. 

In  connection  with  the  events  just  described,  we  will  give 
a  few  facts  concerning  some  of  the  men  engaged  in  them. 

CAPT.    SAMUEL   WADSWORTH. 

Capt.  Samuel  Wadsworth  was  the  son  of  Christopher  and 
Grace  Wadsworth  of  Duxbury.  He  was  supposed  to  be 
their  oldest  child.  It  is  stated  that  when  he  died  he  was 
forty-six  years  old,  but  this  is  uncertain.  He  married  Abi- 
gail Lindall  of  Duxbury,  and  owned  lands  at  one  time  in 
Bridgewater,  which  were  a  part  of  a  grant  to  his  father. 
These  lands  comprised  one  sixty-fourth  part  of  Bridgewater 
when  it  included  most  of  Hanson  and  Abington.  In  1685 
Captain  Wads  worth's  share  is  entered  upon  the  Bridgewater 
records  under  the  name  of  Widow  Wadsworth.  About  1660 
Captain  Wadsworth  bought  several  hundred  acres  of  land  in 
Milton.  A  part  of  this  estate  was  retained  in  the  family  to 
the  eighth  generation.  His  family  consisted  of  six  boys  and 
one  girl.  His  wife  lived  on  the  homestead  many  years  after 
his  death.  Captain  Wadsworth  was  an  influential  citizen, 
and  took  an  active  part  in  affairs  both  political  and  religious. 
At  the  time  of  Philip's  War  he  was  a  captain  in  the  militia 
of  Milton.  He  was  considered  "  a  resolute,  stout-hearted 
soldier,"  and  "  one  worthy  to  live  in  our  history  under  the 
name  of  a  good  man."  (Genealogy  of  the  Wadsworth 
Family) . 

CAPT.    SAMUEL    BROCKLEBANK. 

Capt.  Samuel  Brocklebank  was  a  citizen  of  Rowley,  Mass. 
He  was  born  in  England  about  16o0.  A  few  years  after  his 
arrival  in  this  country,  his  mother,  who  was  a  widow,  came 


252  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

over,  accompanied  by  two  children.  Samuel  Brocklebank 
shortly  after  becoming  of  age  was  chosen  a  selectman,  and 
continued  to  hold  important  town  offices  until  his  death. 
He  became  a  deacon  of  the  church  Feb.  18,  1665.  In  1673 
the  Council  appointed  him  captain  of  militia,  and  after  the 
breaking  out  of  Philip's  War  he  was  stationed  at  a  govern- 
ment garrison  at  Marlboro,  where  he  had  command  of  some 
colonial  soldiers,  and  from  which  place  he  went  with  Captain 
Wadsworth  to  Sudbury.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was 
about  forty-six  years  old.  He  left  a  widow  and  six  children, 
Samuel,  Hannah,  Mary,  Elizabeth,  Sarah,  and  Joseph.  Cap- 
tain Brocklebank  was  an  estimable  citizen,  a  brave  soldier, 
and  a  fit  associate  of  Captain  Wadsworth  in  his  perilous 
work. 

Lieutenant  Sharp  of  Brookline  and  Lieut.  Samuel  Gardiner 
of  Roxbury  were,  it  is  stated,  brave  and  efficient  men.  And 
all  the  soldiers  who  were  slain  on  that  disastrous  occasion 
were,  we  are  informed,  as  brave  soldiers  as  any  who  were 
engaged  in  the  service  at  that  time. 

ROXBURY   MEN. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  Roxbury  men  who  were  of 
Captain  Wadsworth's  company,  and  killed  at  the  Sudbury 
fight :  Thomas  Baker,  Jr.,  John  Roberts.  Jr.,  Nathaniel 
Seaver  [or  Leason],  Thomas  Hawley  [or  Romley],  Sr., 
William  Cleaves,  Joseph  Pepper,  John  Sharpe,  Thomas 
Hopkins,  Samuel   Gardner. 

CONCORD    MEN. 

John  Barnes  lived  in  Concord  in  1661,  and  married  Eliza- 
beth Hunt  in  1664. 

Joseph  Buttrick  was  a  son  of  William  Buttrick,  who  came 
to  New  England  in  1635,  and  died  in  1698,  aged  eighty-two. 
His  second  wife  was  Jane  Goodnow  of  Sudbury. 

James  Hosmer  was  the  oldest  son  of  James,  who  came  to 
Concord  among  the  first  settlers,  and  died  in  1685.  James, 
the  son,  married  Sarah  White  in  1658.  His  widow  married 
Samuel  Rice. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  253 

Samuel  Potter  was  son  of  Luke  Potter,  one  of  the  first  set- 
tlers at  Concord  and  deacon  of  the  church  there.  Samuel 
married  Sarah  Wright  in  1675. 

MARLBORO    MEN. 

In  Hudson's  "  History  of  Marlboro  "  it  is  stated  that  the 
records  of  that  town  give  the  names  of  John  Howe,  Henry 
Axtel,  and  Eleazer  Ward  as  being  slain  by  the  Indians  in 
Sudbury;  but  whether  in  the  Sudbury  fight  with  Wads- 
worth,  or  not,  is  not  known. 

John  How  was  a  son  of  John  How,  one  of  the  petitioners 
for  the  Marlboro  Plantation.  He  was  born  in  1G40,  proba- 
bly in  Sudbury,  and  married  in  1662. 

Henry  Axtel  was  one  of  the  proprierors  of  Marlboro  at 
the  time  of  its  incorporation,  and  drew  his  land  in  the  first 
division.  He  married  in  1665,  and  was  slain  by  the  Indians 
between  Sudbury  and  Marlboro,  April  20,  1676. 

Eleazer  Ward  was  born  near  1649,  married  Hannah  Rice, 
lived  in  Sudbury,  and  was  killed  by  the  Indians  upon  the 
highway  between  Sudbury  and  Marlboro,  April  20,  1676. 

THE   CHRISTIAN   INDIANS. 

In  connection  with  what  has  been  said  of  the  English  who 
were  in  this  battle,  we  will  give  a  few  facts  concerning  the 
Indians  who  came  to  the  rescue  under  Captain  Hunting. 
These  were  a  detachment  of  the  Christian  Indians  who  had 
been  placed  on  Deer  Island  by  the  colonial  authorities,  after 
the  outbreak  of  the  war.  Years  before,  they  had  been  gath- 
ered by  Rev.  John  Eliot  into  several  villages,  where  they 
lived  peaceably  among  themselves,  and  on  friendly  relations 
with  the  whites.  Their  character  and  conduct  was  such  as 
showed  the  civilizing  influence  of  Christianity,  and  the  power 
of  the  gospel  to  uplift  and  bless  their  race.  But  a  few  acts 
by  a  few  recreant  and  unfaithful  ones  aroused  the  suspicion 
of  the  English  against  them  all,  so  that,  instead  of  allowing 
them  to  be  their  allies,  they  exiled  them  to  an  island  in  Bos- 
ton harbor.  But  as  the  war  progressed,  their  assistance  was 
needed ;  and  at  the  request  of  Mr.  Eliot  and  General  Gookin, 
the  Governor  and  Council  allowed  a  detachment  to  be  placed 


254  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

under  the  command  of  Captain  Hunting,  and  sent  at  once  to 
Sudbury.  In  this  service  they  showed  their  bravery  and 
faithful  attachment  to  the  English.  When  they  crossed  the 
river,  to  discover  the  enemy's  movements  on  the  west  side, 
thejT  knew  not  but  what  Philip  was  in  ambush  for  further 
prey,  but  they  moved  forward,  and  went  beyond  Green  Hill ; 
and  when  in  the  solitude  of  the  forest  they  beheld  those 
prostrate  forms,  their  stern  spirits  were  melted,  and  it  is  said, 
they  wept. 

MOVEMENTS    OF    THE    ENGLISH   AFTER    THE    FIGHT. 

The  dead  having  been  buried,  the  English  repaired,  ac- 
cording to  Warren  and  Pierce,  to  Nobscot  to  bring  the  carts 
into  "Sudbury  towne."  These  carts  are  probably  the  same 
as  those  mentioned  by  Gookin,  when  he  says,  "  At  the 
same  time  [that  is,  at  the  time  the  survivors  of  this  fight 
were  secreted  in  Noyes's  Mill]  Captain  Cutler  of  Charles- 
town,  with  a  small  company,"  —  according  to  Hubbard, 
eleven,  —  '"having  the  convoy  of  some  carts  from  Marl- 
boro that  were  coming  to  Sudbury,  having  secured  his  car- 
riage at  a  garrison  house,  escaped  narrowly  being  cut  off  by 
the  enemy."  The  same  author  goes  on  to  state,  that  the 
enemy  "  at  that  time  cut  off  some  English  soldiers  that  were 
coming  down  under  the  conduct  of  one  Cowell  of  Boston, 
that  had  been  a  convoy  to  some  provisions  at  Quaborg 
Fort."  Other  soldiers  were  soon  on  the  march  to  the 
spot,  the  country  having  been  aroused  by  this  disaster  to 
Wadsworth. 

On  April  22,  lb'76,  it  was  ordered  by  the  Council,  "  that 
the  majors  of  Suffolk  and  Middlesex  issue  out  their  orders, 
Maj.  Thomas  Clark  to  the  Captain  of  the  troop  of  Suffolk, 
to  raise  forty  of  his  troops,  well  attended,  and  completely 
armed  with  fire  arms,  and  furnished  with  ammunition,  under 
the  conduct  of  Cornet  Eliot,  [and]  such  officers  as  he  shall 
choose  to  accompany  him,  forthwith  to  visit  Dedham,  Med- 
field,  and  so  to  Sudbury ;  and  Major  Daniel  Gookin  to  issue 
out  by  order  a  like  number  of  troops  out  of  Middlesex  troops, 
under  the  conduct  of  Thomas  Prentis,  or  such  as  he  shall 
choose,  to  visit  Concord,  Sudbury,  and  so  to  Medfield." 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  255 

The  order  to  Cornet  Eliot  was,  "  You  are  ordered  and 
requested  to  take  forty  of  the  troop,  and  so  many  as  you 
can  suddenly  raise,  and  march  with  them  into  Sudbury,  and 
inquire  of  their  present  distressed  condition,  and  of  the  inter- 
ring of  the  dead  bodies,  as  also  of  the  enemy's  motion,  and 
place  of  their  rendezvous,  and  if  you  have  opportunity  you 
are  to  distress,  kill,  and  destroy  the  enemy  to  the  uttermost, 
taking  good  heed  lest,  through  any  neglect,  or  too  much 
adventurness,  you  hazard  the  lives  of  the  men  by  their  sud- 
den surprisal  of  you.  You  are  also  to  visit  Medfield,  and 
make  report  of  what  you  find  to  the  Council,  and  in  so  doing 
this  shall  be  your  warrant." 

Thus,  after  this  disastrous  battle,  the  English  were  on 
the  move ;  but  the  Indians  had  departed  westward.  As  we 
have  noticed  by  the  letter  of  Lieutenant  Jacobs,  they  passed 
through  Marlboro  on  the  morning  of  the  22d,  when  the 
sun  was  about  two  hours  high.  This  was  Philip's  westward 
retreat.  He  never  retraced  his  footsteps.  Sudbury  was  the 
last  eastward  town  in  his  march.  As  a  conqueror  he  could 
go  no  farther.  On  April  21  his  sun  had  reached  its  merid- 
ian; on  the  22d  it  turned  towards  its  setting.  His  host  was 
broken ;  the  ranks  of  his  warriors  began  to  thin ;  and  when 
he  returned  to  his  home  at  Mount  Hope,  it  was  to  be  hunted 
and  harassed  ;  and  Aug.  12,  1676,  he  fell  by  the  hand  of  one 
of  his  race. 

sudbury's  loss. 

The  war  with  King  Philip  left  the  town  in  a  weakened 
condition.  Even  had  the  people  sustained  but  little  direct 
loss,  their  prosperity  would  naturally  have  been  checked  by 
the  imperiled  state  of  the  community;  but  the  actual  loss  to 
the  people  in  property  was  considerable,  as  is  indicated  by 
various  petitions,  in  which  they  set  forth  their  circumstances. 
In  1677,  some  inhabitants  of  Marlboro,  Lancaster,  and  Sud- 
bury sent  a  petition  to  the  Court,  asking  that  a  certain  tract 
of  land  lying  about  Marlboro,  called  by  the  Indians  Whip- 
suffrage  and  Ocogooganset,  might  be  given  them.  The  rea- 
son of  this  request  was,  as  they  say,  "  Because  many  of 
which  Indians  in  our  late  war  have  proved  very  perfidious 


256  HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY. 

and  combine  with  the  common  enemy,"  and  because  we  hav- 
ing been  "upon  ye  Country's  service,  and  hazarded  our  lives 
against  ye  common  enemy,  have  suffered  much  damage  bv 
being  driven  from  our  habitation,  and  some  of  our  habita- 
tions burnt."     (State  Archives,  Vol.  XXX.,  p.  240.) 

But  we  are  not  left  to  general  statement  of  the  material 
loss  sustained,  for  the  specific  damage  to  each  individual's 
property  is  given  in  "The  Old  Petition."  The  first  part  of 
the  petition,  together  with  a  list  of  the  losses,  which  we  give 
here  verbatim,  is  as  follows :  — 

To  ye  Honb'e  ye  Governor  Magistrates  &  Deputies  of  ye  Gen'  Court 
assembled  at  Boston  ye  ll'h  Octobr  1676. 

The  humble  Petition  of  yor  poore,  distressed  Inhabitants  of  Sudbury 
Humb'y  Showeth. 

That  whereas  yor  impoverished  Petition"  of  Sudbury  have  received 
intelligence  of  a  large  contribution  sent  out  of  Ireland  by  some  pious  & 
well  affected  p  sons  for  ye  reliefe  of  their  brethren  in  New  England  by  ye 
hostile  intrusions  of  ye  Indian  Enemy,  and  that  upon  this  divers  dis- 
tressed towns  have  presented  a  list  of  their  losses  sustained  by  fireing 
and  plundering  their  estates.  Let  it  not  seem  presumption  in  yor  poore 
Petition1"3  to  p'sent  a  list  of  what  Damages  are  sustained  by  yor  enemies 
in  his  attempts ;  hoping  that  or  lott  will  be  considered  among  Our  breth- 
ren of  ye  tribe  of  Joseph  ;  being  encouraged  by  an  act  of  Our  Honbie 
Genii  Court ;  that  those  who  have  Sustained  considerable  damage  should 
make  addresses  to  this  prsent  session. 

An  Accompt  of  Losse  Sustenied  by  Severall  Inhabitants  of  ye  towne 
of  Sudbury  by  ye  Indian  Enemy  ye  21st  Aprill  1676. 


L 

s 

D 

Mary  Bacon  formerly  ye  Relict  of 

Ensign  Noyes 

140  : 

:00: 

00 

Thomas  Plimpton 

130: 

:00: 

00 

Deacon  John  Haines 

180  : 

:00: 

00 

Seg  Josiah  Haines 

190 

:00 

:00 

Cap1  James  Pendleton 

060  : 

00: 

:00 

John  Goodenow 

150: 

:00: 

;00 

William  Moores 

180: 

00: 

:00 

Edward  Wright 

100 

:00 

:00 

Elias  Keyes 

060: 

00: 

00 

John  Smith 

080: 

00 

:00 

Samuell  How 

140: 

:00 

:00 

Mr  Pelham 

050: 

00: 

:00 

Mr.  Stevens 

015: 

:00: 

:00 

Corporall  Henry  Rice 

180: 

:00: 

:00 

John  Allen 

060: 

:00 

:00 

James  Roose 

070: 

;00 

:00 

HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  257 

John  Grout  jun-"  060  :  00  :  00 

Thomas  Rice  100  :  00  :  00 

Widd  Whale  024  :  00  :  00 

Henry  Curtice  200  :  00  :  00 

John  Brewer  120  :  00  :  00 

Jacob  Moores  050  :  00  :  00 

Henry  Loker  100  :  00  :  00 

Joseph  ffreemon  080  :  00  :  00 

Joseph  Graves  060  :  00  :  00 

Peter  King  040  :  00  :  00 

Widd  Habgood  020 :  00  :  00 

Benjamin  Crane  020  :  00  :  00 

Jhomas  wedge  015  :  00  :  00 

John  Blanford  010  :  00  :  00 

Thomas  Brewer  010  :  00  :  00 

Richard  Burk  010  :  00  :  00 

Thomas  Reade  003  :  00  :  oo 


Wholl  Sum  2707  :  00  :  00 

Beside  ye  uncovering  ye  Many  houses  &  Barnes  &  some  hundred  of 
Acres  of  lands  which  are  unimproved  for  feare  of  ye  Enemy  to  Our 
greate  loss  &  Damage  —  (Signed) 

'  Edm  Browne  Joseph  [ ] 

Edm  Goodnow  Peter  Noyes 

John  Grout  Jonathan  Stanhope 

John  Haines  Edward  wright 

Josiah  Haines  Jabeth  Browne 

Thomas  Read  John  Grout  junr 

Peter  King  Joseph  Graves 

John  Ruter  senr  Tho  Walker 

Joseph  Noyes  John  Blanford 

John  Goodnow  John  Allen 

Mathew  Gibs  Henry  Curtis 

Thomas  wedge  Jacob  Moores 

Benjamin  Crane  John  Brewer 

Zecriah  Maynard  James  Ross 

Joseph  Moore  Richard  Burk 

John  Parminter  Thomas  Brewer 

Henry  Loker  Samuell  How. 

The  contribution  to  which  the  petition  refers  was  called 
"The  Irish  Charity  Donation  or  Fund."  The  gift  was  made 
in  1676,  for  the  people  in  the  Massachusetts,  Plymouth  and 
Connecticut  colonies  who  had  suffered  in  King  Philip's  War. 
It  was  "  made  by  divers  Christians  in  Ireland  for  the  reliefTe 


258  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

of  such  as  are  Impoverished,  Distressed  and  in  Nessesitie  by 
the  late  Indian  wars  ; "  sent  by  the  "  Good  ship  called  the 
Kathrine  of  Dublin."  Rev.  Nathaniel  Mather,  the  brother  of 
Increase,  is  supposed  to  have  been  a  means  of  procuring  the 
fund.  The  proportion  received  by  Sudbury  was  for  twelve 
families,  forty-eight  persons,  11.  4s.  Od.  This  was  to  be  deliv- 
ered to  the  selectmen  of  the  several  towns  in  meal,  oat  meal, 
and  malt  at  18c?.  per  ball,  butter  6d.  cheese  4c?.  per  pound. 
The  following  is  another  section  of  the  same  petition :  — 

Furthermore  prmitt  yor  humble  Peticonrs  to  present  a  second  motion. 
And  let  it  be  acceptable  in  ye  eyes  of  this  Our  Grand  Court  vizt: 

That  whereas  by  an  Act  of  Our  late  Gen"  Court  ten  rates  are  leavied 
upon  Our  towne  amounting  unto  200,b:  as  appeareth  p  warrant  from  Our 
Treasurer,  which  said  sum  was  leavied  by  Our  Invoyce,  taken  in  ye  yeare 
before  Our  greate  damage  susteyned.  It  is  ye  humble  &  earnest  request 
of  yor  Petitionrs  to  commiserate  Our  Condition,  in  granting  to  us  some 
abatement  of  ye  said  sum  for  ye  ensueing  consideration,  Vist:  ffirst  Our 
towne  to  pay  full  for  theire  estates  then  taken  which  in  greate  pte  they 
have  now  lost  by  ye  enemy's  invasion  may  seem  not  to  savor  of  pitty  no 
not  of  equity 

Is  it  not  reason1"  that  this  service  soe  beneficiall  should  not  be  consid- 
ered with  some  reward  which  may  not  easily  be  esserted  (sic)  by  issuing 
forth  an  Act  of  yor  grace  in  a  suitable  abatem1  of  ye  said  sum  leavied 
with  ye  conferring  of  a  Barrell  of  Powder  &  suitable  shott  in  regard  that 
yor  Petioners  have  spent  not  only  their  owne  stock  or  others  but  much 
of  ye  Towne  stock. 

In  response,  "the  Court  judged  meet  to  order  that  Sud- 
bury be  allowed  and  abated  forty  fower  pound  ten  shillings 
out  of  ye  whole  sume  of  their  ten  county  rates."  (Colonial 
Records,  Vol.  V.,  p.  124.) 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

1675-1700. 

Revival  of  Prosperity  after  Philip's  War.  —  Payment  for  Fortification  of 
the  Meeting-House.  —  Erection  of  Saw-Mill  at  Hop  Brook.  —  Death 
of  Rev.  Edmund  Browne;  Place  of  Burial;  Historical  Sketch. — 
Settlement  of  Rev.  James  Sherman. —  Purchase  of  Parsonage. — 
Building  of  New  Meeting-House.  —  Political  Disturbances.  —  Change 
of  Charter.  —  Administration  of  Sir  Edmund  Andros. —  Indian  Hos- 
tilities.—  The  Ten  Years  War.  —  Distribution  of  Ammunition. — 
Petition  of  Sudbury.  —  Phipps  Expedition.  —  Sudbury  Canada  Grant. 
—  Witchcraft.  —  Samuel  Paris;  Historical  Sketch.  —  Incorporation  of 
Framiugham.  —  Miscellaneous  Matters. 

The  land  lies  open  and  warm  in  the  sun, 
Anvils  clamor  and  mill-wheels  run  ; 
Flocks  on  the  hillsides,  herds  on  the  plain, 
The  wilderness  gladdened  with  fruit  and  grain. 

Whittier. 

The  war  with  King  Philip  being  ended,  the  way  was 
opened  for  renewed  prosperity.  New  buildings  went  up  on 
the  old  estates,  the  garrisons  again  became  quiet  homesteads, 
and  the  fields  smiled  with  plentiful  harvests.  An  early  move- 
ment was  made  to  meet  indebtedness  caused  by  the  war. 
March,  1676-7,  it  was  ordered,  "  that  the  rate  to  be  made 
for  the  fortification  about  the  meeting  house  of  this  town 
shall  be  made  by  the  invoice  to  be  taken  this  spring,  leaving 
out  all  strangers  and  sojourners,  and  that  the  logs  there  used 
be  valued  at  two  shillings  six  pence  each,  boards  five  shil- 
lings six  pence  per  hundred  foot,  and  every  man's  day's  work 
at  18d."  A  little  later,  Feb.  26,  1677,  it  was  ordered,  "that 
such  persons  as  have  brought  in  logs  for  fortification  of  the 
meeting  house,  do  bring  in  their  account  of  logs,  and  all  per- 
sons an  account  also   for  their  days'  work   done  thereupon 

259 


260  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

unto  the  town  clerk  between  this  and  the  next  town  meeting- 
no  w  appointed  to  be  the  11th  of  March  next,  and  such  as  do 
not,  shall  lose  both  their  logs  and  work,  for  the  town  will 
wait  upon  them  no  longer." 

ERECTION    OF    SAW-MILL. 

Another  movement  that  denotes  the  town's  activity  and 
recuperative  power  was  the  erection  of  a  saw-mill.  A  town 
record,  dated  March  26,  1677,  informs  us  it  was  ordered  that 
"Peter  King,  Thomas  Read,  Sen.,  John  Goodenow,  John 
Smith  and  Joseph  Freeman  have  liberty  granted  them  to 
build  a  saw  mill  upon  Hop  Brook  above  Mr.  Peter  Noyes's 
mill,  at  the  place  viewed  by  the  committee  of  this  town 
chosen  the  last  week,  which  if  they  do,  they  are  to  have 
twenty  tons  of  timber  of  the  common  lands  for  the  building 
thereof,  and  earth  for  their  dam,  and  also  they  are  to  make  a 
small  dam  or  sufficient  causage  so  as  to  keep  the  waters  out 
of  the  swamp  lands  there,  provided  also  that  if  Mr.  Peter 
Noyes  shall  at  any  time  throw  up  his  corn  mill  they  do  in 
room  thereof  set  up  a  corn  mill  as  sufficient  to  grind  the 
town's  corn  and  grain  as  Mr.  Noyes's  present  mill  hath  done 
and  doth,  and  see  to  maintain  the  same,  and  whenever  they 
or  any  of  them  their  heirs,  executors,  administrators,  Assigns, 
or  successors,  shall  either  throw  up  their  said  corn  mill  or 
fail  to  grind  the  towns  corn  and  grain  as  above  said,  the 
towns  land  hereby  granted  shall  be  forfeited  and  returned  to 
the  town's  use  again,  and  lastly  the  said  persons  are  not  to 
pen  up  the  water,  or  saw  at  anjr  time  between  the  middle  of 
April  and  first  of  September,  and  they  are  also  to  make  good 
all  the  highway  that  they  shall  damage  thereby." 

DEATH    OF    REV.    EDMUND    BROWNE. 

The  town  had  not  moved  far  on  the  road  to  renewed  pros- 
perity before  another  calamity  came.  This  was  the  death  of 
its  pastor,  Rev.  Edmund  Browne,  who  died  June  22,  1678. 
The  first  intimation  we  have  on  the  town  records  of  Mr. 
Browne's  sickness  is  the  following :  "  Ordered,  that  next 
Lord's  day  there  be  a  free  contribution  [asked]  and  collected 
by  Deacon  Haines  for  and  towards  carrying  and  charge  of 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  261 

Preacher  (upon  the  sickness  of  Mr.  Edmund  Browne,  Pas- 
tor) that  the  pulpit  might  be  supplied  notwithstanding,  after 
the  best  manner  that  may  be  obtained."  Captain  Goodenow, 
Deacon  Haines,  Mr.  Joseph  Noyes  and  Peter  King  were  em- 
powered to  be  a  standing  committee  during  the  pastor's  sick- 
ness, and  ordered  "  to  take  care  that  this  town  be  supplied 
with  able  Preachers  whilst  the  Pastor  is  not  able  to  offici- 
ate." "The  following  named  persons  offered  themselves  for 
the  1st  month  to  travel  with  horse  and  weekly  to  fetch  and 
return  Preachers  for  the  supply  of  the  town,  at  least  every 
Lord's  day.  1st  Peter  Noyes,  Joseph  Parmenter,  2d  Tho. 
Brown,  Joseph  Moore,  3d  Jn°  Goodenow,  Joseph  Graves, 
4th  Samuel  How,  Thomas  Read,  Jr." 

We  have  discovered  no  record,  and  are  aware  of  no  tradi- 
tion, relating  to  Mr.  Brown's  burial  or  place  of  interment. 
He  may  have  been  buried  in  the  old  yard  in  Wayland,  and 
the  grave  may  have  been  left  unmarked,  or  the  stone  may 
have  been  broken  or  fallen,  and  been  removed.  It  has  been 
conjectured  that  his  remains  were  placed  in  some  tomb  in  or 
about  the  city  of  Boston.  The  writer  has  examined  copied 
inscriptions  on  the  stones  of  some  of  the  older  graveyards 
of  Boston,  but  has  discovered  there  no  name  which  could 
be  that  of  the  first  pastor  of  Sudbury.  In  Sewall's  Diary 
is  the  following  entry:  "Monday,  May  9th,  1709.  Major 
Thomas  Brown  Esq.  of  Sudbury  was  buried  in  the  old  Bury- 
ing place.  Bearers,  Cook,  Sewall,  Hutchingson,  Townsend, 
Jas  Dummer,  Dudley,  Scarves  and  Gloves."  "The  old  Bury- 
ing place  "  was  that  of  King's  Chapel,  Boston.  The  wife  of 
Major  Thomas  Brown  was  buried  in  the  East  Side  Burying- 
ground,  Sudbury.  If  Major  Brown  was  not  buried  with  his 
wife,  but  it  was  considered  important  that  his  remains  should 
be  taken  to  Boston  for  interment,  the  same  may  have  been 
the  case  with  Edmund  Browne. 

In  the  death  of  its  first  pastor  the  town  met  with  a  great 
loss.  It  is  true,  he  was  nearly  or  quite  fourscore  years  old, 
but  judging  from  his  activity  in  the  Indian  war,  in  fortifying 
his  house,  and  sending  messages  to  the  Colonial  Court,  he 
was  still  energetic  and  robust.  Moreover,  he  had  been  with 
the  people  from  the  beginning  of  the  settlement ;  he  had 


262  HTSTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

passed  with  them  through  the  desolations  of  a  terrible  war, 
and  had  been  a  sharer  of  their  joys  and  sorrows  for  many 
years.  From  what  we  know  of  him,  we  judge  him  to  have 
been  a  warm  friend  of  the  truth,  and  an  ardent  defender  of 
the  Christian  faith.  It  is  certainly  creditable  to  him,  that, 
after  such  a  long  pastorate,  his  people  were  of  a  character 
to  empower  their  committee  to  provide  "  an  able  Orthodox 
Preacher,"  after  he  was  taken  ill. 

Mr.  Browne  came  from  England  in  1637,  and,  according 
to  Mather,  was  ordained  and  in  actual  service  in  that  coun- 
try before  he  came  to  America.  He  was  a  freeman  of  Mas- 
sachusetts Bay  Colony,  May  13,  1640.  He  married,  about 
1645,  Anne,  widow  of  John  Loveren  of  Watertown,  but  left 
no  children.  He  was  a  member  of  the  synod  that  established 
"  The  Cambridge  Platform,"  1646-8 ;  was  on  the  council 
that  met  in  1657  to  settle  the  difficulties  in  Rev.  Mr.  Stone's 
church,  Hartford  ;  preached  the  artillery  election  sermon  in 
1666 ;  and  his  name  is  attached  to  the  testimony  of  the 
seventeen  ministers  against  the  proceedings  of  the  three 
elders  of  the  First  Church,  Boston,  about  1669. 

Mr.  Browne  was  quite  a  land  owner,  his  real  estate,  as  it 
is  supposed,  amounting  to  three  hundred  acres.  His  early 
homestead  at  Timber  Neck  had  originally  belonging  to  it 
seventy  acres.  He  received  from  the  General  Court  a  grant 
of  meadow  land  situated  in  the  present  territory  of  Framing- 
ham,  and  from  time  to  time  became  possessed  of  various 
lands  both  within  and  without  the  town.  Mr.  Brown 
hunted  and  fished,  and  it  is  said  was  a  good  angler.  He 
played  on  several  musical  instruments  and  was  a  noted 
musician.  In  his  will  he  speaks  of  his  "Base  Voyal "  and 
musical  books  and  instruments.  He  was  much  interested  in 
educating  and  Christianizing  the  Indians,  and  at  one  time 
had  some  of  them  under  his  special  care.  His  library  was 
for  those  times  quite  valuable,  containing  about  one  hundred 
and  eighty  volumes.  He  left  fifty  pounds  to  establish  a 
grammar  school  in  Sudbury;  but  by  vote  of  the  town,  in 
1724,  it  was  diverted  to  another  purpose.  He  also  left  one 
hundred  pounds  to  Harvard  College. 


HISTORY   OF    SUDBURY.  263 


SETTLEMENT   OF    REV.    JAMES    SHERMAN. 

The  town  was  not  left  long  without  a  pastor.  It  soon 
called  the  Rev.  James  Sherman,  who  had  preached  during 
the  illness  of  Mr.  Browne.  May  6,  1678,  "it  was  ordered 
that  the  committee  engage  the  service  of  Mr.  James  Sherman 
that  hath  officiated  in  the  town  in  that  kind  to  continue  in 
that  work  till  the  first  of  September  next,  or  lojiger  as  they 
shall  see  cause,  or  till  further  order  from  the  town."  May 
20,  on  a  "  training  day,"  it  was  decided  that  Mr.  Peter  King 
was  to  entertain  Mr.  Sherman,  and  to  have  six  shillings  per 
week  "for  his  diet,  lodging,  attendance,  and  horse." 

Active  measures  were  immediately  taken  to  provide  the 
minister  with  a  house.  The  town  bought  of  John  Loker  the 
east  end  of  his  house,  standing  before  and  near  the  meeting- 
house, and  his  orchard,  and  the  whole  home  lot  of  about  four 
acres  ;  it  also  bought  of  him  the  reversion  due  to  him  of  the 
western  end  of  the  house  that  his  mother  then  dwelt  in. 
This  part  of  the  house  was  to  be  the  town's  property  at  the 
marriage  or  death  of  the  said  Widow  Mary  Loker.  For  this 
property  the  town  was  to  pay  John  Loker  fifty  pounds.  (See 
p.  116.)  The  Widow  Loker  appeared  at  town-meeting,  and 
surrendered  all  her  reversion  in  the  western  end  of  the  house 
to  the  town,  reserving  the  liberty  to  have  twelve  months  in 
which  "  to  provide  herself  otherwise."  She  also  promised  in 
the  meantime  "to  quit  all  egress  and  regress  through  the 
eastern  end  of  the  house  and  every  part  thereof."  In  conse- 
quence of  this  the  town  agreed  to  pay  her  annually  —  that 
is,  till  she  should  marry  or  die  —  twenty-five  shillings,  money 
of  New  England.  The  town  also  voted  to  raise  twenty-five 
pounds  with  which  to  repair  the  house.  The  records  inform 
us,  that  "  the  said  town  doth  freely  give  and  grant  unto  Mr. 
James  Sherman,  minister  of  the  word  of  God,  all  that  house 
and  lands  which  the  said  town  bought  lately  of  John  Loker, 
and  twenty  pounds  to  be  paid  him  in  [country]  pay  towards 
the  repair  of  the  said  house,  and  also  twenty  pounds  more  to 
be  paid  him  in  money,  for  and  towards  the  purchase  of  the 
widow  Mary  Loker's  lot  that  lies  adjoining  to  it,  when  she 


264  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

shall  have  sold  it  to  the  said  Mr.  James  Sherman,  and  also 
six  acres  of  common  upland  lying  on  the  back  side  of  the 
town  at  the  end  of  Smith  field,  and  also  six  acres  of  meadow 
ground  some  where  out  of  the  common  meadows  of  this 
town.  These  foregoing  particular  gifts  and  grants  the  said 
town  doth  engage  and  promise  to  the  said  Mr.  James  Sher- 
man minister  and  his  heirs  ...  in  case  he  shall  settle  in  this 
town  and  live  and  die  amongst  them  their  Teaching  Elder. 
But  in  case  the  said  Mr.  Sherman  shall  not  carry  out  the 
constant  work  of  preaching  in  and  to  this  town,  during  his 
life,  or  shall  depart  and  leave  this  town  before  his  death, 
then  all  the  premises  shall  return  to  the  said  town's  hands 
again  to  be  at  their  own  dispose  forever,  only  they  are  then 
to  pay  to  the  said  Mr.  Sherman  all  the  charges  he  hath  been 
out  for  the  same  in  the  meantime,  as  [they]  shall  be  judged 
worth  by  indifferent  men  mutually  chosen,  unless  both  par- 
ties shall  agree  therein  among  themselves." 

The  town  also  agreed  to  pay  Mr.  Sherman  eighty  pounds 
salary;  twenty  pounds  of  this  were  to  be  paid  him  in  "money, 
twenty  pounds  in  wheat,  pork,  beef,  mutton,  veal,  butter,  or 
cheese,  or  such  like  species  at  country  price,  and  the  remain- 
ing forty  shall  be  paid  him  in  Indian  Corn  and  Rye,  or  Bar- 
ley or  Peas,  all  at  country  prices."  He  was  to  have  five 
pounds  added  per  annum  to  his  salary  for  the  cutting  and 
carting  home  of  firewood.  He  was  also  to  have  the  use  of 
the  minister's  meadow  lands,  and  could  pasture  his  cattle  on 
the  common  land,  and  have  firewood  and  timber  from  the 
common  land  of  the  town. 

The  30th  of  October,  1678,  "  the  said  Mr.  James  Sherman 
did  then  and  there  freely  and  fully  declare  before  the  town 
his  acceptance  of  all  that  which  the  said  town  had  granted 
and  done  in  all  respects  as  is  before  written,  in  consideration 
thereof  for  his  part  he  did  promise  the  said  town,  that  he 
would  live  and  die  in  the  constant  and  public  discharge  of 
this,  duty,  by  preaching  the  word  of  the  Lord  unto  them,  and 
in  the  faithful  administration  of  all  the  ordinances  of  Christ 
amongst  them ;  which  the  Inhabitants  of  the  said  town  ac- 
cepted of ;  and  said  Mr.  Sherman  also  declaired  there  that  if 
the  mint  house  should  be  put  down  so  that  money  cannot  be 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  265 

had  he  should  neither  expect  nor  desire  any  part  of  his  sal- 
ary in  money." 

Thus  the  town  secured  the  services  of  Mr.  Sherman,  and 
provided  him  with  a  place  of  residence ;  and  within  a  year 
after  the  death  of  Mr.  Browne,  the  church  was  again  equipped 
for  work.  Mr.  Sherman  was  son  of  Rev.  John  Sherman 
of  Watertown.  He  married  Mary,  daughter  of  Thomas 
Walker  of  Sudbury,  and  had  two  sons,  John  and  Thomas. 
He  was  ordained  in  1678,  and  was  dismissed  May  22,  1705. 
After  leaving  the  pastoral  office  he  remained  in  town  for  a 
time,  occasionally  preaching  abroad.  Afterwards,  he  prac- 
ticed medicine  in  Elizabethtown,  N.  J.,  and  Salem,  Mass. 
He  died  at  Sudbury,  March  3,  1718. 

NEW   MEETING-HOUSE. 

During  the  pastorate  of  Mr.  Sherman,  the  town  took  meas- 
ures for  the  erection  of  a  new  house  of  worship.  Oct.  6, 
1686,  "  it  was  determined,  ordered,  and  voted,  that  a  new 
meeting  house  be  built  within  this  town  with  all  convenient 
speed,  after  such  manner  as  shall  be  resolved  upon  by  the 
town."  "It  was  ordered  that  the  said  new  meeting  house 
shall  be  erected  finished  and  stand  upon  the  present  Burying 
place  of  this  town  and  on  the  most  convenient  part  thereof 
or  behind  or  about  the  old  meeting  house  that  now  is." 

The  business  of  building  the  meeting-house  was  entrusted 
to  Deacon  John  Haines,  between  whom  and  the  town  a  cov- 
enant was  made  at  a  town-meeting,  Jan.  10,  1685.  It  was 
to  be  raised  on  or  before  the  first  day  of  July,  1688  ;  and  for 
the  work  Mr.  Haines  was  to  have  two  hundred  pounds,  — 
one  hundred  and  sixty  pounds  of  it  to  be  paid  in  "  country 
pay  and  at  country  price,"  and  the  other  forty  pounds  to  be 
paid  in  money.  The  country  pay  was  to  be  in  "  good  sound 
merchantable  Indian  corn,  or  Rye,  or  wheat,  or  barley,  or 
malt,  or  Peas,  or  Beef,  or  Pork,  or  work,  or  in  such  other 
pay  as  the  said  Deacon  Haines  shall  accept  of  any  person." 

The  meeting-house  was  to  be  "  made,  framed  and  set  up, 
and  finished  upon  the  land  and  place  appointed  by  the  town 
on  the  6th  of  October  last  past,  in  all  respects  for  dimentions, 
strength,  shape,  .  .  .  and  conveniences,  as  Dedham  meeting 


266  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

house  is,  except  filling  between  studs  ;  but  in  all  things  else 
admitting  with  all  in  this  work  such  variations  as  are  particu- 
larly mentioned  in  the  proposition  of  Corporal  John  Brewer 
and  Sam1  How."  The  town  was  to  help  raise  the  building, 
the  clapboards  were  to  be  of  cedar,  the  inside  to  be  lined 
with  either  planed  boards  or  cedar  clapboards,  and  the  win- 
dows were  to  contain  two  hundred  and  forty  feet  of  glass.  It 
was  voted,  "that  Leut.  Daniel  Pond  shall  be  left  to  his  lib- 
erty whether  he  will  leave  a  middle  alley  in  the  new  meeting 
house,  or  shut  up  the  seats  as  they  are  in  Dedham  meeting 
house,  provided  always  that  the  seats  do  comfortably  and 
conveniently  hold  and  contain  seven  men  in  one  end  of  the 
seats  and  seven  women  in  the  other  end  of  the  seats." 

At  a  town-meeting,  Feb.  13,  1687-8,  "  a  committee  of 
eleven  men  were  chosen  to  receive  the  new  meeting  house 
of  Deacon  John  Haines,  when  it  is  finished  according  unto 
covenant  made  between  him  and  the  town,"  and  also  "  to 
appoint  persons  how  and  where  to  sit  in  the  meeting  house." 
It  was  voted,  "that  the  most  considerable  rule  for  seating  of 
persons  in  the  meeting  house  shall  be  by  what  they  pay  to 
the  building  thereof,  excepting  in  respect  to  some  considera- 
ble persons  or  to  age  and  other  considerable  qualifications." 
It  was  voted  that  there  should  be  "a  good,  sufficient  and 
strono-  ladder  placed  at  the  meeting  house  with  as  much 
speed  as  may  be,  to  prevent  whatsoever  occurrence  may  hap- 
pen." "Mary  Loker  was  to  have  one  pound  fifteen  shillings 
for  the  year  ensuing  for  sweeping  the  new  meeting  house 
and  keeping  it  clean."  It  was  voted,  that  "  there  should  be 
a  convenient  place  for  the  storing  of  the  ammunition  of  the 
town  over  the  window  in  the  south  west  gable.  The  dirt 
on  the  north  east  and  south  east  side  of  the  new  meeting 
house  was  to  be  moved  and  placed  at  the  foreside  of  it,  and 
the  ground  was  to  be  raised  to  within  four  or  five  inches  of 
the  sill,  and  to  cover  it  with  gravel  and  make  a  convenient 
way  in  at  the  door." 

A  few  years  after  this  meeting-house  was  built  a  bell  was 
provided  for  it.  It  cost  "twenty  and  five  pounds  in  money." 
John  Goodenow  and  Edward  Wright  paid  this,  and  they 
bought  the  bell  of  Caleb  Hubbert  of  Braintree.    It  was  voted 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  267 

that  John  Parm enter  should  sweep  the  meeting-house  from 
April  1, 1696,  to  April  1,  1697,  for  fourteen  bushels  of  Indian 
or  twenty  shillings  in  money.  The  building  being  completed, 
a  committee  was  chosen  "  to  go  to  Dedham  and  clear  up  ac- 
counts with  and  obtain  a  discharge  from  Lieut.  Daniel  Pond 
concerning  our  new  meeting  house." 

CIVIL   AND    MILITARY    DISTURBANCES. 

While  the  people  of  Sudbury  were  endeavoring  to  repair 
their  misfortunes,  they  worked  at  a  disadvantage.  The 
countiy  was  by  no  means  quiet.  Disturbances,  both  civil 
and  military,  embarrassed  the  land.  Kings  in  rapid  succes- 
sion ascended  the  British  throne.  In  1685  came  the  death 
of  King  Charles,  who  was  succeeded  by  James  II.,  who  was 
followed  by  William  of  Holland.  Change  in  England  meant 
change  in  America,  and  change  in  America  meant  change  in 
the  colonial  towns.  For  some  time  there  had  been  a  con- 
troversy concerning  the  colony's  charter.  In  1685  it  was 
declared  that  this  charter  was  forfeited.  The  liberties  of  the 
people  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  King  of  Great  Britain, 
and  the  colony  was  called  to  submit  to  such  form  of  govern- 
ment as  Charles  II.  and  James  his  successor  saw  fit  to  allow. 
But  the  people  yet  hoped  to  resume  the  old  charter.  Events, 
however,  proved  that  these  hopes  were  vain.  In  1692  a  new 
charter  was  brought  to  Boston  by  Sir  William  Phipps,  and 
from  a  colony  Massachusetts  passed  to  a  province,  which 
included  Nova  Scotia,  New  Hampshire,  Plymouth,  Massa- 
chusetts, and  Maine.  With  this  change  came  new  relations 
and  laws.  The  new  charter  gave  the  governor  extended 
power.  He  had  the  appointment  of  all  the  military  officers, 
and,  with  the  consent  of  the  Council,  the  judicial  also.  He 
could  call  or  adjourn  the  General  Court,  and  no  act  of  gov- 
ernment was  valid  without  his  consent.  But  before  the  com- 
pletion of  this  list  of  events,  the  community  was  agitated  by 
a  usurpation  of  power  unsurpassed  in  the  history  of  the 
colony. 

In  1686,  Sir  Edmund  Andros  was  commissioned  by  King 
James  to  succeed  Dudley  as  colonial  governor.  Andros 
proved  a  pernicious   ruler,  whose   despotism   was   not  long 


268  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

to  be  borne.  Among  his  arbitrary  acts  was  imprisonment 
without  trial,  unjust  and  oppressive  taxation,  denial  of  the 
right  of  habeas  corpus  and  the  right  of  the  people  to  hold 
their  town-meetings.  But  the  act  which  perhaps  threatened 
the  greatest  embarrassment  was  that  relating  to  real  estate. 
The  people  were  informed  that  they  had  unsound  claims  to 
their  lands,  and  that  the  titles  to  them  were  void.  Notwith- 
standing Indian  deeds  were  produced,  they  were  told  these 
were  "worth  no  more  than  the  scratch  of  a  bear's  paw." 
Although  King  James  is  said  to  have  commanded,  that 
"  the  several  properties  according  to  the  ancient  records " 
should  be  continued  to  the  people,  yet  the  commission  to 
Andros  intimated  his  intention  of  assuming  the  whole  "real 
property  "  of  the  country,  and  that  landed  rights  were  to 
be  granted  the  people  on  such  terms  as  the  king  might 
demand. 

The  result  was  a  general  embarrassment,  and  on  April  18, 
1689,  there  was  a  revolt  and  resort  to  arms.  A  council 
of  safety  was  formed,  and  there  met  in  Boston  the  22d  of 
May,  the  representatives  of  fifty-four  towns.  Sudbury  sent 
Peter  King  as  its  delegate.  He  was  instructed  "to  consult 
with  the  council  sitting,"  and  directed  "  not  to  resume  the 
former  charter  government  only  that  the  present  council 
should  stand  until  we  receive  orders  from  his  Royal  High- 
ness the  Prince  of  Orange,  and  that  the  prisoners  in  durance 
be  safely  kept  until  such  time  as  they  may  be  brought  before 
lawful  justice."  Forty  of  the  representatives  of  the  fifty- 
four  towns  voted  in  favor  of  resuming  the  old  charter. 
This,  however,  being  opposed  by  Broadstreet,  the  presi- 
dent, and  also  by  many  of  the  old  magistrates,  it  was  agreed 
to  resume  only  the  government  chosen  in  1686  under  the 
charter,  until  further  orders  were  received  from  England. 
Forty  delegates  voted  for  this  measure,  and  Mr.  King  of 
Sudbury  was  among  the  number.  The  dissolution  of  the 
old  charter  was  in  1686.  On  May  26,  1689,  a  ship  brought 
the  news  of  the  proclaiming  of  King  William  and  Queen 
Mary ;  and  the  arrival  of  the  charter  for  a  province  was  in 
1692. 

Thus,  when  the  country  was  stirred  by  civil  commotion, 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  269 

the  town  took  its  appropriate  part ;  and,  despite  the  bustle 
and  stir  in  these  important  matters  of  state,  it  pursued  its 
steady  way.  The  persons  who  served  from  Sudbury  in  the 
General  Court  from  the  deposition  of  Andros,  in  1689,  were 
Peter  King,  Peter  Noyes,  John  Haynes,  Joseph  Freeman. 
(Mass.  Hist.  Coll.,  Vol.  XXIV.,  p.  289.) 

THE   TEN   YEARS   WAR. 

The  disturbing  elements  of  this  period  were  not  confined 
to  civil  relations.  The  border  settlements  were  exposed  to 
the  sudden  assaults  of  the  savages,  who  needed  only  a  pre- 
text or  an  opportunity  to  commence  their  depredations.  An 
occasion  was  soon  afforded.  About  1689  hostilities  broke 
out  among  the  settlements  of  New  Hampshire  and  Maine, 
and  the  county  of  Middlesex  was  called  upon  to  send  its 
troops  and  munitions  of  war  to  the  ravaged  districts  between 
the  Penobscot  and  Merrimac.  But  a  war  of  greater  propor- 
tions soon  threatened  the  colony,  and  which  was  to  be  of 
a  duration,  not  of  months,  but  of  years.  This  war,  waged 
between  England  and  France,  and  known  as  King  William's, 
or  the  "  Ten  Years  War,"  for  about  a  decade  of  years, 
menaced  the  frontier  towns  of  New  England.  The  work  of 
devastation  was  soon  commenced,  and  revived  the  associa- 
tions of  by -gone  years.  The  musket  was  once  more  to  be 
shouldered  and  the  sword  unsheathed  in  defense  of  imperiled 
firesides  and  the  arbitrament  of  disputed  rights. 

French  authorities,  with  the  sanction  of  the  governor  gen- 
eral of  Canada,  sought  an  alliance  with  the  Indians,  and  the 
French  and  savages  combined  made  the  border  a  perilous 
place.  But  the  war  .affected  the  New  England  colony  in 
general.  Levies  were  made  on  the  towns  for  men  to  man 
the  outposts  and  to  go  on  expeditions  of  an  aggressive  and 
hazardous  nature.  During  these  years  of  hostility  Sudbury 
was  less  exposed  than  in  the  war  with  King  Philip.  Her 
greatest  trial  was  from  sudden  incursions,  and  a  liability  to 
large  drafts  on  her  weak  resources.  It  is  recorded  in  the 
town  book,  that,  in  1688,  there  was  a  distribution  of  the 
stock  of  ammunition.  The  following  statement  is  accompa- 
nied by  a  list  of  persons  who  took  the  stock  in  charge :  — 


270 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 


The  names  of  those  persons  as  have  taken  the  public  stock  of  am- 
munition into  their  hands,  and  have  agreed  to  respond  for  the  same  in 
case  that  it  be  not  spent  in  real  service  in  the  resistance  of  the  enemy 
are  as  followeth. 


Benjamin  Moore 
Samuel  How 
Matthew  Gibbs 
Mr.  Hopestil  Brown 
Daniel  Stone 
Corp.  John  Bent 
Corp.  Henry  Rice 
Mr.  William  Brown 
Mathew  Rice 
John  Allen 
Mr.  Peter  Noyes 
Widow  Mary  Rice 
John  Parmenter 
Mr.  James  Sherman 
Stephen  Blandford 
John  Grout,  Jun. 
Thomas  Knapp 
Benjamin  Parmenter 
Sarjeant  James  Barnard 
John  How. 


Captain  Thomas  Brown 
John  Goodenow 
Lieut.  John  Grout 
Ensign  Jacob  Brown 
Peter  King 

Lieut.  Edward  Wright 
John  Rice 

Mr.  Thomas  Walker,  Sr. 
Thomas  Reade,  Sr. 
Deacon  John  Haines 
Lieut.  Josiah  Haines 
Sargent  Joseph  Freeman 
Corp.  John  Brewer 
Joseph  Curtis 
Mr.  Joseph  Noise 
Joseph  Moore 
Zachariah  Maynard 
Sargent  John  Rutter 
Jonathan  Stanhope 
Corp.  Richard  Taylor 
Corp.  Joseph  Gleason 
Jonathan  Rice 
Thomas  Plympton 


The  most  of  the  persons  thus  named  had  allowed  them 
a  little  over  four  pounds  of  powder,  a  little  over  thirty-three 
pounds  of  shot,  and  thirteen  flints.  About  two  years  from 
this  date,  1690,  an  order  came  to  Major  Elisha  Hutchinson, 
commander  of  the  forces,  to  detach  "  18  able  soldiers  well 
appointed  with  arms  and  ammunition  out  of  the  several  com- 
panies of  his  regiment  to  rendezvous  at  Sudbury  upon  Tues- 
day the  27th  of  May  with  six  days  provisions  a  man." 

These  things  indicate  a  harassed  condition  of  the  country, 
and  perhaps  a  near  approach  of  the  foe  to  Sudbury.  Noth- 
ing, however,  so  forcibly  sets  forth  the  military  service  of 
the  town  in  those  times  as  a  paper  bearing  no  date,  but  found 
in  the  State  Archives  among  others  belonging  to  that  period. 
The  document,  which  is  in  the  form  of  a  petition,  is  as  fol- 
lows :  — 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  2717 

To  the  honorable  Governor,  Deputy  Governor,  and  to  all  our  honored 
Magistrates  and  Representatives  of  the  Massachusetts  Colony, 
now  sitting  in  General  Court  in  Boston. 
The  humble  petition  of  us  who  are  some  of  us  for  ourselves,  others 
for  our  children  and  servants,  whose  names  are  after  subscribed  humbly 
showeth  lhat  being  impressed  the  last  winter  several  of  us  into  dreadful 
service,  where,  by  reason  of  cold  and  hunger  and  in  tedious  marches 
many  score  of  miles  in  water  and  snow,  and  laying  on  the  snow  by  night, 
having  no  provision  but  what  they  could  carry  upon  their  backs,  beside 
hard  arms  and  ammunition,  it  cost  many  of  them  their  lives.  Your  hum- 
ble petitioners  several  of  us  have  been  at  very  great  charges  to  set  them 
out  with  arms,  and  ammunition,  and  clothing,  and  money  to  support 
them,  and  afterwards  by  sending  supplies  to  relieve  them  and  to  save 
their  lives,  notwithstanding  many  have  lost  their  lives  there,  others  came 
home,  and  which  were  so  suffered,  if  not  poisoned,  that  they  died  since 
they  came  from  there,  notwithstanding  all  means  used,  and  charges  out 
for  their  recovery,  others  so  surfeited  that  they  are  thereby  disabled 
from  their  callings.  Likewise  your  humble  petitioners  request  is  that 
this  honored  court  would  grant  this  favor  that  our  messengers  may  have 
liberty  to  speak  in  the  court  to  open  our  cause  so  as  to  give  the  court 
satisfaction.  Your  humble  petitioners  humble  request  is  farther  that 
you  would  please  to  mind  our  present  circumstances,  and  to  grant  us 
such  favors  as  seems  to  be  just  and  rational,  that  we  may  have  some 
compensation  answerable  to  our  burden,  or  at  least  to  be  freed  from  far- 
ther charges  by  rates,  until  the  rest  of  our  brethren  have  borne  their 
share  with  us.  and  not  to  be  forced  to  pay  others  that  have  been  out  but 
little  in  respect  of  us,  whereas  the  most  of  us  have  received  little  or  noth- 
ing but  have  been  at  very  great  charges  several  of  us.  If  it  shall  please 
this  honorable  General  Court  to  grant  us  our  petition  we  shall  look  upon 
ourselves  as  duty  binds  us  ever  pray. 

John  Haynes  Sen.  Thomas  Walker 

Joseph  Noyes  Sen.  John  Barrer 
Peter  Haynes  Sen.  [or  Noyes]    Samuel  Glover 

Mathew  Rice  Joseph  Gleason  sen 

John  Allen  Thomas  Rutter 

Mathew  Gibbs  sen  Joseph  Rutter 

Thomas  Rice  Benjamin  Wight 

James  Rice  sen  Peter  Plympton 

Joseph  Curtis  Israel  Miller 

Josiah  Haynes  sen.  Stephen  Cutts 

(State  Archives,  Vol.  XXXVI.,  p.  59.) 

This  petition  presents  a  story  of  sorrow.  The  service 
referred  to  was,  it  is  supposed,  in  connection  with  the  ill- 
fated   expedition  of  Sir  William   Phipps  in  1690.      In   this 


272  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

expedition  Sudbury  was  represented  b}r  a  company  of  men, 
some  of  whom  were  from  Framingham.  A  large  force,  con- 
sisting of  forty  vessels  and  two  thousand  men,  most  of  whom 
were  from  Massachusetts,  was  fitted  out  for  the  capture  of 
Quebec.  The  fleet  sailed  from  Boston,  and  the  land  forces 
marched  by  way  of  Montreal  and  the  lakes.  But  the  great 
enterprise  failed.  Gotten  up  in  haste,  it  was  poorly  pre- 
pared, and  its  military  stores  were  but  scant.  Being  late  in 
the  season,  unfavorable  weather  prevailed,  the  small-pox  set 
in,  and  the  expedition  came  back  with  its  object  unachieved. 
It  is  said  that  many  more  died  of  fever  after  the  expedition 
returned  to  Boston.  But  this  was  not  all.  The  money  in 
the  treasury  was  insufficient  to  pay  the  soldiers,  and  for  the 
first  time  in  the  history  of  the  country  paper  money  was 
issued  ;  but  from  this  the  soldiers  obtained  only  from  twelve 
to  fourteen  shillings  to  the  pound. 

Years  after  the  Phipps  expedition,  survivors  or  their  heirs 
petitioned  the  Court  for  land  grants,  and  received  them. 
These  lands  were  called  Canada  grants.  In  answer  to  such 
a  petition,  Sudbury  received  land  in  Maine,  which  was 
called  the  Sudbury  Canada  grant.  This  grant  now  makes 
the  towns  of  Jay  and  Canton.  (New  England  Historical 
Antiquarian  Register,  Vol.  XXX.,  p.  92.)  The  names  of 
the  petitioners  for  the  foregoing  grant  have  been  preserved 
in  a  paper  which  bears  date  "Oct  ye  26th  1741."  The  list 
was  given  in  connection  with  what  was  called  "  A  lift  tax  of 
fifteen  shillings  a  man."  A  few  of  these  names  are  as  fol- 
lows:  Ward,  Graves,  Stone,  Rice,  Bridges,  Newton,  Walker, 
Woodward,  Joseph  Rutter,  Gibbs,  Peter  Bent,  Brewer,  Sam- 
uel Paris.  The  petitioners  were  formed  into  a  society,  hav- 
ing Capt.  Samuel  Stone,  treasurer,  and  Josiah  Richardson, 
clerk,  both  of  Sudbury. 

Thus  along  from  1688  till  the  declaration  of  Peace  at 
Ryswick,  Dec.  10,  1697,  there  was  inconvenience  and  loss. 
On  the  27th  of  July,  1694,  a  detachment  of  the  Abenakis, 
under  the  Chief  Taxnus,  crossed  the  Merrimac,  and  assailed 
Groton,  where  the  Indians  killed  twenty -two  persons  and 
captured  thirteen.  In  August,  1695,  a  sudden  descent  was 
made  on  Billerica,  in  which  fifteen  persons  were  killed  or 


THE    WALKER    GARRISON    HOUSE. 
See   page    I  99. 


HISTORY   OP   SUDBURY.  273 

captured.  Lancaster  suffered  in  1692,  also  in  1695,  and  in 
September,  1697,  the  Indians  again  entered  the  town.  Thus 
near  lurked  the  troublesome  foe,  and  Sudbury  doubtless  felt 
its  insecurity  when  it  learned  of  these  savage  incursions  in 
the  neighboring  towns.  The  following  record  on  the  Town 
Book  bears  testimony  to  this  sense  of  insecurity:  "Also 
agreed  to  call  the  town  together  for  the  choice  of  all  town 
officers  next  lecture  day  at  twelve  of  the  clock,  and  it  being 
a  troublesome  time  with  the  Indians  but  few  appeared." 

WITCHCRAFT. 

Another  source  of  disturbance  towards  the  last  of  the 
century  was  the  witchcraft  delusion.  Supposed  cases  had 
occurred  before  in  the  Massachusetts  Colony,  and  persons 
had  been  executed  whom  it  was  said  had  the  power  to 
bewitch  men ;  but  in  1692,  it  broke  out  with  renewed 
violence,  and  strangely  disturbed  society.  We  know  of  no 
alleged  cases  in  Sudbury ;  but  a  person  prominently  con- 
nected with  Salem  witchcraft  subsequently  went  to  Sudbury, 
and  dwelt  there  until  his  death.  This  was  the  Rev.  Samuel 
Paris,  the  first  minister  of  what  was  then  Salem  Village,  but 
now  the  town  of  Danvers.  In  view  of  this  fact,  a  few  words 
concerning  the  matter  and  Mr.  Paris'  sad  history  may  not  be 
amiss. 

The  Salem  witchcraft  delusion  began  in  Mr.  Paris'  family. 
During  the  winter  of  1691-2  a  company  of  young  girls  were 
accustomed  to  meet  at  his  house  and  practice  fortune-telling, 
necromancy,  and  magic.  It  is  stated  they  attained  some  skill 
in  this  matter,  and  that  after  a  while  they  ascribed  to  it 
supernatural  agency.  The  community  became  alarmed,  and 
the  physician  called  them  bewitched.  Two  of  these  girls 
were  of  Mr.  Paris'  household,  —  one  a  daughter,  the  other  a 
niece,  neither  of  them  over  eleven  years  of  age.  The  com- 
plaints made  were  similar  to  those  made  years  before  by  the 
children  of  John  Goodenow  of  Boston.  An  Indian  woman 
named  Tituba,  who  had  been  brought  from  New  Spain, 
lived  in  Mr.  Paris'  family.  Tituba  was  accused  of  being 
the  witch,  and  of  bewitching  these  children.  She  confessed, 
and  claimed  to  have  confederates.     Had  the  children  of  Mr. 


274  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

Paris  been  unnoticed,  or  the  matter  brushed  lightly  by,  per- 
haps it  had  stopped  right  there  ;  but  they  were  pitied,  and 
shown  special  attention,  and  new  cases  soon  occurred.  The 
work  of  accusation  and  suspicion  went  forward,  and  rapidly 
spread,  until  it  reached  fearful  proportions.  Scores  were 
apprehended,  tried,  and  condemned,  until  men  knew  not 
when  they  were  safe. 

The  delusion  was  soon  dispelled,  and  society  resumed  a 
more  tranquil  state  ;  but  as  the  darkness  broke  it  left  bitter 
regrets ;  for  the  light  shone  on  a  record  as  sad  as  any  in  the 
annals  of  the  Massachusetts  Colony.  From  Mr.  Paris'  posi- 
tion, as  pastor  of  the  Salem  Village  Church,  he  may  have 
come  in  contact  with  cases  in  a  perfunctory  way  which  gave 
hini  unpleasant  publicity.  In  1695  a  council  met  at  Salem 
Village  to  confer  about  the  witchcraft  matter  as  related  to 
Mr.  Paris  and  his  people.  Shortly  after  this  he  left  the 
church  and  the  place.  He  became  a  trader,  went  to  Water- 
town,  then  Concord;  but  his  stay  in  each  place  was  short. 
He  then  went  to  Dunstable,  where  for  a  few  months  he 
preached.  He  at  length  went  to  Sudbury,  and  died  there 
about  1720.  Thus  originated  the  Salem  witchcraft,  and  thus 
passed  away  the  man  who  received  notoriety  by  it. 

Moral.  —  Deal  not  with  familiar  spirits.  "  Resist  the  devil, 
and  he  will  flee  from  you."  Leave  necromancy,  magic,  and 
all  the  black  arts,  and  seek  more  substantial  and  sensible 
things. 

HISTORICAL   SKETCH. 

Mr.  Paris  was  the  son  of  Thomas  Paris  of  London.  He 
went  to  Harvard  College,  but  did  not  remain  to  graduate. 
Before  preaching  at  Salem  Village  he  preached  at  Stowe. 
He  was  twice  married,  his  first  wife  dying  in  1696,  at  about 
the  age  of  forty-eight,  his  second  wife  in  1719.  His  first 
wife  was  buried  at  Danvers;  her  grave  is  marked  by  a  head- 
stone upon  which  is  the  following  verse,  after  which  are  the 
initials  of  Mr.  Paris :  — 

Sleep  Precious  Dust,  no  stranger  now  to  Rest, 
Thou  hast  thy  longed  wish,  within  Abraham's  Brest, 
Farewell  Best  Wife,  Choice  Mother,  Neighbor,  Friend, 
We'll  wail  thee  less,  for  hopes  of  thee  in  the  end. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  275 

Mrs.  Paris,  it  is  said,  was  a  good  woman.  Mr.  Paris  left 
several  children.  His  daughter  Dorothy,  born  1700,  became 
the  wife  of  Hopestill  Brown  of  Sudbury.  Another  daughter 
married  Peter  Bent.  His  son  No}res  Paris,  born  1699,  took 
his  first  degree  at  Harvard  College,  1721.  His  other  son, 
Samuel,  was  born  1702. 

After  Mr.  Paris  came  to  Sudbmy,  we  conclude  that  for 
a  time  he  taught  school  there.  The  records  state,  that  in 
1717,  Mr.  Samuel  Paris  was  to  teach  school  four  months  of 
the  year  at  the  school-house  on  the  west  side  of  the  river, 
and  the  rest  of  the  year  at  his  own  house.  If  he  was  absent 
part  of  the  time,  he  was  to  make  it  up  the  next  year.  In 
Book  III.,  Sudbury  Records,  we  have  the  following  state- 
ment, with  date  May  25,  1722 :  "  These  may  certify  that 
ye  28  pounds  that  ye  town  of  Sudbury  agreed  to  give  Mr. 
Samuel  Paris  late  of  Sudbury,  for  his  last  yeares  keeping 
school  in  sd  town,  is  by  Mr.  John  Clapp  treasurer  for  said 
town  by  his  self  and  by  his  order  all  paid  as  witness  my 
hand  John  Rice  excuter  of  ye  last  will  and  Testament  of  ye 
sd  Mr.  Paris." 

There  are  graves  of  the  Paris  family  in  the  old  buiying- 
ground  at  Wayland.  Towards  the  southeast  side  of  it  stands 
a  stone  with  the  following  inscription:  "Here  lyes  ye  Body 
of  Samuel  Paris,  Who  Died  July  27th  1742  in  ye  8th  year  of 
his  age."  On  another  stone  is  marked:  ''Here  lyes  ye  Body 
of  Mrs.  Abigail  Paris  who  departed  this  life  February  ye 
15th  1759  in  ye  55th  year  of  her  age." 

INCORPORATION   OF   FRAMINGHAM. 

At  the  close  of  the  century,  Sudbury  lost  a  portion  of  the 
inhabitants  who  dwelt  upon  its  southern  border  and  were 
identified  with  the  town.  This  loss  was  occasioned  by  the 
incorporation  of  Framingham  in  1700.  A  petition  was  pre- 
sented to  the  Court  in  1792-3  (State  Archives,  Vol.  CXIII.) 
by  these  people  and  others,  who  state,  that  they  are  "persons 
dwelling  upon  sundry  farms  lying  between  Sudbury,  Con- 
cord, Marlboro,  Natick,  and  Sherborn,  and  westerly  in  the 
Wilderness."  They  say  they  "have  dwelt  there  about  forty 
years,  and  are  about  forty  families,  some  having  built,  and 


276  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

some  building."  They  also  say  they  "  have  endeavored  to 
attend  public  worship  some  at  one  town,  some  at  another;" 
and  they  ask  to  be  made  a  township,  and  have  the  privileges 
usually  accorded  in  such  cases.  The  Court  granted  the 
request  of  the  petitioners,  and  ordered  that  the  farms  adja- 
cent to  Framingham  should  be  annexed  to  the  proposed  new 
town ;  and  the  people  of  Framingham  having  asked  the 
Court  "that  the  line  between  sd  annexed  farms  and  Sudbury 
be  accepted,"  the  request  was  granted.  Some  of  the  names 
attached  to  the  petition  are  still  familiar  in  Sudbury,  viz. : 
Bent,  Stone,  Rice,  Gleason,  Walker,  and  How. 

STATISTICS. 

The  population  of  the  town  toward  the  beginning  of  this 
period  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  in  1GT9  six  ty thing-men 
were  appointed,  who  were  "  to  inspect  from  ten  to  thirteen 
families  each."  The  following  is  a  report  made  at  a  select- 
men's meeting,  in  1682,  of  improved  land  in  and  bordering 
upon  the  town:  "Lands  of  persons  dwelling  in  the  town, 
3896  acres.  List  of  lands  in  town  of  persons  dwelling  else- 
where up  and  down  the  country,  2522  acres,  list  of  men's 
lands  bordering  about  or  near  the  town,  amounted  to  5130 
acres,  in  which  Mr.  Danforth's  lands  and  Mr.  Gookin's  lands 
were  not  cast,  because  the  contents  were  not  certain." 

These  were  sent,  together  with  the  list  of  troopers  in  and 
about  town,  by  Deacon  Haines,  commissioner,  to  Cambridge. 
The  list  of  troopers  that  the  town  clerk  made  a  rate  upon, 
as  mentioned  with  date  1683,  is  eighteen ;  and  with  date 
1682  we  have  the  county's  money  rate  mentioned  as  fol- 
lows :  "  The  part  to  be  collected  on  the  east  side  the  river, 
5lbs  :  4s  :  5d  ;   on  the  west  side  the  river,  4lbs  :  8s  :  0d." 

Some  little  attention  was  given  to  matters  of  education  in 
this  period,  as  indicated  by  a  selectmen's  report  dated  March 
30,  1680.  On  Oct,  2,  1692,  John  Long  was  chosen  as  "  a 
wrighteing  school  master,  to  teach  children  to  wright  and 
cast  accounts."  Mr.  Long  continued  to  serve  the  town  as 
schoolmaster  for  several  years. 

Thus  closed  the  century  in  which  the  town  of  Sudbury 
had  its  beginning.     It  was  a  diversified  history,  in  which  the 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  277 

light  and  shadow  alternately  played  on  the  scene.  But  the 
power  of  a  protecting  Providence  kept  the  people  safe  amid 
every  trial  and  danger,  and  brought  them  forth  with  a  pros- 
perity and  strength  which  fitted  them  for  the  important 
events  of  the  future.  Probably  but  few,  if  any,  who  were  of 
the  original  grantees  in  1638,  entered  upon  the  scenes  of  the 
eighteenth  century;  but  their  children  and  children's  chil- 
dren were  to  continue  their  work,  and  project  their  influence 
into  far-off  years;  and  as  we  continue  the  narrative,  and 
consider  the  subsequent  events  in  this  history,  we  may  see 
how  the  fathers  lived  in  their  sons. 


CHAPTER   XV. 

1700-1725. 


Educational  Advantages;  Why  so  small. —  School  Laws  by  the  Province. 
—  Town  Action.  —  Grammar  School ;  Location.  —  Mixed  Schools. — 
Masters.  —  School-Houses.  —  Ecclesiastical  Matters.  —  Dismission  of 
Rev.  Mr.  Sherman.  —  Ordination  of  Rev.  Israel  Loring.  —  Division 
of  the  Town  into  Two  Precincts;  Petitions,  Remonstrances,  Decision 
of  the  Court,  Subsequent  Action  of  the  Town.  —  Call  of  Mr.  Loring 
by  the  People  of  the  West  Precinct;  His  Acceptance.  —  Renewal  of 
the  Church  Covenant  by  the  People  of  the  West  Side;  Subscribers 
Thereto.  —  Settlement  of  Rev.  Mr.  Cook  in  the  East  Parish.  —  Build- 
ing of  a  Meeting-House  on  the  West  Side;  Location.  —  Removal  of 
the  East  Side  Meeting-House;  New  Location. 

The  wealth  of  thought  they  knew, 

And  with  a  toil-blest  hand 
The  path  of  learning,  broad  and  free, 

Sped  through  our  favored  land. 

Miss  Simes. 

A  prominent  feature  in  Sudbury  at  the  beginning  of 
the  eighteenth  century  was  the  attention  given  to  schools. 
Hitherto  comparatively  little  had  been  done  in  this  matter. 
As  has  been  stated,  means  were  provided  for  moral  instruc- 


278  HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY. 

tion,  but  the  opportunities  for  acquiring  more  than  the  rudi- 
ments of  secular  knowledge  were  extremely  meagre.  The 
causes  of  this  were  various.  It  was  not  an  educational  age, 
there  was  but  one  college  in  the  Massachusetts  Bay  Prov- 
ince ;  teachers  at  that  day  were  scarce,  and  without  proper 
instruction  there  was  but  poor  encouragement  to  establish 
public  schools.  Moreover,  it  was  an  age  of  economy.  Care- 
ful expenditure  was  a  necessity  in  that  tax-burdened  and  im- 
poverished period.  Society  was  bearing  the  burdens  incident 
to  the  waste  of  successive  wars.  Specie  was  scarce  and  com- 
modities dear.  To  procure  things  needful  for  every-day  life 
payment  in  country  produce  was  often  made.  Sometimes 
town  taxes  were  paid  in  wares.  In  1687  the  taxes  of  Hing- 
bara  were  paid  in  pails.  In  1693  those  of  Woburn  were  paid 
in  shoes.  Various  were  the  expedients  that  the  towns  em- 
ployed to  meet  necessary  calls  that  were  made  upon  them. 
No  wonder  that  in  such  times  schools  were  neglected.  It 
would  not  be  strange  if  men  were  unmindful  of  every  demand 
but  those  of  stern  necessity. 

But  in  1692  a  law  was  enacted,  that  every  town  in  the 
province  having  fifty  householders,  or  upwards,  should  be 
"constantly  provided  of  a  schoolmaster  to  teach  children 
and  youth  to  read  and  write ;  and  where  any  town  or  towns 
have  the  number  of  one  hundred  families  or  householders, 
there  shall  also  be  a  grammar  school  set  up  in  every  such 
town,  and  some  discreet  person  of  good  conversation,  well 
instructed  in  the  tongues  procured  to  keep  such  school." 
Any  town  neglecting  this  requirement  one  year  was  liable 
to  be  fined  ten  pounds.  In  1701  the  Provincial  Court  passed 
an  additional  school  act,  stating,  concerning  the  former  one, 
that  it  was  "  shamefully  neglected  by  divers  towns,  and  the 
penalty  thereof  not  required  tending  greatly  to  the  nourish- 
ment of  ignorance  and  irreligion,  whereof  grevious  complaint 
is  made."  For  neglecting  this  second  law  the  penalty  was 
made  twenty  pounds.  This  also  proved  quite  insufficient  for 
its  purpose,  for  it  was  stated  "many  towns  .  .  .  would  incur 
the  penalty  and  pay  for  the  neglect  of  the  law  rather  than 
maintain  the  school  required."  In  1718  the  Court  enacted 
that  the  fine  should  be  thirty  pounds  in  the  case  of  towns 


HISTORY   OP   SUDBURY.  279 

that  had  one  hundred  and  fifty  families,  forty  pounds  in 
the  case  of  towns  of  two  hundred  inhabitants.  There  was 
certain  provision  made  by  the  law  of  the  province  by  which 
the  schoolmaster  was  to  be  maintained.  He  was  to  have  a 
convenient  house  and  competent  salary.  It  was  also  pro- 
vided that  the  instructor  should  be  an  actual  schoolmaster ; 
the  town  minister  was  not  to  act  as  a  substitute. 

Such  were  some  of  the  school  laws  at  the  beginning  of  the 
eighteenth  century.  That  they  affected  town  action  is  prob- 
able ;  and  very  likely  they  exerted  a  powerful  influence  in 
procuring  better  schools  in  Sudbury.  The  records  inform  us 
that  Jan.  1,  1702,  the  town  voted  that  a  rate  should  be  made 
"to  pay  the  5  pounds  the  town  was  fined  for  want  of  a  school 
master."  This  is  the  only  time  we  hear  of  the  town's  receiv- 
ing the  penalty.  On  the  contrary,  there  is  ample  evidence 
of  diligent  endeavor  to  meet  the  law.  Nov.  17,  1701,  at  a 
town-meeting,  "  it  was  voted  to  choose  Mr.  Joseph  Noyes  as 
a  grammar  school  master  for  one  year.  .  .  .  Also  chose  Mr 
Wm  Brown  and  Mr.  Thomas  Plympton  to  present  the  said 
school  master  unto  the  Rev.  ministers  for  their  approbation 
of  him,  which  are  as  followeth,  Mr.  James  Sherman,  Mr. 
Joseph  Esterbrooks,  Mr.  Swift  of  Framingham."  This  Rev- 
erend Committee  duly  met,  and  examined  the  candidate,  and 
reported  as  follows,  Nov.  21,  1701:  "We  the  subscribers 
being  desired  by  the  town  of  Sudbury  to  write  what  we 
could  testify  in  concerning  the  justification  of  Mr.  Joseph 
Noyes  of  Sudbury  for  a  legall  Grammar  School  master,  hav- 
ing examined  the  said  Mr.  Joseph  Noyes,  we  find  that  he 
hath  been  considerably  versed  in  the  Latin  and  Greek 
tongue,  and  do  think  that  upon  his  dilligent  revisal  and 
recollection  of  what  he  hath  formerly  learned,  he  may  be 
qualified  to  initiate  and  instruct  the  youth  in  the  Latin 
tongue.  Joseph  Esterbrooks,  John  Swift." 

On  the  strength  of  this  careful  approval  and  guarded  rec- 
ommendation, the  successful  candidate  went  forth  to  his 
work.  He  did  not,  however,  long  retain  his  position.  For 
some  cause  not  mentioned,  the  place  soon  became  vacant ; 
and  February  of  the  same  year  Mr.  Picher  became  Mr. 
Noyes's  successor.     The  contract  made  with  Mr.  Picher  was 


280  HISTORY   OP   SUDBURY. 

as  follows  :  "  It  is  agreed  and  concluded  that  the  town  will 
and  doth  grant  to  pay  unto  Mr.  Nathaniel  Picher  six  pounds 
in  money  in  course  hee  doth  accept  of  the  Towne's  choice  as 
to  be  our  Grammar  scool  master,  also  for  one  quarter  of  a 
yeare,  and  to  begin  ye  third  of  March  next  ensuing,  and  to 
serve  in  the  place  the  full  quarter  of  a  yeare,  one  half  of  the 
time  on  the  east  side  of  the  River,  and  the  other  half  of 
the  time  on  the  west  side  of  the  river.  This  Grammar  scool 
master  chosen  if  he  accepts  and  doth  enter  upon  the  work  it 
is  expected  by  the  above  said  Towne,  that  he  should  teach 
all  children  sent  to  him  to  learn  English  and  the  Latin 
tongue,  also  writing  and  the  art  of  Arithmatic."  In  1703 
it  was  voted  to  pay  Mr.  Picher  for  service  done  that  year 
twenty-eight  pounds,  "  he  deducting  a  months  pay  .  .  .  for 
his  being  absent  one  month  in  summer  time  from  keeping  of 
scool,  which  amounth  to  twelfeth  part  of  time;"  "also  voted 
and  agreed  as  a  free  will,  to  give  unto  Mr.  Picher  two  days 
in  every  quarter  of  his  year  to  visit  his  friends,  if  he  see 
cause  to  take  up  with  it."  In  1711,  Lieut.  Thomas  Frink 
and  Quartermaster  Brintnall  were  "  to  agree  with  sum  per- 
son who  is  well  instructed  in  ye  tongues  to  keep  a  scool." 
His  pay  was  not  to  exceed  thirty  pounds. 

These  records  show  something  of  the  expense  of  a  gram- 
mar school  in  the  olden  times;  they  also  give  hints  of  the 
character,  duty,  and  pay  of  the  teachers  ;  and  of  the  manner 
of  selection  and  examination.  We  have  no  means  of  know- 
ing the  proficiency  attained  by  the  pupils  in  those  grammar 
schools ;  but  with  so  much  careful  painstaking,  and  so  large 
an  expenditure  of  money,  we  may  presume  that  something 
more  than  the  mere  rudiments  were  obtained. 

The  place  of  the  school  was  changed  from  time  to  time. 
In  1702  it  was  voted  "  that  the  scool  master  should  keep  ye 
scool  on  ye  west  side  of  ye  river  at  ye  house  of  Thomas  Brint- 
nell,  which  is  there  parte  of  time  belonging  to  ye  west  side  of 
ye  river."  The  custom  of  changing  the  place  of  the  school 
was  continued  for  many  years ;  for  we  find  the  following  rec- 
ord as  late  as  1722:  "Voted  by  the  town  that  ye  scool  master 
shall  keep  scool  one  half  of  ye  time  on  ye  west  side  of  ye  river 
in  Sudbury,  voted  by  ye  town,  that  ye  scool  master  shall  keep 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  281 

ye  first  quarter  at  ye  scool  house  at  ye  gravel  pitt,  voted  by 
ye  town  that  ye  second  to  bee  keept  on  ye  east  side  ye  river  as 
Near  ye  water  as  may  be  conveniant,  voted  by  ye  town  that 
ye  third  quarter  to  be  keept  at  ye  house  of  Insign  John 
Moore,  voted  by  ye  town  that  ye  fourth  quarter  to  be  keept 
at  ye  house  of  Clark  Gleason."  In  the  year  1717,  Samuel 
Paris  was  to  keep  school  four  months  of  the  year  at  the 
school-house  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  and  at  his  own 
house  the  rest  of  the  year.  If  he  was  away  part  of  the  time, 
he  was  to  make  it  up  the  next  year. 

But  in  addition  to  these  means  for  obtaining  advanced 
instruction,  there  were  schools  of  a  simpler  character.  About 
the  time  that  provision  was  made  for  a  grammar  school,  we 
read  of  "  masters  who  were  to  teach  children  to  rede  and 
wright  and  cast  accounts."  This  was  done  in  1701,  at  which 
time  the  town  "  voted  and  chose  John  Long  and  John  Bal- 
com  "  for  the  purpose  just  stated,  and  to  pay  them  for  one 
year  thirty  shillings  apiece.  From  this  time  repeated  refer- 
ence is  made  in  the  records  to  schools  of  a  primary  or  mixed 
character. 

Among  the  schoolmasters  who  served  before  1750,  are 
William  Brintnal,  Joseph  Noyes,  Nathaniel  Picher,  Jonathan 
Hoar,  Samuel  Paris,  Nathaniel  Trask,  Jonathan  Loring,  John 
Long,  John  Balcom,  John  Mellen,  Samuel  Kendall,  Ephraim 
Curtis,  and  Zachery  Hicks.  Some  of  these  taught  for  a  suc- 
cession of  terms  or  years.  William  Brintnal  taught  a  gram- 
mar school  as  late  as  1733-4,  and  receipts  are  found  of  Samuel 
Kendall  in  1725  and  1736. 

Prior  to  1700,  school-house  accommodations  were  scant. 
There  was  no  school  building  whatever.  In  1702  "  the  town 
agreed  that  the  school  should  be  kept  at  the  meeting  house 
half  a  quarter  and  the  other  half  quarter  at  the  house  of 
Benjamin  Morses."  But  it  is  a  law  of  progress  that  improve- 
ment in  one  direction  suggests  improvement  in  another ;  so 
with  better  schools  better  accommodations  were  sought  for. 
Jan.  1,  1702,  the  "  town  voted  and  paste  into  an  act,  to  have 
a  convenient  scool  hous ;  "  also  voted  "  that  the  scool  house 
that  shall  be  built  by  the  town  shall  be  set  and  erected  as 
near  the  centre  of  the  town,  as  may  be  conveniantly  set  upon 


282  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

the  town's  land;"  also  "that  it  be  twenty  feet  in  length, 
:  :  :  eighteen  feet  in  breadth,  seven  feet  from  the  bottom  of 
the  cell  to  the  top  of  the  plate,  a  large  chimney  to  be  within 
the  house,  the  house  to  be  a  log  house,  made  of  pine,  only 
the  cells  to  be  of  white  oak  bord  and  shingles  to  be  covered 
with..  Also  the  chimney  to  be  of  stone  to  the  mortling  and 
finished  with  brick.  This  was  paste  into  an  act  and  vote 
Jan.  15th  1701-2."  At  another  meeting  it  was  decided  "that 
there  should  be  two  scool  houses  ; "  that  they  should  be  of 
the  same  dimensions ;  and  "  that  the  one  on  the  east  side 
should  be  set  near  to  Enoch  Cleavland's  dwelling  house." 
It  was  afterwards  voted  that  "  the  scool  houses  should  be 
builte  by  a  general  town  acte  and  that  the  selectmen  should 
make  a  rate  of  money  of  20  pounds  for  their  erection."  One 
of  the  houses  was  to  be  placed  "  by  Cleafflands  and  the  other 
near  unto  Robert  Mans."  In  1711  the  town  voted  to  have 
but  one  school-house,  and  this  school-house  was  to  be  built 
at  "ye  gravel  pitt."  "  Ye  scool  house  "  here  mentioned  was 
"  to  be  20  foot  long,  16  foot  wide,  six  foot  studd,  nine  foot 
and  a  half  sparrl.  Ye  sills  to  be  white  oak  ye  outside,  to  be 
horded,  and  ye  bords  to  be  feather  edge.  Ye  inside  to  be 
birch  and  horded  with  Ruff  bords,  lower  and  uper  flower  to 
be  bord  and  a  brick  Chemne,  and  two  glass  windows  18 
Enches  square  per  window,  and  the  Ruffe  to  be  horded  and 
shingled."  It  was  to  be  ready  for  a  school  by  the  last  of 
May,  1712.  Joseph  Parmenter  was  to  make  it,  and  have  for 
pay  fourteen  pounds. 

The  evidence  is  that  the  desire  for  school  privileges  spread, 
and  that  the  extremity  of  the  town  soon  sought  for  increased 
advantages.  April  17,  1719,  the  town  was  called  upon  "  to 
see  if  it  will  grant  the  North  west  quarter  of  the  towns  peti- 
tion, they  desiring  the  school  master  some  part  of  the  time 
with  them." 

The  above  records  comprise  the  most  important  ones  relat- 
ing to  schools  during  this  period.  As  we  leave  these  educa- 
tional matters,  some  reflections  arise  concerning  their  relation 
to  the  town's  future  and  far-reaching  history.  They  were 
the  beginnings  of  great  and  long-lasting  influences.  Those 
humble  houses  of  the  early  New  England  schools  were  the 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  283 

town's  nurseries  of  useful  knowledge.  In  them  minds  were 
disciplined  for  that  active  period  which,  before  the  century 
closed,  was  to  shape  the  country's  career,  and  make  of  the 
colonies  a  great  cluster  of  states.  What  a  work  was  wrought 
within  them  !  What  responsibility  was  upon  those  who  had 
charge  of  these  far-back  beginnings  !  We  have  found  noth- 
ing on  the  records  to  indicate  what  methods  were  employed 
in  governing  or  teaching ;  but  there  is  abundant  room  for 
the  supposition  that  those  who  founded  and  those  who 
taught  these  schools  feared  God ;  and  that  they  considered 
his  Word  a  book  suitable  to  be  read  and  taught  in  all  places 
of  learning.  No  wonder,  that,  with  such  a  beginning,  our 
common  schools  have  had  such  great  success ;  and  that  the 
influences  that  survived  those  times,  manners,  and  men 
should  have  such  large  and  lasting  results. 

ECCLESIASTICAL    MATTERS. 

As  in  educational  matters,  so  in  those  pertaining  to  the 
church,  we  find  the  period  prolific  in  change.  Great  and 
important  events  transpired  relating  to  the  meeting-house, 
the  minister,  and  the  people.  The  first  change  was  the 
dismission  of  the  pastor.  On  May  22,  1705,  the  pastoral 
relation  between  Rev.  James  Sherman  and  the  people  of 
Sudbury  was  dissolved.  But  not  long  was  the  church  left 
pastorless.  The  same  year  of  Mr.  Sherman's  removal  a 
town-meeting  was  held,  in  which  it  was  voted  "y*  ye  town 
will  chose  a  man  to  preach  ye  word  of  God  unto  us  for  a 
quarter  of  a  year."  The  Rev.  Israel  Loring  was  chosen  for 
the  term  mentioned.  He  began  to  preach  in  Sudbury,  Sept. 
16, 1705 ;  and  the  result  was  he  was  ordained  as  pastor,  Nov. 
20,  1706. 

After  the  settlement  of  Mr.  Loring  ecclesiastical  matters 
were  not  long  in  a  quiet  state.  A  new  subject  soon  engrossed 
public  attention.  There  was  an  attempt  made  to  divide  the 
town  into  two  parochial  precincts.  The  west  side  people 
doubtless  loved  the  little  hillside  meeting-house,  about  which 
were  the  graves  of  their  friends,  and  whose  history  was  asso- 
ciated with  so  much  of  their  own.  Their  fondness  for  it  had 
doubtless  increased  as  the  years  passed  by,  and  there  clus- 


284  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

tered  about  it  memories  of  things  the  sweetest  and  the  sad- 
dest that  had  entered  into  their  checkered  experience.  Here 
their  children  had  been  offered  in  baptism;. here  had  been  the 
bridal  and  the  burial,  the  weekly  greetings  and  partings,  the 
exchange  of  intelligence  of  heart  and  home.  It  had  been  the 
place  for  prayer  and  the  preached  word;  a  place  of  watch 
and  ward,  and  a  place  of  resort  in  times  of  danger.  But  not- 
withstanding their  fondness  for  the  sacred  spot,  they  were 
too  practical  a  people  to  allow  sentiment  to  interfere  with 
their  true  progress,  and  what  they  believed  to  be  their  spirit- 
ual good.  With  their  slow  means  of  transit,  and  the  rough 
roads  of  that  period  when  at  their  best,  it  was  a  long  and 
weary  way  they  had  to  travel  every  Sabbath  day;  but  when 
the  roads  became  blocked  with  the  drifting  snow,  or  the  river 
was  swollen  with  floods,  then  it  was  sometimes  a  perilous 
undertaking  to  reach  the  east  side  meeting-house  and  return. 
In  that  primitive  period  the  people  of  Sudbury  did  not  desire 
even  a  good  excuse  to  keep  them  from  public  worship  ;  they 
were  Puritanic  in  both  precept  and  practice.  They  would 
allow  no  small  obstacle  to  cheat  their  soul  of  its  rights  ;  but 
if  there  were  hinderances  in  the  way  to  their  spiritual  helps, 
they  required  their  immediate  removal. 

Hence,  a  movement  was  inaugurated  to  divide  the  town, 
and  make  of  it  two  precincts,  in  each  of  which  there  should 
be  a  church.  A  primary  act  for  the  accomplishment  of  this 
purpose  was  to  obtain  the  consent  of  the  General  Court.  To 
do  this  a  petition  was  presented,  which,  as  it  tells  its  own 
story,  and  sets  forth  the  entire  case,  we  will  present :  — 

Petition  of  the  West  Side  people  of  Sudbury  to  Governor  Dudley  and 
the  General  Assembly. 
The  petition  of  us  who  are  the  subscribers  living  on  ye  west  side  of 
Sudbury  great  River  Humbly  showeth  that  wereas  ye  All  wise  and  over 
Ruling  providence  of  ye  great  God,  Lord  of  Heaven  and  Earth  who  is 
God  blessed  forever  moore,  hath  cast  our  lott  to  fall  on  that  side  of  the 
River  by  Reason  of  the  flud  of  watare,  which  for  a  very  great  part  of  the 
yeare  doth  very  much  incomode  us  and  often  by  extremity  of  water  and 
terrible  and  violent  winds,  and  a  great  part  of  the  winter  by  ice,  as  it  is 
at  this  present,  so  that  wee  are  shut  up  and  cannot  come  forth,  and  many 
times  when  wee  doe  atempt  to  git  over  our  flud,  we  are  forced  for  to  seek 
our  spiritual  good  with  the  peril  of  our  Lives. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 


285 


Beside  the  extreme  Travill  that  many  of  us  are  Exposed  unto  sum 
3:4:5:6  miles  much  more  than  a  Sabbath  days  Jurney,  by  Reason  of 
these  and  many  more  objections,  to  many  here  to  enumerate,  whereby 
many  of  our  children  and  little  ones,  ancient  and  weak  persons,  can  very 
Rarly  attend  the  public  worship.  The  considered  premises  we  truly 
pray  your  Excellency  and  ye  Honorable  Council  and  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives to  consider  and  compassionate  us  in  our  Extreme  suffering 
condition,  and  if  we  may  obtain  so  much  favor  in  your  Eyes  as  to  grant 
us  [our  presents]  as  to  appoint  us  a  Commity  to  see  and  consider  our 
circumstances  and  make  report  thereof  to  this  honorable  Court.  And 
your  pore  petitioners  shall  ever  pray. 


Sudbury,  January  15th  170f 

John  Goodnow. 

John  haines 

John  Brigham 

William  Walker. 

George  Parmenter. 

David  how. 

George  Parmenter,  Jr. 

Joseph  Parmenter. 

John  brigham. 

Samuel  willis. 

Joseph  willis 

Richard  Sanger. 

Tho :  Smith 

Joseph  Hayes  [Haynes] 

timothy  gibson,  Jr 

Joseph  F.  Jewel  (his  mark). 

Isaac  Mellen 

Melo  C.  Taylor,  (his  mark). 

John  Balcom. 

Joseph  Balcom. 

(State  Archives,  Vol.  II.,  p.  221.) 


John  haynes.  Jr. 

Robert  Man  his  mark 

Benjamin  wright. 

David  Haynes. 

Prefer  haines. 

Thomas  Brintnal. 

Edward  Goodnow  his  mark 

John  Goodenow,  jr 

Ephraim  Garfield,  his  mark. 

Thomas  Smith,  Junior. 

Jonathan  Rice. 


It  was  ordered  that  the  town  of  Sudbury  be  served  with  a 
copy  of  the  petition,  and  notified  to  attend  the  next  session 
of  the  Court,  and  present  objections  if  they  had  any.  At 
a  town-meeting  in  Sudbury,  Oct.  4,  1707,  a  committee  was 
chosen  to  attend  the  General  Court,  and  give  answer  to  the 
above  petition.  The  committee  was  composed  as  follows : 
"  Mr  Joseph  Noyes,  Lieut.  Hop"  Brown,  Ens.  Sam"  King, 
Mr.  James  Barnard,  Mr.  Noah  Clapp,  Mr.  Thomas  Plymp- 


286  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

ton."  This  committee  duly  appeared  to  present  a  protest 
to  the  west  side  petition.  The  following  are  their  words  of 
remonstrance :  — 

The  committee  chosen  humbly  showeth, 

That  whereas  a  petition  hath  been  presented  to  this  Hon.  Court  in 
their  late  session  by  a  Small  number  of  persons  Dwelling  on  the  west- 
erly side  of  the  river  in  Sudbury,  (though  Privately  carried  on) 

Praying  that  these  may  be  a  precinct  by  themselves  &c.  we  do  Hum- 
bly offer  to  your  Judicious  consideration 

That  the  number  thus  Petitioning  is  but  Small  and  that  others  Inhab- 
iting on  the  westerly  side  of  said  River  a  number  near  Equal  to  them, 
Do  oppose  the  same  Looking  on  such  a  motion  by  their  neighbors  att 
this  Time  Especially  to  be  Unseasonable  and  unreasonable,  considering 
1.)  the  Great  Expense  that  we  have  of  Late  been  att:  Occasioned  by 
the  deposition  of  our  Late,  and  the  Settling  of  our  Present  Minister. 
(2.)  The  vast  Expenses  attending  the  same,  calls  and  may  call  for, 
Obliges  us  to  Request  that  the  Division  Petitioned  for,  may  be  sus- 
pended, we  deem  ourselves  incapable  of  affording, 

1st  Two  Orthodox  minister's  Gospel  maintainance,  2nd  we  are  Ready 
to  afford  to  our  neighbors  what  help  we  can  in  making  the  Causway, 
(so  much  complained  of)  passible  in  ordinary  floods,  by  allotting  to  every 
man  his  quota  or  proposition  to  raise,  which  would  be  much  for  the  Ben- 
efit of  Travellers,  as  well  as  ourselves. 

Finally  there  are  also  some  of  those  who  now  petition  for  division : 
that  did  complain,  and  declare  that  the  Salary  granted  to  our  present 
minister  was  so  Great  that  the  town  was  not  able  to  perform  it,  and  if 
they  Plead  their  remoteness  from  the  public  worship  of  God :  we  humbly 
offer  that  if  the  meeting  house  be  placed  in  the  Centre  of  the  Inhabitants 
on  the  westerly  side  of  the  river  (where  we  may  expect  it  will  be),  many 
of  their  dwellings  will  be  as  Remote  from  the  meeting  house  as  they  are 
now,  We  might  bring  many  more  objections  which  might  be  of  weight, 
but  shall  add  no  more,  but  leave  these  to  the  Judicious  consideration  of 
this  Honourable  Courte,  and  follow  these  our  Representatives  with  our 
petitions  to  the  High  Court  of  Heaven,  that  this  Honouable  Court  may 
be  so  directed  in  this  and  in  everv  affair  before  them,  that  Gods  Glory 
and  the  Prosperity  of  Religion  may  be  promoted,  and  we,  your  most 
humble  and  obedient  servants,  may  have  ever  cause  to  pray  &c. 

Sudbury.  October.  29th :  1707. 

Joseph  Noyes,  James  Barnard, 

Thomas  Plympton,  Noah  Clapp, 

Samuel  King. 

(State  Archives,  Vol.  II.,  p.  227.) 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 


287 


The  following  names  are  signed  to  the  original  document 


WEST   SIDE   INHABITANTS. 

Hop11  Browne 
Tho':  Plymton 
Sam11  Wright, 
Joseph  Goodenow 
John  Moore 
Mattw  Gibbs 
Noah  Clapp 
Joseph  Stanhope 
John  Gibbs 
William  Arnold 
Tho8  Read  Jur 
Josiah  Hayden 
Go8  Steenens 
Tho"  Cuttler 
John  Rice 

widow  Sarah  Bowker 
Benj  Moore 
Nath"  Rice 
wid :  Arabella  Read 
John  Burk 
Kphranin  Pratt 
Peter  Plymton 
Tho8  Read 
Joshua  Hayns 


A  True  Coppy 


EAST   SIDE   INHABITANTS. 

John  Rice 
Joseph  Gleason  Ser 
Mattw  Stone 
Sam11  Graves 
Jo8  Chamberlim 
Jo8  Moore  Ser 
Jo8  Moore 
Jo8  Noyes 
Jon  Long 
Benj  parmentor 
Isaac  Stanhope 
John  Allin 
John  Parmintor 
Edmund  Rice 
Mattw  Rice 
her  mark       James  Brewer 
Nat11  Moore 
Tho8  Brown 
Ephaaim  Rice 
Isaac  Gleason 
John  Graues 
John  Grout 
James  Ross 
Tho'  ffrinke 
Geron  Jennison 
Eber  Rice 
Sam11  Allin 
Jon4  Rice 
Joseph  Gleason  Jr 
John  abbutt 
John  Adams 
Sam11  King 
Jon'  Griffin 
Ephraim  Curtiss 
John  Loker 
Tho8  Moore 


After  hearing  both  petition  and  remonstrance,  the  Court 
ordered  that  a  committee  should  be  sent,  and  report  what 
the  case  required.  This  committee  was  made  up  of  Capt. 
Samuel  Checkley,  [Capt.]  Thomas  Oliver,  and  Capt.  Jonas 
Bond.     These  parties  "  were  to  join  with  such  as  the  hon- 


288  HTSTORY   OP   SUDBURY. 

ourable  board  should  nominate,  and  they  were  to  go  upon 
the  parish  and  hear  what  was  for  or  against,  notifying  the 
town  at  least  a  week  beforehand."  John  Phillips  and  Joseph 
Lynde,  Esq.,  were  named  a  committee  of  the  board  for  the 
office  aforesaid,  and  the  petitioners  were  to  pay  the  charges 
of  the  committee.  The  report  of  these  parties  was  rendered 
May  13,  1708.  It  was  in  substance,  that  they  considered 
"  the  thing  was  necessary  to  be  done,  but  their  opinion  is, 
that  now  by  reason  of  the  [grievous]  times  not  so  conven- 
iant." 

But  the  petitioners  were  not  to  be  baffled  by  an  answer 
like  this.  Accordingly,  again  they  presented  their  case  by 
another  petition,  dated  May  26,  1708-9.  This  second  peti- 
tion sets  forth  the  case  thus :  — 

The  Humble  Petition  of  Several  of  the  Inhabitants  of  the  town  of  Sud- 
bury, on  the  west  side  of  the  River. 

To  Court  session  assembled  May  26th  170f  showeth  that  your  Peti- 
tioners lately  by  their  Petition  to  the  Great  and  General  Assembly,  rep- 
resented the  hardships  &  Difficulties  they  Labored  when  by  reason  of 
their  distance  from  the  meeting  house  and  the  difficulty  of  getting  over 
the  water  and  Some  times  Impossibility,  there  being  three  hundred  and 
sixty  five  on  that'side  and  sometimes  in  the  winter  not  one  of  them  can 
possibly  go  to  meeting,  the  East  and  West  sides  are  Equal  in  their  pay- 
ments to  the  minister  and  therefore  praying  they  might  be  made  a  Pre- 
cinct and  have  a  meeting  house  and  minister  of  their  side  of  the  River, 
wherupon  the  petition  was  refered  to  a  committee  who  upon  Considera- 
tion of  the  premises  (as  your  petitioners  are  Informed)  have  made  a 
Report  to  this  Great  and  General  assembly  that  the  thing  was  necessary 
to  be  done,  but  their  opinion  is  that  now  by  reason  of  Troublesome 
Times  not  so  Conveniant. 

Your  [Petitioners]  thereupon  humbly  pray  that  this  great  and  General 
assembly  would  please  to  Grant  them  the  Prayer  of  their  petition,  that 
they  may  be  Empowered  to  build  a  meeting  house  and  have  a  minister 
settled  on  their  side,  in  such  time  as  to  this  Great  and  General  Assem- 
bly shall  seem  meet  and  Yor  Petitioners  (and  as  in  duty  bound)  shall 
pray,  John  Brigham,  John  Balcom.     In  behalf  of  ye  rest. 

This  petition  was  more  successful,  and  obtained,  in  part 
at  least,  what  it  sought ;  and  the  following,  read  in  council, 
the  28th  of  May,  1708,  and  read  a  second  time  and  concurred 
in,  June  24th,  the  same  year,  was  ordered :  — 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  289 

Notwithstanding  the  present  difficulties  represented  by  the  commit- 
tee, If  the  Inhabitants  on  West  side  the  River  think  themselves  able  to 
Erect  a  meeting  House  and  support  a  minister  and  shall  present  a  Sub- 
scription to  this  Court  amounting  to  fifty  pounds  per  annum  for  his 
maintenance  during  the  first  seven  years, 

That  then  the  Prayer  of  their  Petition  be  Granted,  to  bee  a  Parish  or 
Precinct  by  themselves.  And  that  they  have  liberty  to  erect  a  meeting 
house  for  the  Public  worship  of  God,  and  to  invite  and  procure  a  Learned 
Orthodox  minister  of  good  conversation  to  preach  to  them. 

Always  Saving  Inviolate,  and  in  no  ways  Infringing  the  Contract  and 
agreement  of  the  Town  made  with  Mr.  Loring,  the  present  minister,  and 
his  maintenance,  to  be  duly  paid  him  accordingly,  until  the  Town  in 
General  shall  make  other  Provision  or  the  Court  take  further  Order. 

But,  although  the  petitioners  received  permission  to  build 
a  meeting-house,  years  elapsed  before  they  availed  themselves 
of  the  privilege.  Meanwhile  the  subject  was  more  or  less 
agitated.  Various  measures  for  the  adjustment  of  matters 
were  proposed,  and  failed.  At  one  time  there  was  action  by 
the  town,  at  another  by  the  Court.  In  1712-13  there  was  a 
town-meeting,  "  to  see  if  the  town  will  do  any  thing  to  bring 
the  house  into  ye  center  of  ye  town,  or  within  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  of  ye  centre,  or  as  near  ye  centre  as  may  be  conveniant, 
ye  town  of  Sudbury  being  seven  miles  long,  and  ye  meeting 
house  as  it  now  standeth  but  about  a  mile  and  half  from 
ye  east  end  of  said  town." 

In  December,  1715,  a  committee  was  appointed  by  the 
Court,  who  assigned  a  place  for  the  meeting-house.  Tradi- 
tion states  that  a  spot  about  a  mile  northeasterly  of  Sudbury 
Centre,  and  not  far  from  the  Thomas  Plympton  estate,  was 
once  designed  for  the  meeting-house.  This  may  have  been 
the  place  assigned  by  the  committee  of  1715.  In  1720  the 
town  voted  to  remain  an  entire  town  ;  to  have  a  meeting- 
house on  the  west  side  of  the  river  sufficiently  large  to 
accommodate  all,  and  to  have  it  built  at  or  near  the  Gravel 
Pit. 

June  9,  1721,  it  was  ordered  by  the  General  Court  that 
"  a  new  meeting  house  be  erected,  built,  and  finished  upon 
the  place  assigned  by  a  committee  assigned  by  ye  sd  Court,  in 
Dec.  1715,  and  that  ye  old  meeting  house  be  put  into  good 
repair."   At  a  town-meeting,  Dec.  26,  1721,  held  at  the  house 


290  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

of  Mr.  George  Pitts,  it  was  agreed  "  to  grant  24  pounds  for 
preaching  for  the  present  on  the  westerly  side  of  the  river." 
It  was  also  decided  at  that  meeting  to  choose  a  committee  to 
present  a  petition  to  the  General  Court,  "that  ye  west  side 
inhabitants  may  have  liberty  to  place  their  meeting  house  on 
ye  rocky  plaine  ;  "  which  request  was  granted. 

The  preliminary  work  of  forming  two  parochial  precincts 
was  now  completed ;  it  only  remained  to  adjust  ecclesiastical 
relations  to  the  new  order  of  things,  and  provide  whatever 
was  essential  to  its  success.  The  church  was  to  be  divided, 
ministers  secured,  and  a  meeeting-house  built.  All  these 
came  about  in  due  time.     After  the  decision,  in  December, 

1721,  "  to  have  the  preaching  of  the  word  amongst  us,"  and 
the  granting  of  money  to  meet  the  expense,  Rev.  Mr.  Minot 
was  invited  to  preach  six  Sabbaths  in  the  west  precinct.  It 
may  be  that  about  this  time  Mr.  Loring  preached  some  on 
the  west  side,  since  on  the  town  debt,  as  recorded  April  9, 

1722,  there  stands  this  statement :  "  To  Mr.  Israel  Loring  to 
ye  supporting  ye  ministry  on  both  [sides]  ye  river  in  Sud- 
bury 80.  0.  0." 

But  more  permanent  arrangements  were  soon  made.  On 
the  6th  of  June,  1722,  they  extended  a  call  to  Rev.  Israel 
Loring,  and  offered  "£100  for  his  settlement."  July  10,  Mr. 
Loring  responded  to  the  invitation  in  the  following  words  : 
"To  the  Inhabitants  of  the  west  Precinct  in  Sudbury:  I 
accept  of  the  kind  invitation  you  have  given  me  to  come 
over  and  settle  and  be  the  minister  of  the  Westerly  Pre- 
cinct." A  few  days  after  the  above  invitation  the  east  side 
invited  him  to  remain  with  them,  and  took  measures  to  pro- 
vide for  "their  now  settled  minister,  Mr.  Israel  Loring." 
The  day  after  replying  to  the  first  invitation,  he  wrote  to 
the  east  side  people  informing  them  of  his  decision  to  leave 
them  and  settle  in  the  west  precinct.  Mr.  Loring  moved  to 
the  west  side,  July  25,  1723.  (Stearns'  Collection.)  He 
lived  about  a  mile  toward  the  north  part  of  the  town,  in 
what  was  afterwards  an  old  red  house,  on  the  William  Hunt 
place  that  was  torn  down  some  years  since.  He  subse- 
quently lived  at  the  centre,  on  what  is  known  as  the 
Wheeler  Haynes  place. 


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THE    LORING    PARSONAGE,   Sudbury  Centre 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  291 

The  church  records  by  Mr.  Loring  state  as  follows:  "Feb. 
11,  1723.  The  church  met  at  nvy  house,  where,  after  the 
brethren  on  the  east  side  had  manifested  their  desire  that 
the  church  might  be  divided  into  two  churches,  it  was  so 
voted  by  majority."  At  the  time  of  the  division  of  the 
church,  the  number  of  communicants  on  the  west  side  was 
thirty-two  males  and  forty-two  females.  (Stearns'  Collec- 
tion.) The  Church  Records  went  into  the  possession  of  the 
West  Parish.  On  March  18,  1724-5,  the  west  side  people 
"entered  into  and  renewed"  a  "holy  church  covenant,"  to 
which  were  subscribed  the  following  names  :  — 

Israel  Loring  David  Haynes. 

Hopestill  Brown  Peter  Plympton. 

James  Haynes  Senr  Noah  Clap 

John  Clap  Senr  Ephraim  Pratt 

Thomas  Read  Sen1"  Joseph  Noyes 

Peter  Haynes.  John  Moore. 

Benjaman  Wright,  Daniel  Estabrooke 

Joseph  Goodenow  Hopestill  Brown  Jun. 

John  Rice,  James  Craige, 

Samuel  Willis.  Joseph  Brown. 

Thomas  Read  Jun.  Jonah  Haynes. 

John  Brigham,  Micah  Stone. 

John  Haynes.  Ebenezer  Dakin.  out  of  town. 

David  Parmenter,  John  Clap  Jr. 

Joseph  Gibbs,  dismissed,  Peter  Noyes, 

David  Maynard.  James  Haynes. 

While  ecclesiastical  matters  were  in  process  of  adjustment 
on  the  West  side,  they  were  progressing  towards  a  settlement 
on  the  East  side  also.  It  is  stated  that  the  East  Precinct 
was  organized  June  25,  1722.  (Temple.)  When  the  effort 
to  secure  the  services  of  Mr.  Loring  proved  futile,  a  call  was 
extended  to  Rev.  William  Cook,  a  native  of  Hadley,  Mass., 
and  a  graduate  of  Harvard  College.  The  call  being  accepted, 
Mr.  Cook  was  ordained  March  20,  1723,  and  continued  their 
pastor  until  his  death,  Nov.  12,  1760.  (See  period  1750- 
1775.)  The  town  granted  eighty  pounds  to  support  preach- 
ing on  both  sides  of  the  river  for  half  a  year. 


292  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 


NEW   MEETING-HOUSES. 

An  important  matter  in  connection  with  the  new  order  of 
things  was  the  erection  of  new  meeting-houses.  This  work 
received  prompt  attention.  uAt  a  town  meeting  January 
22:  172|  the  town  grunted  five  hundred  pounds  to  build  a 
new  meeting  house  on  the  west  side,  and  repair  the  old  one 
on  the  east  side,  three  hundred  and  eighty  pounds  for  the 
new,  and  one  hundred  and  twenty  pounds  for  the  repairing 
the  old  on  the  east  side."  The  sum  for  repairing  the  old 
house  was  at  a  subsequent  meeting  made  one  hundred  and 
fifty  pounds.  That  this  grant  of  the  town  was  followed  up 
by  speedy  action  is  indicated  by  the  following  receipt,  dated 
Sudbury,  May  31,  1725:  — 

Received  of  Deacon  Noah  Clap  treasurer  for  the  town  of  Sudbury, 
ten  pounds  four  shillings  and  four  pence,  in  full  of  all  accounts  relating 
to  the  building  of  the  new  meeting  house  in  the  west  precinct  of  said 
Sudbury. 

This  ten  pounds,  four  shillings,  and  four  pence,  and  former  receipts 
of  money,  making  the  sum  of  four  hundred  pounds,  we  say  received 
by  us.  Abraham  Wood, 

Joseph  Dakin. 

The  meeting-house  in  the  West  Precinct  was  placed  on 
the  site  of  the  present  Unitarian  Church  in  Sudbury  Center. 
The  location  was  probably  selected  because  central  to  the 
inhabitants  of  the  West  Precinct.  The  following  town  rec- 
ord is  interesting,  not  only  because  it  relates  to  the  location 
of  the  meeting-house,  but  to  other  familiar  landmarks  in  the 
vicinity:  — 

Sudbury.  June  12:  1725.  laid  out  to  the  right  of  Briant  Pendleton, 
sixteen  acres  and  one  hundred  and  forty  rods  on  and  adjoining  to  the 
Pine  Hill,  near  to  and  Northwesterly  of  the  meeting  house  on  Rocky 
Plain  in  the  west  precinct  in  said  Sudbury,  southerly  partly  by  a  high- 
way, or  road  leading  from  Pantry  towards  Mr.  Wood's  mills  (at  South 
Sudbury),  along  by  said  meeting  house,  partly  by  land  laid  out  for  a 
burying  place  and  accommodations  for  and  about  said  meeting  house, 
and  partly  by  Lancaster  road,  westerly  by  land  claimed  by  the  Grouts 
and  northerly  bounded  by  land  claimed  by  James  Craigs.  In  part  and 
partly  by  land  claimed  by  the  Maynards,  and  easterly  bounded  by  said 
Maynards  land. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  293 

There  is  no  evidence  that  when  the  West  side  meeting- 
house was  built  there  was  so  much  as  a  humble  hamlet  at 
Rocky  Plain.  The  presence  there  at  that  time  of  a  single 
house  is  all  that  is  indicated  by  tradition  or  record.  In  sev- 
eral instances  the  records  state  something  about  "ye  new 
house  on  rocky  plain."  In  May,  1722,  there  was  a  town- 
meeting  at  the  new  house  on  Rocky  Plain.  Oct.  11,  1722, 
"a  meeting  was  held  at  the  new  house  on  rocky  plain  "  to 
attend  to  matters  relating  to  a  new  meeting-house.  The 
first  town-meeting  that  was  held  in  the  new  church  edifice 
was  on  Aug.  5,  1723.  At  that  time  it  was  voted  to  have  the 
warnings  for  town-meetings  for  the  future  posted  on  both 
sides  of  the  river  at  the  two  houses  of  worship. 

Near  the  spot  selected  for  the  meeting-house  was  the 
burying-ground  set  apart  by  "  ye  Proprietors  of  ye  undivided 
lands "  in  1716-17.  (See  p.  121.)  This  reservation  may 
have  influenced  the  people  in  the  selection  of  Rocky  Plain 
for  the  new  meeting-house ;  and  the  erection  of  the  meeting- 
house there  probably  determined  the  location  of  the  central 
village  of  the  West  Precinct,  and  in  later  years  of  the  town 
of  Sudbury.  Furthermore,  if  the  town  at  this  time  had 
decided  to  remain  one  parish,  and  erected  a  meeting-house 
near  the  Gravel  Pit,  for  the  accommodation  of  all,  the  prin- 
cipal village  would  have  been  gathered  in  that  locality,  and 
the  town  might  have  remained  undivided  to  this  day. 

After  the  setting  off  of  the  West  parish,  it  was  considered 
advisable  to  move  the  East  side  meeting-house  nearer  the 
centre  of  the  East  Precinct.  Jan.  29,  1721-2,  "the  town  by 
a  vote  showed  its  willingness  and  agreed  to  be  at  the  charge 
to  pull  down  ye  old  meeting  house  and  remove  it  south  and 
set  it  up  again."  At  the  same  meeting  they  chose  a  com- 
mittee to  petition  the  General  Court  for  permission.  In  a 
paper  dated  Dec.  28,  1724,  and  signed  by  Mr.  Jennison, 
Zechariah  Heard,  and  Phineas  Brintnal,  it  is  stated  that  they 
were  "  the  committee  who  pulled  down  and  removed  the  old 
meeting  house  in  the  East  Precinct  of  Sudbury."  About 
1725  was  recorded  the  following  receipt:  "Received  of  Mr. 
John  Clap,  late  treasurer  of  the  town  of  Sudbury,  the  sum 
of  four  hundred  pounds  in  full,  granted  by  said  town  to 


294  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

carry  on  the  building  of  a  meeting  house  in  the  East  Pre- 
cinct in  said  town.  We  say  received  by  us,  Joshua  Haynes, 
Ephraim  Curtis,  John  Noyes,  Samuel  Graves,  Jonathan  Rice, 
Committee."  This  building  was  located  at  what  is  now 
Wayland  Centre,  on  the  corner  lot  just  south  of  the  old 
Town  House.  The  town  instructed  the  committee  "to  make 
it  as  near  as  they  can  like  the  new  house  in  the  West  Pre- 
cinct, except  that  the  steps  "  are  to  be  hansomer :  "  it  was 
also  to  have  the  same  number  of  pews.  There  is  on  record 
the  following  description  of  material  used  for  one  of  the  pul- 
pits, together  with  the  price  :  — 

Seaming  fringe  0  =  10  =  0 

4    Tassels.  1  =    4  =  0 

2    yards  very  fine  Silk  Plush  2  =    0  =  0. 

If  yds  Tickn  for  the  Cushn  0  =    7  =  7. 

4    lbs.  finest  feathers,  a.  f  8  :  0  =  11  =  3. 

Making  Cushn  pm  &  filling  0  =    1  =  6. 

Thus  at  last  both  precincts  were  provided  with  new  meet- 
ing-houses, and  a  matter  was  settled  that  had  occasioned 
much  interest  and  more  or  less  activity  for  nearly  a  quarter 
of  a  century.  Doubtless  participants  in  the  affair  at  the 
beginning  and  during  its  progress  had  passed  away,  and 
before  its  settlement  worshipped  in  a  temple  not  made  with 
hands,  whose  Builder  and  Maker  is  God.  The  intercourse 
between  the  two  precincts  was  pleasant,  and  for  a  while  the 
ministers  exchanged  once  a  month.  For  years  the  salaries 
of  the  two  pastors  were  equal,  and  again  and  again  is  there  a 
receipt  on  the  town  book  for  eighty  pounds  for  each. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

1700-1725. 

Queen  Anne's  War;  Attendant  Hardships.  —  Father  Ralle's  War;  East- 
ern Expedition,  List  of  Sudbury  Soldiers.  —  Ranger  Service ;  Its 
Nature. —  Death  of  Samuel  Mossman. —  Imperilled  Condition  of  Rut- 
land. —  Death  of  Rev.  Joseph  Willard  by  the  Indians.  —  Petition 
for  Assistance. —  List  of  Sudbury  Soldiers  at  Rutland.  —  Captain 
Wright's  Letter.  —  Lieut.  William  Brintnall ;  His  Letter. —  Province 
Loans.  —  River  Meadow.  —  Causeway.  —  Roads.  —  Miscellaneous. 

Straggling  rangers,  worn  with  dangers, 
Homeward  faring,  weary  strangers 

Pass  the  farm-gate  on  their  way ; 
Tidings  of  the  dead  and  living, 
Forest  march  and  ambush  giving, 
Till  the  maidens  leave  their  weaving, 

And  the  lads  forget  their  play. 

Whittier. 

While  ecclesiastical  matters  were  in  process  of  adjust- 
ment in  Sudbury,  and  business  was  being  transacted  to  fur- 
ther the  blessed  gospel  of  peace,  the  community  was  again 
stirred  by  the  rude  sounds  of  strife.  The  red  hand  of  war 
was  once  more  outstretched  for  destruction,  and  requisitions 
for  both  material  and  men  were  again  made  on  the  New 
England  towns.  The  first  war  of  the  period  was  Queen 
Anne's,  so  called  from  Anne  of  Denmark,  who  had  ascended 
the  throne  of  Great  Britain.  It  was  waged  between  England 
and  France,  and,  like  that  of  King  William,  continued  about 
ten  years.  The  province,  to  an  extent,  conducted  the  war  by 
campaigns.  In  1704,  Col.  Benjamin  Church  marched  to  make 
an  attack  on  Acadia.  He  commanded  a  force  of  about  five 
hundred  men,  and  designed  also  to  attack  the  Indians  of  the 

295 


296  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

Penobscot  and  Passamaquody.  In  1710  an  expedition  was 
formed,  commanded  by  General  Nicholson,  which  recovered 
Port  Royal.  In  1711  a  campaign  was  arranged  for  the  cap- 
ture of  Quebec.  For  these,  and  other  warlike  undertakings, 
the  resources  of  the  provincial  towns  were  drawn  upon  ;  and 
the  taxation,  deprivation,  and  loss  attendant  on  these  succes- 
sive drafts  became  a  grievous  burden. 

During  these  years  Sudbury  had  its  part  to  bear.  Although, 
being  removed  from  the  border  it  did  not  suffer  attack,  it 
had  seasons  of  suspense.  In  1706  it  was  rumored  that  a 
large  force  was  coming  to  New  England ;  and  Chelmsford, 
Groton,  and  Sudbury  were  alarmed.  The  next  year  the 
enemy  approached  Groton  and  Marlboro,  but  still  left  Sud- 
bury unmolested.  The  town  is  mentioned  in  a  province 
resolve  of  May,  1704-5,  where  it  is  ordered  "  that  such  and 
so  many  of  the  soldiers  enlisted  in  the  military  companies 
and  troops  within  the  respective  towns  and  districts  herein 
after  named,  shall  each  of  them  at  [his]  own  charge  be  pro- 
vided with  a  pair  of  good  serviceble  snow  shoes,  mogginsons, 
at  or  before  the  tenth  of  November  this  present  year,  which 
they  shall  keep  in  good  repair  and  fit  for  the  service." 
(State  Archives,  Vol.  I.,  p.  247.) 

The  testimony  of  the  town  concerning  the  hardship  of 
the  period  is  given  in  a  protest  before  quoted,  in  which  the 
people  set  forth,  as  a  reason  why  the  parish  should  not  be 
divided,  "  the  Vast  Expenses  which  the  present  wars  and 
expeditions  attending  the  same  calls  and  may  call  for." 

Peace  came  in  1713,  by  the  treaty  made  at  Utrecht,  and 
for  a  time  the  land  had  rest. 

But  the  cessation  of  Indian  hostilities  that  followed  Queen 
Anne's  War  and  the  Peace  of  Utrecht  was  not  long  contin- 
ued. The  war-path  was  soon  again  to  be  trod  by  the  savage, 
and  his  freshly  made  trail  was  to  be  followed  by  the  white 
man  to  bring  back  the  captives  or  recover  the  spoil.  The 
cause  of  the  second  war  of  this  period  was  the  encroachments 
of  the  savage  tribes  in  the  east.  The  Indians  in  the  eastern 
part  of  the  province  (Maine),  instigated,  as  is  supposed,  by 
the  Governor  General  of  Canada,  and  by  the  Jesuits  coming 
among  them,  sought  to  prevent  English  inhabitants  from  a 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  297 

reoccupation  of  the  former  settlements.  For  this  object, 
the  Cape  Sable  and  Penobscot  Indians  joined  with  the  tribes 
of  the  Kennebeck  and  Saco. 

This  savage  alliance  meant  hardship  to  the  frontier  whites. 
Predatory  bands  of  the  foe  lurked  in  the  dark  woodlands, 
and  parts  of  the  province  were  again  kept  on  the  watch. 
Sudbury  was  in  no  instance  assailed,  but  its  soldiers  did  ser- 
vice in  other  parts.  It  had  men  in  the  eastern  expedition, 
which  was  fitted  out  in  1724,  to  operate  against  the  Indians 
on  the  Kennebeck.  Upon  this  river,  at  Norridgewock,  there 
was  an  Abenaki  village,  which  had  been  to  the  English  a 
source  of  trouble,  and  it  was  determined  to  destroy  it. 
When  the  troops  arrived,  the  place  was  found  in  an 
unguarded  condition.  Ralle,  the  Jesuit  missionary,  who 
had  been  the  chief  instigator  of  the  Indian  atrocities,  fell 
dead  in  the  furious  affray.  The  chiefs  Mogg  and  Bomazeen 
also  perished,  and  the  tribe  was  vanquished.  Among  the 
soldiers  in  the  eastern  expedition  are  the  following,  who 
were  in  three  different  companies :  — 

Elijah  Willis,  Jas.  Maynard, 

Isaac  Rice,  Barth0  Stephenson, 

John  Gould,  Sargent,  Joseph  Woodward, 

John  Barker,  Clerk,  Nathan  Walker. 
Thomas  Gates. 

(State  Archives,  Vol.  XCIII.,  pp.  131-46.) 

RANGER    SERVICE. 

Sudbury  rendered  the  country  service,  not  only  by  its  sol- 
diers in  the  conspicuous  campaign,  but  also  by  its  rangers 
in  a  less  ostensible  service,  made  up  of  such  marchings  and 
scoutings  as  helped  to  harass  and  hinder  the  foe.  They 
ranged  the  frontier  as  a  faithful  border  guard,  and  stood 
between  homestead  and  savage  invaders,  who  lurked  ready 
to  swoop  down  on  the  defenseless  home,  and  make  captive 
or  kill  the  inmates. 

In  this  service  one  of  the  Sudbury  men  lost  his  life  under 
peculiarly  sad  and  touching  circumstances.  Says  the  narra- 
tor :   "At  evening  one  of  our  men  viz:   Samuel  Mossman  of 


298  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

Sudbury,  being-  about  encamping,  took  hold  of  his  gun  that 
stood  among  some  Bushes,  drew  it  towards  him  with  the 
muzzle  towards  him,  some  Twigg  caught  hold  of  the  Cock, 
the  Gun  went  off  and  shot  him  through,  he  died  immedi- 
ately." (Letter  of  John  White  to  the  authorities.  State 
Archives,  Vol.  LXXIL,  p.  230.)  Thus  a  lone  grave  in  the 
wilderness  was  prepared  for  a  soldier  of  Sudbury.  What 
other  instances  of  accident,  hardship,  and  loss  may  have  been 
sustained  in  service  like  this,  there  are  none  now  to  relate  ; 
but  the  very  nature  of  this  border  warfare  is  suggestive  of 
hardship,  of  hair-breadth  escapes,  of  exposure  to  wilderness 
perils,  to  rough  weather  and  the  tricks  of  a  war}'  foe. 

One  place  in  which  Sudbury  soldiers  did  valuable  service 
at  this  time  was  Rutland.  This  town  was  frontier  territory, 
and  for  thirty  years  had  suffered  more  or  less  from  savage 
incursions.  As  has  been  noticed,  it  was  settled  largely  by 
people  from  Sudbury  (see  Chap.  IX.);  and  naturally  the 
town  would  be  interested  in  their  kinsmen  or  former  citi- 
zens. 

About  the  time  of  which  we  write,  several  of  the  inhabi- 
tants had  been  killed  or  captured.  Among  the  former  was 
their  minister,  Rev.  Joseph  Willard.  The  circumstances  at- 
tending this  death  were  peculiarly  sad.  Mr.  Willard  had 
been  called  to  the  ministry  of  the  Rutland  church,  and 
was  to  have  been  ordained  in  the  fall.  One  day  in  August, 
being  out  with  his  gun  hunting,  or  to  collect  fodder  for  his 
cattle,  he  was  suddenly  beset  by  two  Indians.  They  fired 
upon  him,  but  without  effect.  He  returned  the  fire,  wound- 
ing one  of  them  ;  the  other  closed  in  for  a  hand-to-hand 
fight,  when  three  more  Indians  came  to  his  assistance,  and 
together  they  gained  the  mastery,  and  killed  and  scalped 
their  victim. 

Such  was  the  exposed  condition  of  the  early  settlers  at 
Rutland  in  this  gloomy  period.  February,  1724-5,  they  sent 
a  petition  to  Governor  Dummer  for  help,  in  which  they 
stated  that  "the  summer  previous  they  laboured  under  great 
difficulty  &  hardship  by  reason  of  the  Avar  with  the  Indian 
enemy,  and  not  being  able  to  raise  their  corn  and  other  pro- 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  299 

visions,  so  that  they  were  obliged  to  travel  near  twenty  miles 
for  the  same,  and  purchase  it  at  a  very  dear  rate,  which  ren- 
der it  very  difficult  to  subsist  themselves  and  their  families, 
more  especially  ye  soldiers  posted  there."  They  desired  that 
more  might  be  added  to  the  five  soldiers  already  allowed 
them. 

This  indicates  the  imperilled  condition  of  the  place.  Pred- 
atory bands  were  lurking  about  it.  The  woodlands  were  a 
covert  from  which  the  savage  might  suddenly  sally,  and  in 
whose  dark  forest  retreat  he  might  safety  secure  his  prey. 
At  any  time  the  people  might  suffer  attack.  Their  harvest, 
their  homes,  their  households,  were  alike  liable  to  be  devas- 
tated and  swept  away.  But  strong  men  were  sent  to  defend 
them,  stout  hearts  were  soon  there  ;  and  to  a  large  extent 
these  came  from  the  town  of  Sudbury.  Again  and  again 
were  detachments  sent  from  the  place.  Some  of  the  soldiers 
for  this  service  were  under  the  command  of  Capt.  Samuel 
Willard.  In  his  journal  he  speaks  of  mustering  at  the  town 
of  Lancaster  one  day,  and  moving  on  to  Rutland  the  next; 
of  laying  by  in  foul  weather,  of  marching  back  and  forth 
through  the  country,  and  of  seeing  and  following  the  signs 
of  Indians.  The  service  spoken  of  was  from  July  to  August, 
1725.  In  the  course  of  his  narrative  he  speaks  of  William 
Briritnall  being  sick,  and  of  David  How  being  lame,  both 
of  whom  he  sent  home.  (State  Archives,  Vol.  XXXVIII., 
pp.  109,  110.)  These  two  men  were  soldiers  from  Sudbury. 
Another  commander  under  whom  the  Sudbury  soldiers  served 
was  Capt.  Samuel  Wright.  (See  p.  170.)  On  a  muster-roll 
of  Captain  Wright,  read  in  Council,  June  17,  1724,  are  the 
following  names  of  Sudbury  men  who  had  served  for  several 
months  :  — 

Daniel  How,  Lieut.  Hugh  Ditson, 

Corp.  Joseph  Bennet,  Wm  Thompson, 

John  Norcross,  Gentl.  Jona  Stanhope, 

Isaac  Gibbs,  Daniel  Bowker. 

Amnill  Weeks,  servant  to  Samuel  Stevens. 

In  another  muster-roll,  consented  to  in  1724,  are  the  fol- 
lowing names :    Samuel  How,  Sergt.  Joseph  Bennet,  Corp. 


300  HISTORY   OF    SUDBURY. 

Hugh  Ditson,  William  Thompson,  John  Ross,  son  to  James 
Ross,  Amnil  Weeks,  servant  to  Samuel  Stevens.  In  another 
muster-roll  of  Captain  Wright,  examined  in  1725,  are  the 
names  of  Serg.  Daniel  How,  Mark  Voice  [Vose],  Daniel 
Mackdonald,  Richard  Burk.  Other  rolls  examined  in  1725 
have  the  names  of  Daniel  Bowker,  Abner  Cutler,  Charles 
Adams,  Elias  Parmenter,  and  Pegin,  a  Natic  Indian.  (State 
Archives,  Vol.  XCI.) 

It  was  in  the  year  1724  that  an  occurence  took  place  which 
shows  the  perils  of  the  times,  and  the  nature  of  the  service 
to  which  our  rangers  were  called.  Says  Captain  Wright  in 
a  letter  to  the  Court :  — 

These  are  to  inform  your  Honors  that  what  I  feared  is  come  upon  us 
for  want  [of  men]  to  guard  us  at  our  work,  this  day  about  12  o'clock  five 
men  and  a  boy  [were]  making  hay  in  the  middle  of  the  town. 

A  number  of  Indians  surrounded  them  and  shot  first  at  the  boy  which 
alarmed  the  men,  who  ran  for  their  guns,  but  the  Indians  shot  upon 
them,  and  kept  them  from  their  guns,  and  shot  down  three  of  the  men 
and  wounded  another  in  the  arm,  who  got  home,  the  fifth  got  home  with- 
out any  damage. 

The  men  that  are  killed  are  James  Clark,  Joseph  Wood,  Uriah  Ward, 
the  boy  missing  is  James  Clark. 

(State  Archives,  Vol   LXXII.) 

This  matter-of-fact  report  of  Captain  Wright  is  vividly 
su""£restive  of  the  nature  of  that  period.  The  border  settle- 
ments  knew  not  when  they  were  safe.  There  was  poor 
encouragement  to  sow  if  a  foe  might  destroy  the  harvest 
or  keep  the  husbandman  from  its  safe  ingathering.  Yet 
so  it  was.  Spring  with  its  sunshine  and  showers  might 
warm  and  mellow  the  soil,  the  field  be  well  sown,  the  mid- 
summer ripen  the  crops,  and  the  time  of  harvest  promise 
gladness  and  plenty.  A  noontide  stillness  rests  on  the  fruit- 
ful fields.  The  warm,  mellow  haze  of  the  early  autumnal 
day  enwraps  nature  about,  and  the  landscape  is  tranquil  in 
the  mild  air  of  a  New  England  Fall.  All  is  quiet,  save  for 
the  motion  of  the  busy  harvesters  as,  moving  about  amid  the 
rustling  maize,  they  cut  the  stalks  or  gather  the  corn.  But 
the  whole  scene  may  suddenly  change ;  like  the  haymakers 
mentioned  by  Captain  Wright,  so  these  harvesters,  all  uncon- 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  301 

scious  of  what  is  near,  may  be  startled  by  the  rushing  of  sav- 
age feet,  and,  before  they  can  make  any  defense,  be  slain  or 
carried  captive  to  a  far-off  place. 

Before  the  service  closed,  William  Brintnall,  whose  name 
has  been  prominent  on  the  muster-lists,  was  assigned  to  the 
leadership  of  the  little  company  who  was  to  guard  Rutland, 
going  there  as  lieutenant.  The  following  is  a  letter  written 
by  him  to  the  Governor  :  — 

Rutland,  August  19th  1725. 
Honored  sr.  After  my  duty  to  you  presented,  these  are  to  inform 
your  Honors,  that  by  virtue  of  the  Order  I  received  from  you  to  go  to 
Rutland  in  quest  of  the  Indian  Enimies,  and  Scout  about  the  meadow, 
with  twelve  volunteers,  I  have  accordingly  obeyed  said  orders,  by  having 
the  twelve  men,  Eight  of  which  are  Capt.  Willard's  men,  and  Four  who 
I  Enlisted  and  came  to  Rutland  with  these  on  friday  Last,  and  have 
Ever  since  scouted  and  guarded  the  meadow,  for  ye  people  in  their  get- 
ting of  hay,  we  have  discovered  no  signs  of  Indians  as  yet,  but  Expect 
them  dayly,  for  Ensign  Stephens  is  arrived  with  his  son  from  Canada, 
and  saith  that  ye  [there]  was  a  company  designed  for  New  England, 
when  he  came  from  Canada,  he  intends  to  be  at  Boston  with  your 
Honor  on  Monday  next,  all  at  present.  I  remain  your  Hon01"'"*  Ever 
Devoted  Lieut.  Wm  Bkintnall. 

The  new  men  who  I  enlisted  are 

Samu"  Goodenow,  Paul  Brintnall, 

Benj.  Dudley,  Jonathan  Bent. 

Capt.  Willard's  men  are 

William  Brintnall,  Joshua  Parker, 

Danel  How,  Jacob  Moore, 

Cyprian  Wright,  James  Nutting, 

Delivce  Brooks,  Thomas  Lamb. 
(State  Archives,  Vol.  LXXIL,  p.  258.) 

According  to  the  muster-roll  of  Sergeant  Brintnall,  he  and 
his  company  of  volunteers  served  from  Aug.  17,  1725.  Their 
pay  was  four  shillings  per  day,  the  time  of  service  ten  weeks 
and  two  days,  and  their  duty  to  serve  as  a  guard  about  Rut- 
land. William  Brintnall  taught  school  in  Sudbury  shortly 
before  his  enlistment  in  ihe  above  service.  On  the  town 
book  is  the  following  record:  "Received  of  the  Constable  of 
Sudbury,  by  order  of  the  town  Treasurer, 'all  that  was  Due 
to  me  for  keeping  the  school  in  the  year  1722:  1723:  1724. 
Signed  per  William  Brintnall  Sudbury,  Sept.  8,  1726." 


302  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

One  of  the  last  prominent  military  acts  of  this  period  was 
the  disastrous  defeat  of  John  Lovewell  of  Dunstable,  by  the 
Pigwackets,  at  the  present  town  of  Fryeburg,  Me.  At  about 
this  date  the  tribes  ceased  hostilities.  For  a  time  the  war- 
path was  abandoned,  and  it  was  again  safe  for  the  defense- 
less traveller  to  take  the  forest  trail. 

PROVINCE    LOANS. 

In  order  to  meet  the  exigencies  of  the  times,  in  the  year 
1721  the  General  Court  issued  a  loan  to  the  amount  of  fifty 
thousand  pounds.  This  Avas  to  be  distributed  among  the 
several  provincial  towns,  in  what  were  called  bills  of  credit. 
The  distribution  was  according  to  the  taxes  paid  by  the 
towns,  and  was  to  be  returned  to  the  public  treasury  within 
a  certain  length  of  time.  That  Sudbury  took  her  share  of 
the  loan  is  indicated  by  several  payments  which  were  suc- 
cessively made  and  a  record  of  receipts  received.  Of  these 
the  following  is  a  specimen  :  — 

Boston  August  2  :  17:20. 
Received  of  the   Trustees   of  the   town  of  Sudbury  by  Mr.  Daniel 
Haynes,  one  hundred  and  one  pounds,  twelve  shillings,  being  the  first 
fifth  part  of  their  proportion  to  the  ^50,000.  Loan. 

Per.  Allen,  Treasurer. 

From  time  to  time  other  fifths  were  paid,  and  receipts  ren- 
dered therefor,  until  Aug.  12,  1730,  when  the  last  fifth  was 
paid,  and  a  receipt  in  full  was  received.  The  loan  of  1721 
was  followed  by  another  a  few  years  later  to  the  amount 
of  sixty  thousand  pounds.  The  order  authorizing  it  was  en- 
acted in  1728,  and  was  called  "an  act  for  raising  and  settling 
public  revenues  for  and  defraying  the  necessary  charges  of 
the  government  by  an  emission  of  £60,000  in  bills  of  credit." 
(Felt's  "  Historical  Account  of  Massachusetts  Currenc}*," 
p.  84.)     Sudbury  had  a  share  in  this  loan  also. 

While  the  attention  of  the  people  in  this  period  was  largely 
engrossed  with  educational,  ecclesiastical,  and  military  mat- 
ters, the  regular,  routine  business  of  the  town  was  not  neg- 
lected.   Aug.  11, 1702,  "it  was  voted,  that  the  Towne  would 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  303 

send  a  pettione  to  the  general  cort  concerning  our  River 
meadows,  that  are  much  damnified  by  reason  of  many  stop- 
pages, that  the  Generall  Cort  would  ease  us  of  our  tax,  or 
choose  a  committee  to  see  if  it  may  be  helpt,  the  pettione  to 
be  sined  in  the  name  of  the  towne."  This  vote  was  carried 
out,  and  a  petition  was  sent  to  the  Court  jointly  by  Concord 
and  Sudbury.     In  it  they  state  that  they  had  sustained  — 

Grate  damage  by  reason  of  the  water  lying  on  sd  meadow  whereby 
they  are  much  straitened  and  incapacited  to  bear  Town  and  county 
charges,  and  maintain  of  their  families,  and  something  hath  been  done 
in  order  to  the  Lowering  of  the  water  by  Removing  Rocks  and  bars  of 
sand,  and  formerly  there  hath  been  a  committe  sent  up  by  the  general 
court  to  view  the  sd  meadow,  and  they  have  found  the  stoppage  of  water 
may  be  cleared,  but  by  reason  of  different  apprehensions  it  hath  Layne 
ever  since,  we  therefore  humbly  pray  the  Hon1  Court  that  it  impower  a 
committee  to  see  that  the  work  be  done  forthwith,  that  so  the  present 
opportunity  may  not  be  neglected,  and  to  set  us  a  way  that  those  persons 
concerned  in  sd  meadow  may  beare  an  equal  proportion  in  sd  work. 
The  court  resolved  to  appoint  a  committee  of  persons  in  Concord,  Sub- 
bury  and  Hillerica  fully  empowered  to  order  and  determine  what  may  be 
necessary  for  clearing  sd  meadow. 

In  1710  the  town  voted  to  petition  the  General  Court  to 
make  the  long  causeway  "a  county  road."  Feb.  22, 1714-15, 
it  was  requested  "to  see  what  method  the  town  will  take  for 
mending  and  raising  the  causeway  from  the  Town  Bridge  to 
Lieut.  Daniel  Haynes."  On  June  2,  1720,  it  was  requested 
"  to  see  if  the  town  will  raise  the  causeway  from  the  Gravel 
pit  as  far  as  Capt.  Ilaynes'es  old  place,  proportionally  to  the 
aforesaid  Long  Causewa}r  when  mended." 

Feb.  25,  1714-15,  the  town  ordered  that  it  would  choose 
a  committee  of  three  men  to  join  with  Concord  to  view  the 
obstructions  and  stopages  in  the  great  river. 

In  1723-4  a  way  was  laid  out  from  Lanham  to  the  west 
meeting-house.  According  to  the  records,  "the  latter  part 
of  said  way,  bounded  as  follows,  viz.  through  the  ministerial 
land,  near  the  southwesterly  corner,  and  so  on,  something 
northwesterly.  From  thence  it  went,  in  a  straight  line,  to 
Nathaniel  Rice's,  and  so  northerly,  to  the  highway  leading 
to  Lancaster,  near  the  new  meeting  house."  It  is  now 
known  as   the   Old    Graves  Road,  so   called   from   a  house 


304  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

which  stood  just  south  of  the  Old  Lancaster  Road,  at  its 
intersection  with  this  one. 

Dec.  14,  1715,  the  town  voted  that  "  there  be  a  horse 
bridge  built  on  Assabeth  river  :  :  :  and  that  the  selectmen 
do  order  that  ye  bridge  be  erected  and  built  over  assabath 
river  between  ye  land  of  Timothy  Gilson  and  Thomas  Burt's 
land."  In  1717-18  the  town  voted  that  it  would  have  u*  a 
New  bridge  built  over  Sudbury  river  where  the  old  bridge 
now  stands,  at  the  end  of  the  long  Causeway." 

About  1715  a  statement  is  made  in  relation  to  three  pounds 
for  providing  "  a  burying  cloth,  for  ye  towns  use." 

In  1722  there  is  reference  to  two  padlocks,  —  one  for  the 
pound,  another  for  the  stocks,  —  indicating  that  the  unruly 
were  subject  to  restraint  and  discipline. 

May  13,  1723,  it  was  voted  to  choose  a  committee  to  pre- 
sent a  petition  to  the  General  Court  "  to  prevent  ye  stopage 
of  ye  fish  in  Concord  and  Sudbury  river." 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

1725-1750. 

Highways. —  Bridges.  —  Schools. —  Movement  for  a  New  Township; 
Remonstrances.  —  Petition  Relating  to  the  River  Meadows.  —  Sale 
of  Peter  Noyes's  Donation  of  the  Hop  Brook  Mill.  —  Gratuities  to 
the  Ministers.  —  Miscellaneous  Matters. 

The  years  with  change  advance. 

Tennyson. 

The  period  upon  which  we  now  enter  was  an  eventful 
one  throughout  the  whole  country.  Three  governors,  Bur- 
nett, Belcher,  and  Shirley,  bore  rule.  Burnett  died  in  1729, 
Belcher  left  office  in  1740,  and  Shirley  entered  upon  the 
office  in  1741.  During  the  latter  part  of  this  period  war 
again  called  to  the  front  the  provincial  forces,  and  the 
towns  were  to  hear  its  stern  voice  and  to  feel  its  rude 
shock.  Before,  however,  the  season  of  strife  set  in,  there 
was  a  brief  season  of  peace.  During  this  respite  the  town 
made  advancement.  The  tokens  of  increasing  prosperity 
were  manifest  in  the  construction  of  highways  and  bridges, 
and  the  attention  given  to  miscellaneous  matters. 

HIGHWAYS. 

Of  these  improvements  we  will  notice,  first,  those  relating 
to  highways.  This  subject  had  more  prominence  than  in  the 
preceding  period,  the  reasons  for  which  are  obvious  ;  as  time 
passed  on  new  clearings  were  made  upon  which  to  locate 
new  homes,  and  new  homes  perhaps  demanded  new  roads. 
The  last  period  was  one  of  war ;  new  facilities  may  have 
been  postponed  till  better  times.  Furthermore,  the  forma- 
tion of  the  west  precinct  doubtless  called  for  new  roads. 
With  a  meeting-house  at  Rocky  Plain,  and  a  community 
beginning  to  gather,  new  paths  were  to  be  opened  to  it. 

305 


306  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

In  1735-6  a  way  is  mentioned  as  "  beginning-  at  Marl- 
borough road,  at  Mr.  Abraham  Woods  shop  until  it  comes 
to  Lieut.  John  Haynes."  About  the  same  time  is  the  state- 
ment of  a  change  of  highway  from  Whale's  Bridge  over 
Pine  Plain  (Wayland),  a  part  of  which  way  is  spoken  of  in 
connection  with  Jonathan  Grout's  land.  In  1736  a  new 
highway  is  spoken  of  over  Pine  Brook  at  John  Grout's. 
In  1733  the  town  accepted  of  a  road  "laid  out  by  Samuel 
Dakins  to  Concord  line,  and  so  into  the  road  leading  to  Stow 
by  Mr.  Jonathan  Browns  in  sd  town."  Also  at  the  same 
meeting  "a  way  for  the  upper  end  of  little  Gulf  at  Mr. 
Samuel  Noyes  land  by  David  Maynards  to  Pantry  Bridge." 
In  1734  a  way  was  laid  out  "from  Landham  to  Sudbury  part 
of  the  way  to  go  through  the  land  of  John  Goodnow  and 
part  land  of  Isaac  Reed."  About  1735-o  a  way  is  spoken  of 
"  from  Landham  to  the  Clay  pits  on  the  east  side  of  Paul 
Brintnal's  barn."  During  this  period  "  Zackriah  Hurd  was 
to  make  a  new  way  lastly  laid  out  by  John  Grout's  by  a 
Jury,"  "a  substantial,  passable  County  Road."  In  1742  a 
highway  was  "  accepted  for  the  County  road  by  the  town 
bridge  to  Sedge  meadow."  The  next  year  Eliab  Moore  was 
allowed  "to  set  up  gates  or  bars  and  fence  from  the  highway 
leading  from  the  town  bridge  to  Sedge  meadow."  Towards 
the  end  of  the  period  a  highway  is  spoken  of  "from  Honey 
Pot  Brook  through  Jabez  Puffer's  land."  In  1728  the  town 
accepted  of  a  highway  "from  the  centre  road  by  the  house 
of  Joseph  Moore  by  the  training  field  till  it  come  into  the 
Concord  road."  In  1729-30  it  was  voted  "  to  accept  the 
way  laid  out  from  Thomas  Smiths  to  the  west  meeting 
house."  This  was  to  go  "through  Pantry."  In  1730  men- 
tion is  made  of  a  way  from  "  Non  sidge  round  hill  by  Peter 
Bent's  into  town."  Also  a  highway  is  spoken  of  from 
Lancaster  road  "beginning  at  Mr.  Peter  Plympton's  land 
leading  into  Gulf  neck,  by  David  Parmenters  and  Uriah 
Wheelers,  by  the  training  field,  and  so  into  same  road  at 
Lake  end."  A  way  is  also  spoken  of  in  1729,  in  the  east 
precinct  of  Sudbury,  "  from  Non  Such  Round  hill  to  the 
meeting  house  in  said  Precinct."  In  this  period  there  is 
mentioned  a  road  "  from   the   New  bridge,  by  Mr.  Joseph 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  307 

Stones   In  sd    Towne   to   the  road  leading  to   Framinoham 
by  Mr.  Benjamin  Stones  In  sd  town." 

As  might  be  expected,  when  so  much  attention  was  paid 
to  the  highways,  the  causeways  and  bridges  were  not  neg- 
lected. In  1733  two  men  were  to  repair  the  bridge  at  the 
east  side  of  the  causeway,  "  so  as  }re  said  butments  may  not 
be  washed  down  or  be  carried  away  by  ye  floods  as  in  times 
past."  In  1735  new  plank  was  provided  "for  the  Grat  bridg 
at  the  East  End  of  the  Long  Causewa."  About  1743  a  sub- 
scription was  made  for  a  bridge  between  the  land  of  "John 
Haynes  on  the  west  side  the  river  and  John  Woodward  on 
the  east  side  the  river,  and  Mr.  Edward  Sherman  and  John 
Woodward,  agreed,  if  the  subscribers  would  erect  the  bridge, 
to  give  a  good  and  conveniant  way,  two  rods  wide  through 
their  land."  In  1747  Jonathan  Rice  rebuilt  Lanham  Bridge, 
and  received  for  the  same  five  pounds.  The  next  year  there 
is  a  record  as  follows :  "  To  Matthew  Gibbs  for  Rum  &  for 
raising  Landham  Bridge  12  Shillings."  In  1726-7  it  was 
voted  to  expend  on  the  "  long  causeway  from  the  town 
bridge  to  the  gravel  pit  one  hundred  pounds."  In  1729  the 
town  voted  to  build  a  new  bridge  at  the  east  end  of  the  long 
causeway.  In  connection  with  this  record  we  have  the  two 
following  of  about  the  same  date:  that  "part  of  the  effects 
of  the  old  meeting  house  "  was  to  be  paid  toward  the  build- 
ing of  the  bridge  over  Sudbury  River.  The  other  is  this 
report  of  the  committee  chosen  by  the  town  to  build  a 
bridge  at  the  eastern  end  of  the  long  causeway:  "To  David 
Baldwin  for  frame  of  Bridge,  37  pounds.  To  twelve  men  to 
raise  said  bridge,  who  went  into  ye  water  3  pounds."  Other 
items  were  given,  among  which  is  this:  "For  Drink  &c. 
os  ld."  (Date,  1729.)  On  the  town  records,  dated  Nov.  28, 
1730,  is  the  following :  "  Received  of  the  selectmen  of  said 
town  [Sudbury]  four  pounds  and  ten  shillings  in  full  dis- 
charge for  building  a  bridge  for  said  town  over  the  brook  by 
Mr.  Abraham  Woods  in  Sudbury  [South  Sudbury].  I  say 
received  per  John  Goodnow." 

EDUCATION. 
During  this  period  educational   advantages  were  on   the 
gain.     In  1732  a  school-house  was   built  on  the   east  side. 


308  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

In  1735  the  town  voted  thirty  pounds  for  the  support  of 
public  schools.  The  next  year  the  town  granted  twenty 
pounds  for  the  out-schooling  in  said  town,  three  parts  for 
the  west  and  two  for  the  east  side  of  the  river.  In  1733  the 
committee  were  instructed  "  not  to  exceed  sixty  pounds  for 
the  schools  ye  year  ensuing."  In  1734  it  voted  thirty  pounds 
for  the  grammar  school  in  Sudbury;  also  voted  that  their 
representative  present  a  petition  to  the  General  Court  in 
behalf  of  the  town  for  a  school-farm  in  some  of  the  unappro- 
priated land.  In  1734  it  "granted  30  pounds  to  support 
schools  at  the  school  house,  and  twenty  pounds  for  and 
towards  schools  in  the  out  parts  or  quarters  of  sd  town  for 
that  year.'  In  1735-6  Amos  Smith  asked  to  have  the  gram- 
mar school  removed  into  the  several  out-parts  of  the  town 
"for  the  futer;"  but  the  town  voted  in  the  negative.  In 
1740  it  was  ordered  that  the  grammar  school  should  be  kept 
"  in  the  five  remote  corners  of  the  town,  as  it  hath  formerly 
been  from  the  8th  day  of  December  until  ye  end  of  October 
next."  In  1747  the  town  voted  that  the  schools  should  be 
kept  at  five  places,  "at  the  school  house  near  Nathan  Good- 
now's,  at  that  near  Israel  Mosses,  and  at  or  near  the  house 
of  Mr.  Elijah  Haynes,  at  or  near  the  house  of  Dea.  James 
Brewer  as  can  conveniantly  Bee,  and  ye  school  belonging  to 
ye  farm  near  Mr.  Smiths."  Thus  former  school  privileges 
were  still  kept  up,  while  new  opportunities  were  extended  to 
districts  more  remote. 

MOVEMENT   FOR    A   NEW    TOWNSHIP. 

While  the  town  was  thus  making  perceptible  progress, 
and  the  tokens  of  wholesome  prosperity  were  appearing  here 
and  there,  an  occurrence  arose  which  was  thought  to  be  por- 
tentous of  undesirable  things.  This  was  an  attempt,  in  the 
year  1739-40,  by  a  portion  of  the  Sudbury  inhabitants  to 
colonize  and  become  a  new  town.  The  movement  was  made 
jointly  by  parties  from  Framingham,  Sudbury,  Marlboro,  and 
Stow.  A  petition  was  sent  by  them  to  the  General  Court, 
March  14,  1739,  in  which  they  ask  to  be  made  a  "separate 
Township,  invested  with  proper  liberties  and  privileges,  and 
as  such  proposing  our  centre  at  a  pine  tree  with  a  heap  of 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  309 

stones  round  it."  The  reasons  they  gave  were  that  "  we 
have  for  a  long  time  been  greatly  incommoded,  and  labored 
undere  great  difficulties  as  to  an  attendance  on  ye  means  of 
grace,  publickly  dispensed,  by  reason  of  ye  great  distance 
from  ye  place  of  ye  public  worship  in  ye  towns  to  which  we 
respectively  belong,  some  of  our  houses  being  three,  four, 
five  and  six  miles  therefrom,  and  ye  roads  very  difficult  espe- 
cially at  some  seasons  of  ye  year."  They  further  state  "  we 
apprehend  ourselves  capable  by  the  blessing  of  Heaven  on 
our  lawful  endeavor  to  support  ye  charges  y*  may  accrue." 
This  was  signed  by  forty-three  persons.  The  Court  received 
the  petition,  and  by  an  act  of  the  House  of  Representatives, 
March  14,  1739,  it  was  ordered  that  the  petitioners  "serve 
the  towns  represented  by  it  with  a  copy  of  the  petition,  that 
they  might  be  present  at  the  next  May  session,  and  show 
cause,  if  they  had  such,  why  it  should  not  be  granted." 
(State  Archives,  Vol.  XII.,  p.  137.) 

Sudbury  was  duly  represented  at  the  appointed  time. 
The  town  voted,  May,  19,  1740,  "that  Capt.  John  Haynes 
&  Mr.  John  Woodward  Be  a  committee  fully  impowered  in 
the  town's  behalf  To  go  to  the  Great  &  General  Court  or 
assembly  to  give  our  reasons  why  ye  prayer  of  the  Petition 
of  Sundry  inhabitants  of  Sudbury,  Framingham  and  Stow 
should  not  be  granted  as  set  forth  in  the  petition."  When 
the  case  was  called  up  by  the  Court,  the  delegates  in  behalf 
of  the  town  presented  the  protest.  In  the  document  that 
contains  it  they  set  forth  several  reasons  why  the  petition  of 
David  Howe  and  other  inhabitants  of  Sudbury,  Marlboro, 
Framingham,  and  Stow,  dated  March  14,  1739,  should  not 
be  granted.  They  state  that  "  there  in  an  uncertainty " 
about  the  petition  ;  that  the  town  does  not  know  what 
damage  it  is  likely  to  sustain  by  loss  of  population  or  land ; 
that  to  weaken  the  town  would  tend  to  discourage  the  min- 
isters, who  have  several  times  applied  for  more  salary,  which 
would  very  readily  be  granted  if  the  ability  of  the  town  would 
admit  of  the  same.     They  refer  to  the  — 

Very  great  charge  that  the  town  hath  lately  been  at  in  building  2 
meeting  houses,  2  school  houses,  and  settling  2  ministers  together  with 
several  great  bridges  and  sundry  long  and  difficult  causeways,  which 


310  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

with  the  continual  accompanying  changes  of  the  said  town,  make  the 
burthen  in  a  great  measure  insupportable  on  many  of  the  inhabitants, 
and  if  any  should  be  taken  from  said  town,  it  would  make  the  burthen 
still  heavier.  That  the  meeting  house  on  the  west  side  of  Sudbury  river 
was  placed  by  a  committee  of  this  Hon.  Court,  where  the  Petitioners 
desired  it,  and  that  they  signed  to  the  place  where  the  meeting  house 
now  standeth  with  their  own  hands,  and  yet  many  of  the  inhabitants  on 
the  west  side  of  said  River,  live  at  a  greater  distance,  from  the  west 
meeting  house  than  any  of  the  Petitioners.  The  very  great  difficulties 
that  the  town  of  Sudbury  is  under  by  reason  of  the  floods  that  in  the 
summer  season  often  overflow  our  meadows,  and  so  damage  our  hay  and 
grain,  that  makes  many  of  the  inhabitants  of  said  town  so  weak,  that 
instead  of  bearing  charges  in  the  town  apply  themselves  for  relief,  all 
which  reasons  and  considerations  lay  the  town  of  Sudbury  under  a 
necessity  of  claiming  those  privileges  granted  to  them  by  the  Royal 
Charter  in  the  following  words,  viz.  That  all  and  any  land,  tenements, 
hereditaments,  and  all  other  estate,  which  any  person  or  persons,  or  bod- 
ies, politic  or  Corporate  Towns,  do  hold  or  enjoy  or  ought  to  hold  and 
enjoy,  within  the  bounds  aforesaid,  by  or  under  any  grant  or  estate  duly 
made  or  granted  by  any  General  Court  formerly  held,  or  by  any  other 
lawful  right  or  title  whatever  shall  be  by  such  Towns  their  Respective 
Heirs,  successors,  assigns,  forever  hereafter  held  and  enjoyed  according 
to  the  Import  and  patent  of  such  respective  grant. 

We  therefore  pray  this  Hon.  Court  to  take  the  Premises  into  ye  wise 
consideration  and  dismiss  the  before  recited  Petition,  and  so  resting  we 
Crave  leave  to  subscribe  our  Selves  your  Excellency's  and  Honor's  most 
humble  servants,  who  as  in  duty  bound  shall  ever  pray. 

T  TT  i    Committee 

John  Haynes         / 

John  Woodward  (  °r 

)      Sudbury. 

A  remonstance  to  the  petition  was  also  sent  by  the  town 
of  Framingham,  and  the  request  of  the  petitioners  for  a  new 
township  was  not  granted. 

RIVER    MEADOWS. 

July  15,  1742,  a  petition  was  presented,  signed  by  Israel 
Loring  and  about  seventy-five  others,  relating  to  the  river 
meadows.  It  was  directed  to  His  Excellency,  William 
Shirley,  Esq.,  Captain  General  and  Governor,  and  was  as 
follows  :  — 

The  petition  of  us  who  are  the  subscribers,  who  are  the  major  part  of 
owners  and  propriters  of  the  meadows  lying  upon  the  river  called  Con- 
cord and  Sudbury  River,  Humbly  showeth,  that  wheras  your  petitioners 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  311 

have  and  do  often  times  suffer  very  great  damages  both  in  our  hay  as 
well  as  our  grass,  by  reason  of  the  floods  which  hath  and  do  very  often 
over  flow  and  stand  a  long  time  upon  our  said  meadows,  and  great  cause 
whereof  as  we  humbly  conceive  in  the  many  bars  and  stoppages  which 
are  in  the  river,  and  sundry  of  these  within  the  bounds  of  Concord  and 
Sudbury,  whereof  our  humble  request  is  that  your  Excellency  and 
Honors  would  be  pleased  to  appoint  for  a  relief,  as  in  your  great  wis- 
dom you  shall  think  best,  commissioners  of  sewers  (as  the  law  directs  in 
such  causes)  with  full  power  to  act  and  do  for  our  relief  what  may  be 
thought  by  them  in  our  case  needful  and  necessary  for  the  removal  of 
said  bars  and  stoppages  that  are  in  the  said  river  &c,  all  which  is  humbly 
submitted,  and  your  petitioners  as  in  duty  bound  shall  ever  pray.  (State 
Archives,  Vol.  CV.,  p.  209.) 

There  was  a  further  list  of  sixty-two  names  given  in  an 
additional  part,  dated  December,  1742,  accompanied  by  a 
statement  that  the  signers  did  not  have  opportunity  to  sign 
the  first  petition. 

SALE   OF   HOP   BROOK  MILL. 

In  1699  the  town  chose  a  committee  to  receive  a  donation 
given  by  Mr.  Peter  Noyes,  late  of  Sudbury,  to  the  poor  of 
the  town.  This  donation  consisted  of  his  mill.  After  the 
town  took  possession  of  this  property,  it  was  leased  for  a 
term  of  years  to  Mr.  Abraham  Wood.  On  the  town  record 
is  the  following  reason  for  granting  this  lease  :  — 

Wheras  the  tovvne  taking  into  consideration  the  gift  that  Ensign 
Peter  Noyes  hath  given  to  ye  poore  of  our  towne  namely  ye  mills,  com- 
monly called  by  ye  name  of  ye  new  mills,  with  ye  lands  and  privilleges 
belonging  to  ye  same  and  being  sensible  that  ye  letting  of  it  yearly,  will 
be  a  means  to  bring  ye  sd  mills  and  housen  to  decay  and  in  time  utter 
ruine,  in  which  will  be  a  great  wrong  to  our  poore,  and  that  will  not 
answer  ye  end  of  ye  (Townes)  doner,  Therefore  in  respect  to  both  [him] 
and  our  own  good  which  is  involved  in  ye  same,  we  therefore  by  a  vote, 
grant  liberty  to  them  that  are  concerned  as  to  ye  disposal  of  said  gift,  to 
dispose  of  it  for  years  as  they  shall  see  cause  for  ye  benefit  and  in  behalf 
of  ye  poore  of  ye  towne  of  Sudbury. 

March  ye  19th,  1700.  This  was  passed  into  an  act  by  ye  towne  by  a 
magger  vote. 

In  1728-9  it  was  voted  to  sell  the  mills,  and  give  a  deed 
in  the  name  of  the  town.  The  heirs  of  the  donor  had  laid 
claim  to  a  considerable  part  of  his  gift  ;  a  lawsuit  had  com- 


812  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

menced,  and  the  town  had  voted  money  to  defend  the  prop- 
erty ;  the  town,  therefore,  voted  to  sell  the  same  for  the 
sum  of  seven  hundred  pounds.  The  money  was  to  be  put 
on  interest  for  the  use  of  the  poor,  and  to  be  disposed  of  by 
the  selectmen  and  ministers.  The  property  was  purchased 
by  Messrs.  Abraham  Wood,  Sen.,  and  Abraham  Wood,  Jr. 
The  following  record  was  made  concerning  the  sale:  "These 
may  certify  that  the  subscribers,  selectmen  of  the  town  of 
Sudbury,  have  received  the  bonds  or  security  given  by  Mi- 
Abraham  Wood  Sen.  and  Abraham  Wood  Jun.  for  seven 
hundred  pounds  Province  Bills,  in  full  of  and  at  the  hands 
of  Noah  Clapp,  Uriah  Wheeler,  and  John  Ilayns.  Barin 
date  Mar.  13th  1728  :  9." 

In  1730-1  the  town  petitioned  the  General  Court  "  that 
the  Great  Bridge  over  Charles  river  may  not  be  built,  but  a 
ferry  erected  instead." 

The  four  records  following  show  the  kindness  the  town 
exercised  towards  its  ministers:  In  1733  it  voted  to  give 
Rev.  Mr.  Cook  twenty  pounds  in  money  towards  making  up 
for  the  loss  of  his  barn,  which  it  is  said  was  agreeable  to  a 
petition  of  some  inhabitants  of  Sudbury ;  it  also  voted,  at 
the  same  meeting,  to  give  the  ministers  a  gratuity  of  forty 
pounds  each  for  the  year  ;  in  1734  the  town  voted  that  Rev. 
Mr.  Minot  should  have  five  pounds  for  preaching  three  days 
when  Mr.  Loring  was  lame ;  in  1735  the  ministers  were  to 
have  so  much  as  to  make  their  salaries,  including  the  wood, 
a  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  each  of  them. 

In  1739  an  article  was  in  the  warrant  "  to  see  if  the  town 
will  grant  money  to  provide  more  ammunition  to  the  town's 
stock." 

In  1740  the  town  "voted  to  procure  another  meeting  house 
bell  as  good  as  the  one  they  had." 

In  1741  the  following  items  were  inserted  in  the  town 
book :  "  To  Dr  Roby  for  medicine  administered  to  Frank, 
negro  woman."  "Granted  ten  pounds  for  cutting  and  clear- 
ing the  brush  growing  or  standing  around  the  west  meeting 
house."  Granted  twenty  pounds  for  the  relief  of  the  [poor 
of  the]   town.     "  Granted   to  Joseph   Muggins  and  Joseph 


THE    WOODS    OR    ALLEN    HOUSE. 
The  oldest  house  in  South  Sudbury,  and  the  author's  birthplace. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  313 

Goodnow,  to  take  the  care  of,  arid  sweep  the  meeting  houses 
in  sd  town,  and  take  care  of  the  two  school  houses  in  sd  town, 
at  forty  shillings  apiece,  old  tenor,  End  the  year  ensuing." 
"  To  Thomas  Reed  for  what  he  did  for  Frank,  Negro,  in 
ye  time  of  her  last  sickness." 

In  1746-7  "a  committee  was  chosen  to  show  cause  to  the 
General  session  why  the  wife  and  children  of  Edward  Joyn 
should  not  be  deemed  inhabitants  of  the  town." 

In  1747  "  an  agent  or  agents  were  appointed  to  prosecute 
such  person  or  persons  as  have  Broken  the  meeting  house 
Bell  Belonging  to  said  Town,  now  hanging  in  the  School 
house  near  the  East  meeting  house,  In  said  town." 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

1725-1750. 

Third  French  and  Indian  War.  —  Sudbury  Soldiers  at  Cape  Breton.— 
Fort  No.  4,  N.H.  —  Capt.  Phineas  Stevens.  —  Sketch  of  His  Life.—' 
His  Service  in  Connection  with  the  Building  and  Defense  of  the  Fort. 
■ —  Capt.  Josiah  Brown.  —  Engagement  with  French  and  Indians  about 
the  Fort.  —  Petition  of  Captain  Brown.  —  Petition  of  Jonathan  Stan- 
hope.—  Battle  between  the  Forces  of  Captain  Stevens  and  General 
Debeline. —  Expedition  of  Captain  Hobbs.  —  Battle  between  the  Com- 
mands of  Captain  Hobbs  and  Chief  Sackett.  —  Sketch  of  Capt.  Josiah 
Brown.  —  List  of  Captain  Brown's  Troopers. 

He  cometh  unto  you  with  a  tale  which  holdeth  children  from  play,  and 
old  men  from  the  chimney-corner.  —  Sir  Philip  Sidney. 

Having  considered  the  records  of  a  short  interval  of  peace 
in  this  period,  we  again  turn  to  the  annals  of  war.  England 
and  France  were  again  to  engage  in  strife.  This  war  has 
had  various  names.     It  has  been  called  in  America  "  King 


314  HTSTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

George's  War,"  but  in  England  "  The  War  of  the  Austrian 
Succession."  It  has  also  been  called  "  The  Cape  Breton 
War,"  and  "The  French  and  Indian  War."  The  latter  term 
is  appropriate,  but  might  tend  to  mislead,  since  other  wars 
have  occurred  with  these  parties.  A  suitable  term  for  it  may 
be  "The  Third  French  War." 

The  war  was  declared  in  1744,  and  continued  till  the 
peace  of  Aix-la-Chapelle,  in  1748.  Its  principal  event  was 
the  capture  of  Louisburg,  a  French  stronghold  at  Cape  Bre- 
ton, which  had  been  called,  because  of  its  strength,  the 
Gibraltar  of  America.  It  had  been  built  since  the  peace 
treaty  of  Utrecht,  at  great  expense,  but  after  a  forty-nine 
days'  siege  it  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  English.  The  troops 
for  its  capture  were  from  Massachusetts,  Connecticut,  Rhode 
Island,  and  New  Hampshire.  The  men  suffered  much  before 
the  place  surrendered,  but  when  the  work  was  at  length 
accomplished  there  was  rejoicing  throughout  the  province. 
Sudbury  soldiers  assisted  at  the  capture  of  this  place.  The 
following  is  a  list  of  some  of  the  men  :  — 

Samuel  Osborne,  Silas  Balcom,  John  Underwood,  Samuel  Balcom, 
John  Rice,  Reuben  Vose,  Ruben  Moore,  John  Nixon  [at  this  time  of 
Framingham,  afterwards  of  Sudbury],  Lieut  Estabrook,  Lieut.  Augustus 
Moore,  Abijah  Walker,  Micah  Parmenter,  Jas.  Balcom,  Eben  Mossman, 
James  Balcom. 

Besides  service  in  connection  with  this  prominent  event  in 
the  war,  there  was  another  service  with  which  Sudbury  sol- 
diers were  connected,  which,  though  less  prominent  than  the 
one  just  mentioned,  was  of  vast  importance  to  the  country. 
This  was  the  work  of  a  border  guard,  or  manning  the  fron- 
tier forts.  As  in  other  contests  between  England  and  France, 
when  hostilities  broke  out  in  America  there  was  a  wild  border 
conflict  with  a  mixed  savage  and  civilized  foe.  Tribes  not 
friendly  to  the  English,  nor  bound  to  them  by  treaty  alle- 
giance, hastened  to  aid  their  old  allies,  the  French,  in  Can- 
ada, and  strewed  their  pathway  thither  with  sad  marks  of 
their  mission  and  of  their  impatience  to  begin  the  strife. 

A  confederation  thus  formed  by  the  Indians  and  French 
meant  terror  to  the  English   frontier.     Predatory  bands  of 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  315 

savages  again  took  the  trail.  The  woodlands  again  resounded 
with  their  rude  shouts;  and  the  sunny  hillsides  and  fair  inter- 
vales by  the  northern  New  England  streams  were  again  trod 
and  retrod  by  the  Indian  in  his  sly  search  for  human  prey. 

To  protect  these  defenseless  places,  and  form  a  rendezvous 
into  which  the  people  could  flee,  and  at  the  same  time  fur- 
nish quarters  for  such  a  military  guard  as  might  be  sent  to 
intercept  the  foe,  was  of  very  great  importance.  To  accom- 
plish these  objects  there  was  erected  by  the  province  and  the 
towns  a  cordon  of  block-houses  and  forts.  Several  of  these 
were  situated  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Connecticut  River,  of 
which  the  most  northerly  was  called  No.  4,  and  was  at  what 
is  now  Charlestown,  N.H.  This  fortification  was  notable  for 
the  frequent  attack  and  repulse  of  the  enemy.  It  was  in  the 
direct  track  of  the  French  and  Indians  as  they  swept  down 
from  Canada,  by  way  of  Lake  Champlain  and  Montreal,  on 
their  way  to  the  frontier  towns  of  Massachusetts.  To  take 
this  fort  was  considered  of  great  importance  by  the  enemy, 
who  hovered  about  it  as  a  coveted  prize  ;  and  it  was  of  equal 
importance  to  the  English  to  retain  it. 

In  the  holding  of  this  wilderness  fortress,  and  in  military 
operations  in  the  vicinity,  Sudbun^  soldiers  had  a  prominent 
share.  The  commander  of  the  fort  was  Phineas  Stevens, 
a  native  of  Sudbury ;  he  was  a  noted  Indian  fighter,  and 
an  ambassador  to  Canada  to  negotiate  for  the  ransom  of 
prisoners. 

CAPT.  PHINEAS  STEVENS. 

Mr.  Stevens  was  born  Feb.  20,  1706  (see  Chap.  IX.),  and 
went  to  Rutland  with  his  father,  Dea.  Joseph  Stevens,  about 
1719.  Aug.  14,  1723,  he  was  taken  captive  by  the  Indians, 
and  carried  to  Canada.  He  was  afterwards  redeemed,  and 
taken  home.  In  1734  he  married  his  cousin,  Elizabeth 
Stevens,  of  Petersham,  Mass.  He  lived  for  a  time  at  Rut- 
land, and  moved  from  there  to  Charlestown,  N.H.  He  was 
a  prominent  citizen  of  that  place,  in  both  civil  and  military 
matters,  in  its  early  history.  His  name  was  on  the  proprie- 
tors' book  about  1743  as  a  petitioner  for  a  proprietors'  meet- 
ing ;  and  the  same  year  he  was  on  a  committee  for  providing 


316  HISTORY   OF    SUDBURY. 

a  "  learned  and  orthodox  minister  to  preach  the  Gospel." 
The  same  year  he  received  a  commission  as  lieutenant  of 
militia  from  Governor  Wentworth  of  New  Hampshire.  In 
174-4  he  was  commissioned  by  Governor  Shirley  of  Massachu- 
setts as  lieutenant  of  volunteers  for  the  defense  of  the  fron- 
tier. The  next  year  he  was  appointed  by  the  same  authority 
as  captain  for  service  against  the  French  and  Indians. 

Captain  Stevens  was  repeatedly  commissioned  to  go  to 
Canada  to  negotiate  for  the  deliverance  of  prisoners.  In 
1752  he  negotiated  for  the  deliverance  of  John  Stark  of 
New  Hampshire,  who  was  afterwards  General  Stark  who 
commanded  the  continental  forces  at  the  battle  of  Benning- 
ton. The  ransom  of  Stark  was  an  Indian  pony,  valued  at 
one  hundred  and  three  dollars.  This  amount  was  paid  back 
by  Stark  in  money,  which  he  earned  as  a  hunter  on  the 
Androscoggin,  Maine. 

Since  to  narrate  all  the  services  of  Captain  Stevens  at 
No.  4  and  elsewhere  in  this  Avar  would  take  considerable 
space,  we  will  only  present  a  few  facts  which  may  set  forth 
something  of  his  military  history  and  the  arduous  nature  of 
his  work.  A  settlement  was  begun  at  No.  4  about  1740,  and 
shortly  afterwards  Mr.  Stevens  went  there  and  became  one 
of  the  three  proprietors  who  settled  the  place.  At  that  time 
No.  4  was  the  most  advanced  post  of  English  civilization  in 
the  northwest.  It  was  surrounded  by  dense  forests,  and 
much  exposed  to  the  French  and  Indians  in  their  incursions 
from  the  north.  The  foe  to  which  the  people  were  exposed 
was  exceedingly  fierce  and  cruel.  Such  a  combination  of 
bad  qualities  as  was  manifested  by  the  enemy  that  came 
from  Canada  was  seldom  seen. 

FORT    NO.  4. 

About  three  years  after  the  settlement  began,  the  prospect 
of  war  was  so  great  that  the  proprietors  of  No.  4  held  a  meet- 
ing and  decided  to  erect  a  fort,  and  made  an  assessment  to 
meet  the  expense.  Lieutenant  Stevens  was  one  of  the  asses- 
sors to  apportion  the  sum  of  three  hundred  pounds  towards 
the  work.  He  was  also  one  of  a  committee  appointed  to 
keep  the  fort  in  repair,  and  "  to  take  care  that  no  person 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  317 

come  to  dwell  in  any  of  the  houses  within  the  fort  but  such 
as  they  the  said  committee  shall  approve.""  The  fort  was 
built  under  the  direction  of  Col  John  Stoddard  of  Northamp- 
ton, Mass.,  who  had  formerly  superintended  the  building  of 
the  block-house  at  Fort  Dummer  in  central  Massachusetts. 
The  fort  contained  about  three-quarters  of  an  acre,  was  built 
in  the  form  of  a  square,  and  had  about  one  hundred  and 
eight}7  feet  on  a  side.  The  walls  were  made  of  squared 
timbers,  and  put  together  after  the  manner  of  a  log-house. 
Inside  the  enclosure  were  houses,  which  were  owned  by  pri- 
vate parties  previously  to  their  enclosure  in  the  fort,  but 
were  bought  up  and  afterwards  called  province  houses. 
One  of  these  belonged  to  Lieutenant  Stevens,  for  which 
he  received  thirty-five  pounds.  These  houses  were  placed 
against  the  walls  of  the  fort,  and  so  arranged  that  the}*  could 
at  once  be  put  in  a  state  of  defense  if  the  enemy  got  inside 
the  fort.  On  the  north  side  the  fort  had  a  stockade  of  tim- 
bers about  a  foot  in  diameter,  which  were  placed  end-wise  in 
the  ground,  and  were  about  twelve  feet  high. 

New  Hampshire  having  but  little  interest  in  defending  a 
place  so  far  from  their  other  settlements,  and  Massachusetts 
feeling  under  no  obligations  to  protect  them,  because  out- 
side her  limits,  the  little  company  provided  its  own  means  of 
defense.  The  assistance  subsequently  rendered  by  Massa- 
chusetts was  on  account  of  the  protection  afforded  by  this 
fort  to  her  settlements  on  the  south. 

The  fort  was  scarcely  finished  when  war  was  declared  by 
England  against  France  and  Spain.  A  few  soldiers  were 
stationed  to  defend  the  little  stronghold,  and  Capt.  Phineas 
Stevens  was  placed  in  command.  In  the  early  part  of  the 
war  the  fort  was  unmolested ;  but  April  19,  1746,  about 
forty  French  and  Indians  came  into  the  vicinity,  and  did 
disastrous  work.  Several  men  were  captured,  and  a  saw 
and  grist  mill  was  burned.  May  2d  another  raid  was  made, 
and  one  man  was  killed.  On  May  24th,  Capt.  Daniel  Paine 
of  Dudley,  Mass.,  was  sent  to  assist  in  defending  the  place. 
Shortly  after  his  arrival,  some  of  his  men  ventured  out  to  see 
the  place  where  the  man  had  been  killed  a  few  days  before, 
when  they  were  suddenly  assailed  by  the  savages,  who  killed 


318  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

five  of  them  and  captured  one.  Captain  Stevens  with  a  few 
men  rushed  to  the  rescue.  He  engaged  the  savages,  and 
forced  them  to  retire,  as  it  is  supposed,  with  the  loss  of  sev- 
eral men.  At  about  this  time  Captain  Stevens  was  rein- 
forced by  a  troop  of  horse  from  Sudbury,  under  command  of 
Capt.  Josiah  Brown. 

SERVICES    OF    CAPTAIN   BROWN'S    COMPANY. 

On  the  17th  of  June,  shortly  after  their  arrival,  this  com- 
pany was  called  into  action,  and  had  a  severe  engagement 
with  the  enemy  in  a  meadow  not  far  from  the  fort.  The 
following  is  an  account  of  the  affair  published  July  1,  1746: 

We  hear  that  on  Thursday,  the  19th.  ult.,  at  a  plantation  called  No.  4, 
Capt.  Stevens,  of  the  garrison  there,  and  Capt.  Brown,  of  Sudbury,  with 
about  fifty  men,  went  out  into  the  woods  to  look  for  horses  and,  coming 
near  a  causeway  there  were  obliged  to  pass,  their  dogs  being  on  the  hunt 
before  them,  and  barking  very  much,  they  suspected  some  Indians  were 
near;  whereupon,  keeping  a  good  lookout,  they  discovered  a  great  num- 
ber of  them,  supposed  to  be  a  hundred  and  fifty,  lying  in  ambush,  wait- 
ing for  them  on  the  other  side;  so  that  if  they  had  passed  over,  in  all 
probability,  most  of  them  might  be  cut  off. 

The  Indians  on  finding  themselves  discovered,  suddenly  started  up, 
and  a  smart  engagement  immediately  ensued,  in  which,  it  is  supposed, 
that  the  English  fired  first  and  engaged  them  so  closely  and  briskly  that 
they  soon  drew  off,  and  being  followed  by  our  men  retreated  into  a 
large  swamp;  whereupon  the  English  returned  to  the  garrison,  not  car- 
ing to  venture,  after  such  numbers,  into  so  hazardous  a  place.  (Farmer 
&  Moore,  Vol.  III.,  p.  294.) 

Captain  Brown,  in  a  petition  to  the  General  Court  in 
behalf  of  himself  and  his  troops,  states  as  follows  concern- 
ing this  battle :  — 

That  whereas  on  the  19th  day  of  June  1756  in  his  Magestie's  service, 
at  a  place  called  No.  4,  on  the  western  frontier,  the  said  Josiah  Brown 
with  his  troop  had  a  very  warm  and  dangerous  engagement  with  a  num- 
erous party  of  the  Indian  enemy,  together  with  painful  travel,  and  with 
other  hardships  and  difficulties  attending.  In  which  engagement  by 
good  evidence  and  the  most  certain  accounts  we  can  get  a  considerable 
number  of  said  enimies  were  slain  and  others  sore  wounded.  [The  pur- 
port of  the  petition  was  that  the  Court  might  afford  them  such  "encour- 
agement" as  it  thought  best.] 

By  order  of  said  troop,  at  their  meeting  on  the  25th  Dec.  1750. 

(State  Archives,  Vol.  LXXIII.,  p.  733.)  Josiah  Brown. 


HISTORY   OP   SUDBURY.  319 

Captains  Stevens  and  Brown  had  no  men  killed  outright 
in  this  engagement,  but  Jedediah  Winchell  was  mortally 
wounded  and  shortly  afterwards  died.  Jonathan  Stanhope, 
David  Parker,  and  Noah  Eaton  were  wounded.  Stanhope 
was  from  Sudbury,  and  Eaton  from  Framingham.  Mr.  Stan- 
hope subsequently  presented  two  petitions  to  the  General 
Court,  one  of  which  is  as  follows  :  — 

In  the  battle  with  the  Indians  at  No.  4,  June  19,  when  I  was  a  Trooper 
in  his  majesty's  service,  I  received  a  shot  which  broke  my  arm  all  to 
pieces,  and  caused  me  great  pain,  and  cost  for  the  injuries,  and  has  inca- 
pacitated me  from  obtaining  a  subsistance  for  myself,  and  I  have  very 
little  hopes  of  ever  having  the  use  of  it  again.  The  account  of  the  time 
I  have  lost  and  expenses  which  I  have  been  exposed  to  since  I  was 
wounded  is  as  follows  : 

To  sixteen  weeks  at  said  No.  4,  when  I  lay  confined  with  my 
wound  to  the  first  months  when  I  had  Province  billeting  at 
6-3  per  week  besides  said  billeting /I.     5.  0 

To  12  weeks  more  when  I  found  myself  altogether  and  had 

no  Province  pay  nor  billeting  at  12-G  pr  wk.         .         .  7.  10.  0 

And  to  my  son's  attending  on  me  then  and  finding  himself 
from  the  23d  of  June  to  the  17«h  of  October  following,  being 
16  weeks  and  3  days :  to  my  son's  nursing  and  attending 
me  the  said  16  weeks,  at  5  per  week 4.     2.  6 

And  to  9  weeks  board  when  he  had  neither  Province  pay  nor 

billeting  at  7-6  per  week 3.     7.  6 


/16.     5.  0 


At  the  close  of  military  operations,  in  1746,  Massachusetts 
withdrew  most  of  her  soldiers  stationed  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
Connecticut  River  in  New  Hampshire.  The  chief  reasons 
for  this  were  that  the  place  was  outside  her  own  limits,  and 
that  New  Hampshire  refused  to  co-operate  in  defending  it. 
No.  4  being  deprived  of  troops,  it  was  for  a  time  abandoned. 
The  people  in  the  vicinity  were  obliged  to  leave  their  home- 
steads, and  take  refuge  in  the  older  settlements.  During 
the  winter  that  followed  the  evacuation  of  No.  4,  the  enemy 
did  not  venture  far  from  their  quarters  in  Canada.  Mean- 
while an  effort  was  made  to  again  man  the  deserted  forts.  A 
prominent  person  in  the  furtherance  of  this  project,  it  is  sup- 
posed, was  Captain  Stevens.  He  communicated  with  Gov- 
ernor Shirley,  and  stated  that  a  force  of  one  hundred  men 


320  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

should  be  sent  to  several  of  the  frontier  posts  to  "go  and 
waylay  the  streams  the  enemy  come  upon  when  they  issue 
out  from  Crown  Point."  The  authorities  did  not  grant  the 
request  by  allowing  all  the  men  that  were  asked  for,  but 
only  so  many  as  it  was  thought  would  repel  an  attack  made 
on  the  forts.  The  matter  of  taking  measures  for  such  agress- 
ive  work  as  was  proposed  by  Stevens  was  deferred. 

ATTACK   OF   GENERAL   DEBELINE. 

In  March,  1747,  Captain  Stevens  was  ordered  to  go  with 
thirty  men  and  take  possession  of  No.  4.  He  arrived  there 
on  the  27th.  A  few  days  later  the  place  was  furiously 
assailed  by  the  French  and  Indians,  under  the  leadership 
of  General  Debeline.  Captain  Stevens,  in  his  report  made 
to  Governor  Shirley,  dated  April  9,  1747,  gives  the  following 
account  of  the  attack  :  — 

Our  dogs  being  very  much  disturbed,  which  gave  us  reason  to  think 
that  the  enemy  were  about,  occasioned  us  not  to  open  the  gate  at  the 
usual  time;  but  one  of  our  men,  being  desirous  to  know  the  certainty, 
ventured  out  privately  to  set  on  the  dogs,  about  nine  o'clock  in  the 
morning;  and  went  about  twenty  rods  from  the  fort  firing  off  his  gun  and 
saying,  Choboy  to  the  dogs.  Whereupon,  the  enemy,  being  within  a  few 
rods,  immediately  arose  from  behind  a  log  and  fired :  but  through  the 
goodness  of  God,  the  man  got  into  the  fort  with  only  a  slight  wound. 
The  enemy  being  then  discovered,  immediately  arose  from  their  ambush- 
ments  and  attacked  us  on  all  sides.  The  wind  being  very  high,  and 
everything  exceedingly  dry,  they  set  fire  to  all  the  old  fences,  and  also  to 
a  log-house  about  forty  rods  distant  from  the  fort  to  the  windward ;  so 
that  within  a  few  minutes  we  were  entirely  surrounded  with  fire  —  all 
which  was  performed  with  the  most  hideous  shouting  and  firing,  from 
all  quarters,  which  they  continued,  in  a  very  terrible  manner,  until  the 
next  day  at  ten  o'clock  at  night,  without  intermission;  during  which  time 
we  had  no  opportunity  to  eat  or  sleep.  But  notwithstanding  all  their 
shoutings  and  threatenings,  our  men  seemed  not  to  be  in  the  least 
daunted,  but  fought  with  great  resolution ;  which,  doubtless,  gave  the 
enemy  reason  to  think  we  had  determined  to  stand  it  out  to  the  last 
degree.  The  enemy  had  provided  themselves  with  a  sort  of  fortifica- 
tion, which  they  had  determined  to  push  before  them  and  bring  fuel  to 
the  side  of  the  fort,  in  order  to  burn  it  down.  But  instead  of  performing 
what  they  threatened,  and  seemed  to  be  immediately  going  to  undertake, 
they  called  to  us  and  desired  a  cessation  of  arms  until  sunrise  the  next 
morning,  which  was  granted :   at  which  time  they  would  come  to  a  par- 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  321 

ley.  Accordingly  the  French  General  Debeline  came  with  about  sixty 
of  his  men,  with  a  flag  of  truce,  and  stuck  it  down  within  about  twenty 
rods  of  the  fort  in  plain  sight  of  the  same,  and  said  if  we  would  send 
three  men  to  him  he  would  send  as  many  to  us,  to  which  we  complied. 
The  General  sent  in  a  French  Lieutenant  with  a  French  soldier  and  an 
Indian. 

Upon  our  men  going  to  the  Monsieur,  he  made  the  following  pro- 
posals, viz.  —  that  in  case  we  would  immediately  resign  up  the  fort,  we 
should  all  have  our  lives  and  liberty  to  put  on  all  the  clothes  we  had, 
and  also  to  take  a  sufficient  quantity  of  provisions  to  carry  us  to  Mon- 
treal, and  bind  up  our  provisions  and  blankets,  lay  down  our  arms  and 
marph  out  of  the  fort. 

Upon  our  men  returning,  he  desired  that  the  Captain  of  the  fort 
would  meet  him  half-way,  and  give  an  answer  to  the  above  proposal, 
which  I  did,  and  upon  meeting  the  Monsieur,  he  did  not  wait  for  me  to 
give  an  answer,  but  went  on  in  the  following  manner,  viz.  —  that  what 
had  been  promised  he  was  ready  to  perform,  but  upon  refusal  he  would 
immediately  set  the  fort  on  fire,  and  run  over  the  top,  for  he  had  seven 
hundred  men  with  him,  and  if  we  made  any  further  resistance,  or  should 
happen  to  kill  one  Indian,  we  might  expect  all  to  be  put  to  the  sword. 
"The  fort,"  said  he,  "  I  am  resolved  to  have  or  die.  Now  do  what  you 
please,  for  I  am  as  easy  to  have  you  fight  as  to  give  up."  I  told  the 
General,  that  in  case  of  extremity  his  proposal  would  do;  but  inasmuch 
as  I  was  sent  here  by  my  master,  the  Captain  General,  to  defend  this 
fort,  it  would  not  be  consistent  with  my  order  to  give  it  up  unless  I  was 
better  satisfied  that  he  was  able  to  perform  what  he  had  threatened ; 
and  furthermore  I  told  him  that  it  was  poor  encouragement  to  resign 
into  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  that  upon  one  of  their  number  being  killed, 
they  would  put  all  to  the  sword,  when  it  was  probable  that  we  had  killed 
some  of  them  already.  "Well,"  said  he,  "go  into  the  fort,  and  see 
whether  your  men  dare  to  fight  any  more  or  not,  and  give  me  an  answer 
quick,  for  my  men  want  to  be  fighting."  Whereupon  I  came  into  the 
fort  and  called  all  the  men  together,  and  informed  them  what  the  French 
General  said,  and  then  put  it  to  vote  which  they  chose,  either  to  fight  on 
or  resign ;  and  they  voted  to  a  man  to  stand  it  out  as  long  as  they  had 
life.  Upon  this,  I  returned  the  answer  that  we  were  determined  to  fight 
it  out.  Upon  which  they  gave  a  shout,  and  then  fired,  and  so  continued 
fighting  and  shouting  until  daylight  the  next  morning. 

About  noon  they  called  to  us  and  said  "  Good  morning,"  and  desired 
a  cessation  of  arms  for  two  hours  that  they  might  come  to  a  parley ; 
which  was  granted.  The  General  did  not  come  himself,  but  sent  two 
Indians,  who  came  within  about  eight  rods  of  the  fort  and  stuck  down 
their  flag  and  desired  that  I  would  send  out  two  men  to  them,  which  I 
did,  and  the  Indians  made  the  following  proposal,  viz.  —  That  in  case  we 
would  sell  them  provisions,  they  would  leave  and  not  fight  anymore; 
and  desired  my  answer,  which   was,  that  selling  them  provisions  for 


322  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

money  was  contrary  to  the  laws  of  nations,  but  if  they  would  send  in  a 
captive  for  every  five  bushels  of  corn,  I  would  supply  them.  Upon  the 
Indians  returning  the  General  this  answer,  four  or  five  guns  were  fired 
against  the  fort,  and  they  withdrew,  as  we  supposed,  for  we  heard  no 
more  of  them. 

In  all  this  time  we  had  scarce  opportunity  to  eat  or  sleep.  The  cessa- 
tion of  arms  gave  us  no  matter  of  rest,  for  we  suspected  they  did  it  to 
obtain  an  advantage  against  us.  I  believe  men  were  never  known  to 
hold  out  with  better  resolution,  for  they  did  not  seem  to  sit  or  lie  still 
for  one  moment.  There  were  but  thirty  men  in  the  fort,  and  although 
we  had  some  thousands  of  guns  fired  at  us,  there  were  but  two  men 
slightly  wounded,  viz.  John  Brown  and  Joseph  Ely.  (Saunderson's 
"History  of  Charlestown,  N.H.") 

In  the  course  of  the  year  1747  the  people  living  near  the 
Connecticut  River  suffered  much  from  the  enemy's  incur- 
sions. As  they  could  obtain  little  or  no  aid  from  New 
Hampshire,  they  again  applied  to  Massachusetts.  In  Feb- 
ruary, 1748,  the  authorities  allowed  one  hundred  men  each 
for  Forts  Massachusetts  and  No.  4;  and  directed  that  orders 
be  issued  to  the  commanding  officers  in  those  garrisons  that 
a  suitable  number  of  men  should  be  employed,  until  the 
following  October,  to  intercept  the  French  and  Indians  in 
their  march  to  the  frontier.  At  the  same  time  a  bounty  was 
offered  of  a  hundred  pounds  for  an  Indian  scalp.  Captain 
Stevens  was  again  appointed  to  command  at  No.  4,  and  Capt. 
Humphrey  Hobbs,  another  brave  officer,  was  made  second  in 
command. 

Shortly  after  Captain  Stevens  assumed  command  of  No.  4, 
on  March  15th,  a  party  of  Indians  attacked  some  men  near 
the  fort  who  were  out  to  gather  wood.  Captain  Stevens  sal- 
lied forth  to  the  rescue,  but  no  general  engagement  occurred, 
as  the  enemy,  which  consisted  of  only  a  small  company,  left 
the  place,  after  killing,  in  their  first  onset,  one  person  and 
wounding  another  and  taking  captive  a  third.  As  the  spring 
advanced  Captain  Stevens  and  his  men  were  engaged  more 
or  less  in  marchings  and  scoutings  in  the  vicinity  of  No.  4, 
and  from  there  to  Fort  Dummer  in  the  central  part  of  Massa- 
chusetts. June  24  forty  men,  under  command  of  Captain 
Hobbs,  started  on  a  scouting  expedition,  designing  to  march 
through  the  wilderness  to    Fort    Shirley,   in   Heath,   Mass. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY  323 

After  being  out  two  days,  they  had  an  engagement  with 
the  Indians,  which,  it  is  said,  lasted  four  hours,  and  in 
which  one  of  the  Sudbury  soldiers  was  wounded.  The  fol- 
lowing account  of  the  battle  is  from  Saunderson's  "  History 
of  Charlestovvn,  N.H." 

BATTLE   BETWEEN   CAPTAIN    HOBBS  AND   CHIEF   SACKETT. 

Capt.  Hobbs  started  out  from  No.  4,  on  the  24th  of  June.  During  the 
first  two  days  of  his  march,  he  met  with  no  interruptions,  except  such  as 
were  occasioned  by  the  natural  difficulties  of  ihe  way.  On  the  26th,  it 
being  Sunday,  after  travelling  a  little  distance,  he  halted  at  a  place  about 
twelve  miles  north-west  of  Fort  Dummer,  in  the  precincts  of  what  is  now 
the  town  of  Marlborough,  to  afford  his  company  an  opportunity  to 
refresh  themselves  ;  and  though  he  did  not  dream  that  he  was  pursued, 
or  that  the  enemy  was  any  where  near,  he  still  posted  a  guard  on  his 
trail,  like  a  true  officer,  as  carefully  and  circumspectly  as  if  danger  had 
been  nppreh ended.  The  party  then  took  possession  of  a  low  piece  of 
ground,  covered  with  alders  intermingled  with  large  trees,  through  which 
rl  )wed  a  rivulet,  and  without  any  anticipat  on  of  being  disturbed,  had 
begun  regaling  themselves  at  their  packs. 

But,  as  was  too  frequently  the  case  in  those  tunes,  danger  was  nigh, 
though  they  had  no  apprehension  of  it ;  for  a  large  body  of  Indians  had 
discoverd  their  trail,  and  made  a  rapid  march  for  the  purpose  of  cutting 
them  off.  Sackett,  their  chief,  (reputed  to  be  a  half-blood,)  was  not  only 
a  courageous  and  resolute  fellow,  but  was  distinguished  for  a  sagacity 
that  rendered  him  no  common  antagonist. 

Apparently  certain  of  victory,  on  account  of  his  numbers,  which  fore- 
stalled the  necessity  of  a  wily  approach,  he  dashed  down  upon  the  trail 
of  Hobbs,  driving  in  the  guards  which  he  had  posted  in  his  rear,  and 
instantly  commenced  an  attack  upon  his  main  force  with  all  the  yells 
and  demonstrations  of  a  savage  warfare. 

Hobbs,  though  taken  by  surprise,  was  not  in  the  least  deprived  of  his 
self  possession. 

An  old  Indian  fighter  as  he  was,  whose  men  were  under  a  perfect 
discipline,  it  took  but  a  moment  to  form  them  for  action,  and  but  a  mo- 
ment more  elapsed  before  each,  by  tie  adv'ce  of  his  commander,  had 
selected  the  cover  of  a  large  tree,  and  stood  ready  to  repel  any  assault 
of  their  oncoming  foe.  Confident  of  success,  on  account  of  the  superi- 
ority of  their  numbers,  which  were  more  than  four  to  one,  to  the  force 
under  Hobbs,  the  enemy  without  seeking  cover,  rushed  forward  with 
terrible  shouts,  as  if  they  had  determined  at  the  outset  to  bear  down  all 
resistance  ;  but  being  met  by  a  well  directed  fire,  by  which  several  of 
their  number  were  killed,  their  impetuosity  received  such  a  check  as  to 
cause  them  to  retreat  for  shelter  behind  the  trees  and  brush. 

The  conflict  which  then  followed  between  the  parties,  in  which  the 


324  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

sharp-shooters  bore  a  prominent  part,  was  of  the  most  exciting  nature. 
The  two  commanders  had  been  known  to  each  other  in  times  of  peace, 
and  were  both  distinguished  for  their  intrepidity. 

Sackett,  who  could  speak  English,  frequently  called  upon  Hobbs,  in 
tones  that  made  the  forest  ring,  to  surrender;  and  with  threats  in  case 
of  refusal  that  he  would  annihilate  his  force  with  the  tomahawk. 

Hobbs,  with  a  voice  equally  loud  and  defiant,  challenged  him  to  come 
on  and  put  his  menace,  if  he  dared,  into  execution.  The  action  contin- 
ued for  four  hours,  Hobbs  and  his  force  displaying  throughout  the  most 
consummate  skill  and  prudence,  and  neither  side  withdrawing  an  inch 
from  its  original  position.  The  Indians,  during  the  fight,  not  unfre- 
quently  approached  the  line  of  their  adversaries,  but  were  as  often  driven 
back  to  their  cover;  the  fire  of  the  sharp-sighted  marksman  opposed  to 
them  being  more  than  they  could  endure.  Thus  the  conflict  continued, 
till,  finding  that  his  own  men  had  suffered  severely  in  the  struggle,  and 
that  the  resistance  of  Hobbs  and  his  men  was  not  likely  to  be  overcome, 
Sackett  retired  and  left  them  the  masters  of  a  well  fought  field. 

The  company  of  Capt.  Hobbs  was  so  well  protected  that  only  three, 
Ebenezar  Mitchell,  Eli  Scott,  and  Samuel  Gunn,  were  killed.  The 
wounded  were  Daniel  McHenney  of  Wrentham,  who  had  his  thigh 
broken  by  a  ball,  by  which  he  was  disabled  for  life ;  Samuel  Graves,  Jr., 
of  Sunderland,  a  brave  lad  of  seventeen  years  of  age,  who  was  shot 
through  the  brain  in  a  horrible  manner,  yet  recovered,  but  not  so  as  to 
be  afterwards  capable  of  business;  —  also  slight  wounds  were  received 
by  Nathan  Walker  of  Sudbury,  and  Ralph  Rice.  Many  of  the  enemy 
were  seen  to  fall,  especially  when  they  left  their  cover  and  advanced. 
Yet,  though  their  loss  was  undoubtedly  great,  so  effectually  was  it  con- 
cealed that  its  extent  was  never  ascertained.  After  the  retirement  and 
disappearance  of  the  Indians,  Captain  Hobbs  and  his  men  remained 
concealed  till  night,  apprehending  another  attack;  but,  as  the  darkness 
fell  around  them,  discovering  no  signs  of  the  enemy,  they  gathered  up 
their  packs,  and  took  their  dead  and  wounded,  and  after  burying  the 
former  under  some  logs,  about  half  a  mile  from  the  scene  of  action,  and 
conducting  the  latter  to  a  more  conveniant  place,  about  two  miles  dis- 
tant, they  encamped  for  the  night.  They  arrived  at  Fort  Dummer  the 
next  day,  which  was  the  27th,  at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  whence 
they  sent  their  wounded  to  Northfield  where  they  could  receive  the 
needed  medical  aid. 

Nathan  Walker  recovered  and  arrived  safely  home.  He 
afterward  petitioned  the  General  Court  for  assistance.  In 
the  petition  he  states  that  he  was  a  soldier  in  the  Province 
service  under  the  command  of  Capt.  Hobbs,  and  that  on 
June  26th,  1748,  in  a  fight  with    the  Indian    and  French 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  325 

enemy,  he  was  wounded  in  the  arm.     (State  Archives,  Vol. 
LXXIII.,  p.  620.) 

Capt.  Josiah  Brown,  the  commander  of  the  troop  which 
went  from  Sudbury  to  assist  in  the  defense  of  Fort  No.  4,  was 
a  brave  soldier  and  worthy  man.  The  following  is  a  brief 
sketch  of  his  life,  together  with  two  lists  of  men  who  be- 
longed to  his  troop  before  the  war  began  and  also  towards 
its  close.  As  some  of  the  names  are  in  both  lists,  perhaps 
they  served  through  the  intervening  years,  and  were  present 
at  the  defense  of  No.  4.  The  troop  of  1747-8  was  called 
into  service  that  year,  September  23,  and  served  a  short  time. 

CAPT.    JOSIAH   BROWN. 

Mr.  Brown  was  a  prominent  citizen  of  Sudbury.  He 
passed  through  all,  or  nearly  all,  the  grades  of  town  office ; 
and  his  name  is  also  conspicuous  in  the  annals  of  the  church. 
In  1757,  Josiah  Brown,  Samuel  Dakin,  and  Jabez  Puffer 
were  chosen  delegates  to  assist  in  settling  the  difficulty  be- 
tween the  church  in  Leominster  and  their  pastor.  The  first 
two  were  brave  captains  in  the  war  against  the  French  and 
Indians ;  the  first  was  prominent  at  Fort  No.  4,  the  other 
was  killed  near  Fort  Edward  in  17i8.  (See  period  1750- 
1775.)  As  a  token  of  his  regard  for  the  West  Side  Church, 
Mr.  Brown  gave  it  a  piece  of  land,  the  proceeds  of  which, 
it  is  stated,  were  sufficient  for  the  supply  of  the  elements  for 
communion.  He  was  one  of  the  signers  of  the  church  cove- 
nant in  1724-5. 

Sudbury  June  4th  1739 
A  list  of  the  Genumen  of  the  Horse  under  the  command  of  Capt. 
Josiah  Brown 

Trum:  Jonathan  Belcher,  Nathaniel  Seaver 

Cor.  Josiah  willas  [willis]  Cor.  Daniel  Winch 

Cor.  Daniel  Gregory,  Bezebeal  Frost 

Cor.  Edward  Moore  Benja  Whitten 

Benony  Prat  Cornelus  Wood 

David  How  David  Stone 

Danil  Goodenow  Elipha  wheler 

David  Maynard  Jr.  Ebenezer  Puffer. 

Elijah  Bent  Elijah  Smith 

Ebenezer  Heminway  Edmond  Parmenter 

Ecobad  Heminway  Hezekiah  Moore 


326 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 


Ephriam  Puffer 
Hopestill  Browne 
John  Cheney 
John  Heminway 
Jabez  Mead 
John  Maynard  Jr. 
Nathan  Loring 
Robert  Seaver 
Sam1  Brigham 
Timothy  Sternes 
John  Bent 
[Isaac]  Reed 
Thomas  Winch  Jr. 


James  Crage 
Joseph  Parmenter 
Nathaniel  Rice 
Phinehas  Gibbs. 
Sam1  Heminway 
Sam1  Browne 
Jabez  Puffer 
Jonathan  Maynard 
Jonathan  Puffer 
Philis  Part 
Sam1  Stone 
Solomon  Parmenter  Jr. 


Muster  roll  of  Brown's  company  1747-8. 


Josiah  Brown  Capt 
John  Noyes  C  >rnet 
Dai1  Stone  Clerk 
Jonft  Belcher  Trumpeter 
Nathaniel  Seaver 
Phinehas  Gibbs 
Sam1  Brown 
Jonathan  Maynard 
Isaac  Reed 
Joseph  Reed 
W"  Brown 
Dan1  Stone 
John  Bruce 

Parmenter 

John  Gould 

Other  names  are 

Thomas  Winch 
Dan1  Gregory 
James  Peterson 
Thomas  Biglo 
Thomas  Winch 
Samuel  Winch 
Josiah  Hoar. 


Micah  Gibbs 
Joseph  Brintnall 
John  Brigham 
Wm  Hunt 
Matthew  Gibbs 
Henry  Smith 
David  Maynard 
Samuel  Maynard 
Isaac  Brewer 
Obediah  Moore 
Nathan  Walker 
Joseph  Greene 
Isaac  Brintnall 
Henry  Loker 


Sam1  Giles 
Beng  Eaton 
Sam1  Frost 
Elias  Whitney 
George  Whitney 
Sam1  Whitney 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

1750-1775. 

The  Work  House. —  Regulations  of  it.  —  Pest- House  at  Nobscot. -- 
Graves  of  Small-Pox  Victims.  —  Pest-Houses  on  the  East  Side. — 
Graves  of  Victims. —  Inoculation  for  the  Disease.  —  Statistics  Relat- 
ing to  It.  —  Highway  Work.  —  Lottery  for  Repairing  the  Causeway.  — 
Schools. —  School-Houses.  —  Fourth  French  and  Indian  War. — 
Causes  of  It. —  Lists  of,  Sudbury  Soldiers  in  Various  Campaigns. — 
First  and  Second  Foot  Companies.  —  Alarm  List.  —  Troops  of  Horse. 
—  Battle  at  Half- Way  Brook.  —  Death  of  Captain  Dakin.  —  Sketch 
of  his  Life.  —  Covenant.  —  Correspondence.  —  French  Neutrals. — 
Death  of  Rev.  William  Cook.  —  Settlement  of  Rev.  Josiah  Bridge. 
Death  of  Rev.  Israel  Loring.  —  Sketch  of  His  Life.— Settlement  of 
Rev.  Jacob  Bigelow. —  Division  of  West  Part  into  Wards.  —  Powder 
House. —  Noon  Houses. —  Pound. —  Measures  to  Suppress  Swindling. 

Over  the  roofs  of  the  pioneers 

Gathers  the  moss  of  a  hundred  years  ; 

On  man  and  his  works  has  passed  the  change 

Which  needs  must  be  in  a  century's  range. 

Whittier. 

Between  1750,  and  1775,  the  country  was  in  an  unsettled 
condition.  Events  of  a  stirring  character  transpired,  and  the 
times  were  productive  of  lasting  influences.  Peace  prevailed 
when  the  period  began,  but  was  very  short-lived.  The  treaty 
of  Aix-la-Chapelle,  made  in  1748,  was  of  little  avail  to  hold 
England  and  France  in  friendly  relations.  After  the  lapse 
of  about  a  half-dozen  years,  war  was  again  declared,  and  hos- 
tilities in  America  broke  out  anew.  The  close  of  the  period 
also  was  stormy.  It  was  just  before  the  Revolutionary  War. 
The  provinces  were  in  process  of  preparation  for  that  far- 
famed  struggle  from  which  they  Avere  to  emerge  a  new 
nation.  Before,  however,  entering  upon  military  matters, 
we  will  notice  some  of  the  civil  events  of  the  period. 

327 


328  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

THE    WORK-HOUSE. 

In  1753,  a  movement  was  made  to  establish  a  work -house 
in  Sudbury.  At  the  above-named  date  a  vote  was  taken, 
when  "it  passed  veiy  fully  in  the  affirmative,  that  it  [the 
town]  would  provide  a  Work  House  in  sd  town,  that  Idle 
&  Disorderly  People  may  be  properly  Employed."  Ephraim 
Curtis,  Joseph  Brown,  and  Ebenezer  Koby  were  a  committee 
in  the  matter.  In  process  of  time  the  project  thus  begun 
was  accomplished.  March  17,  1762,  the  town  decided  "to 
hire  some  suitable  house  for  a  Work  House  that  the  Idle 
Persons  in  sd  Town  might  be  kept  to  Labor."  Pursuant  to 
vote,  a  building  was  rented  of  Isaac  Reed,  for  which  he  was 
to  receive  two  pounds  eight  shillings.  In  1765,  the  town 
"  voted  to  give  Mr.  Reed  two  pounds  eight  shillings  for  his 
house  (and  garden  spot)  &  his  putting  sd  house  in  good 
Tenantable  Repair."  In  1763,  the  town  chose  "overseeis 
of  the  poor  for  sd  house,"  and  Mr.  Isaac  Reed  was  of  this 
board. 

WORK-HOUSE   REGULATIONS. 

At  a  quarterly  meeting  of  all  the  Overseers  of  the  Poore  in  Sudbury 
at  the  work  house  in  said  Sudbury  on  the  first  Tuesday  of  the  month, 
April,  Anno  Domini  1763,  in  order  to  inspect  the  management  thereof 
and  for  ordering  the  Affairs  of  the  said  House  when  we  the  said  over- 
seers were  Duely  and  lawfully  meet  together  at  the  said  work  house,  and 
after  Due  and  mature  consideration,  we  Came  into  the  Folowing  need- 
full  Rulls  and  orders  for  the  Regulation  of  the  said  house,  and  those 
Idle  Persons  that  are  by  Law  or  may  fall  under  our  Inspection. 

Which  Rules  &  orders  are  as  followeth.  l8,ly  That  every  one  of  the 
overseers  Shall  Punctually  meet  at  the  Said  work  house,  at  the  times  set 
for  their  monthly  or  Intermediate  Meetings,  and  in  Case  of  their  not 
attending  or  unseasonably  attending,  Shall  forfitt  and  pay  to  the  sd  over- 
seers and  for  their  use,  the  Sum  of  Two  Shillings  Lawfull  money,  and  in 
Case  he  or  they  Shall  neglect  or  Refuse  to  pay  the  Same  or  to  Shew  any 
Reasonable  Excuse  for  his  neglect,  the  Same  Shall  be  Recovered  from 
him  or  them  by  their  Clark  by  Distress  and  Sale  of  his  or  their  Goods, 
the  Clark  observing  the  Same  Rulls  that  Constables  are  by  law  obleged 
to  Do  in  making  Distress  for  their  Rates. 

2"dly.  That  when  any  Parson  whome  we  Shall  Judge  Doath  Fall 
under  our  Immediate  care  and  Inspection  Shall  be  by  a  Summon  under 
the  hand  of  our  moderator  or  Clark  Duly  Sent  to  him  Setting  forth  the 
time  for  his  appearance  before  us  at  the  said  work  house,  and  Shall  not 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  329 

Punctually  apeare  before  us  the  said  Overseers,  at  the  said  work  house, 
that  then  and  in  that  Case,  a  warrant  under  the  hand  and  Seal  of  our 
said  Clark  Shall  Isue  out  Dyrected  to  the  master  of  the  said  work  house 
or  to  the  Constable  of  the  sd  Towne  of  Sudbury  forth  with  Requiring 
them  to  apprehend  the  body  of  the  sd  Contemptous  Parson  and  Cause 
him  or  her  to  appear  before  us,  the  sd  overseers,  at  the  said  work  house, 
that  he  or  she  may  be  Proceeded  with  or  Punished  for  his  or  her  Con- 
tempt, by  being  publickly  whipped  at  the  whipping  post  at  the  work 
house  not  Exceeding  Ten  Stripes  or  otherways  as  the  Said  Overseers 
Shall  then  order,  and  be  Subject  to  pay  to  the  officer  that  Shall  have 
served  the  sd  warrant  his  fees  by  Law  allowed  him,  the  Service  of  which 
Summons  Shall  be  found  by  Giving  him  or  her  Summon  in  form  afore- 
said or  Leaving  same  at  his  or  her  Last  or  usual  place  of  abode,  by  any 
Constable  of  sd  Sudbury  or  any  one  of  the  Overseers  who  Shall  make 
Return  of  ye  sd  Summons  to  the  sd  Overseers  at  the  time  therein  ordered. 

As  evidence  of  farther  modes  of  discipline  employed  in 
this  period,  we  find  that,  in  1760,  the  town  allowed  payment 
to  Colonel  Noyes  for  making  stocks,  and  also  for  four  staves 
for  the  tything-men.  In  the  warrant  for  a  town-meeting  in 
1757,  is  the  following  article:  "To  see  what  the  town  will  do 
with  regard  to  Dido  a  Negro  woman  who  is  now  upon  charge 
in  this  town."  With  regard  to  this  Dido  the  town  ordered 
the  selectmen  "to  make  strict  inquiries  who  brought  Dido 
into  town." 

SMALL-POX    HOSPITALS. 

Another  institution  introduced  into  the  town  in  this  period 
was  the  pest-house.  There  is  in  the  Stearns'  "  Collection  " 
a  document,  without  date,  that  is  presumably  a  petition  to 
the  selectmen,  asking  that  a  town-meeting  be  called  — 

As  soon  as  maybe  by  Law,  for  the  Purchase  of  and  Erecting  a  House 
or  houses  for  the  conveniance  of  taking  the  Small  Pox  by  Inoculation, 
for  the  better  Security  of  the  Good  Citizens  of  sd  town,  [to]  do  or  act  as 
the  Town  shall  Judge  proper  when  met. 

As  in  duty  Bound 

Jno.  Goodenow  Jonathan  Bent, 

Luther  Richardson,  Jotham  Goodenow, 

Elisha  Goodenow,  Israel  How, 

Elisha  Moore,  Caleb  Wheeler. 
Silas  Goodenow, 
Joel  Goodenow. 


330  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

Probably  the  above  petition  antedates  the  record  given 
below,  dat.nl  "Oot  14,  1761:  Town  Dr.  To  Mr.  Isaac  Rood 
for  sledding  wood  and  assisting  to  repair  a  House,  for  these 
who  may  have  the  small  pox."  Tradition  points  to  several 
localities,  which  at  that  time  were  within  the  town  limits, 
where  pest-honses  were  situated.  The  site  oi'  one  of  these 
is  at  NoDSCOt  Hill.  On  the  eastern  side  oi'  the  hill,  on  land 
owned  by  Mr.  Hubbard  Brown,  and  a  short  distance  from  a 
small  pond,  are  the  graves  o{  the  small-pox  victims.  They 
are  clustered  together,  beneath  a  small  growth  of  pines  that 
are  now  scattered  over  that  briar-grown  spot  :  ami  the  wind, 
as  it  sweeps  through  the  branches  of  this  little  pine  grove, 
and  the  occasional  note  of  the  wild-wood  bird,  alone  break 
the  stillness  and  disturb  the  loneliness  of  that  forest  burial- 
place.  On  a  stone  that  marks  one  grave  is  the  following 
inscription  :  — 

IX    MEMORY 
OF 

MR    BUCKLEY    HOW. 

SON    OF 

MR    BUCKLEY    HOW 

OF 

HUBARDSTON 

WHO    DIED   OF   THE   SMALL    POX, 

NOV.  14th   1792 

IN    THE   21st   YEAR   OF    HIS   AGE. 


MR    BUCKLEY    HOW. 

Just  how  many  graves  are  about  this  spot  we  have  no 
information,  but  a  former  owner  of  the  land,  Mr.  Edward 
Brown,  conjectured,  as  he  mowed  the  brush  thereabouts 
many  years  ago,  that  there  were  at  least  eight  or  nine 
well-defined  graves  there.  This  burying-plaee,  as  we  have 
said,  is  on  a  part  of  the  Thirty-rod  Highway.  The  small- 
pox hospital  at  Nobseot,  tradition  says,  was  in  the  "  Nixon 
pasture,"  which  is  the  large  field  on  the  northern  slope  of 
the  hill ;  and  the  same  authority  asserts  that  the  house  in 
which  John  Nixon  once  lived,  and  which  was  on  his  farm. 


HISTORY    OF    SUDBURY.  331 

was  the  building  used  for  the  hospital.  Tradition  also  says 
that  the  Browns,  who  at  that  time  dwelt  at  a  place  just 
west  of  the  residence  of  Hubbard  Brown,  were  accustomed 
to  carry  milk  to  a  designated  spot,  and  put  it  in  vessels  left 
there  to  receive  it  by  those  in  charge  at  the  hospital. 

In  the  north  part  of  Sudbury  there  are  several  grave.-  of 
persons  who  died  of  small-pox.  Three  of  them  are  on  the 
plain,  a  mile  west  of  the  old  Pratt  Tavern  ;  but  they  were 
levelled  down  by  a  person  who  came  into  j  n  of  the 

place  about  1825.  Other  graves  are  on  the  farm  south  of 
Mr.  Jonathan  Rice's  Tavern,  in  the  northwest  part  of  the 
town.  There  is  another  at  Bridle  Point,  just  east  of  the 
bridge  near  the  railroad  crossing. 

There  were  two  pest-houses  on  the  east  side  ;  one  on  "the 
Island,"  and  the  other  at  the  northeasterly  part  of  the  pres- 
ent town  of  Wayland,  not  far  to  the  northerly  of  the  Sumner 
Draper  estate.  There  is  a  field  in  that  vicinity  still  called 
the  "pock  pasture."  On  the  Draper  farm,  not  far  back  of 
the  dwelling-house,  are  the  graves  of  other  victims  of  this 
dreaded  disease.  The  following  inscriptions  are  taken  from 
stones  that  mark  these  graves  :  — 

IN    MEMORY    OF 

MR.   ZEBADIAH    ALLEN 

WHO   DIED    OF    THE    SMALL   POX  — 

JUNE  2,  1777 
AGED    76    YEARS. 

IX    MEMORY    OF 

MARY,  WIFE    OF 
MR.  ZEBADIAH    ALLEN 

WHO   DIED    OF    THE    SMALL   POX 

JUNE  7,  1777 
AGED   75    YEARS. 

These  hospitals  were  designed  especially  for  persons  who 
desired  to  be  inoculated  for  the  disease  with  the  virus  of  a 
small-pox  patient.  This  method  of  treatment  was  introduced 
about  1721.     For  a  time  it  met  with  great  prejudice,  but 


332  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

at  length  it  gained  ground,  and  man}*-  people  incurred  the 
risk  involved  in  having  the  disease  in  this  way,  which,  with 
proper  treatment,  was  said  to.be  very  light,  rather  than  the 
risk  of  taking  it  in  the  ordinary  way  by  contagion.  The  fol- 
lowing statistics,  taken  from  Rev.  Israel  Loring's  "Diary," 
will  tend  to  show  with  what  reason  society  believed  in  this 
method :  — 

July  19th  1764.     Persons  who  have  had  the  small  pox  in  Boston  in 
the  year  1764.  :  :  :  :  . 


In  the  natural  way  — 

Whites  — 

644 

Blacks, 

55 

Total, 

699 

Died  — 

Whites, 

102 

Blacks, 

22 

Total, 

124 

By  inoculation 

Whites, 

4690 

Blacks, 

207 

Total, 

4897 

Died, 

Whites, 

43 

Blacks, 

3 

Total, 

46 

Removed  into  the  country  to 

avoid  the 

disease,  1537. 

This  old  manner  of  practice  is  now  among  the  things  that 
were  ;  and  with  it  the  pest-houses,  too,  have  passed  away. 

HIGHWAY    WORK. 

In  1751,  it  was  voted  that  in  highway  work  "  eight  hours 
shall  be  accounted  for  a  days  work,"  "two  shillings  shall  be 
a  day's  wages  for  a  man,  or  so  in  proportion  to  an  hour;" 
also  "  that  one  shilling  be  allowed  for  a  good  yoke  of  oxen 
a  day." 

In  1756,  a  proposition  was  started  to  raise  money  by  way 
of  a  lottery  to  repair  the  long  causeway  from  the  town  bridge 
to  Lieut.  Benjamin  Estabrook's.  When  it  came  to  town- 
meeting  it  "passed  in  the  negative."  In  1758,  the  town 
again  proposed  to  raise  and  repair  the  long  causeway,  and 


THE    SUMMER    RESIDENCE   OF   HON.    HOMER    ROGERS. 
Biographical  Sketch,  page  619. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  333 

two  short  ones  towards  Lieutenant  Estabrook's,  and  to  do  it 
by  means  of  a  lotte^.  To  this  proposition  a  formal  remon- 
strance was  presented,  in  which  it  was  stated  that  the  raising 
of  the  causeway  would  damage  the  meadow,  by  causing  the 
water  to  flow  back  ;  that  there  was  "a  good  bridge  over  the 
river  where  people  may  travel  at  all  seasons  of  the  year,  from 
Boston  to  Marlboro;"  and  that  there  is  not  "one  foot  of  fall 
in  said  river  for  twenty-five  or  thirty  miles."  This  remon- 
strance, however,  did  not  prevent  the  ultimate  accomplish- 
ment of  this  project.  At  a  March  meeting,  1758,  the  town 
voted  to  petition  the  General  Court  for  leave  to  repair  and 
raise  the  causeway  by  lottery,  and  chose  the  following  com- 
mittee to  attend  to  the  work :  Col.  John  Noyes,  William 
Baldwin,  and  Col.  Josiah  Brown.  The  Court  gave  its  assent, 
and  made  specifications  and  conditions  as  to  how  the  scheme 
should  proceed.  One  of  the  conditions  was  that  drawing 
lotteries  was  not  to  continue  over  fifteen  days,  exclusive  of 
Sunday.  In  these  lotteries  the  town  took  ventures.  In  1761 
"the  town  voted  to  take  the  tickets  in  Sudbury  Lottery  third 
class,  that  shall  remain  unsold  in  the  manager's  hand,  when 
the  drawing  lst«  Lottery  shall  commence,  :  :  :  and  ordered  the 
tickets  that  remain  unsold  aforesaid  to  be  lodged  with  the 
Town  Treasurer,  on  the  day  the  Lottery  commences  draw- 
ing." The  town  lost  by  this  venture,  as  May  11,  1761,  it 
"granted  27lbs  12s  Lawful  money,  to  defray  the  loss  the  town 
sustained  by  the  tickets  which  the  town  voted  to  take,  and 
ordered  the  assessors  to  vote  it  into  a  rate  forthwith,  and 
each  person  to  have  the  liberty  to  work  out  his  rate,  pro- 
vided he  or  they  work  it  out  at  or  before  the  time  set  for 
working  out  sd  rate,  and  to  be  under  the  regulation  of  the 
managers  of  sd  Lottery."  In  October  of  the  same  year  the 
question  came  up  as  to  taking  tickets  in  Sudbury  lottery 
fourth  class  that  should  remain  unsold  in  the  hands  of  the 
managers  when  the  drawing  began.  "  The  vote  passed  in 
the  negative." 

In  1653,  it  was  "voted  to  accept  of  a  highway  laid  out 
from  Peletiah  Deans  North  east  corner,  unto  ye  town  way 
leading  from  the  Training  field  by  Ephraim  Curtis,  Esq.  by 
Lt.  Rice's  to  Weston."     The  same  date  a  road  was  laid  out 


334  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

from  "Mr.  Jonathan  Griffin's  Corner,  running  southwesterly 
into  the  way  by  Mr.  Eliab  Moor's  North  Corner,  formerly 
Mr.  John  Adams'."  In  1769,  the  town  "granted  money  to 
improve  a  road  lately  laid  out  from  Rev.  Josiah  Bridges,  to 
the  school  house  near  the  East  meeting  house."  The  school- 
house  was  the  old  Newell  Heard  store,  and  the  road  referred 
to,  was  the  present  way  from  the  Wellington  place  by  H.  B. 
Braman's  into  Wayland  Centre.  In  1773,  the  town  took 
action  to  see  if  it  would  discontinue  the  road  "leading  from 
Dr.  Roby's  [now  Warren  Roby's]  to  Zecheriah  Briant's  [now 
H.  B.  Braman's]  lying  between  the  two  county  roads."  This 
was  a  travelled  road  before  the  la}dng  out  of  the  one  last 
mentioned.  It  had  its  course  from  near  the  old  Roby  house, 
just  west  of  Mr.  Braman's,  along  the  ridge  toward  Bridle 
Point.  In  1774,  the  town  accepted  "  a  way  laid  out  from 
Samuel  Goodnow's  dwelling  house  to  the  Lancaster  road." 
The  same  date  the  town  accepted  a  wa}r  "  laid  out  from 
Lancaster  old  road  to  Lt.  Joseph  Willis'  gate  by  the  widow 
Brigham's  dwelling  house."  In  1774,  the  town  accepted  a 
road  "laid  out  from  Mr.  Thomas  Walker's  land  leading  to 
the  west  meeting  house."  In  1771,  money  was  granted  "to 
widen  the  causy  at  Iron  Works  meadow."  Jabez  Puffer, 
John  Balcom,  and  Joseph  Willis  were  chosen  a  committee. 

SCHOOLS. 

While  the  town  was  advancing  in  means  for  the  public 
convenience  and  safet}r,  educational  matters  were  progressing 
also.  In  1751,  the  selectmen  agreed  "  with  Mr.  Wm  Cook 
[only  son  of  Rev.  Mr.  Cook]  to  keep  a  grammar  school  .  .  . 
for  six  months,  beginning  the  school  the  first  day  of  Novem- 
ber; and  also  to  teach  children  &  youth  to  Read  English  and 
wright  and  Instruct  them  in  Rethmetick,  and  to  keep  the 
school  in  the  Town  School  House  as  the  Selectmen  shall 
from  time  to  time  order  For  the  sum  of  Twelve  pounds 
Exclusive  of  his  Board."  It  was  voted  that  year  that  the 
grammar  schools  should  be  kept  in  the  two  town  school- 
houses  by  each  meeting-house.  This  shows  us  where  two  of 
the  town  school-houses  stood  at  that  time  ;  and  this,  with 
other  records,  show  that  school  matters  were  at  that  time 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  335 

conducted  by  the  Board  of  Selectmen.  Another  record  of 
1756  shows  where  two  other  school-houses  stood,  inasmuch 
as  the  town  voted  that  year  that  the  grammar  school  should 
be  kept  at  four  places,  —  "  two  at  the  school  houses  near  the 
meeting  house,  one  at  the  school  house  near  Joseph  Smith's, 
and  the  other  at  that  near  Nathan  Goodnow's."  John  Mon- 
roe was  to  keep  the  school,  and  have  five  pounds  thirteen 
shillings  four  pence  for  a  quarter,  and  the  town  was  to  pay 
his  board.  Other  school-houses  were  also  alluded  to  in  the 
following  record  made  the  same  year:  "  The  town  voted  14 
pounds  for  a  reading  and  writing  school,  and  that  it  should 
be  kept  at  four  places,  viz,  at  the  school  house  near  Samuel 
Puffer's  [perhaps  the  Pantry  school],  at  the  one  near  Deacon 
Rice's,  at  the  one  near  Joseph  Stanhope's,  and  the  one  near 
the  house  of  Jonas  Brewer." 

In  1755,  the  town  "  voted  for  Grammar  school  30  pounds, 
three  fifths  to  be  spent  on  the  west  side,  and  two  fifths  on 
the  east  side  the  river;  for  the  west  side  the  school  was  to 
be  kept  at  the  farm."  In  1752,  it  k'  voted  for  the  support  of 
the  Grammar  school  in  sd  town  the  year  ensuing  37  pounds 
6  shillings  8  pence."  The  school  was  to  be  held  in  five 
places,  —  "two  on  the  east  side  the  river  and  three  on  the 
west,  in  places  as  followeth.  In  the  school  house  near  the 
house  of  Mr.  Joseph  Smith,  and  in  a  convenient  place  or 
near  the  house  of  Dea  Jonas  Brewer  as  may  be,  or  in  a  con- 
venient place  as  near  the  house  of  Mr.  Edward  More  as  may 
be,  and  in  a  convenient  place  as  near  the  house  of  Ll  Daniel 
Noyes  as  may  be,  and  in  the  school  house  near  to  and  north- 
erly from  the  house  of  Dea  Jonathan  Rice  all  in  sd  town." 
The  same  year  the  town  voted  that  "  the  Reading  &  writing 
school  should  be  kept  In  the  two  Town  school  houses  the 
year  ensuing."  During  this  period  several  school-houses 
were  built,  which  stood  about  half  a  century.  In  1705,  it 
was  "  voted,  that  the  School  house  near  [the]  East  meeting 
house  [should]  be  improved,  [and]  to  build  a  new  school 
house  near  said  meeting  house."  This  may  have  been 
afterwards  the  Newell  Heard  store.  Besides  school-houses 
repaired  and  built,  an  attempt  was  made  to  supply  them 
with  fuel  at  the  town's  expense.     It  is  recorded,  that,  March 


336  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

1,  1774,  the  town  voted  "  to  see  if  [itl  will  order  that  the 
several  school  houses  in  said  town  shall  he  supplied  with 
wood  for  the  future  at  the  charge  of  the  town,  agreeable  to 
the  petition  of  Jacob  Reed  and  others."  "  The  article  passed 
in  the  negative." 

FOURTH    FRENCH    AND    INDIAN   WAR. 

The  peace  that  followed  the  treaty  of  Aix-la-Chapelle  was 
of  short  duration.  But  a  few  brief  years  elapsed  before  the 
thunder  tones  of  a  terrible  conflict  burst  on  the  ears  of  a 
startled  land,  and  sent  a  shudder  to  hearts  and  homes.  For 
the  fourth  time  the  English  and  French  were  to  cross  their 
weapons  in  an  inter-colonial  war.  For  years  the  two  nations 
had  been  expanding  in  population  and  power  on  the  Ameri- 
can shores,  and  during  this  interval  they  had  been  fanning 
the  old  flame  of  jealousy  which  had  its  origin  far  back  in  a 
feudal  age.  Each  was  desirous  of  supremacy  on  this  side  the 
Atlantic,  and  to  obtain  it  each  was  strengthening  its  lines  for 
aggressive  and  defensive  work.  The  one  power  worked  on 
the  seaboard,  and  extended  its  operations  from  the  Penob- 
scot a  thousand  miles  south ;  the  other  stretched  its  lines  of 
defense  along  the  far-distant  interior,  and  dotted  the  valley 
of  the  St.  Lawrence  River,  the  margins  of  the  Mississippi 
and  far-distant  lakes,  even  to  the  borders  of  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico,  with  its  trading-posts,  its  strongholds,  and  its  papal 
missions.  These  powers  sought  the  same  common  prize,  — 
the  conquest  of  the  country.  Already  the  English  claimed 
that  part  of  it  south  of  the  latitude  of  the  north  shore  of 
Lake  Erie,  and  westward  to  the  far-off  Pacific,  by  right  of 
charter.  Already  the  Frenchman  disputed  this  right,  and 
claimed  the  interior  as  it  bordered  the  Mississippi  River 
and  its  tributaries,  by  right  of  exploration  and  settlement. 
Which  was  to  be  the  permanent  title  was  to  be  settled,  not 
by  diplomacy,  but  by  the  arbitrament  of  the  musket,  toma- 
hawk, and  torch.  The  French  early  prepared  for  this  mode 
of  adjusting  their  claims.  More  than  sixty  fortifications  had 
been  constructed  by  them  prior  to  1750.  The  English,  made 
suspicious  by  the  erection  of  garrisons,  and  knowing  the  sig- 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  337 

nificance  of  trading-posts  in  the  interior  of  the  country,  pre- 
pared to  arrest  the  course  of  the  foe. 

Before,  however,  a  settlement  was  effected  a  long  and 
severe  war  ensued  ;  so  severe,  indeed,  was  the  struggle,  that 
long  after  the  period  was  past  its  events  were  prominent  in 
the  annals  of  New  England.  Tradition  kept  them  alive  as 
the  years  rolled  by,  and  the  wild  scenes  set  forth  by  survivors 
became  the  subject  of  ballad  and  song.  Long  after  the 
struggle  had  ceased,  tales  of  those  times  were  recited  by  the 
blazing  hearth,  as,  gathered  by  the  fitful  fire-light,  groups 
of  listeners  gave  ear  to  the  thrilling  rehearsal,  while  they 
watched  the  changeful  glow  of  the  coals  as  they  crackled 
and  crumbled  on  their  ashen  bed.  The  snow-shoes,  brought 
down  from  the  garret,  where  they  had  long  lain  amid  the 
dust  of  that  mystic  place,  were  reminders  of  the  cold,  rough 
march,  and  the  noiseless  procession  of  rangers,  as  they  sped 
over  the  pathless  snow.  The  bright  fire-light,  as  it  flickered 
up  the  chimney's  broad  flue  ;  the  mossy  wood,  newly  cut,  in 
the  corner,  —  all  were  alike  suggestive  of  forest  adventure, 
of  the  lone  sentinel  guard  in  the  dark,  deep  shade,  and  of  tales 
told  by  the  light  of  camp-fires  in  places  far  from  home. 

The  war  was  to  a  large  extent  carried  on  by  expeditions 
or  campaigns,  the  object  of  which  was  to  capture  the  strong- 
holds of  Canada.  We  will  give  lists  of  Sudbury  soldiers  who 
were  in  these  campaigns. 

CROWN   POINT  EXPEDITION. 

In  1755,  a  regiment  was  raised,  and  placed  under  command 
of  Col.  Josiah  Brown  of  Sudbury,  for  the  purpose  of  prevent- 
ing the  encroachments  of  the  French  about  Crown  Point  and 
upon  "  Lake  Iroquois,  commonly  called  by  the  French,  Lake 
Champlain."  The  regiment  belonged  to  the  command  of 
William  Johnson.  The  following  is  a  list  of  the  field  and 
staff  officers : — 

Josiah  Brown,  Col.  Samuel  Brigham,  Surgeon. 
John  Cummings,  Lt.  Col.  Benjamin  Gott,  Surgeon's  Mate 
Steven  Miller,  Major  David  Mason,  Commissary- 
Samuel  Dunbar,  Chaplain  Joseph  Lovering,  Adjutant 


338  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

Sept.  10,  1755,  Samuel  Dakin  received  a  commission  as 
captain  of  foot  in  this  regiment.  The  muster-roll  of  his  com- 
pany contains  forty-eight  names,  of  which  the  following  are 
supposed  to  be  from  Sudbury :  — 

Capt.  S.  Dakin  Sam1  Grout 

Elisha  Cutler  Jason  Gleason 

Silas  Clapp  Abel  Farrar 

Moses  Puffer  Josiah  Barker 

Nath1  Eveleth  Ephriam  Woods,  Jr. 

Sam1  Gibbs  Jr  Samuel  Estabrook 

Sam1  Burbank  Lt.  Joseph  Baker 

Joseph  Sherman  Jona  Barrett 

Sudbury  men  in  a  second  list  of  Capt.  Samuel  Dakin's 
Company,  1755 :  — 

Samuel  Grout  sergt.  Samuel  Mead,  Jr. 

David  Eveleth  corp1  Jason  Gleason 

Jonathan  Bent  Nathaniel  Gibbs 

Silas  Clapp  Samuel  Burbank 

Silas  Puffer  Moses  Jones 

Joseph  Maynard  Charles  Wetherbe 

Wm  Skinner  Abijah  Brigham 

Simon  Maynard  Josiah  Sherman 

Jedediah  Parmenter  Josiah  Walker. 

Sudbury  men  in  Capt.  Jonathan  Hoar's  company,  1755 :  — 

Adam  Gilbert  Charles  Roiley 

Uriah  Choochett  Jonathan  Stanhope. 

Sudbury  men  in  the  Crown  Point  expedition  of  1756,  in 
Capt.  Ebenezer  Newell's  company  :  — 

John  Nixon  Lieut.  [Fram]  Micah  Grout 

Ensign  Joseph  Brintnall  Leavitt  How 

Warren  Goodenow  Isaac  Goodenow 
Ezra  Barker 

Sudbury  men  in  Capt.  John  Nixon's  company,  1756  :  — 

Samuel  Parmenter  Samuel  Putnam 

Phinehas  Haynes  Wm  Puffer 

Samuel  Burbank  Jon*  Maynard 
Eph.  Hayden 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  339 

Sudbury  men  in  a  third  list  of  Capt.  Samuel  Dakiu's  com- 
pany :  — 

Samuel  Grout  Joseph  Sherman 

David  Evelith  Jonathan  Bent 

Silas  Clapp  Joseph  Maynard 

Wm  Skinner  Silas  Puffer 

Jedediah  Parmenter  Simon  Maynard 

Samuel  Mead  Jr.  Jason  Gleason 

Nathaniel  Gibbs  Moses  Stone 

Samuel  Burbank  Abijah  Brigham 
Charles  Wetherbe 

Sudbury  men  in  other  lists  are  as  follows:  Crown  Point  ex- 
pedition in  Capt.  William  Jones'  company,  Colonel  Thatch- 
er's regiment :  — 

Jonas  Balcom  Miles  Realy 

Ebenezer  Woodis  Nathaniel  Hayden 

Leavitt  How  Nathan  Maynard 

Oliver  Grout  Jonas  Gibbs 

Benjamin  Gleason  Solomon  How 

Joseph  Mungry  Nathan  Smith 
Micah  Grout 

In  Col.  John  Jones'  regiment  for  the  invasion  of  Canada, 
under  command  of  General  Amherst :  — 

Joel  Clapp  Daniel  Parmenter 

Silas  Hemenway  Isiah  Parmenter 

Joseph  Green  Cole 

Ebenezer  Wooddis  Samuel  Putman 
Andrew  White 

In  Capt.  Josiah  Richardson's  company,  Col.  Joseph  Buck- 
minster's  regiment :  — 

Jonas  Balcom  Miles  Realy 

Joseph  Muzzy  Nathaniel  Hayden 

Leavet  How  Nathan  Maynard 
Micah  Grout 

In  the  company  of  Capt.  John  Nixon  of  Sudbury,  1761:  — 

Isaiah  Parmenter,  Serg1  Uriah  Gibbs. 

Ebenezer  Woodes,  Corp1  Moses  Haynes 


340 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 


Caleb  Clark 
Nathaniel  Cutter 
Benja  Cutter 
Benj»  Clark 
Wm  Daniels 
Josiah  Everton. 
Ephraim  Goodnow  Jun. 
Thomas  Green 


Ephraim  Hayden 
Isaac  Lincoln 
Jesse  Putnam 
John  Putnam 
Daniel  Parmenter 
David  Rice 
Elijah  Willis. 


In  Capt.  Moses  Maynard's  company  :  — 

Oliver  Gould  Benjamin  Gleason 


Others  in  the  service  :  — 

John  Rutter. 
Josiah  Baldwin. 
Josiah  Pratt. 


Samuel  Graves 
Daniel  Wyman. 


Lieut.  Samuel  Curtis  and  eighteen  men  joined  Capt. 
Samuel  Dakin's  company  in  the  expedition  to  Canada  in 
1758. 

The  following  lists  contain  the  names  of  the  active  militia 
force  of  Sudbury,  April,  1757.  Many  whose  names  are  in 
these  lists  engaged  in  one  or  more  of  the  campaigns  as  the 
war  progressed,  and  then  returned  to  exchange  the  musket 
or  sword  for  the  implements  of  peaceful  pursuits,  still  hold- 
ing themselves  in  readiness  at  their  country's  call  to  place 
their  names  again  on  the  muster-roll :  — 

A  List  of  The  Officers  and  Soldiers  of  the  First  Foot  Company  in 
Sudbury  under  the  command  of  Capt.  Moses  Maynard,  L'  Joseph  Curtis 
and  En.  Jason  Glezen. 


Sarg  John  Rice 

"     Israel  Rice 

"     Samuell  Russell 

"     Isaac  Cutting. 
Corp1  Jonathan  Underwood 

"      Nehemiah  Williams 

"     Josiah  Farrar 

"      Sam1  Fisk 
Drum.  John  Combs. 
"      Wm  Russell. 
Joseph  Smith 


Abraham  Jenkens  Jun. 
Ebenezer  King 
Joseph  Trask 
Thomas  Allen  Jun 
Elijah  Rice 
John  Parmenter  Jun 
Grindly  Jackson 
Caleb  Moulton 
Bez'aleel  Moore 
Timothy  Underwood 
Phineas  Gleyen 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 


341 


Shemnel  Griffyn 
Joseph  Rutter 
Samu11  Abbott 
Randall  Davis  Jun 
Wm  Moulton 
John  Parmenter 
Sam1  Gould  Jun. 
Ephraim  Smith 
Jonathan  Graves 
Jacob  Alderick 
Sam1  Livermore 
Charles  Wetheaby 
Wra  Ravis 
David  Bent 
Isaac  Damon 
James  Davis 
Henery  Coggin 
Wm  Dudly 
Micah  Rice 
Isaac  Wetheaby 
Jonathan  Belcher 
Ephraim  Abbott 
John  Allen 
Benj*  Glezen 
A  true  Copy  taken  Apr.  25,  1757 

A  true  list  of  the  2ond  Foot  Company 
Captn  Josiah  Richardson  taken  by  Ezek 
1757. 

Capt.  Josiah  Richardson 

Lefnt  Abijah  Haynes 

Ensin  Jabez  Puffer 

Serg*  Joseph  Willis 

Serg'  Elijah  Smith 

Serg1  Corneleas  Wood 

Serg4  David  Moore 

Corp  Joseph  Stanhope 

Corp  Samuell  Eaton 

Corp  Oliver  Dackin 

Corp  Josiah  Richardson  Jun. 

Drum.  Jessie  Willis 
u       wm  Rice  Jun. 

John  Rice 

John  Reamos 

Jonas  Gibs 

John  Jacob  Cibellar 


Samu11  Griffyn 
Micah  Maynard 
Wra  Grout 
Edwd  Shannon  Jun 
John  Walker 
John  Meriam 
Edmond  Rice 
Jason  Glezen 
Elijah  Ross 
John  Morffet 
Benj*  Cory 
Ebenezer  Staples 
Sam1  Pool 
Zebediah  Allen  Jun 
Josiah  Maynard 
Jonas  Woodward 
Benj*  A.  Williams 
David  Patterson 
David  Stone 
Jason  Glezen  Jun 
Thomas  Bent  Jun 
Thadeus  Russell 
James  Ross 
W"1  Sanderson 

Saml  Curtis,  Clerk. 

in  Sudbury  under  command  of 
iel    How  Clerk,  April   ye    25th 

Wm  Skiner 
Wm  Gibs 
Wm  Hayden 
Isaac  Hunt  Jun 
Jeams  Wier 
Ephriam  Rice   ' 
Ephriam  Goodenow 
Elijah  Parmenter 
Ezekiel  Parmenter 
Ephriam  Hayden 
Edmond  Goodenow 
Ebenr  Burbank 
Ebenr  Woode 
Geo.  Wheller 
Geo.  Mossmon 
Joseph  Maynard  Jun 
Jeames  Carter 


342 


HISTORY   OF  SUDBURY. 


Leavit  How 

Micah  Goodenow 

Michall  Mellong 

Morris  Clarrey 

Micah  Parmenter 

Micah  Grout 

Miells  Rayley 

Mosies  Rice 

Nathan  Moore 

Nathaniel  Gibs  Jun. 

Nathaniel  Muzzey 

Norman  Saever 

Nathaniel  Cuter 
Rowen  Boogrill 

Reubin  Willis 
Richard  Ralley 

Reubin  Norse 
Oliver  Mors 
Peletiah  Parmenter 
Edward  Bointon 
Patrick  Roach 
Simeon  Harris 
Samuiell  Parmenter 
Samuiell  Osbon 
Samuiell  Brigham 
Samuiell  Dackin  Jun 
Samuiell  Burbank  Jun 
Samuiell  Puffer  Jun 
Samuiell  Knight  Jun 
Silas  Balkom 
Silas  Puffer 
Silas  Smith 
Samuiell  Putnam 
Thomas  Goodenow 
Thomas  Walker  Jun 
Uriah  Parmenter  Jun 
Wm  Parmenter 
Daniel  Noyse  Jun 


James  Haynes 
Isaack  Linckon 
Jeames  Thompson 
Jonathan  Maynard 
Josiah  Haynes 
John  Mossman 
Jonas  Hallden 
Jonas  Hayden 
Isrial  Haynes 
Jeams  Puffer 
Jonal  Balcom 
Josiah  Rice 
John  Willis 
John  Burbank 
Josiah  Bennit  Jun 
Jonathan  Haynes 
Jonathan  Rice  Jun 
John  Goodenow 
John  Puffer 
Jeams  Puffer  Jun 
Joseph  Muzzey  Jun 
Aron  Haynes 
Abijah  Walker 
Ambrus  Tower 
Asa  Smith 
Asiell  Clap 
Aron  Johnson 
Abel  Brown 
Aron  Earns 
Andrew  White 
Benimin  Tower 
Beniman  Berry 
David  Maynard  Jun 
Daniell  Clap 
Daniell  Bowken 
David  Clark 
Daniell  Parmenter 


There  was  also  in  Sudbury  what  was  called  an  Alarm  List. 
This  included  persons  between  the  ages  of  sixteen  and  sixty, 
who  were  ordinarily  exempt  from  military  duty,  but  were 
liable  to  be  called  upon  in  emergencies.  The  following  are 
the  names  on  an  Alarm  List  which  is  supposed  to  have  been 
commanded  by  Capt.  Thomas  Damon. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 


343 


List  of  those  persons  who  are  obliged  to  appear  on  an  alarm,  between 
the  ages  of  16  and  60  in  the  First  foot  Company  in  Sudbury.  Apr  25. 
1757 

Samuel  Curtis,  Clerk. 


Ebenezer  Roby,  Esq. 
Wm  Cook  Jun 
Wm  Baldwin 
Ebenezer  Roby  Jun. 
Abial  Abbott 
Isaac  Baldwin 
Naham  Baldwin 
John  Ross. 
Zecariah  Briant. 
Benj"  Briant 
Benjn  Ball 
Daniel  Wyman 
James  Patterson 
Thomas  Bent 
Joseph  Goodnow 
Elijah  Bent 
Cor.  Thomas  Damon 
James  Graves 
Amos  Sanderson 
Ezra  Graves 
Joseph  Livermore 
Isaac  Rice 
Peter  Bent 


Zebediah  Allen 
Paul  Brintnal. 
Hopstill  Bent, 
Joseph  Beal. 
Joseph  Sharmon, 
James  Brewer  jun. 
Eliakim  Rice. 
Benjaman  Dudley 
Samuel  Parris. 
Peter  Bent  Jun 
Thomas  Graves 
Isaac  Woodward 
Thomas  Jenkinson 
David  McDaniels 
Daniel  Moore  Jun 
Amos  Brown 
Jonathan  Patterson 
Elisha  Rice  Jun. 
Peter  Briant 
David  Sharmon 
Josiah  Haynes 
Isaac  Stone 
Jonathan  Griffin. 


In  August,  1757,  the  men  on  both  the  Active  and  Alarm 
Lists  were  mustered  for  service.  The  year  had  been  one 
of  disaster  to  the  English  and  American  forces  ;  and,  on 
August  3,  General  Montcalm  with  about  nine  thousand 
French  and  one  thousand  Indians  besieged  Fort  William 
Henry,  which  he  captured  after  a  six  days'  siege,  during 
which  time  it  was  gallantly  defended  by  Colonel  Monroe 
with  a  force  of  twenty-three  hundred  and  seventy -two  men. 
The  report  of  the  disaster  was  sad  intelligence  to  New  Eng- 
land and  consternation  prevailed.  The  militia  were  called 
to  arms,  and  soon  a  large  part  of  those  on  both  the  Active 
and  Alarm  Lists  were  on  their  way  towards  Fort  William 
Henry ;  but  Montcalm  not  taking  advantage  of  his  victory 
in  the  way  that  was  expected,  in  about  two  weeks  the  troops 
returned. 


344  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

The  following  are  the  officers  of  a  troop  of  horse  in 
Sudbury  in  1762:  — 

Capt.  John  Noyes 
1st  Lieut.  Israel  Moore 
2ond  Lieut.  Richard  Heard 
Cornet,  Jonathan  Parmenter 
Quarter  Master,  Samuel  How. 

Officers  of  the  troop  of  horse  in  Sudbury  in  1771 :  — 

FIRST   COMPANY.  SECOND   COMPANY. 

Capt.  Joseph  Curtis  Capt.  Aaron  Haynes 

1st  Lieut.  Micah  Maynard.  1st  Lieut.  Daniel  Bowker 

2ond  Lieut.  Ebenezer  Staples.  Ens.  James  Puffer. 
Ens^  Samuel  Choate 

THIRD    COMPANY. 

Capt.  Samuel  Knight 
1st  Lieut.  Moses  Stone 

The  foregoing  lists  indicate  that  the  town  was  well  repre- 
sented in  the  last  French  war,  and  that  its  militia  force  was 
quite  strong.  Some  of  the  officers  whose  names  are  given 
were  prominent  citizens.  Col.  Josiah  Brown  has  been  men- 
tioned in  connection  with  military  operations  of  a  preceding 
period.  Capt.  John  Nixon,  who  in  1759,  is  mentioned  as  a 
citizen  of  Sudbury,  was,  subsequently,  General  Nixon  of 
Revolutionary  fame.  Other  of  her  soldiers  who  became 
efficient  officers  in  the  Revolutionary  War  received  their  first 
lessons  in  military  tactics  in  this  severe  school. 

In  one  of  the  expeditions  of  this  war,  the  town  sustained 
the  loss  of  Capt.  Dakin  and  several  others  of  its  citizens,  who 
were  killed  by  the  Indians  at  Half-Way  Brook,  near  Fort 
Edward,  July  20,  1758.  At  the  time  of  this  event,  Capt. 
Dakin  and  his  company  were  connected  with  the  expedition 
of  General  Amherst  against  Crown  Point.  The  following 
brief  account  of  the  attendant  circumstances  are  stated  in  a 
diary  kept  by  Lieut.  Samuel  Thomson  of  Woburn  :  — 

"July  20,  Thursday  in  the  morning,  10  men  in  a  scout 
waylaid  by  the  Indians  and  shot  at  and  larmed  the  fort  and 
a  number  of  our  men  went  out  to  assist  them,  and  the  enemy 
followed  our  men  down  to  our  Fort,  and  in  their  retreat, 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  345 

Capt.  Jones  and  Lieut.  Godfrey  were  killed,  and  Capt  Law- 
rence and  Capt.  Dakin  and  Lieut.  Curtis  and  Ens"  Davis, 
and  two  or  three  non-commissioned  officers  and  privates,  to 
the  number  of  14  men,  who  were  brought  into  the  Fort,  all 
scalped  but  Ensn  Davis,  who  was  killed  within  30  or  40 
rods  from  the  Fort:  and  there  was  one  grave  dug,  and  all 
of  them  were  buried  together,  the  officers  by  themselves  at 
one  end,  and  the  rest  at  the  other  end  of  the  grave ;  and 
Mr.  Morrill  made  a  prayer  at  the  grave,  and  it  was  a  solemn 
funeral ;  and  Nath'  Eaton  died  in  the  Fort  and  was  buried  ; 
and  we  kept  a  very  strong  guard  that  night  of  100  men. 
Haggit  [and]  Wm  Coggin  wounded." 

Then  follows  a  list  of  the  killed,  beginning,  — 

Capt.  Ebenezer  Jones  of  Willmington 
Capt  Dakin  of  Sudbury 

Lieut  Samuell  Curtice  of  Ditto 
Private  Grout  of  do 

"  We  have  also  an  account  that  there  are  seven  of  our 
men  carried  into  Ticonderoga,  which  make  up  the  number 
of  those  that  were  missing. 

"  21.  Friday,  in  ye  forenoon  a  party  of  about  150  went 
out  to  find  more  men  that  were  missing,  and  we  found  4  men 
who  were  scalped,  and  we  buried  them,  and  so  returned  : 
and  at  prayer  this  evening  we  were  Laromed  by  a  false  out- 
cry. Nicholas  Brown  died  and  was  buried  ;  and  Moses 
Haggit  died." 

As  Jonathan  Patterson  and  Nathaniel  Moulton  of  Sud- 
bury are  reported  missing,  they  may  have  been  among  the 
number  above  referred  to. 

The  following  epitaph  of  Captain  Dakin  was  written  by 
William  Rice,  Esq.,  who  was  his  orderly  sergeant. 

Good  by,  Capt.  Dakin  Samuell. 

In  a  battle  near  Lake  George  he  fell. 

In  the  death  of  Captain  Dakin,  a  loss  was  sustained  by 
the  town,  the  church,  and  the  province.  The  following 
sketch  contains  some  facts  concerning  his  life. 


346  HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY. 

SKETCH   OF   CAPTAIN   DAKIN. 

Samuel  Dalrin  was  a  son  of  Deacon  Joseph  Dakin,  whose 
father,  Thomas,  settled  in  Concord  prior  to  1650.  In  1722, 
he  married  Mercy  Minott,  daughter  of  Colonel  Minott  who 
built  the  first  framed  house  in  Concord.  The  farm  of  Cap- 
tain Dakin  was  in  the  northern  part  of  Sudbury,  on  the  road 
running  northerly  to  Concord,  his  house  being  very  near  the 
town  boundary.  As  early  as  1745,  he  was  appointed  ensign 
of  the  second  company  of  foot  in  Sudbury,  of  which  Josiah 
Richardson  was  captain  and  Joseph  Buckminster  was  colonel. 
Sept.  10,  1755,  he  received  the  commission  of  captain  in 
Col.  Josiah  Brown's  regiment.  In  May,  1758,  he  received 
an  order  from  Ebenezer  Nichols  to  be  present  with  his  com- 
pany at  Worcester  on  the  25th,  and  to  furnish  his  men  with 
"  Bounty  for  Biliting."  From  Worcester  he  proceeded  to 
Fort  Edward,  where  he  probably  arrived  about  the  middle 
of  June,  and  in  the  vicinity  of  which  he  remained  till  his 
death,  which  occurred  as  before  described.  Captain  Dakin 
was  not  only  valiant  in  his  country's  service  but  valiant  in 
the  army  of  the  Lord  as  well.  His  character  as  a  Christian 
is  indicated  by  the  following  covenant,  copied  from  the 
original,  which  is  still  in  the  possession  of  one  of  his 
descendants. 

COVENANT. 

O,  Thou  Glorious  God  !  Thou  hast  promised  merc}r  in 
Christ  Jesus,  if  I  turn  to  Thee  with  my  whole  heart.  I 
therefore  upon  the  call  of  the  Gospel,  do  come  and  throwing 
down  my  weapons  of  rebellion,  do  submit  to  Thy  mercy,  as 
Thou  requirest  as  the  condition  of  my  acceptance  with  Thee, 
that  I  put  away  mine  idols  and  be  at  defiance  with  Thine 
enemies,  which  I  acknowledge  I  have  wickedly  sided  with 
against  Thee,  I  do  now  from  my  heart  renounce  them  all, 
firmly  covenanting  with  Thee  not  to  allow  myself  in  any 
known  sin,  but  constantly  to  use  all  means  that  I  know 
Thou  hast  prescribed,  for  the  death  and  destruction  of  my 
corruptions,  and  as  my  heart  has  been  running  after  this 
world  and  sin  and  vanity,  I  do  now  resign  it  to  Thee  that 
made  it,  protesting  before  Thy  Glorious  Majesty,  that  it  is 


HISTORY  OF  STJDBTJRY.  347 

the  firm  resolution  of  my  heart  and  that  I  do  unfeignedly 
desire  grace  from  Thee,  that  when  Thou  shalt  call  me  here- 
unto, I  may  practice  this  my  resolution,  and  by  Thine 
assistance,  to  forsake  that  which  is  dear  to  me  in  this  world, 
rather  than  turn  from  Thee  to  the  ways  of  sin,  and  Thou 
wilt  enable  me  to  work  against  all  temptations,  whether  in 
prosperity  or  in  adversity,  lest  they  draw  my  heart  from 
Thee.  O,  Glorious  God,  I  would  again  come  before  Thee 
with  all  possible  veneration  bowing  myself  at  the  feet  of 
Thy  Glorious  Majesty.  I  do  here  take  the  Lord  Jehovah, 
Father,  Son  and  Holy  Spirit,  for  my  portion  and  chief  good, 
and  do  give  up  myself  body  and  soul  for  service  to  serve 
Thee  all  the  days  of  my  life  I  do  here  upon  the  bended 
knees  of  my  soul,  accept  of  Jesus  as  the  only  way  by  which 
sinners  have  access  to  God.  I  do  this  day  take  the  Lord  to 
be  my  Lord,  and  Jesus  Christ  to  be  my  Saviour,  resolving 
to  serve  Thee  in  all  my  affairs.  I  do  renounce  my  former 
righteousness,  and  take  Thee  to  be  "  The  Lord  my  right- 
eousness "  and  am  willing  to  take  my  lot  as  it  falls,  as  to  the 
goods  of  this  world,  leaving  all  my  concerns  with  Thee, 
verily  supposing  that  nothing  separate  me  from  the  love  of 
Jesus  Christ  my  Lord  and  dear  Redeemer,  and  from  this 
day  I  shall  be  bold  to  call  the  Lord  Jehovah  my  Father,  and 
Jesus  Christ  my  Redeemer,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  my  sancti- 
fier,  hoping  that  my  God  will  suffer  no  allowed  sin  to  make 
void  this  covenant,  and  this  covenant  that  I  have  made  on 
,earth,  may  it  be  ratified  in  heaven.     Amen  &  Amen. 

July  27th  1753.     memorandum. 

This  day  renew  this  covenant  having  often  broken  it. 
The  Lord  accept  me  again  for  his  great  mercy  sake  in  Jesus 
Christ. 

Sept.  29th  1756.     memorandum. 

This  day  renew  this  covenant,  having  often  broken  it, 
although  nothing  hath  failed  on  God's  part  and  now  going 
on  an  Expedition  against  the  enemy  at  Crown  point,  I  have 
given  myself  up  wholly  to  God  to  be  at  His  disposal  in  life 
or  death,  and  O  that  God  would  accept  of  me  again  for  Jesus 
Christ's  sake. 


348  HISTORY   OP   SUDBURY. 

May  23d  1758.     memorandum. 
This  day  renew  this  covenant  with  God,  and  while  going 
on  an  expedition  against  Canada  I  have  left  myself  wholly 
in  the  hands  of  God,  to  be  at  His  disposal  in  life  or  death. 

Samuel  Dakin. 

Captain  Dakin's  character  is  also  shown  by  the  following 
extracts  from  letters  to  his  wife  while  he  was  serving  in  the 
Canada  campaign.  In  a  letter  dated  Sept.  26,  1755,  he 
says :  "  I  am  in  good  health  and  my  company  are  so  obe- 
dient to  me  and  so  loving  one  to  another  that  it  makes  my 
life  exceeding  comfortable  and  pleasant.  I  have  never  yet 
heard  one  thwarting  word  in  my  company,  but  they  seem  all 
to  have  a  brotherly  care  one  for  another,  and  have  never 
heard  one  profane  word  among  them,  and  their  forwardness 
to  attend  religious  exercises  is  delightful  to  me  so  that  I  have 
many  mercies." 

In  a  letter  of  June  10,  1758,  he  speaks  of  the  condition  of 
his  company,  and  says:  "they  are  all  well,  and  I  hope  I 
shall  be  very  happy  in  my  company,  and  they  are  very  ready 
to  attend  prayers  and  singing  of  Psalms  which  we  have 
practiced  on  our  journey." 

July  11,  1758,  in  writing  from  Lake  George  he  says : 
"And  now  my  dear  wife  and  children,  I  desire  you  would 
not  distress  yourselves  about  me  but  commit  me  in  your 
prayers  to  God  to  be  wholly  at  his  disposal  and  I  hope  by 
his  preserving  providence  I  shall  after  awhile  rejoice  with 
you  again  in  my  own  house ;  but  if  not  I  hope  we  shall  all 
rejoice  together  in  heaven  which  will  be  spiritually  better." 
Before  he  closes  his  letter  he  asks  for  their  prayers  for  him- 
self, his  men,  and  the  whole  army. 

Such  are  some  extracts  from  the  correspondence  of  this 
Christian  soldier.  They  serve,  not  only  to  set  forth  the 
character  of  the  man,  but  of  an  officer  in  the  military  service 
of  those  times.  Surely,  if  Captain  Dakin  was  a  representa- 
tive of  that  generation  of  men,  no  wonder  that  the  cause  for 
which  they  fought  was  at  last  triumphant.  His  descendants 
have  been  prominent  citizens  of  Sudbury.  Levi  and  Thomas, 
grandson  and  great  grandson,  were  deacons  in  the  Congre- 
gational Church. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  349 

Not  only  were  the  New  England  towns  called  upon  to 
furnish  men  for  the  war,  but  their  equipment  and  mainten- 
ance also  when  in  the  field.  As  the  soldiers  to  an  extent 
enlisted  for  single  campaigns,  repeatedly,  the  expense  of 
fitting  out  demanded  new  contributions.  This  condition 
of  tilings  occasioned  heavy  taxation  and  the  issuing  of  bills  of 
credit  by  the  government.  Besides  the  money  provided  by 
the  public  for  the  prosecution  of  the  war,  some  means  were 
furnished  by  the  merchants,  farmers  and  others  for  the 
encouragement  of  enlistments. 

FRENCH   NEUTRALS. 

Among  other  services  rendered  by  the  towns  was  the 
maintenance  of  what  were  termed  French  Neutrals,  the 
people  whom  Longfellow  has  described  in  his  poem,  "Evan- 
geline." As  Sudbury  had  some  of  these  to  care  for,  a  few 
words  relative  to  their  general  history  may  be  appropriate. 
Upon  the  cession  of  the  province  of  Nova  Scotia  by  France 
to  the  British  in  1713,  a  colony  of  about  seven  thousand 
French  Roman  Catholics  became  subjects  of  Great  Britain. 
These  colonists  were  allowed  to  remain  on  the  land  they  had 
occupied,  on  condition  of  their  taking  the  oath  of  allegiance 
to  England.  The  oath  was  taken  with  the  qualification 
that,  in  case  of  war  against  France,  they  were  not  to  take 
up  arms  against  their  own  countrymen.  It  was  thus  they 
acquired  the  name  of  French  Neutrals.  But  it  was  alleged 
that,  during  the  war  which  began  in  1755,  they  furnished 
the  French  and  Indians  with  substantial  aid,  thus  enabling 
them  the  better  to  harass  the  English,  that  three  hundred 
of  them  were  found  in  arms  at  the  taking  of  Fort  Beau- 
Sejour,  and  that  although  an  offer  was  made  to  such  as  had 
not  resorted  to  arms  to  still  hold  their  estate  on  taking  the 
oath  of  allegiance  without  qualification,  yet  they  one  and  all 
refused  to  do  so.  In  view  of  this  attitude,  the  English 
believed  that  the  public  safety  required  their  removal  from 
the- province.  If  they  were  taken  to  Canada  they  would 
still  be  enabled  to  assist  the  French.  It  was,  therefore, 
determined  to  convey  them  to  different  parts  of  the  British 
Colonies.     The  plan  of  removing  them  was  largely  intrusted 


350  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

to  the  forces  of  Massachusetts  under  command  of  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Win  slow. 

At  an  appointed  time,  the  people  were  called  into  the 
different  ports  "to  hear  the  King's  orders."  About  four 
hundred  of  their  best  men  assembled  at  the  village  of  Grand 
Pre.  A  guard  being  placed  about  the  church  where  they 
were,  Colonel  Winslow  made  known  his  sad  errand. 

One  thousand  of  these  French  Neutrals  arrived  in  the 
Massachusetts  Bay  Province  and  were  supported  at  public 
expense.  Different  towns,  among  which  was  Sudbury,  had 
their  quota  to  care  for.  Repeatedly  is  there  a  record  of 
supplies  furnished  them  by  the  town.  The  following  is  a 
general  statement  of  some  of  these,  and  also  a  bill  of  attend- 
ance and  medicine  furnished  by  Dr.  Roby,  one  of  Sudbury's 
old  time  physicians. 

An  account  of  what  hath  been  expended  by  sd  Town  of  Sudbury  on 
Sundry  French  Persons  sent  from  Nova  Scotia  to  this  province  and  by 
sd  government  to  Town  of  Sudbury. 

The  subsisting  of  Eighteen  persons  ten  days  —  six  persons  three 
weeks,  and  four  persons  twenty-three  weeks,  the  whole  amounting  to 
one  hundred  and  twenty-seven  weeks  for  one  person  charged  at  four 
shillings  week  for  each  person  £25  —  8s 

Ephraim  Curtis  Ebenezer  Roby 

Josiah  Brown  Josiah  Haynes 

John  Noyes  Samuel  Dakin 

Elijah  Smith.  Selectmen. 

Some  of  them  being  sick  a  great  many  comers  and  goers  to  visit 
them  made  the  expense  the  greater  even  thirteen  or  fourteen  at  a  time 
for  a  week  together. 

State  Archives,  Vol.  XXIII.,  page  98. 

MASSACHUSETTS    PROVINCE. 

For  medicine  and  attendants  for  the  French  Neutrals  from  Nova 
Scotia. 

1755,  Dec.  11  —  To  Sundry  Medicines  for  French  young  woman  — 
27  —  To  Do.  for  girl  6d 

1756,  Mar.  22,  —  To  Sundry  Medicines  and  Journey  in  the  night  west 
side  the  River  —  0—5-8 

To  Sundry  Medicines  Journey  west  side  0-4-0 

To  Do.  4"  To  Journey  and  Medicines  0-7-0 

To  Do.  £  for  the  old  Gentleman  when  he  fell  off  the  House  and  was 
greatly  bruised  and  sick  of  a  fever  the  clavicula  being  broke. 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  351 

May,  1756,  To  medicine  and  attendants  for  the  old  Gentleman,  the 
whole  month  of  May  and  his  wife  greatest  part  of  the  time  himself  when 
dangerously  sick  of  a  fever,  violent  coughs  and  are  still  remaining  in  a 
low  languishing  condition. 

N.  B.  The  above  old  gentleman  and  wife  have  been  in  a  low  lan- 
guishing condition  all  the  spring  and  have  had  no  more  doctoring  than 
what  has  been  of  absolute  necessity. 

State  Archives,  Vol.  XXIII.,  page  97. 

Melancholy,  indeed,  was  the  fate  of  those  ancient  Aca- 
dians.  Although  the  circumstances  were  such  that  the 
English  may  have  considered  their  removal  a  military  neces- 
sity, yet  the  fact  remains  that  sorrow  and  hardship  attended 
their  exile.  They  were  strangers  in  a  strange  land.  Their 
pleasant  homes  were  abandoned,  and  with  their  lands  passed 
into  the  hands  of  another  race. 

"  Waste  are  those  pleasant  farms  and  the  farmers  forever  departed ; 
Scattered  like  dust  and  leaves  when  the  mighty  blasts  of  October 
Seize  them,  and  whirl  them  aloft  and  sprinkle  them  far  o'er  the  ocean." 

Feb.  10,  1763,  a  treaty  of  peace  was  signed  at  Paris,  and 
the  long,  arduous  struggle  between  the  two  great  nations 
ceased.  The  announcement  brought  great  joy  to  New  Eng- 
land. Days  of  public  thanksgiving  were  observed,  and 
praise  was  offered  unto  Him  "  from  whom  all  blessings  flow." 
No  longer  was  Canada  to  be  a  place  from  which  a  foe 
could  sally  forth  to  harass  the  exposed  frontier,  and  to 
which  he  could  return  with  his  captives  and  booty.  The 
same  flag  was  to  float  over  New  England  and  beyond  the 
northern  border,  and  the  Canadian  fortresses  were  to  be 
manned  by  English  or  American  soldiers. 

In  yet  another  way  did  thie  war  bring  its  benefits  to 
Americans.  It  gave  them  a  knowledge  of  the  military 
tactics  of  Europe,  by  which  they  were  the  better  able  to 
cope  with  the  British  when,  in  after  years,  they  met  them 
on  the  memorable  fields  of  the  Revolutionary  War. 

About  ten  years  after  the  close  of  the  war  both  precincts 
lost  their  pastors.  The  first  that  died  was  Mr.  Cook,  who 
passed  away  in  1760.  That  year  the  town  voted  "sixty-five 
pounds  to  each  of  the  Revd  ministers  for  the  year  ensuing 


352  HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY. 

including  their  salary  and  fire  wood ;  in  case  they  or  either 
of  them  should  decease  before  the  expiration  of  the  year, 
then  they  or  either  of  them  to  receive  their  salary  in  propor- 
tion during  the  time  they  shall  live  and  no  longer." 

This  may  indicate  that  their  death  was  anticipated.  An- 
other record  indicates  that  Mr.  Cook  had  been  sick  some 
time  when  this  vote  was  passed,  as  the  town  book  goes  on 
to  state,  "  The  same  meeting  granted  thirty-three  pounds, 
six  shillings  six  pence  to  pay  persons  who  had  supplied  the 
pulpit  in  Mr.  Cook's  confinement,  and  also  granted  thirty 
pounds  more  to  supply  the  pulpit  during  his  sickness,  ajjd 
chose  a  committee  to  provide  preaching  in  the  meantime." 
May  11,  1761,  the  town  appropriated  seventeen  pounds,  six 
shillings,  eight  pence  "  out  of  the  money  granted  for  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Cook's  salary  in  the  year  1760,  to  defray  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Cook's  funeral  expenses." 

Mr.  Cook  had  one  son  who  taught  the  grammar  school  for 
years  in  Sudbury,  and  died  of  a  fever  in  1758.  After  the 
decease  of  Mr.  Cook,  another  minister  was  soon  sought  for 
on  the  east  side.  A  little  disturbance,  and  perhaps  delay, 
was  occasioned  "by  a  petition  sent  to  the  General  Court 
relating  to  the  settlement  of  another  minister  on  the  east 
side  the  river.  But  the  matter  was  amicably  adjusted  by 
a  vote  of  the  town ;  whereby  it  decided  "  not  to  send  an 
agent  to  the  General  Court  to  show  cause  or  reason  why  the 
petition  of  Deacon  Adam  Stone  and  others  relating  to  the 
settlement  of  a  Gospel  minister  on  the  East  side  the  river 
should  not  be  granted."  The  town  furthermore  voted,  that 
the  "  prayers  of  the  petition  now  in  Court  should  be  granted, 
Provided  the  Court  would  Grant  and  confirm  the  like  Privi- 
lege to  the  West  Church  and  Congregation  when  there  shall 
be  reason.     John  Noyes     Moderator." 

The  way  cleared  of  obstructions  a  new  pastor  was  soon 
found.  Choice  was  made  of  Rev.  Josiah  Bridge.  Oct.  14, 
1761,  Capt.  Moses  Maynard  was  allowed  twelve  shillings 
"  for  his  travel  to  Lunenburg  to  wait  on  Mr.  Bridge  ;  "  and, 
at  the  same  meeting,  it  was  "  voted  to  grant  to  Mr.  Bridge 
his  settlement  and  salary  as  he  had  contracted  with  the  East 


HISTORY  OP   SUDBURY  353 

Precinct  for,  and  ordered  the  assessors  to  assess  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  town  for  the  same." 

Delegates  were  duly  chosen  by  the  West  Side  Church, 
Nov.  3,  1761,  to  attend  Mr.  Bridge's  ordination,  —  Deacon 
Haynes,  John  Haynes,  Josiah  Richardson,  and  Cornelius 
Wood.  Mr.  Bridge  was  a  native  of  Lexington,  and  graduate 
of  Harvard  College  in  1758.  He  was  ordained  Nov.  4,  1761, 
and  died  June  19,  1801,  aged  sixty-two,  and  in  the  fortieth 
year  of  his  ministry.  A  few  years  after  Mr.  Cook's  decease 
Rev.  Mr.  Loring  also  passed  away,  his  death  occurring 
March  9,  1772. 

The  West  Church  voted,  April  7,  1772,  "  to  set  apart 
Thursday  next  as  a  day  of  Fasting  and  prayer  to  seek  ye 
direction  and  blessing  of  heaven  on  the  endeavor  to  settle 
another  Gospel  Minister  among  them."  Also,  "  voted  that 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Stone  of  Southboro,  Rev.  Mr.  Bridge  of  the 
East  Precinct,  Rev.  Mr.  Bridge  of  Framingham,  and  Rev. 
Mr.  Swift  of  Marlboro  be  requested  to  give  their  presence 
and  assistance.  Exercises  to  commence  at  10  o'clock." 
May  6,  1772,  the  town  "  granted  Eighteen  pound  Lawful 
money  for  to  pay  the  charge  of  Rev.  Mr.  Loring's  Funeral," 
also  at  the  same  date  it  was  "  voted  that  the  remainder  of 
the  [money]  granted  to  pay  the  Rev.  Mr.  Loring's  salary 
should  be  applied  for  supplying  the  pulpit." 

SKETCH   OF   MR.    LORING. 

The  service  of  Mr.  Loring  in  the  church  at  Sudbury  was 
long  and  fruitful.  He  died  in  the  ninetieth  year  of  his  age 
and  the  sixty-sixth  year  of  his  ministry.  It  was  said  of  him 
that  "  as  he  earnestly  desired  and  prayed  that  he  might  be 
serviceable  as  long  as  he  should  live,  so  it  pleased  God  to 
vouchsafe  his  request,  for  he  continued  to  preach  'till  the 
last  Sabbath  but  one  before  his  death,  and  the  next  day 
prayed  in  the  town  meeting,  which  was  on  the  2nd  day  of  the 
month.  The  night  following  he  was  taken  ill,  and  oh  the 
9th  of  March  1772,  he  expired."  Mr.  Loring  had  pious 
parentage.  His  father,  Mr.  John  Loring  of  Hull,  came  from 
England,  Dec.  22,  1634.     It  has  been  said  of  him  that,  like 


354  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

Obadiah,  "  he  feared  the  Lord  greatly."  His  mother  was 
also  religious,  and  "  prayed  with  her  family  in  her  husband's 
absence."  Mr.  Loring  was  born  at  Hull,  Mass.,  April  6, 
1682.  It  is  supposed  he  was  converted  in  his  youth.  He 
graduated  at  Harvard  College  in  1701.  He  began  to  preach 
at  Scituate,  lower  parish,  Aug.  1,  1703,  and  preached  first 
at  Sudbury  July  29,  1705.  In  the  year  1723,  on  the  25th  of 
July,  he  removed  to  the  west  side  of  the  river,  where  he 
continued  in  service  until  flesh  and  strength  failed.  He  left 
two  sons  and  four  daughters,  his  son  Jonathan  having  died 
some  years  before  the  death  of  his  father.  Elizabeth,  born 
Nov.  16,  1712,  married  Richard  Manson  of  Sudbury,  June  6, 
1746.  Mary,  born  Sept.  14,  1716,  married  Elisha  Wheeler, 
and  died,  Jan.  22,  1801.  Nathan,  born  Nov.  27,  1721,  mar- 
ried Keziah  Woodward,  Dec.  31,  1747,  who  died  July  28, 
1754.  He  married  a  second  time,  and  died  April  25,  1803. 
"  He  was  a  farmer,  and  lived  on  the  place  afterwards  owned 
by  Loring  Wheeler  1st."  On  the  fidelity  of  Mr.  Loring's 
ministry  we  need  offer  no  comments:  his  works  are  his 
memorials.  At  the  time  of  his  installation  at  Sudbury  the 
church  numbered  one  hundred  and  twenty,  —  forty-one 
males  and  seventy-nine  females.  During  his  ministry  four 
hundred  and  fifty  were  added  to  it ;  of  these,  forty-two 
males  and  sevent}--two  females  were  added  before  the  divi- 
sion of  the  church,  and,  after  the  division,  there  were  added 
to  the  West  Church  one  hundred  and  twenty-nine  males  and 
two  hundred  and  seven  females.  The  whole  number  of 
children  baptized  by  Mr.  Loring  in  Sudbury  was  fourteen 
hundred. 

It  has  been  said  concerning  his  service  on  the  West  Side, 
"  Thus  did  this  excellent  and  venerable  man  thro'  a  long 
series  of  years,  burn  and  shine  in  eminent  Piety,  indefati- 
gable Dilligence,  faithfulness,  and  distinguished  usefulness 
of  truly  primitive  stamp.  Heu  Pietas  !  lieu  prisca  Fides  !  " 
It  is  said,  further,  that  he  was  "  honored  and  revered  by  all 
whose  regards  were  worth  receiving ;  and  for  a  great  number 
of  years  was  the  head  and  the  glory  and  delight  of  the 
ministiy."     Beside  these  substantial    testimonials  of  merit, 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  355 

he  has  left  various  publications  which  also  set  forth  his 
worth.     Some  of  these  printed  works  are  as  follows :  — 

"The  nature  and  necessaty  of  the  New  Birth,  (a  ser- 
mon.) Printed  for  and  sold  by  D.  Henchman,  over  against 
the  British  meeting  house.     MDCCXXVIII." 

"  Serious  thoughts  on  the  miseries  of  hell.  (Preached  at 
Sudbury,  Sunday,  Feb.  20,  1731-2.)" 

Several  other  sermons  on  important  religious  subjects 
were  published,  also  an  election  sermon,  of  date  1739;  a 
convention  sermon,  1742,  and  others  not  mentioned  here, 
making  in  all  eleven  publications.  He  also  kept  a  succes- 
sion of  diaries,  some  of  which  are  still  extant.  They  are 
closely  written  and  somewhat  hard  to  be  read,  but  contain 
valuable  matter  that  pertains  to  the  affairs  of  both  province 
and  town.  Mr.  Loring  was  a  strong  Calvinist,  an  earnest 
preacher  and  somewhat  noted  minister.  It  is  said  he  did 
not  like  the  ways  of  Mr.  Whitefield,  the  evangelist,  and  the 
excitement  attendant  upon  his  revivals  ;  and  this,  together 
with  some  other  matters,  led  to  some  unpleasantness  for  a 
time.  He  was  fine  looking,  tall,  slender,  and  of  dark  com- 
plexion. When  he  lived  on  the  East  Side,  he  occupied  the 
parsonage  which  the  town  provided  for  Mr.  Sherman.  In 
1778,  the  town  voted  "  to  give  to  Mr.  Isreal  Loring  our 
present  minister  ye  4  acres  of  land  and  ye  building  now 
upon  it  y'  ye  bought  of  John  Loker  to  him  and  his  heirs 
forever,  on  yesd  Mr.  Isreal  Loring  relinquishing  }'e  £50 
which  ye  town  granted  him."     (See  Chapter  XV.) 

Thus  lived  and  died  a  good  and  great  man ;  but  "  though 
dead  he  yet  speaketh." 

"  The  precious  memory  of  the  just 
Shall  flourish  when  they  sleep  in  dust." 

After  the  death  of  Mr.  Loring,  the  church  did  not  remain 
long  dependent  upon  a  temporary  supply.  On  July  27, 
1772,  it  proceeded  to  select  a  Gospel  minister,  and  the  Rev. 
Jacob  Bigelow  was  unanimously  chosen.  He  was  to  have  a 
salary  of  seventy-four  pounds.  He  was  ordained  Nov.  11, 
1772.     The  following  churches  were  represented  on  the  occa- 


356  HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY. 

sion  of  ordination  :  East  Precinct,  Josiah  Bridge  ;  Waltham, 
Jacob  Cushing ;  Weston,  Samuel  Woodward ;  Sherburn, 
Elijah  Brown  ;  Framingham,  Matthew  Bridge ;  Lexington, 
Jonas  Clark  ;  Westborough,  Ebenezer  Parkman. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

For  a  time  preceding  the  Revolution,  the  West  Side  was 
divided  into  the  North  and  South  Wards.  In  1765,  Richard 
Heard  offered  to  collect  the  taxes  on  the  East  Side  the  river 
for  three  pence  per  pound  if  they  would  appoint  him  col- 
lector and  constable  ;  and  Aaron  Haynes  offered  to  collect 
them  for  the  North  Ward,  West  Side,  and  Jedediah  Par- 
menter  for  the  South  Ward  at  the  same  rates. 

In  1765,  the  town  "  voted  to  build  a  new  stone  pound 
between  Lieut.  Augustus  Moors'  dwelling  house  at  the 
gravel  pit,  on  Col.  Noyes  land  which  he  promised  to  give 
the  town  to  set  a  pound  on  by  Dead."  The  pound  was  to 
be  "  30  feet  square  from  Enside  to  Enside  6  ft  high  with 
pieces  of  timber  locked  together  round  the  top  8  inches 
square,  for  six  pounds  and  the  old  pound." 

In  1771,  the  town  voted  to  build  a  powder-house  in  which 
to  keep  the  town's  stock  of  ammunition.  It  granted  for 
this  object  "  7  pounds  9  shillings  and  4  pence,  and  agreed 
with  Col.  John  Noyes  to  build  it,  and  place  it  near  or  on 
Wm  Baldwin's  land  near  Major  Curtis'."  Another  record 
of  the  same  year  states  that  "  the  town  voted  to  erect  the 
powder  house  on  the  training  field  near  Mr.  Elisha  Wheel- 
ers." In  1773,  it  "  voted  to  remove  the  powder  house  to 
some  suitable  place  on  or  near  the  gravel  pit  hill,  and  chose 
a  committee  to  remove  the  same,  if  the  committee  should 
think  the  house  will  be  sufficient  for  the  use  it  was  built  for, 
and  rough  cast  and  underpin  said  building." 

In  1772,  the  town  "gave  leave  to  John  Balcom,  Joseph 
Willis,  Abijah  Brigham,  and  Jonathan  Smith,  to  set  up  a 
small  House  on  the  town  land  near  the  west  meeting  house 
for  the  people  to  repair  to  on  the  Sabbath  day."  There  may 
have  been  other  similar  buildings  erected  near.  They  were 
intended  as  a  convenient  resort  for  the  people,  during  the 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  857 

interval  between  services  on  Sunday,  for  the  purpose  of 
warming  themselves  and  eating  their  dinners. 

May  17,  1773,  the  town  chose  a  committee  "  to  consider 
and  report  what  is  proper  to  be  done  in  order  to  suppress 
that  set  of  men  in  this  town,  who  make  it  their  business  to 
trade  with  and  cheat  strangers."  The  committee  reported 
as  follows :  — 

"  That  for  the  benefit  of  the  public;  the  names  and  char- 
acter of  the  persons  belonging  to  and  residing  in  Sudbury 
hereafter  named  ....  are  persons  who  go  about  the  country 
and  cheat  honest  men  by  purchasing  their  horses,  cattle  and 
other  effects,  by  telling  fair  stories,  and  promising  short  pay, 
should  be  published  in  the  several  newspapers,  that  the 
Public  may  be  cautioned  against  trading  with  or  trusting 
them  on  any  account." 

The  town  accepted  of  the  report,  and  chose  a  committee 
to  find  out  the  persons  who  aided  and  assisted  in  the  work, 
"  by  purchasing  the  horses  and  cattle  &c  at  a  low  price 
which  they  know  are  obtained  in  such  a  clandestine  way 
and  manner,  that  their  names  may  be  exposed  in  like  man- 
ner. Also  voted,  that  the  town  Clerk  send  an  attest  copy 
to  the  several  Printers  in  the  town  of  Boston,  to  be  printed 
for  the  benefit  of  the  public." 


CHAPTER  XX. 

1775-1800. 

War  of  the  Revolution.  —  Causes  of  It.  —  Attitude  of  the  Town  Relative 
to  the  Stamp  Act.  —  Instructions  to  the  Representative  Concerning 
It.  —  Report  of  the  Committee  Relative  to  the  Importation  of  Tea.  <— 
Patriotic  Resolutions  of  the  Town.  —  Instructions  to  its  Represen- 
tatives.—  An  Old  Document  Descriptive  of  the  Times. —  Military 
Preparations.  —  Choice  of  Militia  Officers.  —  Organization  of  Minute 
Companies.  —  Names  and  Captains  of  Companies.  —  Muster  Rolls. — 
Equipments. — .Drill.  —  Call  Roll  of  Captain  Nixon's  Company. — 
Military  Stores  Removed  to  Sudbury.  —  The  Alarm.  —  The  Muster- 
ing and  March.  —  The  Arrival  at  Concord. —  The  Encounter  at  the 
North  Bridge.  —  Retreat  of  the  British.  —  The  Pursuit.  —  Encounter 
at  Merriam's  Corner.  —  At  Hardy's  Hill. —  Incident.  —  Sudbury's 
Loss.  —  Sketch  of  Deacon  Josiah  Haynes.  —  Sketch  of  Mr.  Asahel 
Read. 

Far  as  the  tempest  thrills 

Over  the  darken'd  hills, 
Far  as  the  sunshine  streams  over  the  plain, 

Roused  by  the  tyrant  band, 

Woke  all  the  mighty  land, 
Girded  for  battle  from  mountain  to  main. 

O.  W.  Holmes. 

The  period  from  1775  to  1800,  in  this  country,  may  truly 
be  termed  the'  period  of  the  Revolution.  It  witnessed  the 
commencement  and  close  of  armed  opposition  to  the  British 
Crown,  and  the  establishment,  in  America,  of  a  new  nation- 
ality. In  the  work  of  overthrowing  the  old  and  establishing 
a  new  government,  the  several  provincial  towns  had  a 
common  concern  ;  each  supplied  its  quota  and  each  stood 
ready  to  respond  to  the  country's  call.  Sudbury,  on  account 
of  its  situation  and  size,  bore  a  prominent  part.  It  was  the 
most  populous  town  in  Middlesex  County ;  its  territory  was 
extensive,  and  for  a  time  in  close  proximity  to  the  seat  of 

358 


HISTORY  Off  SUDBURY.  359 

war:  for  these  reasons,  much  was  expected  of  it,  and  its 
patriotism  was  equal  to  the  demand.  Before  a  consideration 
in  detail  of  the  part  taken  by  the  town  in  this  stormy 
period  we  will  notice  in  brief  the  causes  of  the  war.  The 
thirteen  original  States  were,  for  the  most  part,  settled  by 
English  emigrants.  They  loved  the  mother  country,  its 
institutions  and  laws,  and  had  no  desire  to  throw  off  alle- 
giance so  long  as  England  respected  their  rights.  The  two 
countries  had  stood  together  on  the  fields  of  successive  wars, 
they  had  things  in  common  to  be  shared  and  kept,  —  one 
language  set  forth  their  traditions,  one  literature  contained 
their  history  and  laws.  It  was  natural  and  desirable  that 
they  should  have  but  one  flag  and  sustain  one  general  gov- 
ernment. But  causes  worked  to  alienate  and  bring  about 
a  final  rupture.  The  colonies  were  oppressed  with  excessive 
taxation,  denied  the  rights  of  their  ancient  charters,  refused 
representation  in  council  and  the  right  of  petition  at  court. 
Misguided  and  rash  officials  were  placed  in  their  midst,  and 
they  were  subject,  in  various  other  obnoxious  ways,  to  checks 
on  their  peace  and  prosperity. 

Before  hostilities  broke  out,  protests  were  repeatedly  pre- 
sented to  the  Crown  against  its  despotic  proceedings;  but 
the  colonies  had  little  hope  of  English  concession,  hence, 
great  activit}'  prevailed  in  council,  and  the  people  prepared 
to  meet  the  worst.  Resolutions  were  passed,  and  such  plans 
laid  for  aggressive  and  defensive  measures  as  the  exigencies 
of  the  province  required.  In  these  measures  Sudbury  had 
her  share.  The  town  was  usually  present,  by  delegates,  in 
response  to  all  calls,  and  her  vote  was  stanch  for  the  conti- 
nental cause.  In  1770,  the  people  manifested  their  hearty 
appreciation  of  the  agreement  of  merchants  in  Boston  "  to 
stop  the  importation  of  British  goods,  and  engaged  for  them- 
selves and  all  within  their  influence,  to  countenance  and 
encourage  the  same."  At  an  early  day,  they  chose  a  com- 
mittee to  prepare  and  present  instructions  to  Peter  Noyes, 
Representative  to  the  General  Court,  in  regard  to  the  Stamp 
Act,  which  set  forth  their  opinions  very  strongly  concerning 
that  petty  piece  of  tyranny.  Record  after  record  appears  on 
the  Town  Book,  of  resolutions  and  acts  that  show  how  posi- 


360  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

tive  the  people  were  in  their  patriotism,  and  how  pronounced 
they  were  in  declaring  it.  These  are  of  such  a  character 
that  to  give  a  few  of  them  will  suffice. 

1773.  The  Town  being  met,  the  committee  appointed  by  the  town 
to  take  into  consideration  the  affair  relating  to  the  Tea  sent  here  by  the 
East  India  Company,  reported  as  follows,  viz."  — 

Taking  into  Consideration  the  late  Conduct  of  administration,  to- 
gether with  an  act  of  Parliament  enabling  the  East  India  Company  to 
export  their  Teas  unto  America  Free  of  all,  Duties  and  Customs,  Regu- 
lations and  penalties  in  America  as  are  provided  by  the  revenue  Act ; 
we  are  justly  alarmed  at  this  Detestable  Craft  and  Policy  of  the  Min- 
istry to  deprive  us  of  our  American  Liberties  Transmitted  to  us  by  our 
Worthy  Ancestors,  at  no  less  expense  than  that  of  their  Blood  and 
Treasure.  That  price  our  Renowned  Forefathers  freely  paid,  that  they 
might  transmit  those  Glorious  Liberties  as  a  free,  full,  and  fair  inher- 
itance to  Posterity,  which  liberties  through  the  Indulgent  Smiles  of 
Heaven,  we  have  possessed  in  peace  and  Quietness,  till  within  a  few 
years  Past  (Excepting  in  the  reign  of  the  Detestable  Stewarts)  but  now 
Behold  !  the  pleasing  scene  is  changed,  the  British  ministry,  assisted 
by  the  Inveterate  Enemies  to  American  Liberty  on  this  as  well  as  on 
the  other  side  of  the  Atlantick,  Combining  together  to  Rob  us  of  our 
dear  Bought  freedom;  have  Brought  us  to  this  sad  Dilemma,  either  to 
resolve  like  men  in  defense  of  our  just  Rights  and  Liberties,  or  sink 
under  the  weight  of  their  Arbitrary  and  unconstitutional  measures  into 
a  State  of  abject  Slavery.  Therefore  as  Freeborn  Americans  Intitled 
to  all  the  immunities,  Liberties  and  Privileges  of  Freeborn  Englishmen, 
we  look  upon  ourselves  under  the  Strongest  Obligations  to  use  our 
utmost  Exertions  in  defense  of  our  just  Rights  in  every  constitutional 
method  within  our  Power,  Even  though  the  Cost  of  the  Defense  should 
equal  that  of  the  purchase.     Therefore  resolved 

1st  That  as  we  are  entitled  to  all  the  Privileges  of  British  Subjects, 
we  have  an  undoubted  and  exclusive  Right  to  Grant  our  own  monies 
for  the  support  of  Government  and  that  no  Power  on  Earth  has  a  right 
to  Tax  or  make  Laws  binding  us,  without  our  consent. 

2dly  That  the  British  Parliament  laying  a  Duty  on  Tea  Payable  in 
America,  for  the  express  purpose  of  Raising  a  Revenue,  is  in  our 
opinion  an  unjust  Taxation,  and  that  the  specious  method  of  permitting 
the  East  India  Company  to  export  their  Teas  into  the  Colonies,  has  a 
direct  tendency  to  rivet  the  Chain  of  Slavery  upon  us. 

3dly.  That  we  will  lend  all  the  aid  and  assistance  in  our  Power  in 
every  Rational  Method,  to  hinder  the  Importations  of  Teas,  so  long  as 
it  is  subject  to  a  duty  ;  and  that  this  Town  are  well  pleased  with,  and 
highly  approve  of  that  Resolution  in  particular  entered  into  by  the 
Town  of  Boston,  viz  that  they  will  not  suffer  any  Tea  to  be  imported 
into  that  Town  while   subject   to  an  unrighteous  Duty ;   and  it  is  the 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  361 

desire  and  expectation  of  this  Town  that  said  resolution  be  not  relaxed 
in  any  Degree ;  which  if  it  should  it  would  much  lesson  that  confidence 
(which  we  hope  we  may  justly  say)  we  have  reason  to  place  in  that 
respectable  metropolis 

4thly  That  the  Persons  appointed  by  the  East  India  Company  to 
receive  and  vend  their  Teas  (by  their  obstinate  refusal  to  resign  their 
odious  Commission)  have  shown  a  ready  disposition  to  become  the 
Tools  of  our  Enemies,  to  oppress  and  enslave  their  Native  Country,  and 
have  manifested  such  stupidity  and  wickedness  to  prefer  private  Inter- 
est to  the  good  of  their  Country,  and  therefore  can  expect  no  favor  or 
respect  from  us  ;  but  we  leave  them  to  accumulate  a  load  of  Infamy, 
proportionate  to  their  vileness. 

5  "  That  whoever  shall  sell,  buy,  or  otherwise  use  Tea,  while  sub- 
ject to  and  poisened  with  a  Duty,  shall  be  deemed  by  us  Enemies  to 
their  Country's  welfare  ;  and  shall  be  treated  by  us  as  such.  The  Town 
by  their  Vote  Ordered  the  foregoing  resolves  to  be  recorded  in  the 
Town  Book,  and  a  Copy  of  the  same  to  be  forwarded  to  the  Committee 
of  Correspondence  at  Boston,  with  our  sincere  thanks  to  that  Respect- 
able Town,  for  their  Manly  Opposition  to  every  minsterial  measure  to 
enslave  America. 

Thomas  Plympton,  Ezekiel  Howe,  John  Maynard        ) 
Sampson  Belcher,  Phinehas  Glezen,  Josiah  Langdon  f 

With  like  spirit  the  town  expressed  itself  in  the  following 
instructions  to  Peter  Noyes,  its  Representative  to  the  Court : 

Sir,  you  being  chosen  by  the  inhabitants  of  this  town  to  represent 
them  in  the  Great  and  General  Court  or  Assembly  of  their  Province, 
we  think  proper  at  this  critical  Day,  when  our  invaluable  rights  and 
privileges  are  so  openly  invaded  to  give  you  the  following  instructions. 

That  you  invariably  adhere  to  and  steadfastly  maintain  (so  far  as  you 
are  able)  all  our  Charter  Rights  and  Priveleges  and  that  you  do  [not] 
consent  to  give  them  or  any  of  them  up,  on  any  pretense  whatever. 
That  you  make  use  of  all  your  influence,  that  some  effective  method  be 
devised  and  pursued  for  the  restoration  of  our  violated  rights  and 
redress  of  all  our  grievances.  That  you  use  your  endeavors  that  the 
Governor  be  prevailed  upon  to  make  a  grant  for  the  payment  of  our 
agent  chosen  by  the  Representative  body  of  the  Province  to  present 
our  complaint  to  the  ears  of  our  King 

John  Maynard.        "] 

Sampson  Belcher.  I 

John  Balcom.  ! 

„,.  -D-       T  r  Committee. 

Wm  Rice,  Jr. 

Phineas  Gleason.  j 

Aaron  Merriam.     J 


362  HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY. 

Nov.  14,  1774,  the  town  voted  "  their  approbation  of  the 
several  measures  of  the  Provincial  Congress  so  far  as  has 
been  communicated  to  them."  It  also  voted,  at  the  same 
meeting,  "  to  choose  a  committee  to  observe  the  conduct  of 
all  persons  touching  the  association  agreement  entered  into 
by  the  Continental  Congress,  whose  business  it  shall  be  to 
see  the  articles  contained  therein  are  strictly  adhered  to  by 
the  inhabitants  of  this  town." 

In  1774,  the  town  chose  Thomas  Plympton,  Capt.  Richard 
Heard,  and  James  Mossman  to  represent  it  at  the  proposed 
Provincial  Congress.  The  records  just  quoted  are  a  few 
from  many  that  show  the  fidelity  of  Sudbury  to  the  great 
cause  of  freedom  in  those  tumultuous  times.  It  was  decided 
as  to  the  true  principle  of  action,  and  equally  prompt  and 
consistent  in  carrying  it  out.  Enough  has  been  said  to  show 
the  town's  place  in  that  preparatory  period  that  led  to  the 
clash  of  arms  ;  but  we  will  quote  a  paper  written  by  a  Revo- 
lutionary soldier  of  Sudbury,  which  shows  the  spirit  of  the 
age  and  gives  a  synopsis  of  events  and  the  way  in  which 
they  were  viewed  by  one  living  in  town  at  the  time  of  their 
occurrence  ;  and  although,  in  presenting  this  paper,  we  may 
anticipate  some  of  the  events  we  are  about  to  narrate,  yet 
we  think  it  proper  to  do  this,  rather  than  make  a  break  in  a 
paper  so  valuable  both  to  local  and  general  history. 

"  The  Causes  that  led  the  Colonies  to  Take  up  armes 
Against  the  Mother  Country  is  proper  to  be  Shown  To 
Prove  the  Necessity  the  Colonies  were  under  to  resist  the 
oppressive  Measures  which  the  Colonies  were  laid  under ; 
namely  the  stamp  act;  on  the  Stamp  act  Being  Repaled,  an 
act  called  the  Declaritory  act,  more  oppressive  and  Hostile 
to  American  Rights  than  any  thing  that  had  Preceded  it. 
A  Cargo  of  Tea  was  consigned  To  the  Friends  of  the  Royal 
Governor  Hutchinson  with  a  duty  [of]  three  pence  on  a 
pound,  but  the  inhabitants  of  Massachusetts  [being]  Deter- 
mined not  to  pay  that  Duty,  a  Party  of  men  in  Disguise 
Entered  on  bord  the  Ships  and  Destroyed  Three  Hundred 
and  Forty  Two  Chests  of  Tea.  After  these  proceedings 
were  received  in  England  The  Excitement  was  very  strong 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  363 

against  Massachusetts  and  Particularly  against  Boston, 
which  was  considered  The  seat  of  Rebellion.  A  Bill  was 
then  Brought  forward  that  was  called  the  Boston  Port  Bill ; 
the  Port  of  Boston  was  Precluded  the  Privelege  of  Landing 
and  Discharging  or  Loading  and  Sniping  goods.  The  words 
Whigs  and  Tories  was  introduced  about  this  Time.  To  the 
Honor  of  Sudbury  there  was  Not  any  of  the  latter  Glass  to 
be  found  within  the  limits  [of]  Sudbury. 

"  The  People  were  Carfull  to  Promote  men  that  were 
Strongly  opposed  to  British  Tireny.  The  Town  of  Boston 
Passed  a  vote  to  stop  all  importation  from  Great  Britain  and 
the  West  Indies. 

"  Requesting  the  other  Colonies  to  fall  in  with  the  same 
Resolve,  Many  of  the  inhabitants  of  .  .  .  signed  a  Resolve 
not  to  buy  any  imported  goods.  Most  Noted  Men  in  Boston 
that  took  the  lead  .  .  .  were  James  Otis  John  Hancock 
and  Samuel  Adams  ;  in  September  1774  Ninty  of  the  Rep- 
resentatives of  Massachusetts  Met  at  Salem  and  formed 
What  was  Called  the  Provincial  Congress  and  adjourned  to 
Concord.  Here  they  chose  John  Hancock  President,  and 
drew  up  a  Plan  for  the  immediate  Defense  of  the  Province 
By  appointing  officers,  also  Pased  a  Resolve  to  get  in 
Readiness  to  Compose  an  Army  at  the  shortest  Notis  and 
called  Minute  men.  The  minute  company  in  Sudbury  was 
commanded  by  Capt  John  Nixon  afterwards  General,  the 
North  Melitia  Company  was  commanded  [by]  Capt.  Aaron 
Haynes  The  South  By  Capt.  Moses  Stone,  the  orders  were 
for  Every  man  to  be  supplied  with  a  Gun  and  Bagnet 
Cartrege  Box  and  36  Rounds,  our  Guns  to  [be]  Kept  in 
Good  Repair.  The  men  that  were  freed  by  Ege  from  doing 
Militory  Duty  formed  themselves  into  a  Company  Called  the 
Alarm  Company  Commanded  by  Capt.  Jabez  Puffer.  Train- 
ings were  as  often  as  once  a  week  the  three  fall  months,  in 
the  winter  Not  so  often.  The  young  Men  In  the  Winter 
months  made  a  Practis  of  calling  on  their  officers  Evenings 
and  going  through  the  Manual  Exercise  In  Barn  Flours.  I 
have  exercised  many  a  Night  With  my  Mittens  on.  Such 
was  the  Patriotic  sperit  that  Reigned  in  the  Brest  of  Every 
True  American   Never   to   stain  the  Glory  of  our  worthy 


364  HISTORY  OF  SUDBURY. 

Ancestors  but  like  them  Resolve  never  to  part  with  our 
birthright.  To  be  wise  in  our  deliberations  and  determined 
in  our  Exertions  for  the  preservation  of  our  libertys,  being 
Irritated  by  Repeated  Injuries  and  Striped  of  our  inborn 
rights  and  dearest  Priveleges ;  The  Present  Generation  may 
view  those  Transactions  with  surprise  ;  every  Rational  mind 
must  feel  satisfied  of  the  overruling  hand  of  Providence. 
To  bring  about  the  great  event  here  we  must  Cast  our  Eyes 
on  the  Father  of  Mercies  with  a  full  belief  that  He  would 
Make  his  arm  beare  For  us  as  he  did  for  our  Ancestors 
that  we  should  be  Enabled  to  Defend  and  Maintain  our 
Rights  Boath  of  a  Civil  and  Religious  Nature.  With  these 
impressions  Strongly  impressed  in  their  Hearts  on  the  morn- 
ing of  [the]  Ever  Memorable  19th  of  April  1775  Husbands 
left  their  wifes  and  Fathers  their  daughters  Sones  their 
Mothers  Brothers  their  Sisters  to  Meet  a  Haughty  Foe. 

"  On  this  eventful  morning  an  Express  From  Concord  to 
Thos  Plympton  Esqr  who  was  then  a  Member  of  the  Pro- 
vintial  Congress  [stated]  that  the  British  were  on  their  way 
to  Concord :  In  35  Minites  between  4  and  5  oclock  in  the 
Morning,  the  Sexton  was  immadelly  Called  on,  the  bell 
Ringing  and  the  Discharge  of  Musket  which  was  to  give  the 
alarm.  By  sunrise  the  greatest  part  of  the  inhabitants  were 
Notified.  The  morning  was  Remarkable  fine  and  the  Inhab- 
itants of  Sudbury  Never  can  make  such  an  important  appear- 
ance Probably  again.  Every  Countenance  appeared  to 
Discover  the  importance  of  the  event.  Sudbury  Companies 
were  but  a  short  distance  From  the  North  Bridg,  when  the 
first  opposition  was  made  to  the  Haughty  Enemy.  The 
Dye  was  Cast  and  the  Torch  Lit  by  which  means  we  Have 
Becom  an  independent  Nation,  and  may  the  present  gener- 
ation and  those  unborn,  preserve  unimparred  the  Libertys, 
sivel  and  Religious  so  long  as  Time  Endures  — 

"  On  the  19  of  April,  I  was  Runing  across  a  Lot  where 
there  was  a  bend  in  [the]  Road  in  order  to  get  a  Fair  Shot, 
at  the  Enemy,  in  company  with  a  Scotchman  who  was.  in 
Braddock's  Defeat  19  year  Before,  after  we  had  Discharged 
our  Guns  I  observed  to  the  Sco1  who  appeared  very  Com- 


THE    COMMON. 

Unitarian  Church,  Town  House  and  Methodist  Church, 

Sudbury  Centre. 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  365 

posed  I  wished  I  felt  as  Calm  as  he  appeared  to  be  —  [He 
said]  its  a  Tread  to  be  Larnt, 

"  Before  I  served  through  one  Campain  I  Found  the  Scots 
Remark  to  be  a  just  one  — 

"  The  old  soldiers  Name  is  John  Weighton  He  informed 
me  he  had  been  in  seven  Battles  and  this  Eight."  (Stearns 
Collection.) 

MILITARY   PREPARATIONS. 

Nov.  14,  1774,  "  it  was  voted,  that  the  town  recommend 
to  the  several  companies  of  militia  to  meet  far  the  choice  of 
officers  for  their  respective  companies,  as  recommended  by  the 
Provincial  Congress.  Also  voted,  that  a  company  of  militia 
on  the  East  side,  meet  on  Thursday  next  at  twelve  o'clock  at 
the  East  meeting  house  in  Sudbury,  to  choose  their  officers  ; 
and  that  the  companies  on  the  West  side  to  meet  at  the  West 
meeting  house  at  the  same  time  and  for  the  same  purpose." 

Besides  looking  after  the  militia,  the  town  took  measures 
to  form  companies  of  minute  men.  These,  as  the  name 
implies,  were  to  hold  themselves  in  readiness  to  act  at  a 
minute's  warning.  The  officers  received  no  commissions, 
but  held  their  positions  by  vote  of  the  men.  Two  such 
companies  were  formed,  one  on  each  side  of  the  river. 
There  was  also  a  troop  of  horse  composed  of  men  from  both 
precincts.  Besides  these  companies  of  able-bodied  men,  there 
was  an  alarm  company  composed  of  men  exempt  from  mili- 
tary service.     The  names  of  the  companies  were, — 

North  Militia  Co.  West  Side,  Capt.  Aaron  Haynes  GO  men 

East  Militia  Co.  East  Side.  Capt.  Joseph  Smith,  75  men 

South  Militia  Co.  (Lanham  District)  both  Sides.  Capt.  Moses  Stone  92  men. 

Troop  of  Horse.  Both  Sides.  Capt.  Isaac  Loker.  21  men. 

Minute  Co.  West  Side.  Capt.  John  Nixon.  58  men 

Minute  Co.  East  Side.  Capt.  Nathaniel  Cudworth.  40  men. 

These  make,  besides  the  alarm  list  of  Jabez  Puffer,  six  com- 
panies —  three  hundred  and  forty-eight  men  —  in  process  of 
preparation  for  the  coming  struggle. 

The  muster  rolls  of  these  companies,  as  present  at  the 
Concord  and  Lexington  battle,  have  for  the  most  part  been 


866  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

preserved,  and  are  here  given  as  found  in  State  and  town 
documents.  They  may  not,  in  every  case,  give  the  names 
of  all  who  were  on  the  rolls  of  either  militia  or  minute  men 
in  1774 ;  and  they  may  also  contain  names  which  were  not 
properly  of  the  companies  in  whose  rolls  they  stand.  But 
this  may  be  explained  by  the  fact  that  these  rolls  represent 
those  who  were  in  the  Lexington  and  Concord  fight,  and 
that  the  alarm  company  and  troop  were  mingled  with  other 
companies  of  the  town  on  that  memorable  day. 

A  muster  Roll  of  Militia  Company  and  part  of  an  Alarm  Company 
that  marched  to  Cambridge  by  Concord  on  the  Alarm  on  the  nineteenth 
of  April  last  under  the  command  of  Capt,  Aaron  Haynes  of  Sudbury 
and  returning  home. 

Aaron  Haynes  Capt,  Thomas  Puffer 

Daniel  Bowker  Lieut,  Rufus  Parmenter 

James  Puffer  Lieut,  James 


Joshua  Haynes  Sergt,  Ebenezer  Plympton 

Samuel  Dakin       "  Abel  Tower 

Samuel  Puffer       "  Francis  Green 

Jonathan  Haynes  "  Jason  Haynes 

Benjamin  Smith  Corp.  Joseph  Haynes 

Ashael  Balcom        "  Israel  Brigham 

Hope  Brown            "  Abel  Willis 

Ithamon  Rice          "  Isaac  Rice 

Phineas  Puffer,  Clark  John  Bemis 

Aaron  Haynes  Moses  Noyes 

Abel  Maynard,  Private  David  Moore 

Micah  Maynard  Abijah  Brigham 

John  Maynard  Israel  Haynes 

Jonas  Haynes  Edmund  Parmenter 

Isaac  Puffer  Henry  Smith 

Oliver  Dakin  Dea  Thomas  Plympton 

Silas  How  Lieut  Dakin 
Sworn  to  by  Capt.  Aaron  Haynes,  Jan.  20,  1770 

A  muster  roll  of  the  Company  under  the  Command  of  Capt.  Joseph 

Smith,   in    Col.   James    Barret's  Regiment    from    Sudbury   on    April 
19th  1775,  in  persuit  of  the  ministerial  Troops 

Capt,  Joseph  Smith  Isaac  Damon 

Lieut,  Josiah  Farrar  John  Tilton  Jr. 

Lieut,  Ephraim  Smith  John  Cutting 

Ensign  Timothy  Underwood  Samuel  Tilton  Jr, 

Sergeant  William  Bent  Amos  Addaway 

Sergeant  Samuel  Griffin  Travis 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 


36T 


Sergeant  Robert  Cutting 
Sergeant  John  Bruce 
Corporal  Samuel  Tilton 
Corporal  Nathaniel  Smith 
Corporal  Peter  Johnson 
Corporal  John  Merriam 
Drumer  Thomas  Trask 
Edmund  Sharman 
Timothy  Bent 
Micah  Rice 
Isaac  Gould 
John  Barney 
Jacob  Gould 
Benjaman  Dudley 
Zachariah  Briant  Jr, 
Ebenezer  Johnson 
Jonathan  Bent 
Simon  Belcher 
Joel  Stone 


Roland  Bennett 
Isaac  Stone 
John  Stone 
Isaac  Rice  Jr, 
William  Dudley 
John  Peter 
Francis  Jones 
James  Sharmon 
Samuel  Sharmon 
Joseph  Goodenow 
Josiah  Allen 
Elisha  Cutting 
John  Dean 
James  Goodenow 
Ephraim  Bowker, 
Jonathan  Cutting 
James  Davis 
Jason  Parmenter 


Middlesex  Dec  218t  1775,  The  above  named  Joseph  Smith  made 
solemn  oath  to  the  truth  of  the  above  roll,  Before  me,  Moses  Gill* 
Justice  Peace. 


These  Certify  that  the  mens  names 
ye    19th   0f   April  last  to  Head  Q™  we 
Col0  How  of  Sudbury  and  Moses  Stone 

Moses  Stone  Cap4 
Jona  Rice  L* 
Joseph  Goodenow  2  Lt. 
Joseph  Moore  Serg' 
Ephrm  Carter  Corp1 
David  How 
Benja  Berry 
Jona  Carter 
Elijah  Goodnow 
David  How 
Ezek1  How  jr. 
Jonas  Wheeler 
Isaac  Lincoln 

The  above  named  were 
Peter  Haynes 
L'  Elisha  Wheeler 
Aaron  Goodnow 
Thomas  Walker 
Ebenr  Burbank 

The  above  named  were 


hereafter   annex'd   marched  on 
being  under  Command  of  Lt 
Cap 

Tho*  Ames 
Thomas  Burbank 
Nath1  Bryant 
Israel  Maynard 
Tho8  Carr  junr 
Isaac  Moore 
Uriah  Moore 
Abner  Walker 
Wra  Walker 
Abel  Parmenter 
Dan1  Csburn 
Tho8  Derumple 

out  four  days. 

Tho"  Derumple 

Nath1  Brown 

Uriah  Hayden 

Israel  Willis 

Calven  Clark 
out  three  days. 


368 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 


Province  of  the  Massachusetts  Dr  to  Isaac  Locker  and  the  men 
under  me  by  name  in  ye  Colony  for  service  done  in  defence  of  the 
Country  on  ye  19th  day  of  April  to  ye  218t  of  the  same  when  the  alarm  at 
Concord,  agreable  to  the  General  Courts  Order  —  made  up  this  Acco' 


Isaac  Locker 
U  Oliver  Noyes 
Qr  Mr  Ja8  Puffer 
Corp1  Ja8  Noyes 
Corp  Jesse  Gibbs 
Corp1  Abel  Smith 
Da1  Wood  Moore 
Eph  "  Moore 
Jonas  Wheeler 
Jesse  Mossman 
Rufus  Bent 
Jason  Bent 
W     Wyman 
Jo8  Rutter 
Wm  Noyes 


Tim0  Sharmon 
Dan1  Moore  Jr 
David  Curtis 
Zachh  Heard 
Jacob  Jones 
Nath1  Knowlton 
Jonas  Rice 
Nathan  Stearns 
Micah  Greaves 
Nath'  Jenison 
Stephn  Locker 
Asaph  Travis 
Jonas  Locker 
Simon  Newton 
David  Heard 


A  List  of  a  Company  of  Minute  Men  under  the  command  of  Capt. 

John  Nixon,  in  Col  Abijah  Pierce's  Regiment  who  entered  the  service 

April  19th  1775 

David  Moore  Lieut  Abel  Holden  " 

Ashael  Wheeler  2d  Lieut  Hopestill  Brown  Corp. 

Micah  Goodnow  Sergt  Jesse  Moore  " 

Elijah  Willis  "  Uriah  Wheeler        " 

Jeremiah  Robbins  "  William  Moore 


PRIVATES. 


Joseph  Balcom 
Philemon  Brown 
Samuel  Brigham 
Samuel  Cutting 
Asher  Cutler 
William  Dun 
Aaron  Ames 
Robert  Ames 
Eliab  Moore 
Uriah  Moore 
Isaac  Moore 
John  Moore 
Josiah  Richardson 
Nathan  Read 
Charles  Rice 
James  Rice 
Ezra  Smith 


Rueben  Haynes 
Joshua  Haynes 
Caleb  Wheeler 
John  Weighten 
Simon  Kingman 
Israel  Willis 
Hopestill  Willis 
Ebenezer  Wood 
Jonas  Holden 
Elisha  Wheeler 
Daniel  Loring 
Thadeus  Moore 
William  Maynard 
Daniel  Maynard 
John  Shirley 
Peter  Smith 
Abraham  Thompson 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  369 

Samuel  Gleason  Daniel  Weight 

Thomas  Goodenow  Nathaniel  Rice 

Jesse  Goodenow  Daniel  Putman 

William  Goodenow  Micah  Grant 

Sworn  to  by  Lt.  Asahel  Wheeler,  Feb.  3,  1776. 

A  muster  Role  of  the  Minute  Company  under  the  command  of  Capt. 
Nathaniel  Cudworth  in  Col.  Abijah  Pierce's  Regiment. 

Nathaniel  Cudworth  Capt.  Samuel  Pollard 

Thadeus  Russel,  Lieut.  Daniel  Rice 

Nathaniel  Maynard  Ensign  Samuel  Whitney 

Nathaniel  Reeves  Sergent  Benjamin  Adams 

Jonathan  Hoar  "  Samuel  Curtis 

Caleb  Moulton  ;'  Richard  Heard  Jr 

Thomas  Rutter  "  Samuel  Bent 

Joseph  Willington  Corp.  Samuel  Haynes 

Thadeus  Bond  "  Joseph  Nicolls 

David  Clough  "  William  Grout 

Joshua  Kendall  "  Samuel  Merriam 

John  Trask  Drummer  David  Underwood 

Phineas  Gleason  Private  Naum  Dudley 

Ebenezer  Dudley  James  Phillips 

John  Noyes  Jr  Edmund  Rice  Jr. 

Timothy  Underwood  Nathaniel  Parmenter 

Peter  Britnell  David  Damon 

Zebediah  Farrar  David  Rice 

Jonathan  Parmenter  Jr  Edward  How 

Jonathan  Wesson  Timothy  Sharmon 

Sworn  to  by  Nathaniel  Cudworth,  Feb.  21,  1776. 

In  1776,  the  town  "  voted  to  pay  each  of  the  minute  men 
one  shilling  and  sixpence  for  training  one  half  day  in  a  week, 
4  hours  to  be  esteemed  a  half  day,  after  they  were  enlisted 
and  until  called  into  actual  service  or  dismissed  ;  and  the 
Captains  3  shilling  and  Lieutenants  2  shillings  and  six  pence 
and  the  ensign  2  shillings." 

The  foregoing  muster  rolls  represent  about  one-fifth  of 
the  entire  population.  The  number  in  actual  service  at  the 
Concord  and  Lexington  fight  three  hundred  and  two.  The 
following  report  shows  to  what  extent  these  companies  were 
equipt. 


370  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

"  Sudbury  March  yf  27th  1775  : 

"  The  Return  of  the  Severall  Companys  of  Militia  and 
Minute  in  sd  Town  viz. 

"  Capt.  Moses  Stone's  Company  —  92  men  of  them,  18  no 
guns,  at  Least  one  third  part  ye  forelocks  unfit  for  Sarvis 
others  wais  un  a  quipt. 

"  Capt.  Aaron  Hayns  Company  —  60  men  weel  provided 
With  Arms  the  most  of  them  Provided  with  Bayonets  or 
hatchets  a  boute  one  quarter  Part  with  Catrige  Boxes. 

"  Capt.  Joseph  Smith's  Company  consisting  of 

75  able  Bodied  men  forty  well  a  quipt  twenty  Promis  to 
find  and  a  quip  themselves  Emedetly  fifteen  no  guns  and 
other  wais  un  a  quipt 

"The  Troop  Capt.  Isaac  Locer  (Loker)  —  21  Besides 
what  are  on  the  minit  Role  well  a  quipt. 

"  Returned  by  Ezekiel  How.  Left"  Con1  "  (Stearns 
Collection.) 

It  is  not  strange  that,  at  the  time  this  report  was  given, 
the  troops  had  not  been  fully  equipped.  It  was  not  easy  to 
provide  for  so  many  at  once,  but  the  following  record  may 
indicate  that  the  town  had  been  endeavoring  to  supply  the 
deficiency  since  the  preceding  fall,  Oct.  3,  1774. 

To  Capt.  Ezekiel  How  for  20  guns  and  Bayonets       27 —  0 —  2 
600  pounds  Lead  S— 16—  0 

300  french  Flynts  [9  or]  19—    —11 

Chest  for  the  arms  and  carting  them  7 —  2 —  2 

Probably  before  the  19th  of  April  they  were  fairly 
equipped  for  service,  as  there  is  among  the  town  papers  a 
bill  to  one  of  the  minute  companies  for  ammunition  that  the 
town  had  supplied.  Each  man  mentioned  had,  for  the  most 
part,  received  about  a  pound  of  powder  and  two  pounds  of 
balls  for  which  a  charge  was  made  of  one  pound,  one  shilling. 

In  the  matter  of  military  drill,  the  men  showed  a  spirit  of 
perseverance  which  indicates  their  expectation  of  rough 
work.  It  was  by  no  dress  parade  or  review  on  some  gala 
occasion  when,  with  burnished  muskets  and  uniforms  gay 
and  bright,  they  became  proficient  in  the  art  of  defence,  but 


HISTOEY   OF   SUDBURY.  371 

on  the  cold  barn  floor  in  their  homespun  suits,  with  the  mute 
cattle  their  only  spectators,  that  these  men  were  fitting  for 
work,  and  zeal  for  their  object  was  the  tocsin  that  mustered 
the  clan.  To  show  the  regularity  with  which  the  minute 
men  met  for  drill  as  the  crisis  approached,  we  will  present 
Capt.  John  Nixon's  minute  company's  call  roll,  which  is  still 
preserved  among  the  old  documents  of  Sudbury.  We  find 
in  it  but  six  blanks  ;  showing  an  average  of  only  one  absentee 
each  night.  We  might  expect  that,  when  the  call  of  the  19th 
of  April  came,  these  men  would  be  present  and  ready  for 
work. 

A  Call  Roll  of  Capt  Jn°   Nixon's  Company  of   Minut  Men.     They 
Inlisted  March  ye  13th 


March  ye 
13th  1775 

March 
ye  20 

March 
ye  27 

April  3 

April  ye 
10th 

Do  ye  17th 

Jn°  Nixon  Capt. 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

David  Moor  Lieut. 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Asehel  Wheeler  Do 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Josiah  Langdon  Clarke 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Micah  Goodenow  Serg' 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

August8  Moor  D° 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Elijah  Willis  D° 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Jeremh  Robbins  D° 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Hope1  Brown  Corp1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Jesse  Moor  D° 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Uriah  Wheeler  D° 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Will"1  Moor  D° 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

D  iniel  Putnam  Drum 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Caleb  Brown  Phiffe 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Joseph  Nixon  D° 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Joseph  Balcum 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Phil"  Brown 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Sam1  Brigham 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Hosea  Brigham 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Sam1  Cutting 

L 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Asher  Cutler 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Wm  Dun 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Aaron  Ernes  Jr. 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Robert  Ernes 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Dan1  Goodenow 

1 

I 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Sam1  Gleason 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Tho'  Goodenow 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Jesse  Goodenow 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Wm  Goodenow 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

372 


HISTORY   OF  SUDBURY. 


March  ye 

March 

March 

April  3 

April  ye 

Do  ye  17th 

13th  1775 

ye  20 

ye  27 

10th 

Reuben  Haynes 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Joshua  Haynes 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Jonas  Holden  Jr 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Abel  Holden 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Simeon  Ingersol 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Daniel  Loring 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Thadeus  Moor 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Wra  Maynard 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Daniel  Maynard 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Hezekiah  Moor 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Eliab  Moor 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Uriah  Moor 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Isaac  Moor  Jr. 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

John  Moor 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Josiah  Richardson 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Nathaniel  Reed 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Charles  Rice 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Oliver  Rice 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Jonas  Rice 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Asahel  Reed 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Ezra  Smith 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

John  Sheirley 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Peter  Smith 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Abel  Thomson 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Daniel  Weight 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Caleb  Wheeler 

1 

I 

1 

1 

1 

1 

John  Weighton 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Elisha  Wheeler 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Israel  Willis 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Hopestil  Willis 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Ebenezer  Wood 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

It  was  becoming  more  and  more  evident  that  a  collision 
with  the  King's  forces  was  close  at  hand.  A  considerable 
quantity  of  Continental  supplies  had  been  deposited  at  Con- 
cord;  there  also  was  a  centre  of  strong  patriotic  influence; 
at  that  place,  therefore,  the  blow  was  liable  to  fall  first. 
March  29,  a  report  came  that  the  British  were  about  to 
proceed  to  that  place.  The  Committee  of  Safety  for  the 
Province  met  at  Cambridge,  and  ordered  the  removal  there- 
from of  stores.  The  order  was  carried  out  and  the  stores 
sent   in   several   directions.      To    Sudbury  were   sent   fifty 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  373 

barrels  of  beef,  one  hundred  of  flour,  twenty  casks  of  rice, 
fifteen  hogsheads  of  molasses,  ten  hogsheads  of  rum,  and  five 
hundred  candles,  fifteen  thousand  canteens,  fifteen  thousand 
iron  pots  ;  the  spades,  pickaxes,  bill-hooks,  axes,  hatchets, 
crows,  wheel-barrows,  and  several  other  articles  were  to  be 
divided,  one-third  to  remain  in  Concord,  one-third  to  be  sent 
to  Sudbury,  one-third  to  Stow,  and  one  thousand  iron  pots 
were  to  be  sent  to  Worcester.     (Shattuck.) 

The  rumor  at  this  time  proved  false,  yet  a  little  later  the 
event  came  about.  General  Gage,  who  was  stationed  in 
Boston  as  Commander-in-chief  of  the  British  troops,  took 
measures  to  send  a  detachment  to  Concord  for  the  destruc- 
tion of  Continental  stores.  For  the  accomplishment  of  this 
purpose  he  sent  out  spies  to  examine  the  land.  Two  of 
these  secret  messengers,  Captain  Brown  and  Ensign  D'Ber- 
nicre,  went  to  Worcester  in  February,  and  to  Concord,  March 
20.  They  went  by  way  of  Weston  and  Sudbury,  stopping 
in  the  former  town  at  the  Jones  Tavern,  which  still  stands 
on  the  main  street  of  Weston,  and  passed  through  East 
Sudbury  by  way  of  the  South  bridge.  Having  received  the 
report  of  these  spies,  the  British  prepared  to  advance. 
General  Gage  detached  eight  hundred  of  light  infantry, 
grenadiers  and  marines  from  the  ten  regiments  under  his 
command,  and,  on  pretence  of  instructing  them  in  a  new 
military  exercise,  took  them  from  regular  duty  on  April  15. 
His  plan  was  for  the  troops  to  cross  Charles  River  by  night, 
and  at  daybreak  be  far  on  their  way  toward  Concord  and 
thus  take  the  place  by  surprise.  But  there  were  those  who 
were  watching  his  wary  course,  and  a  sly,  swift  courier  was 
to  precede  him  on  his  way.  A  previous  arrangement  had 
been  made  by  which  a  lantern  was  to  be  displayed  in  the 
belfry  of  the  old  Xorth  Church  when  the  British  began  their 
march.  Paul  Revere,  at  the  signal,  was  to  start  with  the 
news  and  proclaim  it  from  place  to  place.  About  that 
messenger,  his  mission,  his  midnight  ride,  it  is  unnecessary 
for  us  to  relate.  The  oft-told  tale  is  very  familiar,  how  Paul 
Revere  went  forth  and  "  spread  the  alarm  through  every 
Middlesex  village  and  farm." 


374  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 


THE   MUSTERING   AND   MARCH. 

The  news  thus  started  by  Paul  Revere  reached  Sudbury 
between  three  and  four  o'clock  in  the  morning.  As  the 
town  is  eight  miles  southwestward  of  Concord,  intelligence 
of  the  approaching  column  was  received  later  than  at  towns 
on  the  Boston  and  Concord  highway.  But,  notwithstanding 
the  distance,  the  sun  was  not  yet  arisen  when  the  summons 
arrived  in  town,  and  then  followed  a  scene  of  activity  un- 
paralleled in  the  annals  of  Sudbury.  The  course  taken  by 
the  various  companies  to  reach  Concord  was,  probably,  not 
the  same,  as  they  started  from  different  parts  of  the  town. 
Two  companies  from  the  West  Side  —  the  minute  company 
and  the  North  Militia  —  would  go  by  the  road  through  North 
Sudbury,  while  the  East  Side  men  would,  most  likely,  go  by 
way  of  Lincoln.  Captain  Nixon's  company  started  from  the 
West  Side  meeting-house.  The  companies  of  Nixon  and 
Haynes  designed  to  cross  the  Concord  River  by  way  of  the 
old  South  bridge,  or  "  Wood's  bridge,"  on  the  site  of 
the  county  bridge  near  the  Fitchburg  Railroad.  From  doing 
this,  however,  they  were  deterred  by  an  order  which  reached 
them  when  about  half  a  mile  away,  and  by  which  they 
marched  on  to  the  North  bridge.  The  appearance  of  this 
host  of  town's  people,  on  an  errand  like  that  before  them, 
must  have  been  imposing  and  sad.  The  gathering  and  the 
start  were  enough  of  themselves  to  stir  the  idlest  spectator, 
and  move  the  most  indifferent  soul.  The  morning  was 
peaceful  and  lovely.  Nature  was  advanced  for  the  season. 
The  fields  were  green  with  the  grass  and  grain  which  even 
waved  in  the  April  breeze,  and  the  buds  were  bursting, 
prophetic  of  early  spring.  But,  in  strange  contrast,  the 
souls  of  the  people  were  stirred  as  if  swept  by  a  tempest. 
The  appearance  of  that  hurrying  pageant  as  it  swept  through 
the  town  was  at  once  solemn,  strange,  and  sublime.  Their 
haste  was  too  great  to  admit  of  a  measured  or  dignified  pace. 
They  were  impatient  to  arrive  at  the  front.  Daniel  Putnam 
may  be  excused  if  no  drum  taps  are  heard  save  the  "long 
roll "  at  the  very  start.  Caleb  Brown  may  put  by  his 
"  Phiffe  "  until  he  hears  from  Luther  Blanchard,  at  the  old 


HISTORY  OF  SUDBURY.  375 

north  bridge,  the  strains  of  "The  White  Cockade."  The 
music  of  the  morning  was  made  by  the  quickened  heart- 
throbbing  in  those  patriotic  breasts,  as  in  double-quick  they 
strode  over  the  old  north  road  to  be  on  hand  at  the  ap- 
proach of  the  foe.  Along  the  route,  mothers  and  children 
appeared,  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  loved  ones,  who  fast 
flying  were  soon  lost  to  view.  A  kiss  lovingly  cast  into  the 
morning  air,  the  passing  benediction  of  word  or  look,  and 
the  crowd  rushed  by.  The  loved  ones  were  left  to  sad 
conjecture  as  to  what  the  dread  issue  might  be.  We  have 
heard  a  great-granddaughter  of  Captain  Nixon  say  that  she 
has  been  told  by  her  grandmother  that  a  messenger  came  at 
night  to  the  house  and  said,  "  Up,  up !  the  red-coats  are  up 
as  far  as  Concord !  "  that  Mr.  Nixon  at  once  started  off  on 
horseback,  and  that  sometime  during  the  day  Mrs.  Nixon 
went  out  of  the  house,  which  was  on  Nobscot  hillside,  and 
putting  her  ear  to  the  ground  could  hear  the  sound  of  distant 
guns. 

The  north  militia  and  minute  company,  as  we  have  stated, 
designed  to  reach  Concord  village  by  way  of  the  old  south 
bridge,  but  when  about  half  a  mile  from  it  were  ordered  to 
proceed  to  the  north  bridge  by  Col.  James  Barrett,  the 
commander  of  the  minute  regiment,  whose  son  Stephen  had 
been  sent  to  convey  the  message  to  the  approaching  com- 
panies. By  obeying  this  order,  the  Sudbury  companies 
would  join  a  force  already  assembled  on  the  north  side  of 
the  village,  and  also  avoid  speedy  contact  with  the  British 
guard  that  already  held  the  south  bridge. 

When  the  British  arrived  at  Concord  by  way  of  the 
Lexington  road,  which  leads  from  the  easterly  into  the  town, 
Colonel  Smith,  the  commander,  made  a  threefold  division 
of  his  force  of  eight  hundred  men.  The  light  infantry  were 
sent  in  two  detachments  to  guard  the  bridges  and  destroy 
the  stores  on  the  village  outskirts,  while  the  grenadiers  and 
marines  he  detained  with  himself  and  Major  Pitcairn  at  the 
centre.  In  the  execution  of  this  plan,  Capt.  Lawrence 
Parsons  took  possession  of  the  north  bridge,  Capt.  Mundy 
Pole  did  the  same  at  the  south  bridge,  and  each  sent 
detachments  from  their  force  to  destroy  Continental  stores. 


376  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

The  Americans,  meanwhile,  were  powerless  to  prevent  this 
occurrence.  As  yet,  but  comparatively  few  Continental 
troops  had  arrived..  It  was  only  about  seven  or  eight  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  and  but  a  few  hours  since  the  general  alarm. 
They  knew  not  positively  about  the  work  at  Lexington 
Common,  nor  that  the  British  had  come  with  a  deadly  intent. 
They  wanted  to  know  just  what  was  right,  and  waited  for 
strength  to  enforce  the  right ;  while  thus  waiting,  they  with- 
drew over  the  river  beyond  the  north  bridge.  To  this 
vicinity  were  the  Sudbury  men  sent.  But  there  was,  at 
least  on  the  part  of  one  of  the  company,  a  reluctance 
to  turn  from  their  more  direct  course.  They  were  in  the 
country's  highway,  and  this  one  person,  perhaps,  felt  like 
Captain  Davis  of  Acton,  who  before  leaving  that  town  said, 
"  I  have  a  right  to  go  to  Concord  on  the  King's  highway, 
and  I  intend  to  go  if  I  have  to  meet  all  the  British  troops  in 
Boston."  The  person  referred  to  as  reluctant  to  turn  from 
his  course  was  Deacon  Josiah  Haynes,  who  was  eighty  years 
old.  It  is  stated  that  he  was  "  urgent  to  attack  the  British 
at  the  south  bridge,  dislodge  them,  and  march  into  the 
village  by  that  route."  Had  his  opinion  prevailed,  the 
battle  might  have  been  then  and  there,  and  the  old  south 
rather  than  the  old  north  bridge  have  been  the  place  of  note 
forever.  But  the  south  bridge  was  avoided.  In  accordance 
with  Colonel  Barrett's  command,  Captains  Nixon  and  Haynes 
with  Lieut.  Col.  Ezekiel  How  started,  as  we  have  stated,  for 
the  old  north  bridge. 

When  at  the  South  bridge  they  were  on  the  westerly  side 
of  Concord  village,  while  the  North  bridge  was  a  little  to  the 
north  of  east.  Their  way,  therefore,  was  by  something  of  a 
circuitous  course  ;  and,  to  reach  the  point  to  which  they 
were  ordered,  they  were  to  pass  the  house  of  Colonel  Barrett, 
a  mile  and  a  half  north-west  of  the  village,  where  Captain 
Parsons  with  three  British  companies  were  destroying  Con- 
tinental stores.  When  the  Sudbury  soldiers  came  within 
sight  of  Colonel  Barrett's  house  they  came  to  a  halt.  Before 
them  were  the  British  engaged  in  their  mischievous  work. 
Gun  carriages  had  been  collected  and  piled  together  to  be 
burned,  the  torch   already  had  been  applied,  and  the  resi- 


HISTOBY  OF   SUDBUBY.  377 

dence  of  their  Colonel  had  been  ransacked.  They  halted, 
and  Colonel  How  exclaimed,  "  If  any  blood  has  been  shed 
not  one  of  the  rascals  shall  escape !  "  and,  disguising  him- 
self, he  rode  on  to  ascertain  the  truth.  It  was,  probably, 
not  far  from  nine  o'clock  when  this  event  took  place.  This 
indicates  the  celerity  with  which  the  Sudbury  troops  had 
moved.  From  the  morning  alarm,  by  which  the  minute 
men  met  at  the  West  Side  meeting-house,  until  the  fore- 
going transaction  but  about  five  hours  had  passed,  and, 
meanwhile,  the  mustering,  the  march,  the  arrival.  While 
the  Regulars  were  engaged  in  their  destructive  work  at 
Colonel  Barrett's,  the  Provincials  were  concentrating  their 
forces  in  preparation  for  what  was  to  come.  Their  place  of 
gathering  was  at  Punkatasset  Hill,  about  a  mile  north  of  the 
Concord  meeting-house.  While  here,  they  increased  their 
forces  by  repeated  arrival  of  troops.  Says  Drake,  "  Mean- 
while," that  is  while  the  British  were  engaged  at  Colonel 
Barrett's,  "the  Provincials  on  Punkatasset  were  being  con- 
stantly reinforced  by  the  militia  of  Westford,  Littleton, 
Acton,  Sudbury,  and  other  neighboring  towns,  until  the 
whole  body  numbered  about  four  hundred  and  fifty  men, 
who  betrayed  feverish  impatience  at  playing  the  part  of  idle 
lookers  on  while  the  town  was  being  ransacked ;  but,  when 
flames  were  seen  issuing  in  different  directions,  they  could 
no  longer  be  restrained.  A  hurried  consultation  took  place, 
at  the  end  of  which  it  was  determined  to  march  into  the 
town  at  all  hazards,  and  if  resisted  to  "  treat  their  assailants 
as  enemies."  Colonel  Barrett  told  the  troops  to  advance. 
From  Punkatasset  they  moved  to  Major  Buttricks,  but  a 
short  distance  above  the  North  bridge,  and  from  Major 
Buttricks  they  marched  to  the  bridge  where  the  Americans 
and  English  met  face  to  face.  The  circumstances  at  the 
bridge  are  too  familiar  to  need  any  narration  by  us.  The 
British  attempted  to  remove  the  planks,  a  remonstrance  was 
made  and  the  work  ceased.  The  Provincials  advanced  with 
rapid  steps ;  when  a  few  rods  away  a  single  shot  was  fired 
by  the  foe,  which  was  at  once  followed  by  a  volley.  The 
first  shot  wounded  two  of  the  Americans,  and  the  volley 
killed  two  —  Davis  and  Hosmer  of  Acton.     The  order  then 


378  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

came  for  the  Provincials  to  fire.  It  was  obeyed,  and  three 
British  soldiers  were  slain,  besides  several  officers  and  four 
soldiers  wounded.  Then  came  the  retreat  and  pursuit. 
Whether  -or  not  the  companies  of  Nixon  and  Haynes  had 
joined  the  Provincials  at  Punkatasset  when  the  command  to 
move  forward  came,  we  leave  the  reader  to  judge  for  him- 
self. Drake  implies  that  they  had  ;  some  circumstances  may 
also  favor  this  theory,  for,  after  leaving  Colonel  Barrett's, 
they  would  likely  hasten  to  join  the  main  force,  which  was 
not  far  distant.  But  other  things  would  lead  us  to  conclude 
that  they  had  not  caught  up  with  the  column  when  it 
reached  the  bridge. 

Shattuck  says,  "  Two  companies  from  Sudbury  under 
How,  Nixon  and  Haynes  came  to  Concord,  and  having 
received  orders  from  a  person  stationed  at  the  entrance  of 
the  town,  for  the  purpose  of  a  guide,  to  proceed  to  the  North 
instead  of  the  South  Bridge,  arrived  near  Col.  Barrett's  just 
before  the  British  soldiers  retreated."  The  same  author, 
after  speaking  of  what  we  have  just  narrated  of  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  How,  states,  "  Before  proceeding  far,  the  firing 
began  at  the  Bridge,  and  the  Sudbury  companies  pursued 
the  retreating  British."  From  these  statements  and  facts, 
we  may  infer  this,  —  that  these  companies  passed  the  British 
at  Colonel  Barrett's  and  pushed  on  to  meet  the  force  at  the 
bridge,  that  before  they  joined  it  the  foe  made  his  attack 
and  that  they  joined  in  the  hot  pursuit.  This  theory  accords 
with  the  statement  that  we  have  quoted  before,  as  made  by 
a  survivor  of  the  fight,  which  is  that  "  Sudbury  Companies 
were  but  a  short  distance  from  the  North  Bridge  when  the 
first  Opposition  was  made  to  the  Haughty  Enemy." 

Thus,  to  an  extent,  have  we  traced  the  course  of  two 
Sudbury  companies  during  a  part  of  that  eventful  day.  As 
to  the  others,  it  is  supposed  they  attacked  the  British  at 
different  points  along  the  line  of  the  retreat.  The  men  who 
came  from  East  Sudbury  would,  as  we  have  hitherto  said, 
be  likely  to  march  through  Lincoln  to  Concord.  If  so,  they 
would  be  likely  to  strike  the  British  retreat ;  there  it  is  that 
we  hear  of  them.  Two  encounters,  at  least,  are  mentioned 
in  which  East  Sudbury  soldiers  were  engaged.     To  rightly 


HISTORY   OP   STJDBUBY.  379 

understand  how  and  where  these  engagements  took  place, 
let  us  notice  the  movements  of  the  British  after  the  events 
that  transpired  at  the  old  North  bridge.  Having  fired  on 
the  Americans  as  they  approached  the  bridge  from -the  oppo- 
site bank,  by  which  fire  two  Acton  minute  men  fell,  and 
having  received  the  Provincial  fire  in  return,  by  which  three 
of  the  English  were  slain,  Lieutenant  Gould  of  the  regulars 
withdrew  his  shattered  guard  to  the  village.  Three  signal 
guns  having  been  fired  by  the  British  just  before  their 
troops  fired  at  the  bridge,  all  the  distant  detachments  came 
in.  Captain  Parsons  hurried  his  companies  from  Colonel 
Barrett's  to  the  old  North  bridge ;  and,  seeing  the  havoc  that 
had  been  made  with  Gould's  guard  and  their  dead  comrades 
upon  the  bank,  "  they  were  seized  with  a  panic  and  ran  with 
great  speed  to  join  the  main  force."  Captain  Pole  with- 
drew his  companies  from  the  old  South  bridge,  and  then 
Colonel  Smith  began  to  retreat  towards  Boston.  But  it  was 
not  only  a  retreat  but  a  rout.  The  battle  at  the  bridge 
was  but  the  beginning  of  aggressive  work.  The  foe  were 
followed  and  hard  pushed  from  point  to  point.  At  the 
cross-roads  they  met  fresh  arrivals  of  Provincial  troops. 
The  stone  walls  and  stumps  were  coverts  from  which  they 
directed  their  fire.  In  addition  to  an  almost  continuous 
engagement,  occasional  encounters  occurred  which  were 
exceptionally  sharp  and  severe.  In  two  of  these  severe 
encounters  the  soldiers  from  East  Sudbury  were  engaged,  — 
one  at  Merriam's  Corner,  the  other  at  Hardy's  Hill. 

The  action  at  Merriam's  Corner  occurred  at  about  half- 
past  twelve.  Three  circumstances  concurred  to  bring  about 
and  make  severe  this  conflict.  First,  there  was  a  junction 
of  roads,  the  one  from  Bedford  meeting  that  leading  to 
Lexington  along  which  the  English  marched.  By  this  road 
had  come  reinforcements  from  Reading,  Chelmsford,  Bed- 
ford and  Billerica.  To  this  point,  also,  had  come  some 
Provincials  across  the  great  fields  in  the  direction  of  the 
old  North  bridge.  Another  circumstance  that  made  the 
fight  sharp  was  that  here  the  British  massed  their  forces 
because  of  the  lay  of  the  land.  In  their  march  from  Con- 
cord, which  was  about  a  mile  thus  far,  the  British  threw  out 


880  HISTORY  OF  SUDBTJRY. 

a  part  of  their  infantry  to  serve  as  a  guard  to  their  flanks 
and  to  protect  the  main  body  as  it  marched  on  the  road. 
These  flankers  moved  along  the  dry  upland  on  the  right  of 
the  road,  as   it  curves  gently  from  Concord  village,   until 
they  reached  Merriam's  Corner  where  they  joined  the  troops 
in  the  road,  in  order  to  avoid  the  moist  land  by  the  way- 
side, and  pass  the  dry  causeway  to  the    highway  beyond. 
As  this  flank  guard  thus  joined  the  main  force  it  gave  the 
Provincials,  who  as  we  have  indicated  were  there  gathered  in 
force,  an  opportunity  which  they  were  not  slow  to  make  use 
of.      They   poured    upon    the   regulars   a   destructive   fire. 
"  Now  and  here  began,"  says  Drake,  "  that  long  and  ter- 
rible conflict  unexampled  in  the  Revolution  for  its  duration 
and  ferocity,  which  for  fifteen  miles  tracked  the  march  of  the 
regular  troops  with   their  blood."     A   company  from  East 
Sudbury  were  in  time  for  this  second  conflict.     This,  doubt- 
less, was  the  one  commanded  by  Joseph  Smith.     Rev.  Mr. 
Foster,  an  historian  of  1775,  says  of  this  conflict:  "  Eefore 
we  came  to  Merriam's  Hill  we  discovered  the  enemy's  flank 
guard  of  about  eighty  or  a  hundred  men,  who  on  the  retreat 
from  Concord  kept  the  height  of  the  land,  the  main  body 
being  in  the  road.     The  British  troops  and  the  Americans 
at  that  time  were  equally  distant  from   Merriam's  Corner. 
About  twenty  rods  short  of  that  place  the  Americans  made 
a  halt.     The   British  marched  down  the  hill  with   a  very 
slow  but  steady  step  without  a  word  being  spoken  that  could 
be  heard.     Silence  reigned  on  both  sides.     As  soon  as  the 
British  gained  the  main  road  and  passed  a  small  bridge  near 
the  common,  they  faced  about  suddenly,  and  fired  a  volley 
of  musketry  upon  us.     They  overshot  and  no  one  to  my 
knowledge  was  injured  by  the  fire.     The  fire  was  immedi- 
ately returned  by  the  Americans,  and  two  British  soldiers 
fell  dead  at  a  little  distance  from  each  other  in  the  road  near 
the  brook.     Several  of  the  officers  were  wounded,  including 
Ensign  Lester."     The  other  engagement  in  which  the  Sud- 
bury soldiers  are  especially  noticed  was  at  Hardy's  Hill,  a 
short  distance  beyond.     One  narrator  has  spoken  of  it  as 
a   spirited   affair,    where   one   of    the    Sudbury   companies, 
Captain  Cudworth,  came   up   and  vigorously  attacked   the 
enemy. 


HISTORY  OF  SUDBURY.  381 

It  is  interesting  that  we  can  thus  trace  our  soldiers  and 
know  so  much  of  their  whereabouts  and  what  they  did  on 
that  memorable  day.  An  incident  of  the  fight  was  related 
to  the  writer  by  the  late  Mr.  Josiah  Haynes  when  eightj'-- 
five  years  old.  He  said  that  his  grandfather,  Josiah  Haynes, 
one  of  the  militia  of  Sudbury  at  the  Concord  fight,  captured 
a  gun  from  a  British  sergeant.  The  Briton  was  with  a 
squad  of  soldiers  a  little  removed  from  the  main  body,  prob- 
ably a  part  of  the  flank  guard  before  mentioned.  Mr. 
Haynes  lay  concealed  behind  a  stone  wall  with  some  com- 
rades who  soon  left  him  alone.  As  the  squad  approached, 
he  thought  they  were  coming  directly  upon  him,  but,  as  the 
main  body  followed  a  curve  in  the  road,  the  squad  turned 
also.  With  this  movement,  Mr.  Haynes  placed  his  gun  on 
the  wall,  and  on  firing  the  sergeant  fell.  Mr.  Haynes 
sprang  and  seized  the  sergeant's  gun  and  tried  to  tear  off 
his  belt  and  cartridge  box,  but  these  last  he  did  not  secure. 
The  squad,  but  a  few  rods  away,  turned  and  fired.  The 
balls  whistled  about  him,  but  he  escaped  unhurt.  It  would 
be  interesting  to  know  more  of  the  incidents  and  adventures 
of  our  soldiers  on  that  April  day,  but  time  has  made  havoc 
with  tradition  and  the  records  are  scant.  Years  ajro  the 
last  survivor  of  the  Revolution  died,  and  years  before,  the}r 
were  scattered,  many  of  them  into  other  towns  and  other 
States.  But  the  fragments  of  tradition  that  have  floated 
down  from  that  far-off  period  are  all  the  more  valuable 
because  they  are  few. 

THE  LOSS. 

During  the  day  Sudbury  sustained  the  loss  of  two  men, 
Deacon  Josiah  Haynes  and  Asahel  Reed.  Joshua  Ha}rnes 
was  wounded.  Deacon  Haynes  was  eighty  years  old.  He 
was  killed  by  a  musket  bullet  at  Lexington.  He  belonged 
to  the  old  Haynes  family  of  Sudbury,  where  his  descend- 
ants still  live.  He  was  one  of  the  original  signers  of  the 
West  Precinct  Church  Covenant,  and  was  made  deacon  May 
24,  1733.  He  was  buried  in  the  Old  Burying  Ground, 
Sudbury  Centre.  The  grave  is  marked  by  a  simple  slate 
stone.     Mr.  Asahel  Reed  was  of  Captain   Nixon's   minute 


382  HISTOEY   OF   SUDBURY 

men.  His  name  is  found  on  that  company's  call  roll  to 
which  we  have  before  referred ;  it  is  left  out  after  the  battle, 
probably  because  after  his  death  the  name  was  stricken  from 
the  list.  He  belonged  to  the  old  Reed  family  of  Sudbury, 
whose  progenitor,  Joseph  Reed,  settled  at  Lanham  about 
1656.  Probably  he  was  alsoi  buried  in  the  old  ground  at 
Sudbury  Centre.  Mrs.  Joseph  Reed,  a  member  of  the  same 
family  and  grandmother  of  the  writer,  said  many  years  ago 
that  the  body  of  Mr.  Reed  was  brought  to  Sudbury.  So, 
although  no  stone  has  been  found  which  marks  the  grave, 
he  doubtless  rests  somewhere  in  the  old  burying-ground  at 
the  centre,  which  was  the  only  one  at  that  time  in  the  West 
Precinct.  Joshua  Haynes,  who  was  wounded,  may  have 
been  one  of  Captain  Nixon's  minute  men  or  one  of  the 
militia  of  Captain  Haynes.  The  same  name  is  on  each 
company's  muster  roll ;  but  the  one  in  the  latter  was  ser- 
geant while  the  one  wounded  is  mentioned  without  any  title. 
Lieut.  Elisha  Wheeler,  whose  horse  was  shot  under  him, 
and  Thomas  Plympton,  Esq.,  who  had  a  bullet  put  through 
the  fold  of  his  coat,  were  both  volunteers  on  horseback. 

After  the  fight  the  soldiers  showed  no  undue  haste  to 
return,  but  some  of  them  lingered  from  three  days  to  a 
month  to  repel  attack  or  serve  their  country  in  whatever 
way  it  might  require  ;  and,  when  at  length  they  returned  to 
their  homes,  it  was  only,  in  the  case  of  some  of  them,  to  bid 
the  loved  ones  good-by  and  then  go  away  again  to  engage 
the  foe. 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

1775-1800. 

Revolutionary  War.  —  Sudbury  Soldiers  at  Bunker  Hill.  —  Muster  Rolls 
of  Captains  Russell,  Moore  and  Haynes.  —  Battle  of  Bunker  Hill. — 
Position  and  Service  of  the  Regiments  of  Colonels  Nixon  and  Brewer. 

—  Number  of  Casualties.  —  The  Siege  of  Boston.  —  List  of  Men  in 
Two  Months  Service.  —  List  of  Men  in  Colonel  Whitney's  Regiment. 

—  Government  Storehouses  at  Sand  Hill.  —  Service  outside  the 
State. —  List  of  Officers  in  Sudbury  Companies  in  1776.  —  List  of 
Men  in  Capt.  Aaron  Haynes's  Company. —  Men  in  Captain  Wheeler's 
Company  at  Ticonderoga  ;  in  Colonel  Robinson's  Regiment,  in  Colonel 
Read's  Regiment.  —  Supplementary  List.  —  Soldiers  at  Ticonderoga 
in  177G;  in  Captain  Wheeler's  Company,  Captain  Craft's  Company, 
Cap'am  EdgelPs  Company,  Captain  Aaron  Haynes's  Company. — 
Canada  Campaign.  —  New  York  Campaign.  —  Men  Enlisted  for 
Three  Years  in  1777.  —  Guard  Roll.  —  Pay  Roll.  —  List  of  Two 
Months  Men  in  1777. —  List  of  Three  Months  Men  in  1777. — 
Names  of  Sudbury  Captains  and  Companies  in  the  Field  in  1778. — 
Captain  Maynard's  Company.  —  Captain  Wheeler's  Company. — 
Captain  Moulton's  Company.  —  Captain  Haynes's  Company.  —  Cap- 
tain Bowker's  Company.  —  Prices  Paid  for  Enlistment  in  1780. 

Few  were  the  numbers  she  could  boast ; 
But  every  freeman  was  a  host, 
And  felt  as  though  himself  were  he 
On  whose  sole  arm  hung  victory. 

Montgomery. 

Sudbury  was  represented  by  three  companies  at  the  battle 
of  Bunker  Hill.  These  were  commanded  by  Sudbury  cap- 
tains and  made  up  mainly  of  Sudbury  citizens.  The  town 
also  furnished  three  regimental  officers,  —  Col.  John  Nixon, 
Major  Nathaniel  Cud  worth  and  Adj.  Abel  Holden,  Jr. 
Capt.  John  Nixon  of  the  minute  men  was  promoted  to  the 
rank  of  colonel,  and  was  authorized,  April  27,  to  receive 
nine  sets  of  beating  papers.     Capt.  Nathaniel  Cud  worth  was 


384 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 


made  major  in  the  regiment  of  Col.  Jonathan  Brewer,  who 
received  enlistment  papers  April  24,  and  Abel  Holden,  Jr., 
was  made  Colonel  Nixon's  adjutant.  The  Sudbury  men  who 
served  in  these  companies  are  as  follows  :  — 

A  list  of  Captain  Russell's  company  in  Colonel  Brewer's 
regiment.    • 


Thaddeus  Russel  Capt. 
Nathan  Tuckerman  Lieut. 
Nathan  Reeves  Ens. 
Sergt  Josiah  Wellington 

"      Thomas  Rutter 

"      Thad  Bond 

Ephraim  Allen 
Longley  Bartlett 
Rolon  Bennet 
Peter  Brintnall 
Timothy  Bent 
Samuel  Curtis 
Edward  Sorce  [Vorce] 
Jacob  Speen 
Ephram  Sherman 
Samuel  Tilton 
Asa  Travis 
David  Underwood 
Jonathan  Wesson 
Lemuel  Whitney 
Samuel  Sherman 
Nahum  Dudley 
Oliver  Damon 


Corp.  Joshua  Kendall 
"      David  Rice 
"      David  Damon 
Drumer  Thomas  Trask 
Fifer  Nathan  Bent 
"     David  Smith 

PRIVATES. 

William  English 
Ambros  Furgison 
William  Grout 
Elisha  Harrington 
Richard  Heard 
William  Mallet 
Samuel  Merriam 
Cuff  Nimra 
Benjamin  Pierce 
NatLel  Parmenter 
James  Phillips 
Samuel  Pollard 
Rufus  Parmenter 
Edward  Rice 
Martin  Rourke 
Denis  Ryan 
Amos  Silleway 


A  return  of  Captain  Moor's  company  in  the  fifth  regiment, 
commanded  by  Col.  John  Nixon,  Sept.  30,  1775. 

David  Moore,  Capt 

Micah  Goodenow  1st  Lieut 

Jona  Hill,  2ond  Lieut  Framingham 

SARGENTS. 

Elijah  Willis  Daniel  Loring 

Hopestill  Brown  Daniel  Wait 

Jesse  Moore  Uriah  Wheeler 

CORPORALS. 

James  Rice  Joseph  Balcom 

Oliver  Rice  Aaron  Eames  Jun. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 


385 


DRUMMER  AND   FIFER. 

Ebenezer  Boutwell )  Framingham 
Thomas  Nixon        ) 


PRIVATES. 


Nathaniel  Bryant 
Aaron  Emes 
BenjJ-  Bennet 
Samuel  Cutting 
Micah  Goodenow 
Ephraim  Goodenow 
Lemuel  Goodenow 
Asahel  Gibbs 
Uriah  Hunt 
Isaac  Moore 
Eliab  Moore 

Total  in  the  Co.  48.     From  Sudbury  33 


Thadeus  Moore 

Jesse  Mostman  [Mossman] 

Israel  Maynard 

William  Maynard 

Nathan  Rice 

Is"rael  Willis 

Ephraim  Whitney 

Abel  Thompson 

Ezra  Smith 

Charles  Rice 


A  list  of  names  of  the  officers  and  soldiers  in  Captain 
Haynes's  company  in  Colonel  Brewer's  regiment. 


Aaron  Haynes  Capt 
Mathias  Mossman  2ond  Lieut 
Serg1  Josiah  Moore 
Cop  John  Weighting 


Cop  Daniel  Putnam 
Drummer  Aaron  Haynes 
Fifer  Naham  Haynes 


John  Bemis 
Nathan  Cutter 
Porter  Cuddy 
James  Durumple 
Joseph  Dakin 
Joseph  Green 
Francis  Green 


PRIVATES. 

Abel  Parmenter 
Asa  Putnam 
Ephraim  Puffer 
John  Brewer 
Isaac  Rice 
Aaron  Mossman 
Joshua  Haynes 

Prospect  Hill,  Oct.  6,  1775 

Aaron  Haynes,  Capt 

Total  in  the  Co.  47.     From  Sudbury  21. 

The  following  names  found  in  the  Stearns  Collection,  as 
being  in  the  eight  months  service,  we  give  in  connection 
with  the  foregoing  lists. 


Jonas  Haynes 
John  Stone 
Caleb  Wheeler 
Hezekiah  Moore 


Jeremiah  Robins 
Benj  Berry  [or  Barry] 
John  Shirley 
Wm  Dun 


386  HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY. 

Total  number  in  these  three  muster  rolls  is  one  hundred 
and  fifty-two.  Of  these,  one  hundred  and  four  were  from 
Sudbury,  and  only  the  latter  have  been  here  given  except 
when  designated.  Lieut  Nathaniel  Russell  re-enlisted  a  part 
of  the  East  Sudbury  company  and  reported  for  duty  April 
24.  Capt.  Aaron  Haynes  went  into  service  with  his  com- 
pany May  3.  These  companies  were  in  the  regiments  of 
Colonels  Nixon  and  Brewer,  which  did  valuable  service  in 
the  engagement  of  June  17.  A  consideration  of  the  plan  of 
that  battle  and  something  of  its  history  will  show  where 
these  regiments  were,  what  they  did,  and  the  conduct  of  the 
Sudbury  soldiers. 

BATTLE   OF   BUNKER   HILL. 

On  the  16th  of  June,  the  Americans,  under  command  of 
Colonel  Prescott,  to  the  number  of  about  one  thousand  men 
repaired  at  night  to  what  was  then  called  Breed's  Hill,  to 
fortify  the  place  by  earthworks.  Their  object  was  to  pre- 
vent the  occupation  of  Charlestown  by  General  Gage,  who 
had  been  reinforced  by  about  ten  thousand  men.  Through 
the  still  hours  of  the  night  they  plied  the  pickaxe  and  spade, 
and  at  daybreak  General  Gage,  from  his  quarters  in  Boston, 
surveyed  the  newly-made  works  with  surprise.  British 
batteries  soon  opened  their  fire  from  ship  and  shore,  yet 
steadily  the  provincials  worked  on.  Gage  summoned  his 
officers  in  council,  and  it  was  determined  to  take  the  place 
by  storm.  Immediately,  columns  were  formed  and  set  in 
motion,  boats  were  procured  to  carry  troops  to  the  Charles- 
town  shore,  and  a  scene  of  general  activity  set  in.  Mean- 
while, the  Americans  were  also  astir  forming  plans  to  resist 
the  assault.  Reinforcements  were  ordered  to  the  Charles- 
town  peninsula,  and  long  lines  of  troops  filed  from  the 
neighboring  encampment  to  ioin  their  comrades  at  the  hill. 
The  march  was  attended  with  hazard,  for  British  batteries 
swept  the  way,  and  ranks  broke  into  detachments  and 
squads,  rather  than  pass  the  ordeal  in  closely  formed  lines. 
Among  those  who  marched  over  this  perilous  way  Avere  the 
regiments  of  Brewer  and  Nixon,  and  they  arrived  on  the 
field  in  season  to  form  for  the  fiffht. 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  387 

When  the  regiments  had  all  arrived  on  the  Charlestown 
peninsula,  an  almost  unbroken  line  stretched  along  from  the 
Charles  River  on  the  south  to  the  Mystic  River  on  the 
north.  The  places  of  the  respective  regiments  were  as  fol- 
lows :  Prescott  held  the  redoubt  near  the  summit  with  about 
one  hundred  and  sixty-three  men  ;  a  breastwork  to  the 
northerly,  near  this,  was  occupied  by  men  of  Prescott, 
Bridge  and  Frye ;  on  the  left,  to  the  northwesterly  or 
north,  were  the  regiments  of  Brewer,  Nixon,  Knowlton  and 
Stark  ;  while  on  the  right,  to  the  southeasterly  or  south, 
were  the  regiments  of  Wyman  and  Robinson  with  about 
three  hundred  men.  Sudbury  soldiers  were  thus  placed  on 
the  left  of  the  line  to  the  northerly  of  the  Bunker  Hill  sum- 
mit. Between  the  breastwork  and  redoubt,  and  the  Mystic 
River  or  left  flank  on  the  northerly,  there  was,  for  a  time,  an 
unfilled  space.  By  this  way,  the  foe  had  only  to  advance 
attack  the  American  works  in  the  rear,  and  the  place  was 
captured  and  retreat  cut  off.  General  Putnam  discovered 
this  gap  in  time,  and  ordered  troops  to  man  it  at  once. 
Stark,  Knowlton  and  Reed  took  their  stand  on  the  north  by 
the  Mystic,  Brewer  and  Nixon  on  the  south  of  them.  Thus 
was  filled  the  hitherto  unprotected  gap,  which,  if  neglected, 
had  invited  the  foe,  and  caused  speedy  and  most  disastrous 
defeat. 

The  British,  knowing  the  importance  of  the  position  thus 
held,  brought  against  it  a  formidable  force.  This  was  led 
by  Sir  William  Howe  in  person.  Some  of  the  troops  had 
been  recently  at  the  Concord  and  Lexington  fight.  They 
were  likely  eager  to  recover  their  prestige  or  avenge  the  fate 
of  their  fallen  friends.  Furthermore,  the  protection  of  the 
Provincials  at  this  point  was  weak  ;  no  entrenchments  were 
there  to  protect  them  from  the  foe.  The  most  favored  had 
but  a  few  rude  improvised  works,  hastily  constructed  after 
they  arrived  on  the  ground,  but  the  position  of  the  regiment 
in  which  the  Sudbury  men  served  was  the  most  exposed  of 
any  in  that  poorly  protected  column.  A  part  of  the  line  had 
not  the  slightest  protection  whatever.  The  only  attempt 
that  was  made  to  construct  a  breastwork  was  by  the  gather- 
ing of  some  newly-mown  hay  that  was  scattered  about  the 


388  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

place.  But  they  were  prevented  from  the  completion  of 
even  such  a  slight  breastwork  as  this.  The  foe  advanced 
and  they  were  compelled  to  desist.  But  no  exposure  to  the 
fire  of  well-disciplined,  veteran  troops,  and  no  lack  of  breast- 
work protection  led  those  brave  Middlesex  colonels  and  com- 
panies to  turn  from  or  abandon  this  important  position.  It 
was  enough  to  know  that  there  was  an  unguarded  gap.  The 
practised  eye  of  Col.  John  Nixon,  who  had  so  often  seen 
service  in  the  old  French  wars,  doubtless  saw  at  a  glance 
what  the  case  required,  and  knowing  the  need  took  measures 
to  meet  it.  Says  Drake,  "  Brewer  and  Nixon  immedi- 
ately directed  their  march  for  the  undefended  opening  so 
often  referred  to  between  the  rail  fence  and  earthwork. 
They  also  began  the  construction  of  a  hay  breastwork,  but 
when  they  had  extended  it  to  within  thirty  rods  of  Prescott's 
line  the  enemy  advanced  to  the  assault.  The  greater  part 
of  these  two  battalions  stood  and  fought  here  without  cover 
throughout  the  action,  both  officers  and  men  displaying 
the  utmost  coolness  and  intrepidity  under  fire."  The  same 
author  also  says  of  Gardiner,  Nixon  and  Brewer,  "  Braver 
officers  did  not  unsheathe  a  sword  on  this  day  ;  their  battal- 
ions were  weak  in  numbers,  but  under  the  eye  and  example 
of  such  leaders  invincible."  He  states  that,  "  with  about 
four  hundred  and  fifty  men,  they  stood  in  the  gap  with 
Warren  and  Pomeroy  at  their  head."  Just  before  the 
attack,  Putnam  gave  the  order  not  to  fire  until  they  could 
see  the  whites  of  the  enemy's  eyes.  When  the  foe  was 
fairly  in  range  the  Provincials  opened  fire.  The  lines  blazed 
with  a  hot  discharge  ;  whole  ranks  were  swept  down  before 
it,  men  dropped  on  the  right  hand  and  left ;  no  mortal  could 
withstand  that  withering  storm ;  it  was  an  unerring,  death- 
dealing  discharge.  Howe's  attendants  were  struck  down  at 
his  very  side,  and  for  a  time  he  stood  almost  alone.  He  gave 
the  word  for  retreat,  and  his  shattered  remnant  withdrew  from 
the  field.  He  had  failed  to  break  the  ranks  of  these  left  line 
regiments,  and  hence  the  redoubt  was  still  safe  from  an 
attack  in  the  rear.  But  these  soldiers  were  again  to  be  put 
to  the  test.  For  about  an  hour  there  was  a  cessation  of  strife, 
then  the  column  advanced  to  a  second  assault.     Steadily  the 


HISTORY   Otf   SUDBURY.  389 

veterans  moved  forward  and  bravely  did  their  opponents 
await  them.  When  the  signal  was  given  the  engagement 
began.  The  same  tactics  were  employed  as  before,  and  with 
like  results :  whole  ranks  melted  away  before  the  Provincial 
fire,  battalions  were  reduced  to  mere  companies,  Howe's 
best  officers  were  dying  or  dead,  the  way  was  mown  by 
Provincial  bullets,  and  again  the  redoubt  and  breastwork 
were  safe.  But  the  British,  persisting  with  the  tenacity 
that  belongs  to  the  race,  reformed  for  still  another  assault, 
and  this  time  they  were  more  successful,  for  the  ammu- 
nition of  the  Provincials  was  exhausted  and  there  remained 
nothing  but  retreat  or  a  hand-to-hand  fight.  The  order  was 
given  and  the  Provincials  withdrew,  but  before  leaving,  there 
was  a  terrible  encounter.  Prescott,  who  so  bravely  held  the 
redoubt  while  the  left  line  regiments  held  the  British  from 
an  attack  on  the  rear,  now  rallied  his  men  to  fight  in  an 
improvised  way.  With  clubbed  guns,  and  with  bayonets 
wrenched  from  the  foe  they  still  fought  the  unecpual  fight, 
until,  steadily  pressed,  they  were  compelled  to  give  up  the 
redoubt.  This  captured  and  the  breastwork  abandoned,  the 
men  in  the  gap  were  between  two  fires  and  the  only  resort 
was  to  retreat.  They  stood  while  there  was  any  hope  of 
success,  and  did  not  abandon  the  gap  until  General  Warren, 
who,  it  is  said,  stood  at  the  head  of  the  rail  fence  breastwork 
between  the  regiments  of  Brewer  and  Nixon,  considered  it 
expedient.  In  fact,  Colonel  Nixon's  regiment  was  one  of 
the  last  to  leave  the  battle-ground.  Both  Nixon  and 
Brewer  were  wounded,  the  former  so  severely  that  he  was 
borne  from  the  field,  and  their  brave  leader,  General  Warren, 
was  slain.  Thus  nobly  was  the  defence  maintained.  The 
losses  sustained  by  the  regiments  of  Brewer  and  Nixon  were 
as  follows :  — 

Brewer's  regiment :  Killed  7     Wounded  11 
Nixon's    regiment:  Killed  3     Wounded  10 

Total  10  21 

Of  the  killed,  two  were  of  Captain  Haynes's  company, 
namely:  Comming  Forbush,  Framingham ;  Joshua  Haynes, 
Sudbury.     One  was  of  Captain  Russell's  company,  namely: 


390  HISTOItY   OF   SUDBURY. 

Lebbaus  Jenness  of  Deerfield.  Thus  ended  that  day  of  des- 
tinies. Dismal  indeed  was  the  scene  as  night  settled  upon 
it.  The  beloved  of  both  armies  had  fallen.  Major  Pitcairn, 
prominent  in  Concord  fight,  was  among  the  English  slain, 
while  General  Warren,  a  man  of  promise  and  much  admired 
by  the  Americans,  had  also  perished. 

THE   SIEGE   OF    BOSTON. 

After  the  engagement  at  Bunker  Hill  the  Provincials 
began  the  siege  of  Boston.  The  British  bivouacked  the  night 
of  the  seventeenth  on  the  battle-field,  but  the  Americans  soon 
environed  them  from  Roxbury  to  Medford.  On  the  3d  of 
July,  George  Washington  took  formal  command  of  the  Con- 
tinental Army,  and  then  commenced,  under  his  generalship, 
that  series  of  military  movements  which  resulted  in  the  evac- 
uation of  Boston  by  the  British,  March  17,  1770. 

The  soldiers  of  Sudbury  in  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  all 
or  nearly  all  having  enlisted  for  eight  months,  were  engaged 
in  this  siege.  During  the  summer,  Colonel  Brewer's  regi- 
ment was  stationed  at  Prospect  Hill,  and  General  Nixon  had 
quarters  at  Winter  Hill. 

Before  closing  the  account  of  Sudbury's  service  in  the  year 
1775,  we  will  insert  the  names  of  some  Sudbury  men  who 
were  in  the  two  months  service  with  Captain  Wheeler  in 
1775,  and  also  of  a  small  number  who  were  in  the  regiment 
of  Colonel  Whiting  and  did  service  at  Hull,  and  after  leav- 
ing there  were  stationed  at  Fort  Independence. 

IN    THE   TWO   MONTHS    WINTER    1775. 

Capt  Asahel  Wheeler  Daniel  Maynard 

Ithamer  Rice  Gideon  Maynard 

John  Maynard  Jr.  Silas  Mosman 
John  Balcom  Jr. 

col  reed's  regiment. 
Peter  Smith  Abel  Tower 

Ebenezer  Plympton  Joel  Brigham 

Jonathan  Bent  James  Haynes 

Ruben  Haynes  Daniel  Frazer 

Simeon  Ingersol  Thomas  Smith 


HISTORY  OF  SXTDBTJRY.  391 

IN    COLONEL   WHITING'S    REGIMENT. 

Micah  Balcom  John  Brown 

Thomas  Goodenow  Lt.  Abel  Brigham 

Jas  Balcom  Jacob  Reed 

Luther  Moor  Thos.  Dal.[rymple] 

Thad  Harrington  Elijah  Howe 

Israel Tr Moore 

GOVERNMENT   STOREHOUSES. 

Besides  other  responsibilities  the  town  had  charge  of  some 
government  storehouses  containing  munitions  of  war,  which 
the  Sudbury  teamsters,  from  time  to  time,  conveyed  to  the 
front.  Various  receipts  are  still  preserved  which  were 
received  by  these  teamsters.  These  buildings  were  situated 
on  the  northerly  part  of  Sand  Hill,  east  of  the  county  road. 
There  were  several  of  them,  and  some  were  remaining  within 
the  memory  of  an  aged  citizen  who  conversed  with  the  writer 
concerning  them.  One  or  more  of  them  were  moved  to 
Wayland,  and  one  was  moved  to  the  Captain  Rice  place 
where  it  was  used  as  a  cider  mill.  Recently  it  was  moved 
to  another  spot  on  the  same  farm  and  made  over  for  a  stable  ; 
the  old  timbers  of  the  original  structure  were  retained. 
Before  its  alteration  the  writer  examined  it  and  took  meas- 
urements. It  was  a  very  low  building,  perhaps  forty  by  thirty 
feet,  with  a  broad  sloping  roof.  It  was  without  partitions, 
and  formerly  had  a  very  wide  barn-like  door  in  front.  At 
one  time  Mr.  William  Rice,  the  father  of  Captain  William, 
had  charge  of  these  houses  and  military  stores.  Several 
squads  of  soldiers  were  employed  to  guard  them,  and  at  one 
time  Captain  Isaac  Wood  was  commander  of  the  guard.  In 
1777,  the  following  soldiers  did  guard  duty :  "  Corporal 
Robert  Eames,  Silas  Goodenow  Jr,  Philemon  Brown,  Elisha 
Harrington,  Jona  Clark."  A  guard  of  the  same  number 
was  there  in  1778  and  79,  but  all  the  men  were  not  the  same. 
The  field  in  or  near  which  these  buildings  stood  was  used  as 
a  training  field  in  former  years,  and  at  one  time  a  militia 
muster  was  held  there.  But  now  all  trace  even  of  the  site 
has  become  obliterated,  and  for  years  it  has  been  a  quiet 
feeding  place  for  cattle,  and  all  is  as  peaceful  there  as  if  the 


392  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

slow  pacing  of  the  old  Continental  guard  had  never  been 
heard  at  Sand  Hill. 

SERVICE   OUTSIDE   OF   THE   STATE. 

While  Sudbury  was  so  well  represented  in  the  field  during 
the  eventful  year  of  1775,  when  the  seat  of  war  was  in  its 
own  neighborhood,  when  its  farms  were  liable  to  become  the 
front  and  its  very  door-yards  the  field  of  battle,  it  was  also 
fitly  represented  when  the  war  passed  to  other  localities. 
We  will  now  present  the  names  of  some  of  the  soldiers 
who  served  in  the  subsequent  scenes  of  the  war  in  places 
remote  from  the  town.  A  few  that  have  become  illegible 
will  be  omitted  and  doubtful  ones  will  be  enclosed  in 
brackets. 

After  the  British  left  Boston  the  American  Army  went  to 
New  York,  and  a  part  of  the  Sudbury  soldiers,  including 
three  captains,  went  with  it.  These  -captains  were  Abel 
Holden,  Caleb  Clapp  and  Aaron  Haynes.  Gen.  John  Nixon, 
it  is  supposed,  accompanied  it  in  the  brigade  of  General 
Sullivan.  On  the  9th  of  August,  John  Nixon  was  promoted 
to  the  rank  of  brigadier-general,  and  his  brother,  Thomas, 
became  colonel  of  his  regiment.  This  regiment  and  another 
with  a  body  of  artillery,  all  under  command  of  General 
Nixon,  were  stationed  for  a  time  at  Governor's  Island,  New 
York  Harbor,  and  after  the  retreat  of  General  Washington 
from  Brooklyn,  August  27,  the  brigade  passed  up  the  North 
River  with  the  army. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  officers  and  some  of  the  privates  in 
the  Sudbury  companies  in  1776,  Gen.  John  Nixon's  brigade 

COL.    THOMAS    NIXON'S    REGIMENT. 

Capt.  Abel  Holden  Ruben  Haynes 

Lieut  Levi  Holden  Colven  Eames 

Lieut  Oliver  Rice  Thadeus  Moore 

Capt  Caleb  Clap  Luther  Eames 

Lieut  Joshua  Clap  John  Stone 

Serg't  Joseph  Balcom  Joshua  Maynard 

Joseph  Nixon  Roland  Bennet 

Luther  Moore  Hezekiah  Moore 

The   company  of  Capt.   Aaron    Haynes  was   in  Colonel 


RESIDENCE    OF    CHARLES    P.    WILLIS.     (David   Lincoln   Place 
Historical    Sketch  of   Willis    Family.     Page  453. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 


393 


Whitcomb's  regiment,  having  been  transferred  from  Colonel 
Brewer's  while  stationed  at  Prospect  Hill.  The  following 
list  contains  part  of  the  names  :  — 


Capt  Aaron  Haynes. 
Aaron  Haynes  Jr. 
John  Rusk 


Joseph  Maynarcl 
Jonas  Haynes 
Ephriam  Goodenow 


Capt.  Aaron  Haynes  was  in  command  of  a  company  at 
Peekskill,  N.  Y.,  in  the  spring  of  1777. 

Besides  the  soldiers  who  went  with  the  army  to  New  York 
in  1776,  there  was  quite  a  force  that  went  in  an  expedition 
against  Canada.  A  large  part  of  the  soldiers  who  served  in 
these  campaigns  were  under  the  command  of  Capt.  Asahel 
Wheeler,  and  in  one  at  least  of  the  campaigns  were  in  the 
regiment  of  Col.  John  Robinson.  Of  the  Sudbury  soldiers 
who  served  under  these  officers  in  the  Canada  Expedition  or 
Ticonderoga  Campaign,  we  give  the  following  :  — 


John  Merriam 

Benj 

Joseph  Smith 
Ephraim  Smith 
Zebediah  Farrar 
Daniel  Lawrence 
Job  Brooks. 
Rhuben  Hains. 
Roger  Bigelovv 
Oliver  Curtis 
Samuel  Jones 
John  Tozer 
Abijah  Mead 
Samson  Wheeler. 
John  Lough 
Oliver  Conant 
Jonah  Gilbert 
Joseph  Mason 
A  Buttrick 
John  Weston 
Samuel  Adams 
Joel  Adams 
Daniel  Hosmer 
Phinehas  Hager 
Jacob  Jones 


Phinehas  Glezen 
David  How  jr. 
Francis  Jones 
Timothy  Underwood 
Jonathan  Davis 
Daniel  Benjaman 
Ithamer  Rice. 
John  Peter 
Nathaniel  Park 

Converse  Big 

Abraham  Parmen'er 
Steven  Taylor 
Jonas  Brown 
Andrew  Green 
John  Cobb 
James  Stedman 
Francis  Chaffin 
Amos  Nutting 

G Ames 

Amos  Stow 
William  Thorney 
John  Hives 
Nathaniel  Bemis 
Thomas  Corey 
John  Farrar 


394  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

Besides  those  who  served  in  the  Canada  Expedition  in 
Captain  Wheeler's  company,  Colonel  Robinson's  regiment, 
we  give  the  following  who  served  in  his  company  when  in 
the  regiment  of  Colonel  Read.  A  large  share  of  the  names 
in  this  and  other  lists  were  once  familiar  in  Sudbury.  Those 
which  were  not  may  have  been  of  substitutes  who  made 
np  the  quota. 

COT.ONEL    READ'S    REGIMENT,    GENERAL    DRECKET'S    BRIGADE,    GENERAL 

GATES'    DIVISION. 

Capt.  Asahel  Wheeler  John  Taylor 

Sergent  Uriah  Wheeler  Hezekiah  Hapgood 

Lieut.  Hopstill  Willis  [Moris  Clary] 

Corp.  Daniel  Osborn  Nathaniel  Browne 

Aaron  Eames  Ebenezer  Plympton 

Thomas  Eames  Gideon  Maynard 

Josiah  Richardson  Isaac  Rice 

Jesse  Goodnow  Timothy  Rice 

Uriah  Hunt  Francis  Green 

Thomas  Burbank  Abel  Willis 

Benj.  Berry,  John  Fia/.er 

Nathaniel  Rice  Jacob  Kiblcy 

Deliverance  Parmenter  Jason  Haines 

Isaac  Moore  Samuel  Merriam 

Daniel  Noyes  Jonas  [Chase] 

John  Sheperd  Abel  Willis 

Wm  Walker  Aaron  Eames  Jr. 

Daniel  W.  Moore  Josiah  Ilosmer 

Jonas  Clark  Benj.  Tower 

W,n  Dun  Solomon  Ta)lor 

Nathaniel  Bryant  Judah  Welherbce 

Aaron  Maynard  Wm  Graves 

Jonathan  Burbank  Ezekiel  Smith 

Richard  Wetherbee  James  Willis 

Phinehas  Gleason  Edward  [Cheney] 

Phinehas  Gleason  Jr  Thomas  Harrington 

John  Barney  Jacob  Stevens 

John  Adams  Phineas  Stevens 

John  [Thonning]  Nathan  Gates 

Wm  [Thorning]  Daniel  Noyes 

Ebenezer  Park  Benj.  [Hale] 

Edward  Whitman  Nathaniel  Rice 

Thomas  Ernes  W'"  Hosmer  Jr. 

David  Underwood  Amos 

Rice  Samuel  Brown 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 


395 


Joseph  Rutter 
Charles  Brown 
John  Parmenter 
Francis  Hemenway 


Isaac  Rice 
Silas  Conant 
Blanchard 


Several  names  belonging  in  the  above  list   have  become 
illegible  in  the  records. 

The   following  were  also  in 
1776,  in  the  company  of  Captaii 


the  Ticonderoga  Campaign, 
in  Wheeler:  — 


James  Wright 
Abel  Tower 
Isaac  Bartlett 
Mica  Graves 
Thomas  Bloget 
Ezra  Parmenter 
Abel  Goodenow 
Theodore  Harrington 
Jonathan  Bent 
Isaac  Bartlett 
Abel  Tower 
Aaron  Mosmon 
Ebenezer  Nixon 
Jonas  Emery 
Paul  Colidge 
Josiah  Tomson 
Elias  Bigelow 
Joseph  Abbot 
Gregory  Stone 
Nath1  Knowlton 
Nathel  Browne 
John  Park 
Samuel  Bond 
William  Hosmer 
Peter  Brintnal 
Nathan  Maynard 
Aaron  Maynard 
Abel  Child 

Jacob  

John  Carter 
Joseph  Rutter 
Nathaniel  Knowlton 

Elijah 

Jacob  Jones 
Uriah  Wheeler 
W»  Grout 
Joseph  Goodenow 


John  Hoar 
Ebenezer  Heald 
Christian  Wagner 
Abel  Goodenow 
[Samuel  Dakin] 
Ebenezer  Heard 
Solomon  Whitney 
William  Thomas 

Samuel 

'    Josiah  Farrar 
Caleb  Wheeler 
Jason  Belcher 
Samuel  Emery 
Jonas  Billings 
Samuel  Hoar 
Samuel  Osborn 
Jesse  Mosmon 
Capt.  David  Moore 
Francis  Green 
Joshua  Haynes  Lieut 
Daniel  Maynard 
John  Parmenter 
Micah  Graves 
Charles  Rice 
Samuel  Curtis 
John  Adams 
Eleezer  Parks 
Jonas  Bond 
Samuel  Poland 
Abel  Willis 
John  Parks 
Isaac  Moore 
Micah  Bowker 
John  Bennet 
John  Warren 
John  Lands 


396  HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY. 

The  following  Sudbury  men  served  in  the  Ticonderoga 
Campaign,  1776,  in  the  company  of  Captain  Craft,  Colonel 
Graton's  regiment :  — 

Peter  Smith  Abel  Maynard 

Isaac  Wise  Jesse  Mosman 

Aaron  Mosman  Simeon  Ingersol 

Abel  Tower  Charles  Eames 

The  following  served  in  the  Ticonderoga  Campaign, 
1776,  in  the  company  of  Captain  Edgell,  Colonel  Brewer's 
regiment :  — 

Lieut.  Jonathan  Rice  Serg't  Augustus  Moore 

William  Maynard  Nathan  Hayward. 

Joel  Brigham. 

Capt.  Aaron  Haynes  had  a  company  at  Ticonderoga  in 
1776  in  Col.  Asa  Whitcorab's  regiment.  His  minute  roll 
bears  date,  December,  1776,  and  the  following  names  are 
upon  it :  — 

Aaron  Haynes  Capt  Joseph  Willis  Ensigne 

Aaron  Holden  l8t  Lieut,  Aaron  Haynes  Drummer. 

The  soldiers  included  in  the  lists  now  given  were  of  the 
armies  which  were  endeavoring  to  gain  Canada  for  the  Con- 
tinental cause,  and  force  the  British  from  the  State  of  New 
York.  The  expedition  or  campaign  against  Canada  was 
planned  in  the  year  1775  by  a  committee  of  Congress  which 
met  at  Cambridge  in  August  of  that  year.  The  capture  of 
the  fortresses  Ticonderoga  and  Crown  Point  on  Lake  Cham- 
plain  in  May,  1775,  by  Connecticut  and  Vermont  militia, 
had  opened  the  way  to  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  the  expedition 
was  designed  to  aid  in  getting  possession  of  that  part  of 
Canada.  Two  forces  were  engaged  in  the  work.  One  of 
these  was  composed  of  New  York  and  New  England  troops 
and  was  placed  under  the  command  of  Generals  Schuyler 
and  Montgomery  and  ordered  to  go  by  way  of  Lake  Cham- 
plain  to  Montreal  and  Quebec.  The  other  expedition  left 
Cambridge,  September,  1775,  and  was  under  the  leadership 
of  Col.  Benedict  Arnold.  In  the  Canada  Expedition,  1776, 
the  following  casualties  occurred :    Benjamin  Berry  lost  an 


HISTORY  OF   ST7DBURY. 


397 


arm,  and  at  Ticonderoga  the  same  year  the  following  per- 
sons died :  — 

Ensign  Timothy  Underwood  Phinehas  Gleason 

Solomon  Rice  Timothy  Rice 

Sergeant  Samuel  Maynard  died  of  small  pox  at  Quebec  with  Arnold. 

The  service  rendered  by  the  Sudbury  men  who  left  Massa- 
chusetts with  the  army  under  Washington  was  largely  per- 
formed in  New  York  and  vicinity.  Washington  arriving  at 
New  York  about  the  middle  of  April,  at  once  set  about 
fortifying  the  vicinity  and  securing  the  passes  of  the  High- 
lands on  the  Hudson  River.  In  the  operations  about  this 
part  of  the  country  hard  fighting  and  toilsome  marches  were 
experienced.  We  hear  of  Sudbury  soldiers  at  Saratoga, 
Stillwater,  Fort  Edward,  and  other  places  connected  with 
the  activity  of  the  Continental  forces  in  New  York.  At 
Saratoga  Serg.  Thadeus  Moore  was  slain  and  Lieut.  Joshua 
Clapp  was  wounded. 

Names  of  Sudbury  men  enlisted  in  1777  for  three  years  or 
during  the  war. 

OFFICERS. 


Gen.  John  Nixon 
Capt.  Abel  Holden 
Leuit.  Levi  Holden 
Leuit.  Oliver  Rice 
Capt.  Caleb  Clap 
Leuit.  Joshua  Clap 
Capt.  Aaron  Haynes 

Nathaniel  Cutter 
Charles  Gouell 
Ruben  Moore  Jr. 
Oliver  Sanderson 
Uriah  Moore 
Hezekiah  Moore 
William  Dun 
Joseph  Nixon 
Joel  Puffer 
Ephraim  Goodenow 
Francis  Green 
Luther  Eames 
Luther  Moore 
Joel  Brigham 


PRIVATES. 


Sergeant  Ruben  Haynes 
Sergeant  Aaron  Haynes 
Sergeant  Joseph  Balcom 
Sergeant  Uriah  Eaton 
Sergent  Thadeus  Moore 
Sergeant  Jonas  Haynes, 


John  Buck 
Joshua  Maynard 
Joseph  Maynard 
Jonathan  Robbinson 
Zak.  Robbenson 
Oliver  Robbenson 
Joseph  Cutter 
Calvin  Eames 
Josiah  Cutter 
Joseph  Willis 
Donal  Lincoln 
Ruben  Moore 
Joseph  Meller 


398 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 


In  connection  with  the  foregoing  we  give  the  following 
list  of  men  who  enlisted  for  the  same  length  of  time  but 
perhaps  in  another  year.  They  were  from  "  the  4th  Regi- 
ment of  Foot,  commanded  by  Col.  Ezekiel  How."  Only 
five  of  the  names  given  in  the  two  lists  are  alike. 


GUARD   ROLL. 


Capt.  Abel  Holden 
Benjamin  Tower 
Luther  Eames 
Charles  Eames 
Corneleus  Wood 
Joel  Brigham 
Joseph  Nixon 
Levi  Holden 
Luther  Moore 
Uriah  Moore 


years 


Micah  Grant .  3  years 

Jesse  Goodenow 

Thomas  Burbank 

Ephraim  Goodenow 

Jonathan  Bevens 

Jonas  Welch 

Joseph  Bent 

Abel  Thompson 

Thomas  Gibbs  during  the  war 


PAY   ROLL. 


Sudbury  June  the  27th,  1778.  We  the  Subscribers  have  received  of 
Capt.  Asahel  Wheeler  Nine  Pounds  for  oure  wages  in  full  oure  pay  for 
October  &  Part  November  1777  both  for  contannatel  and  State  and 
mileage  we  say  Received  by  ous  — 


Moses  Stone 
Nathaniel  Rice 
Abel  Smith 
William  Brown 
Jonathan  Haynes 
Wm  Moore 
Timothy  Moore 
Abel  Brigham 
Mathias  Mosman 
Samuel  Puffer 
Gidon  Maynard 
Silas  Tower 
James  Moore 
Hezekiah  Johnson 

his 
Silas  X  Parmenter 
mark 


Samuel  Knight  in  behalf- [of] 

Silas  Knight 

Daniel  Maynard 

Caleb  Stacy 

Timothy  Ernes 

Ephraim  Moore 

Asher  Cutler  Jr 

Hopestill  Willis 

Jason  Haynes 

Daniel  osborn 

Phineas  Puffer 

John  Parris 

Samuel  Cutting 

Isaac  Goodenow 


Beside  men  who  enlisted  for  a  long  term  of ,  service  in 
1777,  we  have  two  lists  of  those  whose  enlistment  was  for  a 
very  short  period. 


HISTORY  OF  SUDBURY.  399 

FIRST   LIST. 
Jan.  1777 
To  New  York  —  Two  months 
Capt.  Nathaniel  Hayward's  Company,  Col.  Thatcher's  Regiment. 
Cornelius  Wood  Thomas  Dalremple 

Daniel  Loring  Thomas  Dalremple  Jr 

Ser'  Majr  Wm  Goodenow  Thomas  Moore 

Serg'  Uriah  Wheeler  Daniel  Hamynes 

Wm  Brown  Theodore  Harrington 

Abel  Parmenter 

The  last  four  of  these  men  are  spoken  of  as  having  been 
taken  prisoners  and  never  heard  of  afterwards. 

SECOND   LIST. 

July  1777. 
To  Saratoga  —  Three  months. 
Col.  Brown's  Regiment.     General  Gates,  Commander. 
Capt.  Jonathan  Rice  John  Brown 

Serg'  Abel  Maynard  Ebenezer  Burbank 

Ezekiel  How  Nathaniel  Brown 

Caleb  Wheeler  Nathaniel  Bryant 

Isaac  Wier  David  How 

Abel  Willis 

As  the  war  progressed  Sudbury  was  still  active  in  filling 
its  quota.  In  1778,  several  companies  were  still  in  the  field. 
Four  of  these  had  three  hundred  and  twenty-seven  men  and 
were  commanded  as  follows :  West  Side  men,  Capt.  Jona- 
than Rice  and  Capt.  Asahel  Wheeler;  East  Side  men,  Capt. 
Nathaniel  Maynard  and  Capt.  Isaac  Cutting.  In  the  Stearns 
Collection  we  have  the  following  lists  of  men  in  two  of  these 
companies. 

FOR  CAP.  MAYNARD'S  COMPANY,  SUDBURY 

Lieut.  Joseph  Wellington,  during  the  war. 

Robert  Bennet  " 

Farkins  Hosmer  " 

Oliver  Sanderson  ** 

Simon  Newton  " 

Ephraim  Barker  " 

Jonathan  Barker  " 

James  Gibbs  u 


400  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

Pathrick  Flinn  during  the  war. 

James  Welch  " 

Timothy  Ahgen  " 

John  Carrol  " 

Morris  Griffin  " 

Daniel  Hickey  " 

Samuel  Whitney  " 

Joseph  Foster  " 

Christopher  Capen  " 

Ephraim  Carry  " 
Ambros  Fergerson         for  3  years 

Timothy  Bent  " 

Samuel  Whitney  " 
Phinehas  Butler 

Wm  Cook  Gleason  " 

Thomas  Jones  " 

Abraham  Parmenter  " 

Noah  Bogle  " 

John  Stover  transient  " 

FOR   CAPT.   WHEELER'S   COMPANY. 

Joseph  Balcom      3  years  Joseph  Mossman  3  years 

Ruben  Haynes  "  Joel  Brigham  " 

Capt.  Jonathan  Maynard  had  a  company  in  the  two  months 
service  in  1782  in  the  Seventh  Regiment,  Lieut.  Col.  John 
Brooks.  He  also  had  a  company  in  the  twelve  months 
service  in  the  same  regiment. 

FOR    CAPT.    MOULTON'S    CO. 

Joseph  Smith        3  years  Richard  Morris  3  years 

John  Burk  "  James  Scroday 

Joseph  Maynard  "  Wm  Bevens  " 

Joshua  Maynard  "  Uriah  Eaton  ,; 

Isaac  Rice  "  Francis  Green  " 

Nathaniel  Cutler  "  Patherick  Flin  during  the  war 

Joseph  Cutler  "  John  Carrol  " 

Thadeus  Moore  "  Morris  Griffin 
Oliver  Sanderson       i4 

Other  enlistments  were,  — 

Capt  Aaron  Haynes  during  the  war    Eleazer  Lawrence  3  years 
Aaron  Haynes  Jr  3  years  James  Beamis  " 

The  following  is  a  list  of  Sudbury  men  in  Capt.  Daniel 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 


401 


Bowker's  company,  together  with  the  time  when  they  joined 
Colonel  Webb's  regiment :  — 


SUDBURY. 


Daniel  Bowker  Capt. 
Oliver  Parmenter 
Ezra  Mossman 
Edward  Moore 
Silas  Ames 
Ashbel  Moore 


Isaac  Cary 
Asa  Holden 
Oliver  Travis 


Steven  Puffer,  died  Oct.  3d. 
Silas  Puffer 
John  Brigham 
Samuel  Willis 
Corp.  Ezra  Willis 


SUDBURY   EAST. 


Isaac  Cory  Jr 
Ruben  Graves 


The  men  from  Sudbury  joined  Sept.  9th  except  Capt.  Bowker  who 
entered  Sept.  loth.     Those  from  East  Sudbury  entered  Oct.  6th 

Highlands,  Nov  20,  1785 

The  following  paper  shows  the  sums  paid  for  enlistments 
in  1780:  — 

Sudbury  June  22d  1780 
We  the  subscribers  do  hereby  acknowledge  that  we  have  severally 
received  of  the  Committee  appointed  by  the  town  of  Sudbury  to  agree 
with  and  hire  the  said  Town's  Quota  of  soldiers  agreeable  to  an  act  of 
the  Gen.  Court  of  the  fifth  of  June  instant  the  several  sums  annexed  to 
our  names  — 


his 

Benjamin  X  Seaver  .£000 

mark 

Joshua  Hemenway  "  750 

Jonas  Haynes  "  GOO 

Abel  Brigham  "  600 

Abel  Cutler  "  600 

Ezra  Willis  "900 

Naham  Haynes  "750 

Asa  Holden  "  600 


his 
Joseph  X  Cutter  ,£900 

mark 

Peter "  900 

Ebenezer  Parmenter  "600 

his 
Peletiah  X  Parmenter       "600 

mark 
Luther  Moor  "  700 

Luther  Ernes  "  900 


CHAPTER   XXII. 

1775-1800. 

Revolutionary  War. —  Report  of  a  Committee  Appointed  by  the  Town 
to  Estimate  the  Service  of  Sudbury  Soldiers.  —  Appointment  of  a 
Committee  to  Make  up  and  Bring  in  Muster  Rolls  of  the  Services  of 
Each  Soldier  in  the  War.  —  Muster  Rolls:  Captain  Rice's,  Captain 
Wheeler's,  Captain  Maynard's,  Captain  Cutting's.  —  Whole  Number 
of  Men  in  the  War.  —  Their  Valiant  Service.  —  Casualties.  —  Sketch 
of  Gen.  John  Nixon.  — Town-Meetings.  —  Encouragements  to  Enlist- 
ment.—  Specimen  of  Enlistment  Papers.  —  Various  Requisitions 
Made  on  the  Town. 

Their  death  shot  shook  the  feudal  tower, 
And  shattered  slavery's  chain  as  well ; 
On  the  sky's  dome,  as  on  a  bell, 

Its  echo  struck  the  world's  great  houi. 

Whittikk. 

Having  now  presented  the  names  of  the  soldiers  obtained 
from  various  other  sources,  we  will  give  a  list  found  on  the 
Town  Records,  which  purports  to  contain  the  names  of  all 
soldiers  of  the  town  who  served  in  the  Revolutionary  War 
up  to  the  fall  of  1778,  together  with  extracts  from  the 
records  which  led  to  this  enrollment  of  names. 

June  25,  1778,  "  The  town  by  their  vote  ordered  their 
Com.  appointed  to  estimate  the  services  of  each  particular 
person  in  Sudbury  in  the  present  war,  to  report  at  the  next 
Town  meeting." 

At  a  town-meeting  held  October  19,  the  committee  above 
mentioned  reported  as  follows :  —  (The  fractional  parts  of 
pounds  we  have  omitted.) 

That  the  minute  men  be  allowed  each  £3 

That  the  Eight  Months  be  allowed  each  -0 

Six  weeks  men  to  Roxbury  allowed  each  4 

402 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  403 

Two  months  men  to  Cambridge  allowed  each  £6 

The  years  men  to  York  and  the  Northward  allowed  each  75 

Six  months  men  to  the  Castle  allowed  each  9 

Five  months  men  to  Ticonderoga  allowed  each  50 

Three  months  men  to  Dorchester  with  Cap'  Moulton  allowed  each  7 

Two  months  men  to  York  allowed  each  25 

Three  months  men  to  York  and  the  Jerseys  allowed  each  48 

Two  months  men  to  Providence  allowed  each  12 

Three  months  men  to  Ticonderoga  allowed  each  52 

Thirty  days  men  to  Saratoga  allowed  each  20 

Three  months  men  to  Providence  allowed  each  30 

Three  months  men  to  guard  at  Cambridge  allowed  each  IS 

Six  weeks  men  to  Rhode  Island  allowed  each  20 

Four  months  men  to  guard  the  troops  and  stores  allowed  each  20 

Three  months  men  to  Boston  allowed  each  20 

That  those  persons  who  have  hired  men  to  perform  any  of  the  above 
services  at  a  time  when  there  was  an  actual  Levy  for  men,  be  allowed 
for  Said  Service  as  if  performed  in  person.  That  those  that  paid  fines 
or  advanced  money  for  the  good  of  the  service,  be  allowed  in  the  same 
proportion  as  their  money  would  procure  men  to  perform  the  Services 
which  at  that  time  they  Neglected  to  do  in  person.  That  no  persons 
shall  be  intitled  to  Receive  pay  for  any  of  the  above  Services  Unless  he 
Shall  be  first  taxed  towards  the  payment  thereof.  Also  that  Each  per- 
son shall  Receive  pay  only  for  the  time  he  was  in  actual  Service 

Sudbury  Octor  19th  1778  Ezekiel  How        "| 

Phineas  Glezen 
Jona  Rice 
Asahel  Wheeler 
Isaac  Loker 
Tho   Walker        J 

The  town  voted  to  accept  the  above  report,  and  appointed 
men  to  make  up  and  bring  to  the  town  complete  muster  rolls 
of  the  services  of  each  person  in  Sudbury  in  the  then  present 
war  with  Great  Britain.  This  meeting  was  adjourned  to 
October  26,  at  which  date  the  following  record  was  made, 
namely  :  — 

Oct.  20th  1778.  Capt  Rice's  musteroll  was  read,  and  the  town  voted 
to  Grant  to  Each  person  Expressed  by  name  in  said  musteroll  the  Sum 
Set  to  their  Respective  name,  as  may  appear  by  said  musteroll,  which 
was  as  follows  viz1 

To  Hopestill  Willis  .£73        Silas  Parmenter  £YJ 

Ens"  Josiah  Richardson  75         Elisha  Harrington  12 

John  Moore  53         Nathan  Read.  25 


Committee 


404 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 


Uriah  Moore  Jur  j£58 

Asher  Cutler  Jur  71 

Will'"  Goodenow  51 

Lr  Thomas  Goodenow  30 

Israel  Willis  admr  51 

Sam1  Cutting  41 

Nathal  Rice  Jur  35 

Joseph  Green  10 

Abel  Parmenter  17 

Isaac  Hunt  Ju1'  02 

Nath11  Bryant  35 

Uriah  Hayden  95 

Abel  Goodenow  31 

David  How  120 

Philemon  Brown  35 

L'  Jacob  Read  70 

James  Wyse  75 

John  Goodenow  50 

L'  Jona  Carter  102 

Dan11  W  Moore  50 

Wm  Walker  50 

Deliverance  Parmenter  50 

Jotham  Goodenow  50 

Col.  Ezekiel  How  70 

Dan11  Osborn  70 

Elijah  Rice  50 

Peter  Haynes  50 

Jonn  Carter  Jur  70 

Nath11  Rice  50 

Cap1  Jon"  Rice  95 

Isaac  Read  33 

Elijah  Moore  10 

Cap1  Cornelius  Wood  9 

L'  Rowand  Bogle  03 

Robert  Ernes  20 

Ephm  Carter  25 

John  Brigham  35 

John  Parry  45 

Uriah  Parmenter  55 

Josh  Parmenter  45 

Oliver  Mors  28 

Ephm  Moore  45 

Joseph  Moore  35 

Hopestill  Brown  90 

Wm  Brown  68 

Isaac  Lincoln  Jur  4S 


L'  Micah  Goodenow  ,£116 

Ebenr  Wood  51 

Jesse  Moore  admr  21 

Hopestill  Browne  adr  6 

Cap'  Sam1  Knight  44 

Asher  Cutler  9 

Cor1  Sam1  How  46 

Aaron  Johnson  77 

William  Parmenter  9 

Reuben  Vorce  12 

Sam11  Hunt  12 

Cap1  Israel  Moore  102 

L'  Elisha  Wheeler  73 

Aaron  Goodenow  Jur  52 

Tho.  Ernes  26 

Nath11  Brown  11 

Edward  Bayanton  26 

John  Browne  52 

Wid°  Sarah  Brigham  52 

Israel  Parmenter  52 

Cap'  Moses  Stone  50 

Silas  Goodenow  40 

Tho3  Carr  Jur  48 

Uriah  Gibbs  30 

Micah  Parmenter  30 

James  Thomson  41 

Ens"  Jonas  Holdin  53 

Wm  Hayden  53 

Eliab  Moore  39 

Jonas  Wheler  18 

Tho'  Dalrimple  27 

Sam11  Geason  26 

Abel  Thomson  75 

Will"'  Hunt  33 

Dr  Josiah  Langdon  12 

Sam11  Bent  3 

Elisha  Wheeler  Ju  51 

Ephm  Goodenow  Jur  20 

David  How  Jur  3 

Moses  Goodenow  3 

John  Willis  32 

Sam11  Brown  32 

Joseph  Grout  32 

Cap'  Abel  Holdin  96 

Luther  Moore  29 

Aaron  Ernes  21 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY. 


405 


Jesse  Gibbs  ,£48 

Nahum  Hayden  48 

Wm  Parmenter  48 

Reuben  Willis  48 

Tho9  Walker  48 

U  Joseph  Read  27 

L*  Joseph  Goodenow  19 

Timothy  Emes  27 


Mr  Asahel  Goodenow  ,£12 

Elijah  Willis  ExeT  10 

Aaron  Goodenow  17 

Augustus  Walker  17 

Charles  Emes  20 

Ezekiel  How  Jur  52 

Ensn  Levi  Holdin  75 


Capt  Asahel  Wheeler's  Musteroll  was  read,  and  the  town  voted  to 
allow  to  each  person  expressed  by  name  therein  the  Sum  Set  to  his 
name  in  said  musteroll,  which  was  as  follows  viz' 

To  Cap1  Asahel  Wheler 
Ll  Joshua  Haynes 
U  Abijah  Brigham 
Augustus  Moore 
Isaac  Maynard 
Asahel  Balcom 
Will"1  Moore 
Uriah  Wheler 
Jason  Haynes 
Peter  Smith 
John  Maynard  Jur 
Dan11  Maynard 
Jason  Pent 
Jona  Bent 
Joseph  Balcom 
John  Balcom 
Jonas  Balcom 
Sam11  Brigham 
Hope  Brown 
John  Clark 
James  Carter 
Joseph  Dakin 
Dea™  Sam11  Dakin 
Dan11  Goodenow 
Moses  Haynes 
Israel  Haynes 
James  Haynes 
Jona  Haynes 
Charles  Haynes 
Cap1  Aaron  Haynes 
Macah  Haywood 
Moses  Maynard 
Nathan  Maynard 
John  Maynard 


,£88 

Phinehas  Puffer 

£68 

78 

Tho"  Puffer 

52 

41 

Isaac  Puffer 

32 

40 

James  Parmenter  Jur 

30 

19S 

Edmund  Parmenter 

50 

72 

Tho3  Plympton  Esqr 

80 

71 

Dan11  Puffer 

32 

51 

Charles  Rice 

21 

70 

Wm  Rice  3d 

70 

82 

Ithamor  Rice 

54 

10 

Abel  Smith 

44 

59 

John  Shirly 

21 

GO 

Sam11  Puffer 

05 

17 

L'  Oliver  Noyse 

81 

30 

Nathan  Loring 

32 

49 

Cap'  Elijah  Smith 

52 

52 

Henry  Smith 

90 

18 

Benjn  Smith 

52 

55 

Jotham  Brown 

20 

29 

John  Shepard 

30 

21 

Ambrose  Tower 

132 

38 

Israel  Wheler 

50 

25 

John  Weighton 

34 

32 

Abel  Willis 

50 

32 

Cop1  Dan11  Bowker 

70 

113 

L'  James  Puffer 

52 

129 

James  Puffer  Jur 

45 

45 

Dan11  Loring 

70 

73 

Jereh  Robbins 

21 

190 

W">  Hunt  Jur 

02 

49 

John  Mosmon 

50 

25 

L'  Mathias  Mosman 

35 

35 

Francis  Green 

20 

150 

Jesse  Willis 

32 

406 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY. 


Aaron  Maynard 

£50 

Silas  Tower 

£4 

Timo?  Moore 

24 

Capt  David  Moore  Exr 

20 

Zech  Maynard 

70 

Triad'  Moore  Exr 

95 

Jesse  Mosman 

95 

Simeon  Ingersal  Exr 

79 

Joseph  Maynard  Guar 

75 

Natha  Cutter  Exr 

24 

Danu  Noyse  Jun 

55 

Jonas  Rice  Exr 

20 

Moses  Noyse 

77 

Jona  Smith 

49 

Then  Cap1  Nath11  Maynard's  Musteroll  was  read  and  the  town  voted 
to  allow  to  each  person  expressed  by  name  therein  the  Sum  Set  to  his 
name  in  said  Musteroll  which  was  as  followeth  viz' 


To  John  Adams  ,£50 

Benjn  Adams  23 

Josiah  Allen  50 

Ephera  Abbot  30 

Amos  Abbot  20 

Wm  Baldwin  Esqr  50 

L*  Wm  Barker  32 

Rolan  Bennet  12 

John  Dean  45 

James  Davis  52 

L4  Josiah  Farrar  13 

Abraham  Jenkinson  52 

Sam11  Griffin  80 

Micah  Graves  57 

Phinehas  Glezen  63 

Isaac  Gould  4 

Reuben  Gould  25 

Jacob  Gould  25 

Cap1  Josiah  Hoar  5 

L4  Jona  Hoar  40 

Cap4  Nath11  Maynard  68 

Daniel  Maynard  50 

Dan11  Moore  34 

Israel  Moore  12 

John  Noyes  Esq'  50 

James  Noyes  52 

Jason  Parmenter  18 

Jonr  Parmenter  Jur  15 

Dr  Ebenr  Roby  50 

Joseph  Rutter  Jur  50 

Tho8  Rutter  20 

Jonas  Sherman  25 

Edward  Sherman  50 

Timo*  Sherman  12 


L4  Ebenr  Staples  ^18 

Tho8  Trask  12 

Isaac  Woodward  7 

L4  John  Noyes  73 

Samuel  Sherman  20 

Ephm  Allen  adm  95 

James  Philips  95 

Lemuel  Whiting  95 

L4  Josiah  Wilinton  95 

John  Brewer  40 

Elijah  Bent  95 

Zechh  Bent  6 

Zechh  Bryant  Jur  70 

John  Bruce  50 

Majr  Jo8  Curtis  5 

David  Curtis  32 

IS  Sam11  Choat  25 

Thad8  Bond  40 

Cap1  Joseph  Payson  32 

Wm  Wyman  30 

Isaac  Brintnal  20 

Peter  Brintnal  20 

Joshua  Kendal  20 

Cap4  Richard  Heard  132 

Tho8  Heard  53 

Richard  Heard  Jur  20 

Trobridge  Taylor  18 

Darius  Hudson  52 

Joseph  Emerson  52 

Nath1  Knolton  20 

Sam"  Haynes  3 

Wid°  Ann  Noyes  30 

Isaac  Moore-  20 

Simon  Newton  70 


HISTORY   OP   SUDBURY. 


407 


Then  Capt  Cutting's  Musteroll  was  read  and  the  town  voted  to  allow 
to  each  person  expressed  by  name  therein,  the  Sum  Set  to  his  name  in 
said  Musteroll,  which  was  as  follows,  viz' 


To  L'  Wm  Bond 

£22 

L'  Joseph  Smith 

£95 

Thorn8  Brintnal 

5 

Cap'  Caleb  Moulton 

34 

Joseph  Beal 

32 

Micah  Maynard  adr 

50 

Isaac  Cutting 

32 

Amos  Ordeway 

4 

John  Cutting 

50 

Dn  Sam11  Parris 

32 

Elisha  Cutting 

58 

L'  Isaac  Rice 

54 

Jona  Cutting 

20 

Isaac  Rice 

25 

Sam11  Curtis 

20 

Dan11  Rice 

17 

Tho8  Damon  Jur 

57 

Israel  Rice  Jur 

26 

Wm  Damon 

25 

Jonas  Rice 

9 

Isaac  Damon 

12 

Edmund  Rice 

42 

BenjD  Dudley  Jur 

6 

L'  Sam11  Russell 

32 

Cor'  Joseph  Dudley 

50 

Capt.  Thad9  Russell 

20 

Ebenr  Dudley 

29 

Capt  Robert  Cutting 

55 

Wm  Dudley 

56 

Jacob  Reeves 

46 

Ebenr  Johnson 

50 

L'  Natha  Reeves 

20 

Peter  Johnson 

2-1 

Joseph  Smith  Capt. 

76 

John  Loker 

45 

L'  Ephraim  Smith 

22 

Jonas  Loker  adr 

5 

Isaac  Stone 

50 

Cap'  Isaac  Loker 

76 

David  Stone 

50 

John  Meriam 

26 

Joel  Stone 

16 

Capt.  Caleb  Moulton 

34 

John  Tilton 

32 

Capt  Micah  Maynard  adr 

50 

John  Tilton  Jur 

60 

Amos  Ordeway 

4 

Timoy  Underwood  adr 

55 

Dr  Sam"  Peris 

32 

Timoy  Underwood 

21 

Lt  Isaac  Rice 

54 

Jona  Westson 

20 

Isaac  Rice 

25 

Isaac  Williams 

20 

Dan11  Rice 

17 

L'  John  Whitney 

88 

Israel  Rice  Jur 

26 

Ebenr  Eaton 

52 

Micah  Rice 

4 

Will™  Grout 

35 

Isaac  Smith 

56 

Francis  Jones 

64 

Cap'  Tho8  Damon 

20 

Cap1  Jesse  Ernes 

5 

John  Barney 

4 

The  foregoing  lists  indicate  a  patriotic  zeal  highly  com- 
mendable to  the  citizens  of  Sudbury.  The  town  had  a 
population  of  twenty-one  hundred  and  sixty  with  about  five 
hundred  ratable  polls  ;  and  it  is  supposed  that,  during  the 
war,  from  four  to  five  hundred  men  had  some  service  either 
in    camp   or  field.     Of  these    soldiers,  one   was   brigadier- 


408  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

general,  three  were  colonels,  two  were  majors,  two  were  adju- 
tants, two  were  surgeons,  twenty-four  were  captains  and 
twenty-nine  were  lieutenants.  We  hear  of  Sudbury  men 
from  Concord  to  Bunker  Hill,  and  from  there  to  the  High- 
lands of  the  Hudson.  Where  Washington  went  they  fol- 
lowed. They  stood,  near  Stark  in  that  post  of  danger  by  the 
bank  of  the  Mystic.  They  were  ordered  to  strike  the  front 
of  Burgoyne  at  the  north,  and  they  endured,  the  rigors  of  a 
Canadian  winter  in  the  attempt  to  gain  Canada  for  the  Con- 
tinental cause.  It  matters  not  where  they  were  found,  they 
were  true  to  their  commander  and  loyal  to  every  trust.  The 
officers  were  the  friends  of  the  great  leaders  of  the  American 
army,  and  the  record  of  the  achievements  of  the  sons  of 
Sudbury,  in  the  old  French  and  Indian  War  period,  was  not 
broken  when  they  met  in  open  field  the  discipline  and  expe- 
rience of  the  veteran  troops  of  the  British  throne.  Wherever 
an  English  front  was  deployed,  Sudbury  soldiers,  if  ordered, 
never  flinched  from  meeting  it.  They  went  into  the  field  to 
stay,  or,  if  they  returned,  to  rally  if  again  called,  to  the 
conflict.  The  summons  to  town-meeting  at  home  was  but 
;is  the  long  roll  of  the  civilian  which  called  him  to  devise 
means  for  filling  and  equipping  the  quota  of  troops  or 
to  assist  the  families  of  men  at  the  front.  Ticonderoga, 
Saratoga,  Stillwater  and  White  Plains  were  familiar  names 
in  old  Sudbury.  The  battle-fields  of  the  Revolution  were 
not  alone  heard  of  by  the  children  in  the  little  red  school- 
houses  on  the  town's  common  land,  but  they  heard  them 
talked  of  in  the  household  by  those  who  had  been  upon  them 
in  the  measured  march  or  counter-march,  the  advance, 
retreat,  or  pursuit,  until  they  were  as  well  known  as  the 
broad  acres  on  their  own  peaceful  farms.  The  old  king's  or 
queen's  arm  in  the  corner  had  its  history.  The  bullet-pouch 
had  been  emptied  time  after  time  into  the  ranks  of  the  foe, 
and  the  cocked  hat  that  long  hung  by  the  fireside  was  be- 
grimed, not  by  the  smoke  from  the  hearth,  but  by  the  dust 
and  smoke  of  battle.  That  the  soldiers  were  in  places  of 
peril  is  indicated  by  the  following  record  of  casualties, 
though  probably  but  a  part  of  them  are  here  recorded. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  409 

CASUALTIES   TO   SUDBURY   SOLDIERS. 
KILLED. 

Deacon  Josiah  Haynes,  Aged  80,  April  19th  1775 

Asahel  Read  April  19th  1775 

Joshua  Haynes  Jr,  of  Capt  Aaron  Haynes'  Company,  June  th  1775,  at 

Bunker  Hill. 
Sergeant  Thadeus  Moore,  1777,  at  Saratoga 
Benjamin  Whitney,  —  By  accident  — 

WOUNDED. 

Gen,  John  Nixon  at  Bunker  Hill        Cornelius  Wood 

Nathan  Maynard  :  :  Nahum  Haynes 

Capt,  David  Moore  Lieut,  Joshua  Clapp,  wounded  at 

Joshua  Haynes  Saratoga 

Benjamin  Barry,  lost  an  arm  in  Canada  Expedition,  1770 

DIED   OF    SICKNESS. 

Sergeant  Major  Jesse  Moore  Sergeant  Samuel  Maynard,  of  the 

Sergeant  Hopestill  Brown  small    pox,    at    Ouebeck    with 

Sergeant  Elijah  Willis  Arnold,  1770 

AT   TICONDEROGA. 

Ensign  Timothy  Underwood  Oliver  Sanderson 

Daniel  Underwood  James  Puffer 

Phinehas  Gleason  Stephen    Puffer,   of    Capt   Daniel 

Solomon  Rice  Bowker's  Co  ,  Col  Webb's  Reg' 

Timothy  Rice  died  Oct  3d 

Josiah  Cutter 

TAKEN  PRISONER  AND  NEVER  HEARD  OF. 

Thadeus  Harrington  Thomas  Dalrimple 

Thomas  Moore  Daniel  Haynes. 

LOST    PRIVATEERING. 

Isaac  Moore  Silas  Goodenow 

Lemuel  Goodenow  Peletiah  Parmenter 

PERSONS  WHO    MET  WITH    CASUALTIES   THE   NATURE   OF    WHICH    IS    NOT 

SPECIFIED. 

John  Brewer  James  Demander 

John  Bemis  Timothy  Mossman. 

"  Green  be  the  graves  where  her  martyrs  are  lying  ; 
Shroudless  and  tombless  they  sank  to  their  rest; 
While  o'er  their  ashes  the  starry  fold  flying 
Wraps  the  proud  eagle  they  roused  from  his  nest." 

Ill  closing  this  account  of  Sudbury's  military  service  we 
will  q-ive  some  facts  in  the  life  of  General  Nixon. 


410  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 


SKETCH   OF   GENERAL   NIXON. 

Gen.  John  Nixon  was  a  son  of  Christopher  Nixon  who 
went  to  Framingham  about  1724,  where  seven  children  were 
born  of  whom  John  was  the  oldest.  At  an  early  age,  being 
but  a  mere  boy,  he  entered  the  army,  and  at  the  instigation 
of  older  persons  he  left  unlawfully,  but  clemency  was  shown 
him  and  he  was  allowed  to  return  to  the  ranks.  His  subse- 
quent career  proved  him  to  be  a  true  soldier. 

In  1745,  when  he  was  but  twenty  years  old,  he  was  in  the 
Pepperell  Expedition  to  Louisburg,  and  lieutenant  in  Cap- 
tain Newell's  company  at  Crown  Point  in  1755.  Later  in 
the  war  he  served  as  captain.  At  one  time,  when  operating 
against  the  French  forces,  he  was  led  into  an  ambuscade  and 
only  forced  his  way  out  with  the  loss  of  most  of  his  men. 
As  before  noticed,  at  the  beginning  of  the  Revolutionary 
War  he  served  as  captain  of  a  company  of  minute  men. 
April  24,  1775,  he  received  the  commission  of  colonel.  He 
fought  and  was  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Banker  Hill.  He 
went  with  the  army  under  Washington  to  New  York,  and 
was  promoted,  August  9,  to  brigadier-general.  His  promo- 
tion to  the  rank  of  general  of  brigade  Was  on  recommenda- 
tion  of  Washington,  who  stated  to  Congress  that  Nixon's 
military  talents  and  bravery  entitled  him  to  promotion.  In 
his  new  position  he  had,  for  a  time,  command  of  two  regi- 
ments and  a  force  of  artillery  at  Governor's  Island,  New 
York  Harbor.  August  27,  he  left  there,  and  subsequently 
operated  with  the  army  in  the  northern  campaign  in  New 
York  State  against  Burgoyne.  When  it  was  decided  to 
advance  against  the  latter,  General  Gates  ordered  Nixon  and 
two  other  commanders  to  make  the  attack.  A  cannon  ball 
passed  so  near  his  head  that  the  sight  and  hearing  on  one 
side  were  impaired.  After  the  surrender  of  Burgoyne, 
General  Nixon  and  some  others  were  detailed  to  escort  the 
prisoners  to  Cambridge.  About  that  time  he  had  a  furlough 
of  several  months,  in  which  time  he  married  his  second  wife. 
General  Nixon  was  on  the  court-martial  —  with  Generals 
Clinton,  Wayne  and  Muhlenburg,  and  of  which  Gen.  Ben- 
jamin   Lincoln   was    president  —  for  the   trial   of    General 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  411 

Schuyler  for  the  neglect  of  duty  in  the  campaign  of  1777,  by 
which  Ticonderoga  was  surrendered.  The  trial  was  at  the 
request  of  General  Schuyler,  and  by  it  he  was  fully  acquitted 
with  the  highest  honors.  In  1777,  General  Nixon's  brigade 
had  head-quarters  for  a  time  at  Peekskill,  N.  Y.,  and  for  a 
time  in  1777,  at  Albany.  On  Sept.  12,  1780,  he  closed  his 
military  career  by  resigning  his  commission  as  general,  and 
retired  to  private  life.  He  married  for  his  first  wife  Thank- 
ful Berry,  Feb.  7,  1754 ;  and  for  his  second,  Hannah  Gleason 
in  1778,  the  widow  of  Capt.  Micajah  Gleason  who  was  killed 
at  the  battle  of  White  Plains,  N.  Y.,  in  1776.  He  had  nine 
children,  of  whom  five  were  daughters.  One  of  them, 
Sarah,  married  Abel  Cutler,  the  father  of  the  late  C.  G. 
Cutler,  Esq.,  of  Sudbuiy. 

About  1806,  he  went  to  Middlebury,  Vt.  At  the  time  of 
the  battle  of  Lake  Cham  plain  he  was  living  with  a  daughter 
at  Burlington  ;  and,  on  hearing  the  sound  of  the  cannon  on 
the  lake,  he  wanted  a  horse  brought  that  he  might  go  and 
witness  the  fight.  General  Nixon  died  at  Middlebury,  1815, 
at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety.  When  he  was  thirty  years 
old  he  bought  a  tract  of  thirty-two  acres  of  land  of  Josiah 
Browne  on  the  northern  side  of  Nobscot  Hill,  where  he  was 
living  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  Revolutionary  War.  After 
he  retired  from  the  army,  he  lived  for  a  time  at  Framingham 
and  kept  tavern  at  Rice's  End.  He  afterwards  returned  to 
Sudbuiy,  and  was  admitted  to  the  church  there  May  22, 1803. 

Although  Mr.  Nixon  was  pre-eminently  a  military  man 
by  nature  and  experience,  and  had  known  much  of  the  hard 
fare  and  the  rough  companionship  of  the  army,  yet  he  was 
a  man  of  affable  address  and  quiet  demeanor.  He  was  of 
light  complexion,  medium  size  and  cheerful  disposition.  He 
was  a  decided  man  and  a  great  lover  of  children.  One  of 
his  grandsons  informed  the  writer  that  the  old  man  used  to 
take  his  grandchildren  on  his  knee  and  sing  war  songs  to 
them  ;  one  that  he  remembered  was  as  follows :  — 

"  Oh,  why,  soldiers,  why,  should  we  be  melancholy,  boys  ?  whose  busi- 
ness 'tis  to  die. 
Through  cold,  hot  and  dry  we  are  always  bound  to  follow,  boys,  and 
scorn  to  fly." 


412  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

C.  G.  Cutler,  the  grandson  referred  to,  was  about  ninety 
years  old  when  he  repeated  the  verse.  None  of  General 
Nixon's  family,  who  bear  the  name,  are  now  living  in  Sud- 
bury. The  site  of  his  dwelling-place  is  still  pointed  out  not 
far  from  the  run  or  spring  land  on  the  northerly  slope  of 
Nobscot,  but  even  the  last  faint  trace  of  his  former  dwelling- 
place  time  is  fast  wearing  away,  and  soon  nothing  but  the 
record  will  tell  of  this  illustrious  citizen  and  soldier  of 
Sudbury. 

In  considering  the  military  service  of  the  town  in  the 
Revolutionary  War,  we  have  only  considered  a  part  of  her 
history.  During  that  time  important  civil  transactions  were 
taking  place  also.  There  were  deprivations  to  be  endured 
by  those  at  home  :  the  country  was  burdened  with  debt,  the 
currency  was  in  a  very  uncertain  stale,  and,  because  of  its 
depreciated  condition,  there  was  more  or  less  confusion  in 
commercial  affairs.  There  was  as  much  need  of  sagacity  on 
the  part  of  the  civilian  in  council,  as  of  military  men  in  the 
field,  to  direct  the  affairs  of  State  and  town.  The  town- 
meetings  of  those  da}Ts  were  very  important  occasions,  and, 
unless  the  people  met  emergencies  there  in  a  prompt  and 
efficient  manner,  the  fighting  element  in  the  field  could 
accomplish  but  little.  In  this  respect  the  people  of  Sudbury 
were  not  deficient.  We  have  heard  of  no  instance  where  a 
Tory  spirit  was  manifest  nor  where  a  patriotic  purpose  was 
wanting.  During;  the  war,  a  larije  share  of  the  town  war- 
rants  set  forth  the  needs  of  the  county  or  town  which  were 
caused  by  the  war ;  and  the  town-meeting  that  followed  was 
about  sure  to  result  in  a  generous  response  to  the  demand. 
As  the  history  of  the  Avar  period  will  not  be  complete  with- 
out presenting  some  of  these  acts  we  will  give  a  few  of  them 
here. 

ENCOURAGEMENTS    TO   ENLISTMENT. 

We  may  well  presume  from  the  spirit  manifested  by  the 
minute  companies,  more  or  less  of  whose  members  enlisted 
for  a  longer  or  shorter  term,  that  patriotism  was  a  prominent 
motive  for  entering  the  service.  But  the  war  was  protracted, 
and  a  large  share  of  the  soldiers  had  families  dependent  upon 
them,  and,  hence,  for  the  late  enlistments  extra  inducements 


RESIDENCE    OF   SAMUEL   B.    ROGERS,   So.   Sudbury. 
Sketch   of    Family    History.     Page  450. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  413 

were  to  be  expected.  To  narrate  all  that  was  done  at  each 
successive  town-meeting  would  be  needless ;  we  will,  there- 
fore, give  only  a  few  specimens  which  will  serve  to  show  the 
spirit  of  the  people. 

In  1777,  twenty  pounds  were  voted  to  each  man  who 
would  enlist ;  also  the  town  chose  a  committee  to  provide  for 
soldiers'  families. 

In  1778,  voted  some  three  hundred  and  seventy  pounds 
for  clothing  for  the  soldiers  ;  also  the  town  committee  were 
instructed  to  hire  men  for  the  army  for  seventy-four  pounds 
each  "if  they  could  if  not,  to  give  more."  The  same  year 
"  voted  to  give  50  pounds  to  each  man  who  would  enlist  as 
a  part  of  the  town  quota  for  9  months." 

The  same  year  a  committee  was  appointed  "  to  hire  12 
men  to  go  to  the  North  River  for  8  months  or  such  time  as 
they  will  agree  for." 

The  same  year  "  14  men  were  hired  for  the  service  of 
Providence." 

On  May  17,  1779,  voted  to  "  hire  the  men  to  be  detatched 
from  the  militia  of  this  town  to  march  to  Tiverton,  R.  I., 
and  granted  1300  pounds  to  hire  the  men  with  and  200 
pounds  to  provide  things  for  their  families." 

In  1779,  a  committee  was  chosen  "  to  hire  men  for  the 
public  service  in  behalf  of  the  town  whenever  there  may  be 
a  call  on  the  militia  for  service." 

At  the  same  date,  four  hundred  and  twenty  pounds  were 
granted  "  to  hire  five  soldiers  with  for  service  of  Tiverton 
R.  I." 

The  same  date,  thirty-nine  hundred  pounds  were  granted 
to  hire  thirteen  soldiers  for  nine  months'  service. 

In  1781,  voted  that  the  committee  should  attend  to  "hiring 
the  town  quota  for  three  years  without  loss  of  time  and  if  the 
men  cannot  be  obtained  in  town  then  they  are  to  apply  else- 
where," fifteen  pounds  in  specie  was  granted  for  the  purpose. 

As  an  inducement  to  enlistment  the  town  sometimes 
offered  live  stock.     The  following  is  a  specimen :  — 

"  We  being  a  Committee  appointed  by  the  Town  of  Sud- 
bury to  hire  the  Town  Quota  of  men   for   three   years  or 


414  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

During  the  war  agreable  to  a  Resolve  of  Court  Dec  2,  1780 
do  agree  with  John  Ruck,  Naynam  Haynes,  Zechrus  Robi- 
son  and  Oliver  Robison  who  has  enlisted  themselves  into  the 
Sarvis  agreable  to  Law,  Resolve  to  give  each  of  them 
Eighteen  this  Spring  Calves,  Said  Calves  to  be  kept  for  and 
Delivered  to  the  above  Parsons  when  they  are  Regularly 
Discharged  from  the  Said  Sarvis,  also  Three  Thousing  Dol- 
lars old  Currency  to  be  paid  Each  when  they  are  properly 
mustered. 

"  Asahel  Wheeler  \ 

"  Aaron  Haynes      >  Committee." 

uJona  Rice  ) 

We  give  below  a  copy  of  a  soldier's  Enlistment  Paper. 

We  the  subscribers  do  hereby  severally  inlist  Ourselves  into  the 
Service  of  the  United  Colonies  of  America  to  serve  until  the  first  day 
of  April  next,  if  the  service  shall  require  it ;  and  each  of  us  do  engage 
to  furnish  and  carry  with  us  into  the  Service  a  good  effective  Firearm 
and  Blanket  also  a  good  Bayonet  and  Cartridge  Pouch  if  possible.  And 
we  severally  consent  to  be  formed  by  such  Persons  as  the  General 
Court  shall  appoint  into  a  Company  of  Ninety  men  including  one 
Captain  Two  Lieutenants  one  Ensign  four  Sergeants,  four  Corporals 
one  Drummer  and  one  Fifer,  to  be  elected  by  the  Companies,  and  when 
formed  we  engage  to  march  to  Headquarters  of  the  American  Army 
with  the  utmost  Expedition  and  to  be  under  the  command  of  such  Field 
Officer  or  Officers  as  the  Gen.  Court  shall  appoint.  And  we  farther 
agree  during  the  Time  aforesaid  to  be  subject  to  such  Generals  as  are 
or  shall  be  appointed  ;  and  to  be  under  such  Regulations  in  every 
Respect  as  are  provided  for  the  Army  aforesaid.     Dated  this  Day  of 

A.  D.  1776. 

Jesse  Jones  Zebediah  Farrar. 

John  Peter  Richard  Heard 

Sarson  Belcher  Joseph  Smith 

Timothy  Underwood  John  Merriam. 

Josia  Farrar  Abraham  Parmenter 

Ephraim  Smith  Benjamin  Dudley 

Phinehas  Glezen  Israel  Jones 
Uriah  Moore. 

Besides  the  furnishing  of  men  and  equipments  various 
other  services  were  from  time  to  time  required  of  the  town. 
At  one  time  the  towns  were  assessed  for  hay  for  the  army  at 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  415 

Cambridge,  and  Sudbury  was  required  to  furnish  nine  tons ; 
only  three  other  towns  were  required  to  furnish  as  much. 
At  another  time  they  were  called  on  to  provide  men  and 
teams  to  convey  gunpowder  to  Springfield. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

1775-1800. 


Attention  the  Town  Bestowed  on  its  Home  Needs  during  the  War. — 
Specimen  Report  of  a  Town-Meeting.  —  Attitude  of  the  Town 
towards  the  Measures  of  Boston  Merchants  relative  to  the  Reduc- 
tion of  Prices.  —  Appointment  of  Delegate  to  a  Convention  Called 
for  the  Purpose  of  Framing  a  New  Constitution.  —  Committee 
Appointed  to  Regulate  Prices. —  Report  of  Committee.  —  Vote  on 
the  New  Constitution.  —  Educational  Matters.  —  Division  of  the 
Town.  —  Committee  on  a  Line  of  Division.  —  Committee  Appointed 
to  Present  a  Remonstrance  to  the  Court.  —  Instructions  to  the  Com- 
mittee.—  Act  of  the  Court  Authorizing  a  Division.  —  Committee 
Appointed  to  Make  a  Division  of  the  Money  and  Real  Estate. — 
Report  of  the  Committee.  —  Appointment  of  Other  Committees. — 
Financial  Report. —  Official  Boards  for  1780  and  1781. —  Miscellaneous. 
—  Shay's  Rebellion.  —  Erection  of  Meeting-House.  —  Miscellaneous. 

The  roll  of  drums  and  the  bugle's  wailing 

Vex  the  air  of  our  vales  no  more  ; 
The  spear  is  beaten  to  hooks  of  pruning, 

The  share  is  the  sword  the  soldiers  wore. 

Whittier. 

The  following  specimen  of  work  done  at  a  fall  town- 
meeting  in  the  very  midst  of  the  war  shows  that  home  needs 
were  not  neglected  while  military  matters  were  absorbing  so 
much  attention.  Nov.  8,  1779,  the  town  granted  money  as 
follows,  namely :  — 

To  pay  the  several  town  Debts  .£1457  :  0  :  0 

To  pay  the  Revd  Ministers  their  Salary  148  :  0  :  0 


416  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

Gratuity  to  the  Revd  Ministers  ,£2000  :  0  :  0 

for  the  Grammar  School  1000  :  0  :  0 

for  a  Reading  and  Writing  School  2000  :  0  :  0 

for  the  support  of  the  Poor  2000  :  0  :  0 

to  pay  the  Assessors  200  :  0  :  0 

to  pay  the  town  Treasrer  40  :  0  :  0 

to  the  Towns   Comt,ee  for  money  paid  to  the   Last  Six 

months  men  to  the  State  of  New  York  500  :  0  :  0 

to  the  Selectmen  the  money  paid  to  sd  men  by  order  of 

the  General  Court  500  :  0  :  0 

to  pay  the  money  that  has  been  paid  to  the  six  months 

men  to  Rhode  Island  180  :  0  :  0 

to  provide  for  the  Continental  families  800  :  0  :  0 

At  the  same  town  meeting  adjourned  to  Dec.  G"1  1779  the  town 
granted  six  hundred  pounds  to  enable  a  committee  chosen  at  said 
meeting  to  oppose  a  Division  of  the  town  and  to  carry  on  said  affair. 

James  Thompson,  Town  Clerk. 

At  a  town  meeting  held  July  12,  1779,  it  was 

Voted  that  this  town  highly  approves  of  the  measures  taken  by  the 
merchants  and  other  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  of  Boston  in  order  to 
reduce  the  exorbitant  prices  of  the  necessaries  of  life.  Consequently 
to  appreciate  our  Currency  that  the  town  will  adopt  such  reasonable 
measures  as  may  be  agreed  upon  by  the  joint  Committees  from  the 
several  towns  in  this  state.  It  also  voted  to  send  Major  Joseph  Curtis 
to  represent  them  in  the  convention  to  meet  in  Cambridge  for  the 
purpose  of  framing  a  new  constitution  or  form  of  government,  and 
instructed  him  to  cause  a  printed  copy  of  the  form  of  a  constitution 
that  might  be  agreed  upon  to  be  transmitted  to  the  Select  Men  of  the 
town. 

Aug  9th.  The  town  voted  to  appoint  seven  persons  to  state  the 
prices  of  Innholders'  labour,  Theaming,  manufactures  and  all  other 
articles  not  taken  up  by  the  convention  at  Concord. 

Aug.  lGth.  The  town  having  met  according  to  adjournment,  the 
Committee  appointed  to  state  the  prices  of  all  such  articles  as  were  not 
taken  up  by  the  Convention  at  Concord  reported  as  follows 

West  India  Rum  by  the  gallon  £6.  9 

New  England  Rum  by  the  gallon  4.15 

Coffe  by  the  pound  4.15 

Sugar  by  the  pound  from  11  to  14.  Chocolate  by  the  pound  24. 
Bohe  Tea  by  the  pound  5  :  16.  Cotton  wool  by  the  pound  ?>7  :  0. 
German  Steel  30  D°    Salt  best  quality  by  the  Bushel  £10  :  10 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  417 

Country  Produce  —  Indian  Corn  by  the  Bushel  80,  Rye  by  the 
Bushel,  £o  :  10  Wheat  by  the  Bushel  £8  :  10  Beaf  by  the  pound  5 
Muton,  Lamb  and  Veal  by  the  pound  3  :  6  Foreign  Beaf  and  Pork  as 
sett  by  the  convention.  Butter  by  the  pound  11  Chese  D°  6  Milk  by 
the  quart  10     English  Hay  qr  hundred  30 

Men's  shoes  6,bs,  women's  shoes  411'3,  cotton  cloth  4  :  0, 
Labor.  — teaming  under  30  miles  IS,  carpenter  work  by  the  day  60, 
Mason  per  day  60,  Maids  wages  per  week  5  Dollars.  Oxen  per  day 
24,  Horse  Hire  3  per  mile.  Inn  Holder  a  good  dinner  20,  common 
dinner  12.  Best  supper  and  Breakfast  15,  each  common  Do.  12, 
Lodgings  4.  Horse  keeping  24  hours  on  hay  15,  on  grass  10,  a  yoke  of 
oxen  a  night  15. 

The  grade  of  prices  thus  established  was  made  in  accord- 
ance with  a  resolve  of  a  convention  that  met  at  Concord, 
and  the  list  of  prices  made  was  in  depreciated  currency  that 
was  in  ratio  of  about  twenty  shillings  paper  to  one  shilling 
in  silver.  "  If  any  one  should  persist  in  refusing  to  accept 
these  prices,  their  names  should  be  published  in  the  public 
News  Paper  and  the  good  people  of  the  town  should  with- 
hold all  trade  and  intercourse  from  them." 

On  May  17,  1779,  a  vote  was  taken  to  see  how  many 
favored  the  formation  of  a  new  constitution  or  form  of 
government.  Fifty -nine  voted  in  the  affirmative  and  ten 
in  the  negative.  The  representative  was  instructed  to 
vote  for  calling  a  State  convention  to  form  the  new  con- 
stitution. 

At  a  meeting  held  May  22,  1780,  "  The  Constitution 
being  read,  the  town  voted  that  they  think  it  reasonable 
that  each  town  in  the  State  should  pay  their  own  proper 
representatives  both  their  travel  to  and  attendance  at  the 
General  Court,  and  desire  that  clause  providing  for  their 
pa}'  for  travel  out  of  the  public  treasury  should  be  altred, 
41  voting  for  this  alteration  and  8  against  it.  They  desire 
that  the  word  Protestant  may  be  inserted  in  the  room  of,  or 
added  to  the  word  Christian  Religion,  in  qualifications  of  the 
Govenor  and  all  other  officers  both  civil  and  military,  30  for 
and  19  against  it. 

"  They  also  desire  that  the  time  for  revising  the  Constitu- 
tion may  not  exceed  seven  -years,  55  voting  for  this  altera- 
tion, one  against  it." 


418  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

EDUCATIONAL   MATTERS. 

Prominent  among  the  records  relating  to  educational 
matters  in  the  early  part  of  the  period  was  the  following : 
1773.  "To  Daniel  Bowker  for  building  N.  W.  School  House 
18  pounds,  to  the  same  for  building  Lanham  School  House 
23-6-8.  To  Ambrose  Tower  for  building  school  house  near 
west  meeting  house  17-7-4.  To  Wm  Dudley  to  building 
the  Farm  end  school  house  26-13-4."  In  1774,  a  vote  was 
taken  to  see  "  if  the  town  will  order  that  the  several  school 
houses  in  said  town  shall  be  supplied  with  wood  for  the 
future  at  the  charge  of  the  town."  It  "  passed  in  the  nega- 
tive." It  may  be  that  it  had  been  customary  for  the  citizens 
of  each  district  to  contribute  wood  for  the  school-houses 
and  that  this  was  an  early  movement  made  to  have  it  sup- 
plied by  the  town.  That  the  school-houses  were  warmed  in 
those  times  is  evident.  The  following  year  the  town  granted 
eight  pounds  for  supplying  the  several  school-houses  with 
wood  for  the  year,  and  repeatedly  after  this  were  sums 
granted  for  this  purpose.  That  the  school-houses  at  that 
time  were  warmed  by  means  of  a  fire-place  is  indicated  by 
the  following  record  of  1782 :  "  To  Jacob  Reed  for  mending 
hearth  at  Lanham  school  house."  In  1778,  the  town  voted 
to  build  a  new  school-house  near  Mr.  Phineas  Puffers.  In 
1779,  it  was  voted  to  build  a  new  school-house  in  the  north- 
west corner  of  the  town,  appropriating  the  two  old  school- 
houses  for  the  building  of  the  new. 

DIVISION  OF   THE   TOWN. 

A  prominent  event  of  this  period  was  the  division  of  the 
town.  The  proposition  came  before  the  town  by  petition 
of  John  Tilton  and  others  June  25,  1778,  in  the  East 
meeting-house.  "  The  question  was  put  whether  it  was  the 
minds  of  the  Town,  that  the  Town  of  Sudbury  should  be 
divided  into  two  towns,  and  it  was  passed  in  the  affirmative. 
And  appointed  the  following  gentlemen  to  agree  on  a  Divi- 
sion Line  and  Report  at  the  Adjournment  of  this  meeting 
viz  Col  Ezekiel  How  Cap1  Richard  Heard  Mr  Nathan  Loring 
Mr    Phinehas    Glezen    Mr    John    Maynard    and    Mr   John 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  419 

Meriara."      The   committee   reported    that   they   were   not 
agreed  as  to  the  line  of  division. 

At  a  meeting  held  Jan.  1,  1779,  the  town  appointed 
Major  Joseph  Curtis,  Thomas  Plympton,  Esq.,  Mr.  John 
Balcom,  Capt.  Richard  Heard  and  Capt.  Jonathan  Rice  to 
agree  on  a  line  of  division.  At  the  same  meeting  measures 
were  taken  to  petition  the  General  Court.  Strong  opposi- 
tion at  once  manifested  itself,  and  the  town  was  warned  to 
meet  at  the  West  meeting-house  December  6, — 

"  1st  To  choose  a  moderator 

"  2d  To  see  if  the  town  will  choose  a  Committee  to  act  in 
behalf  of  this  Town  at  the  Great  and  General  Court  of  this 
State  to  Oppose  a  Division  of  sd  Town  and  give  the  Comtee  So 
chosen  Such  Instruction  Relating  to  said  affair  as  the  Town 
may  think  proper  and  grant  a  Sum  of  Mone}^  to  Enable  said 
Comtee  to  Carry  on  Said  Business  " 

The  meeting  resulted  as  follows  :  — 

"  1st  Chose  Asahel  Wheeler  moderator 

"  2d  Chose  Col  Ezekiel  Howe  Mr  Wm  Rice  Jur  and  Thomas 
Plympton  Esq  a  committee  for  the  Purpose  contained  in  this 
article  and  granted  the  sum  of  three  hundred  Pounds  to 
Enable  their  Comtee  to  Carry  on  said  affair  then  adjourned 
this  meeting  to  tomorrow  at  three  oclock  at  the  same  place. 

"  Tuesday  Decemr  7th  The  Town  met  according  to 
adjournment  proceeded  and  gave  their  Comtee  Chosen  to 
oppose  a  division  of  this  Town  &c  the  following  Instruc- 
tions viz. 

"  To  Col0  Ezekiel  Howe,  Thos  Plympton  Esq  and  Mr  Rice 
Jur  you  being  chosen  a  Comtee  by  the  Town  of  Sudbury  to 
oppose  a  division  of  sd  Town  as  Lately  Reported  by  a 
Comtee  of  the  Honle  General  Court  of  this  State 

"  You  are  hereby  authorized  and  Instructed  to  preferr  a 
Petition  or  memorial  to  the  General  Court  in  behalf  of  Said 
Town.  Praying  that  the  Bill  for  Dividing  Sd  Town  May  be 
set  a  fire  or  altred  setting  forth  the  Great  Disadvantages  the 
Westerly  part  of  the  Town  will  Labour  under  by  a  Division 
of  said  Town  as  reported  by  sd  Comtee  viz  :  as  said  report 
deprives  them  of  all  the  gravel  and  obliges  them  to  maintain 


420  HISTORY   OF  SUDBURY. 

the  one  half  of  the  Great  Causeways  on  the  Easterly  part 
of  said  Town  notwithstanding  the  necessaiy  repairs  of  the 
Highways  on  the  westerly  part  of  said  Town  are  nearly 
double  to  that  on  the  East. 

"  Said  Report  also  deprives  them  of  the  Pound,  it  also 
deprives  them  of  a  Training  field  though  Given  by  the  Pro- 
prietors of  Said  Town  to  the  Westerly  side  for  a  Training 
field  for  Ever 

"  And  further  as  there  is  no  provision  made  in  said  report 
for  the  Support  of  the  Poor  in  Said  Town  which  will  be  a 
verry  heavy  burthen  to  the  West  side  of  the  Town  as  the 
report  now  stands.  Also  at  said  adjournment  the  Town 
Granted  the  sum  of  three  Hundred  pounds,  in  addition  to 
the  other  Grant  of  three  hundred  Pounds  to  Enable  their 
Comtee  to  carry  on  said  Petition 

;'  Then  the  town  by  their  vote  dissolved  this  meeting  " 

But,  notwithstanding  the  vigorous  protest  made  by  promi- 
nent citizens,  their  arguments  did  not  prevail  with  the 
Court,  and  an  article  was  passed,  April  10,  1780,  which 
authorized  a  division  of  the  town.  A  committee  was  ap- 
pointed by  the  town  to  consider  a  plan  for  the  division  of 
property  and  an  equitable  adjustment  of  the  obligations 
of  the  East  and  West  parts  of  the  town.  At  an  adjourned 
meeting,  held  March  14,  the  committee  rendered  the  follow- 
ing report  which  was  accepted  and  agreed  upon. 

"  We  the  Subscribers  being  appointed  a  committee  to  Join 
a  Comtee  from  East  Sudbury  to  make  a  Division  of  the 
Money  and  Estate  belonging  to  the  Town  of  Sudbury  and 
East  Sudbury  agreeable  to  an  Act  of  the  General  Court 
Passed  the  10th  of  April  1780,  for  Dividing  the  Town  of 
Sudbury,  proceded  and  agreed  as  folio weth  viz  :  that  all  the 
Money  Due  on  the  Bonds  and  Notes  being  the  Donation  of 
Mary  Doan  to  the  East  Side  of  the  River  be  Disposed  of  to 
East  Sudbury  according  to  the  will  of  the  Donor.  And 
the  money  Due  on  Bonds  and  Notes  given  by  Mr.  Peter 
Noyes  and  Capt  Joshua  Haynes  for  the  Benefit  of  the  Poor 
and   Schooling   be  Equally  Divided   between    Each  of  the 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  421 

Sd  Towns,  which  Sum  is  423  :  3  :  4  That  all  the  Money 
Dae  on  Bonds  and  Notes  for  the  New  Grant  Lands,  or 
Money  Now  in  the  Treasury  or  in  Constables'  hands  be 
Equally  Divided  between  Each  of  Said  Towns  which  Sums 
are  as  follows  viz  : 

"  Due  on  New  Grant  Bonds  and  Notes        133  :  14  :  7 
"  Due  from  Constable  3110  :  10  :  7 

"  Due  from  the  Town  Treasurer  348  :    6:5 

"  And  that  all  Land  that  belonged  to  the  Town  of  Sud- 
bury or  for  the  benefit  of  the  Poor  shall  be  Divided  agree- 
able to  the  Act  of  the  General  Court  for  Dividing  Said 
Town.  And  that  the  Pound  and  Old  Bell  and  the  Town 
Standard  of  Weights  and  Measures  which  belonged  to  the 
Town  of  Sudbury  be  Sold  at  publick  vandue  and  the  pro- 
ceeds to  be  Equally  divided  between  the  towns  of  Sudbury 
and  East  Sudbury. 

"  Also  that  the  Town  Stock  of  Arms  and  Amanition  be 
Divided  as  set  forth  in  the  Act  of  the  General  Court  for 
Dividing  the  Town  of  Sudbury.  And  if  any  thing  shall  be 
made  to  appear  to  be  Estate  or  property  that  Should  belong 
to  the  town  of  Sudbury  before  the  Division  of  the  above 
articles  it  Shall  be  Equally  Divided  between  the  Town  of 
Sudbury  and  the  Town  of  East  Sudbury.  And  that  the 
Town  of  East  Sudbury  shall  Support  and  Maintain  as  their 
Poor  During  their  Life  the  Widow  Vickry  and  Abigail 
Isgate,  And  all  Such  Persons  as  have  Gained  a  Residence  in 
the  Town  of  Sudbury  before  the  division  of  Sd  Town  and 
shall  hereafter  be  brought  to  the  Town  of  Sudbury  or  the 
Town  of  East  Sudbury  as  their  Poor  Shall  be  Supported  by 
that  Town  in  which  they  Gained  their  Inhabitance.  Also 
that  the  Debts  Due  from  Said  Town  of  Sudbury  Shall  be 
paid  the  one  half  by  the  Town  of  Sudbury  and  the  other 
half  by  the  Town  of  East  Sudbury  which  Sum  is  2977  :  7  :  1 

"  Asher  Cutler     Asahel  Wheeler  \ 

"  Thos  Walker      Isaac  Maynard     V  Committee  " 

"  James  Thomson  ) 

Other  committees  concerning  the  matter  of  division  were 
appointed  the  same  year.     The  assessors  were  to  make  a 


.£1487. 

9. 

10 

1661. 

19. 

o 

142  lbs 

.394  lbs 

4 

£1188. 

10. 

0 

391, 

,15. 

0 

27. 

0. 

0 

20. 

8. 

0 

422  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

division  with  East  Sudbury  of  the  men  required  of  Sudbury 
and  East  Sudbury  for  three  years  ;  also  to  make  division  of 
clothing,  beef,  etc.,  required  of  said  town.  A  committee, 
April  23,  1781,  made  the  following  financial  exhibit:  — 

Due  to  Sudbury  in  the  Constable's  and  Treasurer's  hands 

That  the  town  had  to  pay  the  sum  of 

Sudbury's  part  of  the  Powder 

Their  part  of  the  Lead 

their  part  of  the  Guns  on  hand 

The  old  Bell,  Pound  and  Town  Standard  of  Weights  and 
Measures  sold  for 

Sudbury's  part  of  the  above  sum  is 

Received  of money 

The  charge  of  sale 

The  remainder  to  be  paid  by  the  treasurer  of  E.  Sudbury. 

Money  due  to  the  town  in  Mr  Cutler's  hands  taken  out  of 
the  State  Treasury  for  what  was  advanced  by  the 
Town  of  Sudbury  for  the  support  of  Soldiers'  families 
who  are  in  the  Continental  Army  1200  .2.0 

In  the  division  Sherman's  Bridge  was  left  partly  in  each 
town,  and  the  river  formed  about  half  the  town's  eastern 
boundary.  At  a  place  on  Sand  Hill  the  town  line  was  made 
irregular  in  order  to  admit  the  training-field  and  the  Caleb 
Wheeler  farm,  which  was  a  triangular  piece  of  about  forty- 
three  acres.  The  definition  of  the  town  boundary  line  and 
the  clause  which  retained  the  training-field  and  the  Wheeler 
farm  in  the  town  is  as  follows  :  — 

"  Beginning  with  the  river  between  Concord  and  Lincoln, 
thence  running  with  the  river  till  it  comes  to  the  mouth  of  a 
ditch  on  the  west  side  of  said  river  between  the  lands  of 
W1"  Baldwin  Esq,  and  Eliakim  Rice  ;  —  thence  on  said  ditch 
to  the  County  road  leading  to  Stow,  crossing  said  road ; 
connected  (or  continuing)  on  the  South  side  thereof  till  it 
comes  to  the  line  between  land  of  Nath1  Rice  and  Jona. 
Carter  ;  —  thence  southerly  with  the  line  between  said  Rice 
&  Carter  to  land  of  Elisha  Wheelor ;  then  running  Easterly 
with  the  line  between  said  Carter  and  Wheelor  to  the 
County  roading  leading  to  Marlboro';  —  thence  running  up 
and  bounded  on  the  Westerly  side  of  said  road  till  it  comes 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  423 

opposite  to  the  line  between  the  heirs  of  Lieut.  Dan1  Good- 
now  and  land  in  possession  of  Robert  Ernes  at  "  Sandy 
Hill";  —  thence  crossing  said  road  to  the  corner  aforesaid  ; 
—  thence  running  to  a  White  Oak  the  head  of  Capt.  Moses 
Maynard's  meadow;  —  thence  on  a  straight  line;  —  thence 
on  a  straight  line  to  a  swamp-White-Oak  on  the  bank  of  the 
River  —  eastwardly  from  the  dwelling  house  of  Capt.  Moses 
Stone;  thence  up  the  river  to  Framingham  line." 

"  And  it  is  also  enacted  that  the  House  and  lands  of 
Caleb  Wheelor  —  together  with  the  Training-field  adjoining 
thereto,  shall  remain  to  the  Town  of  Sudbury." 

In  the  division  provision  was  made  for  the  maintenance, 
by  Sudbury,  of  the  Canal  Bridge  and  that  portion  of  the 
old  causeway  which  extends  from  the  bridge  westerly  to  the 
upland.  As  the  support  of  the  Canal  Bridge  came  upon 
Sudbury  and  mention  is  made  of  it  in  various  places  in  the 
Town  Records,  it  may  be  of  interest  here  to  state  something 
of  its  histoiy.  This  bridge  is  so  named  because  it  crossed 
that  portion  of  the  river  which  it  is  supposed  ran  through  an 
artificial  channel.  No  bridge  in  that  immediate  vicinity  but 
the  "  Town  bridge  "  is  mentioned  in  the  earlier  records,  and 
the  stream,  as  before  stated  (see  page  93),  originally  passed 
near  the  eastern  upland.  The  earliest  record  we  have  any 
knowledge  of,  which  contains  reference  to  this  bridge,  is  in 
1768,  which  is  a  bill  for  the  repairing  of  the  "new  bridge 
near  Dea.  Stone's,  Lanham,  Sherman's,  the  Town  bridge  and 
the  Canal  bridge."  This  shows  its  existence  at  that  time, 
but  gives  no  intimation  as  to  when  it  was  made ;  neither  is 
there  any  record  so  far  as  we  know  as  to  when  the  canal  was 
constructed.  An  artificial  opening  might  not  have  been 
made  there  until  years  after  the  bridge  was  made.  The  first 
water-way  may  have  been  a  natural  one  which  only  required 
a  small  crossing,  and  may  subsequently  have  been  enlarged 
by  the  current.  In  other  words,  when  the  causeway  was 
built  a  small  outlet  may  have  been  left  in  it  at  this  point  for 
the  purpose  of  allowing  the  water  to  pass  off  the  meadow 
more  readily  in  time  of  flood.  This  passage  way  at  first  may 
have  been  but  an  open  fordway.     In  the  process  of  time,  as 


424  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

the  causeway  was  gradually  raised  and  the  channel  or 
aperture  naturally  increased  in  size,  a  more  substantial 
bridge  may  have  been  required.  Another  theory  is  that  the 
making  of  the  canal  and  the  bridge  was  the  result  of  raising 
the  causeway  at  one  time  or  another.  If  the  town  succeeded 
in  raising  the  money  when  it  tried  to  do  so  by  means  of  a 
lottery  in  1758,  the  Canal  Bridge  may  have  been  built  at 
that  time.  As  there  was  opposition  to  raising  the  causeway, 
because  it  was  supposed  that  it  would  set  back  the  water, 
the  statement  being  made  that  there  was  "  not  one  foot  of 
fall  in  the  river  for  25  or  30  miles,"  an  aperture  might  have 
been  left  in  the  raised  road  or  causeway  or  a  canal  cut  to 
obviate  the  difficulty,  and  the  canal  would  require  a  bridge. 
Still  another  theory  is  that  the  canal  was  built  by  private 
enterprise.  Mr.  Abel  Gleason,  now  one  of  the  oldest  inhabi- 
tants of  Wayland,  states  that  when  he  was  a  boy,  ten  or 
twelve  years  old,  he  helped  make  hay  on  both  sides  of  the 
canal  for  Colonel  Baldwin,  the  owner  of  the  land  ;  and  that 
the  colonel  told  him  that  "  the  water  always  made  its  way 
over  the  '  oxbow  '  more  or  less ;  but  at  one  time  a  Mr. 
Goodnow  and  another  man,  whose  name  he  could  not  re- 
member, dug  out  a  straight  channel  for  the  water  to  run  in." 
A  channel  once  dug  would  naturally  increase  until  suffi- 
ciently large  to  allow  all  the  water  to  pass  through  it.  The 
short  causeway  from  Sudbury  to  the  Canal  Bridge  was  laid 
out  by  the  county  commissioners  in  1832,  and  the  same  year 
was  made  under  the  supervision  of  a  committee  from  East 
Sudbury. 

The  following  officers  were  chosen,  just  before  the  divi- 
sion, at  a  town-meeting  held  in  the  East  and  West  meeting- 
houses, March  6,  1780  :  "  Selectmen  —  Capt.  Asahel  Wheeler. 
Wm  Baldwin  Esq.  Mr.  Thomas  Walker,  Capt.  Caleb  Moul- 
ton,  Mr.  Isaac  Maynard.  Capt.  Thadeus  Russel,  Mr.  Benja- 
min Smith.  Town  Clerk  and  Treasurer  James  Thompson. 
Other  officers  chosen  were  3  Assessors,  4  Constables,  A 
'  committee  of  correspondence,'  consisting  of  five  persons.  4 
'  wardins.'  2  surveyors  of  shingles,  2  sealers  of  leather,  3 
fence  viewers.  2  deer  reeves,  4  tythingmen,  4  hog  reeves, 
2  field  drivers,  8  surveyors  of  highway,  2  fish  reeves,  and  2 


HISTORY  OF  SUDBURY.  425 

clerks  of  the  market.  Total  on  the  official  board  fifty -five 
persons." 

After  the  division  the  town  went  on  with  its  usual 
activity.  At  a  town-meeting  held  March  5,  1781,  the  fol- 
lowing officers  were  chosen:  "  Moderator  —  Capt.  Jonathan 
Rice.  Selectmen  —  Mr.  Wm  Rice,  Capt.  Moses  Stone,  Lieut. 
Jacob  Reed,  Lieut.  Abijah  Brigham,  Capt.  Samuel  Knight. 
Clerk  and  Treasurer,  Wm  Rice."  The  records  state  that  the 
town-meetings  were  frequently  held  at  the  house  of  Mr. 
Johnson.  Probably  this  was  the  house  of  Aaron  Johnson, 
Innholder.  Some  of  the  early  town  records  and  acts  after 
its  division  are  the  following  :  Oct.  8,  1781,  granted  "  Rev. 
Mr.  Bigelow  for  salary  the  ensuing  year  seventy-four  pounds 
in  specie,  also  granted  for  a  grammar  school  for  a  year,  12 
pounds  and  ordered  that  said  school  be  kept  at  the  school 
house  near  the  meeting  house,  also  granted  for  support  of  a 
reading  and  writing  school  48  pounds  and  ordered  the  same 
to  be  kept  in  the  other  four  school  houses  in  the  same  pro- 
portion. Also  granted  GO  pounds  to  furnish  their  quota  of 
beef  for  the  suppty  of  the  army.  Also  allowed  16  shillings 
for  the  taking  care  of  the  meeting  house,  and  chose  John 
Green  to  take  care  of  the  meeting  house  and  dig  graves  as 
occasion  required  for  the  ensuing  year."  At  the  same  meet- 
ing money  was  granted  for  the  supply  of  the  soldiers  for  the 
Continental  army. 

In  the  warrant  of  a  meeting  dated  Jan.  15,  1781,  was  an 
article  "  to  see  if  the  town  would  choose  a  committee  and 
empower  them  to  bring  an  action  against  or  proceed  other- 
wise in  a  suit  of  law  with  the  town  of  Boston  for  their 
bringing  Mary  Piper  and  her  children  into  Sudbury,  she  and 
her  children  not  being  able  to  support  themselves  and  not 
belonging  to  Sudbury."  At  a  subsequent  meeting  the  com- 
mittee was  chosen  to  proceed  against  Boston  as  suggested. 

In  1782,  it  was  "  voted  to  pay  Rev.  Mr.  Bigelow's  salary 
in  specie  111  pounds,  of  which  Roland  Bogle's  part  to 
collect  as  constable  was  £52 — 11s — 9d  and  Mr.  Joshua 
Hayncs  part  as  constable  to  collect  was  £58 — 8s — 3d."  In 
1782,  the  town  ordered  their  committee  to  build  a  suitable 
place    at    the    school-house    "  near   the    meeting   house   for 


426  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

hanging  their  bell  on  instead  of  repairing  the  place  where 
it  now  stands."  In  1785,  the  number  of  selectmen  chosen 
was  reduced  to  three.  In  1787,  it  was  voted  to  rebuild  the 
canal  bridge.  The  same  year  Isaac  Lincoln  was  chosen  to 
take  care  of  the  meeting-house  and  ring  the  bell,  for  which 
he  was  to  have  eighteen  shillings,  which  was  the  lowest 
price  bid. 

shay's  rebellion. 

In  1 786,  occurred  an  event  called  Shay's  Rebellion  or  In- 
surrection. The  cause  of  it  was  the  unsettled  condition  of 
the  country,  its  depreciated  currency,  and  a  lack  of  business 
prosperity  in  general.  A  small  portion  of  the  community 
sought  to  adjust  matters  by  resorting  to  arms.  An  effort 
was  made  by  some  of  the  insurgents  to  prevent  the  holding 
of  the  county  courts,  and,  on  several  occasions,  the  presence 
of  troops  was  required  to  preserve  the  peace.  Concord, 
being  a  county  town,  was  one  of  the  imperiled  places,  and 
there  were  indications  that  on  Sept.  12,  1708,  an  outbreak 
might  occur  there,  as  on  that  day  a  company  of  about  one 
hundred  men  assembled  there  under  command  of  Job  Shat- 
tuck  of  Groton,  and  Nathan  and  Sylvanus  Smith  of  Shirley. 
Matters,  however,  were  adjusted  without  any  open  out- 
break. From  the  proximity  of  Concord  to  Sudbury,  nat- 
urally the  town  would  be  expected  to  render  military  service 
at  that  place  if  it  was  needed,  and  also  to  furnish  aid,  in 
common  with  the  other  towns,  for  the  suppression  of  the 
rebellion.  The  following  papers  are  supposed  to  refer  to 
such  service. 

"  Sudbury  10th  September  1786 
"  Sir  you  will  fully  comply  with  the  orders  you  received 
from  me  this  Day,  Excepting  your  Marching  by  the  shotest 
Rout  to  Concord,  you  will  instead  of  Marching  to  Concord 
March  with  your  Company  Imbodied  to  Sudbury  Meeting 
House  at  Eight  oclock  in  the  Morning  in  order  to  join  the 
Reg4 

"  Capt  Benj  Sawin      yours  &c  Jona  Rice  Lt.  C,  Comd  " 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  427 

"  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts  Dr 
"  To  the  Selectmen  of  Sudbury  for  furnishing  the  men 
that  was  called  out  to  Supres  the  Late  Rebellion  agreeably 
to  the  Militia  Law  to  three   different  times  to  seven  Days 
each  at  four  Shillings  Pr  Day." 

Nov.  24,  1788,  it  was  voted  to  hear  the  report  of  a  com- 
mittee who  had,  at  a  previous  meeting,  been  appointed  to 
present  a  report  of  the  depreciation  of  Mr.  Bigelow's  salary. 
They  "  reported  that  the  sum  of  £155 — 18s — 9d  was  due  to 
Mr.  Bigelow  on  the  deficiency  of  his  salaries  for  the  years 
1776,  1777,  1778  and  half  of  1779,"  and  it  was  voted  to  pay 
£120  to  make  up  the  deficiency. 

In  1789,  the  town  "  empowered  a  committee  to  purchase 
the  land  of  Mr.  Doane  for  the  purpose  of  enlarging  the 
burying  ground  and  voted  that  the  committee  provide  and 
build  the  wall  around  the  yard."  When  the  town  were 
assembled  in  October,  1789,  and  the  committee  reported 
relative  to  the  land  for  enlarging  the  burying-ground,  it  was 
voted  "that  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  now  present  go 
out  and  inspect  the  land  proposed,  when  the  inhabitants 
returned,  and  a  vote  was  taken,  but  passed  in  the  negative  ; 
this  question  came  up  if  they  would  accept  of  the  land  if 
they  could  have  it  free  of  expense  and  they  voted  in  the 
affirmative." 

In  1792,  the  town  voted  to  sell  the  training  field  in  the 
southeast  part  of  the  town,  and  "  the  Committee  formerly 
employed  to  sell  the  Work  house  "  were  appointed  to  attend 
to  the  work.  The  same  year  measures  were  taken  for  the 
prevention  of  the  small-pox.  The  article  concerning  it  in 
the  warrant  was  "  To  see  if  the  town  would  admit  the  Small 
Pox  into  sd  town  by  Inoculation."  "  It  passed  in  the  nega- 
tive." The  following  year  the  selectmen  were  instructed 
"  to  take  measures  to  prevent  the  spreading  of  the  small 
pox,  and  to  prosecute  the  persons  who  transgressed  the  laws 
respecting  the  disease."  Instructions  were  also  given  "  to 
make  diligent  search  to  see  if  there  were  any  persons  who 
had  been  inoculated  for  small  pox  contrary  to  law." 


428  HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY. 

In  accordance  with  a  vote  of  the  General  Court  in  1794, 
a  map  was  made  of  the  town.  This  map,  a  copy  of  which 
is  in  the  State  Archives  (Vol.  II.,  page  7),  was  made  by 
Mathias  Mosmon,  and  bears  date  April  17,  1795.  A  copy 
of  it  is  here  given  together  with  the  following  statement  and 
description  by  the  author  of  the  map  :  — 

"The  above  Plan  of  the  Town  of  Sudbury  in  the  County 
of  Middlesex,  Common  Wealth  of  Massachusetts  was  taken 
by  the  Direction  of  a  Committee  Chosen  by  the  Inhabitants 
of  Sd  Sudbury  in  obedience  to  an  order  of  the  General  Court 
dated  June  26th  — 1794.  on  the  above  plan  Air  inserted 
and  described  Each  Town  line  that  meets  or  joins  with 
Sudbury.  the  Rivers  are  also  accurately  surveyed  and 
planned,  the  breadth  of  which  are  as  folio weth.  the  River 
Elsabeth  is  from  4  to  5  rods  wide,  but  [there  is]  no  public 
bridge  over  the  river  where  it  joins  Sudbury,  the  other  river 
called  Sudbury  or  Concord  River  is  from  7  to  8  or  9  rods 
wide,  and  [there  is]  one  bridge  over  sd  river  where  it  joins 
Sudbury  called  Sharman's  Bridge,  100  feet  long,  one-half 
belonging  to  Sudbury,  and  25  rod  of  Causeway.  Sudbury 
also  [is  to]  build  and  keep  in  repair  the  Canal  Bridge  in 
East  Sudbury  Long  causeway  and  52  rods  of  sd  causeway, 
the  County  roads  are  also  surveyed  and  planned,  in  Sud- 
bury is  but  one  house  for  public  worship  which  is  noted, 
the  center  of  the  town  is  about  one  mile  northwestwardly 
from  the  meetinghouse,  the  distance  from  Sd  Sudbury  to 
Cambridge  the  shire-town  of  the  county  is  17  miles,  and 
from  sd  Sudbury  to  Boston  the  Metropolis  of  the  Common- 
wealth of  Massachusetts  through  Watertown  and  Roxbury 
is  22  miles,  and  through  &  over  West  Boston  Bridge  is  20 
miles,  in  Sudbury  is  but  3  ponds  of  any  considerable  mag- 
nitude which  has  been  Surveyed  and  planned  as  above, 
here  is  no  falls  of  Water  worthy  of  note,  in  Sd  Sudbury  is 
not  a  hill  whose  summit  is  lofty,  in  the  Southwardly  part 
o£  sd  town  is  part  of  a  hill  called  Penobscott  which  will  be 
described  in  the  plan  of  Framingham.  No  manufactories  are 
erected  in  Sudbury,  in  sd  [town]  are  three  grist  mills,  two 
saw  mills,  and  one   fulling  mill  as  above   described,   on  a 


MARLBOROUGH 

836  R  W        V        " 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  429 

Stream  known  by  several  different  names  as  above,  the 
width  of  which  where  it  leaves  Marlborough  and  enters 
Sudbury  is  not  much  more  than  a  yard  wide  and  where  it 
enters  East  Sudbury  is  about  5  yards  wide,  in  the  North- 
wardly part  of  sd  Sudbury  a  mine  has  been  discovered  and 

worked  upon,     the  depth  of  the  hole  is  about feet  in 

a  Ledge  of  rocks  supposed  to  be  a  copper  mine  but  has  not 
been  worked  in  since  the  beginning  of  the  Revolution,  here 
is  not  Iron  Works  or  furnaces,  said  plan  is  laid  down  by  a 
scale  of  200  rods  to  an  inch  Surveyed  by 

"  Mathias  Mosmon 
"  Dated  at  Sudbury  April  17  =  1795." 

THE   NEW   MEETING-HOUSE. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  period  the  town  took  measures  to 
erect  a  new  meeting-house.  In  1789,  "  chose  a  committee 
to  look  out  a  place  suitable  for  a  new  meeting  house,  for 
drafting  a  plan,  and  receiving  proposals  from  individuals  in 
relation  to  building  the  same."  They  subsequently  decided 
upon  the  shape  and  dimensions,  but,  different  opinions  pre- 
vailing relative  to  the  location,  the  construction  of  the  build- 
ing was  deferred  for  some  years. 

Oct.  5,  1795,  the  town  again  voted  "  to  build  a  new  Meet- 
ing House,  that  it  should  be  erected  on  the  common  land 
near  to  the  present  meeting  house,  and  that  the  south  and 
west  cells  of  sd  house  should  occupy  the  ground  on  which 
the  south  and  west  cells  of  the  present  meeting  house  now 
stand  upon,  and  that  the  enlargement  of  the  meeting  house 
should  extend  North  and  East.  Voted  to  accept  a  plan 
drawn  by  Capt  Thomson  which  plan  is  60  feet  by  52  with 
a  porch  at  one  end  with  a  steeple  or  spear  on  the  top  of  sd 
porch.  Voted  that  the  Commitee  for  building  the  house 
should  consist  of  nine  persons,  and  that  they  should  receive 
nothing  for  their  services."  In  1796,  it  was  voted  that  a 
bell  should  be  purchased  for  the  meeting-house.  October, 
1798,  the  building  committee  presented  to  the  town  the  sum- 
mary of  receipts  and  expenditures  which  was  six  thousand 
twenty-five  dollars  and  ninety-three  cents.  The  town 
granted  three  hundred  dollars  for  the  purpose  of  grading 


430  HISTORY  OP  SUDBtJRY. 

the  ground  around  the  new  meeting-house.  Those  who 
desired  it  were  granted  the  privilege  of  working  out  their 
proportionate  share  of  the  expense  ;  the  price  of  labor  being 
nine  pence  per  hour  for  a  man  and  nine  pence  per  hour  for 
a  good  yoke  of  oxen  and  cart.  November,  179G,  it  was 
"  voted  to  request  the  Rev.  Mr  Bigelow  to  preach  a  sermon 
at  the  dedication  of  the  meeting  house."  At  the  same  meet- 
ing it  was  "  voted  that  the  Pew  Holders  in  the  body  of  the 
Meeting  House  as  soon  as  Divine  Service  is  over  fling  their 
pew  Doors  wide  open  so  as  not  to  obstruct  the  passage  of 
the  people  in  the  allies  —  that  the  Speaker  pass  out  first, 
then  the  pew  holders  to  pass  on  after  as  fast  as  Conveniently 
may  be  out  at  the  front  Door,  then  those  who  sit  in 'the 
seats  next  —  also  voted  that  as  soon  as  they  are  out  they 
move  off  from  the  door  steps  so  as  to  let  the  people  have 
liberty  to  come  out  without  Crowding  —  also  voted  that  the 
pew  holders  in  the  galleries  fling  their  pew  doors  wide  open 
that  they  empty  their  pews,  together  with  the  fore  seats 
first,  the  2d  and  3d  seats  to  follow  in  course  —  also  voted 
that  those  who  come  down  the  West  pair  of  stairs  pass  out 
at  the  West  Door  those  who  come  down  the  East  stairs  pass 
out  at  the  East  Door,  and  to  move  from  the  door  steps  so 
as  to  give  Liberty  to  empty  the  house  as  soon  as  conven- 
iently may  be.  It  was  then  voted  to  Choose  a  Committee 
for  the  purpose  of  Regulating  the  Assembling  of  the  people 
at  the  Dedication  of  the  Meeting  House,  to  keep  good  order 
on  said  day  and  prevent  damage  being  done  to  said  House. 
Said  Committee  to  consist  of  12."  At  the  same  meeting 
"  voted  to  appropriate  to  the  use  of  the  Singing  Society  in 
Said  Town  the  front  gallery  and  so  much  of  the  side  galleries 
next  the  front  as  shall  be  necessary  for  their  accommodation." 

May,  1799,  the  town-meeting  adjourned  to  allow  its  com- 
mittee on  building  stables  to  go  out  and  view  the  land  ;  on 
their  return  they  reported  that  they  had  "  set  up  a  stake 
and  stone  at  the  south  east  corner  of  Lt  Willis  stables  to  the 
North  east  corner  of  the  meeting  house.  Sd  line  being  about 
35  ft  back  of  sd  meeting  house."     "  Report  was  accepted." 

In  1796,  the  town-meetings  were  held  at  the  house  of  Col. 
Benjamin  Sawin,  innholder.     This  was  during  the  building 


HISTORY  OF  SUDBURY.  431 

of  the  new  meeting-house.  The  same  }'ear  the  town 
appointed  Col.  Sawin's  new  barn  and  yard  adjoining  the 
same  for  a  pound  for  a  year. 

October,  1797,  "  The  Committee  previously  appointed  to 
select  a  suitable  place  whereon  to  erect  a  pound  reported 
that  said  pound  be  erected  upon  the  East  end  of  the  Burying 
yard,  the  south  side  to  be  erected  about  ten  feet  north  of 
L*  Reuben  Rices  Stone  wall,  the  wall  of  sd  pound  to  be 
5^  ft  in  Height  with  a  Hewn  stick  of  chestnut,  or  white  pine 
Timber  10  inches  in  Height  upon  the  top  thereof,  the  Bury- 
ing yard  wall  to  form  one  side.  Sd  pound  to  be  thirty  feet 
square  within  the  walls."  The  report  was  accepted,  and 
twenty  dollars  was  granted  for  the  purpose.  The  committee 
appointed  for  letting  out  the  building  of  the  pound  were  to 
"  have  the  privilege  of  all  the  stones  on  the  common  round 
the  meeting  house,  excepting  so  many  as  shall  be  necessary 
for  horse  blocks."  At  the  same  meeting  forty  dollars  was 
granted  for  rebuilding  Lanham  Bridge. 

April,  1797,  voted  "  to  provide  a  carriage  for  the  town's 
use  Suitable  for  the  conveyance  of  Corps  to  the  Burying 
yard."  October,  1797,  granted  thirty  dollars  for  the  pur- 
pose of  teaching  a  singing  school  for  one  month.  In  1798, 
"  Chose  a  Committee  to  let  out  the  building  of  a  school 
house  in  the  north  east  district  in  place  of  the  one  which  was 
burnt."  Also  appropriated  two  hundred  dollars  for  the 
building.  At  the  same  meeting  appropriated  two  hundred 
and  fifty-five  dollars  for  building  a  school-house  in  the  centre 
district.  Also  at  the  same  meeting,  granted  "  for  a  harness 
for  the  town  carriage  to  carry  corps  upon  15  :  75  "  In  1799, 
voted  "  that  the  Committee  that  was  appointed  to  build  a 
shelter  for  the  funeral  carriage,  if  they  think  it  can  conven- 
iently be  done,  to  build  a  place  in  it  for  storing  of  the  towns 
stock  of  ammunition." 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

1800-1825. 

Early  Families  Residing  in  Sudbury  about  the  Beginning  of  the  Present 
Century.  —  Families  Who  Came  into  Sudbury  during  the  Interval 
between  the  Formation  of  the  Town  and  about  the  Middle  of  the 
Present  Century.  —  Biographical  Sketches. 

Happy  he  whom  neither  wealth  nor  fashion, 
Nor  the  march  of  the  encroaching  city, 

Drives  an  exile 
From  the  hearth  of  his  ancestral  homestead. 

Longfellow. 

In  entering  upon  the  history  of  the  nineteenth  century, 
we  may,  with  propriety,  pause  in  our  narrative  to  notice  the 
condition  of  the  community  at  the  beginning  of  this  new 
period,  and  compare  it  with  the  condition  of  things  in  for- 
mer and  distant  years.  We  have  arrived  at  a  point  when 
this  can  be  done  to  advantage.  We  have  chronicled  the 
events  of  more  than  a  century  and  a  half,  and  considered 
the  character,  customs  and  conduct  of  the  earlier  inhabitants, 
and  the  town  when  in  its  formative  state.  We  have  seen 
influences  gather  and  grow  from  sources  small  and' remote, 
and  men  come  in,  act  their  part,  and  go  out.  Before  pro- 
ceeding to  consider  new  facts,  let  us  notice  the  results  of 
those  already  set  forth  and  their  relations  to  what  is  to  come. 
Let  us  notice  to  what  extent  early  names  and  families  were 
familiar  at  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century,  what 
new  inhabitants  had  come  into  town,  and  how  far  there  had 
been  a  transmission  of  customs,  traits  and  manners  of  living 
and  doing  in  the  home,  the  church  and  the  town. 

Down  to  about  the  year  1800,  quite  a  share  of  the  old 
families  remained,  and,  to  an  extent,  kept  their  former 
prestige.     Such    were    the    Goodnows,    Bents,    Parmenters, 

432 


HISTORY  OP   SUDBURY.  433 

Maynards  and  Reeds,  the  Hunts,  Browns  and  Hows,  also 
the  Haynes  family,  the  Rices  and  Plymptons.  In  East 
Sudbury  there  were  the  Rutters,  Curtises  and  Lokers,  the 
Johnsons,  Noyeses,  Grouts  and  Wards.  But,  while  so  many 
of  the  old  families  remained,  they  no  longer,  as  at  the  town's 
beginning,  bore  all  the  responsibility  of  its  management,  nor 
were  their  names  alone  prominent  upon  the  records.  Some 
of  these  families  had  begun  to  decline.  Their  ranks  were 
decimated,  their  power  was  on  the  wane.  So  it  was  with 
the  Hows,  the  Plymptons,  the  Maynards,  the  Rices,  the 
Reeds;  and  in  East  Sudbury  with  the  Curtises,  Noyeses  and 
Grouts.  Indeed,  the  decline  of  some  of  these  families, 
which  began  before  the  century  set  in,  has  to  such  an  extent 
gone  on  that  some  of  them  have  not  a  member  in  Sudbury 
who  bears  the  family  name  ;  when  it  is  called,  no  one  is  left 
to  respond.  Their  history  is  but  a  tradition  for  others  to 
tell,  or  found  in  fragmentary  records  on  the  town  book,  or 
inscribed  on  the  tombstones  of  Sudbury's  old-time  burying 
grounds.  But  the  decadence  of  old  families  is  not  the  only 
reason  why,  at  the  beginning  of  the  present  century,  town 
business  was  not  wholly  done  by  the  descendants  of  the 
early  grantees.  There  had  been,  in  the  process  of  years,  the 
introduction  of  new  families  into  Sudbury,  many  of  which 
took  a  prominent  part  in  its  affairs.  Among  those  of  this 
class  who  came  before  or  about  the  beginning  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  there  are  the  following  names  of  per- 
sons on  the  west  side  of  the  river :  Balcom,  Bogle,  Bowker, 
Brigham,  Brintnal,  Bush,  Clapp,  Cutler,  Cutter,  Dakin, 
Gibbs,  Hayden,  Jones,  Mossman,  Perry,  Puffer,  Richardson, 
Stanhope,  Stevens,  Taylor,  Thompson,  Tower,  Walker, 
Wedge,  Wheeler,  Willis ;  on  the  east  side,  Abbott,  Allen, 
Baldwin,  Brewer,  Bryant,  Cutting,  Damon,  Drury,  Frink, 
Gleason,  Graves,  Heard,  Jennison,  Long,  Paris,  Reeves, 
Roby,  Ross,  Sherman  and  Wellington.  The  following  are 
names  of  families  who  settled  in  the  present  territory  of 
Sudbury  between  about  the  years  1800  and  1850 :  Adams, 
Allen,  Arnold,  Bacon,  Barton,  Burr,  Carr,  Clark,  Conant, 
Dwyer,  Eames,  Eaton,  Fairbanks,  Garfield,  Gerry,  Harring- 
ton, Horr,  Hudson,  Hurlbut,  Lyon,  O'Neil,  Powers,  Pratt, 


434  HISTORY  OF  SUDBURY. 

Robinson,  Rogers  and  Shaw.  We  will  give  a  few  facts  con- 
cerning such  of  these  families  as  have  a  member  still  living 
in  town  who  bears  the  family  name,  or  is  in  some  way  still 
identified  with  the  place.  The  object  of  these  sketches  is 
not  to  give  anything  like  a  complete  genealogy,  but,  as  in 
the  case  of  the  early  grantees  (Chapter  III.),  only  to  give  a 
brief  outline  of  family  history,  mainly  as  it  has  been  con- 
nected with  the  town. 

Adams.  —  At  an  early  date  the  name  of  Adams  is  upon 

the  town  records,  and  the  indications  are  that  one  of  the 

name  was  living  near  the  Sudbury  and  Concord  boundary 

not  long  after  the  settlement  began.     In  1671,  James  Adams 

was  to  have  liberty  to  feed  his  cattle  on  Sudbury  bounds, 

and  "  to  take  old  and   dry  wood   that    shall    be    upon  the 

ground,  the  said  Adams  to  prevent  any  trespass  by  Concord 

herds  or  cattle  also  in  our  wood  and  timber,  forthwith  to 

give  notice  to  the  town.1'     (Sudbury  Records.)     This  James 

Adams  is  probably  the  one  referred  to  in  the  genealogy  of 

Concord   inhabitants  (Concord  History)  as  belonging  to  a 

family  said  to  have  been  banished  from  Scotland  by  Oliver 

Cromwell,  and  who  married  Priscilla  Ramsden  of  Concord 

in  1662,  and  died  Dec.  2,  1707.     James  had  seven  children, 

—  Priscilla,  Elizabeth,  James,  Hannah,  John,  Nathaniel  and 

Dorcas.     Descendants  of  these   have   lived   in   Acton   and 

Carlisle,  which  places  were  formerly  in  Concord.     A  John 

Adams  of  Sudbury  was  wounded  at  the  Swamp  Fight,  R.  I., 

in  1675.     (See  period  1675-1700.)     The  Adams  family  of 

Sudbury  descended  from  the  Acton  branch.     John  Adams 

was  born  at  Acton,  Sept.  27,  1746,  and  had  six  children, — 

Lydia,  Paul,  John,  Josiah  H.,  Mercy,  Mary.     Josiah  H.  was 

born  Aug.  4,  1780,  and  lived  about  twenty  years  on  the 

place  now  occupied  by  the  American  Powder  Company ;  he 

then  moved  about  a  mile  south  to  the  present  John  Adams 

place.     He  had  five  children,  —  two  of  them  sons,  Joseph  B. 

and  John.     John  Adams,  the  present  superintendent  of  the 

Fitchburg  Railroad,  was  born  at  and  now  owns  the  place 

formerly  occupied  by  his  father  in  Sudbury. 

Allen  or  Allin.  —  The  Allen  family  was  early  in  Sud- 
bury.    The  name  of  John  Allen  is  on  the  "  Old  Petition  " 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  435 

of  1676 ;  on  another,  of  1690  are  the  names  of  John  and 
Thomas,  Jr.,  and  Zebediah,  Jr.,  and  on  a  paper  of  1707,  sub- 
scribed to  by  the  East  Side  inhabitants  protesting  against  a 
parochial  precinct  on  the  West  Side,  are  the  names  of  John 
and  Samuel  Allen.  The  first  Allen  of  the  present  century 
in  Sudbury  was  John  Plympton,  who  moved  from  Wayland 
to  South  Sudbury,  where  he  carried  on  the  blacksmith's 
trade  for  nearly  fifty  years.  He  married  Sibel  Read  who 
was  born  in  Sudbury  in  1800.  He  had  four  children, — 
Francis,  Franklin  S.,  Margaret  M.,  Abby  A.  Margaret  M. 
Allen  is  at  present  a  resident  of  South  Sudbury. 

Arnold.  —  The  name  of  William  Arnold  is  on  an  old 
petition  among  a  list  of  inhabitants  on  the  west  side  the 
river  in  1707  ;  but  for  an  interval  of  years  there  were  none 
by  the  name  in  town.  Edwin,  first  Sudbury  resident  of  the 
name  in  the  present  century,  is  grandson  of  Winslow  and 
Abigail  (Hagar)  Arnold,  who  were  born,  married  and  lived 
in  Marlboro.  His  father  was  Joel  who  married  Ruth, 
daughter  of  Israel  and  Susanna  (Stone)  Parmenter  of  Sud- 
bury, April  25,  1843.  Edwin  married  Abby  Hunt,  daughter 
of  Abel  and  Sally  Smith  of  Sudbury.  They  have  had  one 
child,  Frances  A.     Edwin  Arnold  resides  at  South  Sudbury. 

Bacon.  —  The  Sudbury  ancestor  of  the  Bacon  family, 
which  in  the  present  century  has  resided  in  town,  was 
Jonathan  who  came  from  Natick  in  1835.  His  father,  whose 
name  was  Jonathan,  was  born  in  Natick  in  1756,  married 
Zipporah  (Goulding)  Mann  and  had  two  children,  Jonathan 
and  Ebenezer.  Jonathan,  Jr.,  married  Lydia  Hammond  of 
Natick,  born  Oct.  11,  1778,  and  had  six  children,  —  Zippo- 
rah, Asa,  Samuel,  Edward  and  Lydia,  all  born  in  Natick, 
and  Adoniram  born  in  Sudbury.  He  lived  on  the  South 
Sudbury  and  Marlboro  road  in  a  house  built  and  once  occu- 
pied by  Joel  Jones,  and  at  present  occupied  by  Adoniram. 
Jonathan  died  several  years  ago,  but  his  widow,  Lydia 
Bacon,  is  still  living  at  the  age  of  one  hundred  and  one. 

Balcom.  —  The  Sudbury  Balcoms  are  descended  from 
Henry  Balcom  of  Charlestown,  Mass.,  a  blacksmith.  He 
married  Elizabeth  Haynes  of  Sudbury,  August  12,  1666,  and 
died  April  29, 1683.     Soon  after  his  death,  the  family  moved 


436  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

to  Sudbury  and  settled  in  the  northwesterly  part  in  what  is 
now  Maynard,  where  his  descendants  still  live.  Among  the 
children  of  Henry  was  Joseph,  who  was  born  Dec.  17,  1674, 
and  died  Sept.  17,  1745,  at  Sudbury.  He  married  Tabitha 
Mossman.  Among  their  children  was  John  who  was  born 
March  13,  1713  (or  1715),  and  married  Susanna  Haynes, 
August  23,  1737.  Among  the  children  of  John  and  Susanna 
was  Asahel,  born  June  5,  1741,  who  married  Jerusha  Wil- 
lis. Their  children  were  Asa  who  married  Adah  Balcom, 
Jerusha  who  married  Adam  Howe,  Rebecca  who  married 
Daniel  Puffer.  Asa  was  the  father  of  Hollis  and  Asahel, 
two  well-known  citizens  of  the  present  century  living  in  that 
part  of  Sudbury  now  Maynard. 

Barton.  —  George  Barton  was  born  in  Concord,  and  came 
into  town  April  1,  1851.  He  married  for  his  first  wife  Mary 
Susan,  youngest  daughter  of  Israel  Hunt  of  Sudbury,  and 
occupies  the  Israel  Hunt  farm  in  the  Pantry  district.  His 
children  are  George  II.,  born  1852 ;  Frank  P.,  1857  and 
Alice  M.,  1859. 

Bogle.  —  Thomas  was  the  first  of  the  Bogle  family  who 
lived  in  Sudbury.  He  came  from  Scotland  to  Boston,  and, 
after  remaining  there  a  short  time,  went  to  Sudbury,  where 
he  purchased  the  farm  now  occupied  by  Deacon  Francis 
Walker.  He  had  seven  children,  one  of  whom  was  Rowand 
who  married  Elizabeth  Goodenow  and  occupied  the  old 
homestead.  Rowand  and  Elizabeth  had  five  children, — 
Hannah,  Francis,  Elizabeth,  Submit  and  Polly.  Francis 
married  Patty  Hemenway  of  Framingham,  and  had  four 
children,  —  Miranda,  Sarah  H.,  Lucy  and  Nancy  E.  Mi- 
randa married  Azariah  Walker  of  Framingham,  who  pur- 
chased the  Bogle  farm  in  1826,  which  he  occupied  till  his 
death.     Lucy  and  Nancy  Bogle  reside  at  South  Sudbury. 

Bowker.  —  The  Bowker  family  was  in  town  as  early  as 
1707  ;  the  name  Widow  Sarah  Bowker  being  upon  a  paper 
of  that  date.  A  prominent  member  of  the  family  was  Capt. 
Daniel  Bowker,  who  served  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  and 
died  early  in  the  Nineteenth  Century.  He  went  with  his 
wife  from  Hopkinton  before  1756,  and  settled  on  what  has 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  437 

since  been  known  as  the  Bowker  place  in  North  Sudbury. 
He  had  ten  children,  two  of  whom  were  sons  named  Daniel 
and  Joseph.  He  died  Jan.  31,  1822,  aged  ninety-two,  and 
his  wife  died  June  28,  1813,  aged  seventy-nine.  Daniel  Jr., 
born  Sept.  13,  1772,  married  Ruth  Brown  of  Hubbardston 
and  had  fourteen  children.  He  died  Oct.  18,  1853,  aged 
eighty-one,  and  his  wife  died  Jan.  15,  1846,  aged  sixty- 
eight.  Two  sons  of  Daniel  Jr.  were  Daniel  and  Samuel  N. 
Daniel  died  May  19,  1880,  leaving  no  children.  Samuel  N. 
was  born  June  16,  1799,  and  died  Oct.  9, 1872.  He  married 
Mary  Earle  of  Berwick,  Me.,  and  had  seven  children,  one  of 
whom  is  Frank  M.,  born  in  1850.  Frank  M.  married  for  his 
first  wife  Anna  Hunt  of  Morenci,  Mich.,  and  for  his  second 
Carrie  Conley  of  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia,  and  has  had  five  chil- 
dren. He  lives  on  the  old  homestead,  and  his  children  are 
the  fifth  generation  who  have  lived  there. 

Brigham. — The  ancestor  of  this  family  in  New  England 
was  Thomas,  who  embarked  from  London  for  America  in 
1635,  and  settled  in  Watertown.  He  had  several  sons,  the 
eldest  of  whom,  named  Thomas,  lived  in  Marlboro,  and  mar- 
ried the  granddaughter  of  Edmund  Rice,  one  of  Sudbury's 
original  grantees.  It  is  conjectured  that  the  Sudbury  Brig- 
ham's  are  descended  from  this  branch  of  the  family.  The 
name  of  John  Brigham  is  in  the  Indian  Deed  of  the  Two 
Mile  Grant,  and  also  (page  0o)  on  the  petition  to  Governor 
Dudley  by  the  West  Side  people  for  a  new  precinct  in 
1706-7.  One  of  the  same  name  early  settled  in  the  territory 
of  Maynard.  The  name  of  Samuel  is  found  on  the  roll  of 
the  2nd  Foot  Company  in  1757.  A  prominent  member  of 
the  family  in  the  present  century  was  Capt.  William  Brig- 
ham. His  farm  was  that  now  occupied  by  Elisha  Goodenow. 
Rufus,  a  son  of  William,  resides  at  Sudbury  Centre.  The 
Brigham  family  have  lived  mostly  in  the  north  and  north- 
west parts  of  the  town. 

Burr.  —  Hiram  Burr,  son  of  Daniel,  came  from  Derby, 
Vt.,  in  1845,  when  a  young  man.  His  first  wife  was  Ellen, 
daughter  of  Deacon  Gardner  Hunt.  His  second  wife  was 
Nancy  J.,  daughter  of  Deacon  Thomas  Dakin.     He  owns 


438  HISTORY  OF  SUDBURY. 

and  lives  on  the  Gardner  Hunt  farm,  South  Sudbury.  He 
has  had  four  children,  —  Frank  G.,  Arthur  H.,  Clifford  B., 
Howard  C,  Nellie  May. 

Butterfield.  —  Luther  Butterfield  was  born  at  Antrim, 
N.  H.  He  came  to  Sudbury  in  1841,  and  settled  in  the 
Lanham  district  on  the  road  from  Sudbury  to  Saxonville. 
He  has  six  children,  —  Ebenezer  S.,  James  B.,  George  F., 
Sarah,  Jerome,  Edward  C. 

Carr.  —  The  Sudbury  ancestor  of  the  Carr  family  now 
living  in  town  was  Ezra,  who  went  to  Sudbury  in  1810  and 
resided  on  the  old  Carr  homestead,  then  occupied  by  his 
brother  John  and  since  owned  by  his  son  Crosby.  Abiathar, 
another  son,  was  born  in  Wilmington,  Vt.  He  married 
Rebecca,  daughter  of  Israel  and  Rebecca  (Rice)  Wheeler, 
and  had  six  children,  four  of  whom  are  living,  —  Lucinda  J., 
Charlotte  M.,  Frederick  E.  and  Merrick.  Lucinda  and 
Merrick  are  residents  of  Sudbury.  The  old  homestead  passed 
out  of  the  family  about  1850. 

Conant.  —  Silas  Conant  was  born  in  Stow,  May  31,  1747. 
He  moved  to  North  Sudbury  in  1782,  and  lived  until  his 
death,  Sept.  20,  1836,  on  the  farm  since  owned  and  occu- 
pied, until  his  death  in  1859,  by  Emory,  his  grandson.  The 
father  of  Emory  was  Amos,  who  had  four  sons,  —  Emory, 
Dexter,  Silas  and  Amos.  John  M.,  son  of  Amos,  Jr.,  and 
present  resident  of  Sudbury,  is  of  the  tenth  generation  from 
Roger,  who  came  from  England  to  Plymouth,  New  England, 
about  1623.  John  M.  has  served  as  selectman  and  assessor 
for  several  years.  He  married  Lucretia  A.  Richards  of 
Concord,  Vt.,  and  has  had  four  children,  —  Clara  J.,  Lillian, 
Edwin  A.  and  Louisa. 

Clark.  —  Isaac  Clark  was  born  April  18,  1806,  in  Wind- 
ham, N.  Y.,  and  moved  to  Hopkinton  in  1816.  He  married 
Almira  Osborn  of  Sudbury,  Sept.  26,  1833.  In  April,  1837, 
he  purchased  and  settled  upon  the  Osborn  place  where  he 
now  resides.  He  has  had  six  children,  —  Everett  O.,  Eliza 
S.,  Almira  A.,  Ellen  O.,  Frederic  P.  and  Franklin  P. 

Cutler.  —  The  name  of  Thomas  Cutler  is  found  on  a 
petition  of  1707,  and  that  of  Elisha  on  a  muster-roll  of  1755. 
The  family  have  resided   mostly  at  the  south   part  of  the 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  439 

town.  Asher,  grandfather  of  the  late  C.  G.  Cutler,  Esq., 
once  owned  the  mill  at  South  Sudbury,  which  he  left  jointly 
to  his  sons  Asher  and  Abel.  In  the  early  part  of  the 
century,  Abel,  the  father  of  Christopher,  kept  a  tavern 
near  the  Gravel  Pit.  C.  G.  Cutler,  a  well-known  citizen, 
died  at  his  residence  in  South  Sudbury  a  few  years  since  at 
the  advanced  age  of  ninety.  He  had  four  children,  —  Jo- 
seph, Mary,  Emeline  and  Caroline. 

Cutter.  —  An  early  resident  of  this  name  was  Nathanael, 
who  was  a  soldier  in  Captain  Nixon's  Company  in  1761.  (See 
period  1750-1775.)  Joseph  Cutter  was  born  in  1761,  and 
married  Prudence,  daughter  of  James  Thompson  of  Sudbury. 
He  was  a  drum  major  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  died  in 
Sudbury  in  1807.  He  left  several  children.  A  daughter 
married  William  Stone,  who  formerly  kept  tavern  about  a 
mile  west  of  South  Sudbury  on  the  Boston  and  Worcester 
road  (William  Stone  place).  A  son,  Joseph,  Jr.,  lived  on 
the  present  Hiram  Goodnow  farm  until  his  death.  Joseph, 
Jr.,  married  Lucy,  daughter  of  Gideon  Richardson.  They 
had  five  children,  —  Dana,  Augustus,  Dexter,  Caroline  and 
Lucy  Ann.  Augustus  married  Abby  A.,  daughter  of  John 
and  Sibel  (Read)  Allen,  and  has  four  children, — Harry  C, 
Howard  A.,  Joseph,  Mary  Sibel.  Lucy  A.  married  Hiram 
Goodenough. 

Dakin.  —  The  first  Sudbury  ancestor  of  this  family  was 
Captain  Samuel  who  was  killed  in  the  last  French  and 
Indian  War.  (See  period  1750-1775.)  Thomas,  the  father 
of  Deacon  Joseph  the  father  of  Samuel,  went  to  Concord 
prior  to  1650.  The  family  lived  in  North  Sudbury  near  the 
northern  boundary.  Three  of  them  have  been  deacons,  — 
Samuel,  June  30,  1775 ;  Levi,  March  24,  1817 ;  and  Thomas 
L.,  son  of  Levi,  in  1838. 

Dwyer. —  Richard  Dwyer  emigrated  to  America  in  1845. 
He  purchased  the  place  in  North  Sudbury  on  which  he  still 
resides.  He  has  seven  children,  —  John,  Richard,  Thomas, 
Maria,  Kate,  Mary  and  Lizzie. 

Eaton. — The  Eaton  family  descended  from  Jonas  who 
was  in  Reading  in  1642.  He  had  eight  children,  among 
whom   was   Jonas,    whose   son   John   had   eleven   children, 


440  HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY. 

among  whom  was  Jonas,  born  May  18,  1680.  Jonas  was  a 
carpenter  and  bricklayer,  and  settled  in  Framingham  in 
1705-6,  where  lie  bought  eighty  acres  of  land  and  erected  a 
house  on  the  present  John  M.  Harrington  place,  near  the 
Sudbury  and  Framingham  boundary.  He  had  ten  children, 
among  whom  was  Noah,  born  July  22,  1708.  Noah  was 
known  as  Cornet  Eaton.  He  had  eight  children,  among 
whom  was  John,  born  July  30,  1740.  John  lived  on  the  old 
homestead.  He  married  Olive  Conant  and  had  twelve  chil- 
dren, among  whom  were  Reuben  and  Sally.  Reuben,  born 
May  14,  1769,  married'  Betsy  Hunt,  and  Sally,  born  Nov.  8, 
1770,  married  Elisha  Hunt  of  Sudbury.  Reuben  went  to 
Sudbury  in  1799.  He  lived  on  the  Loring  Eaton  place 
(near  Heard's  Pond).  Among  his  children  were  Loring  and 
John.  Loring  lived  until  his  death  on  the  old  homestead, 
and  had  five  children.  John  lived  on  the  present  John 
Eaton  place  at  Lanham.  He  had  three  children,  —  Edward, 
John,  Sarah.     The  sons  live  on  the  old  farm. 

Eames.  —  This  family  is  descended  from  Thomas  Eames, 
whose  house,  in  what  is  now  Framingham,  was  destroyed  by 
the  Indians,  Feb.  1, 1675-76.  He  came  to  America  by  1634, 
served  in  the  Pequot  war  in  1637,  lived  for  a  time  in  Cam- 
bridge, and  moved  to  Sudbury  where  he  leased  "  the  Pelham 
Farm  "  (Heard's  Island,  Way  land),  and  lived  until  he  leased 
land,  in  1669,  at  Mt.  Wayte,  Framingham.  (See  page  154.) 
He  was  twice  married;  the  second  wife,  whom  he  married 
in  1662  and  who  was  killed  by  the  Indians,  was  Mary,  a 
daughter  of  John  Blandford  of  Sudbury.  It  is  supposed  he 
had  twelve  children,  three  of  whom  were  born  in  Sudbury. 
John,  one  of  the  children  of  Thomas,  born  Oct.  6,  1642, 
built  a  house  in  Framingham,  and  had  ten  children,  among 
whom  was  Henry,  born  April  28,  1698.  Henry  married 
Ruth  Newton  of  Marlboro  in  1722,  and  had  eleven  children, 
among  whom  was  Timothy.  Timothy  was  twice  married ; 
his  first  wife  was  Sarah  Stone,  who  died  April  25,  1763,  at 
the  age  of  twenty-three  ;  his  second  wife,  Hannah,  widow  of 
Dr.  Hills,  died  in  1795.  He  lived  on  the  Sewall  Hunt  place, 
south  of  Lowance  Brook.  He  had  six  children,  among  whom 
was    Phinehas,  born  May  14,  1766,  who   married   in    1788 


HISTORY  OP  SUDBURY.  441 

Jane,  daughter  of  Col.  Ezekiel  How,  and  had  eight  children, 
among  whom  was  Fisher,  who  married  Laura  H.,  daughter 
of  Benjamin  Dudley.  In  1835,  Fisher  settled  at  Lanham  on 
the  place  now  occupied  by  his  son,  Addison  E. 

Fairbank.  —  This  family  descended  from  early  inhabi- 
tants of  Framingham,  Holliston  and  Sherborn,  who  it  is 
supposed  were  descendants  of  Jonathan  Fairbank  of  the 
West  Riding  of  Yorkshire,  England,  and  settled  in  Dedham 
previous  to  1641.  The  first  who  came  to  Sudbury  was 
Jonathan,  who  came  from  Holliston  or  Sherborn  prior  to 
1783.  He  was  twice  married,  his  first  wife  being  Hannah 
Morse  of  Northboro,  who  died  leaving  two  children,  and  his 
second  wife,  Bridget  Parmenter,  who  had  ten  children.  He 
settled  in  the  south-west  part  of  the  town  on  what  is  known 
as  the  Abijah  Walker  place.  Among  Jonathan's  children 
was  Drury,  who  was  born  July  17,  1793,  and  married, 
Oct.  26,  1817,  Mary  Spring  of  Hubbardston.  He  lived  in 
the  west  part  of  Sudbury  on  the  farm  now  occupied  by 
Charles  Whitney,  on  the  road  from  Sudbury  to  Hudson. 
He  was  colonel  of  militia,  justice  of  the  peace,  and  held 
various  town  offices.  He  had  six  children,  —  Nelson,  Nancy, 
Winthrop,  J.  Parker,  Hannah,  Mary  S.,  all  of  whom  were 
born  in  Sudbury  except  Nelson  who  was  born  in  Boston. 
Nelson  is  at  present  a  town  resident  and  has  held  various 
town  offices.  He  married  Susan,  daughter  of  Aaron  and 
Lois  Hunt  of  Sudbury,  Dec.  24,  1844,  and  has  had  four 
children,  —  Albert  G.,  Hattie  S.,  Sarah  A.  and  Mary  L. 
The  latter  was  born  Dec.  12,  1858,  and  married  William  H. 
Goodnow  of  Sudbury,  Oct.  17,  1888.  J.  Parker  married 
Emily,  daughter  of  Loring  Wheeler  of  Sudbury.  His  son, 
Winthrop  H.,  lives  on  the  Tilly  Smith  farm  and  has  held  the 
office  of  selectman. 

Fisher.  — The  Sudbury  ancestor  of  the  Fisher  family  was 
Edward,  who  moved  into  town  from  Newton  in  the  early 
part  of  the  century.  His  wife  was  Mary  Norcross,  and  they 
had  nine  children,  —  Emily,  Mary,  Edward,  Fanny,  Caroline, 
Joseph,  Charles,  Martha  and  Lyman.  Six  of  these  children 
were  born  in  Newton.  Charles  married  Harriet  Brown  of 
Sudbury,  and  had  one  child,  Julia,  wife  of  Hubbard  H.  Brown. 


442  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

Martha  married  John  Goodwin,  an  ex-speaker  of  the  Massa- 
chusetts House  of  Representatives  and  editor  of  a  Lowell 
newspaper.  Lyman  married  Dolly  Con  ant,  and  his  son  Fred, 
who  resides  in  Sudbury,  married  Emma  H.,  daughter  of 
Everett  and  Mary  (Dakin)  Brown.  Edward  Fisher,  Sen., 
was  a  wheelwright,  and  carried  on  business  at  the  old  shop, 
South  Sudbury,  where  his  son  Charles  also  followed  the 
same  trade  until  his  death. 

Garfield. — A  near  ancestor  of  the  Garfield  families  in 
Sudbury  was  Enoch.  He  was  born  in  New  Hampshire  and 
his  wife  was  from  Lincoln.  His  sons,  Francis  and  John, 
were  born  in  Lincoln,  and  went  to  Sudbury  from  Concord, 
the  former  in  1860  and  the  latter  about  1854.  Francis 
married  Sarah,  daughter  of  Thomas  B.  Battles,  and  has  four 
children,  —  Emma  F.,  Thomas  F.,  Henry  C.  and  William  E. 
John  has  been  twice  married  ;  his  first  wife  was  Louisa  Rice 
of  Marlboro,  married  in  1853  ;  and  his  second  is  Harriett  M. 
Flagg  of  Lincoln,  married  in  1858.  He  has  two  children, 
Mary  L.  and  John  W.  Francis  is  a  farmer  and  John  is  in 
the  grocery  business,  and  both  reside  at  Sudbury  Centre. 

Gerry.  —  According  to  sketches  of  Stoneham,  by  Silas 
Dean,  Thomas  Gerry  came  to  America  as  boatswain  on  a 
war  vessel  sometime  in  the  seventeenth  century  and  settled 
at  Stoneham  ;  and,  after  remaining  there  several  years,  he 
entered  the  service  of  his  country  and  was  killed  in  battle. 
The  same  authority  speaks  of  him  as  a  man  of  great  courage, 
and  narrates  the  following  incident :  One  day,  when  on  his 
way  home  about  dusk,  he  came  in  contact  with  a  number  of 
wolves.  Armed  with  an  axe,  he  braced  himself  against  a 
tree  and  pitched  battle  with  his  antagonists.  The  next 
morning,  on  returning  to  the  spot,  he  found  he  had  killed 
four  wolves  and  wounded  a  fifth.  Elbridge  Gerry,  formerly 
governor  of  this  State  and  vice-president  under  Mr.  Madi- 
son's administration,  is  said  to  have  been  a  member  of  this 
family.  Thomas,  another  descendant,  was  born  in  Stone- 
ham, March  15,  1732.  He  married  for  his  first  wife  Jane 
Wilder,  and  for  his  second,  Priscilla  Jewett.  He  struck  the 
first  blow  towards  settling  the  town  of  Royalston  by  building 
a  log-house  for  another  party,  being  guided  to  the  spot  des- 
ignated by  marked   trees.      David  Jewett,  fourth  child  of 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  443 

Thomas  and  Priscilla,  was  born  in  Stirling,  Feb.  23,  1770, 
and  came  to  Sudbury  about  the  year  1817,  where  he  died, 
Oct.  27,  1849,  aged  seventy-nine.  He  married  Lucy  Thomp- 
son of  Stirling.  Their  children  were  Thomas,  Eliza,  and 
Charles.  He  kept  the  Old  Pratt  Tavern  about  five  years, 
and  subsequently  engaged  in  roof  building,  then  a  separate 
trade,  and  bridge  building.  With  his  son  Charles,  he  built 
the  first  span  bridge  across  the  Nashua  River  at  Dunstable, 
now  Nashua.  Charles  was  born  in  Fitzwilliam,  Feb.  3,  1802, 
and  went  to  Sudbury  when  about  fifteen  years  of  age.  He 
was  one  of  the  selectmen  in  Sudbury  several  years,  and 
master  builder  of  the  Acton  Powder  Mills.  For  many  years 
he  lived  on  the  present  Farr  farm.  His  children  are  Charles 
F.,  Martha  A.,  Eliza  L.,  Edwin  A.,  Israel  H.,  Laura  J., 
Sarah  A.,  David  J.,  Helen  F.,  Clara  J.,  Henry  E.,  Frank  E., 
Herbert  L.  and  two  who  died  in  infancy.  Charles  F.  is  the 
only  son  now  living  in  Sudbury. 

Harrington.  —  The  name  of  Daniel  Harrington  is  on  a 
list  of  nine  soldiers  who  were  impressed  into  the  service  by 
a  requisition  made  on  the  town  by  the  Colony  in  1675.  The 
family,  however,  has  not  been  numerous  in  Sudbury.  Edwin 
Harrington,  born  in  Lexington,  Feb.  21,  1821,  went  to  Sud- 
bury in  1843,  where  he  married  Eunice  E.,  daughter  of 
Reuben  Moore,  Nov.  27,  1845.  He  carried  on  the  wheel- 
wright's business  for  some  years  at  Sudbury  Centre  in  the 
shop  once  used  by  the  Evangelical  Union  Society  for  religious 
services.  (See  period  1825-1850.)  He  built  the  dwelling- 
house  adjoining,  and  subsequently  erected  the  house  lately 
moved  from  the  site  of  the  present  residence  of  George  E. 
He  was  town  treasurer  in  1861-1863.  He  had  one  child, 
George  E.,  who  was  born  in  Sudbury,  Oct.  27,  1846,  mar- 
ried, June  13,  1878,  Alice  E.  Brown  of  Sudbury,  who  died, 
Nov.  19,  1879,  and  Dec.  31,  1881,  married  M.  Edna  Newton 
of  South  Framingham.  He  has  three  children,  —  Beth  Mar- 
garet, Ruth  Elinor  and  Alice  Erline. 

Hudson.  —  Martin  Newton  Hudson  was  born  in  Fram- 
ingham Sept.  22,  1812.  He  went  to  Sudbury,  and,  Jan.  8, 
1837,  married  Maria,  youngest  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Olive 
(Mossman)  Read,  who  died  Jan.  17,  1857.  He  lived  at 
South  Sudbury,  and  had  three  children,  —  John  Plympton, 


444  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

Alfred  Sereno  and  Ellen  R.  He  died  at  South  Sudbury, 
Oct.  7,  1861,  at  the  age  of  forty-nine.  The  Hudson  family 
in  Sudbury  is  descended  from  Nathaniel  Hudson  of  Lancas- 
ter, born  May  15,  1671,  and  whose  father  Avas  probably  Dan- 
iel of  that  town.  Nathaniel  married  Rebekah  Rugg  and  set- 
tled in  Lancaster  where  his  two  older  children  were  killed 
by  the  Indians.  From  1709-1719  he  lived  in  Billerica  where 
he  held  town  oflice.  He  afterward  removed  to  Framingliam. 
Nathaniel  had  eight  children  besides  those  killed  by  the  Indi- 
ans,—  Nathaniel,  Abigail,  Sarah,  Samuel,  John,  William  and 
Johanna.  William  lived  at  Framingham,  married,  March  8, 
1747,  Dorcas  Walkup,  and  had  three  children,  —  Nathan, 
Thomas  and  William,  all  of  whom  were  baptized  in  Fram- 
ingliam. William,  baptized  May  11,  1755,  married  Tabitha 
Kibbey  and  had  three  children,  among  whom  was  Nathan, 
born  Dec.  15,  1786.  Nathan  was  twice  married.  His  first 
wife  was  Annie,  daughter  of  Andrew  Newton,  married  July 
3,  1808,  by  which  marriage  he  had  four  children,  among 
whom  was  Martin  Newton  of  Sudbury. 

Hayden.  —  The  Hayden  family  was  in  Sudbury  as  early 
as  1701,  and  settled  near  the  west  boundary  of  the  town. 
The  name  of  Josiah  Hayden  is  on  the  list  of  west  side 
remonstrants  to  the  division  of  the  town  into  two  parishes 
in  1707,  and  it  is  repeatedly  on  the  muster-rolls  a  century 
and  a  half  later.  Within  the  last  fifty  }rears  the  family  has 
gradually  died  out ;  the  last  one  being  Dana,  who  lived  until 
his  death  on  the  old  farm. 

Hour.  —  The  first  of  this  family  in  Sudbury  was  Richard 
R.,  who  came  in  1850  from  Castleton,  Vt.  His  mother  was 
of  the  old  Smith  family  of  East  Sudbury  (Way land).  He 
married  for  his  first  wife  Julia  N.  Brown  of  Sudbury,  in 
1853,  who  died,  1877.  His  second  wife  is  Annie  Lee,  a 
native  of  England.  By  his  first  marriage  he  had  two  chil- 
dren,—  Jervis  E.  and  Roger  IL,  by  the  second  he  had 
Howard  A.  He  has  held  the  office  of  selectman  three  years 
and  trustee  of  the  Goodnow  Library  fifteen  years. 

Hurlbut. —  Rev.  Rufus  Hurlbut  was  the  first  Sudbury 
ancestor  of  the  famiiy  now  living  in  town.  He  had  six 
children, — Thomas   P.,   Mary   S.,  William   R.,  Steven   H., 


RESIDENCE    OF    RICHARD    R.    HORR, 
So.    Sudbury. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  445 

John  L.  and  James  D.  Thomas  Prentiss  married  a  daughter 
of  Curtis  Moore  of  Sudbury  and  had  three  children,  —  Rufus, 
Elisabeth  and  Helen.  He  was  a  prominent  citizen  and  held 
various  town  offices.  Between  1864  and  1872  he  was  chair- 
man of  the  board  of  selectmen.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Massachusetts  House  of  Representatives  in  1870  and  1873, 
and  of  the  Senate  in  1874.  He  was  chairman  of  the  town 
committee  for  the  arrangement  of  terms  at  the  incorporation 
of  Maynard.  For  years  he  was  deacon  of  the  Evangelical 
Union  Church,  which  position  he  held  at  the  time  of  his 
death.  Rufus,  son  of  Thomas  P.,  married  Catherine,  daughter 
of  Jonas  Tower  of  Sudbury,  and  has  four  children,  —  Arthur 
S.,  Marion  B.,  Grace  P.  and  Anza  P.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  House  of  Representatives  in  1884.  He  lives  at  South 
Sudbury  and  is  one  of  the  firm  of  Hurlbut  &  Rogers,  ma- 
chinists. 

Jones. —  An  early  inhabitant  of  this  name  was  John,  who 
lived  at  Lanham,  and  was  a  soldier  in  the  expedition  to 
Canada  in  1690.  Early  in  1700  he  moved  to  Framingham. 
He  had  two  sons,  both  named  John,  one  of  whom  died  young, 
the  other,  born  July  If),  1709,  lived  on  his  father's  place  in 
Framingham,  was  twice  married,  and  had  six  children,  one 
of  whom  was  Samuel,  born  Nov.  18,  1746.  Samuel  settled 
in  Framingham,  and  went  to  Dublin,  N.  H.,  about  1779, 
where  he  died  in  1820.  The  Joneses  now  in  Sudbury  are 
descendants  of  the  Jones  family  in  Holliston,  whose  ancestor 
was,  probably,  Colonel  John  of  Boston,  who  in  1715  removed 
to  what  is  now  Ashland,  then  Framingham.  Samuel,  son  of 
Samuel  of  Holliston,  went  to  Sudbury  where  he  married 
Rachel  Haynes,  Feb.  12,  1778.  He  had  eight  children,— 
Joshua,  Samuel,  Joel,  Asa,  John,  Lydia,  Rachel  and  Eliza. 
Joshua's  children  were  William  and  Cyrus.  William  mar- 
ried Sarah  Bogie  of  Sudbury  and  had  three  children,  — 
William,  John  and  Marshall.  John,  son  of  William  and 
Sarah,  resides  at  South  Sudbury.  Samuel  had  five  children, 
one  of  whom  was  William,  who  married  Catherine,  daughter 
of  Israel  Howe  Brown,  and  lives  at  South  Sudbury.  Asa  had 
three  children,  among  whom  was  Smith,  who  lives  at  Sud- 
bury Centre  (Hurlbut  place).     John,  the  youngest  son  of 


446  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

Samuel  and  Rachel,  had  seven  children,  among  whom  was 
Maynard  and  Dexter.  Dexter  has  been  twice  married  ;  his 
first  wife  was  Emily  Richardson  and  his  second  Elizabeth 
Hurlbut,  both  of  Sudbury.  He  lives  on  the  road  between 
South  Sudbury  and  the  Centre.  He  has  held  various  town 
offices  and  was  Representative  to  the  Legislature  in  18G1. 

Lyon.  —  Patrick  Lyon  emigrated  to  America  in  1844. 
He  purchased  a  place  in  North  Sudbury  where  he  has  resided 
for  about  thirty-five  years.  He  has  five  children,  —  John, 
Frank,  Thomas,  Mary,  and  Margaret. 

O'Neil.  —  John  O'Neil  attended  St.  Jarlath's  College, 
Suam,  Ireland,  and  was  a  member  of  the  government  sur- 
veying party  that  surveyed  England,  Ireland  and  Scotland 
in  1845.  He  emigrated  to  America  in  1849,  and  settled  at 
Concord.  He  married  Julia,  daughter  of  Thomas  McManus 
of  Assabet.  In  1863,  he  moved  to  the  Samuel  Puffer  fariri, 
North  Sudbury,  where  he  still  resides.  He  has  four  sons,  — 
Thomas  F.,  John  L.,  Charles  E.  and  Joseph  M.  Thomas  F. 
was  sent  as  Representative  to  the  Legislature  in  1887. 

Osborn.  —  An  early  inhabitant  by  this  name  was  Samuel. 
His  father's  name  was  Andrew,  who,  with  his  wife,  came  to 
this  country  from  Annapolis,  Ireland.  Samuel  was  born  on 
the  water.  He  married  Lydia  Griffith  of  East  Sudbury 
(Wayland),  Nov.  1,  1732,  and  had  five  children,  two  of 
whom  were  Samuel  and  Daniel.  Daniel  married  Sarah  Perry 
of  Sudbury,  Nov.  16,  1769.  He  lived  south  of  Hart  Pond, 
his  house  being  but  a  short  distance  from  the  County  road. 
The  Osborn  place  in  the  south  part  of  the  town  was  the  farm 
since  owned  b}r  Isaac  Clark. 

Perry.  —  The  Perry  family  is  descended  from  Ebenezer 
Perry,  who  came  from  Dedham,  probably  not  far  from  the 
beginning  of  the  eighteenth  century.  He  married  Mercy 
Brigham,  and  lived  on  the  farm  now  occupied  by  Obadiah 
and  Levi  Perry  in  the  west  part  of  the  town.  He  died  in 
1731.  He  had  a  son  Obadiah,  whose  son  John  was  the 
father  of  Obadiah,  who  was  the  father  of  Obadiah  and 
Levi  E.  Obadiah,  the  father  of  Obadiah  and  Levi  E.,  was 
born  March  25,  1779.  He  had  eight  children,  —  Betsy, 
Jesse,   Lyman,  John,  Charles,  Luc}',  Obadiah  and  Levi  E. 


HISTORY   OF  SUDBURY.  447 

Obadiah  was  born  Oct.  9,  1817  ;  Levi  E.  was  born  March 
18,  1820,  and  has  two  children,  —  Ellen  Maria,  born  July  2, 
1847,  and  Sylvester  Dwight,  born  Jan.  4.  1851. 

Powers.  —  Abijah  Powers,  first  of  the  name  in  Sudbury, 
was  a  native  of  Maine.  He  went  from  Stirling  to  Sudbury 
in  1841,  and  purchased  a  place  at  the  Centre  where  he  still 
lives  and  carries  on  the  blacksmith's  business.  In  1838,  he 
married  Delia  Maynard  of  North  Sudbury  and  has  had  four 
children,  —  Emily  R.,  Edwin  A.  (died  in  1846),  Clara  A. 
and  Edwin  A.  Edwin  A.  married  Emma  F.,  daughter  of 
Francis  and  Sarah  Garfield,  in  1869,  and  has  one  son,  — 
Willard  M. 

Pratt.  —  An  early  Sudbury  resident  of  the  name  was 
Ephraim,  who,  with  others,  in  1729  signed  a  petition  asking 
that  the  subscribers,  who  claimed  to  be  owners  of  the  New 
Grant  lots,  might  hold  a  legal  meeting  "  to  be  at  the  house 
of  Jonathan  Rice  (North  West  District)  in  said  Sudbury, 
Innholder."  The  farm  occupied  by  Ephraim  Pratt  was 
known  as  the  VVedge-Pratt  farm,  which  was  sold  in  1743  to 
Jabez  Puffer  of  Braintree,  and  is  now  included  in  the  town 
of  Maynard.  Mr.  Pratt  moved  to  Shutesbuiy,  where  he 
died  in  1804  at  the  age  of  one  hundred  and  sixteen  years. 
He  was  born  in  Sudbury  in  1687.  Dr.  Dwight,  having 
visited  him  a  short  time  before  his  death,  in  his  "  Travels  " 
gives  the  following  facts  concerning  him :  "  He  was  of 
middle  stature ;  firmly  built ;  plump,  but  not  encumbered 
with  flesh;  less  withered  than  multitudes  at  seventy;  pos- 
sessed of  considerable  strength,  .  .  .  and  without  any  marks 
of  extreme  age."  But  a  short  time  before,  his  sight  and 
hearing  had  become  impaired.  "  His  memory  was  still  vig- 
orous ;  his  understanding  sound  and  his  mind  sprightly  and 
vigorous.  He  had  been  a  laborious  man  all  his  life ;  and  had 
mown  grass  one  hundred  and  one  years  successively.  The 
preceding  summer  he  had  been  unable  to  perform  this  labor ; 
but  in  1802  he  walked  without  inconvenience  two  miles  and 
mowed  a  small  quantit}r  of  grass.  .  .  .  Throughout  his  life  he 
had  been  uniformly  temperate.  ...  In  the  vigorous  periods 
of  his  life  he  had  accustomed  himself  to  eat  flesh,  but  more 
abstemiously  than  most  other  people  in  this  country.     Milk, 


448  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

which  had  always  been  a  great  part,  was  now  the  whole  of 
his  diet."  He  was  never  sick  but  once,  and  then  with  fever 
and  ague.  Nathan  Pratt,  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Amer- 
ican Powder  Company,  was  a  native  of  Fitchburg,  came  to 
Sudbury  from  Charlestown  about  1833,  moved  to  Arlington 
about  1855,  and  left  the  powder  business  in  1805.  He  had 
no  children.  Nathan,  a  nephew  of  Nathan  and  present  resi- 
dent of  the  town,  was  a  son  of  Capt.  Levi  Pratt.  He  was 
born  in  Fitchburg  in  1829,  and  came  to  Sudbury  Jan.  1, 
1849.  He  was  for  twenty-one  years  in  the  employ  of  the 
American  Powder  Company,  and  from  1800  to  1870  super- 
intendent of  the  Powder  Mills.  In  1870,  he  bought  and  took 
possession  of  the  property  previously  known  as  "  Moore's 
Mills  "  in  the  west  part  of  the  town,  which  consists  of  a  saw, 
grist  and  planing  mill.  Mr.  Pratt  is  a  Director  in  the 
American  Powder  Company  and  the  Hudson  National  Bank 
and  Trustee  of  the  Hudson  Savings  Bank.  He  has  also  held 
various  town  offices  and  was  chairman  of  the  board  of  select- 
men for  four  years.  In  1855,  he  married  Harriet,  daughter 
of  Aaron  Hunt  of  Sudbuiy,  and  has  three  children, —  Sarah 
E.,  Harriet  M.  and  Nathan  R.  Sarah  E.  has  for  the  past 
nine  years  been  a  teacher  in  the  State  Normal  School,  Frain- 
ingham. 

Puffer.  —  This  family  first  appeared  in  Boston  in  1040, 
and  was  granted  land  at  Mount  Wollaston,  now  Quincy. 
George,  who  sometimes  was  called  Poffer,  had  three  chil- 
dren. James  the  oldest  married  at  Braintree,  1050,  Mary 
Ludden.  He  had  six  children,  —  James,  born  1663,  and 
Jabez,  1072;  both  removed  to  Sudbury  in  1712.  James 
married  Mary  Ellis  of  Dedham  in  1090,  and  had  six  children 
born  in  Braintree  ;  he  died  in  1749.  Captain  Jabez  married 
Mary  Glazier  in  1702  and  had  seven  children,  all  but  the 
last  two  born  in  Braintree ;  he  died  in  1740.  Jabez  2d 
married  Thankful  Hay  ties  in  1731,  Samuel  married  Dorothy 
Haynes  in  1732.  They  were  sons  of  Jabez  1st  and  married 
sisters.  Reuben,  son  of  Jabez  2d,  graduated  at  Harvard 
College  in  1778,  and  was  settled  at  Berlin.  He  died  in  1829. 
He  was  distinguished  in  his  profession,  and  received  the 
degree   of   D.  D.    from   Harvard  College  in   1810.      A.   D. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  449 

Puffer  —  a  great-grandson  of  Jabez  2d,  who  resides  in  Med- 
ford  and  is  an  extensive  manufacturer  of  soda  fountains  — 
was  born  in  Sudbury  in  1819.  Daniel,  grandson  of  Jabez 
2d,  was  an  extensive  land  owner.  The  Puffer  family  have 
lived  mostly  in  the  north-west  and  north-east  parts  of  the 
town.  Deacon  Samuel  Puffer  lived  in  the  latter  district  in 
the  early  part  of  the  present  century.  One  branch  of  the 
Puffer  family,  in  which  the  name  Daniel  has  been  prominent, 
was  so  noted  for  skill  in  catching  wild  pigeons  as  to  give 
rise  to  the  term,  familiar  in  Sudbury,  of  Pigeon  Catcher 
Puffer.  Luther,  a  son  of  Samuel,  Jr.,  graduated  at  Bowdoin 
College  in  1853.  Alpheus,  another  son,  is  a  resident  of 
South  Sudbury.  James,  a  son  of  Josiah,  resides  at  Sudbury 
Centre. 

Richardson.  —  Major  Josiah  was  the  first  of  the  Richard- 
son family  in  Sudbury.  He  was  born  in  Woburn  Jan.  12, 
1701-2,  and  married  Experience,  daughter  of  Benjamin 
Wright  of  Sudbury.  They  had  four  children,  —  Gideon, 
Josiah,  Experience  and  Luther.  Gideon  went  into  the 
ministry  and  settled  at  Wells,  Me.,  but  soon  afterwards  died. 
The  Richardsons  of  the  present  day  are  descendants  of 
Josiah,  Jr.,  who  was  the  only  son  living  when  his  father 
made  his  will  in  1758.  Major  Josiah  Richardson  lived  on 
the  Israel  Howe  Brown  place,  which  once  included  what  are 
now  the  Newton  and  Hiram  Goodenow  farms,  —  the  first  of 
which  formerly  belonged  to  Gideon,  son  of  Josiah,  Jr.,  and 
the  latter  to  Joseph  Cutter,  who  married  Lucy,  one  of 
Gideon's  daughters.  Major  Richardson  has  already  been 
mentioned  in  connection  with  the  Sudbury  militia.  In  1765, 
Josiah  was  appointed  coroner  of  Middlesex  County.  The 
family  have  lived  mostly  at  South  Sudbury.  Abel  Richard- 
son, son  of  Gideon,  for  years  owned  the  saw  and  grist  mill 
there,  and  his  brother  Josiah  was  a  well-known  musician. 
Benjamin,  a  son  of  Benjamin,  who  was  brother  of  Josiah  and 
Abel,  represented  Sudbury  in  the  Legislature  in  1858,  and 
is  a  justice  of  the  peace.  He  has  had  eight  children, — 
Anna  M.,  Merrick  L.,  Clifford  W.,  Waldo  F.,  Emily  C, 
Leonard  F.,  Ralf  L.,  Nellie  M. 

Robinson.  —  A  member  of  this  family  early  in  town  lived 


450  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

in  a  house  which  stood  on  or  near  the  Smith  Jones  place 
(Hurlbut  place).  He  had  several  children,  among  whom 
were  Paul,  Oliver  and  Silas.  He  went  from  Stow  to  Sud- 
bury, where  he  died.  Paul  was  born  in  Stow,  went  to 
Sudbury,  and  had  several  children,  among  whom  was  Dexter, 
who  still  lives  at  South  Sudbury.  Dexter  had  two  children, 
Fitz  A.  and  Martha  A.  Fitz  married  Louisa  Tower  of  Sud- 
bury Centre  and  resides  in  Weston.  Martha  married  Elias 
King. 

Rogers.  —  The  Rogers  family  has  been  in  town  more 
than  three-quarters  of  a  century.  The  first  was  Walter, 
born  in  Marshfield  Aug.  6,  1767;  he  came  from  Braintree 
in  1805.  His  wife  was  Betsey  Barstow  of  Hanover,  born 
Aug.  1,  1772.  He  purchased  of  Mr.  Waite  a  part  of  the 
Jonas  Holden  place,  of  which  the  C.  G.  Cutler  farm  is  also 
a  part,  and  both  of  which  belonged  to  the  George  Pitts 
place  in  the  early  part  of  the  eighteenth  century.  He 
erected  a  house  on  the  farm  and  died  in  Sudbury  at  an 
advanced  age.  He  was  a  person  of  considerable  mechanical 
ability,  having  made  a  hand  fire  engine  for  his  own  use.  He 
had  nine  children,  —  Betsey,  Lydia,  Lucy,  Abigail,  Mary, 
Jane,  Walter,  Nancy,  Samuel  B.  Betsey,  widow  of  Deacon 
Gardner  Hunt,  is  still  living  at  the  age  of  about  ninety. 
Walter  married  for  his  first  wife  Emily  M.  Hayden,  Dec.  1, 
1831,  and  for  his  second  wife  Emeline  S.,  daughter  of  Wil- 
liam Stone  of  Sudbury,  July  10,  1855.  He  owns  and  occu- 
pies the  old  homestead,  and  has  had  five  children,  —  Bradley, 
Edwin,  Albert,  Homer  and  Elizabeth.  Samuel  B.  has  been 
a  prominent  business  man  in  South  Sudbury.  He  married 
Eliza,  daughter  of  Noah  Parmenter,  and  has  had  four  chil- 
dren,—  Alfred  S.,  Bradley  S.,  Melvina  A.,  Atherton  W. 
Atherton  resides  at  South  Sudbury  and  is  chairman  of  the 
present  board  of  selectmen. 

Taylor.  —  The  name  of  Mello  C.  Taylor  is  recorded  in 
connection  with  a  petition  to  Governor  Dudley  by  the  West 
Side  inhabitants  in  1706-7  ;  and  among  the  inhabitants  of 
the  north-west  district,  early  in  the  century,  was  Richard 
Taylor,  who  was  one  of  the  Proprietors  of  and  prominently 
connected  with  the  settlement  of  Grafton.     (See  page  167.) 


HISTORY   OP   SUDBURY.  451 

Hezekiah  and  John  were  early  settlers  of  what  is  now  May- 
nard.  The  immediate  ancestor  of  the  present  Taylor  family 
in  Sudbury  was  John,  who  went  to  Sudbury  from  Stow 
about  1800.  He  married  for  his  first  wife  Mary  Conant  of 
Framingham,  and  for  his  second  wife  Elizabeth  Hews  of 
Weston.  By  his  second  marriage  he  had  six  children,  — 
Mary,  Eliza,  Cyrus,  Sarah,  Rebecca  and  Susan.  Sarah  mar- 
ried Thomas  B.  Battles  of  Sudbury.  C}tus,  born  1796, 
married  Mary  Barker  of  Sudbury  and  had  nine  children,  — 
John,  Sewall,  Mary,  George,  Henry,  Susan,  Lewis,  Andrew 
and  Martha.  John  married  Caroline,  daughter  of  Samuel 
Jones  of  Sudbury,  and  has  one  child,  Carrie,  who  married 
W.  H.  Bent,  formerly  of  Sudbury.  Sewall  married  Mrs. 
Susan  (Moore)  Moulton.  George  married  Susan  Spring  of 
Weston,  and  has  one  son,  Edward. 

Thompson.  —  Tradition  says  that  the  first  Thompson  in 
Sudbury  was  born  on  the  passage  from  England  to  America. 
While  living  in  Sudbury,  but  absent  from  home,  his  house 
was  at  one  time  attacked  by  the  Indians.  His  wife,  with  an 
infant  child,  escaped  to  the  woods.  In  her  flight  she 
received  a  musket-ball  in  the  leg  from  which  she  suffered 
greatly,  being  obliged  to  stay  in  the  woods  all  night.  A  son, 
James,  was  town  clerk  in  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth 
century.  Jedediah,  son  of  James,  was  born  and  died  in 
Sudbmy.  Nahum,  son  of  Jedediah,  was  a  prominent  citizen. 
In  the  early  part  of  his  life  he  was  town  clerk,  and  later 
town  treasurer.  He  had  seven  children,  three  of  whom 
are  sons,  of  whom  Alfred  is  a  Sudbury  resident.  The  old 
Thompson  house  at  South  Sudbury  stood  just  west  of  the 
track  of  the  Massachusetts  Central  Railroad  at  its  junction 
with  the  county  highway.  A  part  of  it  was  moved  to  the 
Thadeus  Moore  place  west  of  Hayden's  Bridge. 

Walker.  —  Thomas  Walker  is  mentioned  as  teacher  of  a 
free  school  in  Sudbury  in  1664.  (See  page  139.)  He  is  also 
mentioned  as  an  Innholder  in  1672.  Thomas,  probably  the 
same  one,  had  eight  children,  among  whom  were  Mary  and 
Thomas.  Mary  married  Rev.  James  Sherman  ;  and  Thomas, 
born  May  22,  1664,  bought  sixty  acres  of  land,  April  10, 
1688,  of  Gookin  and  How,  in  the  territory  now  Framingham, 


452  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

and  built  a  house  near  Rice's  End.  He  married  Martha, 
daughter  of  Samuel  How,  Dec.  7,  1687,  and  had  ten  chil- 
dren, among  whom  was  Samuel,  born  Sept.  24,  1689,  who 
married,  Nov.  3,  1715,  Hannah  Jennings.  Samuel  and 
Hannah  had  five  children,  among  whom  was  Azariah,  born 
June  24,  1722,  who  married  Abigail  Seaver.  The  youngest 
son  of  Azariah  was  Mathias,  who  married,  in  1792,  Jane 
Moulton  of  East  Sudbury,  and  one  of  whose  sons,  Azariah, 
born  Nov.  1,  1798,  married  Miranda  Bogle  and  moved  to 
Sudbury.  His  son  Francis  married  Ellen,  daughter  of  Ed- 
ward Brown  of  Sudbury,  and  lives  on  the  old  homestead. 
Their  children  are  Eugene,  Prentiss,  Elinor,  Shirley  and 
Carlton.  Thomas  has  been  a  common  family  name.  It  is 
found  on  the  "  Old  Petition  "  in  1676,  in  a  list  of  those  who 
shared  the  town's  stock  of  ammunition  in  1688,  and  in  the 
muster-roll  of  the  2nd  Foot  Company  in  1757.  From 
William,  son  of  Thomas  1st,  has  descended  the  Walker 
family  that  long  lived  in  the  west  part  of  the  town.  He  had 
a  son  Thomas  who  was  deacon  of  the  Sudbury  Church  and 
father  of  Paul,  who  was  sent  as  a  representative  to  the 
Legislature.  Willard  Walker,  son  of  Paul,  lives  on  the  old 
farm.  He  has  been  twice  married  and  has  three  children,  — 
Roselbie,  Caroline  and  Georgiana. 

Wheeler.  —  It  is  quite  probable  that  this  family  came 
from  Concord,  where  the  name  appears  from  the  settlement 
of  the  town.  It  is  stated  (History  of  Concord)  that  the 
family  came  from  Wales,  and  that  the  descendants  have  been 
so  numerous  and  so  many  have  borne  the  same  Christian 
name  that  their  genealogy  is  traced  with  great  difficulty. 
The  name  of  George  Wheller  is  on  a  muster-roll  of  the  2nd 
Foot  Company  in  1757  ;  and  the  name  of  Caleb  Wheeler  is 
attached  to  a  petition  to  the  selectmen  asking  that  a  town- 
meeting  be  called  to  consider  the  matter  of  purchasing  a 
house  for  small-pox  patients.  A  prominent  member  of  the 
family  in  the  present  century  was  Loring,  whose  father, 
Abel,  was  born  in  Sudbury  July  21,  1776.  Loring  married, 
April  10,  1827,  Polly  Cutter  of  Temple,  N.  II.,  and  had 
seven  children.  He  lived  until  his  death,  Oct.  15,  1855,  on 
the  place  formerly  occupied  by  his  father  in  the  east  part  of 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  45S 

the  town.  He  had  five  children,  —  Emily,  Adaline,  Loring, 
Henrietta  and  Abel.  Emily  married  J.  Parker  Fairbanks  ; 
Adaline,  John  Goodenow ;  and  Henrietta,  James  Puffer,  all 
of  Sudbury.  Loring,  Sen.,  was  for  years  on  the  board  of 
selectmen. 

Willis.  —  The  names  of  Samuel  and  Joseph  Willis  appear 
on  a  petition  of  1706-7  ;  and  on  a  list  of  the  2nd  Foot 
Company  of  1757  are  the  names  of  Serg't  Joseph,  Jesse, 
Reuben  and  John.  The  family  have,  for  the  most  part, 
lived  in  the  westerly  or  north-westerly  part  of  the  town,  and 
Willis  Pond  and  Willis  Hill  are  familiar  landmarks.  Among 
well-known  citizens  of  the  present  century,  descendants  of 
whom  still  live  in  town,  were  Smith  and  James  Prescott, 
brothers  ;  Daniel  Lyman  and  George  W.,  brothers ;  and  Eli. 
The  former  two  were  sons  of  Silas.  Smith  had  two  daugh- 
ters, Adaliza  and  Iantha.  James  P.  married  Adaline  R. 
Haynes,  lived  near  Sudbury  Centre  and  had  five  children,  — 
James  L.,  Albert,  Adaline,  Edward  and  Charles  P.  James 
L.  married  for  his  first  wife  Emily  R.,  daughter  of  Abijah 
Powers,  June  17, 1866  ;  for  his  second  wife,  Ella  S.  Simpson, 
July  7,  1870.  Charles  P.  married  Cora  E.  Willard.  Both 
are  residents  of  Sudbury.  Daniel  Lyman  married  Sarah, 
daughter  of  Joseph  Reed,  and  had  eleven  children,  —  Jerusha, 
George,  Charles  A.,  Nancy,  Mary,  Abi,  George  L.,  Joseph  H., 
Samuel  A.,  Charles  A.  and  John  F.  Joseph  H.  married 
Caroline  Hunt  and  had  one  child  named  Samuel.  George  W. 
married  Adaline  Haynes  and  had  six  children,  —  Edward, 
Cyrus  L.,  Harriet  E.,  Mary,  Adaline  and  Ella.  Eli  married 
a  daughter  of  Israel  Haynes  of  Sudbury  and  had  several 
children,  one  of  whom,  Eli,  married  Sarah  Butterfield  and 
lives  at  Lanham. 

By  this  brief  review  of  family  history,  we  are  reminded 
that  the  years  have  brought  changes  in  the  homesteads  and 
among  the  households  of  Sudbury.  There  has  been  a  going 
out  and  coming  in  of  inhabitants,  and  not  only  highways, 
occupations,  churches  and  schools  have  changed,  but  whole 
families  have  vanished,  leaving  no  one  to  perpetuate  their 
names. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

1800-1825. 

Continuation  of  Old  Customs  to  the  Beginning  of  the  Present  Century. 

—  Inventory  in  a  Will  of  1806.  —  Extracts  from  an  Old  Account 
Book.  —  Description  of  Manners  and  Customs  by  an  Old  Inhabitant. 

—  Changes  in  the  Early  Part  of  the  Nineteenth  Century.  —  Extract 
from  "  Fireside  Hymns."  —  Highway  Work.  —  North  Sudbury  Road. 
South  Sudbury  Road.  —  Rebuilding  Wash  Bridge.  —  Railing  the 
Causeway.  —  Setting  out  Willow  Trees.  —  Rebuilding  the  Canal 
Bridge.  —  Miscellaneous.  —  Educational  Matters.  —  Report  of  School 
Committee  in  1802.  —  Removal  of  Centre  School-House  to  the  Com- 
mon.—  Singing  Society.  —  Church  Music.  —  Military  Matters.  —  Pa- 
triotic Attitude  Assumed  by  the  Town.  —  Money  Pledged  to  Soldiers 
as  Wages.  —  As  Bounty.  —  Patriotic  Resolutions.  —  Militia  Officers. 

—  How  Chosen.  —  Where.  —  Specimen  of  Company  Order.  —  Sol- 
diers in  1812.  —  Wages  per  Day.  —  Settlement  of  Rev.  Timothy 
Hilliard.  —  Ordaining  Council.  —  Dismission.  —  Bill  Allowed  for  En- 
tertaining the  Dismissing  Council.  —  Sketch  of  Mr.  Hilliard.  —  Ap- 
pointment of  a  Day  of  Fasting  and  Prayer  Relative  to  the  Settlement 
of  a  New  Minister.  —  Call  Extended  to  Rev.  Rufus  Hurlbut. — 
Accepted. —  Death  of  Rev.  Jacob  Bigelow.  —  His  Annuity.  —  Money 
Paid  his  Widow  for  Service  Rendered  by  the  Clergy  as  a  Gift  to 
her.  —  Funeral  Expenses.  —  Sketch  of  Mr.  Bigelow.  —  Addition  to 
the  Church  during  his  Ministry.  —  Enlarging  the  Burying  Ground. 

—  Purchase  of  a  Bier  and  Hearse.  —  Formation  of  "Sudbury  Min- 
isterial Land  Corporation."  —  Sale  of  Ministerial  Land.  —  Report  of 
the  "  Ministerial  Fund  Corporation." 

By  the  fireside  there  are  old  men  seated 
Seeing  ruined  cities  in  the  ashes, 

Asking  sadly 
Of  the  Past  what  it  can  ne'er  restore  them. 

Longfellow. 

The  interest  of  the  community  in  ecclesiastical  matters  in 
the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century  was  similar  to  that 
of  the  century  that  preceded  it.  The  town  was  the  parish 
and  the  church  was  still  at  the  front.     The  people  regarded 

454 


HISTORY  OF  SUDBURY.  455 

the  minister  as  the  exponent  of  a  system  of  truth  that 
they  revered  and  of  a  faith  that  they  cherished  and  taxed 
themselves  to  support.  Marked  respect  was  shown  him 
by  both  old  and  young ;  the  former  not  being  too  busy  to 
leave  the  workshop  or  field  when  he  called,  and  the  latter, 
not  having  so  far  outgrown  that  civility  which  is  becoming 
to  youth,  as  to  pass  unnoticed  one  whose  calling  was  held  in 
such  esteem  by  their  elders.  The  Sabbath  was  observed  by 
a  general  attendance  at  church,  and  a  large  share  of  the 
town  officials  were  either  church  members  or  regular  church 
attendants.  Special  church  occasions,  such  as  ordinations, 
installations  and  dedications,  were  gala  days  to  the  com- 
munity, and  days  of  fasting  and  thanksgiving  were  relig- 
iously observed.  The  outward  form  of  religion  was  not 
then  divorced  from  the  town-meeting,  the  school  or  the 
home. 

Politically  and  socially,  at  the  beginning  of  the  present 
century,  affairs  were  conducted  largely  as  in  the  century 
preceding.  Officials  were  elected  mainly  on  the  basis  of 
merit.  Military  honors  were  still  recognized.  The  same 
strict  economy  was  practised  and  the  same  careful  consid- 
eration of  need  before  the  smallest  expenditure.  If  it  was 
only  to  decide  upon  the  location  of  a  horse-shed,  the  town 
deemed  the  matter  of  sufficient  importance  to  adjourn  its 
town-meeting  to  take  a  look  at  the  premises,  and,  if  thought 
desirable  to  erect  a  "noon-house,"  it  might  be  essential  to 
bring  the  subject  before  the  town. 

The  custom  and  manner  of  living  had  not  yet  undergone 
any  radical  change,  and  all  "  new  fangled  "  things  were  still 
looked  upon  with  suspicion.  The  fireplace  was  the  same  as 
when  the  family  group  sat  about  it  at  evening  and  listened 
to  the  tales  of  Indian  warfare.  The  people  still  wore  the 
coarse  cloth  their  own  hands  spun  and  wove.  The  hired 
man  and  the  housemaid  might  be  children  of  some  of  the 
most  well-to-do  families  in  town.  Travel  was  largely  on 
horseback  or  on  foot.  The  horseblock  by  the  meeting-house 
was  still  in  use.  Malt  was  a  common  commodity.  New 
England  rum  was  considered  essential  in  hay-time.  The 
wooden  plow  was  in  use,  and  the  hay-fork  and  other  farming 


456 


HISTOKY  OF   STJDBUKY. 


tools  were  still  made  by  the  village  smith.  As  late  as  1806 
the  following  articles  are  mentioned  in-  the  will  of  Hopestill 
Willis  of  Sudbury,  which  is,  perhaps,  a  fair  specimen  of  the 
inventory  of  a  householder  about  the  beginning  of  this 
century :  "  One  calaca  gown.  A  small  Spinning  Wheel. 
Wooden  Ware.  Meal  sieve.  Old  Chist.  Pewter  Ware. 
Warming  pan.  Flax  comb.  Candle  sticks  and  shears. 
Tongs,  Trowels,  meat  tub.     Cyder  barrel." 

In  order  to  show  the  articles  manufactured  and  used  in 
town  about  the  beginning  of  the  present  century,  the  price 
of  work  and  of  some  common  commodities,  we  quote  a  few 
extracts  from  the  account  book  of  James  Thompson  of  South 
Sudbury. 


£ 


Jeduthan  Moore  Dr 

To  making  a  slead  0-  4-0 

to  two  Bushil  of  Malt  0 

to  two  pecks  of  Ground  Malt  0 

to  mending  a  Spinning  Wheele  0 

to  a  pair  of  temples.  0 

Hezekiah  Moore  Dr  Old  Tenor 

1770  to  making  a  Bedstead 
to  making  a  flax  Breake 
1771.  to  one  Days  Reaping  of  Abel 

Ashur  Cutler  Dr   Old  Tenor. 

1772  to  two  days  Labour  at  the  Mill 

1773  to  Ashur's  Trundle  Bedstead 
to  a  kneeding  Trough 

1774  Making  the  Sawmill  whele  and  work  in  the  mill 
Making  a  foot  to  a  Little  whele 

Credt  to  Mr  Ashur  Cutler   Old  Tenor 

1771  by  one  Bushil  of  Rie 
one  Bushil  of  Indian  Corn 
and  one  Bushil  of  Malt 

Capt  John  Nixon  Dr  Old  tenor 
Jan  ye  10th  1774  to  making  a  Slay  and  finding  nails 
May  ye  26,  1774  to  mending  a  Spinning  Wheele 
July  at  the  Begining  to  making  a  cart  and  Ladders 

and  finding  boards 
and  making  an  ox  yoke 

Jan?  1775.  to  one  Bushil  of  Malt  1  - 

April  17.  1775  to  a  Chist  2  - 


9:0 
2:9 
0:6 

1:  0 

s    d 

2-  0-0 
1-  2-6 
0-15-0 

1-16-0 
0-18-0 
0-  9-0 
5-10-0 

0-  3-0 

1-  7-0 
1-  2-6 
1-  5-0 

3-  0-0 
0-  5-0 

3-  7-6 
0-  7-6 
5-0 
8-0 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY. 


457 


7:0 
1  :2 
6:0 
8:0 


Coln  John  Nixon  Dr  old  Tenor 

1776.  to  Kneeding  trough  1  :    2:6 

to  four  Bushils  of  Barley  Malt  7-   0-0 

Dec.  27th  1776  to  Coffin  for  his  wife  3-   0-0 

July  1783.  Recd  of  Gen11  Nixon  2:2:0 

1781,  Isaac  Hunt.  Debtor  in  Lawful  money, 

to  making  a  cart  body  0  :  12  :  0 

To  a  Coffin  for  his  Father  0  :  10  :  0 

To  making  a  Slead  0  :    5:0 

Jonas  Holden  Jur   Debtor  to  James  Thompson 

1790  to  2  Days  framing  0 

and  half  a  Day  Covering  the  Mill  0 

1791.  to  two  Bushils  of  Malt  1 

to  four  Days  on  the  Gates  0 

To  Aaron  Johnson  Dr   Old  Tenour 

to  making  two  Margent  window  frames  1-   7-0 

to  making  three  plain  frames  1-   7-0 

to  making  203  Squares  of  Sashes  at  \  11-16-0 

Confirmatory  of  the  truth  of  our  conjecture  that,  up  to 
the  time  of  which  we  write,  no  great  changes  had  taken  place 
in  the  customs  and  ways  of  society,  we  quote  the  following 
description  of  manners  and  customs  by  Mrs.  Israel  Haynes, 
a  resident  of  Sudbury,  written  about  the  year  1864,  at  the 
age  of  eighty. 

STATEMENT   OF  MRS.   ISRAEL   HAYNES. 

"  *  *  I  still  remember  seventy-five  years  back  more  cor- 
rect than  what  has  been  transacted  within  a  week.  *  *  I 
think  people  enjoyed  their  simple  way  of  living  as  well  as 
they  do  now.  I  recollect  when  the  old  meeting  [house]  was 
standing.  A  plain  Building  Ceiled  with  Boards  and  a  few 
pews.  There  are  several  Barns  now  in  town  Finished  much 
handsomer  than  that  was.  *  *  There  was  no  bell  on  the 
house.  But  a  small  school  house  stood  near  by  on  the 
common  finished  of  as  poorly  as  the  meeting  house,  there  was 
a  little  entry-way  where  there  was  a  little  Bell  Hung  all 
that  belonged  to  the  town  to  ring  for  meetings  or  funerals 
or  what  not.  There  was  Body  seats  below  for  the  oldest 
people  And  seats  in  the  gallery  for  other  people.  The  most 
popular  took  the  front  seats  and  had  Pegs  put  up  to  hang 


458  HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY. 

their  Cockt  Hats  on.  [they]  made  quite  a  show.    *    *    The 
Deacons  used  to  read  the  hymns  two  lines  or  a  verse  and 
then  they  sung  it.     They  had  a  pitch  pipe  to  pitch  the  tune. 
After  awhile  there  was  a  bass  viol  Introduced  and  brought 
into  town  and  did  not  suit  the  old  People,  one  Old  Gentle- 
man got  up  took  his  hat  of  the  peg  and  march'd  off,  said 
they  had  begun  fidling  there  would  be  dancing  next.     The 
children  occupied  the  stairs  when  the  seats  were  full,  and  I 
believe  they  enjoyed  [it].     They  chose  tithing  men  to  keep 
them  regulated  but  still  there  was  some  confusion.     I  would 
describe  their  dress  as  near  as  I  can  remember,    it  Consisted 
of  one  Dress  one  of  their  Mother's  old  Dresses  she  had  when 
she  was  married  or  a  Cheap  Calico  Coarser  than  A  strainer 
I  ever  used.     I  recollect  the  first  one  I  had — it  was  thirty 
three  cents  a  yd  as  we  recon  now  and  I  thought  it  as  Beau- 
tiful as  they  think  of  A  Nice  silk.     As  to  bonnets  I  dont 
seem  to  remember  as  far  back  as  I  went  first  to  meeting. 
But  Children  went  to  meeting  in  such  clothes  as  they  had  — 
now  if  they  have  not  such  clothes  as  they  like  they  stay  at 
home.     They  want  a  gold  watch  a  breast  pin  and  rings  on 
the  finger.     In  my  young  days  we  did  not  know  what  such 
things  were.     There  was  a  minister  in  each  adjoining  town 
I  Believe  all  of  one  Denomination,  old  People  called  it  the 
old  standing  Order    *    *    I  have   not  described  the  men's 
Attire,  it  Consisted  of  A  Cotton  and  linen  shirt  a  pair  of 
trowsers  they  were  then  called  an  under  jacket  one  coat  or 
Frock  no  padding  or  lining    *    *    I  have  heard  an  old  lady 
say  she  could  make  a  coat  in  a  day  with  her  Baby  in  her  lap. 
It  would  have  been  thought  extravigant  for  A  young  man 
to  have  had  boots  before  they  were  twenty  one  they  wore 
cowhide  shoes  and  liggins     I  never  saw  any  under  clothes 
they  stood  the  cold  weather  better  than  they  do  now.     I 
must   say  a  word   about   our   schools.     The    scholars  were 
under  as  good  regulations   as   they  are  now,  there  was  no 
books  in  school  except  the  Bible  Dillingsworth  spelling  Book 
the  primmer  and  Psalter  and  only  one  of  a  kind  in  A  Family. 
The  teacher  set  all  the  Coppies  made  all  the  pens.     Those 
that  studied  Arithmetic  the  Master  wrote  down  the  Rules 
and  sums  in  their  Books  and  then  they  had  Birch  Bark  split 


HISTORY  OF  SUDBURY.  459 

to  do  their  sums  on  instead  of  slates.  The  school  house  was 
a  little  rough  Building  like  a  shed  only  it  had  a  Door,  there 
was  A  large  Fire  Place  large  enough  to  hold  several  logs 
and  four  feet  wood  and  a  stone  hearth  and  chimney  and 
Cross  leg'd  Benches  for  writers.  The  Boj^s  wore  leather 
aprons  and  breeches  And  for  dinner  they  used  to  fetch  a 
sausage  or  slice  of  Pork  and  a  Crust  of  Bread  sharpen  a 
stick  and  broil  it  over  the  coals  and  [there  were]  plenty  of 
grease  spots.  The  girls  wore  short  loose  Gowns  and  skirts 
and  thick  leather  shoes  and  woolen  stockings.  They  wore  a 
blanket  over  their  heads  or  their  Mother's  old  Cloak.  In 
the  summer  they  wore  [shaped]  gown  and  skirt  and  cape 
bonnet  colour'd  otter  with  bare  feet.  You  might  as  soon 
look  for  a  white  Bear  as  to  see  shoes  on  Children  in  summer 
time.  The  Dwelling  houses  for  the  most  part  had  two 
rooms  and  a  fire  place  almost  as  large  as  they  build  their 
little  Kitchens  now  and  an  oven  right  over  the  fire  place 
and  a  large  stone  hearth.  They  mostly  Built  one  room  first 
and  when  they  got  able  set  up  another  room  and  if  they  had 
A  son  Many  generally  settled  down  at  home.  There  was 
two  families  in  almost  every  house  that  had  two  rooms.  *  * 
The  People  were  farmers,  most  of  them  went  on  Pretty 
much  the  same  way  every  year.  Each  one  tried  to  raise 
enough  for  their  family,  they  did  not  make  much  improve- 
ment nor  speculate.  They  kept  Oxen  and  Cows  and  hogs 
for  their  own  use  and  raised  Corn  and  Rye  Potatoes  and 
Beans  and  other  vegitables,  some  kept  A  Horse,  they  had 
no  Carriages  except  a  cart  and  sled.  They  used  to  ride 
horseback  to  meeting  have  a  saddle  and  Pilion  the  man  ride 
forward  the  woman  behind.  Sometimes  go  to  visit  their 
friends  forty  Miles  and  carry  two  Children,  they  went  to 
Market  horseback  had  a  wallet  made  of  two  Cloths,  left  open 
in  the  middle  on  a  pair  [of]  paniards  made  of  Basket  stuff. 
The  women  went  as  often  as  the  men,  they  swung  the  wallet 
over  the  horse's  back  put  in  their  boxes  each  side  so  as  to 
balance,  then  the  Paniards  [were]  fixed  on  behind  filled  with 
pigeons  or  something  else.  I  remember  when  there  was  but 
one  old  chaise  in  town  and  I  dont  remember  of  there  beimj 
any  thing  that  could  be  called  A  Carriage  seventy  years  ago. 


460  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

seventy  years  ago  I  dc-nt  think  there  was  a  Carpet  in  town 
scarce  a  painted  floor  Our  diet  was  simple  not  as  many 
luxuries  as  they  have  now.  at  thanksgiving  we  had  flower 
a  good  Chicken  Pie  and  Mince  pies  and  apple  and  Pumpkin 
and  Plum  pudding.  I  think  a  pound  answered,  sometimes 
a  part  was  used  in  the  Best  mince  pies  *  *  if  our  Flower 
fell  short  we  used  Rye  flower  we  had  good  rye.  the  best 
Farmers  did  not  buy  by  the  Barrel,  7  or  8  lbs  used  to  answer 
the  purpose,  we  had  no  Factories  spun  and  wove  and  made 
our  own  Clothing  *  *  I  recollect  when  they  began  to  go 
with  two  and  four  horses  tackled  in  a  wagon  it  looked 
as  strange  as  these  new  inventions  the  cars  or  steamboats 
*  *  Neighbors  used  to  visit  and  seemed  to  enjoy  them- 
selves. For  supper  they  generally  had  Fresh  meat  or 
sausage  or  a  short  rye  Cake  made  into  a  toast,  Pye  and  that 
was  good  enough  for  a  king,  the  women  were  Neighborly 
and  Industrious  willing  to  assist  each  other,  one  would  get 
in  a  bedquilt  and  the  others  drop  in  and  help  get  it  out  *  * 
People  began  to  improve  in  dress  and  living  sixty  years  ago. 
I  earnt  money  enough  to  buy  a  silk  Dress  when  I  was  Mar- 
ried and  A  white  Bonnet,  if  you  could  see  it  you  would  say 
the  shape  resembled  a  scale  that  store  keepers  use.  we  had 
to  be  prudent  to  lay  by  enough  to  purchase  a  silk  Dress 
they  was  as  high  as  they  are  now  and  wages  only  four 
shillings  a  week  for  house  work,  but  we  did  not  have  so 
much  Cloth  in  a  dress  as  they  do  now  and  no  needless  trim- 
mings. I  have  had  Calico  Dresses  made  out  of  six  yards 
and  a  half.  It  was  customaiy  in  winter  to  make  a  party 
for  the  middle  aged,  invite  all  the  nearest  neighbors  and  the 
school  master,  get  a  meat  supper  and  the  company  and  table 
set  in  the  same  room,  for  the  most  part  there  was  a  Bed  and 
trap  door  in  the  room  —  twas  a  considerable  undertaking 
but  they  enjoyed  it  better  than  to  call  one  or  two  at  a  time." 

Thus  much  did  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century 
partake  of  the  spirit  and  ways  of  the  past,  but  as  the  years 
advanced  there  came  a  wonderful  change,  and  before  the 
first  period  had  passed,  modern  improvements  began  to  creep 
into  society,  the  church  and  the  home  took  on  an  altered 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 


461 


appearance  ;  and  the  second  generation  of  the  period  became 
as  accustomed  to  new  manners,  methods  and  implements,  as 
if  the  former  ones  had  belonged  to  some  remote  age.  The 
change  has  continued  to  go  on  with  accelerated  speed,  until 
now  the  very  architecture,  compared  with  that  of  the  past, 
is  strange  ;  even  the  products  of  our  fields  are  different,  and 
men  and  women  and  children  at  church,  at  home  and  at 
school  do  that  and  say  that  which  to  the  fathers  of  1800 
would  be  as  unfamiliar  as  to  those  of  the  century  that  went 
before.  The  years  of  the  present  century  have  taken  away 
the  things  of  the  olden  time. 

Though  we  search  for  them  long  and  with  diligent  care, 

There  were  joys  in  the  past  now  exceedingly  rare. 

The  fireplace  no  longer  burns  bright  as  of  yore 

Sending  out  its  bright  beams  on  the  old  kitchen  floor, 

With  its  back-log  all  glowing  as  snugly  it  lay 

Against  the  huge  chimney,  'mid  warm  ashes  gray ; 

The  ancient  brick  oven  is  closed  from  our  gaze, 

Where  were  baked  the  brown  loaves  of  the  rich,  golden  maize, 

And  the  beans  and  "  pan  dowdy  "  and  nice  pumpkin  pie 

That  so  suited  our  taste,  and  delighted  our  eye  ; 

The  "  beaufet "  that  once  so  smilingly  stood 

With  its  three-cornered  shelves  of  unpainted  wood  ; 

The  quaint  pewter  platters,  substantial  and  bright ; 

The  candle  of  tallow,  so  smooth  and  so  white  ; 

The  hard,  oaken  floor  that  was  scoured  with  such  care  ; 

The  garret,  a  store-house  of  relics  most  rare  ; 

The  old-fashioned  clock  with  its  bell-note  so  clear, 

And  whose  pendulum-tick  we  could  easily  hear  ; 

The  plain,  simple  dress  and  the  old-fashioned  ways, 

The  "  raisings,"  the  "  huskings  "  of  those  early  days, 

The  "apple-bees,"  "  training-days,"  breaking  out  roads, 

The  turnpikes,  the  toll-gates,  the  stages,  the  loads 

Of  rich  country  produce  that  was  carried  to  town 

By  the  farmer,  whose  custom  it  was  to  "  go  down  ;  " 

The  old-fashioned  winter,  the  mild  early  spring, 

With  snow-drifts  and  sunbeams  which  these  used  to  bring; 

The  old  district  school  with  its  three  months  a  year, 

The  little  red  school-house  with  benches  so  queer, 

Where  to  cipher,  to  read,  to  parse,  and  to  write 

Were  deemed  wholly  sufficient  to  educate  quite  ; 

The  singing-school  also  has  passed  out  of  date, 

And  the  fugue-tune  and  fiddle  have  shared  the  same  fate, 


462  HISTORY  OF  SUDBURY. 

As  these  were  made  use  of  in  country  church  choir, 
Or  on  special  occasions  by  the  sitting-room  fire. 
Thus  have  the  years  in  their  flight  left  behind 
The  old-fashioned  things  that  are  now  hard  to  find ; 
We  may  search  for  them  long  and  with  diligent  care, 
And  if  we  find  them  at  all,  'tis  exceedingly  rare. 

We  now  pass  from  a  consideration  of  general  changes  that 
occurred  about  1800,  to  events  that  took  place  in  the  first 
period  of  the  present  century.  First,  as  they  are  related  to 
highways,  bridges  and  causeways.  Early  in  the  century  an 
effort  was  made  to  secure  the  construction  of  a  highway 
through  North  Sudbuiy.  As  early  as  1800,  complaint  was 
made  against  the  town  for  not  making  a  road  there,  and  the 
town  appointed  an  agent  to  defend  its  cause. 

In  1801,  a  committee  was  appointed  to  see  about  "  an 
alteration  in  the  road  from  Rev.  Mr.  Bigelow's  to  near  Mr. 
Tower's  by  Wm  Rice's  Esq  as  far  as  Mr.  Vose's."  The 
indications  are  that  an  alteration  had  been  made  in  the  road, 
that  a  shorter  way  was  proposed,  and  that  the  court  had 
been  applied  to  for  a  discontinuance  of  the  alteration  formerly 
made.  In  1806,  an  article  was  in  the  warrant  to  see  if  the 
town  would  take  any  measures  "  for  the  purpose  of  dis- 
charging an  execution  against  said  town  it  being  in  conse- 
quence of  not  complying  with  the  requisition  of  the  order 
of  the  Court  of  Sessions  for  the  making  of  the  road  through 
the  northerly  part  of  said  town."  The  town  also  appointed 
an  agent  to  oppose  the  acceptance  of  the  road ;  but,  not- 
withstanding the  opposition,  the  North  road  was  built. 
About  the  same  time  the  south  part  was  interested  in  a 
proposition  to  make  some  alteration  in  the  South  road, 
known  as  the  Boston  and  Worcester.  In  1805,  a  committee 
was  appointed  to  act  with  one  appointed  by  the  Court  of 
Sessions  for  this  purpose.  The  design  was  to  straighten 
portions  of  the  road  from  Green  Hill  to  the  brick  kilns  or 
Gibbs  farm.  In  1805,  the  sum  of  $1800  was  appropriated 
for  highway  work,  and  the  same  year  $1000  was  granted  for 
the  purpose  of  repairing  "  Lancaster  and  Worcester  Road  so 
called."     The  following  year  the  records  make  mention  of  a 


HISTORY  OP  SUDBURY.  463 

road  laid  out  from  Jonathan  Fairbank's  to  John  Perry's. 
In  1807,  it  was  voted  "  to  sell  and  discontinue  part  of  the 
road  from  Ezekiel  Loring's  to  Framingham  line." 

In  1801,  Lieut.  David  How  rebuilt  Wash  Bridge  for  forty- 
five  dollars  and  twenty-five  cents.  That  year,  also,  a  com- 
mittee of  five  was  appointed  "  for  the  purpose  of  railing  this 
town's  proportion  of  the  Long  Causeway,  and  setting  out  a 
sufficient  number  of  willow  trees  to  answer  the  purpose  for 
Guides  in  the  time  of  flood."  In  1804,  sixty-four  dollars 
were  granted  for  making  a  wall  each  side  of  Sherman's 
Bridge.  In  1806,  the  town  voted  to  let  out  the  rebuilding 
of  the  Canal  Bridge.  In  1815,  the  town  voted  twenty 
dollars  and  thirty-three  cents  for  the  Canal  Bridge. 

MISCELLANEOUS   MATTERS. 

In  1804,  the  town  voted  two  hundred  and  twelve  dollars 
for  repairing  and  painting  the  meeting-house.  In  1805,  a 
settlement  was  made  of  a  prolonged  lawsuit  between  the 
town  and  Peter  Smith  "  who  brought  forward  a  pauper." 
The  suit  was  decided  in  favor  of  the  town  to  the  amount  of 
ten  hundred  and  sixty  dollars  and  twenty-five  cents.  But 
"it  remitted  to  Smith  $544.31  out  of  said  execution  it  being 
the  balance  which  appeared  to  be  due  him."  In  1806,  the 
town  granted  thirty  dollars  for  the  purpose  of  enabling  their 
selectmen  to  settle  with  Captain  Barrett,  the  gaol  keeper  of 
Concord,  "  for  Boarding  of  certain  Poor  persons  that  were 
confined  in  gaol  and  belonged  to  the  town."  As,  formerly, 
the  law  allowed  imprisonment  of  poor  debtors,  these  persons 
probably  belonged  to  that  class.  In  181G,  voted  that  the 
constables  see  that  the  porch  of  the  meeting-house,  both 
above  and  below,  be  cleared  of  those  people  who  were 
inclined  "  to  occupy  the  avenues  to  the  meeting  house  at 
the  commencement  of  the  exercises  of  each  day  of  public 
worship."  Also,  to  see  that  people  at  the  close  of  worship 
went  out  properly.  In  1817,  the  town  engaged  in  lawsuits 
with  East  Sudbury,  Lincoln  and  Stow  about  the  support  of 
the  poor.  It  was  successful  in  the  first  suit,  but  failed  in  the 
last  two. 


464  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 


EDUCATIONAL   MATTERS. 


No  marked  changes  took  place  during  this  period  in  edu- 
cational methods.  The  money  granted  for  schools  was 
equally  divided  between  the  five  districts.  In  the  year 
1800,  money  was  granted  for  building  three  school-houses,  — 
in  the  south-east  district,  two  hundred  and  eighteen  dollars  ; 
in  the  north-west,  one  hundred  and  fifty-seven  dollars  and 
fifty  cents ;  and  in  the  south-west,  two  hundred  dollars. 
The  committee  that  year  were  William  Rice,  Esq.,  centre 
district;  Gen.  Benjamin  Sawin,  south-east ;  Deacon  Thomas 
Walker,  south-west;  Lieut.  Hopestill  Willis,  north-west; 
and  Samuel  Puffer,  north-east.  The  old  building  in  the 
south-west  was  sold  for  twenty-four  dollars. 

The  following  is,  in  substance,  part  of  a  report  of  the 
school  committee  in  1802.  That  they  had  been  empowered 
to  hire  all  the  teachers  of  the  public  schools  in  town  for  the 
year  ensuing,  and  that  they  had  been  instructed,  after  con- 
sultation with  the  minister  and  the  teachers  employed,  to 
decide  what  books  should  be  used,  only  that  the  same  ones 
should  be  used  in  all  the  schools  of  the  same  grade.  That, 
if  any  scholar  should  fail  to  provide  himself  or  herself  with 
the  books  required,  six  days  after  notice  of  the  deficiency 
had  been  given  to  the  parent  or  guardian,  the  scholar  should 
not  receive  instruction  in  the  branch  of  study  to  which  said 
book  or  books  were  assigned  until  supplied.  Provided, 
nevertheless,  that  if  any  scholars  were  unable  by  reason  of 
poverty  to  provide  their  own  books  they  should  be  supplied 
by  the  committee.  In  1825,  leave  was  granted  to  the  centre 
district  to  move  its  school-house  to  some  convenient  place  on 
the  Common.  Besides  the  attention  bestowed  by  the  town 
on  the  common  or  day  schools,  encouragement  was  given  to 
instruction  in  music. 

Along  the  first  of  the  present  century  there  existed  what 
was  termed  a  "Singing  Society,"  and  the  town,  from  time 
to  time,  made  appropriations  for  its  benefit.  This  "  Society  " 
constituted  the  church  choir.  A  half  century  ago,  the  long 
rows  of  singers  along  the  length  of  the  gallery  was  quite  a 
part  of  the  audience  ;  and,  doubtless,  it  was  for  the  purpose 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  465 

of  benefiting  the  church  music  that  the  town  granted  aid  to 
the  "  Singing  Society."  In  1801,  a  committee  was  appointed 
by  the  town  "  to  get  a  singing  master  and  for  regulating  the 
Singing  Society."  The  same  year  liberty  was  given  the 
society  to  occupy  the  several  school-houses,  indicating  that 
the  sessions  were  held  in  different  districts.  Ten  dollars 
was  granted  that  year  to  pay  the  master.  In  1802,  the  town 
voted  "  to  have  Dr.  Belknap's  Psalms  and  Hymns  introduced 
and  made  use  of  in  the  Singing  Society,"  In  1821,  twenty 
dollars  were  allowed  for  the  society,  and  in  1822'  thirty 
dollars.  Early  in  the  century  quite  an  orchestra  assisted  in 
the  old  church.  Mr.  Josiah  Richardson,  familiarly  known 
as  "  Uncle  Siah,"  played  the  violin,  Mr.  Emory  Hunt  the 
clarionet,  Mr.  George  Hunt  the  base  viol,  and  Deacon  Mar- 
tin Brown  the  bassoon.  At  the  same  time,  Esquire  Lyman 
How,  the  last  landlord  of  the  Wayside  Inn  of  the  name  of 
How,  was  among  the,  singers.  He  also  led  the  choir  after- 
wards at  the  Orthodox  Church. 

MILITARY   MATTERS. 

Before  the  war  of  1812  and  15  set  in,  the  town  of  Sud- 
bury, as  did  others,  took  action  as  to  the  state  of  affairs  then 
existing  between  the  United  States  and  England ;  it  also 
made  provision  by  which  it  could  supply  its  quota  of  men 
in  case  they  were  called  for  ;  and  passed  resolutions  relative 
to  the  conduct  of  public  affairs  that  evinced  a  patriotic  spirit 
and  a  steadfast  purpose  to  stand  by  the  government.  In 
1807,  when  the  American  frigate,  Chesapeake,  had  been 
attacked  by  the  English  frigate,  the  Leopard,  activity  in 
military  matters  commenced  in  the  New  England  towns. 
Sudbury  voted  to  give  to  "  each  soldier  that  was  called  upon 
to  stand  at  a  minute's  notice  $12  per  man  per  month  includ- 
ing what  government  has  made  provision  for,  during  the 
time  they  are  in  actual  service,  and  six  dollars  to  each 
soldier  as  advance  pay,  that  shall  equip  himself  for  said 
service,  the  aforesaid  six  dollars  to  be  paid  previous  to  his 
marching  if  called  upon  and  to  be  subject  to  deduction  from 
his  wages."  In  1808,  the  town  "voted  $30  as  a  bounty  to 
this  town's  proportion  of  soldiers  that  are  called  upon  to 


466  HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY. 

hold  themselves  in  readiness  at  the  shortest  time,  being 
eighteen  in  number."  Also,  "  directed  the  commanding 
officer  of  each  respective  company,  to  make  out  a  return  of 
the  name  of  each  soldier  that  held  himself  in  readiness."  A 
meeting  was  called  Feb.  4,  1809,  "  to  see  if  the  town  will 
express  their  opinion  in  such  manner  as  will  show  to  the 
world  that  we  are  willing  to  support  the  laws  of  our  general 
government,  in  consequence  of  certain  resolutions  denounc- 
ing all  good  citizens  who  shall  give  their  aid  and  support  in 
the  execution  of  the  laws  of  said  government."  A  com- 
mittee was  chosen  at  that  meeting  to  draw  up  a  preamble 
and  resolutions  to  present  to  the  town,  relative  to  what  was 
mentioned  in  the  above  article.  The  Preamble  and  Resolu- 
tions that  were  reported  were  passed  in  the  affirmative  and 
were  in  substance  as  follows:  The  inhabitants  of  Sudbury 
see  with  concern  a  party  in  the  State  exciting  jealousies 
against  the  government  and  recommending  resistance  to  its 
laws.     Therefore,  resolved, 

1.  That  we  have  the  highest  confidence  in  the  wisdom  and 
integrity  of  the  government. 

2.  That  we  believe  the  embargo  laws  are  good  and 
necessary. 

3.  That  we  have  seen  with  regret  certain  resolutions 
denouncing  all  good  citizens  who  give  their  support  in  the 
execution  of  those  laws,  and  that  such  resolutions  produce 
on  our  minds  a  determination,  when  called  upon,  to  give 
those  laws  prompt  and  undivided  support. 

4.  That,  as  the  management  of  our  foreign  relations  is 
delegated  to  the  councils  of  the  nation,  it  is  inexpedient  for 
the  State  legislature  to  interfere. 

In  1812,  the  number  of  soldiers  reported  to  be  in  readiness 
was  eighteen.  "  Voted  to  give  them  $1.25  per  day  while  in 
service  and  doing  actual  duty."  The  following  persons 
from  Sudbury  were  in  service  a  short  time  during  the  war: 
Aaron  Hunt,  Jonas  Tower,  James  B.  Puffer,  Josiah  Puffer, 
John  Can*,  Cyrus  Willis,  George  Barker,  Leonard  Dutton, 
Otis  Puffer,  Jesse  Puffer,  John  Sawyer.  Warren  Moore  was 
in  the  naval  service  on  a  privateer,  was  taken  prisoner  and 
spent  some  time  in  Dartmoor  prison. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  467 

In  the  militia  the  officers  were  chosen  by  the  men  and 
received  their  commission  from  the  Governor  of  the  State,  as 
in  later  times.  In  1806,  Caleb  Strong  gave  a  commission  to 
Jesse  Goodnow  as  captain  of  a  company  in  the  4th  Regiment 
Infantry,  2d  Brigade,  3d  Division  Militia.  To  an  extent,  it 
was  customary  to  hold  the  meetings  for  the  election  of  militia 
officers  at  the  taverns.  The  following  is  a  specimen  of  the 
"  Company  Order  "  of  the  times. 

COMPANY   ORDER. 

"  To  Reuben  Gleason  Corp1 

"  You  are  hereby  ordered  and  directed  to  warn  and  notify 
all  the  men,  Commissioned  Officers  and  soldiers  whose  names 
are  hereafter  mentioned  belonging  to  the  company  under  my 
command,  to  appear  at  Mr.  John  Stone's  Tavern  in  Sud- 
bury, on  Friday,  the  18th  day  of  March  Inst,  at  1  o'clock 
P.  M.,  for  the  purpose  of  electing  a  Captain,  and  filling  such 
other  vacancies  as  may  then  happen. 

"  By  Order  of  Ephraim  Plympton  Lieut.  Col.  Dated  at 
Sudbury,  March  14,  1814." 

ECCLESIASTICAL   EVENTS. 

In  1814,  the  town  settled  a  new  pastor,  Rev.  Jacob  Bige- 
low  having  become  infirm.  In  1810,  Rev.  Timothy  Hilliard 
had  been  invited  to  preach  as  a  candidate,  and  June  1,  1814, 
he  became  colleague  pastor  at  a  salary  of  six  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars  and  five  hundred  dollars  to  begin  with.  The 
ministers,  with  their  churches,  who  comprised  the  ordaining 
council  were  Rev.  Messrs.  Kellogg  of  Framingham,  Newell 
of  Stow,  Adams  of  Acton,  Ripley  of  Concord,  Stearns  of 
Lincoln,  Lovering  of  Andover,  and  Dr.  Kirkland  of  Harvard 
College  who  preached  the  sermon.  The  next  year  Mr. 
Hilliard  "  resigned  his  office  as  clergyman  of  the  religious 
Society  of  Sudbury."  His  resignation  was  accepted,  and  he 
was  recommended  to  the  churches  on  a  vote  of  thirty-eight 
to  eight.  A  council  was  held  for  the  purpose  of  ratifying 
the  doings  of  the  church  and  town  "  in  dissolving  the  Cove- 
nant with  Rev.  Mr.  Hilliard."     He  was  dismissed  Sept.  26, 


468  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

1815.      The  following  is  the    bill   allowed   to    Mr.  Asahel 
Wheeler  for  the  entertainment  of  the  council :  — 

To  eleven  dinners  and  Suppers  with  wine  #6     " 

To  Horse  keeping  2     " 

To  Liquors  2     " 

10     " 
Also   allowed    Mr    Daniel  Osborn    for    Notifying    the 

Council  and  for  attendance  $3     " 

After  leaving  Sudbury,  Mr.  Hilliard  practised  medicine  in 
his  native  town,  Kensington,  N.  II.,  and  also  engaged  some 
in  teaching.  He  was  a  scholarly  man  and  a  graduate  of 
Harvard  College  in  1800.  lie  also  studied  divinity  at  Cam- 
bridge. During  his  short  ministry  forty-three  united  with 
the  church,  nineteen  males  and  twenty-four  females.  Soon 
after  the  pastorate  became  vacant,  the  town  took  measures  to 
secure  another  minister.  May,  1810,  it  was  "  voted,  at  the 
request  of  Dea.  Puffer,  to  set  apart  a  day  for  fasting  humil- 
iation and  prayer  to  the  Supreme  Governor  of  the  Universe 
for  his  direction  and  guidance  in  those  measures  that  shall 
be  most  conducive  to  the  harmonizing  us  in  the  reestablish- 
ment  of  a  gospel  minister  amongst  us."  The  day  appointed 
was  November  3.  It  was  voted  to  invite  some  minister  to 
preach  on  that  day,  and  also  to  invite  the  attendance  of 
other  ministers.  Soon  after  this  the  town  "  voted  to  hear 
Mr.  Hurlbut  and  two  others  on  Probation/'  At  a  town- 
meeting  Dec.  16,  1816,  "  it  was  moved  to  see  if  the  town 
would  request  the  church  in  this  place  to  give  Mr.  Rufus 
Hurlbut  a  call  to  settle  with  them  in  the  gospel  ministry, 
and  being  put  to  vote,  it  passed  in  the  affirmative  by  58  for 
and  9  against  it."  The  church  having  voted  to  extend  the 
call,  on  December  23  the  town  expressed  its  concurrence  by 
a  vote  of  thirty-four  for  and  six  against.  "  It  was  then 
voted  that  Mr.  Hurlbut's  creed  be  read  before  the  town, 
which  was  produced  and  read  agreeable  to  said  vote."  A 
committee  was  chosen  by  the  town  to  confer  with  the 
church  ;  and  they  recommended  a  salary  of  seven  hundred 
dollars  while  he  was  in  active  service  without  the  improve- 
ment of  the   ministerial   land,   "  which   their  late  minister 


HISTORY   Otf   SUDBURY.  469 

Rev.  Mr.  Bigelow  had  the  improvement  of  during  his  life." 
Mr.  Hurlbut  declined  to  accept  of  the  sum  specified,  if  he 
was  only  to  be  allowed  it  while  in  actual  service ;  giving  as 
a  reason  for  his  refusal,  that,  in  case  of  inability  to  preach 
at  any  time,  by  a  reduction  or  withholding  of  his  salary  he 
would  be  left  without  a  means  of  support.  The  matter  was, 
therefore,  reconsidered,  and  an  offer  made  of  six  hundred 
and  fifty  a  year  so  long  as  he  should  continue  to  be  their 
pastor.  This  offer  was  accepted.  A  committee  or  agent 
was  appointed  to  receive  a  quit-claim  of  Mr.  Hurlbut  of  all 
the  ministerial  land. 

Soon  after  the  settlement  of  a  new  minister,  Rev.  Jacob 
Bigelow  passed  away.  He  died  Sept.  12,  1816,  at  the  age 
of  seventy-five,  having  filled  the  Sudbury  pastorate  for  over 
forty  years.  He  was  beloved  by  his  people,  and  in  his  last 
years  was  granted  an  annuity.  In  1816,  two  hundred  and 
forty-six  dollars  and  sixty-seven  cents  was  granted  "  for 
Mr.  Bigelow's  salary."  This  vote,  al  a  later  meeting  of  the 
town,  was  reconsidered,  probably  on  account  of  his  death. 
The  town  also  gave  to  his  widow  thirty  dollars  for  the  ser- 
vice that  was  rendered  by  the  reverend  clergy,  as  a  gift  to 
her,  by  their  supply  of  the  pulpit  after  her  husband's  death. 
The  funeral  expenses  were  defrayed  by  the  town  and  the 
following  bills  are  on  record  :  — 

"To  Mr.  Jonathan  Fairbanks  Jr.  for  making  the  coffin  for 
Rev.  Mr.  Bigelow,  110.00. 

"To  Lewis  Moore  for  digging  the  grave  and  attending  the 
funeral  of  Rev.  Mr.  Bigelow  $2.00. 

"  To  Capt.  Jesse  Moore  for  beef  he  provided  at  the  funeral 
of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Bigelow  1—13 

"  To  Mr  Ruben  Moore  fur  7  lbs  old  cheese  he  found  at  the 
funeral  of  Rev  Mr  Bigelow. 

"  To  Doctor  Ashbel  Kidder  for  dining  the  clergy  &  com- 
mitteee  of  arrangements  &c  at  the  funeral  of  Rev.  Mr. 
Bigelow  $16.20 

"  To  Mr  Daniel  Goodenow  for  spirit  an  sugar  &c  provided 
at  the  funeral  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Bigelow,  $15.40." 


470  HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY. 

Mr.  Bigelow  was  a  native  of  Waltham.  He  was  twice 
married.  His  first  wife  was  a  sister  of  Dr.  Heard  of  Con- 
cord. By  this  marriage  he  had  a  daughter.  He  married  for 
his  second  wife  Mrs.  Wells,  and  had  two  sons.  One  of 
these  was  Dr.  Jacob  Bigelow  of  Boston,  a  noted  physician, 
and  at  one  time  Professor  of  Materia  Medica  in  Harvard 
Medical  School.  He  died  at  the  age  of  ninety.  An  old 
inhabitant  of  Sudbury  (C.  G.  Cutler)  described  Rev.  Mr. 
Bigelow  to  the  writer  as  being  "  a  large  man  with  a  large 
face,  very  pleasant  and  full  of  jokes."  He  was  said  to  be 
affable  and  social.  He  built  the  house  now  known  as  the 
George  Goodenow  place,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from 
Sudbury  Centre,  and  there  he  lived  and  died.  He  was 
ordained  Nov.  11,  1772.  During  his  ministry  one  hundred 
and  fort}T-two  were  added  to  the  church,  fifty-five  males  and 
eighty-seven  females. 

The  year  of  Mr.  Bigelow's  death  the  following  records 
were  made  relating  to  the  enlargement  of  the  Burying 
Ground:  "  Bought  of  Walter  Haynes  in  181(3  about  a  half 
acre  of  land  on  the  whole  south  side  the  grave  yard  for 
enlarging  it."  The  price  paid  was  one  hundred  dollars. 
Among  the  town  debts:  "To  Walter  Haynes  for  building 
the  burying  yard  wall  and  a  small  gate,  119.50."  There  are 
other  records  relating  to  placing  posts  near  the  yard.  The 
indications  are  that  the  yard,  at  that  time,  was  nearly  full, 
and,  probably,  the  death  of  the  minister  called  the  town's 
attention  to  the  fact.  As  Mr.  Bigelow's  grave  is  on  the 
southerly  side  of  the  yard,  it  may  have  been  made  in  the 
portion  that  was  bought  at  that  time.  Besides  the  addition 
on  the  south,  in  1800  the  town  bought  a  "  piece  of  land  for 
three  dollars  of  Asher  Goodenow  on  the  east  end  of  the 
burying  ground."  Another  matter  in  this  period,  pertaining 
to  the  burial  of  the  dead,  was  an  order,  in  1806,  "for  a  bier 
for  the  Burying  yard,"  and  in  1818  for  building  a  hearse. 

About  the  time  of  Rev.  Jacob  Bigelow's  death  a  move- 
ment was  made  to  dispose  of  the  land  which  had  been  set 
apart  for  the  support  of  the  ministry,  for  cash  or  notes  at 
interest.  As  has  been  observed,  a  committee  was  appointed 
at  the  settlement  of  Rev.  Mr.  Hurlbut  to  obtain  of  him  a 


THE   BIGELOW    PARSONAGE,    Sudbury   Centre. 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  471 

quit-claim  to  these  lands,  which  act  was,  doubtless,  in  antici- 
pation of  the  movement  in  1818.  In  1816,  a  committee  was 
appointed  to  apply  to  the  Legislature  for  leave  to  dispose  of 
the  ministerial  land,  and  it  was  granted.  The  following 
year  there  was  constituted  what  was  called  "  the  Sudbury 
Ministerial  Land  Corporation."  In  March,  1818,  the  trus- 
tees of  this  corporation  reported  that,  in  accordance  with  an 
act  of  the  Legislature,  June  14,  1817,  they  had  sold  the  land 
lying  near  Mr.  Elisha  Jones',  containing  by  plan  seventeen 
acres  and  Lay-three  rods,  on  July  24,  1817,  in  two  lots: 
No.  1  to  Capt.  Silas  Puffer  for  $67  per  acre,  No.  2  to  the 
same  part?  f,.i-  $43  per  acre.  The  first  lot  contained  a  little 
over  ten  acres,  the  other  a  little  over  six  acres.  The  whole 
amount  received  was  $ 99G.5G.  Other  lots  were  as  follows : 
Ministerial  river  meadow  near  Mr.  Israel  Wheeler's  was  sold 
July,  1817,  in  two  lots.  No.  1  to  Lewis  Moore  for  $146.69, 
No.  2  to  Israel  Wheeler  for  $154.40.  "  The  ministerial  land 
laying  near  the  meeting  house  "  was  sold  August,  1817.  It 
contained  about  thirty-eight  acres,  and  was  disposed  of  in 
lots  as  follows :  No.  1  to  Walter  Haynes  and  Thadeus 
Tower  for  $462,  No.  2  to  William  Moore  for  $406.87,  No  3 

to  Capt.  William  Rice  for ,  No.  4  to  Joshua  Jones  for 

$372.15,  No.  5  to  Israel  Moore  for  $336.81,  No.  6  to  Joshua 
Jones  for  $10.  "  The  total  sum  arising  from  the  sale  of  the 
ministerial  lands  in  said  town  amounts  to  $3200.96.  At  the 
close  of  this  period,  March,  1825,  the  following  report  was 
rendered  to  the  town  by  the  Ministerial  Fund  Corporation  :  — 

Capt  Silas  Puffer      Note  the  sum  of 

Mr   Lewis  Moore         "  "  "  " 

Mr.  Israel  Wheeler      "  "  "  " 

"     Walter  Haynes     "  "  "  " 

William  Moore     "  "  "  " 

Thadeous  Towers  "  "  " 

Haman  Hunt         "  "  "  " 

Josua  Jones           "  "  "  " 

Joel  Moore            "  "  "  " 


The  interest  on  this  amount  was  paid  to  the  Rev.  Rufus 
Hurlbut,  agreeable  to  the  aet  of  incorporation. 


996  ' 

'  56 

146  "  69 

154  ' 

'  40 

200  ' 

'  31 

406  ' 

'  87 

200  ' 

«  31 

376  ' 

'  86 

382  ' 

'  15 

336  ' 

'  81 

#3200  ' 

'  96 

CHAPTER   XXVI. 

1825-1850. 

History  of  the  Sudbury  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  —  Members  of  a 
Baptist  Society  in  Sudbury  in  1828.  —  Town  Farm.  —  Town  House. 
—  Erection  of  Tombs.  —  Ecclesiastical  Disturbance. —  Formation  of 
a  New  Parish.  —  Building  of  a  Meeting-House.  —  Dedication  of  it. — 
Death  of  Rev.  Rums  Hurlbut. —  Sketch  of  his  Life.  —  Settlement  of 
Rev.  Josiah  Ballard.  —  The  Old  Parish.  —  Settlement  of  Rev.  Linus 
Shaw.  —  Sketch  of  his  Life. —  Succession  of  Pastors. —  Miscellaneous. 

Our  theme  shall  be  of  yesterday, 
Which  to  oblivion  sweeps  away 
Like  days  of  old. 

Longfellow. 

Between  1825  and  1850,  important  ecclesiastical  events 
transpired  in  Sudbury.  Measures  that  resulted  in  the  forma- 
tion of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  were  taken  in  the 
last  part  of  the  preceding  period,  but,  as  this  church  became 
established  or  largely  developed  in  this  period,  the  history 
of  it  properly  comes  here. 

THE  METHODIST    CHURCH. 

In  1823,  a  class  was  formed  by  Rev.  Erastus  Otis,  in 
connection  with  the  "  Old  Brick  Church "  at  Marlboro, 
which  consisted  of  the  following  members :  Varnum  Bal- 
com,  leader,  Webster  Cutting,  Buckley  Willis,  Emerson 
Brown,  Abel  Noyes,  Samuel  Dudley,  Miss  Abigail  Dudley, 
Mrs.  Noah  Smith,  Mrs.  Edwin  Cutting,  Mrs.  A.  Noyes, 
Mrs.  Varnum  Balcom,  and  some  others.  Previous  to  the 
formation  of  this  class  there  were  but  two  members  of  the 
Methodist  church  in  Sudbury.  In  the  early  stages  of  the  en- 
terprise, meetings  were  occasionally  held  in  the  school-house 
of  the  north-west  district;  but,  in  1835,  the  town  voted  not 

472 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  473 

to  allow  the  school-houses  to  be  used  for  religious  meetings. 
After  this,  preaching  services  were  sometimes  held  in  a  hall 
at  the  house  of  Mr.  Walter  Haynes ;  but  not  long  was  the 
little  company  to  be  without  a  church  home.  A  paper  was 
soon  started  by  Emerson  Brown,  soliciting  aid  for  the 
erection  of  a  meeting-house.  A  part  of  the  names  are  lost: 
the  following  are  some  of  the  subscribers  and  their  gifts,  — 
Emerson  Brown,  $500 ;  Edwin  Cutting,  $500 ;  Isaac  Par- 
menter,  $500  ;  Marshall  S.  Rice,  $200  ;  Martin  Brown,  $200  ; 

Solomon  Weeks,  $100  ;  Amos  Hagar,  $50  ;  Noah  Smith . 

A  piece  of  land  for  a  meeting-house,  consisting  of  sixty 
rods,  was  purchased  of  Luther  Goodnow  for  the  sum  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty-five  dollars.  It  was  conveyed  by  deed 
to  Isaac  Parmenter,  yeoman,  and  Emerson  Brown  and  Edwin 
Cutting,  shoemakers  ;  and  bears  date  Sept.  19,  1835.  The 
meeting-house  was  soon  erected,  and  in  1836  was  dedicated. 
Rev.  Abel  Stevens,  LL.D.,  preached  the  dedication  sermon. 
In  1841,  a  bell  was  purchased  at  a  cost  of  three  hundred  and 
three  dollars  and  twenty-five  cents,  Edwin  Cutting  giving 
one  hundred  dollars.  The  new  church  was  in  what  was 
then  called  the  "  Needham  Circuit."  After  the  erection  of 
the  meeting-house,  meetings  were  held  five  days  and  thirty- 
one  evenings  in  succession  ;  at  which  time  it  is  supposed 
about  fifty  persons  were  converted.  In  the  early  years  of 
the  church,  E.  O.  Haven  afterwards  Bishop  Haven,  then  a 
young  man,  taught  school  in  the  vestry.  The  fact  that  the 
career  of  that  widely-known  and  useful  man  was  connected 
in  its  early  beginning  with  this  quiet  spot  adds  to  it  a  special 
interest  and  pleasantness.  In  that  little  meeting-house,  hard 
by  the  margin  of  the  town's  common  land  and  one  of  its  old- 
time  burial  places,  was  the  spot  where  at  least  two  of  Sud- 
bury's college  graduates  now  living  pursued  their  early 
studies.  (See  College  Graduates.)  Here,  too,  at  least  one 
worshiper,  who  afterwards  entered  the  ministry,  took  the 
first  step  that  led  to  that  service  (Rev.  L.  P.  Frost).  Rev. 
Charles  Rogers,  who  for  several  years  has  been  Presiding 
Elder,  was  one  of  the  later  preachers,  and  at  the  same  time 
a  teacher  in  the  Wadsworth  Academy.  The  very  surround- 
ings of  the  place  are  suited  to  stir  to  reflection ;  and  when 


474 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY. 


nature,  in  spring-time,  clothes  with  green  the  shrubbery 
about  it  or  there  rests  on  it  the  stillness  of  the  soft  summer 
day,  then  the  scene  accords  with  the  associations  of  the 
meeting-house,  the  wayside  burial  place,  and  the  memories 
that  cluster  around  the  village  green.  From  the  time  the 
meeting-house  was  completed  the  new  church  has  moved 
steadily  on.  At  its  quarterly  meeting,  February,  1837,  the 
Presiding  Elder  present  was  D.  Kilburn.  The  same  year  the 
Conference  sent  as  first  pastor,  Rev.  Elias  C.  Scott.  He 
taught  school  for  which  he  received  eighty-four  dollars,  and 
this,  with  what  he  received  from  other  sources,  made  his 
salary  three  hundred  and  twenty-three  dollars  and  fifty-five 
cents.  Succeeding  Mr.  Scott  are  the  following  pastors  of  the 
church  with  their  dates  of  service  :  — 


Luman  Boyden 

1S37-8 

Porter  M.  Vinton 

1863-64 

George  W.  Bates 

1839-40 

George  Sutherland 

1864-65 

J.  S.  Ellis 

1840-41 

Philo  P.  Gorton 

1865-66 

P.  R.  Sawyer 

1841-42 

J.  W.  P.  Jordan 

1866-67 

W.  Tucker 

1642-43 

George  E.  Chapman 

1867-69 

G.  W.  Weeks 

1843 

Miles  R.  Barney 

1869-71 

Benjamin  King 

1845-40 

Walter  Wilkins 

1871-74 

Luther  Caldwell 

1846-47 

John  S.  Day 

1874-75 

W.  F.  Lacount 

1847-48 

A.  M.  Sherman 

1875-76 

Horace  Moulton 

1848-49 

Nathaniel  Bemis 

1S77-79 

George  Frost 

J.  Richardson 

1879-80 

L.  P.  Frost 

J.  A.  Ames 

1880-81 

John  W.  Lee 

1852-53 

F.  O.  Holman  and  M.  D.  Sill  1881-83 

J.  H.  Gaylord 

1853-55 

A.  R.  Archibald 

1883-84 

M.  Leffingwell 

1855-57 

J.  Marcy 

18S4-87 

Wm.  A.  Clapp 

1857-59 

Geo.  H.  Bolster 

1887-88 

Charles  S.  Rogers 

1859-61 

H.  E.  Wilcox 

1888-89 

Joseph  Scott 

1861-63 

Nearly  a  half  century  ago  the  little  congregation  was  gath- 
ered from  various  parts  of  the  town  ;  the  Butterfields  came 
from  Lanham,  the  Parmenters  and  Noyeses  from  Peakham, 
the  Battleses  from  the  Gravel  Pit  district,  the  Bents  and 
Hayneses  from  Pantry.  Years  ago,  some  of  these  early 
worshipers  passed  from  this  place  of  prayer  to  the  temple 
above.  In  1875,  Amos  Haynes  the  old  sexton  died.  For 
thirty-two  years  he  had  faithfully  stood  at  his  post  and  rung 


HISTORY  OF  SUDBURY.  475 

the  bell  at  the  hour  of  prayer.  The  familiar  form  of  Thomas 
B.  Battles  about  the  same  time  was  missed  from  the  choir. 
Then  the  tall,  slender  form  of  George  Goodnow,  who  had 
been  a  tower  of  strength,  was  also  called  to  his  reward ;  and 
thus,  one  by  one,  they  have  passed  away,  till  now  only  two 
remain  whose  names  were  on  the  church  records  forty  years 
ago.  Amid  its  many  vicissitudes  the  church  has  never  been 
closed  more  than  one  Sabbath  at  a  time.  The  highest  salary 
ever  paid  its  minister  was  seven  hundred  dollars.  The 
ladies  have  been  associated  in  a  society  which  has  aided  in 
all  the  church  enterprises ;  and  a  prominent  member  among 
them  has  been  Mrs.  George  Goodnow  who  has  faithfully 
planned  and  labored  for  the  maintenance  of  the  church 
through  many  years  of  its  history. 

BAPTIST   SOCIETY. 

In  1828,  the  following  persons  were  members  of  a  Baptist 
society  in  Sudbury  :  — 

Leander  G.  Wiley,  Obadiah  Osborn. 

Joseph  G.  Hunt,  Azariah  Walker. 

James  Moore,  John  W.  Haynes. 

Abijah  Walker,  Amos  Haynes. 

Ruth  Walker,  W™  Stone  Jr., 

Cyrus  W.  Jones,  Thadeus  Tower, 

David  Lincoln,  Hollis  Gibbs. 

Marden  Moore,  Joel  Dakin,  Clerk. 

TOWN   FARM. 

March  5,  1832,  the  town  voted  to  purchase  a  Town  Farm. 
The  place  selected  was  the  property  of  Asa  Noyes,  situated 
in  the  north  part  of  the  town,  and  the  same  now  used  for 
the  town's  poor.  In  1843,  the  town  voted  to  build  a  house 
on  the  farm,  and  in  1845  it  granted  one  thousand  and 
seventy-six  dollars  and  sixty-seven  cents  to  pay  for  it.  Some 
years  ago  the  barn  was  burned  and  another  was  erected 
soon  after. 

TOWN   HOUSE. 

In  1845,  the  town  voted  to  build  a  Town  House.  A 
committee  was  chosen  consisting  of  five  persons,  one  from 


476  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

each  school  district,  to  select  a  spot,  bring  in  a  plan,  and 
estimate  the  cost.  April  20,  1846,  the  town  granted  one 
thousand  dollars  for  the  building,  and  appointed  a  committee 
to  confer  with  the  First  Parish  about  the  terms  on  which 
the  town  could  have  a  spot  on  the  common  to  set  a  building 
upon.  At  a  legal  meeting  of  the  First  Parish  held  in  April, 
1846,  it  was  "  voted  that  sd  Parish  give  to  the  town  of 
Sudbury  liberty  to  set  a  town  house  on  the  meeting  house 
common,  nearly  or  partly  on  that  part  now  occupied  by 
the  Center  school  house  sufficient  for  the  occupation  of  sd 
Town  House,  and  ten  feet  passage  around  it.  Provided, 
sd  gift  to  sd  town  shall  not  be  construed  in  any  way  to 
injure  the  title  of  sd  Parish  to  the  remainder  of  sd  common." 
The  town  "voted  to  place  the  Town  House  where  the  school 
house  now  stands,  provided,  said  Parish  adheres  to  their 
agreement."  A  few  years  ago  an  iron  safe  was  procured, 
in  which  to  keep  the  town  records,  and  placed  in  the  Town 
House ;  and  recently,  a  fire-proof  depository  of  brick-work. 
The  west  part  of  the  Town  House  was  formerly  used  as  an 
armory  of  the  "  Wadsworth  Rifle  Guards ;  "  and  rows  of 
rifles  and  military  accoutrements  were  ranged  on  the  side  of 
the  long,  narrow  room.  A  part  of  this  room  is  now  used  as 
a  selectmen's  office. 

ERECTION   OF   TOMBS. 

A  petition  having  been  presented  to  the  town  by  William 
Hunt  and  others,  for  leave  to  erect  a  number  of  tombs  on 
the  northerly  part  of  the  meeting-house  plot,  nearly  opposite 
the  burying-ground,  April  3,  1826,  the  town  granted  per- 
mission, and  appointed  a  committee  of  five  to  locate  the 
ground  where  they  should  be  built,  and  to  confer  with  the 
petitioners  as  to  the  plan,  so  as  to  have  them  uniform.  In 
November,  the  committee  reported  a  place,  and  recommended 
that  leave  be  given  the  petitioners  to  fix  upon  some  uniform 
plan  of  building  to  suit  themselves.  The  report  was  accepted. 
April  3, 1830,  Luther  Goodnow,  Asher  Goodnow,  Tilly  Smith 
and  Levi  Smith  received  permission  to  erect  tombs  on  the 
east  side  of  the  powder  house. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  477 

ECCLESIASTICAL  DISTURBANCE. 

A  prominent  ecclesiastical  event  in  this  period  was  the 
formation  of  a  new  parish.  The  causes  which  brought 
this  about  had  been  at  work  for  some  years  previously,  and 
were,  mainly,  the  same  as  those  which  wrought  similar 
results  in  other  New  England  towns  about  that  time.  In 
the  early  part  of  the  century  a  controversy  took  place  con- 
cerning certain  theological  questions,  principal  among  which 
were  the  nature  and  mission  of  Christ,  the  measure  or  extent 
of  human  depravity,  and  man's  need  of  regeneration  by  a 
personal  Holy  Spirit  ;  or,  in  other  words,  the  Divinity  of 
Christ,  the  Atonement,  Total  Depravity,  Regeneration  and 
the  Personality  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  advocates  of  the 
liberal  movement  —  among  whom  were  Ware,  Buckminster, 
Norton  and  Channing  —  sought  to  extend  the  principles  of 
Unitarianism.  On  the  other  side,  prominent  theologians, 
among  whom  were  Prof.  Moses  Stuart  of  Andover  and 
Rev.  Lyman  Beecher,  stoutly  set  themselves  to  oppose  it. 
The  controversy  spread  through  society.  In  this  part  of  the 
country  the  age  became  one  of  theological  discussion,  and,  in 
the  course  of  a  few  years,  many  old  churches  and  parishes 
were  divided  into  two  organizations,  one  of  which  took  the 
name  of  Unitarian  Church,  and  the  other  of  Orthodox  Con- 
gregational or  Trinitarian  Church.  The  influence  of  this 
wide-spread  discussion  did  not  produce  any  marked  result  in 
the  Sudbury  church  till  about  1839.  There  were  in  the 
town  records,  some  years  before  that  time,  various  state- 
ments which  indicate  that  dissatisfaction  prevailed  respecting 
the  minister's  theological  views.  The  desire  was  expressed 
that  Mr.  Hurlbut  would  exchange  more  with  the  neighboring 
clergymen,  "  as  formerly  ;  "  and  there  was  querying  as  to 
why  he  did  not.  Notwithstanding,  however,  the  existence 
of  dissatisfaction  there  was  no  outbreak  until  Mr.  Hurlbut, 
whose  health  had  become  feeble,  procured  the  services  of 
another  minister  to  supply  the  pulpit  for  a  Sabbath.  The 
attitude  of  the  congregation  then  became  clearly  defined. 
On  the  Sabbath  morning  two  new  clergymen  appeared  on 
the  scene,  one  provided  by  Mr.  Hurlbut,  the  other  by  the 


478  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

parish  committee.  When  Mr.  Hurlbut  and  his  minister 
arrived  at  the  steps  of  the  church,  he  found  the  door  had 
been  fastened,  and  that  the  minister  whom  the  parish  had 
provided  was  within.  Says  one,  who  was  standing  by  and 
witnessed  the  affair  and  heard  the  conversation,  "  Mr.  Hurl- 
but  informed  the  committee  that  he  would  like  to  introduce 
his  minister.  The  request  being  granted,  they  passed  in, 
and  Mr.  Hurlbut,  after  making  a  few  remarks  to  the  people, 
left  the  meeting-house.  A  large  share  of  the  congregation 
left  also,  and,  with  their  minister,  went  over  and  worshiped 
that  morning  with  the  Methodists."  Soon  after,  they  hired 
a  hall,  which  stood  on  the  site  of  Mr.  Sewall  Taylor's  wheel- 
wright's shop.  It  had  two  stories  and  a  gallery  on  three  sides 
of  the  audience  room.  It  was  subsequently  used  as  a  wheel- 
wright's shop  by  Edwin  Harrington  and  was  destroyed  by 
fire  about  thirty  years  ago. 

FORMATION   OF   A  NEW   PARISH. 

Shortly  after  the  events  just  narrated  a  new  religious 
society  was  organized.  March,  1839,  a  warrant  was  issued 
by  Christopher  G.  Cutler  to  Israel  How  Brown,  an  applicant 
for  the  same,  requiring  the  said  Brown  to  notify  all  the 
legal  voters  "  who  have  congregated  the  year  last  past  for 
public  worship  in  a  building  owned  by  Wm  Brigham  in  said 
Sudbury  to  meet  at  said  building"  March  25,  at  one  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  for  the  purpose  of  "  organizing  according  to 
law  a  religious  society  for  the  public  worship  of  God."  The 
petitioners  for  the  warrant  were  Enoch  Kidder,  A.  B.  Rich- 
ardson, Israel  H.  Brown,  Abel  Dakin,  Joseph  Cutter,  Roland 
Cutler  and  Gardner  Hunt.  The  meeting  was  held  pursuant 
to  warrant,  and,  in  the  absence  of  C.  G.  Cutler,  Esq.,  and  at 
his  request,  Lyman  How,  Esq.,  presided.  Samuel  Puffer 
was  chosen  clerk  and  William  Brigham  moderator.  Nahum 
Goodenow,  William  Brigham  and  I.  H.  Brown  were  chosen 
assessors,  and  William  Rice  collector  and  treasurer.  The 
assessors  were  also  chosen  as  the  prudential  committee,  and 
the  same  persons  were  also  appointed  to  report  a  name  for 
the  new  society.  It  was  voted  at  the  same  meeting  to  grant 
eight  hundred  dollars  for  preaching  the  ensuing  year.     The 


HISTORY   OF   StTDBURY.  479 

committee  presented  the  name  of  The  Sudbury  Evangelical 
Union  Society,  which  was  accepted  and  adopted.  The 
word  Sudbury  was  afterwards  struck  off,  leaving  the  name 
of  the  society  as  it  stands  to-day.  A  second  meeting  was 
held,  April  8,  1839,  at  which  Lyman  How,  Esq.,  was  chosen 
moderator.  The  society  at  that  meeting  voted  to  build  a 
meeting-house  "  on  the  plan  of  the  Orthodox  Society  of 
Marlboro."  A  committee  chosen  at  the  previous  meeting 
for  selecting  a  suitable  building  spot  reported  "  that  it  is 
expedient  to  set  the  house  on  the  ground  near  the  Black- 
smith's shop  owned  by  Jonas  Tower."  A  building  com- 
mittee was  chosen  of  which  Mr.  Gardner  Hunt  was  chairman. 
This  committee  was  instructed  to  borrow  money  for  building 
the  house  on  the  credit  of  the  society ;  and,  after  the  com- 
pletion of  the  building,  to  sell  the  pews  to  defray  the 
expense  of  construction.  A  contract  was  concluded  May  27, 
1839,  between  Gardner  Hunt,  William  Brigham  and  Jonas 
Tower,  building  committee,  and  Mr.  Jeremiah  Flint.  Mr. 
Flint,  by  the  terms  of  the  contract,  was  to  have  for  the  work 
fifty-seven  hundred  dollars.  The  society  was  to  provide  the 
foundation  and  the  steps,  and  the  work  was  to  be  completed 
by  the  following  November.  At  a  meeting  Dec.  25,  1839, 
it  was  voted  to  direct  the  building  committee  to  sell  the 
pews  on  the  appraisal  that  had  been  reported,  reserving 
the  right  to  tax  to  an  amount  not  exceeding  five  per  cent, 
per  annum  on  the  appraised  value.  Also  voted  to  direct  the 
committee  to  sell  the  pews  on  the  day  after  the  dedication 
of  the  house,  and  give  deeds  of  the  same.  In  the  sale  of  the 
pews,  No.  1  was  to  be  reserved  for  the  minister,  and  the 
four  under  the  gallery  were  to  be  reserved  for  free  seats. 
The  valuation  of  the  pews  varied  from  forty  dollars  to  one 
hundred  and  five  dollars,  and  the  total  amount  was  forty- 
seven  hundred  and  five  dollars.  At  a  meeting  of  the  society, 
held  Feb.  10,  1840,  it  was  voted  to  direct  the  parish  and 
assessors  to  "  circulate  a  petition  for  to  obtain  money  to 
procure  a  bell."  The  money  was  raised  and  a  bell  was 
purchased  at  Medway.  Jan.  1,  1840,  the  meeting-house  was 
dedicated ;  Rev.  Mr.   Horsford  of  Saxonville  preached  the 


480  HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY. 

sermon.     April,  1840,  it  was  voted   to  sell  rights  to  build 
sheds  on  the  society's  lands. 

While  the  new  meeting-house  was  in  process  of  comple- 
tion, Rev.  Rufus  Hurlbut  passed  away.  He  died  May  11, 
1839,  having  been  pastor  of  the  church  twenty-two  years. 
He  was  a  son  of  Steven  Hurlbut,  and  was  born  in  South- 
hampton April  21,  1787,  graduated  at  Philips  Academy  in 
1808,  and  at  Harvard  College  1813.  He  studied  theology 
with  Rev.  Thomas  Prentiss,  D.D.,  of  Medfield,  whose 
daughter  Mary  he  married  Dec.  17,  1817.  His  wife  was  the 
granddaughter  of  Dr.  John  Scollay,  who  was  for  over  forty 
years  town  clerk  of  Boston.  Mr.  Hurlbut  was  tall  and  thin, 
of  dignified  demeanor,  agreeable  and  gentlemanly  in  his 
ways.  He  lived  at  the  present  Smith  Jones  house.  He  was 
buried  in  the  old  burying-ground  where  a  slate  stone  marks 
his  grave. 

SETTLEMENT  OF  FIRST   PASTOR. 

Feb.  15, 1841,  Rev.  Josiah  Ballard  was  called  at  a  salary  of 
six  hundred  dollars,  and  accepted  the  call.  His  installation 
took  place  March  2, 1841.  The  council  was  composed  of  the 
following  ministers  with  their  churches :  Rev.  Messrs.  Brig- 
ham  of  Framingham,  Harding  of  Easi  Midway,  Corner  of 
Berlin,  Hyde  of  Wayland,  Horsford  of  Saxonville,  Dyer  of 
Stow, of  Medfield,  Woodbridge  of  Acton,  Means  of  Con- 
cord, Day  of  Marlboro.  Rev.  Mr.  Buckingham  of  Milbury 
preached  the  sermon.  For  a  time  the  tax  for  preaching  was 
levied  upon  each  person  on  the  basis  of  the  town  valuation, 
but  later,  the  money  was  raised  by  subscription,  and  recently 
the  envelope  system  has  been  employed. 

THE  OLD  PARISH. 

After  the  division  took  place,  the  old  parish  disclaimed 
any  formal  or  legal  relationship  to  Rev.  Rufus  Hurlbut. 
March,  1839,  it  declared  by  vote  that  it  no  longer  considered 
him  their  minister  as  he  had  withdrawn  from  them.  The 
records  state  that  after  "  a  portion  of  the  church  and  con- 
gregation had  withdrawn  and  formed  a  new  Society  called 


THE    HURLBUT    PARSONAGE,    Sudbury  Centre. 


HISTORY  OP  SUDBURY.  481 

Orthodox  the  old  Society  enjoyed  the  outward  services  of  the 
Gospel  irregularly,"  and  that  the  church  was  reduced  to  a 
small  number.  We  have  not  ascertained  from  record  what 
membership  was  left ;  but  Deacon  Thomas  P.  Hurlbut  was 
accustomed  to  state  that  "but  one  member  remained  with 
the  old  Parish."  All  the  property  was  retained  by  the  old 
society ;  but  the  indications  are  that  a  portion,  at  least,  of 
that  which  was  portable  was  transferred  to  it  by  those  who 
no  longer  worshipped  at  the  old  meeting-house,  since  one 
of  the  records  of  the  Evangelical  Union  Church,  dated 
February,  1839,  is  as  follows:  "To  choose  a  committee  to 
settle  with  Levi  Dakin,  the  present  Treasurer  of  the  Church, 
and  take  the  papers  and  money  now  in  his  hands,  and  keep 
them  until  claimed  by  the  church,  which  may  be  formed  in 
the  first  Parish."  A  few  years  afterwards  the  First  Society 
had  an  increase  of  membership,  and  the  church  was  reor- 
ganized as  the  records  of  the  old  parish  state.  (Page  38.) 
"  In  the  Fall  of  1844  the  Church  was  reorganized,  and  a 
number  of  persons  came  forward  and  united  in  the  Lord's 
Supper,  with  the  few  who  were  members  before,  and  were 
acknowledged  members  of  the  First  Church.  The  number 
then  uniting  was  twelve." 

For  a  time  the  old  society  had  different  preachers  to 
supply  the  pulpit.  From  March  30  to  September  22,  accord- 
ing to  a  record  book  of  Capt.  Israel  Haynes,  no  less  than 
twelve  different  ministers  preached  there.  In  the  summer 
of  1841,  Rev.  Linus  Shaw  was  invited  to  preach,  which  he 
did  till  fall.  Soon  after,  the  meeting-house  was  remodelled, 
and  in  1844,  he  was  invited  to  preach  there  again ;  he  did  so, 
and  the  result  was  his  settlement  as  pastor.  lie  was  installed 
June  5,  1845,  and  continued  in  the  pastorate  till  his  death. 

REV.    LINUS   H.    SHAW. 

Linus  H.  Shaw  was  born  in  Raynham  Nov.  29, 1804,  where 
he  fitted  for  college  with  Rev.  Enoch  Sanford,  pastor  of 
the  Trinitarian  Congregational  Church.  He  entered  Brown 
University,  which  he  left  at  the  close  of  two  years  in  1827, 
to  engage  in  teaching.  He  was  for  a  time  second  principal 
of  the  Bristol  County  Academy  at  Taunton,  and  in  1830,  he 


482  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

entered  the  Divinity  School,  Cambridge,  where  he  remained 
three  years.  In  1834,  he  was  ordained  at  Athol.  He  mar- 
ried Louisa  Alden  Jones,  and  had  five  children,  —  Louisa, 
Henry,  Joseph,  Maria  and  Helen.  In  1850,  he  built  a  house 
on  Plympton  Hill,  a  little  north-east  of  Sudbury  Centre, 
where  he  lived  until  his  death,  Jan.  5,  1866.  Mr.  Shaw 
was  an  estimable  man,  a  valuable  citizen,  and  much  respected 
by  the  community.  He  was  small  in  stature,  dignified  and 
gentlemanly  in  demeanor,  quiet  and  unassuming  in  his  ways. 
Nov.  24,  1864,  he  preached  a  sermon  at  a  union  service,  held 
by  the  several  churches  of  Sudbury,  on  the  subject,  "  The 
Black  man  and  the  War ; "  which,  at  the  people's  request, 
was  printed.  Since  the  death  of  Rev.  Linus  Shaw,  the  fol- 
lowing ministers  have  acted  as  pastors  for  the  First  Parish  : 
Revs.  Bond,  Dawes,  Webber,  Knowles,  Willard,  Sherman, 
E.  J.  Young  and  Gilman.  For  several  years  the  church  has 
had  preaching  but  a  small  portion  of  each  year. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

In  1825,  "  the  building  Lanham  Bridge  was  let  out  to 
E.  Fairbank  and  David  How  for  the  sum  of  eighty  eight 
dollars." 

In  1826,  the  town  granted  thirty  dollars  "to  furnish  din- 
ners and  powder  for  soldiers  muster  day." 

In  1828,  voted  to  exchange  the  old  bell  for  a  new  one. 

April  7,  1828,  a  road  was  accepted  "  from  Wm  Hunt's 
land,  over  land  of  Elisha  Hunt  to  Lanham." 

Nov.  14,  1881,  "  the  town  gave  leave  to  have  stoves  placed 
in  the  porch  of  the  meeting  house,  the  funnel  passing  into  the 
house  up  through  the  roof."  Rev.  Rufus  Hurlbut  offered  to 
pay  fifty  dollars  towards  the  expense  of  the  stoves,  provided 
others  would  raise  the  remaining  amount.  A  subscription 
paper  was  started  to  which  thirty-five  names  were  sub- 
scribed. The  sums  pledged  varied  from  fifty  cents  to  six 
dollars,  making  in  all  one  hundred  dollars.  Only  three  of 
the  thirty-five  are  now  living,  —  Walter  Rogers,  Hopestill 
Brown  and  Willard  Walker. 

In  1832,  a  road  was  accepted  by  the  town  "  from  the  Berlin 
road  to  Ephraim  Moore's."     "Voted  that  the  Poor  be  left 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  483 

to  the  Overseers  of  the  Poor  to  let  them  out  to  one  or  more 
contractors  for  one  year  as  they  shall  think  best." 

In  1833,  the  town  chose  a  committee  to  petition  the  Post- 
master-General for  a  post  office  at  the  Centre,  and  also  "  to 
have  the  North  and  South  offices  discontinued.  At  the  same 
meeting  "  voted  to  take  the  map  [of  the  town]  of  Mr  Wood 
at  sixty-eight  dollars."  Also  u  voted  that  each  individual  in 
town  shall  have  a  map  of  the  town  for  twenty-eight  cents." 
Also  "  voted  to  authorize  some  person  to  give  a  warranty 
deed  of  the  John  Green  farm." 

In  1835,  the  town  gave  liberty  to  Thomas  Plympton  to 
enclose  with  a  fence  "  the  graves  of  his  father  and  mother 
and  family  connections  now  buried  in  the  grave  yard." 

In  1848  and  9,  much  excitement  was  caused  in  Sudbury,  in 
common  with  other  places,  by  the  discovery  of  gold  in  Cali- 
fornia. The  discoverer  was  James  W.  Marshall,  who  first 
saw  it  near  the  saw-mill  of  Capt.  John  A.  Sutter,  Feb.  2, 
1846.  The  "  gold  fever "  became  quite  general,  and  a 
number  of  persons  started  out  in  the  hope  of  making  their  \ 
fortune,  among  whom  were  Humphrey  Sawyer,  Hiram  Burr, 
Haman  Hunt,  Nichols  Brown,  Samuel  and  Edward  Bacon, 
Thomas  Stearns,  Samuel  Carr,  Eli  H.  Willis,  Samuel  Gar- 
field, Elbridge  Haynes  and  Levi  Dow. 


CHAPTER   XXVII. 

1850-1875. 

Names  Applied  to  different  Sections  of  the  Town.  —  Division  into 
Districts. —  Change  in  the  Districts.  —  Description  of  South  Sud- 
bury.—1- Location.  —  Location  of  the  Railroad  Station.  —  The  Boston 
and  Worcester  Highway.  —  Houses  Situated  along  this  Highway 
half  a  Century  Ago.  —  Changes  in  Buildings.  —  The  Village  Grocery. 
—  Captain  Kidder's  Shoe  Shop. —  Sketch  of  Captain  Kidder. — 
Sketch  of  Mrs.  Kidder.  —  The  Mill.  —  Wadsworth  Monument. — 
Industries.  —  Modern  Improvements.  —  Former  and  Present  Owners 
or  Occupants  of  Homesteads.  —  The  George  Pitts  Farm.  —  Descrip- 
tion of  Sudbury  Centre.  —  Location.  —  Oldest  House.  —  Location  of 
Old  Buildings.  —  Noon  House.  —  Parsonages.  —  Old  Burying-Ground. 
Common.  —  Grocery  Stores.  —  Mills.  —  Former  and  Present  Owners 
or  Occupants  of  Homesteads.  —  North  Sudbury.  —  Location.  —  Post 
Office  and  Postmasters.  —  Industries.  —  Iron  Ore.  —  Grocery  Stores. 
Change  in  Construction  of  Houses.  —  Taverns.  —  Saw-Mill. 

We  may  build  more  splendid  habitations, 

Fill  our  rooms  with  paintings  and  with  sculptures, 

But  we  cannot 
Buy  with  gold  the  old  associations. 

Longfellow. 

As  we  enter  upon  the  history  of  the  last  half  of  the 
present  century,  it  may  be  appropriate  and  interesting  to 
pause  in  the  narrative  and  notice  some  changes  that  have 
taken  place  in  the  various  villages  and  districts  as  these 
relate  to  the  occupants  of  homesteads,  to  industries,  and  the 
location  of  dwelling-houses,  stores  and  shops.  In  doing  this, 
it  is  desirable  and  essential  to  describe  things  as  they  are  in 
the  present  period,  not  only  that  by  the  contrast  we  may 
better  note  the  change  which  the  passing  years  have  brought, 
but  that  a  knowledge  of  the  present  may  thus  be  imparted 
to  those  who  are  to  come  after  us,  to  whom  the  present  will 

484 


HISTORY  OF  SUDBURY.  485 

be  the  past.  Different  terms  have  been  used  to  designate 
the  different  parts  of  the  town  in  different  stages  of  its 
history.  In  early  times,  it  was  the  "  East  and  West  Side  of 
ye  great  River ; "  later,  it  was  the  "  East  and  West  Pre- 
cinct," or  the  "East  Side  "  and  "  Rocky  Plain."  After  a 
time,  the  West  Side  was  divided  into  wards  for  the  purpose 
of  notification  of  town  meetings,  road  repairing,  and  militia 
organizations.  At  one  time  the  territorial  limit  of  certain 
official  duties  was  the  old  Lancaster  road.  This  ancient 
highway,  probably,  divided  the  town  more  equally  than  any 
other  landmark  of  that  time.  Still  later,  the  town  was 
divided  into  districts  for  school  purposes.  The  locality  gave 
its  name  to  the  school,  and  the  school  gave  its  name  to  the 
district.  But  soon  after  the  middle  of  the  century  the 
school  districts  underwent  a  change.  The  Pantry  school- 
house  at  the  road  corners  was  removed,  and  a  new  building 
was  erected  by  the  "  Great  Road "  for  the  North  part  or 
North  Village.  Another  school-house  was  erected  about  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  south  of  Pantry  bridge,  and  two  schools 
were  established  at  the  Centre.  A  year  later  a  school-house 
was  built  at  South  Sudbury.  These  events  somewhat 
changed  the  designation  of  different  parts  of  the  town  by 
districts ;  yet,  notwithstanding  this,  the  history  of  the  town 
is  so  associated  with  the  five  old  and  familiar  school  districts, 
that  it  is  expedient  to  follow  this  division  in  describing  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  town  outside  the  villages.  Before  de- 
scribing the  various  school  districts,  however,  we  will  give 
a  description  of  the  villages.  The  town  has  three  distinct 
villages,  —  South  Sudbury,  Sudbury  Centre  and  North  Sud- 
bury. These  all  lie  in  a  line,  north  and  south,  about  midway 
of  the  town. 

SOUTH   SUDBURY. 

The  village  of  South  Sudbury  is  about  a  mile  south  of  the 
Centre,  on  the  Boston  and  Worcester  highway  and  the  Mas- 
sachusetts Central  and  northern  branch  of  the  Old  Colony 
Railroad.  Until  recently  it  was  known  as  "  Mill  Village." 
It  has  a  store,  post  office,  machine  shop,  blacksmith's  shop, 
school-house,  chapel,  grist-mill,  a  junction  depot,  the  Good- 


486  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

now  Library,  and  about  fifty  dwelling-houses.  The  depot  is 
a  little  westerly  of  the  village,  in  the  locality  known  to  the 
old  inhabitants  as  "Dana  Hunt's  swamp,"  formerly  part 
wood  and  part  pasture,  which  belonged  to  the  old  Thompson 
estate.  The  place  was  once  resorted  to  by  the  villagers  for 
bilberries,  and  children  picked  young  checker-.bush  there. 
The  swamp,  though  not  large,  contained  a  variety  of  shrub- 
bery, mixed  with  pines,  oaks  and  birches.  In  winter  it  was 
quite  a  resort  for  partridges,  affording  both  feeding-ground 
and  shelter  for  them.  An  old  hunter  informed  me  that  he 
had  passed  through  there  in  the  morning  and  shot  birds,  and 
returning  at  night  had  taken  others,  which  had  flown  in 
during  the  day  from  the  neighboring  woods. 

The  oldest  house  in  the  village  is  the  "  John  Allen  house,' 
first  east  of  the  store  on  the  north  side  of  the  road.  It 
probably  dates  as  far  back,  at  least,  as  1700,  and  may  have 
been  built  by  Abraham  Woods,  who  near  that  time  leased 
the  mill,  or  by  the  Noyeses  who  built  it.  The  house  for- 
merly had  a  long  sloping  roof  on  the  back,  was  painted  red, 
and  had  a  door  on  the  east  side.  Tradition  tells  of  a  small 
house  that  stood  near  the  site  of  the  blacksmith's  shop  by 
the  mill.  It  also  says  that,  one  day,  the  Indians  appeared 
on  the  rising  ground  just  over  Mill  Brook  (Leavett's  Hill), 
and  a  woman  at  the  house  made  them  think  men  were  about 
by  calling  out,  "Be  quick,  boys,  the  Indians  are  coming!" 
whereupon  the  Indians  fled. 

South  Sudbury  has  undergone  various  changes.  The 
Boston  and  Worcester  highway  formerly  went  south  of 
Green  Hill,  then  followed  "  the  old  road "  to  the  village, 
and  beyond  the  bridge  it  turned  southerly  and  left  the  Cutler 
and  Walter  Rogers  houses  on  the  north,  and  came  out  by  the 
Wheeler  house  near  the  clay-pits  that  were  formerly  on  the 
old  Gibbs  farm.  This  highway  in  former  times  was  much 
travelled.  Loaded  teams  came  from  as  far  as  Vermont,  and 
sometimes  two  or  three  stages  daily  passed  over  it.  One 
day  a  three-horse  team  from  Brookfield  was  coming  up  Green 
Hill  when  a  flash  of  lightning  killed  every  horse.  Along  this 
road  the  village  was  built.  The  only  buildings  on  the  south 
side  of  it  fifty  years  ago,  between  Abel  Smith's  at  Green  Hill 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  487 

and  the  bridge,  were  Capt.  Enoch  Kidder's  house  (John  B. 
Goodnovv's),  built  in  1813  or  14,  the  mill  buildings,  the 
blacksmith's  shop  (J.  P.  Allen's),  built  in  1826  and  lately 
demolished,  and  an  old  barn  nearly  opposite  the  Allen  house. 
In  this  old  barn,  tradition  says,  a  noted  character,  commonly 
called  Tom  Cook,  sometimes  stopped  for  the  night.  This 
man  was  a  notorious  tramp  or  itinerant  thief,  well  known  for 
his  eccentric  ways.  A  little  later  the  Kidder  shoe  shop  was 
built,  just  east  of  the  Kidder  house.  On  the  north  side  of 
the  road  were  about  a  dozen  buildings  between  Green  Hill 
and  the  bridge.  The  first  by  the  brook  was  a  blacksmith's 
shop,  where  the  Browns  made  billhooks,  cleavers,  hatchets 
and  knives ;  next  to  this  was  the  Thompson  malt  house,  to 
which  the  town's  people  brought  barley  for  malt ;  beyond 
this  was  the  William  Brown  place,  a  low,  one-story  house; 
and  further  on  at  the  west  corner  of  the  Boston  and  Worces- 
ter and  meeting-house  roads  was  the  "  tavern  stand ; " 
beyond  the  tavern,  on  the  opposite  corner,  was  the  store 
kept  by  Gardener  and  Luther  Hunt,  a  small  building  with  an 
L  running  north ;  next  in  order  came  a  dwelling-house  since 
burned,  Fisher's  wheelwright's  shop,  the  Woods  or  Allen 
house,  the  Fisher  house,  and  a  few  rods  up  the  hill  the  house 
occupied  by  Josiah  Richardson,  which  is  still  standing.  Be- 
tween this  house  and  Green  Hill  was  only  the  Cutter  place 
(Hiram  Goodnow's)  and  the  Gideon  Richardson  place  (now 
Newton  place).  Up  to  1825,  there  was  no  house  on  the 
"  meeting-house  road  "  to  the  Israel  How  Brown  place.  Such 
was  South  Sudbury  half  a  century  ago.  The  changes  that 
have  come  over  it  have  been  gradual ;  no  sudden  or  single 
stroke  has  swept  the  landmarks  away,  but  one  by  one  they 
have  gone.  The  old  store  was  burned  Feb.  14, 1841,  and  the 
one  built  in  its  place  shared  a  like  fate  in  1887.  A  new  mill 
was  erected  in  1853,  which  in  1886  was  burned,  and  the  same 
year  another  was  built  on  its  site.  The  blacksmith's  shop  and 
malt  house,  after  years  of  disuse,  were  torn  down,  one  about 
thirty,  the  other  about  forty  years  ago.  About  1864,  the 
tavern  buildings  were  demolished.  In  1861  and  62,  the 
Goodnow  Library  was  put  up  by  John  Harriman.  In  1857, 
Wadsworth  Academy  was  built,  and  in  1879  it  was  burned, 


488  HISTORY  OF  SUDBURY. 

and  the  Congregational  Chapel  erected  in  its  place  in  1880. 
Thus  change  has  been  active  with  its  busy  hand.  The 
history  of  some  of  these  buildings  that  have  thus  passed 
away  is  of  considerable  interest.  The  old  store  was  the  only 
village  grocery  for  scores  of  years,  as  was  also  its  successor. 
Tradition  says  it  was  established  by  Capt.  Levi  Holden,  who 
commanded  the  "south  militia  company."  Subsequent  to 
Captain  Holden's  possession,  it  was  owned  by  Asher  Cutler, 
and  kept  by  Abel  Cutler  and  Jesse  Goodnow,  and  was  pur- 
chased by  Messrs.  Gardener  and  Luther  Hunt  near  the 
beginning  of  the  present  century.  Much  spirituous  liquor 
was  sold  at  this  grocery  t6  the  people  in  all  the  country 
round,  till  the  starting  of  the  temperance  cause,  when  the 
traffic  in  rum  there  ceased.  G.  and  L.  Hunt  were  succeeded 
by  Charles  and  Emory  Hunt.  The  present  proprietor  is 
George,  son  of  Emory.  Formerly,  this  store  was  the  centre 
of  an  extensive  trade.  About  the  year  1850,  there  was  a 
large  barter  in  straw  braid.  Women  and  children  braided 
straw  in  their  homes  from  the  material  cut  green  in  the  rye 
field,  then  dried,  whitened  and  split,  and  turned  straw  upon 
straw  in  "  seven  strand,"  which  brought  from  a  half  cent  to 
two  cents  a  yard.  Teams  from  the  neighboring  towns 
brought  this  work,  which  was  exchanged  for  a  variety  of 
wares,  and  the  hitching-posts  of  the  entire  store  front  were 
sometimes  all  in  use  at  one  time.  An  old  store  sign  was 
"  Furniture,  Feathers  &  Crockery  Ware  Rooms,"  and  this 
included  stoves,  carpets,  and  sundry  commodities  not  always 
found  in  a  country  store.  In  process  of  time  the  braid  trade 
ceased,  the  old  mill  that  "  brought  custom  "  ceased  for  a  time 
"to  grind  the  town's  corn,"  the  old  "firm"  was  dissolved, 
and  a  part  of  the  store  became  a  private  dwelling-place  ; 
since  then  the  other  part  has  been  an  ordinary  store  for  the 
sale  of  English  and  West  India  goods.  Besides  Hunt's 
store  another  place  of  some  interest  was  the  "  Kidder  shoe 
shop."  This  has  lately  been  remodelled  and  made  into  a 
private  residence,  but  for  years  the  upper  part  was  a  shoe 
shop  and  the  lower  used  as  a  grocery.  In  the  earlier  life  of 
the  well-known  proprietor,  business  at  this  shop  was  very 
brisk.     In  addition  to  the  local  patronage,  marketers  were 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  489 

accustomed  to  leave  orders  as  they  came  from  the  towns 
beyond.  This  was,  perhaps,  one  of  the  last  places  where  the 
old  "  tongue  "  boot  was  made.  The  Kidder  shop  was  quite 
a  resort  for  the  villagers  on  a  wet  day  or  winter's  evening. 
There  they  gathered  and  gossiped  and  smoked  as  the  night's 
early  hours  went  by.  It  was  a  quaint  old  place.  Pictures 
of  a  patriotic  and  political  character  —  "  The  Battle  of 
Bunker  Hill,"  "The  Storming  of  a  Mexican  Fort,"  like- 
nesses of  Webster,  Benton,  Calhoun  and  Clay  —  were  upon 
the  walls,  and  near  the  ceiling  hung  two  flint-lock  muskets 
left  over  when  the  militia  broke  up.  Captain  Kidder  was 
bent  in  form  and  looked  old  when  those  now  middle-acred 
were  young.  He  was  a  Whig  and  held  various  town  offices. 
His  wife  was  the  village  florist,  and  various  and  wonderful 
to  our  eyes  were  the  plants  and  flowers  that  grew  in  Mrs. 
Kidder's  "  front  yard."  Besides  these,  there  were  in  the 
side  yard  beds  and  boxes  of  plants.  In  this  collection  was  a 
fig-tree  which  she  had  cultivated  from  the  seed  and  which  at 
one  time  bore  one  or  two  hundred  figs.  On  the  place  were 
high  cherry-trees,  heavy  in  their  season  with  luscious  fruit, 
and  apple-trees  that  were  choice  and  in  those  days  rare. 
Mrs.  Kidder  was  a  good-hearted,  benevolent  woman,  of  large 
hospitality,  and,  like  her  husband,  was  much  esteemed.  As 
the  Kidders  were  so  well  and  so  widely  known,  a  short 
sketch  of  the  household  may  properly  be  considered  a  part 
of  the  historic  sketch  of  South  Sudbury. 

Enoch  Kidder  was  born  in  1777  and  died  in  1865.  He 
was  a  brother  of  Dr.  Kidder,  a  physician  of  Sudbury.  (See 
Chapter  on  Physicians.)  In  early  life  he  learned  the  tan- 
ner's trade.  On  moving  to  Sudbury  he  commenced  the 
manufacture  of  boots  and  shoes.  For  a  time  he  occupied 
the  Josiah  Richardson  house.  After  building  the  Kidder 
house,  for  a  time  he  used  the  east  part  of  it  for  a  shop  or  a 
lodging-place  for  his  apprentices.  His  trade  was  largely 
with  the  old  shoe  firm  of  Faxon  and  Company  of  Boston, 
and  his  reputation  was  known  far  and  near  as  a  manufacturer 
of  reliable  work.  At  one  time  he  was  captain  of  the  militia, 
and  was  sent  as  representative  to  the  Legislature.  His  wife, 
Hannah  Newton  of  Marlboro,  born  in  1781,  was,  before  her 


490  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

marriage,  a  school  teacher,  and  was  a  personage  as  con- 
spicuous as  was  the  shrubbery  that  adorned  her  home.  Her 
loud,  cheerful  voice  was  a  familiar  sound  in  the  village,  as, 
on  a  bright  morning  in  June,  she  bustled  about  the  premises 
as  busy  as  the  bees  among  her  bright  flowers.  A  green 
turban  sat  on  her  head  which  broadened  her  genial  face,  and 
when  she  went  out  for  a  neighborly  call  she  wore  a  "  calash  " 
of  the  same  color.  Besides  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kidder,  the  house- 
hold consisted  of  a  daughter  Nancy,  born  in  1807,  who  was 
the  only  child  living,  and  Miss  Almira  Cutter,  the  house- 
keeper. Nancy  was  the  pet  of  the  home  and  a  general 
favorite ;  she  was  of  delicate  health  and  died  in  1856. 
"  Mira "  Cutter,  as  the  housekeeper  was  familiarly  called, 
belonged  to  the  Cutter  family  of  Sudbury.  She  went  to 
Mrs.  Kidder's  to  spend  the  day  and  remained  forty  years, 
having  the  main  charge  of  the  household  and  outliving  the 
whole  family.  She  died  a  few  years  ago  and  was  buried  in 
the  Kidder  tomb  in  Wadsworth  Cemetery. 

Another  object  of  interest  is  the  mill.  At  one  time  it  was 
owned  by  Asher  Cutler.  We  were  informed  by  his  grandson, 
the  late  C.  G.  Cutler,  that  he  was  very  rigid,  and  would  shut 
down  the  mill  at  sundown  Saturday  night.  Asher  Cutler 
left  the  mill  jointly  to  his  sons,  Asher  and  Abel,  the  former 
of  whom  lived  in  the  "  Woods  house."  The  fact  that  the 
house  and  the  mill  were  both  owned  by  the  same  parties  at 
different  periods  leads  to  the  conjecture  that  the  two  pieces 
of  property,  for  a  time  at  least,  went  together,  and  possibly 
the  "  Woods  House  "  was  built  by  the  Noyeses  who  put  up 
"the  mill."  Later  owners  have  been  General  Sawin,  a 
militia  officer,  who  also  owned  the  old  tavern  stand,  Jesse 
Brigham,  and  Mr.  Knight  who  sold  it  to  Abel  Richardson. 
This  mill  has  not  only  ground  the  town's  corn,  but  some  also 
for  the  region  around.  For  years  it  was  a  grist  and  saw-mill 
combined :  the  former  was  run  by  a  large  breast- wheel  and 
had  two  run  of  stones,  the  latter,  by  a  wheel  of  itself  which 
ran  an  upright  saw.  The  "Mill  Lane,"  which  led  from  the 
county  road,  used  to  be  well  filled  with  "saw  logs,"  mostly 
white  pine  and  oak.  A  few  years  ago,  the  old  upper  dam, 
which  was   a  few  rods   north  of  the   bridge,  was   in    use. 


HISTORY  OF  SUDBURY.  491 

Three  gates  that  could  be  raised  with  an  iron  bar  controlled 
the  waters  that  for  acres  above,  at  certain  seasons,  set  it 
back  nearly  to  Hayden's  bridge.  The  present  dam  by  the 
bridge  is  of  recent  construction,  and  was  built  by  Charles  O. 
Parmenter,  the  present  owner.  The  old  mill  was  demolished 
about  1853,  and  another  was  put  in  its  place,  which,  about 
1866,  was  leased  to  Samuel  Rogers  and  Company  for  manu- 
facturing purposes.  After  being  used  for  making  hats  and 
leather  board  it  again  became  a  grist-mill,  and  so  continued 
until,  a  few  years  ago,  it  was  destroyed  by  fire.  A  new  mill 
has  been  erected  on  the  site  of  the  old  one,  and  still  the 
farmers  of  Sudbury  bring  their  grists  to  the  same  old  spot 
where  their  grain  has  been  ground  for  about  two  hundred 
years.  Another  building  of  interest  was  the  Wadsworth 
Academy.  (See  Period  1850-1875.)  The  old  tavern  stand 
was  another  familiar  spot.     (See  Chapter  on  Taverns.) 

The  principal  object  of  interest  in  this  village  is  the 
Wadsworth  Monument.  From  the  hill  slope  (Green  Hill), 
just  east  of  the  monument,  is  a  magnificent  prospect,  as  the 
countiy  outstretches  for  miles  to  the  westward  without  a  hill 
to  obstruct  the  view.  On  this  hill-top  was  Wadsworth's 
last  battle-ground.  (See  Period  1675-1700.)  A  part  of 
South  Sudbury  village  is  situated  in  a  quiet  vale,  with  a  spur 
of  Green  Hill  on  the  north  and  Leavitt  Hill  on  the  south  ; 
the  former  takes  its  name  from  the  evergreens  that  once 
grew  upon  it,  and  the  latter  from  Leavitt  How  whose  home 
was  on  the  south  side  of  it ;  an  old  cellar  hole  still  marks 
the  spot. 

INDUSTRIES. 

The  industries  of  South  Sudbury  have  been  various.  In 
1794,  besides  the  saw  and  grist-mill  run  by  Cutler  and 
Holden,  there  was  a  fulling-mill  run  by  Mr.  Reed.  About 
three-quarters  of  a  century  ago,  bricks  were  made  at  the 
Gibbs  place  and  also  at  the  Farr  farm.  Clay-pits  at  both 
places  are  yet  to  be  seen  unless  recently  filled.  As  has  been 
noticed,  malt  was  made  at  the  malt  house  (Thompson's), 
people  coming  from  all  parts  of  the  town  for  this  product. 
Leather  was   tanned   by  William  Wheeler  at  a  place  just 


492  HISTORY  OF  SUDBURY. 

beyond  the  bridge,  near  the  old  "  upper  dam."  There  were 
also  tanning  vats  on  the  "  Island "  (land  between  the  ma- 
chine shop  and  the  mill).  On  the  "meeting  house  road" 
was  a  bakery.  It  was  moved  from  the  spot  just  east  of  the 
Willard  Wheeler  house,  and  is  now  owned  by  John  Jones. 
About  1850,  William  Jones  and  Theodore  Brown  had  a  shoe 
manufactory  at  what  is  now  the  Bowen  place.  Since  1850, 
shoe  tacks  and  nails  -were  made  at  the  mill  by  Calvin  How, 
and  hats  and  leather  board  by  Rogers  and  Moore.  The  main 
business  in  and  about  South  Sudbury  has  been  farming.  Of 
late  years,  early  gardening  has  received  much  attention  and 
greenhouses  have  been  used  by  some.  The  first  greenhouse 
in  Sudbury  was  erected  in  1879  by  Hubbard  H.  Brown  for 
raising  cucumbers.  He  has  since  erected  three  more,  all  of 
which  cover  six  thousand  feet  of  ground.  Since  1882,  thirty 
greenhouses  have  been  built.  There  is  now  used  for  raising 
vegetables  and  flowers  nearly  one  hundred  thousand  square 
feet  of  land  covered  with  glass.  Fifteen  farmers  and  gar- 
deners are  engaged  in  the  work.  It  is  estimated  that  seven 
hundred  tons  of  coal  are  consumed  yearly,  and  about  fifty 
thousand  dollars  are  invested  in  the  business.  The  buildings 
are  all  heated  by  hot  water  except  in  one  instance  where 
steam  is  used.  Most  of  these  are  used  for  raising  vegetables, 
such  as  cucumbers,  lettuce,  rhubarb,  tomatoes,  etc.  One 
house  has  twenty-eight  thousand  lettuce  plants,  another  has 
twelve  thousand  carnation  pinks.  In  1881,  the  manufacture 
of  machinery  was  begun  at  South  Sudbury  by  Rufus  H. 
Hurlbut.  The  business  is  now  carried  on  by  the  firm  of 
Hurlbut  &  Rogers.  The  machine  shop  is  near  the  Parm en- 
ter mill  and  the  Massachusetts  Central  Railroad. 

MODERN   IMPROVEMENTS. 

The  first  carriage  in  town  was  owned  by  John  Brown. 
A  wagon  was  owned  by  Christopher  Cutler  nearly  fifty  or 
seventy-five  years  ago  which  cost  eleven  dollars.  The  first 
kerosene  lamp  was  used  by  Miss  L.  R.  Draper  (Mrs.  A.  S. 
Hudson)  at  the  Willard  Wheeler  house.  The  first  mowing 
machine  was  owned  by  John  Whitman  Rice,  and  used  on 
the  Farr  farm.     The  first  sewing  machine  was,  perhaps,  the 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  493 

one  used  by  Richard  Horr  at  the  Kidder  shop  for  stitching 
"  shoe  uppers."  It  was  operated  by  a  crank  turned  by  hand. 
Hard  coal  was,  perhaps,  first  used  at  Hunt's  store. 

The  former  owners  of  most  of  the  farms  in  and  about 
South  Sudbury  have  been  given  in  connection  with  other 
parts  of  its  history  ;  we  will,  therefore,  only  mention  the  few 
that  remain.  The  Thadeus  Moore  place  was  the  Ashbel 
Hayden  place  ;  the  main  house  was  the  Thompson  house, 
moved  from  just  beyond  the  bridge  at  South  Sudbury  village. 
The  Nathan  Haynes  place,  just  beyond  Lowance  Brook  or 
Hunt's  Bridge,  was  the  Jonas  Hunt  place.  The  small  red 
house  with  gable  roof,  on  the  South  Sudbury  and  Fram- 
ingham  highway,  just  beyond  the  Old  Colony  Railroad,  was 
moved  to  its  present  position,  many  years  ago,  from  the 
Bryant  place  just  beyond  the  William  Stone  house.  Walter 
Rogers'  farm  was  formerly  part  of  the  Cutler  place  and  was 
owned  by  Major  Holden,  and  before  that  by  Mr.  Seger,  a  sea 
captain.  The  C.  G.  Cutler  place  was  the  old  George  Pitts 
place.  A  building  formerly  stood  south  of  the  present  one, 
near  which  the  old  road  passed.  It  was  once  used  for  a 
tavern,  and  was  probably  kept  by  George  Pitts,  at  whose 
house  one  of  the  early  meetings  was  held  to  consider  the 
matter  of  having  preaching  on  the  West  Side.  (See  Period 
1700-1725.)  The  George  Pitts  farm  once  contained  a  large 
land  tract  which  was  granted  to  him  in  1715.  The  record 
of  this  grant  is  as  follows :  In  1715,  at  a  meeting  of  the 
proprietors  of  the  common  and  undivided  land  in  Sudbury, 
"  Said  Proprietors  by  unanimous  vote  without  any  Contra- 
diction did  give  and  grant  to  George  Pitts  of  Sudbury  and 
his  heirs  and  assigns  forever  all  the  common  land  as  the 
committee  hath  viewed  it  and  returned  and  bounded  it  that 
is  td  say,  all  ye  common  Land  Lying  between  the  new  Mills 
in  Sudbury  and  so  from  there  as  the  road  goeth  to  Marl- 
borough to  the  gate  yl  Leads  to  Capt  Brown's  yl  is,  all  the 
Land  on  the  South  Side  of  the  road  as  it  is  bounded  and  the 
meadows  called  Lowance  meadows  Lying  east  south  and 
west  of  the  land,  all  which  land  the  Proprietors  have  granted 
to  George  Pitts,  only  the  Proprietors  reserve  for  our  con- 
venient Drift  ways   to  the   above   said  Lowance  Meadows, 


494  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

and  gravell  to  mend  the  Mill  Dam  and  the  highways  as  there 
shall  be  occasion.     This  vote  passed  into  an  act  as  attest. 

"  Peter  Haynes  Moderator 
"  This  said  land  is  on  the  west  side  of  Sudbury  river." 
(Proprietor's  First  Book  of  Records,  page  175.) 

SUDBURY   CENTRE. 

The  "  Centre,"  or,  as  it  was  formerly  called,  the  "  Middle 
of  the  Town,"  is  situated  on  the  northern  branch  of  the  Old 
Colony  Railroad,  and  nearly  midway  of  the  town.  It  has 
three  churches,  a  school-house,  town-house,  blacksmith's 
shop,  wheelwright's  shop,  grocery  store,  depot  and  three  or 
four  dozen  dwelling-houses.  The  place  was  anciently  called 
"Rocky  Plain,"  afterwards  "The  West  Precinct,"  and  dates 
its  beginning  as  a  village  about  1725.  The  oldest  house  in 
the  village  is,  probably,  the  "  Tower  house,"  now  owned  by 
Frank  E.  Bent,  and  situated  next  south  of  the  Orthodox 
Church.  Its  date  is  unknown,  but  it  looked  old  in  the  youth 
of  the  oldest  inhabitant,  as  did  also  the  Lewis  Moore  house, 
the  next  but  two  further  south,  where  Mr.  Moore,  the  village 
cooper,  in  an  L  running  northerly,  once  plied  his  trade. 
The  Tower  house,  prior  to  its  possession  by  Mr.  Jonas 
Tower,  was  occupied  by  a  man  named  Noyes.  This  house 
may  have  been  the  first  one  erected  on  "  Rocky  Plain,"  and 
the  one  referred  to  in  the  Town  Records  as  "  the  new 
house."  This  village  has  undergone  much  change  within 
the  past  seventj^-five  years.  Early  in  this  century  there  was 
a  blacksmith's  shop  at  what  is  now  the  corner  of  the  railroad 
and  highway,  and  northerly  of  the  house  of  Horace  Par- 
menter.  The  shop  was  kept  by  Josiah  Haynes;  nearly  op- 
posite, north  of  the  road,  was  a  house  since  demolished 
occupied  by  Asa  Haynes  ;  and  a  little  beyond  this  on'  the 
bank,  was  the  George  Barker  house,  a  low  building  with  its 
four-sided  roof,  which  stood  until  a  few  years  ago.  Dr.  Taft, 
a  physician,  once  lived  there.  Subsequently  a  store  was 
kept  at  the  place  by  Reuben  Moore.  Where  Garfield  and 
Parmenter's  grocery  stands,  there  was  formerly  a  store  kept 
by  Ephraim  Stone  and  Asahel  Dakin,  which  was  burnt  about 
forty  years  ago,  together  with  a  tavern  house  which  stood 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  495 

on  the  corner  nearly  north  of  it.  Nearly  opposite  the  grocery 
site  the  Powers  house  once  stood,  at  which  time  it  was 
painted  red.  At  the  Joel  Moore  place,  since  the  residence 
of  Lemuel  Brown,  the  first  house  west  of  the  Unitarian 
Church,  a  store  was  kept  by  Capt.  Asahel  Wheeler.  This 
country  store-keeper,  we  are  informed  by  an  old  inhabitant, 
"was  large,  smart,  and  lived  to  be  very  old."  For  a  long 
time  he  led  the  singing  in  the  old  church  choir.  Nearly 
opposite  Captain  Wheeler's  store  was  a  low,  unpainted  house 
which  looked  old  seventy-five  years  ago.  The  school-house 
was  near  the  bank  by  the  town-house.  It  was  a  small,  red 
structure,  built  towards  the  close  of  the  last  century.  Its 
successor  stood  on  the  common  at  its  south-east  corner,  and 
was  moved  to  its  present  position  only  a  few  years  ago.  On 
the  common,  nearly  front  of  the  old  parish  meeting-house 
and  under  the  large  buttonwood-tree,  was  the  horse-block 
where  the  people  mounted  and  dismounted  when  they  went 
on  horseback  to  church.  Near  the  site  of  the  Orthodox 
Church  once  stoogl  the  blacksmith's  shop  of  Abijah  Powers. 
It  was  moved  to  its  present  location  about  1839,  and  was  an 
old  building  then.  Before  its  possession  by  the  present 
owner  it  was  occupied  by  Myron  Wright,  and  still  earlier 
by  John  Wallace.  A  "  noon  house  "  stood  near  the  horse- 
sheds  ;  perhaps  there  were  more  than  one.  These  buildings 
were  erected  by  private  parties  and  furnished  with  fireplaces 
for  the  benefit  of  people  between  services  on  the  Sabbath. 
Beyond  the  Common  to  the  easterly,  in  what  was  then  the 
first  house  towards  Boston  (Loring  parsonage),  a  tavern  was 
kept  by  Walter  Haynes.  Beyond  this,  at  the  George  Good- 
no  w  house,  Parson  Bigelow  lived.  On  the  road  to  South 
Sudbury,  at  what  is  now  the  Smith  Jones  place,  Rev.  Rufus 
Hurlbut  lived. 

The  house  now  occupied  by  Luman  Willis  was  the  old 
Ashur  Goodnow  store.  There  a  grocery  was  kept  for  years, 
and  many  a  townsman  still  remembers  the  bent  form  of  the 
aged  proprietor  as  he  dealt  out  his  wares.  The  second 
building  westerly  of  the  Unitarian  Church  was  erected  by 
Dr.  Thomas  Stearns,  about  a  half  century  since,  and  used 
for  his  residence  till  his  decease ;  and  after  the  "  old  Corner 


496  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

Tavern "  was  burnt  it  was  used  for  a  public  house  by 
Webster  Moore.  The  present  store  building  was  moved  to 
its  present  location  since  1848.  The  lower  story  was  for- 
merly the  old  Centre  school-house.  Various  traders  have 
sold  at  its  counters,  prominent  among  whom  were  Stone  and 
Dakin,  Jonas  Hunt  and  Smith  Jones.  The  house  occupied 
by  Horace  Parmenter  was  formerly  owned  by  Capt.  William 
Brigham,  and  was  moved  to  its  present  location  from  a  spot 
to  the  north-easterly,  to  give  place  to  the  railroad.  The 
wheelwright's  shop  of  Sewall  Taylor  is  on  the  site  of  the 
building  once  used  for  religious  services  by  the  Evangelical 
Union  Church.  It  was  built  in  1853,  and  was  moved  from 
South  Sudbuiy,  where  it  was  originally  Haynes's  carpenter's 
shop,  and  later,  Jones  and  Brown's  shoe  shop.  In  1851,  a 
saw  and  grist  mill  was  built  near  Wash  Bridge  by  Asahel 
Haynes.  It  is  now  owned  by  the  Prescott  Willis  heirs.  A 
small  saw-mill  once  stood  southerly  of  the  Asa  Jones  place, 
which  was  built  by  Mr.  Jones  in  1842.  It  was  moved  about 
five  years  afterwards  and  demolished  in  1851.  Beyond  the 
Willis  mill  is  the  Wash  Brook  bridge.  About  seventy-five 
years  ago,  the  father  of  the  late  Reuben  Rice  of  Concord  was 
killed  crossing  this  bridge  ;  he  was  engaged  hauling  lumber 
for  the  meeting-house  when  the  load  fell  on  him.  Before 
leaving  this  part  of  the  town,  it  may  be  of  interest  to  men- 
tion the  outlying  estates  as  they  were  known  to  the  older 
inhabitants.  For  the  sake  of  brevity,  we  will  place  in  two 
columns  the  present  or  recent  and  former  names  of  the 
places,  owners  or  occupants. 

PRESENT.  FORMER. 

Charles  Haynes.  Curtis  Moore. 

The  Prescott  Willis  heirs.  David  Lincoln. 

Elisha  Goodnow.  Capt.  William  Brigham. 

Widow  Asahel  Dakin.  Asa  Jones. 

Francis  Haynes.  Samuel  Jones,  prior  to  him  Maynard. 

John  Quinn.  Lyman  Willis. 

Elisha  E.  Smith.  William  Maynard. 

George  Moore.  Newell  Bent. 

Calvin  J.  Morse.  Martin  Moore. 

Theodore  Morse.  Jason  Bent. 

Asahel  F.  Hunt.  William  Hunt. 


HISTORY  OF  SUDBURY.  497 

W.  H.  Fairbank.  Tilly  Smith. 

Luke  McCann.  Henry  Goodnow. 

Charles  Haynes.  Reuben  Moore. 

John    W.   Rice    (House  recently     Capt.  William  Rice. 

burned). 

Horatio  Hunt.  Thomas  Hurlbut. 

Lucius  Bent.  Reuben  Moore,  Jr. 

Isaac  Clark.  Osborn. 

Aaron  Hunt.  Thomas   Plympton  (House   demol- 

in  1886). 

Among  the  objects  of  interest  about  the  village  of  Sudbury- 
Centre  is  the  old  Burying-Ground.  The  Common,  also,  is  a 
place  of  interest.  Thither  the  minute-men  repaired  at  the 
bell  strokes  on  the  morning  of  April  19,  1775.  The  train- 
bands of  Sudbury  afterwards  made  it  their  place  of  parade 
and  spread  their  tents  upon  it  on  "  old  Election "  or  the 
Fourth  of  July.  Generations  of  church-goers  from  the  West 
Precinct's  very  beginning  have  strolled  over  it,  or  sat  on  its 
grassy  covering  during  the  intermission  of  Sabbath  services ; 
and  all  that  is  mortal  of  many  a  former  inhabitant  has  been 
borne  over  its  quiet  roadway  to  the  church-yard  beyond. 
The  school  children  from  the  old  red  school-house  made  it 
their  play-ground  for  many  years.  There  the  people  talked 
politics  on  town-meeting  day  Avhen  the  meeting-house  was 
their  voting-place,  and  about  it  clustered  the  first  homesteads 
that  made  a  village  of  Sudbury  Centre. 

NORTH   SUDBURY. 

The  village  of  North  Sudbury  is  in  the  northerly  part  of 
the  old  Pantry  school  district,  which  it  was  once  a  part  of, 
and  borders  on  Concord.  It  contains  about  thirty  dwelling- 
houses,  which  is  about  the  same  number  as  were  there  both 
fifty  and  one  hundred  years  ago.  Whatever  of  village  this 
locality  has  is  mainly  made  up  of  scantily  scattered  farm- 
houses along  the  Boston  and  Fitchburg  highway,  which  was 
built  about  1800.  It  has  a  post  office,  kept  by  Edwin 
Conant.  The  school-house  is  by  the  "  Great  Road  ;  "  it  was 
built  during  the  late  war  and  cost  three  thousand  dollars. 
Before  its  erection  the  pupils  went  to  "the  Pantry  school." 


498  HISTORY   OP   SUDBURY. 

The  post  office  was  established  about  1880,  on  petition  of 
Willard  Maynard  and  others.  The  following  postmasters 
served  up  to  1839  :  Josiah  Adams,  Joseph  Wheelock,  Wil- 
liam Hunt,  3d.  For  a  time,  the  postmaster  at  Lincoln  took 
charge  of  the  North  Sudbury  mail ;  but,  on  petition  of  three- 
fourths  of  the  town  voters  for  the  removal  of  the  South  office 
to  the  Centre,  the  South  postmaster,  wishing  to  retain  his 
office,  suggested  to  the  people  of  the  north  part  to  petition 
for  the  re-establishment  of  a  post  office  there,  which  they 
did  with  success.  The  petition  for  an  office  at  the  Centre 
was  refused  on  the  ground  that  it  was  nearer  the  South  office 
than  the  department  rules  would  allow.  The  new  office  at 
the  North  was  kept  by  John  Sawyer.  Various  small  indus- 
tries have  engaged  the  attention  of  the  people  of  this  neigh- 
borhood in  the  past.  In  1770,  a  Mr.  Brown  had  a  harness 
and  whip  shop  near  the  south  side  of  the  Tavern  Plain.  In 
1780,  Samuel  Dakin  and  Deacon  Dakin  had  cooper's  shops, 
and  there  was  another  near  J.  H.  Adams's  in  1825.  A  shoe- 
maker's shop  was  at  J.  Puffer's  tavern  in  1800,  and  N. 
Barrett  had  a  shoe  shop  one-half  mile  east  of  Pratt's  tavern. 
Daniel  Bowker  had  a  blacksmith's  and  axe  shop  between  1790 
and  1820,  and  John  Haynes  had  a  blacksmith's  shop  from 
1820  to  1840  and  a  wheelwright's  shop  from  1835  to  1845. 
Abijah  Brigham  had  a  blacksmith's  shop  one  mile  west  of 
Pratt's  tavern  from  1770  to  1800.  The  site  is  now  in  May- 
nard. Thus  the  ring  of  the  anvil  and  hammer  have  been 
heard  in  the  past  where  now  not  a  shop  exists.  In  1827, 
iron  ore  was  taken  from  the  edges  of  bog  meadows  and  from 
different  farms  to  the  amount  of  over  one  hundred  tons, 
which  was  carted  to  Concord  River  at  Lee's  Bridge  and 
taken  in  boats  to  Chelmsford. 

About  1815,  a  grocery  store  was  kept  a  few  years  by  Asa 
Puffer,  one-half  mile  west  of  Pratt's  Tavern,  and  at  the  same 
place  groceries  and  dry  goods  were  kept  by  Josiah  II.  Adams 
from  1822  to  1830.  In  1820,  William  Hunt,  3d,  and  William 
Wheeler  kept  a  grocery  and  dry  goods  store,  a  half  mile  east 
of  Pratt's  tavern,  and  at  the  same  place  from  1825  to  1851 
Nahum  Thompson  kept  a  stock  of  the  same  articles.  Gro- 
ceries were  also  kept  by  John  Sawyer,  three-quarters  of  a 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  499 

\ 

mile  west  of  Pratt's  tavern,  from  1830  to  1840.  In  this  part 
of  the  town  the  most  noted  tavern  was  perhaps  the  old  Pratt 
Tavern,  burned  in  1887.  This  was  built  previous  to  1820 
by  Nathan  Wheeler,  adopted  heir'  of  Isaac  Puffer,  who  many- 
years  kept  a  tavern  in  a  house  now  owned  by  Mrs.  McNulty. 
Since  the  first  proprietorship  the  following  persons  have 
kept  this  inn  :  David  Gerry,  1822 ;  Earl  Stratton,  Willard 
AViley,  1826  ;  Lucius  Dickinson,  one  year  ;  Joseph  Wheelock, 
William  Hunt  3d,  Lyman  Haynes,  Solomom  E.  Pratt,  about 
ten  years ;  Jesse  Gibbs,  Robert  Burrington,  Leonard  Carter, 
1863.  The  farm  and  buildings  were  purchased  of  the  Bur- 
rington heirs  about  1864,  by  Capt.  Abel  B.  Jones,  who 
annexed  the  land  to  his  farm  and  discontinued  the  tavern. 
Four  stages  daily,  Sundays  excepted,  stopped  at  this  inn  for 
passengers  and  a  relay  of  horses.  The  stage  route  belonged 
to  Chedorlaomer  Marshal,  commonly  called  Kidder  Marshal, 
of  Fitchburg,  who  was  mail  contractor. 

This  stage  route  continued  after  Mr.  Pratt  kept  the  tavern 
until  the  completion  of  the  Fitchburg  Railroad.  Jonas  Puffer, 
brother  of  Isaac,  kept  a  tavern  a  half  mile  from  his  brother's 
during  the  last  quarter  of  the  last  century,  on  the  old  Con- 
cord and  Marlboro  road,  then  much  travelled,  now  almost 
deserted.  The  road  through  North  Sudbury  is  called  by  the 
people  of  the  place  the  "  Great  Road,"  and  by  those  of  the 
centre  and  South  Sudbury  the  "  North  Road."  The  true 
name  is  the  Boston  &  Fitchburg  Road. 

But  few  homesteads  in  North  Sudbury  are  possessed  by 
the  posterity  of  original  proprietors.  It  is  supposed  that  the 
ancestors  of  Frank  M.  Bowker,  Jonathan  C.  Dakin  and 
Frederic  Haynes  were  probably  the  first  settlers  on  the  farms 
that  their  descendants  now  occupy,  but  other  places  have 
largely  changed  hands.  There  are  in  the  district  but  few  old 
houses.  Most  of  those  built  from  1700  to  1725,  which  had 
two  stories  in  front  and  one  in  the  rear,  and  nearly  all  of 
which  faced  southward,  whatever  direction  the  road,  were 
nearly  all  pulled  down  between  1820  and  1840,  and  were 
succeeded  by  houses  of  two  stories,  only  one  room  in  width 
with  a  projecting  kitchen  called  an  "  L."  It  is  said  this 
style  continued  about  twenty  years  and  was  followed  by  the 


500  HISTORY  OF  SUDBURY. 

modern  house  of  various  shape.  A  saw-mill  once  stood  near 
the  place  now  owned  by  George  Barton,  which  was  built  by- 
Joseph  Noyse  about  1775.  The  water  power  was  insufficient, 
and  the  mill  was  finally  sold,  taken  down  and  carried  to 
Maynard. 

It  is  said  that  the  saw,  as  it  dragged  down  through  the  log 
and  then  went  up,  sounded  as  if  saying,  "  Shall  I  go  or  shall 
I  not." 


CHAPTER   XXVIII. 

1850-1875. 

Description  of  School  Districts.  —  Lanham  District.  —  Territorial  Limits. 

—  School-House. —  Old  School  Customs. —  Order  of  Exercises. — 
Examination  Day.  —  Former  Dwellings.  —  Their  Owners  or  Occu- 
pants.—  Clay- Pits.  —  South-West  District.  —  Origin  of  the  Term 
Peakham. —  School-house. —  Name  of  it. —  District  Limits. —  Location 
of  Railroad  Station.  —  Places  of  Historic  Interest.  —  Mills. —  Present 
and  Former  Owners  or  Occupants  of  Homesteads.  —  North-West 
District. —  Location  of  School-House.  —  Assabet  Village.  —  The 
"Rice  Tavern."  —  The  Oldest  House.  —  Early  Inhabitants.  —  North- 
East  or  Pantry  District.  —  Territorial  Limits.  —  Origin  of  the  Name. 

—  Railroad  Station.  —  Pantry  School-House.  —  Poetic  Description  of 
it.  —  Mr.  Israel  Haynes.  —  Incident  of  his  Life.  —  Block  House. — 
Old  Loring  Parsonage.  —  The  Gravel  Pit.  —  Historic  Reminiscences. 

—  Taverns.  —  School-House.  —  Indian  Grave.  —  Government  Store- 
Houses. —  Training-Field. —  Irregularity  of  Town  Boundary  Line. — 
Cause  of  it. —  Caleb  Wheeler  Farm. 

Each  man's  chimney  is  his  golden  mile-stone, 
Is  the  central  point,  from  which  he  measures 

Every  distance 
Through  the  gate-ways  of  the  world  around  him. 

Longfellow. 

LANHAM   DISTRICT. 

This  word  has  been  spelled  Lanham,  Landham  and  Lan- 
num  or  Lanum.  (For  origin,  see  page  70.)  As  a  school 
district,  it  formerly  extended  a  half  mile  westerly  of  Mill 
Village  (South  Sudbury)  and  southerly  to  just  beyond  Hunt's 
Bridge.  Lanham  proper  extends  from  the  South  Sudbury 
and  Wayland  highway  to  Framiugham  line,  and  from  Heard's 
Pond  to  Lowance  Brook.  Various  changes  have  taken  place 
in  this  district,  noticeable  among  which  is  the  removal  of  the 
school-house  to  its  present  location.     It  formerly  stood  on 

501 


502  HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY. 

the  town's  common  land,  near  the  Coolidge  place,  between 
the  three  roads,  and  was  removed  but  a  few  years  since.  Its 
predecessor  was  an  old  red  structure  built,  probably,  about 
a  century  ago.  We  remember  it  as  a  nearly  or  quite  square 
building-  with  a  roof  sloping  four  ways  and  a  small  L  for  an 
entry  on  the  south.  The  windows  were  high,  and  on  the 
rude  benches  and  desks  were  the  signs  of  misspent  hours, 
where  the  idler  with  his  jackknife  had  made  his  mark.  As 
the  customs  of  district  school  life  here  wvere,  probably,  the 
same  in  the  other  districts,  we  will  allude  briefly  to  some  of 
them.  There  were  two  terms  in  the  year,  called  the  "  winter 
school  "  and  the  "  summer  school."  The  former  began  the 
first  Monday  in  December  and  closed  about  the  first  of  March. 
The  beginning  and  the  ending  were  both  great  events.  The 
first  was  attended  by  early  rising  and  repairing  to  the  school- 
house  to  get  a  "good  seat."  While  propriety  gave  the  back 
seats  to  the  elder  scholars,  the  principle  acted  on  was  "  first 
come,  first  served."  Weeks  beforehand,  books  were  put  in 
the  desks  as  a  kind  of  half  claim,  but  the  day  the  school  was 
opened  the  room  was  occupied  long  before  daybreak.  At 
nine  o'clock  the  schoolmaster  appeared,  sometimes  attended 
by  the  local  "  committee  man."  He  at  once  became  the 
object  of  common  and  curious  scrutiny,  his  sagacity,  stature 
and  strength  being  then  and  there  duly  considered.  The 
names  and  ages  of  the  scholars  were  then  taken,  and  the 
questions  to  each,  "What  have  you  studied?"  "  How  far 
have  you  been  ?  "  "  What  studies  do  you  expect  to  take  ?  " 
were  quickly  put  and  answered,  and  the  classes  were  formed. 
The  order  of  exercises  in  the  morning  was  as  follows :  roll- 
call,  reading  of  the  Scriptures,  each  scholar  rising  and  read- 
ing a  verse  in  turn,  prayer  at  the  option  of  the  master,  and 
classes  in  reading,  arithmetic  and  writing,  interrupted  by  a 
short  recess  at  half-past  ten.  In  the  afternoon  the  order  was, 
usually,  reading,  beginning  with  the  first  class,  geography, 
grammar,  history  and  spelling.  The  recess  was  at  half-past 
two.  The  "nooning"  was  from  twelve  to  one.  This  was 
usually  employed  by  the  boys,  in  good  weather,  at  ball, 
"round  ball  "being  the  favorite.     The  Massachusetts  Cen- 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  503 

tral  Railroad  now  runs  over  the  old  ball-ground,  which  lay 
east  and  west  of  the  bridge. 

Such  was  the  usual  routine  as  the  weeks  passed  by.  Now 
and  then  some  little  episode  would  break  in,  as  when  the 
"  committee  came  in  "  or  the  school  had  a  sleigh-ride  some 
bright  winter's  day,  or  a  half  holiday  for  some  reason  was 
given.  At  the  close  of  the  term  was  examination  day, 
familiarly  called  the  "last  day."  This  was  the  great  event 
of  the  term,  when  the  committee,  and  friends,  and  visitors 
from  other  districts  came  in.  The  day  before  was  always 
devoted  to  washing  and  trimming  the  school-room.  The 
floor  was  scoured  till  it  was  almost  white.  The  woods  were 
searched  for  evergreens,  and  wreaths  and  festoons  were 
made  to  decorate  the  nicely  cleaned  walls.  When  all  was 
completed,  the  weary  workers  sat  down  to  a  feast,  made  up 
of  pie  and  cake  brought  by  the  girls,  and  confectionery  pur- 
chased by  the  boys  with  a  collection  of  small  change.  After 
the  recitations  of  examination  day  were  over  the  committee 
"  made  remarks,"  the  clergyman  offered  prayer,  and  the 
visitors  retired.  The  master  lingered  for  a  time  to  make 
some  parting  remarks,  or  perhaps  to  present  a  card  or  book 
or  bestow  a  reward  for  good  conduct,  and  then  "school  was 
done."  The  summer  school  was  always  taught  by  a  woman, 
and  lasted  two  or  three  months.  The  older  boys  and  girls 
were  kept  at  home  this  term  to  assist  in  the  household  and 
on  the  farm. 

Besides  changes  connected  with  the  school,  many  others 
have  occurred  in  Lanham  in  the  last  hundred  years.  A 
stone  bridge  has  taken  the  place  of  the  wooden  one.  On 
the  site  of  the  Nahum  Goodnow  house,  built  in  1886,  the 
old  house  of  John  Goodnow  the  centenarian  once  stood. 
The  latter,  built  by  Mr.  Gooodnow  when  a  young  man,  is 
still  standing  a  few  rods  to  the  north.  At  or  near  its  present 
site  was  a  small  building  where  Mr.  Goodnow  lived  when 
he  first  came  to  his  Lanham  estate.  The  lane,  running- 
westerly  by  Lanham  meadows  towards  Lowance  to  William 
Goodnow's,  is  old.  On  the  north  side  of  it  various  dwell- 
ings once  stood,  a  man  named  Gibbs  living  in  one  of  them. 
Near  where  the  Brooks  house  now  stands  was  the  old  Elisha 


504  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

Hunt  homestead.  Several  generations  of  Hunts  have  lived 
in  this  house,  which  was  probably  built  at  least  one  hundred 
and  fifty  years  ago.  It  is  now  moved  easterly,  to  the  north 
side  of  the  road,  and  is  used  as  the  farmhouse  of  the  Brooks 
estate.  The  first  house  on  the  place,  tradition  informs  us, 
was  built  of  planks,  and  was  half  frame  and  half  log  house  ; 
it  stood  at  or  near  the  original  site  of  the  farmhouse.  By 
the  roadside,  at  the  corner  a  few  rods  west,  was  a  small,  low, 
unpainted  building  consisting  of  two  rooms,  once  used  for  a 
school-house.  At  one  time  Isaac  Mo*ore,  a  Revolutionary 
soldier,  lived  there.  His  son,  Warren,  was  in  the  privateer 
service  of  1812,  and  was  made  prisoner  and  taken  to  Dart- 
moor Prison,  England.  In  this  district  was  the  old  Good- 
no  w  Garrison.  (See  page  199.)  In  this  district  are  several 
clay -pits ;  some  are  near  Heard's  Pond,  and  some  are  men- 
tioned in  the  records  as  being  near  the  town  line.  Lanham 
brook  is  the  lower  part  of  Hop  brook.  Robinson  brook, 
near  Green  Hill,  has  its  name  from  the  Robinson  family, 
which  lived  south  of  the  road  on  the  east  bank  of  the  brook. 
The  Massachusetts  Central  Railroad  station  in  this  district 
is  called  East  Sudbury. 

SOUTH-WEST   DISTRICT. 

This  district  has  also  been  called  Peakham.  It  is  stated 
that  a  man  by  the  name  of  Peakham  once  owned  a  little  land 
in  that  part  of  Sudbury,  and  that  the  land  was  called  after 
the  name  of  its  owner ;  from  which  circumstance  the  whole 
locality  thereabouts  came  to  be  called  Peakham.  The  area 
embraced  in  the  original  limits  of  this  district  is  large,  but 
it  contains  neither  post  office,  village,  nor  even  any  consider- 
able hamlet.  The  school-house  is  situated  a  little  northerly 
of  the  South  Sudbury  and  Marlboro  road,  and  was  built 
towards  forty  years  ago.  A  school-house  has  stood  on  the 
spot  at  least  a  hundred  years.  Latterly,  the  school  was  called 
the  "  Wayside  Inn  School,"  but  for  several  years  it  has  been 
discontinued,  and  the  scholars  being  few  are  carried  to  South 
Sudbury. 

Formerly,  children  attended  the  Peakham  school  from  as 
far  south  and  east  as  the  Brown  farms  near  the  Framing- 


RESIDENCE    OF    NAHUM    GOODNOW 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  505 

ham  line,  and  from  as  far  north  as  the  Perry  and  Moore 
places.  This  district  lies  along  a  large  share  of  the  town's 
western  border,  but  is  perhaps  at  no  point  more  thickly  in- 
habited than  within  a  half  mile  of  the  school-house.  The 
Massachusetts  Central  Railroad  runs  through  it,  and  has  a 
station  called  the  "  Wayside  Inn  Station."  The  situation  of 
this  depot  is  exceptionally  secluded,  no  other  building  being 
in  sight  on  account  of  the  woods  by  which  it  is  nearly  sur- 
rounded. The  district  has  several  places  of  considerable 
historical  interest,  and  has  been  the  birthplace  and  home  of 
some  of  Sudbury's  most  prominent  men.  Here  is  "  Howe's 
Tavern  "  or  the  "  Wayside  Inn."  (See  chapter  on  Taverns). 
Here  is  the  old  Walker  Garrison  House,  and  the  sites  of  the 
Parmenter  and  old  Brown  garrisons.  (See  Chapter  XI.) 
Here,  at  Nobscot,  was  the  house  of  John  Nixon,  and  here 
was  the  small-pox  hospital.  For  years  there  were  three 
mills  in  this  district,  —  Howe's,  Dutton's  and  Moore's.  The 
first,  early  in  the  century,  was  owned  by  Buckley  Howe, 
and  still  earlier  by  Joseph  Howe.  It  was  for  years  a  grist- 
mill only,  but  subsequently  it  was  made  use  of  by  J.  C. 
Howe  as  a  manufactory  of  shoe  nails.  It  stands  on  Hop 
Brook  a  short  distance  above  the  Wayside  Inn,  and  was  the 
most  westerly  mill  on  this  stream  in  town. 

Dutton's  mill  was  built  by  Joel  and  Samuel  Knights  about 
1780.  They  also  owned  and  used  it.  About  the  same  time 
they  established  a  West  India  goods  store  on  the  "  Dutton 
farm."  Moore's  or  Pratt's  mill  was  erected  about  1740,  by 
Daniel  Woodward,  its  first  owner,  who  died  in  1760  In 
1794,  it  was  called  Perry's  saw-mill.  Mr.  Woodward  also, 
about  one  hundred  and  fifty  3rears  ago,  built  the  house  occu- 
pied by  Capt.  James  Moore,  whose  grandfather  married  Mr. 
Woodward's  daughter.  At  first  this  mill  was  only  a  saw- 
mill, but  in  1830  a  shingle  mill  was  started  there,  and  in  1837 
a  grist  and  bolting  mill  were  put  in  by  Ephraim  and  James 
Moore,  who  divided  the  property  in  1848.  Colonel  Ephraim 
Moore  used  the  mill  until  about  twenty-five  years  ago,  since 
which  time  it  has  been  owned  by  S.  B.  Rogers,  and  latterly 
owned  and  used  by  Nathan  Pratt. 

Heavy  timber  once  grew  on  the  Peakham  district.     (See 


506  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

Chapter  I.)  These  lands,  though  some  of  them  sandy  and 
light,  have  yet  been  fairly  productive  by  the  diligence  and 
thrift  of  its  inhabitants.  In  the  hundred  years  last  past, 
great  changes  have  taken  place  in  the  occupants  of  old  home- 
steads. 

The  following  are  some  of  these  changes,  as  given  by  Capt. 
James  Moore  when  over  eighty  years  of  age.  In  the  left 
column  are  present  or  late  owners  or  occupants,  and  opposite, 
in  the  right  column,  are  the  earlier  owners  or  occupants  of 
the  same  places. 

Newton  and  Spencer  Brown.  Samuel  Brown. 

Hubbard  Brown.  John  Brown. 

Luther  Cutting.  William  Brown,  brother  of  John. 

John  Dakin.  Caleb  Brown,  later  Abel  Dakin. 

The  above  farms  were  probably  one  estate  originally,  and 
belonged  to  William  Brown,  an  early  grantee.  (See  Chap- 
ter III.) 

Nahum  Goodnow.       Isaac  Gibbs. 

George  Stone.  Wm.  Stone,  Innholder.     (See  chapter  on  Taverns.) 

Above  the  Stone  place,  on  the  left  of  the  road  that  goes  to 
the  north,  was  the  Jeduthan  Moore  farm.  Two  old,  unpainted 
buildings  stood  there  until  within  thirty  or  forty  years. 

Jonathan  Bacon.  Ri'V)  later,  Joel  Jones. 

Near  the  junction  of  the  South  Sudbury  and  Marlboro 
road  with  the  road  to  the  school-house,  was  a  house  owned 
by  a  man  named  Dalyrimple. 

Abel  Willis.  Ezekiel  Loring. 

Beyond  the  Willis  place  was  the  Dutton  house  now  re- 
moved. Next  to  the  Dutton  house,  on  the  corner,  and  now 
removed,  was  a  house  formerly  occupied  by  Peter  Willard, 
carpenter. 

Abel  Parmenter.  Peletiah  Parmenter. 

This  was  an  old  Garrison  House.     (See  Chapter  XI.) 

Addison  Parmenter.         Jedediah  Parmenter,  brother  of  Peletiah. 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  507 

The  next  building  is  the  Wayside  Inn. 

Calvin  Howe.  David  Howe. 

West  of  Nobscot  Hill  there  was  a  house  destroyed  by  fire 
which  was  formerly  occupied  by  David  Howe. 

Otis  Parmenter.  Israel  Parmenter  (original  owner). 

In  a  lane  near  the  Dutton  place  was  a  farm  once  owned 
by  Caleb  Clark,  but  now  a  part  of  the  Dutton  place. 

Solomon  Dulton.       Samuel  Knight  of  Charlestown  (original  owner). 

Abiathar  Carr.  Plympton  (original  owner). 

Willard  Walker.        Deacon  Thomas  Walker  (Garrison). 

Above  the  Willard  Walker  place  was  the  Abner  Walker 
place,  buildings  now  gone. 

Madison  Parmenter.  Micah  Parmenter  (original  owner). 

Abijah  Walker.  Oliver  Morse. 

Hayden  farm.  William  Hayden. 

Back  of  Hayden's  farm  lived  John  Moore,  grandfather 
of  Deputy  Sheriff  John  B.  Moore  of  Concord.  (Building 
now  gone.) 

Joseph  Noyes.  Eliab  Hayden. 

Dudley  place.  Benjamin  Dudley. 

Perry  place.  Ebenezer  Perry  (original  owner). 

Woodward  Moore.  Daniel  Woodward  Moore. 

Capt.  James  Moore.  Daniel  Woodward. 

This  house  is  in  point  of  age  perhaps  second  or  third  in 
Sudbury.  Cider-mills  once  stood  in  this  district  at  the 
houses  of  Buckley  Howe,  David  Howe  at  Nobscot,  Micah 
Parmenter,  Paul  Walker,  Capt.  James  Moore,  John  Brown, 
and  at  the  Wayside  Inn.  A  prominent  person  who  lives  in 
this  district,  and  one  of  the  oldest  citizens  of  the  town,  is 
Capt.  James  Moore.  He  is  a  descendant  on  his  mother's 
side  of  Daniel  Woodward,  before  mentioned  as  the  builder  of 
Moore's  Mill.  For  years  Captain  Moore  was  one  of  the 
town's  selectmen  and  moderator  of  its  meetings. 


508  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 


THE   NORTH-WEST   DISTRICT. 

This  district  formerly  bordered  on  Concord  and  Stow,  but 
when  Maynard  was  set  off,  about  two  thousand  acres  of  it 
became  a  part  of  that  town.  This  locality  was  a  school  dis- 
trict for  probably  at  least  a  hundred  and  fifty  years.  The 
school-house  stood  in  about  the  centre  of  the  district,  by  the 
county  roadside,  not  far  from  the  Balcom  estate.  As  only  a 
part  of  the  original  district  comes  within  the  present  town 
limits,  only  a  few  facts  about  it  will  here  be  stated.  The 
village  of  Assabet,  now  Maynard,  was  for  years  the  com- 
mercial centre.  A  paper-mill  was  built  there  about  seventy 
years  ago,  it  is  supposed,  by  William  May,  and  a  grocery 
store  was  kept  by  J.  Sawyer.  Near  Jewell's  mills,  over  the 
river,  a  saw-mill  once  stood,  and  there  was  also  on  a  brook 
near  the  Daniel  Puffer  house  another  mill,  which  was  con- 
nected with  the  farm.  It  had  but  little  head  of  water,  and 
because  it  ran  slowly  the  people  used  to  start  it  and  then  go 
to  their  work.  A  tavern  was  kept  nearly  ninety  years  ago 
at  what  has  since  been  the  Levi  Smith  place.  But  the  old- 
time  tavern  best  known  in  the  district  was  kept  by  Jonathan 
Rice.  It  was  an  inn  for  about  a  hundred  years.  Says  an  old 
resident,  "  The  last  quarter  of  the  last  century  on  the  very 
old  Concord  and  Marlboro  road  then  much  travelled,  now 
almost  deserted,  in  the  west  part  of  Sudbury,  was  the  noted 
Rice  tavern,  kept  by  the  same  family  as  early  or  earlier  than 
1750.  Col.  Jonathan  Rice  was  the  last  proprietor,  and  closed 
it  about  1815."  The  building  stands  just  north  of  the 
present  town  bounds. 

The  oldest  house  in  the  district  is  supposed  to  be  the 
Daniel  or  Jabez  Puffer  house.  It  is  not  known  when  or  by 
whom  it  was  built,  but  it  is  surmised  to  have  been  built  by  a 
Pratt,  Puffer  oi  Wedge.  Some  of  the  earlier  occupants  of 
this  district  were  Jonathan  Rice,  Jabez  Puffer  and  Peter 
Smith ;  other  early  occupants  were  Amos,  Asahel  and  Heze- 
kiah  Smith,  Richard  Taylor,  Mathias  Rice,  Jonas   Balcom, 

Wedge,  Ephraim  Pratt,  William  Rice  ;  and  still  later, 

but  yet  early,  Benjamin  Smith,  Henry  Vose,  Ithamer  Rice, 


HISTORY  OE  SUDBURY.  509 

Abijah   Brigham,    Joel,    Micah    and    Asa    Balcora,    Loring 
Wheeler,  Daniel  and  Reuben  Puffer  and  Abel  Willis. 

THE   NORTH-EAST   OR   PANTRY   DISTRICT. 

Another  district  in  Sudbury  is  that  which  has  been  famil- 
iarly called  the  "  Pantry  School  District."  This  is  in  the 
north-easterly  part  of  the  town,  and  takes  in  the  region  about 
the  head  of  "  Gulf  Meadow  "  and  of  a  small  stream  called 
"Pantry  Brook."  The  district  may  have  been  named  after 
the  aforesaid  brook,  but  whence  the  name  of  the  brook, 
probably  no  one  knows.  It  may  be  from  a  shortening  of  the 
term  Pine-tree. 

A  natural  feature  of  the  district  is  the  extensive  "  Gulf 
Meadows,"  which  at  high  water  are  overflowed  in  places, 
nearly  up  to  the  county  road.  This  district  is  sparsely 
peopled,  if  we  exclude  the  village  of  North  Sudbury,  which 
is  now  hardly  within  its  limits.  It  has  neither  store,  shop, 
nor  mill,  but  scattered  about  it  are  well-kept  homesteads  and 
farms,  where  live  a  thrifty  and  industrious  people.  A  saw- 
mill stood  by  the  brook  many  years  ago.  The  northern 
branch  of  the  Old  Colony  Railroad  passes  through  the 
locality,  and  has  a  station  which  is  called  North  Sudbury. 
About  a  half  mile  southerly  of  the  station  is  a  school-house, 
and  about  an  equal  distance  north-easterly  is  the  North  Sud- 
bury cemetery.  One  of  the  marked  changes  of  this  district 
in  the  past  quarter  century  is  the  removal  of  the  "  Old 
Pantry  School-House,"  a  place  once  dear  to  many  an  inhabi- 
tant now  middle  aged  or  already  grown  old.  This  school- 
house  formerly  stood  at  the  road  corners  near  the  Pantry 
bridge,  and  was  latterly  like  others  of  the  town,  a  one-story, 
white  building,  with  two  doors  towards  the  south.  There  for 
years  the  youth  of  the  "  North  part "  went  to  school.  From 
the  east  and  north  they  came,  from  nearly  as  far  as  the  town 
line,  and  from  the  south  and  west  from  half  to  three-quarters 
this  distance.  But  the  children  of  this  district  go  to  school 
at  that  spot  no  more. 

A  few  'years  since,  the  old  school-house  was  moved  and 
became  the  depot  of  the  Old  Colony  Railroad,  and  has  since 


510  HISTOKY  OF   SUDBURY. 

been  destroyed  by  fire.  Its  former  site  remains  unmolested 
as  the  town's  common  land ;  and  the  place  once  merry  with 
the  shouts  of  glad  school  children  is  now' voiceless,  save  as 
the  words  of  the  transient  traveller  break  the  silence  of  the 
play-ground  of  this  old-time  school.  The  routine  of  school 
life  here  was  doubtless  like  that  of  the  other  school  districts, 
and  such  as  is  described  in  our  sketch  of  "  Lanham."  It 
may  not  however  be  inappropriate  to  introduce  here  a  poetic 
description  by  Hon.  C.  F.  Gerry,  an  old  pupil  of  "Pantry." 

PANTRY   SCHOOL. 

I'm  thinking  of  the  school-house,  Ned, 

Where,  sitting  side  by  side, 
We  studied  Webster's  spelling-book, 

And  laughed  o'er  Gilpin's  ride  ; 
And  traded  jackknives  now  and  then, 

When  not  engaged  in  play, 
And  got  our  jackets  nicely  warmed, 

How  often  I'll  not  say. 

I'm  thinking  of  the  roadside  green, 

Of  every  tree  and  nook, 
And  how,  in  sultry  hours  of  noon, 

We  swam  in  Pantry  Brook  ; 
And,  when  upon  the  casement  came 

The  ruler's  tattoo  loud, 
How  each  of  us  in  passing  in 

Took  off  his  hat  and  bowed. 

I'm  thinking  of  the  benches  rude, 

And  desks  so  broad  and  steep, 
On  which  we  left  our  autographs, 

In  letters  wide  and  deep  ; 
And  of  my  first  new  writing-book, 

Without  a  stain  or  spot, 
So  soon  adorned,  on  every  page, 

With  many  an  off-hand  blot. 

I'm  thinking  of  the  "  Old  Slough,"  Ned, 

Whose  waters  dark  and  cool 
So  often  laved  our  sunburnt  feet, 

While  on  the  way  to  school ; 
On  whose  warm  rim  the  tadpoles  lay, 

In  spring-time,  many  a  score, 
While  golden  lilies  richly  bloomed 

In  summer,  near  the  shore. 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  511 

I'm  thinking  of  the  forest  hoar 

Where  fir-trees  densely  grew, 
And  tired  feet  in  mosses  sank, 

While  hunting  gum  to  chew  ; 
"And  of  the  pleasant  meadows,  where, 

On  many  a  scattered  tree, 
The  red-winged  blackbird  sang  in  spring, 

His  love  song,  "  Quonk-a-ree." 

I'm  thinking  of  the  hour-glass,  Ned, 

With  sands  so  white  and  fine, 
On  which  our  teacher  smiling  gazed, 

As  neared  the  hour  to  dine  ; 
But  feel  my  sands  are  wasting,  Ned, 

For  oft  the  children  say, 
While  fondling  them  upon  my  knee, 

"  Papa,  you're  growing  gray." 

A  short  distance  from  the  North  Sudbury  Depot  is  the  old 
residence  of  the  late  Israel  Haynes,  who,  it  is  said,  cast  the 
decisive  vote  that  elected  Charles  Sumner  to  the  United 
States  Senate. 

Mr.  Haynes  was  an  old -line  Democrat,  and  that  year 
represented  Sudbury  at  the  General  Court.  When  the  vote 
was  taken  for  Senator  there  was  for  a  time  no  choice ;  but 
Mr.  Haynes  liked  the  young  man  Sumner,  and  he  changed 
the  equipoised  balance  by  a  break  from  the  party  vote.  By 
this  ballot  Sumner  went  to  the  United  States  Senate,  where 
he  championed  liberty's  cause  and  stirred  up  those  elements 
that  burst  forth  into  civil  war,  which  made  our  whole  land 
free.  What  an  influence  thus  went  out  from  this  quiet 
place,  and  how  changed  our  nation's  history  by  this  silent 
act !  Mr.  Haynes  belonged  to  the  old  Haynes  family 
of  Sudbury  and  had  a  numerous  progeny,  some  of  whom 
still  live  on  the  old  estate.  On  the  Haynes  farm,  and  south 
of  the  homestead,  perhaps  forty  or  fifty  rods  distant,  once 
stood  a  block  house.  It  was  a  small  structure,  heavily  built, 
and  demolished  nearly  a  century  ago.  This  doubtless  was 
the  stronghold  for  the  neighborhood  in  the  Indian  war.  (See 
page  200.)  South-westerly  of  the  depot  a  half  mile  or  more 
is  the  Town  Farm,  or  the  "  Poor  Establishment,"  as  it  is 
sometimes  called.     In  the  southerly  part  of  the  district,  on 


512  HISTOKY   OF   SUDBURY. 

the  estate  of  the  late  William  Hunt,  stood  the  old  residence 
of  Rev.  Israel  Loring.  The  building  was  latterly  an  old  red 
structure  with  a  long  slope  roof  at  the  back,  and  was  used 
for  years  by  Mr.  Hunt  as  a  lodging  place  for  some  of  the 
town's  poor,  under  the  system  of  boarding  paupers  at  the 
lowest  price  bid.  Such  are  some  of  the  features  of  "  Pantry," 
as  it  is  and  was,  in  the  not  far  distant  past.  Like  other 
districts,  it  is  dear  to  many  who  remember  the  days  of  the 
old  district  schools,  but  the  reminiscences  that  are  rich  about 
it  are  passing  or  are  passed  away  with  the  generations  to 
which  they  belonged. 

THE   GRAVEL   PIT. 

Another  locality  of  interest,  though  not  called  a  district, 
is  the  vicinity  of  the  old  causeway  or  gravel  pit.  The  place 
is  partly  in  Wayland,  the  town  line  running  nearly  midway 
of  it.  It  takes  its  name  from  the  gravelly  bank  by  the  road- 
side, from  which  the  town  has  taken  gravel  for  public  pur- 
poses from  the  time  of  its  settlement.  Repeatedly  on  the 
records,  as  the  years  passed  by,  has  the  term  Gravel  Pit  been 
inscribed ;  and  one  objection  of  the  East  Side  people  to  the 
division  of  the  town  was  that  by  such  an  event  they  would 
lose  the  gravel  pit.  The  locality  had  early  occupation,  and 
is  often  referred  to,  but  outside  the  records  little  is  left  to 
indicate  what  it  has  been.  The  natural  objects  remain,  but 
persons  and  their  dwelling-places  have  passed  away.  There, 
was  probably  the  west  side  of  the  ferry,  before  the  build- 
ing of  the  causeway.  Peter  Noyes's  boat  may  have  been 
moored  to  those  meadow  banks,  when  it  furnished  the  main 
means  of  transit  to  the  town's  early  grantees  as  they  went 
to  the  West  Side.  Before  the  town  was  divided  into  two 
parochial  precincts,  an  effort  was  made  to  have  a  meeting- 
house built  there.  (See  page  289.)  There  was  the  begin- 
ning of  the  old  Lancaster  road  which  went  to  "  Nashuway  " 
(Lancaster).  There  the  road  started  that  went  to  Noyes's 
mill  at  Hop  Brook  ;  and,  from  that  point,  a  meadow  path 
was  laid  out  north  and  south  over  which  the  people  hauled 
their  hay.  Several  taverns  have  been  kept  there.  During 
the  Revolution  a  man  named  Wheeler  kept  a  tavern  there. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  513 

The  house  stood  on  the  Thomas  Battles  place,  which  was 
formerly  owned  by  John  Taylor,  and  since,  by  the  Wheeler 
Haynes  heirs.  It  was  burned  down  years  ago.  Later,  a 
tavern  was  kept  by  Abel  Cutler,  and  at  another  time  by  a 
Mr.  Carter.  A  school-house  was  once  located  there,  and 
a  blacksmith's  shop  used  by  Mr.  William  Brown,  and 
Thomas  Plympton  kept  a  store  there.  Near  the  gravel  pit 
is  a  place  once  called  "  Judge's  Point."  There,  by  the  hill- 
side, Micah  Goodnow,  a  fisherman,  lived,  whom  they  called 
"  Judge,"  which  circumstance  probably  gave  a  name  to  the 
place.  On  the  upland,  not  far  from  the  training-field  and 
northerly  or  north-easterly  of  it,  is  a  spot  where,  tradition 
says,  an  Indian  is  buried.  It  is  said  he  was  shot  from  the 
east  side  of  the  river  as  he  was  exploring  thereabout  in  a 
time  of  hostility,  and  that  the  gun  is  now  in  possession  of 
John  Morse,  son  of  Noyes  Morse  of  Wayland.  It  is  a  long, 
heavy  piece,  a  rare  specimen  of  firearm,  and  has  been  in  the 
Noyes  family  for  successive  generations. 

The  vicinity  of  this  section  is  memorable  in  connection 
with  the  Revolutionary  period.  South-westerly  on  the  hill, 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  away,  were  the  government  store- 
houses. (See  period  1775-1800.)  The  land  about  the  place 
was  called  Training-field  Hill,  the  town  owning  about  an  acre 
there  for  training  purposes.  At  one  time  a  muster  was  held 
there.  At  the  beginning  of  the  present  century  there  was 
an  old,  low  building  standing  on  or  very  near  the  spot  where 
the  George  Taylor  house  stands  ;  in  this  house  some  of  the 
government  guard  were  boarded.  The  town's  eastern 
boundary,  as  it  runs  through  this  locality,  turns  abruptly 
towards  Wayland,  takes  in  a  small  space,  and  then  goes  on 
in  its  regular  course.  The  occasion  of  this  was  as  follows : 
when  the  town  was  divided,  a  remonstrance  was  made  by 
the  inhabitants  of  the  West  Side,  because,  among  other  rea- 
sons, they  would  lose  their  training-field.  Remonstrance 
was  also  made  to  the  division  by  Caleb  Wheeler,  who  stren- 
uously opposed  having  his  farm  of  forty-three  acres  included 
within  the  limits  of  East  Sudbury.  It  is  supposed  that,  to 
compromise  matters  and  so  adjust  things  as  to  secure  a 
division,  the  whole  farm  and  the  training-field  were  allowed 


514  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

to  remain  in  Sudbury.  At  various  times,  propositions  have 
been  made  for  straightening  the  line,  but  all  efforts  to  accom- 
plish it  have  thus  far  failed.  The  piece  of  land  is  triangular 
shaped,  situated  on  Sand  Hill,  and  the  South  Sudbury  and 
Wayland  highway  passes  through  it.  It  belongs  to  the  Fan- 
farm,  and  is  still  called  the  "  Wheeler  place." 


CHAPTER   XXIX. 

1850-1875. 

The  Wadsworth  Monument. — Petition  to  the  Legislature.  —  Response. — 
Description  ot  the  Monument.  —  The  old  Slate  Stone.  —  Fac-simile 
of  it. — dedication  of  the  Monument. —  Dismission  of  Rev.  Josiah 
Ballard.  —  Sketch  of  his  Life.  —  Ordination  of  Rev.  Charles  V.  Spear. 

—  His  Dismission.  —  Installation  of  Rev.  Erastus  Dickinson.  —  His 
Dismission.  —  Sketch  of  his  Life.  —  Rev.  Webster  Patterson.  —  Set- 
tlement of  Rev.  Philander  Thurston.  —  His  Dismission. —  Sketch  of 
Rev.  George  A.  Oviatt.  —  Rev.  Calvin  Fitts.  —  Rev.  David  Goodale. 

—  Rev.  Warren  Richardson.  —  Deacons.  —  Donation  of  Samuel  Dana 
Hunt.  —  Bequest  of  Miss  Emily  Thompson.  —  Gifts  from  Mrs.  Abigail 
Smith  and  Miss  Ruth  Carter.  —  Wadsworth  Academy.  —  Congrega- 
tional Chapel.  — Changes  in  School  Districts.  —  In  School-Houses. — 
Numbering  the  Districts.  —  The  Goodnow  Library.  —  The  Building. 

—  The  Donor.  —  Incorporation  of  Maynard.  —  The  Framingham  and 
Lowell  Railroad.  —  The  Massachusetts  Central  Railroad.  —  Miscella- 
neous. 

Look,  how  they  come,  —  a  mingled  crowd 

Of  bright  and  dark,  but  rapid  days ; 
Beneath  them,  like  a  summer  cloud, 

The  wide  world  changes  as  I  gaze. 

Bryant. 

The  period  between  1850  and  1875  was  an  eventful  one 
to  the  country.  In  it  occurred  the  great  and  calamitous 
Civil  War ;  and  Sudbury,  in  common  with  other  towns,  bore 


HISTORY  OF  SUDBURY.  515 

a  share  in  the  toil  and  the  sorrow  that  were  incident  to  it. 
Before,  however,  entering  upon  this  subject  we  will  give  the 
annals  of  the  town  exclusive  of  those  relating  to  the  war. 
In  presenting  these,  we  shall,  in  some  instances,  make  our 
narrative  more  consecutive  by  mentioning  events  that  oc- 
curred outside  the  period. 

THE  WADSWORTH  MONUMENT. 

An  important  event  that  occurred  early  in  the  last  half  of 
the  present  century  was  the  erection  of  the  Wadsworth 
Monument.  February,  1852,  a  petition  was  presented  to  the 
Legislature  of  this  Commonwealth,  in  which,  after  a  brief 
rehearsal  of  the  events  in  connection  with  the  Wadsworth 
fight,  the  petitioners  say  "  that  a  small,  temporary  monu- 
ment was  erected  many  years  ago  by  the  Rev.  Benjamin 
Wadsworth,  President  of  Harvard  College,  over  the  grave 
of  his  father,  Captain  Wadsworth,  and  his  associates  in  arms. 
Said  monument  being  in  a  dilapidated  condition,  it  is  desir- 
able that  it  be  rebuilt  in  a  more  durable  form.  Wherefore, 
at  a  legal  town-meeting  held  for  that  purpose,  your  peti- 
tioners were  chosen  for  a  committee  and  instructed  to 
petition  your  Honorable  body  for  aid  in  erecting  a  suitable 
monument  to  the  memory  of  said  officers  and  men." 
Signed,  "  Drury  Fairbank  and  thirteen  others." 
The  committee  on  military  affairs,  to  which  was  referred 
this  petition,  in  closing  their  report  say  :  "  The  petitioners 
further  state  that  said  monument,  which  still  bears  the 
names  of  those  brave  officers,  is  now  in  a  dilapidated  condi- 
tion, and  must  soon  go  to  destruction  unless  some  immediate 
measures  are  taken  to  rebuild  it ;  and  that  the  inhabitants 
of  Sudbury,  being  actuated  by  a  strong  desire  to  preserve  it, 
are  willing  to  defray  a  portion  of  the  expense  attending  its 
rebuilding,  if  the  State  will  aid  them  in  so  doing  ;  although, 
independent  of  the  fact  of  its  being  located  within  the  limits 
of  their  town,  they  feel  no  greater  interest  in  its  preserva- 
tion than  should  be  felt  by  every  patriotic  citizen  of  the 
Commonwealth.  Your  committee  concur  with  the  petitioners 
on  this  point.  True,  the  monument  is  intimately  connected 
with  the  early  history  of  Sudbury ;  but  is  it  not  also  cpuite 


516  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

as  intimately  connected  with  the  history  of  the  State  ?  And 
should  not  every  son  of  Massachusetts  venerate  and  hold 
sacred  these  ancient  landmarks,  so  to  speak,  wherever  upon 
her  soil  they  are  found,  which  serve  so  forcibly  to  remind 
him  of  the  struggles,  the  trials,  and  the  valor  of  his  fore- 
fathers ?  .  .  .  They  do  not  ask  the  State  to  erect  a  new 
monument  over  the  remains  of  those  who  survived  a  san- 
guinary strife,  and  died  among  their  own  kindred  and  friends 
after  a  long  enjoyment  of  that  for  which  they  contended  ; 
nor  do  they  ask  to  have  such  a  monument  erected  away 
from  the  scene  of  that  strife  ;  but  they  ask  that  the  State 
will  aid  them  in  the  discharge  of  a  duty  which  they  feel 
belongs  to  every  patriotic  citizen  of  the  Commonwealth,  — 
that  of  endeavoring  to  preserve  from  destruction  a  simple 
and  not  expensive  monument,  built  by  their  forefathers 
nearly  a  century  and  a  quarter  ago,  over  the  single  grave  of 
the  twenty-nine  gallant  men  whose  memory  it  was  designed 
to  perpetuate,  and  upon  the  very  spot  where  their  lives  were 
sacrificed  in  the  service  of  their  country,  and  which  is  fast 
going  to  decay.  Your  committee  are  of  the  opinion  that  this 
case  .  .  .  has  no  precedent  and  can  establish  none.  And, 
even  if  it  should  establish  a  precedent,  it  is  a  good  one,  and 
one  which  should  be  followed  in  all  similar  cases,  if  any  such 
should  be  hereafter  presented,  for  it  would  be  an  indelible 
stain  upon  the  escutcheon  of  Massachusetts  and  a  source  of 
the  deepest  mortification  to  her  sons,  if  a  single  spark  of 
patriotic  feeling  remained  in  their  bosoms,  if  these  sacred 
memorials  of  her  past  history  were  permitted  to  go  to 
destruction,  merely  because  their  preservation  would  involve 
the  expenditure  of  a  few  paltry  dollars  from  the  public 
treasury."  Accompanying  this  report  is  the  resolve,  "That 
a  sum,  not  exceeding  five  hundred  dollars  in  all,  be  and  the 
same  is  hereby  appropriated  towards  defraying  the  expense 
of  repairing  or  rebuilding,  in  a  substantial  manner,  the  mon- 
ument in  the  town  of  Sudbury,  erected  by  President  Wads- 
worth  of  Harvard  College,  about  the  year  1730,  to  the 
memory  of  Capt.  Samuel  Wadsworth  and  a  large  number  of 
other  officers  and  soldiers  and  others  in  the  service  of  the 
colony,  who  were  slain  upon  the  spot  marked  by  the  monu- 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  517 

ment,  ...  in  the  defence  of  that  town  against  the  Indians, 
—  the  said  sum  to  be  expended  under  the  direction  of  His 
Excellency  the  Governor,  in  connection  with  a  committee  of 
said  town  of  Sudbury." 

Agreeable  to  the  foregoing  resolve,  at  a  legal  town-meeting 
held  June  14,  1852,  it  was  voted  that  Nahum  Thompson, 
Drury  Fairbank,  Ephraiin  Moore,  Enoch  Kidder  and  J.  R. 
Vose  be  a  committee  to  superintend  the  building  of  the 
Wadsworth  Monument.  It  was  then  voted  to  appropriate 
a  sum  of  money,  sufficient  to  complete  said  monument  and 
finish  about  the  same,  out  of  any  unappropriated  money  in 
the  Treasury,  said  sum  not  to  exceed  five  hundred  dollars. 
His  Excellency  George  S.  Boutwell,  then  Governor  of  this 
Commonwealth,  in  connection  with  the  committee  of  the 
town,  "  procured  a  handsome  monument,  consisting  of  three 
large  square  blocks  of  granite,  one  and  one-half,  two,  and 
three  feet  thick,  raised  one  above  the  other;  from  the  upper 
one  of  which  risesa  granite  shaft,  tapering  towards  the  top; 
the  whole  being  twenty-one  and  one-half  feet  in  height.  On 
the  front  of  the  centre  block  appears  the  following  inscription  : 

This  monument  is  erected  by  the  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts 
and  the  town  of  Sudbury,  in  grateful  remembrance  of  the  services  and 
suffering  of  the  founders  of  the  State,  and  especially  in  honor  of 

Capt.  Samuel  Wadsworth,  of  Milton  ; 

Capt.  Brocklebank,  of  Rowley  ; 

Lieut.  Sharp,  of  Brookline  ; 

and  twenty  six  others,  men  of  their  command,  who  fell  near  this  spot,  on 
the  18th  of  April,  1676,  while  defending  the  frontier  settlements  against 
the  allied  Indian  forces  of  Philip  of  Pokanoket. 

1852. 

(The  date  of  the  fight  as  above  given  is  incorrect :  see 
page  218.) 

In  front  of  the  monument  is  the  slate  stone  which  stood  at 
the  head  of  the  old  grave.  "  There  is,  in  the  rooms  of  a 
Boston  Society,  a  broken  slab,  which  is  an  exact  facsimile  of 
the  lower  part  of  this  stone,  and  is  claimed  by  some  to  be  the 
original  erected  by  President  Wadsworth  over  the  remains 
of  his  dead  father  and  the  men  who  fell  with  him.     But 


518  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

there  are  no  records  or  traditions  to  identify  it,  and  the  only 
mode  of  accounting  for  its  existence  is  by  supposing  that  a 
slab,  first  made,  was  accidentally  broken  in  the  stone-yard 
in  Boston,  and  that  the  broken  piece  found  its  way  into  the 
collection,  while  another  was  made  and  sent  to  Sudbury 
where  it  has  ever  since  remained."  This  monument  is  firmly 
set  upon  a  foundation  of  split  stone,  six  feet  thick,  five  feet 
of  which  are  covered  with  earth.  At  the  foot  of  the  monu- 
ment, in  front,  was  an  aperture  through  which  the  remains 
of  the  ancient  martyrs,  which  had  been  disinterred,  were 
deposited  in  the  tomb,  after  which  it  was  hermetically  sealed. 
The  monument  is  surrounded  by  a  handsome  iron  railing 
twenty  feet  square,  durably  and  strongly  set.  The  whole 
cost  of  monument,  fence,  and  grading  was  one  thousand  and 
fifty  dollars.  The  foregoing  quotations  concerning  the  mon- 
ument, and  the  following  account  of  the  dedication,  are  taken 
from  a  Report,  published  by  the  town  in  1853  :  — 

"This  new  tribute  to  the  memory  of  our  fathers  was  dedi- 
cated on  the  23d  of  November,  A.D.,  1852.  There  would, 
probably,  have  been  a  very  full  attendance  had  it  not  been 
for  a  steady,  continued  snow-storm  through  the  day. 

"  A  number  of  military  companies  had  been  expected,  and 
had  the  day  been  pleasant  the  ceremony  would  have  been 
imposing.     As  it  was,  the  affair  went  off  well. 

"  At  a  little  after  ten  o'clock  a  procession  was  formed  at 
the  Town  Hall,  under  the  marshalship  of  Col.  Drury  Fair- 
bank,  in  the  following  order  :  — 

"Sudbury  Brass  Band,  Marshall  Eaton,  leader  ;  Sudbury 
Wadsworth  Rifle  Guards,  in  grey  uniform  and  full  numbers, 
commanded  by  Capt.  Ephraim  Moore  ;  this  corps  marched  and 
looked  well,  and  the  band  attached  performed  excellently, 
although  it  has  been  formed  scarcely  a  year;  carriages  con- 
taining His  Excellency  George  S.  Boutwell,  Governor  of  this 
Commonwealth,  and  the  invited  guests ;  citizens  on  foot. 
The  procession  moved  over  the  road  to  Saxonville,  south- 
ward, and  within  a  mile  of  the  Town  Hall,  turned  to  the 
left,  where,  in  the  rear  of  a  newly  located  burying-ground, 
appeared  a  neat  granite  column.     It  was  in  this  vicinity  that 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  519 

the  event  which  the  ceremonies  of  the  day  commemorated 
took  place ;  the  scalped  and  mangled  bodies  of  Captain 
Wadsworth  and  his  command  having  been  found  scattered 
over  a  small  space  of  ground  in  the  brushwood.  After 
marching  around  the  monument,  the  procession  moved  back 
to  the  Town  Hall,  the  upper  floor  of  which  was  soon  thronged 
with  many  hundred  guests,  nearly  one-half  of  whom  were 
ladies.  The  remains  of  the  ancient  dead  were  then  brought 
in,  and  the  six  boxes  containing  them  deposited  in  the  hall 
near  the  door.  These  remains  are  in  a  remarkable  state  of 
preservation,  many  teeth  being  perfect,  and  the  skulls  and 
other  bones  of  several  bear  the  marks  of  the  Indian  bullet 
and  the  Indian  tomahawk,  the  evidence  of  blows  that  fell 
one  hundred  and  seventy-four  years  ago. 

"  The  medical  gentlemen  who  have  had  the  care  of  these 
bones  since  their  disinterment  are  Dr.  O.  O.  Johnson  of  Mill 
Village,  Sudbury,  and  Dr.  Goodnough  ;  they  hud  twenty- 
seven  pairs  of  thigh  bones  and  fragments  of  two  pairs  more, 
corresponding  to  the  number  of  men  that  are  mentioned  by 
history  as  having  been  slain.  In  one  skull  there  is  a  hole 
half  an  inch  wide  and  several  inches  long,  directly  over  the 
temple  in  the  left  side  of  the  top  of  the  head,  answering 
exactly  to  the  size  of  a  tomahawk  blade  ;  in  another,  the 
lower  jaw  shows  a  similar  aperture  below  the  teeth  where 
the  weapon  has  crushed  in  sideways.  But  the  most  remark- 
able thing  is  the  completeness  of  the  teeth  ;  and  in  the  left 
side  of  the  lower  jaw  of  one  skull  two  of  the  teeth  are  worn 
down,  as  if  by  the  constant  use  of  a  pipe,  making  a  semi- 
circular cavity,  the  surface  of  which  is  perfectly  smooth. 
The  jaw  indicated  an  aged  man.  One  of  the  skulls  was, 
evidently,  that  of  a  young  man,  the  wisdom  teeth  not  having 
been  cut,  but  the  majority  were  all  of  middle  age,  and  the 
size  of  the  bones  of  all  gave  evidence  that,  if  they  were  not 
picked  men,  the  trials  of  a  colonist's  life  and  the  rough 
training  of  the  early  settlers  was  calculated  to  develop  the 
physical  nature  of  our  ancestors  in  high  perfection. 

"  As  soon  as  the  Chief  Marshal  had  arranged  the  audi- 
ence and  obtained  silence,  Nahum  Thompson,  the  President 
of  the    Day,  arose   and   said:    Fellow  Citizens,  —  we    have 


520  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

assembled  upon  this  interesting  occasion  to  recall  to  our 
minds  the  services  and  sufferings  of  our  forefathers,  those 
devoted  men,  who  sacrificed  their  lives  that  they  might  be- 
come, as  it  were,  stepping-stones  to  the  attainment  of  those 
innumerable  and  inestimable  blessings  and  privileges,  both 
civil  and  religious,  which  we  their  descendants  are  permitted 
to  enjoy,  and  to  dedicate  to  their  memory  yonder  monument, 
that  Granite  Pillar,  durable  as  the  names  of  Wadsworth, 
Brocklebank  and  Sharp  are  imperishable  ;  in  doing  this,  it 
becometh  us  to  acknowledge  Him  whose  superintending 
providence  has  continually  been  over  us ;  I  would  therefore 
introduce  to  ou  the  Rev.  Linus  H.  Shaw,  who  will  address 
the  Throne  of  Grace  that  God's  mercy  still  rest  upon  us. 
The  reverend  gentleman  made  a  very  appropriate  prayer ;  a 
hymn  was  then  read  by  Rev.  C.  V.  Spear  and  sung  by  all 
present  to  the  tune  of  '  Old  Hundred.' 

"  His  Excellency  George  S.  Boutwell  was  then  introduced, 
and  made  an  address." 

The  proceedings  which  followed  the  address  are  thus  de- 
scribed in  the  published  account  of  the  exercises  :  — 

"  The  company  then  adjourned  to  the  lower  room  of  the 
Hall,  where  dinner  had  been  prepared  by  Mr.  Wright,  at 
which  a  blessing  was  invoked  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Spear  and 
thanks  returned  by  Rev.  Mr.  Lee.  The  entertainment  was 
good,  though  the  guests  were  not  numerous  and  no  speeches 
were  made.  It  had  been  originally  intended  to  have  the 
dinner  near  the  monument  in  Mr.  Wright's  tent,  which  had 
been  erected  ;  but  early  in  the  morning,  after  everything  had 
been  prepared  for  the  reception  of  fifteen  hundred  guests, 
the  irons  which  fastened  the  upper  part  of  the  canvas  to  the 
masts  suddenly  unbent,  in  consequence  of  the  immense 
weight  of  snow  which  had  covered  the  tent,  and  the  awning, 
with  its  superincumbent  weight  of  snow,  fell  upon  and  cov- 
ered the  tables.  No  damage  will  accrue,  except  the  breaking 
of  a  small  quantity  of  crockery  and  glass  ware. 

"  The  dinner  being  over,  all  present  reascended  to  the 
upper  hall,  where  the  bones  were  exhibited  to  the  multitude, 
after  which  the  boxes  were  removed,  and  the  regular  toasts  of 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  521 

the  day  were  read  by  Nahum  Thompson,  Esq.,  and  responded 
to  by  the  band,  so  that  all  present  were  entertained  with  a 
succession  of  military  pieces,  well  played,  for  the  space  of 
over  an  hour.  At  half-past  four  o'clock  the  Governor  with- 
drew and  returned  to  Boston.  After  the  regular  toasts  had 
been  read  and  volunteer  sentiments  had  been  called  for,  Col. 
Winthrop  E.  Faulkner  of  Acton,  having  stated  some  facts 
respecting  the  action  that  resulted  in  the  death  of  Captain 
Wadsworth  and  his  company,  gave  the  following  sentiment: 

"  '  The  sons  of  Sudbury.  —  May  they  be  as  marked  for 
martial  courage,  for  prompt  and  vigorous  action  and  true 
republican  principles,  as  were  those  whose  remains  have  just 
been  removed  to  their  last  resting-place.' 

"To  this,  Colonel  Fairbanks,  the  Marshal  of  the  day, 
responded. 

"  The  clergyman  of  the  Orthodox  Society  in  town,  Rev. 
Mr.  Spear,  then  —  having  alluded  to  the  unique  character  and 
great  interest  of  the  occasion,  as  the  dedication  of  a  monu- 
ment commemorating  an  event,  the  earliest  in  our  history 
thus  commemorated,  and  having  referrred  to  the  interesting 
character  of  Governor  Boutwell's  Address  —  gave  the  fol- 
lowing :  '  The  Orator  of  the  day.  —  He  deserves  our  warmest 
thanks  for  his  lucid  and  deeply  interesting  sketches  of  the 
times  and  the  scenes  passed  through,  the  causes  of  alienation 
which  operated,  and  the  characters  developed  and  exhibited, 
during  the  progress  of  King  Philip's  War.' 

"Mr.  S.  D.  Hunt  of  Concord  then,  by  a  well-timed  classic 
allusion,  complimenting  the  band  which  had  contributed  so 
much  to  the  interest  of  the  occasion,  gave,  as  the  closing 
sentiment,  the  following  :  — 

"'The  Sudbury  Brass  Band.  —  May  their  shadow  never 
be  less.' 

"  The  occasion  went  off  well,  under  the  care  of  the  follow- 
ing gentlemen  :  — 

"  Committee  of  Arrangements.  —  Asahel  Balcom,  Lyman 
Howe,  Abel  B.  Jones,  Ephraim  Stone,  John  P.  Allen,  in 
addition  to  the  Building  Committee:  Nahum  Thompson, 
Drury  Fairbanks,  Enoch  Kidder,  Ephraim  Moore  and  Jona- 
than R.  Vose. 


522  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

"  Pall  Bearers.  —  Tilly  Smith,  William  Brigham,  Israel 
Haynes,  David  Lincoln,  Charles  Gerry,  Asa  Jones,  Jonas 
Tower,  Jonathan  Fairbanks. 

"  After  the  closing  sentiment,  the  audience,  which  through- 
out the  exercises  had  given  the  most  fixed  attention,  quietly 
dispersed." 

"  The  entire  lot  left  by  the  proprietors  for  the  Wads-worth 
monument  consists  of  a  parallelogram  ten  rods  by  four."  An 
old  deed  mentions  "  the  monument,"  meaning  the  old  mound, 
as  being  "  marked  out  in  an  oblong  or  square  just  about  the 
centre  of  the  farm."  This  was  the  Israel  How  Brown  farm. 
When  the  committee  decided  not  to  erect  the  monument  on 
the  site  of  the  old  mound,  but  a  little  to  one  side  (see  page 
250),  they  procured  a  piece  of  land  of  Mr.  Brown,  a  portion 
of  which  was  taken  for  the  enclosure  that  contains  the  monu- 
ment. The  avenue  leading  to  it  was  opened  about  the  same 
time,  and  was  a  part  of  the  same  farm.  In  1855,  the  select- 
men were  instructed  "  to  plant  trees  around  the  monument 
and  on  the  avenue  leading  to  it,  the  trees  to  be  set  at  a  dis- 
tance of  not  more  than  thirty  feet  apart."  A  few  years  ago 
a  large  white  pine-tree  stood  within  the  enclosure  easterly  of 
the  monument,  but  it  was  struck  by  lightning  and  afterwards 
cut  down.  The  town  expended  over  nine  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars,  besides  what  was  received  from  the  State,  in  erecting 
the  monument  and  enclosing  it  with  an  iron  fence. 

ECCLESIASTICAL  EVENTS. 
During  the  third  period  of  the  century  several  changes 
took  place  in  the  Evangelical  Union  Church.  March  15, 
1852,  the  society  voted  to  concur  with  Mr.  Ballard  in  calling 
a  council  for  his  dismission,  and  his  pastorate  in  Sudbury 
soon  after  ceased.  During  the  latter  part  of  his  ministry 
here  he  lived  at  the  present  George  Parmenter  place,  which 
was  then  owned  by  several  persons  and  leased  for  a  par- 
sonage.    The  following  is  a  brief  sketch  of  his  life  :  — 

REV.    JOSIAH   BALLARD. 

Josiah  Ballard  was    born    at  Peterboro,  N.  H.,  April  14, 
1806.     He  learned  the  mason's  trade,  and  worked  at  it  for 


<Ti 


^a%% 


/&<-^-., 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  523 

some  years.  He  fitted  for  college,  completing  his  studies  at 
Munson  Academy,  and  graduated  at  Yale  in  1833.  He 
studied  theology  two  years  with  Dr.  Whiton  of  Antrim,  N.H., 
and  was  licensed  to  preach  in  1835.  The  same  year  he 
married  Elizabeth  D.,  daughter  of  Rev.  John  Whiton,  D.D. 
He  was  settled  at  Chesterfield,  N.  H.,  then  at  Nelson,  N.  H. 
He  was  installed  at  Sudbury,  March  3,  1841,  and  dismissed 
April,  1852.  He  was  afterwards  settled  at  New  Ipswich, 
N.  H.,  and  at  Carlisle,  Mass.,  at  which  latter  place  he  died, 
Dec.  12,  18G3,  aged  fifty-seven.  He  had  two  children, — 
Edward  0.  and  Catherine  E.,  both  born  at  Nelson,  N.  H. 
Mr.  Ballard  and  his  wife  were  buried  at  Carlisle,  but  were 
afterwards  removed,  and  laid,  in  accordance  with  their  desire, 
in  the  New  Maplewood  Cemetery  at  South  Antrim,  N.  H., 
occupying  one  of  the  five  family  lots  joining  each  other.  Mr. 
Ballard  was  much  esteemed  in  Sudbury.  His  influence  was 
widely  felt,  and  the  remembrance  of  him  was  fondly 
cherished  for  many  years  after  he  left  town.  He  was  a  re- 
served, dignified  man,  rather  grave  in  manner  and  a  hard 
worker. 

July  26,  1852,  the  society  voted  to  extend  a  call  to  Rev. 
Charles  V.  Spear,  at  a  salary  of  8650  ;  and  October  27  of 
the  same  year  he  was  ordained  and  installed.  The  minis- 
ters who  composed  the  council  were  as  follows :  Revs.  John 
Todd,  D.D.,  of  Pittsfield,  E.  Russell  of  East  Randolph,  J. 
C.  Bodwell  of  Framingham,  Henry  Allen  of  Wayland,  W. 
C.  Jackson  of  Lincoln,  L.  H.  Angier  of  Concord,  J. 
Ballard  of  New  Ipswich,  N.  H.,  J.  C.  Woodbridge  of 
Auburndale,  and  B.  G.  Northrup  of  Saxonville.  The  sermon 
was  by  Dr.  Todd.  Sept.  18,  1855,  Mr.  Spear  was  dismissed 
on  account  of  ill  health  ;  and  May  14,  1856,  Rev.  Erastus 
Dickinson  was  called  as  his  successor  at  a  salary  of  $800. 
The  council  of  installation  was  as  follows :  Revs.  R.  S. 
Storrs,  D.D.,  of  Braintree,  Henry  Allen  of  Wayland,  Marcus 
Ames  of  Westminster,  Levi  A.  Fields  of  Marlboro,  and  C. 
V.  Spear  of  Pittsfield.  The  sermon  was  by  Dr.  Storrs.  Mr. 
Dickinson  remained  in  the  pastorate  of  the  church  till  June 
30,  1868,  when  he  was  dismissed.  He  was  born  at  Plainfield, 
Mass.,    and   graduated   at    Amherst   College   in   1832.     He 


524  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

studied  theology  at  Auburn  Theological  Seminary,  and  was 
ordained  at  Canton,  where  he  preached  a  year.  Subse- 
quently he  was  settled  at  Chaplin  and  at  Colchester,  Ct.,  and 
Sudbury.  While  at  the  latter  place  he  was  sent  as  Repre- 
sentative to  the  Legislature.  On  leaving  Sudbury,  his  health 
being  somewhat  impaired,  he  went  to  Lake  wood,  N.  J., 
where  he  was  postmaster  fifteen  years.  He  died  Sept.  4, 
1888,  at  the  age  of  eighty-two. 

From  the  time  of  Mr.  Dickinson's  dismission  the  pulpit 
was  most  of  the  time  supplied  by  Rev.  Webster  Patterson, 
until  the  settlement  of  Rev.  Philander  Thurston,  Feb.  1, 
1870.  The  salary  of  Mr.  Thurston  was  $1200.  The  install- 
ing council  was  composed  of  the  Revs.  T.  D.  P.  Stone  of 
Assabet,  M.  J.  Savage  of  Framingham,  C.  H.  Williams  of 
Concord,  A.  S.  Hudson  of  Burlington,  E.  R.  Drake  of  Way- 
land,  G.  G.  Phipps  of  Wellesley,  and  H.  J.  Richardson  of 
Lincoln.  The  sermon  was  by  Dr.  J.  M.  Manning  of  Boston. 
Rev.  Mr.  Thurston  was  dismissed  Sept.  22,  1874.  Shortly 
after  the  close  of  this  pastorate,  Rev.  George  A.  Oviatt 
became  acting  pastor  of  the  church,  and  continued  to  serve 
in  that  capacity  for  a  period  of  eight  years.  As  a  pastor  he 
was  kind  and  sympathetic,  and  one  of  those  men  who  never 
grow  old.  Jan.  1,  1883,  being  enfeebled  by  sickness,  he 
asked  to  be  released  from  his  charge,  and  the  request  was 
reluctantly  granted.  He  had  been  a  preacher  for  half  a  cen- 
tury, and  had  held  five  pastorates,  —  at  Belchertown  and 
Chicopee,  Somers  and  Talcottville,  Conn.,  and  Sudbury.  He 
was  one  year  Secretary  of  the  American  Sunday-School 
Union,  and  three  years  engaged  in  mission  work  in  Boston. 
The  Shawmut  Church,  Boston,  was  organized  as  the  result 
of  his  labors.  In  the  War  of  the  Rebellion  he  went  to 
Louisiana  in  the  division  of  General  Banks,  as  chaplain  of 
the  25th  Connecticut  Regiment.  In  that  service  he  lost  his 
health  and  it  was  never  fully  regained.  He  died  at  Sudbury, 
June  1,  1883,  aged  seventy-six,  and  was  buried  at  Mount 
Auburn. 

Rev.  Calvin  Fitts  preached  for  a  few  months  after  Mr. 
Oviatt  resigned,  and  died  at  Sudbury  in  the  fall  of  1883. 
Rev.  David  W.  Goodale  commenced  preaching  in  June,  1884, 


HISTORY  OP   SUDBURY.  525 

and  remained  about  three  years.  Rev.  Warren  Richardson, 
the  present  acting  pastor,  commenced  his  term  bf  service  in 
the  fall  of  1887. 

The  following  persons  have  served  as  deacons  in  the  Con- 
gregational Church :  Gardner  Hunt,  Thomas  L.  Dakin, 
Thomas  P.  Hurlbut,  Emory  Hunt,  Benjamin  H.  Richardson, 
Francis  F.  Walker.  The  last  two  are  in  service  at  the  pres- 
ent time. 

Aug.  10,  1874,  the  society  voted  to  accept  of  one  thousand 
dollars  donated  by  Samuel  Dana  Hunt,  for  "  the  preaching 
of  the  Gospel  essentially  in  its  present  doctrine  or  belief." 
If  the  church  was  ever  removed  to  South  Sudbury,  or  a  new 
name  given  it,  the  gift  was  to  remain. 

In  1881,  the  society  voted  to  accept  of  a  bequest  by  Miss 
Emily  Thompson.  A  gift  was  also  received  of  Mrs.  Abigail 
Smith  of  Sudbury,  and  one  hundred  dollars  of  Miss  Ruth 
Carter. 

EDUCATIONAL   MATTERS. 

Considerable  change  occurred  in  educational  matters  dur- 
ing this  period.  One  important  event  was  the  establishment 
of  Wadsworth  Academy. 

WADSWORTH    ACADEMY. 

In  1856,  measures  were  taken  to  establish  an  academy  at 
South  Sudbury.  A  corporation  was  formed,  the  object  of 
which  was  to  hold  property,  consisting  of  a  building,  land, 
and  suitable  fixtures  for  educational  and  religious  purposes. 
The  design  of  the  projectors  of  the  enterprise  was  to  erect  a 
building,  the  upper  part  of  which  could  be  used  for  a  school, 
and  the  lower  part  for  social  and  religious  services.  There 
had  been  no  hall  at  "Mill  Villiage,"  as  South  Sudbury  was 
then  called,  except  one  over  the  "old  wheelwright's  shop," 
where  sometimes  a  meeting  was  held  on  Sabbath,  evenings, 
and  occasionally  a  private  school  was  kept,  where  the  tuition 
was  ninepence  a  week.  This  hall  was  low  and  dilapidated, 
and  reached  by  a  flight  of  stairs  on  the  outside,  and  wholly 
unfit  for  public  use.  Besides  the  need  of  a  hall  was  the  need 
of  a  higher  school  than  was  provided  by  the  town.     To  meet 


526  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

these  needs  a  corporation  was  formed,  the  capital  stock  of 
which  was  three  thousand  dollars.  The  parties  who  com- 
posed it,  and  the  number  of  shares  taken  by  each  were  as 
follows :  Samuel  D.  Hunt,  three  shares  ;  Dexter  C.  Jones, 
three;  Gardner  Hunt,  one  and  one-half;  Samuel  Puffer, 
three;  A.  B.  Richardson,  three;  Charles  Hunt,  three; 
Joseph  Richardson,  three  ;  Walter  Rogers,  six ;  Samuel 
Rogers,  three ;  Emory  Hunt,  three  ;  George  Parmentcr, 
three  ;  Levi  Goodenough,  three  ;  Roland  Cutler,  six  ;  Eliza- 
beth Hunt,  one  and  one-half ;  Nancy  J.  Moore,  three  ;  J.  D. 
and  C.  A.  Cutter,  three  ;  Abigail  B.  Brown,  three  ;  Arthur 
Bo  wen,  three. 

The  first  meeting  was  held  March  11,  1857,  and  the  fol- 
lowing officers  were  elected  :  President,  Dr.  Levi  Good- 
enough  ;  Directors,  Roland  Cutler,  Samuel  Puffer ;  Treas- 
urer, Samual  D.  Hunt.  The  land  was  purchased  of 
Nichols  B.  Hunt,  and  the  building  was  erected  by  Arthur 
Bowen  of  South  Sudbury.  It  was  two  stories  high,  had  a 
colonade  in  front  and  faced  the  west.  It  was  named  in 
honor  of  Captain  Wadsworth.  Among  the  studies  pursued 
in  the  school  were  the  higher  mathematics,  the  classics, 
French,  drawing  and  painting.  The  tuition  varied  with  the 
studies  taken.  The  first  teacher  was  Erastus  N.  Fay, 
formerly  teacher  of  the  Wayland  High  School,  and  graduate 
of  Dartmouth  College.  Then  followed  Mr.  James  Russell, 
a  graduate  of  Amherst  College,  Miss  Lydia  R.  Draper 
(Mrs.  A.  S.  Hudson),  a  graduate  of  New  Hampton  Sem- 
inary, Miss  S.  Jennie  Holden  (Mrs.  E.  P.  Tenney),  Miss 
Gibbs,  Mr.  Charles  Rogers,  a  graduate  of  Middleton  Uni- 
versity, Conn.,  Mr.  Edwin  Hunt,  a  graduate  of  Amherst 
College,  and  Miss  Sarah  Russell.  After  a  time  the  school 
ceased  to  exist  as  an  academy.  It  had  done  its  work  of 
affording  advanced  educational  privileges  to  a  class  of  young 
men  and  women,  some  of  whom  had  entered  higher  institu- 
tions of  learning,  others  had  become  school  teachers,  and 
others  still  had  entered  upon  the  practical  duties  of  life  in 
the  household,  or  on  the  farm,  or  in  some  branch  of  business 
or  trade.  The  need  of  an  academy  having  been  met,  the 
demand  for  its  continuance  ceased,  and  the  rooms  were  used 


THE  .WADSWORTH    ACADEMY, 

S i.  Litli    Sudbury 

From    an   original    sketch    by    A     S     Hudson 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  527 

for  one  of  the  town's  common  schools.  A  few  years  later  the 
building  was  destroyed  by  fire,  and  on  its  site  was  erected  a 
Congregational  chapel  in  1880 ;  but,  though  the  old  academy 
has  passed  away,  there  are  some  who  trace  their  success  and 
many  of  life's  pleasant  relations  to  their  beginnings  in  that 
peaceful  spot. 

Important  changes  took  place  during  this  period  in  con- 
nection with  the  common  schools.  Old  districts  were  di- 
vided, and  new  ones  were  formed  ;  old  school-houses  were 
moved  and  new  ones  built.  A  large  share  of  the  territory  of 
the  north-west  district  was  taken  from  Sudbury  by  the 
incorporation  of  Maynard ;  but  in  the  districts  that  remained 
the  schools  and  school-houses  increased.  The  centre  school- 
house,  that  had  stood  on  the  common,  was  moved  to  its 
present  location  south  of  the  Methodist  meeting-house,  and 
after  its  removal  was  fitted  up  for  the  use  of  two  schools,  — 
a  primary  and  grammar.  In  18G8,  the  Lanham  school-house 
was  moved  from  the  road  corners  by  the  Coolidge  place  to  its 
present  location,  north  of  the  Boston  and  Worcester  highway, 
on  land  that  once  belonged  to  the  Goodnow  farm.  In  1869, 
eight  hundred  dollars  was  granted  for  repairs  on  the  south- 
west school-house.  In  1870,  the  town  voted  to  build  a  new 
school-house  in  the  north-east  district,  to  be  located  at  or 
near  the  junction  of  Puffer  Lane  and  the  north  road.  The 
building  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $2884.82.  The  same  year 
measures  were  taken  for  the  removal  of  the  old  Pantry 
school-house,  and  the  result  was  that  a  new  school-house  was 
built  in  the  southerly  portion  of  the  north-east  district,  and 
the  Pantry  school-house  was  moved  and  became  the  depot  of 
the  Framingham  &  Lowell  Railroad.  The  new  school-house 
was  located  near  the  house  of  Alfred  Thompson,  and  cost 
$3825.23.  About  the  same  time  the  town  voted  to  build  a 
school-house  in  the  west  part  of  the  town  in  a  locality  where, 
hitherto,  there  had  been  none.  It  was  erected  on  the  Bos- 
ton and  Berlin  road,  near  the  house  of  John  Coughlin,  at  a 
cost  of  $2508.77.  The  building  committee  rendered  their 
report  to  the  town  March  4,  1872,  and  at  the  same  meeting 
the  committee  appointed  to  number  the  school  districts 
reported  that  plates  had  been  procured,  lettered  and  num- 


528  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

bered  at  a  cost  of  $7.50,  and  that  commencing  with  the 
centre  district,  which  they  designated  as  number  one,  the 
committee  next  proceeded  to  the  house  in  the  south-west 
district,  which  they  numbered  two.  Thence,  passing  to  the 
right  of  the  centre  of  the  town,  the  remaining  houses  were 
numbered  in  their  regular  order,  closing  with  the  new  house 
near  the  residence  of  John  Coughlin,  which  was  numbered 
six.  The  town  opened  a  new  school  at  South  Sudbury, 
and  March  1,  1875,  "  voted  to  allow  the  proprietors  of 
Wadsworth  Hall  $100  for  rent  of  said  hall  for  school 
purposes." 

In  1881,  a  school-house  was  built  in  the  Wadsworth 
district  by  C.  O.  Parmenter,  at  a  cost  of  $2560.61.  It  was 
placed  on  a  lot  containing  a  half  acre  of  land,  which  was  pur- 
chased of  Walter  Rogers,  and  situated  on  the  south  side  of 
the  Sudbury  and  Marlboro  road,  about  midway  between 
the  Massachusetts  Central  and  Old  Colony  Railroads. 

THE   GOODNOW    LIBRARY. 

In  1862,  the  town  received  the  means  of  establishing  a 
Public  Library  through  the  generosity  of  John  Goodnow  of 
Boston.  The  gift  came  in  the  form  of  a  bequest,  which  was 
set  forth  in  his  will  as  follows :  — 

" First:  I  give,  devise,  and  bequeath  unto  my  native 
Town  of  Sudbury,  in  the  County  of  Middlesex,  the  sum  of 
Twenty  Thousand  Dollars,  to  be  appropriated  for  the  pur- 
pose of  purchasing  and  keeping  in  order  a  Public  Library, 
for  the  benefit  of  the  inhabitants  of  that  Town." 

"  Second :  I  also  give,  devise  and  bequeath  to  the  said 
Town  of  Sudbury,  three  acres  of  land  on  the  northerly  part 
of  the  Sudbury  Tavern  Estate,  adjoining  the  land  of  Howe 
Brown,  beginning  at  the  Meeting-house  road,  and  running 
with  equal  width  with  Brown's  line  to  the  brook,  for  the 
purpose  of  erecting  thereon  a  suitable  building  for  a  Library  ; 
and  the  further  sum  of  Twenty-five  Hundred  Dollars  for  the 
erection  of  such  building  ;  and  whatever  portion  of  said  land 
shall  not  be  needed  for  the  purposes  of  said  Library  building, 
the   said   Town   of    Sudbury   shall    have    full    power    and 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  529 

authority  to  apply  to  any  other  Town  purposes,  but  without 
any  power  of  alienation." 

"  At  a  legal  meeting  held  at  Sudbury,  on  the  seventh  day 
of  April,  1862,  the  Town  voted  to  accept  the  bequest  con- 
tained in  the  first  and  second  clauses  of  the  last  Will  and 
Testament  of  John  Goodnow,  late  of  Boston  ;  and  Messrs. 
James  Moore,  John  H.  Dakin,  and  George  Parmenter, 
Selectmen  of  the  Town,  were  appointed  and  authorized  to 
receive  and  receipt  for  the  said  bequests."  At  the  same 
meeting  it  was  voted  to  adopt  the  following  resolution : 
"  Resolved  by  the  Inhabitants  of  Sudbury,  in  Town  meet- 
ing assembled,  That  we  accept  with  thankfulness  the  noble 
bequests  given  to  the  town  by  the  late  John  Goodnow  of 
Boston  ;  and  that,  as  an  evidence  of  our  gratitude,  we  pledge 
ourselves  to  endeavor  to  the  utmost  of  our  ability,  Honestly 
and  Honorably  to  carry  out  the  benevolent  intentions  of  the 
Donor." 

July  14,  the  town  instructed  the  committee  to  erect  a 
building  for  the  library  given  by  John  Goodnow,  according 
to  plan  reported  to  them,  the  sum  not  to  exceed  $2500. 
April  4,  1864,  the  committee  reported  the  cost  of  the  build- 
ing, including  $32.43  for  setting  out  shade  trees,  to  be 
$2691.35.  The  building  was  enlarged  several  years  ago 
by  an  addition  on  the  west ;  and  at  present  there  is  little, 
if  any,  unoccupied  space.  Four  catalogues  have  been  is- 
sued ;  the  first,  at  the  opening  of  the  Library,  when  it  con- 
tained less  than  2300  volumes;  the  second  in  1867;  the 
third  in  1874,  when  it  contained  nearly  5000  volumes;  and 
the  fourth  in  1887,  when  it  contained  over  9700.  The 
grounds  about  the  Library  are  ample,  and  tastefully  laid  out, 
consisting  of  a  level  lawn  adorned  with  shade  trees.  The 
building  is  reached  by  a  circular  driveway  extending  from 
the  county  highway.  In  the  rear  the  land  extends  to  Hop 
brook. 

John  Goodnow,  the  donor  of  this  library  fund,  was  a  son 
of  John  and  Persis  Goodnow,  who  lived  at  Lanham.  He 
was  born  at  Sudbury,  Sept.  6,  1791,  and  died  in  Boston, 
Dec.  24,  1861.  His  remains  were  placed  in  his  tomb  at  Sud- 
bury Centre. 


530  HISTORY   OF   STTDBTJRY. 


INCORPORATION   OF   THE   TOWN   OF   MAYNARD. 

In  1871,  an  area  of  about  1900  acres  of  land  was  set  off 
from  Sudbury,  which,  with  about  1300  acres  taken  from 
Stow,  formed  the  town  of  Maynard.  The  new  town  was 
incorporated  April  19,  1871,  and  took  its  name  from  Amory 
Maynard,  formerly  of  Marlboro.  The  town  of  Sudbury 
opposed  the  separation  and,  Jan.  23,  1871,  appointed  a  com- 
mittee of  three  to  nominate  a  committee  of  three  to  oppose 
any  petition  to  the  General  Court  to  set  off  any  part  of  the 
territory  of  Sudbury.  Deacon  Thomas  Hurlbut,  Charles 
Thompson,  Esq.,  and  James  Moore,  Esq.,  were  nominated. 
The  town  accepted  the  nomination  and  authorized  the  com- 
mittee to  use  all  honorable  means  to  prevent  the  formation 
of  a  new  town,  including  any  part  of  the  territory  of  the 
town  of  Sudbury. 

The  committee  chosen  Jan.  23,  1871,  to  oppose  the  incor- 
poration of  any  portion  of  the  territory  of  Sudbury  into  a 
new  town,  reported  April  1,  1872,  that  previous  to  any  hear- 
ing before  the  committee  of  the  Legislature  on  the  petition 
of  Henry  Fowler  and  others  for  an  act  incorporating  the 
town  of  Maynard,  certain  propositions  were  made  by  the 
petitioners  as  terms  of  separation  and  settlement  between 
the  town  of  Sudbury  and  the  proposed  new  town.  These 
propositions  having  been  laid  before  the  town  of  Sudbury, 
Feb.  20,  1871,  the  committee  were  given  discretionary 
power,  provided  they  accept  of  no  terms  less  advantageous 
to  the  town  of  Sudbury  than  those  contained  in  the  agree- 
ment. By  mutual  consent  a  bill  was  agreed  upon  and  passed 
by  the  Legislature,  by  which  the  town  of  Maynard  was 
incorporated.  Subsequently  the  committee  were  authorized 
to  settle  with  the  authorities  of  the  toAvn  of  Maynard, 
according  to  the  provisions  of  their  charter.  They  reported 
that  they  had  attended  to  that  duty,  also  that  the  proportion 
of  the  town  debt,  together  with  the  money  to  be  paid  by  the 
town  of  Maynard  to  the  town  of  Sudbury,  or  Maynard's 
share  of  the  stock  in  the  Framingham  &  Lowell  Railroad 
Corporation  owned  by  the  town  of  Sudbury,  with  interest  on 
the  same,  amounted  to  $20,883.28  ;  which  sum  was  paid  by 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  531 

them  to  the  treasurer  of  the  town  of  Sudbury,  Oct.  6,  1871. 
They  say  they  have  also  attended  to  establishing  the  line 
between  the  said  towns,  and  erected  a  stone  monument  at 
the  angle  in  said  line  near  the  iron-works  causeway,  which 
will  also  answer  as  a  guide-board,  and  will  be  kept  in  repair 
by  the  town  of  Sudbury ;  that  they  have  also  erected  a  stone 
monument  marked  S.  and  M.,  at  such  places  as  said  line 
crosses  the  highway. 

May,  1871,  it  was  "  voted  that  the  committee  chosen  by 
the  town,  January  23,  consisting  of  Messrs.  Thomas  P.  Hurl- 
but,  Charles  Thompson  and  James  Moore,  Esq.,  shall  be  a 
committee  to  act  for  and  in  behalf  of  the  town  of  Sudbury 
with  the  authorities  of  the  town  of  Maynard,  in  all  matters 
pertaining  to  said  town,  according  to  the  provisions  of  the 
charter  incorporating  said  town  of  Maynard." 

RAILROADS. 

No  railroad  passed  through  the  present  limits  of  the  town 
until  about  the  beginning  of  the  last  period  of  the  present 
century.  A  branch  of  the  Fitchburg  Road  went  through 
Assabet  village,  but,  after  that  place  became  Maynard,  it  left 
Sudbury  without  a  railroad.  The  only  public  conveyance 
for  years  was  by  the  stage-coach  which  went  from  South 
Sudbury,  and  passed  through  the  centre  of  Sudbury,  Way- 
land  and  Weston,  carrying  for  each  of  those  places  one  mail 
daily.  It  started  about  seven  o'clock,  and  arrived  at  the 
Stony  Brook  station  of  the  Fitchburg  Railroad  in  Weston 
about  nine;  and  starting  from  there  about  five  P.M.  arrived 
at  its  destination  about  seven.  It  was  an  old-time  stage 
drawn  by  four  horses,  with  the  driver  on  the  "  box,"  under 
which  were  kept  the  mails.  The  trunks  were  strapped 
on  a  rack  behind.  Prior  to  the  starting  of  this  coach,  South 
Sudbury  was  accommodated  by  a  stage  that  passed  through 
the  town  to  Marlboro.  About  1870,  the  Framingham  & 
Lowell  Railroad  was  begun,  and  in  the  fall  of  1871,  the  cars 
began  passing  through  the  town.  A  station  was  built  at 
North  and  South  Sudbury  and  at  the  centre.  The  one  at 
South  Sudbury  was  built  a  little  northerly  of  the  junction  of 


532  HISTORY   OP   SUDBURY. 

the  Sudbury  and  Marlboro  and  Framingham  highways,  and 
has  since  been  moved. 

July  22,  1870,  it  was  voted  "  That  the  Town  Treasurer  be 
authorized  and  instructed  to  subscribe  for,  take  and  hold 
Capital  Stock  in  the  Framingham  and  Lowell  Railroad 
Company  to  the  amount  of  Thirty  thousand  dollars. 
Provided  said  Railroad  shall  not  be  located  in  any  place  more 
than  half  a  mile  from  the  last  survey  in  the  Town  of 
Sudbury." 

The  first  station  master  at  the  South  Sudbury  depot  was 
B.  H.  Richardson,  who  served  in  that  capacity  ten  years. 
Since  the  railroad  started,  trains  have  regularly  been  over  it, 
but  the  indirectness  of  the  route  to  Boston,  and  the  high 
passenger  rates,  made  the  road  of  little  practical  value  to  the 
town.  The  old  coach  continued  to  run  its  regular  course, 
and  more  or  less  of  the  business  to  the  eastward  was  done  by 
this  and  private  conveyance.  The  road  has  recently  been 
leased  to  the  "  Old  Colony  "  company,  and  is  now  known  as 
the  "  Northern  Branch  of  the  Old  Colony  Road."  In  1887, 
every  station  of  this  road  within  the  limits  of  Sudbury  was 
burned.  Recently,  new  and  more  commodious  ones  have 
been  built  on  or  near  the  sites  of  the  former  ones. 

MASSACHUSETTS   CENTRAL   RAILROAD. 

In  October,  1880,  the  first  rails  were  laid  at  South  Sudbury 
on  the  track  of  the  Massachusetts  Central  Railroad,  begin- 
ning at  its  junction  with  the  Framingham  &  Lowell  road. 
During  the  following  winter  the  road  was  continued  towards 
Hudson  on  the  west  and  Boston  on  the  east ;  and  July  22, 
1881,  nine  car  loads  of  rails  passed  over  the  Central  road, 
entering  upon  it  at  Waverly  and  going  to  Hudson.  April 
20,  1881,  a  train  of  cars  passed  over  the  road  from  Boston  to 
Hudson ;  and  October  1,  the  same  year,  regular  trains  began 
to  run.  May  16,  1883,  the  cars  stopped  running,  and  com- 
menced again  Sept.  28,  1885,  under  the  management  of  the 
Boston  &  Lowell  Railroad.  Recently  the  road  was  leased  to 
the  Boston  &  Maine  Railroad  corporation.  The  Junction 
Station  is  a  fine  one,  and  the  town  is  now  provided  with 
excellent  railroad  facilities. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  533 


MISCELLANEOUS. 


In  1854,  the  committee  were  instructed  to  finish  the 
Wadsworth  monument  by  building  a  road  to  said  monument 
and  fencing  the  land.  They  were  also  instructed  to  print 
the  proceedings  at  the  dedication  of  the  monument.  The 
same  year  the  town  appropriated  thirteen  hundred  dollars  to 
build  a  road  and  bridge  at  Assabet  village. 

In  1855,  it  was  voted  to  instruct  the  school  committee  to 
place  the  dictionaries  presented  by  Mr.  Plympton  in  the 
several  schools,  also  that  the  school-houses  be  free  for 
lyceums  and  singing  schools  for  the  year. 

In  1857,  it  was  voted  "  that  the  four  libraries  now  in 
existence  be  so  divided  as  to  make  five  ;  and  that  these  be 
distributed  among  the  five  school  districts."  The  same 
year  it  was  voted  "  to  allow  the  town  of  Wayland  to  copy 
such  of  the  records  as  they  wished  at  the  home  of  the  clerk, 
or  to  employ  any  person  in  town  to  do  the  same."  The 
same  year  it  was  voted  to  build  a  stone  bridge  at  the  canal 
bridge.  The  bridge  was  let  out  to  Charles  Haynes  and 
Thomas  E.  Bent  for  five  hundred  dollars. 

February,  1859,  the  selectmen  were  instructed  "  to  petition 
the  Legislature  to  remove  or  cause  to  be  removed  the  Mid- 
dlesex Canal  Dam,  erected  across  the  Concord  River  at 
Billerica,  or  such  part  thereof  as  the  Legislature  shall  deem 
expedient  or  just  for  reclaiming  the  meadow  lands  bordering 
upon  Sudbury  and  Concord  river." 

In  1859,  it  was  voted  to  choose  a  committee  to  let  out  the 
raising  of  the  Causeway  from  Sudbury  to  Wayland,  as 
ordered  by  the  county  commissioners.  The  same  year  it  was 
voted  "  to  establish  the  Town  Poor  house  as  a  work  house, 
as  the  law  provides." 

In  1861,  the  selectmen  were  instructed  to  procure  gravel 
pits  in  the  several  wards  where  they  are  needed.  The  same 
year  the  selectmen  were  instructed  to  build  a  suitable  wall 
around  the  new  burying  ground  wherever  needed. 

Dec.  17, 1862,  the  town  authorized  "  the  selectmen  to  give 
a  deed  of  a  lot  in  the  new  cemetery  to  the  executors  of  the 
will  of  the  late  John  Goodnow  of  Boston  for  the  purpose  of 


534  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

building  thereon  a  tomb."  The  same  year  the  town  voted 
to  choose  two  agents  to  remonstrate  against  the  petition  of 
C.  P.  and  T.  Talbot  for  the  repeal  of  an  act  in  relation  to  a 
flowage  of  the  Sudbury  and  Concord  River  meadows. 

In  1864,  the  town  granted  the  use  of  the  Town  Hall  for  a 
year  to  the  "  Comprehensive  Temperance  Society." 

In  1866,  the  town  granted  the  use  of  the  Town  Hall  for  a 
year  to  the  "  Musical  Union  "  and  for  "  Musical  Instruction." 

In  1867,  a  vote  was  passed  to  straighten  the  road  over 
Meeting-house  hill. 

March  11,  1867,  the  town  voted  that  the  management  of 
the  Goodnow  Library  should  be  entrusted  to  a  Committee 
of  three  persons,  one  member  to  be  chosen  each  year,  for 
the  term  of  three  years. 

Nov.  3,  1868,  it  was  "  voted  that  the  regulations  of  the 
New  Burying  ground  should  be  so  changed  that  one-third 
of  said  ground  at  the  north  end  be  reserved  for  free  lots, 
instead  of  one-third  part  of  the  westerly  end,  and  that  per- 
sons taking  said  free  lots  shall  have  the  same  control  of  them 
as  other  persons  have  of  lots  taken  in  other  parts  of  the 
yard." 

April  5,  1869,  the  town  voted  to  instruct  the  selectmen  to 
build  a  receiving  tomb.  March  7,  1870,  the  selectmen 
reported  the  work  completed  at  a  cost  of  1488.86  ;  they  also 
reported  that  they  had  procured  a  cooler  for  the  use  of  the 
inhabitants  in  preparing  bodies  for  burial  at  a  cost  of  thirty- 
seven  dollars. 

In  1871,  the  town  granted  fifty  dollars  to  aid  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic  on  Decoration  Day,  the  amount  to  be 
payable  to  the  commander  of  the  Post  of  the  G.  A.  R., 
located  in  Assabet  village.  May,  1871,  "  The  town,  by  a 
vote  of  fifty-seven  yeas  to  thirty  nays,  voted  to  prohibit  the 
sale  of  Ale,  Porter,  Strong  Beer  or  Lager  Beer,  in  said 
town." 

April  2,  1875,  the  town  voted  to  send  to  the  Centennial 
Celebration  at  Concord,  of  the  19th  April,  1775,  thirty-two 
of  the  oldest  citizens  as  delegates,  and  provide  a  carriage  for 
them  at  the  town's  expense,  also  to  provide  a  fife  and  drum 
if  necessary,  also  to  provide  a  marshal. 


CHAPTER   XXX. 

1850-1875. 

The  Civil  War.  —  Causes  of  it.  —  Warlike  Activity  at  the  North.  —  First 
War  Meeting  in  Sudbury.  —  The  "  Wadsworth  Rifle  Guards."  —  Acts 
of  the  Town  Relating  to  the  War.  —  Soldiers'  Aid  Society.  —  Enlist- 
ments.—  Sketch  of  the  Thirteenth  Regiment.  —  The  Sixteenth. — 
The  Eighteenth.  —  The  Twentieth.  —  The  Twenty-Sixth.  —  The 
Thirty-Fifth.  —  The  Forty-Fifth.  —  The  Fifty-Ninth.  —  Enlistments 
in  other  Regiments  of  Infantry.  —  Sketch  of  First  Massachusetts 
Cavalry. —  Enlistments  in  other  Regiments  of  Cavalry.  —  Enlistments 
in  the  Artillery  Service.  —  United  States  Sanitary  Commission.  —  List 
of  Conscripts.  —  Casualties. —  Biographical  Sketches  of  Men  who 
Died  in  the  Service.  —  Of  Soldiers  now  Living  in  Sudbury.  —  Sum- 
mary of  Service.  —  List  of  Citizens  Subject  to  a  Draft  in  1863.  —  Bi- 
centennial of  the  Wadsworth  Fight.  —  Laying  out  of  Road  to  Railroad 
Station,  South  Sudbury.  —  The  George  Goodnow  Bequest. 

The  sturdy  patriots  went  forth 

From  city,  village,  hamlet,  farm  ; 
Unsparing  was  the  sacrifice 

To  shield  our  native  land  from  harm. 

THE   CIVIL   WAR. 

The  events  of  the  Civil  War  are  so  familiar  to  many  now 
living,  that  it  may  be  thought  unnecessary  to  give  even  an 
outline  of  its  cause  or  nature.  But  there  is  a  generation 
who  were  not  living  while  that  war  was  in  progress.  To 
these  it  is  a  matter  of  history  only,  and  the  tales  of  it  come  to 
them  as  the  tradition  of  the  wars  that  preceded  it.  A  few 
words,  then,  of  introduction  may  be  important.  The  war 
began  in  1861.  For  many  years  previous  there  had  been  a 
disagreement  between  the  North  and  the  South  on  the  sub- 
ject of  slavery.  At  the  North  there  had  been  a  growing 
sentiment  that  the  system  was  wrong,  and,  as  time  passed  on, 

535 


536  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

opinions  grew  more  and  more  positive  and  outspoken.  The 
.South  looked  upon  this  growing  sentiment  with  suspicion, 
and  when  the  strength  of  it  was  made  manifest  by  the 
election  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  and  he  had  been  inaugura- 
ted President  of  the  United  States,  it  broke  out  into  open 
revolt.  State  after  State  passed  the  "  Act  of  Secession," 
and  measures  were  taken  to  defend  their  position  by 
force  of  arms.  On  April  12,  an  attempt  was  made  to  cap- 
ture Fort  Sumpter,  Charleston  Harbor,  by  bombardment ; 
on  the  13th  it  surrendered,  after  bravely  sustaining  an  at- 
tack from  the  rebel  batteries  for  thirty-three  hours.  This 
attempt  to  capture  United  States  property  aroused  the 
North  to  a  condition  of  intense  activity.  The  news  sped 
from  city  to  town,  and  from  the  town  to  the  most  remote 
hamlet  and  farm.  The  North  was  resolved  to  save  the 
Union  at  all  hazards,  and  men  came  forward  and  offered 
themselves  and  their  money  for  the  safety  of  their  country. 
April  15,  1861,  President  Lincoln  called  for  seventy-five 
thousand  soldiers  to  serve  for  three  months.  At  this  time 
military  activity  began,  which  did  not  cease  for  the  space  of 
four  years.  From  1861  to  1865,  there  was  the  establishment 
of  camps,  the  occasional  filling  of  quotas,  and  war  meetings 
were  held  in  the  towns  throughout  the  Northern  States  to 
raise  money  and  men  to  carry  on  the  war.  These  meetings 
were  sometimes  held  at  evening.  It  was  no  remarkable 
occurrence  in  those  times  to  see  the  people  at  the  close  of  a 
hard  day's  work  on  the  farm,  or  in  the  busy  workshop,  wend- 
ing their  way  to  the  town-house  to  provide  means  to  furnish 
their  quota  of  troops,  and  to  do  or  act  as  some  emergency 
called  for.  Never  was  the  free  spirit  of  the  Republic  more 
manifest,  nor  its  readiness  to  respond  to  what  its  institutions 
required,  than  in  those  stirring  days.  Sudbury  was  fully 
abreast  of  the  average  New  England  town  in  its  promptness 
and  zeal.  The  first  war  meeting  was  a  citizens'  mass  meeting 
held  in  the  Town  Hall.  The  people  did  not  wait  for  the 
slow  call  of  a  warrant.  They  assembled  spontaneously  to 
consult  as  to  what  was  required  of  them,  with  full  confidence 
that  in  a  town  meeting  to  be  subsequently  called  their  acts 
would  be  ratified  and  made  legal.     This  meeting  was  charac- 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  537 

terized  by  unanimity  and  enthusiasm.  The  spirit  of  the 
heroes  of  '75,  when  they  were  assembled  on  Sudbury 
Common,  with  arms  in  their  hands  as  militia  and  minute 
men,  to  start  on  their  march  to  Concord,  was  evinced  on  this 
April  evening  nearly  a  century  later,  when  the  citizens  of 
Sudbury  were  again  met  to  defend  their  homes  and  native 
land. 

The  principal  business  of  this  meeting  related  to  the 
fitting  out  of  the  "  Wads  worth  Rifle  Guards."  This  was  a 
company  of  State  militia  which  belonged  to  Sudbury,  and 
was  attached  to  the  Second  Battalion  of  Rifles,  and  was 
commanded  by  Major  Ephraim  Moore  of  Sudbury  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  some  years  previous.  The  following 
record  of  a  legal  town  meeting  held  April  29,  1861,  sets 
forth  the  business  that  was  transacted  at  the  mass  meeting, 
and  its  ratification  by  the  town. 

"  The  town  voted  to  furnish  new  uniforms  for  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Wadsworth  Rifle  Guards,  Company  R,  Second 
Battalion  of  Rifles,  M.  V.  M.,  forthwith,  also  to  furnish  each 
member  of  said  company  with  a  revolver,  in  case  said  com- 
pany is  called  into  the  service  of  the  country,  the  revolvers 
to  be  returned  to  the  selectmen  of  the  town  when  the 
holders  of  them  shall  return  home  and  be  discharged  from 
the  service  ;  also  the  uniforms  to  be  returned  to  the  town  if 
the  members  of  the  company  are  not  held  in  service  more 
than  three  months.  Voted  also  to  pay  to  each  member  of 
said  company,  in  case  they  are  called  into  service,  a  sum  of 
money  in  addition  to  their  pay  received  from  the  govern- 
ment, which  shall  make  the  whole  amount  of  their  pay 
twenty  dollars  per  month  while  they  are  in  such  service, 
and  that  ten  dollars  of  the  above  sum  be  paid  to  each  mem- 
ber whenever  he  shall  enter  such  service.  Voted  also  that 
the  families  of  those  who  may  leave  shall  be  furnished  with 
all  necessary  assistance  at  the  expense  of  the  town,  and  the 
business  of  those  who  may  leave  it  shall  be  properly  cared 
for  by  the  town  and  not  allowed  to  suffer  by  their  absence." 
"  Voted,  also,  that  each  commissioned  officer  of  the  company 
belonging  in  town  be  presented  with  a  suitable  sword  at  the 
expense   of    the   town,    and   that   the   other   commissioned 


538  HISTORY  OF   SUDBTJRT. 

officers  not  belonging  in  town  be  furnished  with  the  same,  if 
they  are  not  otherwise  provided  for."  "  Voted  to  grant  the 
sum  of  one  thousand  dollars,"  for  the  purposes  above  men- 
tioned. 

The  amount  of  money  actually  expended  in  fitting  out  this 
company  was  nine  hundred  and  eighty-seven  dollars.  About 
the  time  of  the  holding  of  the  first  war  meeting  there  were 
enlistments  into  the  Sudbury  company,  with  the  expectation 
of  soon  being  called  into  the  service  for  three  months,  and 
the  company  for  a  time  continued  to  drill.  No  call,  however, 
came  for  this  term  of  service.  The  emergency  had  been 
met,  Washington  for  the  time  was  safe,  and  it  was  at  length 
discovered  that  the  company  as  such  would  not  be  received 
into  any  existing  regiment,  for  the  term  of  three  months. 
The  next  demand  was  for  soldiers  to  serve  for  three  years  or 
the  war,  and  the  "  Wadsworth  Rifle  Guards"  were  soon  or- 
dered to  Fort  Independence  that  they  might  enlist  in  the 
Thirteenth  Regiment  for  this  length  of  time.  Twenty -five 
of  them  enlisted,  and  July  30,  the  regiment  left  the  State. 
This  was  the  largest  number  of  Sudbury  men  who  enlisted 
at  any  one  time,  and  they  have  the  honor  of  being  the  first 
Sudbury  soldiers  who  enlisted  from  the  town.  The  history 
of  the  regiment  will  be  given  further  on. 

From  the  time  of  the  first  enlistments  there  were  repeated 
calls  for  troops.  "  Three  hundred  thousand  more  "  became  a 
familiar  term,  and  at  each  new  call  the  town  took  measures 
to  fill  its  quota.  July  4,  1862,  the  President  issued  a  call 
for  volunteers  foi  three  years,  and  July  28,  the  town  "  voted 
to  pay  a  bounty  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  dollars  to 
each  volunteer  who  has  enlisted  or  may  enlist  into  the  ser- 
vice of  the  U.  S.  *  *  to  the  number  of  fourteen."  Also, 
"  Voted  to  instruct  the  selectmen  to  look  after  and  provide 
for  any  sick  or  wounded  volunteer  belonging  to  the  Town  of 
Sudbury."  In  August  of  the  same  year,  a  call  came  for 
soldiers  for  nine  months'  service  ;  and  Aug.  19,  18G2,  the 
town  "  voted  to  pay  the  sum  of  one  hundred  dollars  to  each 
person  who  voluntarily  enlists  into  the  service  of  the  United 
States  for  the  term  of  nine  months,  on  or  before  the  first  day 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  539 

of  September  next,  to  a  number  not  exceeding  the  quota  of 
their  town." 

Dec.  17,  1862,  the  town  voted  to  fill  up  their  quota  by  pay- 
ing one  hundred  and  forty  dollars  bounty.  December  22,  the 
committee  reported  at  a  town  meeting  held  in  the  evening, 
"  that  they  had  procured  sixteen  men  to  fill  up  the  town's 
quota  for  the  military  service  of  the  U.  S.,  that  said  men  had 
been  accepted  and  sworn  into  the  said  service,  and  had  been 
properly  accredited  to  the  town  of  Sudbury,  and  that  said 
committee  paid  the  sum  of  one  hundred  and  thirty  dollars 
for  each  man." 

Oct.  17,  1863,  the  President  issued  another  call  for  three 
hundred  thousand  men,  and  December  7,  the  town  "  voted 
to  authorize  the  selectmen  to  use  all  proper  and  legal  meas- 
ures to  fill  up  the  town's  quota  of  volunteers,  agreeable  to 
the  call  of  the  President  of  the  United  States  for  three  hun- 
dred thousand  volunteers,  dated  Oct.  17,  1863." 

March  14,  1864,  the  President  issued  a  call  for  two  hun- 
dred thousand  men,  and  March  22  the  town  appointed  a 
committee  "  to  take  all  proper  and  legal  measures  to  fill  the 
quota  of  the  town  "  under  this  call.  June  9,  the  town  voted 
to  "  raise  money  sufficient  to  pay  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  dollars  to  each  volunteer  who  shall  enlist  into  the  ser- 
vice of  the  U.  S.,  and  be  duly  accredited  as  a  part  of  the 
quota  of  the  Town  of  Sudbury  in  anticipation  of  a  call  from 
the  President  to  recruit  the  armies  now  in  the  field,  and  that 
the  selectmen  be  required  to  use  all  proper  measures  to  pro- 
cure said  volunteers."  It  was  voted  also  "  that  the  select- 
men be  authorized  to  procure  not  less  than  seventeen  men." 
At  the  same  meeting  "  the  committee  appointed  by  the  town 
at  a  meeting  held  March  22,  1864,  to  take  all  proper  and 
legal  measures  to  fill  the  quota  of  the  town  under  the  call  of 
the  President  of  the  U.  S.  for  two  hundred  thousand  men, 
dated  March  14,  1864,  reported  that  the  town's  quota  was 
ten  men ;  that  there  had  been  seven  men  accredited  to  the 
town  by  volunteer  enlistment  at  an  expense  of  nine  hundred 
and  ten  dollars,  and  that  the  remaining  three  were  drafted 
and  accepted." 


540  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

Nov.  8,  1864,  it  was  "  voted  to  grant  the  free  use  of  the 
Town  Hall  for  the  Soldiers'  Aid  Society."  This  was  an  or- 
ganization formed  in  the  war  period  for  the  purpose  of  assist- 
ing the  soldiers.  May  29,  1865,  it  was  "  voted  to  refund  all 
money  contributed  by  individuals  to  fill  the  quotas  of  the 
town  of  Sudbury  in  the  year  1864." 

ENLISTMENTS   OF    SOLDIERS. 

In  meeting  the  requisitions  made  upon  the  town,  enlist- 
ments were  made  at  various  times  and  in  various  regiments. 
Where  there  was  a  considerable  number  of  enlistments  in  any 
one  regiment,  we  will  give  not  only  the  names  of  the  soldiers, 
but  a  very  brief  sketch  of  the  regiment  in  which  they  served. 

THE    THIRTEENTH    REGIMENT. 

Twenty-three  men  enlisted  in  this  regiment  for  three  years, 
July  16,  1861,  and  two  others  a  little  later. 

Thomas  C.  Richardson,  Band  Leader,  age  20,  enlisted  July  20,  1.SG1  ; 
expiration  of  service,  Aug.  31,  1802. 

James  F.  Fish,  age  27,  enlisted  July  24,  1801  ;  dropped,  Sept.  1, 1802,  de- 
tailed on  gunboat  service. 

William  H.  Green,  age  20,  expiration  of  service,  Aug.  1,  1804. 

Mortimer  Johnson,  age  l'J,  expiration  of  service,  Feb.  19,  1804,  to  re- 
enlist  ;  transferred,  July  13,  1S04,  to  Thirty-ninth  Infantry. 

Corp.  Aimer  H.  Gay,  age  28,  expiration  of  service,  May  20,  1802, 
disability. 

Corp.  Spencer  Smith,  age  20.  expiration  of  service,  Aug.  1,  1804. 

Corp.  George  L.  Willis,  age  18,  expiration  of  service,  Aug.  1,  1804. 

Henry  S.  Battles,  age  24. 

Francis  H.  Brown,  age  19,  expiration  of  service,  Jan.  10,  1803,  disability. 

George  S.  Dickey,  age  35,  died  at  Williamsport,  Md.,  March  4,  1802. 

Samuel  H.  Garfield,  age  18,  expiration  of  service,  Dec.  22,  1802, 
disability. 

Charles  E.  Haynes,  age  24,  expiration  of  service,  Aug.  1,  1804. 

George  W.  Jones,  age  22,  expiration  of  service,  Aug.  1,  1804. 

John  H.  Moore,  age  21,  expiration  of  service,  Aug.  1,  1804. 

Proctor  Pingree,  wagoner,  age  35,  expiration  of  service,  May  10,  1802, 
disability. 

Cyrus  E.  Barker,  age  23,  expiration  of  service,  Jan.  30,  1803,  disability. 

Edward  Blake,  age  33,  expiration  of  service,  Aug.  1,  1804. 

Lyman  W.  Brown,  age  18,  expiration  of  service  April  15, 1803,  disability. 

Albert  Conant,  age  22. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  541 

Charles  E.  Duley,  age  18,  expiration  of  service,  Dec.  15,  1862,  disability. 
Dana  F.  Dutton,    age  29,  transferred,  July  14,  1804,    to  Thirty-ninth 

Infantry. 
Leander  A.  Haynes,  age  27,  expiration  of  service,  Aug.  1,  1864. 
Henry  F.  Moore,  age  22,  expiration  of  service,  Aug.  1,  1864. 
George  W.   Woodbury,  age  18,  expiration  of  service,  Feb.  11,  1863, 

disability. 
Eugene    L.   Fairbanks,   age   21,   expiration  of  service,   Feb.  11,  1863, 

disability. 

George  T.  Smith  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  re-enlisted 
from  Sudbury  in  this  regiment,  and  was  transferred  to  the 
Thirty-ninth  Infantry,  July  19,  1864.  The  Thirteenth  Regi- 
ment was  commanded  by  Col.  Samuel  H.  Leonard  of 
Boston,  and  saw  hard  fighting.  It  was  in  the  battles  of 
Antietam,  Fredericksburg  and  the  second  Bull  Run  in  1862, 
and  at  Fredericksburg  and  Gettysburg  in  1863.  Jan.  1, 
1864,  it  was  in  camp  at  Mitchell's  Station,  Va.,  near  the 
Rapidan  River,  on  the  extreme  front  of  the  army,  where  it 
had  a  camp  of  log  huts,  and  did  important  service  picketing 
the  river.  In  the  spring  following  it  moved  south,  and 
from  May  4  to  June  6  it  is  stated  that  the  regiment  was 
under  fire  night  and  day.  June  16,  it  marched  to  the  James 
River,  crossed  in  transports  and  moved  towards  Petersburg. 
July  15,  the  regiment  left  City  Point,  Va.,  for  Washington, 
and  arrived  at  Boston  July  21,  1864. 

THE    SIXTEENTH   REGIMENT. 

Five  men  were  members  of  the  Sixteenth  Regiment,  all  of 
whom  were  mustered  in  July,  1861.  Their  names  are: 
Gardner  H.  Darling,  John  Forsyth,  Henry  H.  Parmenter, 
Horace  Sanderson,  Warren  B.  Witherell;  John  Forsyth 
and  Horace  Sanderson  were  killed  ;  Warren  B.  Witherell 
was  wounded  in  the  leg  and  discharged  for  disability  July 
28,  1863 ;  Gardner  H.  Darling  was  wounded  and  taken 
prisoner  at  the  battle  of  Fair  Oaks,  and  exchanged.  He  was 
mustered  out  July  27,  1864.  Henry  H.  Parmenter  was  dis- 
charged at  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  service,  June  29, 1864. 

The  Sixteenth  was  one  of  the  earliest  regiments  of  three 
years  men   that  was  organized  in  Massachusetts.      It  was 


542  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

commanded  by  Col.  Powell  T.  Wyman  of  Boston.  Before 
its  close  of  service  one  of  its  lieutenant-colonels  was  Daniel 
S.  Lainson  of  Weston.  The  regiment  left  the  State  Aug.  17, 
1861.  It  was  in  the  battles  of  Fair  Oaks,  Glendale,  Mal- 
vern Hill,  Kettle  Run,  Chantilly  and  Fredericksburg  in  1862, 
and  at  Chancellorsville,  Gettysburg  and  Locust  Grove  in 
1863.  It  was  engaged  in  the  campaign  under  the  leader- 
ship of  General  Grant,  which  resulted  in  the  capture  of 
Petersburg ;  and  during  the  year  1864,  was  engaged  in  some 
of  its  hardest  fighting.  In  May  it  started  southward,  and  for 
days  it  had  marchings  and  fightings.  Says  one  in  writing 
the  history  of  this  regiment:  "May  4th,  at  11  A.M.,  crossed 
the  Rapidan.  At  3  P.M.,  encamped  on  the  same  grounds 
where  one  year  previous  we  fought  the  battle  of  Chancellors- 
ville. *  *  The  bones  of  our  fallen  companions,  whitened 
by  the  frosts  of  winter,  were  scattered  over  the  field  and 
through  the  woods,  about  which  were  blooming  in  innocent 
beauty  the  violet  and  other  spring  flowers. 

"May  6th  [battle  of  the  Wilderness].  *  *  At  6  A.M. 
the  entire  line  was  advanced  about  one  mile,  the  battle  raging 
fiercely  until  11  A.M.,  when  the  heavy  reinforcements  of 
the  enemy  were  thrown  in  masses  upon  our  lines.  At  this 
time  the  Sixteenth  showed  its  real  pluck,  and  held  the 
ground  until  the  entire  line  both  to  the  right  and  left  had 
fallen  back.  At  5  P.M.  General  Longs treet's  corps  made  its 
famous  charge  upon  our  line.  The  advance  line  of  battle 
fought  the  masses  of  the  enemy  until  their  ammunition  was 
expended,  when  they  were  obliged  to  evacuate  the  works 
and  seek  shelter  in  our  rear.  While  so  doing  the  enemy 
occupied  the  advance  line.  In  a  moment,  as  if  by  magic, 
the  Sixteenth  leaped  the  works  and  charged  the  enemy, 
forcing  him  back,  and  captured  a  large  number  of  prisoners. 
*  *  The  flag  of  the  Sixteenth  first  waved  over  them 
after  the  recapture.  *  *  May  12.  *  *  [The  battle  of 
Spottsylvania].  At  12  M.,  the  Sixteenth  was  ordered 
along  the  crest  of  a  hill  where  the  enemy  had  regained  a 
few  rods  of  the  works  lost  in  the  morning.  *  *  Our 
object  was  that  the  enemy  should  capture  no  more  of  the 
works.     *       *      The    musketry  fire  was  terrific.     It  was  at 


HIBTORY  OF  STTDBTJRY.  543 

this  point  a  tree,  some  fourteen  inches  in  diameter,  was 
actually  fallen  —  being  cut  down  by  bullets — it  being  be- 
tween the  fire  of  the  contending  parties.  Regiment  after 
regiment  was  thrown  into  this  deadly  position,  and  were  cut 
down  before  the  terrific  fire  like  grass.  Indeed,  the  blood 
flowing  from  so  many  killed  and  wounded,  mixing  with  the 
rain  then  falling,  gave  the  running  water  the  appearance  of 
streams  of  blood.  The  men  fired  upwards  of  three  hundred 
rounds  of  ammunition,  after  which  they  were  relieved  to 
clean  their  pieces.  In  this  action  our  loss  was  heavy.  The 
Regiment  arrived  in  Massachusetts  July  22,  1864,  and  was 
mustered  out  the  27th." 

THE  EIGHTEENTH  REGIMENT. 

Five  men  enlisted  for  three  years  in  this  regiment, 
namely :  — 

Edwin  S.  Parmenter,  age  20,  mustered,  Aug.  22,  1863,  died,  June  9, 1864. 
Leander  Haynes,  age  27,  mustered,  July  16,  1861,  expiration  of  service, 

Aug.  1,  1864. 
Henry  Moore,  age  22,  mustered,  July  16,  1861,  expiration  of   service, 

Aug.  1,  1864. 
Eugene   L.   Fairbanks,  age  21,   mustered,  July  16,  1861,  expiration  of 

service,  Feb.  11,  1863,  disability. 
George  W.  Woodbury,  age  18,  mustered,  July  16,  1861,  expiration  of 

service,  Feb.  11,  1863,  disability. 

The  Eighteenth  Regiment  was  commanded  by  James 
Barnes  of  Springfield.  Eight  of  its  companies  were  mus- 
tered into  the  United  States  service  Aug.  27,  1861,  and  left 
the  State  the  next  day.  The  other  two  companies  joined  the 
regiment  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year.  The  regiment  was  at 
the  battle  of  Gaines'  Mill,  Second  Bull  Run,  Shepardston 
and  Fredericksburg  in  1862,  and  at  Chancellorsville,  Gettys- 
burg, Rappahannock  Station  and  Mine  Creek  in  1863.  May 
1,  1863,  it  crossed  the  Rappahannock.  Shortly  after,  it*  was 
under  command  of  Col.  Joseph  Hayes  and  formed  a  part  of 
the  Third  Brigade,  First  Division,  Fifth  Corps,  and  until  the 
20th  of  July,  when  it  was  ordered  to  Washington,  because 
near  the  expiration  of  its  term  of  service,  it  was  repeatedly 


544  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

■ 

engaged  with  the  enemy.  Lieutenant-Colonel  White,  in 
giving  a  report  of  the  regiment  from  Dec.  3,  1863,  to  June 
19,  says:  "I  am  pleased  to  say  that  both  the  officers  and 
men  of  my  command,  during  the  series  of  operations  to  this 
date,  have  behaved  in  a  manner  which  has  entirely  satisfied 
me.  All  have  acted  so  well,  there  is  little  reason  to  particu- 
larize." A  battalion,  made  up  of  men  whose  term  of  service 
would  not  expire  with  the  regiment,  was  detached,  and 
remained  a  part  of  the  Third  Brigade  ;  it  was  engaged  with 
the  enemy  about  Petersburg,  and  at  one  time  captured  fifty 
prisoners  and  a  battle-flag  belonging  to  the  Twenty-seventh 
South  Carolina  Regiment.  After  the  expiration  of  its  term 
of  service,  the  battalion  was  consolidated  with  the  Thirty- 
second  Massachusetts  Regiment. 

THE   TWENTIETH   REGIMENT. 

Besides  the  foregoing  enlistments,  which  were  largely 
made  up  of  Sudbury  citizens,  there  is  among  the  town 
papers  the  following  list  of  men,  who  in  December,  18G2, 
were  furnished  by  the  town  for  the  three  years  service.  All, 
except  the  first,  were  in  the  Twentieth  Massachusetts  Regi- 
ment and  mustered  in  December  19. 


fcGB. 

OCCUPATION. 

REGIMENT. 

MUSTERED. 

23   Patrick  Wilson, 

Laborer, 

First, 

Dec.  18, 

1862. 

22   John  Stewart, 

Carpenter, 

Twentieth, 

19, 

u 

35   Thomas  Faver, 

Barber, 

" 

" 

it 

22   William  Johnson, 

Cigar-maker, 

" 

<t 

u 

27  John  McCluskey, 

Boatman, 

(i 

« 

it 

22   David  Henry, 

Seaman, 

u 

(( 

it 

22  James  Maloney, 

Cooper, 

(( 

<« 

it 

21   Joseph  Powell, 

Pressman, 

M 

a 

it 

21    William  J.  Robinson, 

Steward, 

(1 

u 

it 

21   John  White, 

Seaman, 

II 

it 

ii 

22  John  Wiley, 

Stone-cutter, 

ii 

it 

ti 

26    Charles  Rogers, 

Laborer, 

tt 

ii 

it 

23   John  Morgan, 

Seaman, 

(( 

a 

it 

29  James  Walsh, 

u 

If 

" 

ti 

39   Henry  Price, 

el 

(I 

K 

it 

22   Charles  Daniels, 

Harness-maker, 

l< 

(i 

u 

The  Twentieth  Regiment  was   commanded  by  Col.  Wil- 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  545 

liiira  Raymond  Lee  of  Roxbury,  and  left  Massachusetts  Sept. 
4,  1861.  It  was  in  the  battle  of  Balls  Bluff  in  1861,  and 
in  the  battles  before  Richmond,  Antietam  and  Fredericks- 
burg in  18G2,  and  at  Fredericksburg,  Gettysburg,  Bris- 
tow's  Station  and  Mine  Run  in  1863.  May  3,  1864,  the 
regiment  left  winter  quarters,  crossed  the  Rapidan,  and  on 
the  5th  marched  to  the  Wilderness  and  there  engaged  the 
enemy.  It  fought  bravely  and  suffered  severely.  In  one 
engagement  of  three  hours  it  had  one  major  killed,  a  colonel, 
three  captains  and  two  lieutenants  wounded.  In  its  march 
southward  from  the  Wilderness  to  the  front  of  Petersburg, 
it  had  hard  fighting  and  lost  many  men. 

THE   TWENTY-SIXTH    REGIMENT. 

Sixteen  men  were  enlisted  in  the  Twenty-sixth  Regiment, 
namely :  — 

Elias  E.  Haynes,  2nd  Lieut.,  age  28,  mustered,  Nov.  12,  1862,  expiration 

of  service,  April  21,  1865,  resigned. 
John   M.  Haynes,  Corp.,  age  18,  mustered,  Sept.  20,  1861,  Dec.  31,  1863, 

re-enlisted. 
John  M.  Haynes,  Sergt.,  age  20,  mustered,  Jan.  1,  1864,  expiration  of 

service,  Aug.  26,  1865. 
Albert  L.  Weeks,  Sergt.,  age  22,  mustered,  Jan.  1,  1864,  expiration  of 

service,  Aug.  26,  1865. 
William    Barr,    age   37,   mustered,  Jan.  1,  1864,  expiration   of   service, 

Aug.  26,  1S65. 
James   Dooner,  age  20,  mustered,  Jan.'  1,  1S64,  expiration  of  service, 

Aug.  26,  1865. 
James  W.  Fisk,  age  2S,  mustered,  Jan.  1,  1864,  expiration  of  service, 

Aug.  26,  1S65. 
William  T.  Sawyer,  age  19,  mustered,  Sept.  6,  1861,  expiration  of  service, 

Nov.  21,  1865. 
Silas  Willis,  age  22,  mustered,  Sept.  4,  1861.  expiration  of  service,  Nov. 

22,  1862,  to  enlist  in  United  States  Army. 
Michael  Dooner,  Oct.  18,  1861,  expiration  of  service,  Aug.  26, 1865. 
George  Flood,  mustered,  Oct.  18,  1861,  expiration  of  service,  Aug.  26, 

1865. 
John  A.  Haynes,  mustered,  Oct.,  1861,  expiration  of  service,  Aug.  26, 

1865. 
James  Hefferman,  mustered,  Oct.  18,  1861,  expiration  of  service,  Aug. 

26,  1865. 
John  Kelly,  mustered,  Oct.  18, 1861,  expiration  of  service,  Aug.  26, 1865. 


546  HISTORY   OF    SUDBURY. 

John  O'Donnell,  mustered,  Oct.  18,  1861,  expiration  of  service,  Aug.  26, 

1865. 
Marcus  M.  Puffer,  mustered,  Oct.  18,  1861,  expiration  of  service,  Aug. 

26,  1865. 

This  regiment  left  the  State  Nov.  21,  1861.  It  was 
commanded  by  Col.  Edward  F.  Jones  of  Pepperell,  and  was 
an  offshoot  of  his  old  regiment,  the  Massachusetts  Sixth, 
which  was  attacked  when  passing  through  Baltimore,  April 
19,  1861.  The  regiment  previous  to  January,  1864,  was  for 
a  time  in  Louisiania.  July,  1864,  it  went  to  Bermuda  Hun- 
dred, Va.,  and  was  for  a  time  in  the  army  of  the  Shenan- 
doah with  General  Sheridan:  It  was  in  the  battle  of  Cedar 
Creek  and  lost  several  men. 

THE    THIRTY-FIFTH    REGIMENT. 

Eight  men  were  mustered  into  the  Thirty-fifth  Regiment, 
Aug.  16,  1862,  for  the  term  of  three  years,  namely  :  — 

Sergt.  Rufus  H.  Hurlbut,  age  20,  expiration  of  service,  June  9,  1865. 
Corp.  William  F.  Bowen,  age  20,  expiration  of  service,  June  9,  1S65. 
Corp.  George  F.  Moore,  age  20,  expiration  of  service,  June  9,  1865. 
William  B.  Bailey,  age  25,  expiration  of  service,  June  9,  1865. 
Francis  Garfield,  age  32,  transferred,  March  15,  1861,  to  V.  R.  C. 
George  H.  Hall,  age  22,  expiration  of  service,  June  9,  1865. 
Albert  H.  Moore,  age  26,  expiration  of  service,  June  9,  1865. 
Eli  H.  Willis,  age  21,  expiration  of  service,  June  9,  1865. 

This  regiment  was  recruited  in  July,  1862,  and  left  the 
State  the  22d  of  August  under  command  of  Col.  Edward  A. 
Wilde  of  Brookline.  September  6,  it  started  from  Arlington 
Heights  for  Maryland,  and  began  active  service  while  the 
soldiers  were  yet  but  an  undisciplined  collection  of  enlisted 
citizens,  or  raw  recruits  having  had  but  one  battalion  drill.  Its 
first  battle  was  at  South  Mountain,  in  which  Colonel  Wilde 
lost  an  arm,  which  obliged  him  to  leave  the  regiment,  and 
Lieut.-Col.  Sumner  Carruth  of  Chelsea  was  promoted  colonel. 
The  regiment  was  in  the  battles  of  Antietam  and  Fredericks- 
burg in  1862.  After  this,  the  regiment  was  assigned  to 
General  Burnside's  corps,  and  sent  into  Kentucky  to  hunt 
guerillas,  where  it  continued  until  June  4,  1863,  when  it  was 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  547 

sent  to  Washington  to  reinforce  General  Grant.  After  the 
surrender  of  Vickburg,  July  4,  1863,  it  was  sent  to  Jackson, 
Miss.,  in  pursuit  of  General  Johnston,  where  it  had  several 
da)rs'  fighting,  which  resulted  in  the  retreat  of  Johnston. 
The  Thirty-fifth  was  the  first  regiment  to  enter  the  city,  and 
it  secured  the  rebel  flag  from  the  State  House.  The  cam- 
paign was  a  severe  one  because  of  the  extreme  heat  and 
scarcity  of  water.  The  regiment  then  returned  to  Kentucky, 
and  Sept.  30,  1863,  started  for  Knoxville,  Tenn.,  and  re- 
mained there  during  the  siege  of  that  place.  While  at 
Knoxville  the  regiment  endured  severe  hardship  and  depri- 
vation. The  rations  were  short  and  the  clothing  scant.  At 
times  during  the  winter,  when  the  ground  was  covered  with 
snow,  some  of  the  Sudbury  soldiers  had  no  shoes.  One  of 
them  cut  off  the  tail  of  his  coat  and  sewed  it  on  his  feet. 
Some  of  them  sewed  on  pieces  of  green  hide  with  the  hair 
left  on  the  inside.  Throughout  the  winter  the  soldiers  were 
on  half  rations  ;  and  during  the  siege,  which  lasted  nineteen 
days,  they  were  allowed  some  days  only  one  pint  of  unbolted 
corn -meal  ;  one  day  they  had  only  one  ear  of  corn  apiece, 
and  other  days  they  had  nothing.  During  this  time  they 
were  on  picket  duty  more  than  half  the  time,  and  were 
obliged  to  be  awake  every  alternate  twenty-four  hours,  and 
sometimes  forty-eight  hours  at  a  time.  This  occurred  after 
the  retreat  from  and  battle  with  General  Longstreet,  which 
kept  them  fighting  and  marching  without  rest  for  three  nights 
and  two  days. 

In  the  spring  of  1864,  the  regiment  was  sent  back  to  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  was  engaged  in  the  battles  of  the 
Wilderness,  Spottsylvania,  Cold  Harbor,  and  all  the  hard 
fighting  to  the  James  River.  It  remained  in  front  of  Peters- 
burg till  the  close  of  the  war. 

THE   FORTY-FIFTH   REGIMENT. 

Thirteen  men  were  mustered  into  the  Forty-fifth  Regi- 
ment, Sept.  26, 1862,  for  the  term  of  nine  months,  namely:  — 

Marshall  L.  Eaton,  1st  Sergt.,  age  30,  expiration  of  service,  July  7,  1863. 
Homer  Rogers,  Sergt.,  age  22,  expiration  of  service,  July  7,  1863. 


548  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

Arthur  Dakin,  Corp.,  age  22,  expiration  of  service,  July  7,  1863. 
Bradley  Hemenway,  Corp.,  age  26,  expiration  of  service,  July  7,  1863. 
Frank  H.  Hunt,  Musician,  age  18,  expiration  of  service,  July  7,  1863. 
Albert  B.  Richardson,  Musician,  age  19,  expiration  of  service,  July  7, 1863. 
Asa  B.  Bacon,  age  41,  expiration  of  service,  July  7,  1863. 
James  B.  Butterfield,  age  22,  expiration  of  service,  July  7,  1863. 
John  H.  Eaton,  age  24,  expiration  of  service,  July  7,  1863. 
Theodoric  A.  Jones,  age  18,  expiration  of  service,  July  7,  1863. 
Alpheus  Puffer,  age  22,  expiration  of  service,  July  7,  1863. 
William  Scott,  age  19,  expiration  of  service,  July  7,  1863. 
Charles  C.  Spaulding,  age  24,  expiration  of  service,  July  7,  1863. 

This  regiment  was  organized  in  the  summer  of  1862,  and 
the  companies  composing  it  came  from  different  towns.  It 
left  the  State,  Nov.  5,  1862,  and  July  21,  18G3,  it  returned 
to  Boston  and  was  recruited.  The  regiment  took  part  in 
the  battle  of  Kingston,  N.  C,  Dec.  14,  1862,  and  in  the 
battle  of  Goldsboro.  It  was  also  engaged  in  the  movements 
about  Newbern.  Its  losses  in  battle  were  twenty  killed  and 
seventy-one  wounded,  exceeding  that  of  all  the  other  nine 
months  regiments  taken  together.  The  loss  from  sickness 
and  disease  was  also  very  heavy.  The  march  to  Goldsboro, 
under  a  sultry  sun,  is  spoken  of  as  a  long  and  weary  one  to 
men  unaccustomed  to  such  hardships,  but  they  stood  it  like 
true  soldiers,  and  held  on  their  way  till  it  was  ended.  One 
of  the  younger  ones  in  his  company  was  Theodoric  Jones ; 
though  his  feet  were  badly  blistered  by  his  coarse  army 
shoes  he  never  flinched  nor  lagged  behind  ;  and  when,  for 
once  having  climbed  a  fence  by  the  roadside  for  a  momentary 
rest,  he  heard  it  intimated  that  he  was  giving  out,  he  in- 
stantly sprang  to  the  ground,  and  with  some  vigorous 
remarks  resumed  his  journey  with  apparent  ease.  When  he 
arrived  in  camp  his  shoes  were  a  curiosity,  —  it  is  said  they 
were  so  completely  run  down  that  the  heels  were  nearly 
bottom  side  up,  and  the  owner's  feet  were  in  such  a  condi- 
tion that,  for  a  number  of  days,  he  was  entirely  disabled. 

Of  the  Sudbury  men  in  this  regiment,  perhaps  William 
Scott  did  as  much  as  any  towards  breaking  up  the  monotony 
of  the  weary  march  and  the  tedious  camp  life.  "  Billy,"  as 
the  boys  called  him,  was  short  and  stout,  a  good  soldier  and 
full  of  fun.     Sometimes  he  would  act  as  barber,  and  get  his 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  549 

pay  in  the  sport  he  made  of  his  patrons.  On  the  march  of 
the  regiment  from  Goldsboro  to  Newbern,  Billy  captured 
a  small  mule  about  the  size  of  a  heifer;  and,  having  loaded 
the  beast  with  such  articles  as  had  been  picked  up  by  the 
way  and  his  gun  and  accoutrements,  he  mounted  it  and  the 
journey  was  resumed  towards  camp.  A  lieutenant,  having 
his  attention  called  to  the  animal,  required  him  to  give  it 
up,  but  Billy  clung  to  the  bridle  without  saying  a  word  ;  the 
officer  threatened,  but  Billy  rode  on,  and  when  at  length  he 
arrived  at  Newbern  he  presented  a  comical  spectacle.  He 
had,  besides  the  blankets,  muskets,  haversacks,  etc.,  two 
geese,  some  hens,  and  a  large  number  of  canteens,  so  that 
the  little  mule  was  well  nigh  covered.  Billy  was  smiling, 
as  usual,  and  the  boys  smiled  too.  The  mule  was  unloaded 
and  given  up,  and  Billy,  so  far  as  known,  received  no  repri- 
mand but  what  he  had  at  the  start. 


THE   FIFTY-NINTH    REGIMENT. 

The  following  men  enlisted  in  the  Fifty-ninth  for  three 
years : — 

Cyrus  E.  Barker,  age  25,  mustered,  Jan.  14,  1864,  died  April  9,  1865. 
Curtis  Smith,  age  21,  mustered,  Jan.  14,  1864,  died  Oct.  19,  1S64. 
Benjamin  Ryde,  age  35,  mustered,  Feb.  9, 1S64,  transferred,  June  1, 1865, 

to  Fifty-seventh  Infantry. 
Alfred  Moore,  age  21,  mustered,  April  2,  1864,  transferred  June  7,  1865, 

to  V.  R.  C. 

This  regiment  was  raised  and  commanded  by  Jacob  P. 
Gould  of  Stoneham,  who  was  formerly  Major  of  the  Thir- 
teenth. It  left  the  State  for  Washington,  April  26,  1864. 
Ten  days  after,  it  was  engaged  in  its  first  fight;  and  in  1864 
it  took  part  in  the  battles  of  the  Wilderness,  Spottsylvania, 
North  Anna,  Coal  Harbor,  the  battles  before  Petersburg,  and 
the  battle  of  Weldon  Railroad. 

With  the  exception  of  the  instances  now  mentioned,  the 
soldiers  who  went  from  Sudbury,  for  the  most  part,  enlisted 
in  different  regiments,  and  their  names  are  scattered  along 
in  the  various  rolls  of  the  Massachusetts  Volunteer  Militia, 
and  bear  date  from  the  first  to  the  last  year  of  the  war.     The 


550  HISTORY   OP   SUDBURY. 

following  are  the  names  of  these  soldiers  as  given  in  the 
State  Adjutant  General's  Report  or  the  Sudbury  Soldiers' 
Record  Book,  from  which  we  have  also  taken  the  foregoing 
lists. 

ENLISTMENTS   IN   OTHER    REGIMENTS    OF    INFANTRY. 
NINE   MONTHS    MEN    IN    THE   SIXTH    REGIMENT. 

Samuel  G.  Brown,  Corp.,  age  27,  mustered,  Aug.  31,  18G2,  expiration  of 

service,  June  3,  1863. 
Solomon  Davis,  age  3G,  mustered,  Aug.  31,  1862,  expiration  of  service, 

June  3,  1863. 
Francis  Dutton,  age  26,  mustered,  Aug.  31,  1862,  expiration  of  service, 

June  3,  1863. 
Augustus  Newton,  mustered,  Aug.  31,  1862,  expiration  of  service,  June 

3,  1863. 
Matthew  Smith,  age  19,  mustered,  Aug.  31,  1862,  expiration  of  service, 

June  3,  1863. 

ONE    HUNDRED   DAYS    MEN    IN    THE    SIXTH    REGIMENT. 

Rockwood  Puffer,  age  18,  mustered,  Aug  18, 1864,  expiration  of  service, 
Oct.  27,  1864. 

THREE   YEARS    MEN    IN   THE   NINTH    REGIMENT    INFANTRY. 

Walter  Lee,  age  38,  mustered,  March  28, 1864,  transferred,  June  10, 1864, 

to  Thirty-second  Infantry,  expiration  of  service,  June  29,  1864. 
Michael  Muller,  age  29,  mustered,  Aug.  21,  1863. 

THREE   YEARS    MEN    IN    THE   NINETEENTH    REGIMENT. 

Cornelius  Buckley,  age   38,  mustered,   March  26,  1864,   expiration   of 

service,  June  30,  1865. 
Thomas  Smith,  age  28,  mustered,  March  26,  1864,  died,  Jan.  26,  1S65. 
Josiah  Garfield,  mustered,  July  26,  1861,  expiration  of  service,  June  30, 

1865. 

MEN    IN   THE   TWENTY-FOURTH    REGIMENT. 

Michael  Malone,  age  32,  mustered,  March  26,  1864. 

THREE   YEARS    MEN    IN   TWENTY-EIGHTH    REGIMENT. 

Michael  Fitzgerald,  Corp.,  age  22,  mustered,  Jan.  26,  1865,  expiration  of 
service,  June  30,  1865. 

THREE   YEARS    MEN   IN   THE   THIRTIETH    REGIMENT. 

Stillman  Willis,  mustered,  Jan.  4,  1862,  expiration  of  service, . 

THREE   YEARS    MEN    IN   THE   THIRTY-SECOND    REGIMENT. 

John  Herschel  Moore,  mustered,  July  2,  1862,  discharged  for  disability. 


HISTORY   OF  SUDBURY.  551 

THREE   YEARS    MEN    IN   THE   TWENTY-SECOND    REGIMENT. 

John  Rothe,  mustered,  Oct.  5,  1861,  expiration  of  service,  Oct.  20,  1864. 

THREE   YEARS    MEN    IN    THE   THIRTY-THIRD    REGIMENT. 

John  Roth,  age  40,  mustered,  Aug.  5,  18G2,  expiration  of   service,  Jan. 

11,  1865. 
Robert  Arnold,  mustered,  Aug.  13,  1862,  regiment  mustered  out, . 

THREE    YEARS    MEN    IN    THE   THIRTY-EIGHTH    REGIMENT. 

Marcus  T.  Baker,  age  21,  mustered,  Jan.  21,  1865,  transferred,  June  22, 

1865,  to  Twenty- sixth  Infantry. 
George  A.  Jones,  age  18,  August  21,  1S62,  expiration  of  service,  June 

30,  1865. 

MEN    IN   THE   THIRTY-NINTH    REGIMENT. 

James  M.  Sawyer,  age  19,  mustered,  Aug.  18,  1862,  expiration  of  service, 
July  18,  1865. 

NINE    MONTHS    MEN    IN    THE   FORTY-SEVENTH    REGIMENT. 

Silas  H.  Blake,  age  38,  mustered,  November,  1862,  expiration  of  service, 
Sept.  1,  1863. 

THREE    YEARS    MEN    IN    THE   FIFTY-SIXTH    REGIMENT. 

William    F.    Coombs,   age   37,    mustered,   Feb.  25,  1864,  expiration   of 
service,  Aug.  1,  1865,  order  War  Department. 

MEN    IN    THE   SIXTY-FIRST    REGIMENT. 

Edward  A.  Farnsworth,  age  24,  mustered,  Jan.  10,  1865,  expiration  of 

service,  July  16,  1865. 
Peter  McDougal,  age  38,  mastered,  Jan.  16,  1865,  expiration  of  service, 

May  27,  1865,  order  War  Department. 

SUDBURY   SOLDIERS    IN   THE   CAVALRY    SERVICE. 

THREE   YEARS    MEN    IN   THE    FIRST    CAVALRY. 

Averill  F.  Willis,  mustered,  September,  1861,  expiration  of  service,  June 

26,  1865. 
George  F.  Butterfield,  mustered,  September,  1861,  expiration  of  service, 

June  26,  1865. 

This  regiment  was  commanded  by  Col.  Robert  Williams 
of  Virginia,  and  left  the  State  by  battalions ;  the  First  on 
the  25th,  the  Second  on  the  27th,  and  the  Third  on  the  29th 
of  December,  1861.  It  was  stationed  in  the  Department  of 
the  South  until  August  19,  1862,  when  eight  of  its  compa- 
nies joined  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  The  two  men  from 
Sudbury   served    in    Company  L,   Capt.  William   Gibbs    of 


552  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

Waltham.  It  is  stated  that,  while  in  South  Carolina,  "they 
suffered  from  hunger,  storm,  wind  and  heat,  and  were  at  the 
terrible  battles  of  James  Island,  Fort  Wagner,  and  Morris 
Island."  After  leaving  South  Carolina,  they  were  in  Vir- 
ginia with  the  Tenth  Army  Corps,  commanded  by  Major- 
General  Gilmore,  and  served  in  front  of  Petersburg  until  its 
surrender.  In  1864,  a  part  of  the  battalion  of  cavalry, 
known  as  the  Independent  Battalion  Massachusetts  Cavalry, 
that  served  in  the  Department  of  the  South  and  was  formerly 
of  the  First  Massachusetts  Cavalry,  constituted,  with  the 
First  Battalion  Veteran  Cavalry,  the  Fourth  Massachusetts 
Cavalry. 

THREE   YEARS    MEN    IN   THE   SECOND    REGIMENT   CAVALRY. 

Hartson  D.  Sinclair,  age  21,  mustered,  Feb.  14, 1805,  died,  May  20,  1805. 

John  F.  Casey,  age  19,  mustered,  Aug.  9,  1804,  expiration  of  service, 
June  17,  1805. 

Richard  H.  Graham,  age  19,  mustered,  Aug.  9,  1804,  expiration  of  ser- 
vice, June  17,  1805. 

John  O'Brien,  age  20,  mustered,  Aug.  9,  1804,  expiration  of  service,  June 
17,  1805. 

THREE  YEARS  MEN  IN  THE  FOURTH  REGIMENT  CAVALRY. 

John   Lee,  2nd   Lieut.,  mustered,  July  1.'},  LSG5,  expiration  of  service, 

Nov.  14,  1805. 
George  F.  Butterfield,  Corp.,  age  20,  mustered,  Sept.  23,  1001,  expiration 

of  service,  Sept.  24,  1804. 
Frank  F.  Willis,  Bugler,  age  19,  mustered,  Sept.  23,  1801,  expiration  of 

service,  Sept,  24,  1804. 

THREE    YEARS    MEN    IN    THE    FIFTH    REGIMENT    CAVALRY. 

Daniel  Robinson,  age  21,  mustered,  Aug  25,  1804,  expiration  of  service, 

May  23,  1805. 
Lyman  Taylor,  age  21,  mustered,   Aug.  25,  1804,  expiration  of  service, 

May  23,  1805. 


SUDBURY    SOLDIERS    IN    THE    ARTILLERY    SERVICE. 
THREE   YEARS    MEN    IN    SEVENTH    BATTERY    OF    LIGHT    ARTILLERY. 

John  P.  Hudson,  age  23,  mustered,  May  21,  1802,  died,  March  7,  18G4. 

THREE    YEARS    MEN    IN    FIRST    REGIMENT,    HEAVY    ARTILLERY. 

Edward  R.  Cutler,  Asst.  Surg.,  age  22,  mustered,  Sept.  25,  1803,  Surg. 
Dec.  19,  18G4. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  553 

THREE    YEARS    MEN    IN   THE   FIRST   BATTALION,    HEAVY   ARTILLERY. 

George  A.  Dean,  age  18,  mustered,  Feb.  11,  1865,  expiration  of  service, 
Oct.  20,  1865. 

THREE   YEARS    MEN    IN    SECOND    REGIMENT,    HEAVY   ARTILLERY. 

Thomas  Corcoran,  age  21,  mustered,  Aug.  18,  1864,  died,  April  11,  1865. 

ONE    YEAR    MEN    IN    THE    FOURTH    REGIMENT,    HEAVY   ARTILLERY. 

Sidney  Smith,  age  21,  mustered,  Aug.  12,  1864,  expiration  of  service, 
June  17,  1865. 

Alexander  Black,  age  42,  mustered,  Aug.  25,  1864,  expiration  of  service, 
June  17,  1865. 

Joseph  Clear,  age  19,  mustered,  Aug.  23, 1864,  expiration  of  service,  June 
17,  1865. 

Jonathan  G.  Leavett,  age  34,  mustered,  Aug.  25,  1864,  expiration  of  ser- 
vice, June  17,  1865. 

James  F.  Rundell,  age  19,  mustered,  Aug.  17,  1864,  expiration  of  service, 
June  17,  1865. 

Charles  R.  Taylor,  age  22,  mustered,  Aug.  23,  1864,  expiration  of  ser- 
vice, June  17,  1865. 

ONE   YEAR    MEN    IN    THE  TWENTY-NINTH   UNAT.  CO.,  HEAVY  ARTILLERY. 

Cornelius  Fitzpatrick,  age  23,  mustered,  Sept.  1,  1864,  expiration  of 
service,  June  10,  1865. 

Matthew  Heaphey,  age  21,  mustered,  Aug.  25,  1864,  expiration  of  ser- 
vice, June  10,  1805. 

Michael  Shea,  age  21,  mustered,  Sept.  1,  1864,  expiration  of  service, 
June  16,  1865. 

UNITED   STATES   SANITARY   COMMISSION. 

Two  Sudbury  men,  Edwin  Hunt  and  Alfred  S.  Hudson, 
were  with  the  army  in  the  service  of  the  Sanitary  Commis- 
sion. The  first  remained  until  obliged  to  return  on  account 
of  ill  health  ;  the  other  entered  the  service  July,  18G4,  and 
was  stationed  at  City  Point,  Va.,  at  the  junction  of  the 
Appomatox  and  James  Rivers,  near  Petersburg,  at  the  time 
of  the  siege. 

Notwithstanding  the  promptness  of  the  town  in  taking 
means  to  fill  its  quotas  by  voluntary  enlistments  at  home, 
and  by  offering  bounties  for  enlistments  from  abroad,  before 
the  war  closed  it  was  subjected  to  a  draft.  July  17,  18G3, 
the  names  of  the  town's  citizens  included  in  the  First  Class 
List  were  deposited  at  Concord,  and  the  following  names 
were  drawn  therefrom. 


554 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 


LIST  OF   CONSCRIPTS    IN    THE   TOWN  OF    SUDBURY,  DRAWN  AT  CONCORD, 

JULY    17,    1863. 


M.  W.  Evans, 
Albert  T.  Parmenter, 
William  Gormin, 
Francis  H.  Moore, 
Francis  H.  Brown, 
Michael  Newell, 
Jonas  Goodnow, 
Samuel  Bent, 
T.  M.  Brenn, 
George  H.  Murphy, 
E.  S.  Butterfield, 
Luther  S.  Cutting, 
E.  R.  Chase, 
Dana  W.  Hayden, 
William  E.  Eager, 


exempt.  William  L.  Stone,  exempt, 

substituted.     Frank  Webster  " 

paid.  G.  H  Murphy, 

exempt.  Edwin  Rogers,  " 

"  Hubbard  H.  Brown,  paid. 

"  Joel  F.  Parmenter,  " 

"  Luther  G.  Hunt,  " 

Winsor  Pratt,  substituted. 

"  Lorenzo  Parmenter,  exempt, 

enlisted,  Joseph  B.  Adams,  " 

exempt.  C.  W.  Floyd,  " 

paid.  Henry  H.  Cheney,  " 

"  James  J.  Puffer,  " 

exempt.  N.  C.  Haynes,  paid. 

"  Francis  F.  Walker,  exempt. 


In  the  foregoing  lists  are  the  names  of  some  of  Sudbury's 
most  valuable  citizens.  Voluntarily  they  came  forward,  and 
offered  themselves  at  their  country's  call.  Young  men  left 
the  farm,  the  store,  and  the  work-shop,  and  in  the  best  of 
their  years  and  their  strength  engaged  in  the  work  of  war. 
The  death  rate  among  them,  according  to  the  records,  is  very 
small.  Yet  the  history  of  the  regiments  in  which  most  of 
these  soldiers  served  shows  that  they  sometimes  occupied 
positions  of  extreme  peril.  Some,  who  passed  through  the 
severest  engagements,  escaped  unharmed ;  while  others  were 
wounded  repeatedly,  and  recovered  and  again  entered  the 
ranks.  Some  of  the  strongest  were  the  first  to  succumb  to 
the  power  of  disease ;  while  others,  slender  of  stature  and 
unaccustomed  to  out-door  toil,  came  back  at  the  end  of  their 
term  of  service  robust  and  strong.  Such  are  the  fortunes 
of  war. 

LIST   OF   CASUALTIES. 

The  fatal  casualties  that. occurred  to  persons  who  were 
accredited  to  or  natives  of  Sudbury,  as  we  have  found  them 
recorded  in  the  Town  Book  or  the  Adjutant  General's 
Printed  Report,  are  as  follows  :  — 

KILLED    OR    MORTALLY    WOUNDED   IN   BATTLE. 

Horace  Sanderson.         John  Forsyth.         Edwin  S.  Parmenter. 


THE    WADSWORTH     MONUMENT 
South  Sudbury.     See  page  jjj. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  555 

DIED    IN   THE    SERVICE   OF    DISEASE   OR    HARDSHIP    INCIDENT  TO 
ARMY    LIFE. 

John  P.  Hudson.  Thomas  Corcoran. 

Curtis  Smith.  Hartson  D.  Sinclair. 

George  T.  Dickey.  Thomas  Smith. 

Abel  H.  Dakin.  Cyrus  E.  Barker. 

The  following  is  a  sketch  of  the  above-named  soldiers  so 
far  as  we  have  information  concerning  them. 

HORACE    SANDERSON. 

Horace  Sanderson,  born  at  Waltham  in  1837,  was  a  mem- 
ber of  Company  K,  Sixteenth  Regiment,  M.  V.  M.  He 
enlisted  for  three  years  and  was  mustered  in  July,  1861. 
He  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  May  3,  1863. 

JOHN    FORSYTH. 

John  Forsyth,  son  of  John  and  Hannah  Forsyth,  was  born 
in  Waltham,  Feb.  12,  1885.  He  enlisted  at  Newton  in 
Company  IT,  Sixteenth  Regiment,  for  three  years,  and  held 
the  position  of  sergeant.  He  was  mustered  into  the  service 
in  July,  1861.  By  trade  he  was  a  carpenter,  and  his  former 
home  was  in  the  east  part  of  the  town.  He  was  killed  at 
the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  July  3,  1863. 

EDWIN    S.    PARMENTER. 

Edwin  S.  Parmenter,  son  of  Charles  and  Fanny  Parmenter, 
was  born  in  Sudbury,  August  19,  1844.  He  was  by  occu- 
pation a  farmer,  and  lived  at  his  father's  home  in  the  north- 
easterly part  of  the  town.  When  the  draft  came,  July  17, 
1863,  his  brother,  Albert  T.,  was  among  the  Sudbury  con- 
scripts, and  Edwin  went  as  his  substitute  ;  making  the 
second  son  in  the  family  to  go  in  the  defence  of  his  country. 
He  belonged  to  Company  H,  Eighteenth  Massachusetts 
Regiment,  and  was  mustered  in  August  2-,  1863.  He  was 
mortally  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Bottom  Bridge,  Va.,  and 
died,  June  8,  1864. 

JOHN   P.    HUDSON. 

John  Plympton  Hudson  was  mustered  into  the  United 
States  service,  May   21,  1862,   and  was  a  member   of   the 


556  HISTORY  OP   SUDBURY. 

Seventh  Massachusetts  Light  Battery.     He  was  with  it  in 
its  first  engagement,  which  was  with  the  artillery  of  Gen. 
Roger  Pryor,  at  the  "  Deserted  House,"  near  Suffolk,  Va. 
This  action  was  noted  for  the  effective  work  of  the  battery. 
Said  the  "  New  York  Tribune,"  in  the  news  of  Feb.  3,  1863, 
"  The  Seventh  Battery  achieved  great  honor  in  sustaining 
a  furious  cannonading  and  in  more  than  matching  it  [Pryor's 
Battery]  in  this  its  first  engagement."     In  describing  the 
action,  it   states,   "  Follett's   Battery    [that   is   the   Seventh 
Massachusetts]  was  then  wheeled  into  position,  and  at  twenty 
minutes  to  four  o'clock,  the  action  commenced  in  earnest. 
Then  ensued  an  exhibition  of  artillery  practice,  such  as  has 
rarely  been  seen  in  this  war.     For  three  hours  and  eleven 
minutes  this  artillery  duel  continued,  and  the  service  of  the 
guns  on  both  sides,  it  is  said,  was  not  surpassable.     During 
this  time  the  enemy  was  slowly  giving  way  before  the  su- 
periority of    our   cannonading.      Their   pieces  were    all    si- 
lenced by  seven  o'clock,  and  they  had  been  driven  two  miles 
from  the  Deserted  House."     In  his  own  description  of  the 
action  in  a  letter  to  his  brother,  dated  Suffolk,  Va.,  Jan.  31, 
1863,  Mr.  Hudson  said,  "I  was  in  a  battle  yesterday  and  a 
desperate  one  too,  but  I  am  safe  and  uninjured.  ...   I  was 
in  the  hottest  of  the  fight,  all   of  it,  and  got  a  hole  torn  in 
my  overcoat  by  a  shell.     It  was  a  regular  artillery  duel  for 
three  hours.     Our  company  had  two   men   killed   and   ten 
wounded."     In  another  description  of  the  battle,  he  states 
that  the  ground  was  plowed  with  the  shot  and  shell,  and 
that  the   trees  above  the  battery  looked  as  if  seared  by  the 
frost  or  by  a  fire.     In  one  instance  his  clothing  was  sprinkled 
with  the  earth  that  was  thrown  up  by  the  shot.     During  the 
same  year  the  battery  was  engaged  at  South  Quay,  Som- 
erton,  Providence  Church  Road  and  Holland's  House.     It 
was  afterwards  ordered  to  New  York  to  prevent  a  riot  in  the 
enforcement  of  a  draft.     While  there,  Mr.  Hudson  became 
unfitted  for  duty  through  disease,  contracted  while  in   the 
service  in  Virginia,  and  entered  the  hospital.     After  rejoin- 
ing the  battery,   while   yet   in   an   enfeebled   condition,  he 
obtained  a  furlough  to  go  North.     He  arrived  at  Sudbury  in 
November,  1863,  where  his  illness  increased  until  his  death, 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  557 

which  occurred  at  the  Luther  Goodnow  house,  near  the  old 
Haynes  Garrison,  March  7,-1864.  John  P.  Hudson  was  born 
at  Wayland,  "  Wayland  and  Weston  Corner,"  Oct.  5,  1838. 
He  was  the  son  of  Martin  Newton  and  Maria  (Reed)  Hudson, 
and  early  went  with  his  parents  to  Sudbury,  where  the  most 
of  his  life  was  spent.  He  was  held  in  high  esteem  by  his  asso- 
ciates, and  had  the  confidence  of  the  community  in  every 
position  that  he  occupied  from  his  early  youth  to  the  time 
of  his  going  forth  a  young  man  in  his  country's  service.  As 
a  soldier,  he  was  true  to  every  trust,  and  faithfully  stood  at 
his  post  until  health  gave  way  in  camp  life  about  the  swamps 
of  Suffolk,  Va.  In  a  letter  sent  by  a  comrade  in  the  battery, 
Dr.  William  H.  Ruddick  of  South  Boston,  it  was  said,  "  He 
had  not  an  enemy  in  the  company,  always  did  his  duty 
faithfully  like  a  good  soldier,  his  conduct  and  bearing  was 
an  example  for  the  rest  to  follow,  he  was  loved  by  all."  He 
died  at  the  age  of  twenty-five,  and  was  buried  at  Wadsvvorth 
Cemetery  in  the  family  lot.  His  grave  is  marked  by  a 
marble  stone,  which  is  inscribed  as  follows:  — 

volunteer's  grave. 
JOHN     P.     HUDSON 

A    MEMBER   OF 

THE   7TH    MASS.    LIGHT    BATTERY 

DIED 

In  the  U.  S.  Service  March  7th  1864 
Aged  25. 

"  How  sleep  the  brave,  who  sink  to  rest, 
With  all  their  country's  wishes  blest. 

By  fairy  hands  their  knell  is  rung; 
By  forms  unseen  their  dirge  is  sung; 
There  Honor  comes,  a  pilgrim  gray, 
To  bless  the  turf  that  wraps  their  clay; 
And  Freedom  shall  awhile  repair, 
To  dwell  a  weeping  hermit  there." 

CURTIS    SMITH. 

Curtis  Smith,  son  of  Joseph  and  Olive  (Moore)  Smith, 
was  born  at  Sudbury,  Dec.  22,  1842.  He  enlisted,  January, 
1864,  for  three  years  in  the  Fifty-ninth  Regiment,  and  was 


558  HISTORY  OF  SUDBURY. 

a  member  of  Company  E.  He  was  a  farmer,  and  the  second 
son  of  the  family  to  enter  the  service  of  his  country.  May  6, 
ten  days  after  leaving  the  State,  his  regiment  was  engaged 
in  its  first  fight,  and  between  that  time  and  the  middle  of 
June  it  was  in  the  battles  of  the  Wilderness,  Spottsylvania, 
North  Anna  and  Cold  Harbor.  Between  June  3  and  17,  by 
which  time  the  regiment  was  before  Petersburg,  fifteen  of  its 
men  had  been  taken  prisoners,  among  whom  was  Mr.  Smith. 
He  was  taken  to  Andersonville  June  10,  and  died  there 
October  19.  The  town  of  Sudbury  had  one  son  offered  as 
a  sacrifice  to  her  country  in  that  terrible  prison  pen.  The 
story  is  sufficiently  told  by  the  Town  Record  Book,  whicli 
says,  "  Died,  Oct.  19,  1864,  of  starvation  in  prison  at  Ander- 
sonville, Ga." 

GEORGE   T.    DICKEY. 

George  T.  Dickey  was  a  son  of  Ira  S.  and  Eliza  Dickey. 
He  was  born  in  Weston,  and  afterwards  lived  in  the  west- 
erly part  of  Wayland,  but  the  proximity  of  his  house  to  Sud- 
bury and  his  family  connection  with  it  allied  him  socially  to 
that  town.  He  was  by  occupation  a  farmer,  and,  perhaps, 
few  soldiers  were  better  equipped  physically  for  the  endurance 
of  army  life  than  he  ;  and  his  cheerful  disposition  was  well 
suited  to  brighten  the  rough  experience  of  the  camp  and  the 
march  ;  but,  like  some  others  who  were  exceptionally  robust, 
he  was  stricken  down  by  the  hand  of  disease,  and  after  but 
about  a  half  year's  service  as  a  soldier,  he  died  in  the  hospi- 
tal at  Williamsport,  Md.,  March  4,  1862. 

ABEL   H.    DAKIN. 

Abel  Henry  Dakin  enlisted  from  Natick  in  Company  I, 
Thirty-ninth  Regiment,  M.  V.  M.  He  entered  the  army  as 
a  drummer,  but  afterwards  held  the  position  of  bugler.  He 
died  of  consumption  near  Kelly's  Ford,  Va.,  Dec.  20,  1863. 
In  the  Wadsworth  Cemetery  is  a  stone  bearing  the  following 
inscription :  — 

ABEL  H.  DAKIN, 

Member  of  Co.  I,  39th  Reg't  Mass.  Vols. 

Aet.  31  Years. 

"Rest,  Soldier,  Rest." 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  559 

Mr.  Dakin  was  a  son  of  Abel  and  Emeline  (Stone)  Dakin, 
and  was  born  at  Sudbury,  Dec.  28,  1832.  His  life  was 
mostly  spent  in  his  native  town  at  the  home  of  his  uncle, 
John  H.  Dakin,  at  the  present  Carpenter  place.  He  was  a 
young1  man  of  excellent  character,  and,  while  in  his  country's 
service,  he  faithfully  performed  his  part.  One  of  his  com- 
pany, in  a  letter  to  his  sister,  Mrs.  Mary  S.  Brown,  after  his 
death,  stated,  that  "he  did  his  duty  cheerfully,  was  never 
heard  to  complain,"  and  that  "  they  could  feel  that  he  was 
a  true  and  faithful  soldier."  At  the  time  of  his  enlistment 
he  resided  in  Natick.  He  was  married  April  17,  1858,  and 
has  left  one  daughter,  Game  O.  Dakin.  He  gave  his  life 
for  his  country,  and  was  one  of  the  great  army  of  martj^rs 
that  marched  to  the  South  to  be  offered  as  a  sacrifice  in  the 
sacred  cause  of  freedom. 

Thomas  Corcoran,  died,  April  11,  18G5,  at  Kingston,  N.  C. 
Hartson  D.  Sinclair,  died,  May  20,  1805,  at  Cumberland,  Md. 
Thomas  Smith,  died,  Jan.  20,  186."). 
Cyrus  E.  Barker,  died  at  Annapolis,  Md. 

"On  Fame's  eternal  camping  ground 
Their  silent  tents  are  spread  ; 
While  glory  guards  with  solemn  round 
The  bivouac  of  the  dead." 

SKETCHES   OF    RESIDENT    SOLDIERS. 

We  will  now  give  a  sketch  of  the  Sudbury  soldiers  who  are 
living  in  town,  so  far  as  our  information  of  them  extends. 
The  task  will  be  an  easy  one,  for  time  has  made  more  havoc 
than  the  bayonets  or  bullets  of  the  foe.  The  ranks  of  the 
veterans  have  been  thinned,  year  by  year,  through  death  and 
removal.  Fewer  and  fewer  have  become  the  survivors,  till 
but  about  a  half  score  are  left  to  decorate  the  graves  of 
their  comrades  as  the  spring-time  returns ;  and  when  a  few 
more  years  have  passed  the  last  veteran  will  be  gone.  The 
Sudbury  soldiers  who  are  non-residents  of  the  town  are 
somewhat  widely  scattered ;  but,  as  in  the  case  of  residents, 
more  or  less  of  them  are  at  the  head  of  households,  occupy 
honorable  positions,  and  are  useful  and  substantial  citizens. 


560  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

They  laid  down  the  weapons  of  war  and  took  the  imple- 
ments of  peaceful  pursuits,  glad  of  the  repose  that  comes 
after  victory. 

Welcome  with  shouts  of  joy  and  pride 
Your  veterans  from  the  war-path's  track ; 

You  gave  your  boys  untrained,  untried, 
You  bring  them  men  and  heroes  back. 

Alice  Cary. 

JAMES   B.    BUTTERFIELD. 

James  B.  Butterfield,  son  of  Luther  and  Mary  Butterfield, 
was  born  in  Wayland,  July  22,  1840.  He  was  the  second 
member  of  the  family  to  serve  in  the  war,  his  brother  George 
having  enlisted  Aug.  18,  1861,  in  the  First  Massachusetts 
Cavalry.  His  early  home  was  at  Lanham,  at  which  place  he 
has  recently  resided. 

WILLIAM   B.    BAILEY. 

William  B.  Bailey,  son  of  Mathew  and  Roxanna  Bailey, 
was  born  at  Palmer  in  1837.  He  was  a  resident  of  Sudbury 
at  the  time  of  enlistment,  and  by  occupation  a  shoemaker. 
He  married  Alvina  Darling  of  Sudbury,  and  since  his  dis- 
charge from  the  army  has  lived  at  the  place  in  South  Sud- 
bury formerly  owned  by  his  father-in-law,  Trobridge  Darling. 
He  belonged  to  Company  D,  Thirty-fifth  Regiment. 

JOHN   H.    EATON. 

John  Henry  Eaton,  son  of  John  and  Ruth  Eaton,  was 
born  in  Sudbury,  Nov.  17,  1838.  His  home  was  in  the 
Lanham  district  and  his  occupation  that  of  a  farmer.  He 
belonged  to  Company  F,  Forty -fifth  Regiment.  Since  his 
discharge  from  the  army  he  has  lived  at  his  former  home. 

JOSIAH   GLEASON. 

Josiah  Gleason,  born  in  Sudbury  Aug.  8,  1826,  was  son 
of  Reuben  and  Jerusha  Gleason.  He  was  by  occupation  a 
farmer,  and  since  the  war  has  resided  in  town. 


HISTORY   OF  SUDBURY.  561 


FRANCIS   GARFIELD. 


Francis  Garfield,  son  of  Enoch  and  Priscilla  Garfield,  was 
born  in  Lincoln,  October  1830.  He  was  by  occupation  a 
shoemaker,  and  became  a  citizen  of  Sudbury  several  years 
before  entering  the  army.  He  married  Sarah,  daughter  of 
Thomas  B.  Battles,  and  resides  at  Sudbury  Centre. 

CHARLES   E.    HAYNES. 

Charles  E.  Haynes,  son  of  David  and  Rachel  Haynes,  was 
born  at  Sudbury  June  12,  1837.  He  enlisted  for  three  years 
in  the  13th  Reg't.,  M.  V.  M.,  Co.  F,  and  was  mustered  into 
service  July  16,  1861.  At  the  time  of  enlistment  he  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation  and  a  member  of  the  "  Wadsworth 
Rifle  Guards."  After  he  was  mustered  out  of  the  United 
States  service,  Aug.  1,  1864,  he  returned  to  Sudbury  where 
he  now  resides.  He  married  Abi,  daughter  of  Daniel  L.  and 
Sarah  Willis,  and  has  one  son,  Charles  Ernest.  He  was 
several  times  wounded.  His  first  wound  was  caused  by  a 
fragment  of  shell  which  struck  him  on  the  head  at  the 
second  battle  of  Bull  Run,  Aug.  30,  1862.  In  the  same 
battle  he  was  also  taken  prisoner,  but  escaped.  He  was 
wounded  next  at  the  battle  of  Antietam,  Sept.  17,  1862,  by 
a  musket  ball,  which  passed  through  both  legs.  The  third 
wound  was  received  May  8,  1864,  at  the  battle  of  Spottsyl- 
vania,  where  he  was  shot  through  the  hand  and  at  the  same 
time  was  struck  by  some  missile  in  the  side  which  knocked 
him  down. 

RUFUS    H.    HURLBUT. 

Rufus  H.  Hurlbut,  only  son  of  Thomas  P.  and  Mary 
(Moore)  Hurlbut,  was  born  at  Sudbury,  July  16,  1842.  He 
enlisted  at  the  age  of  twenty,  in  the  Thirty-fifth  Regiment, 
and  was  promoted  to .  sergeant,  May  8,  1865.  While  his 
regiment  was  before  Petersburg,  Sept.  30,  1864,  he  was 
wounded  in  the  head.  During  his  march  through  the  Wil- 
derness he  was  taken  sick,  and  for  a  time  he  was  in  danger 
of  being  left  behind ;  a  comrade,  John  Morse,  then  of  Way- 


562  HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY. 

land,  nobly  offered  to  remain  with  him.  At  Fredericksburg, 
as  he  went  up  the  perilous  heights,  he  was  obliged  to  pass 
through  a  gap  in  a  fence,  the  position  of  which  was  so  ex- 
posed that  he  was  forced  to  tread  upon  a  heap  of  bodies 
which  had  just  been  slain,  but  he  escaped  unhurt.  He  con- 
tinued with  the  army  till  the  expiration  of  his  term  of 
service,  June  9,  1865,  when  he  returned  to  South  Sudbury, 
where  he  still  resides. 

JOHN   H.    MOORE. 

John  Herschell  Moore  was  born  in  the  west  part  of  Sud- 
bury, June  30,  1841,  and  was  the  youngest  son  of  James  and 
Sally  (Thompson)  Moore.  He  enlisted  for  three  years  when 
a  student,  and  was  a  member  of  Company  G,  Thirty-second 
Regiment.  This  regiment  was  engaged  in  the  battles  before 
Richmond,  at  Antietain  and  Fredericksburg  in  1862,  and  at 
Chancellorsville,  Spottsylvania  and  Rappahannock  Station  in 
1863. 

ALPHEUS    PUFFER. 

Alpheus  Puffer  was  born  at  Sudbury  in  1840.  He  was 
the  son  of  Samuel  and  Laura  Puffer,  and  his  early  home  was 
in  the  north-east  part  of  the  town.  At  the  time  of  enlist- 
ment he  was  a  resident  of  South  Sudbury  and  by  occupation 
a  carpenter.  He  was  a  member  of  Company  F,  Forty-fifth 
Regiment.  He  is  at  present  a  resident  of  South  Sudbury, 
and  engaged  in  the  business  of  a  machinist. 

ELI   H.    WILLIS. 

Eli  H.  Willis,  son  of  Eli  and  Mary  Willis,  was  born  in 
Sudbury  in  1841.  He  was  by  occupation  a  farmer.  He 
married  Sarah,  only  daughter  of  Luther  and  Mary  Butter- 
field,  and  resides  in  the  Lanham  district.  He  was  a  member 
of  Company  E,  Thirty-fifth  Regiment,  and  was  the  second 
member  of  his  father's  family  to  go  to  the  war ;  a  brother, 
Averill,  having  enlisted  August,  1861,  in  the  First  Massa- 
chusetts Cavalry. 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  563 


SUMMARY   OF   SERVICE. 


According  to  Schouler  in  his  "  History  of  Massachusetts 
in  the  Civil  War,"  Sudbury  furnished  one  hundred  and 
sixty-eight  men,  which  was  eleven  over  and  above  all  de- 
mands. He  states  that  "  four  were  commissioned  officers. 
The  whole  amount  of  money  appropriated  and  expended  by 
the  town  on  account  of  the  war,  exclusive  of  State  aid,  was 
seventeen  thousand  five  hundred  and  seventy-five  dollars. 
The  amount  of  money  raised  and  expended  by  the  town  dur- 
ing the  war  for  State  aid  to  soldiers'  families,  and  repaid  by 
the  Commonwealth,  was  $6,199.18." 

"  The  population  of  Sudbury  in  1860  was  1,691  ;  the 
valuation,  $1,043,091.  The  population  in  1865  was  1,703 ; 
the  valuation,  $1,052,778.  The  selectmen  in  1861  and  1862 
were  James  Moore,  John  H.  Dakin,  George  Parmenter;  in 
1863,  A.  B.  Jones,  George  Goodnow,  H.  H.  Goodnough ;  in 
1864  and  1865,  Thomas  P.  Hurlbut,  Charles  Hunt,  Walter 
Rogers.  The  town  clerk  during  all  the  years  of  the  war 
was  J.  S.  Hunt.  The  town  treasurer  during  the  years  1861, 
1862  and  1863  was  Edwin  Harrington ;  in  1864  and  1865, 
S.  A.  Jones." 

Shortly  after  the  war,  Sudbury's  rank  among  the  towns 
of  the  county  in  population  was  the  thirty-ninth.  In  1776, 
it  was  the  only  town  in  Middlesex  County  having  a  popula- 
tion of  two  thousand. 

It  may  be  of  interest,  as  well  as  important  as  a  matter  of 
history,  to  give  the  names  of  Sudbury  citizens  who  were  in- 
cluded in  the  first  and  second  classes  of  those  subject  to  a 
draft  in  November,  1863. 

Provost  Marshal's  Office, 
Headquarters  Seventh  District,  Massachusetts. 

Concord,  November  24,  1863. 

By  order  of  the  Provost  Marshal  General  of  the  United 
States,  the  following  list  of  the  names  of  all  persons  enrolled 
in  the  Sub-District  of  Sudbury,  is  published  for  the  informa- 
tion of  whom  it  may  concern. 

Any   person    enrolled  as   below    may   appear   before    the 


564 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 


Board  of  Enrolment  on  Monday,  December  14th,  1863,  and 
claim  to  Lave  his  name  stricken  from  the  list,  if  he  can  show 
to  the  satisfaction  of  the  Board  that  he  is  not  liable  to  mili- 
tary duty  on  account  of,  1st,  Alienage  ;  2d,  Non-Residence  ; 
3d,  Unsuitableness  of  Age  ;  4th,  Manifest  Permanent  Phy- 
sical Disability. 

As  all  disabilities  must  be  manifest  and  permanent,  cer- 
tificates of  physicians  cannot  be  examined  or  considered. 

All  persons  who  were  exempted  from  the  recent  draft  on 
account  of  having  furnished  a  Substitute,  or  paid  Commuta- 
tion Money,  need  not  appear. 


FIRST 

Adams,  Joseph  B.,  33,  farmer. 
Butterfield,  S.  Ebenezer,  21,  shoe- 
maker. 
Bones,  Patrick,  33,  laborer. 
Brown,  Francis  H.,  21,  farmer. 
Bacon,  Adoniram  J.,  24, 
Bent,  William  H.,  24, 
Bent,  Cyrus  A.,  23, 
Bent,  Lucius  P.,  31, 
Bent,  Samuel,  Jr.,  30, 
Brinn,  Thomas  M.,  32,  tailor. 
Brown,  Spencer  W.,  37,  farmer 
Brown,  Hubbard  H.,  24 
Brown,  Edward  E.,  33, 
Brown,  Newton  E.,  24, 
Conant,  E.  Luman,  23, 
Conant,  Edwin  A.,  33, 
Conant,  John  M.,  24, 
Carr,  Erwin  S.,  25, 
Carter,  Leonard,  33,  hotel  keeper 
Cutting,  George  F.,  27,  trader. 
Cutting,  Luther  S.,  30,  farmer. 
Chase,  Eli  R.,  25,  clerk. 
Cheney,  Henry  H.,  21,  carpenter. 
Conant,  Albert,  25,  laborer. 
Dadman,  Orin,  43,  farmer. 
Evans,  Moses  W.,  22,  laborer. 
Eaton,  Edward  N.,  2G,  farmer. 
Eager,  William  E.,  31,  laborer. 
Floyd,  Charles  W.,  28,  laborer. 
Goodnow,  John  B.,  33,  farmer. 


CLASS. 

Hunt,  Samuel  M.,  33,  farmer. 
Horr,  Richard  R.,  30,  shoemaker. 
Hunt,  Horatio,  34,  carpenter. 
Haynes,  Nathan  C,  28,  farmer. 
Haynes,  George  F.,  28,       " 
Jones,  John  C,  31,  laborer. 
Jones,  Levi  S.,  38,  farmer. 
Linehan,  John,  28,  laborer. 
Lamson,  Frederick  A.,  21,  laborer. 
Moore,  Francis  U.,  29,  carpenter. 
McCann,  Owens,  31,  farmer. 
Maynard,  Moses  W.,  43,  farmer. 
Moore,  William  H.,  3:5,  miller. 
Moore,  Benjamin,  20,  miller. 
Murphy,  George  H.,  31,  laborer. 
Nilligan,  Morris,  28  " 

Newell,  Michael,  24,  " 

Parmenter,  Lorenzo,  31,  farmer. 
Parmenter,  Alfred  N.,  23,     " 
Parmenter,  Alfred  T..  23,    " 
Parmenter,  John  W.,  27,  carpenter. 
Phillips,  John  H.,  25,  laborer. 
Puffer,  Dexter  R.,  32,  clerk. 
Priest,  Abraham,  27,  farmer. 
Puffer,  James  F.,  23,  farmer. 
Prouty,  Augustus,  34,  clerk. 
Puffer,  James  J.,  34,  carpenter. 
Parmenter,  Joel  F.,  33,  trader. 
Pratt,  Nathan  L.,  33,  powder-maker. 
Pratt,  Windsor,  31,  cooper. 
Pratt,  Francis,  24,  farmer. 


HISTORY  OP  SUDBURY. 


565 


Garfield,  John  W.,  30,  shoemaker. 
Goodnow,  Nahum,  20,  laborer. 
Gleason,  Josiah,  37,  laborer. 
Goodnow,  Elisha,  24,  farmer. 
Gormain,  William,  30,  overseer. 
Gay,  Aimer  H.,  27,  shoemaker. 
Garfield  Samuel  H.,  20,  laborer. 
Goodnow  Jonas,  42,  laborer. 
Goodnow,  John,  3d,  24,  trader. 
Heffiman,  James,  20,  paper- maker. 
Hayden,  Dana  W.,  28,  farmer. 
Hunt,  Luther  G.,  27, 
Haynes,  Andrew,  25,         " 
Haynes,  Marshal,  22,         " 
Hemenway,  Adoniram  J.,  21,  clerk. 
Hudson,  S.  Alfred,  23,  student. 
Haynes,  James,  25,  laborer. 
Haynes,  Sylvester,  27,  laborer. 
Hunt,  Edward,  34,  farmer. 


Pratt,  Levi  L.,  37,  farmer. 
Parmenter,  Tisdale  W.,  26,  farmer. 
Rogers,  Edwin,  27,  butcher. 
Richardson,  Thos.  C,  28,  musician. 
Richardson,  Lyman  B.,  22,  miller. 
Stone,  William  L.,  21,  farmer. 
Stone,  George  W.,  Jr.,  25,  farmer. 
Smith  Curtis,  20,  " 

Smith,  Elisha  E.,  34,  " 

Sherman,  Theo.  S.,  30,  shoemaker. 
Thompson,  Alfred  N.,  31,  farmer. 
Thompson,  Charles,  36,  " 

Tilton,  John  F.,  35,  « 

Vinton,  Porter  ML,  29,  clergyman. 
Willis,  James  L.,  25,  farmer. 
Walker,  Francis  F.,  26,  farmer. 
Webster,  Franklin,  28,  machinist. 
White,  Calvin,  30,  laborer. 


SECOND    CLASS. 


Agnew,  James,  36,  spinner. 
Brigham,  Rufus,  44,  farmer. 
Burr,  Hiram  G.,  36,  trader. 
Casey,  Martin,  36,  farmer. 
Cutter,  Joseph  D.,  42,  farmer. 
Cutter,  Charles  A.,  37,  butcher. 
Dakin,  Asahel,  41,  farmer. 
Doyle,  Edward,  35,     " 
Dittling,  Felix,  36,      " 
Dakin,  John  H.,  43,     " 
Dakin,  Jonathan  C,  43,  farmer. 
Fairbank,  Nelson,  43,  " 

Fairbank,  Jona  P.,  37,  " 

Goodnough,  Hiram  H.,  37,  farmer. 
Goodnough,  John,  2d.,  38,         " 
Goodnow,  George,  43,  " 

Gough,  William  J.,  36,  carder. 
Hunt,  Jonas  S.,  36,  trader. 
Haynes,  Reuben,  41,  farmer. 
Haynes,  Hiram,  39  " 

Harrington,  Edwin,  43,  " 
Hunt,  Aaron,  Jr..  43,       " 
Haynes,  Warren  H.,  41,  farmer. 
Hurburt,  Thomas  P.,  43,     " 
Hunt,  Nicholas  B.,  42,  " 

Haynes,  Francis,  39,  " 


James,  Charles  A.,  43,  machinist. 
Jones,  William  P.,  43,  shoemaker. 
Jones,  William  F.,  35,  laborer. 
Joice,  John,  40,  laborer. 
Ladd,  Thomas,  41,  laborer. 
Moore,  Curtis  B.,  35,  farmer. 
Milleman,  Elisha,  35,      " 
Moore,  George,  35,         " 
Murphy,  James,  36,  laborer. 
Noyes,  Joseph,  38,  farmer. 
Puffer,  Napoleon  B.,  42,  overseer. 
Parmenter,  Madison,  36,  farmer. 
Parmenter,  Samuel  O.,  43,    " 
Puffer,  Otis,  38,  mariner. 
Parmenter,  Addison,  36,  farmer. 
Pierce,  Luke,  40,  farmer. 
Perry,  Levi  E.,  42,  farmer. 
Rice,  Isaac,  43,  laborer. 
Rice,  John  W.,  41,  farmer. 
Rice,  Oliver  R.,  37,  farmer. 
Richardson,  Benj.  H.,  42,  carpenter. 
Seymore,  Charles,  43,  farmer. 
Smith,  Farwell,  39,  farmer. 
Sawyer,  Theodore  W.,  44,  farmer. 
Taylor,  Sewall  B.,  43,  machinist. 
Taylor,  John,  44,  carpenter. 


566  HISTORY  OF  SUDBURY. 

Howe,  Joseph  C,  44,  manufacturer.  Taylor,  George,  41,  farmer. 

Harriman,  John  K,  38,  carpenter.  Tilton,  Edward  F.,  37,  powder-maker. 

Heard,  Augustus,  44,  farmer.  Tilton,  George  W.,  38,  " 

Jones,  Dexter  C,  42,  farmer.  Willis,  George  W.,  42,  carpenter." 

But  few  events  of  especial  prominence,  not  already  men- 
tioned, have  transpired  in  Sudbury  thus  far  during  the  closing 
period  of  the  century  ;  and  no  record  of  its  commonplace 
annals  will  be  given.  After  mentioning  the  Bicentennial 
of  the  Wadsworth  Fight,  the  laying  out  of  an  important 
highway,  the  George  Goodnow  Bequest,  and  the  organization 
of  societies,  we  shall  consider  in  the  subsequent  chapters 
several  subjects  that  stand  related  to  each  period  of  the 
history  of  Sudbury. 

BICENTENNIAL. 

April  18,  1876,  the  town  celebrated  what  was  supposed  to 
be  the  two  hundredth  anniversary  of  Wadsworth's  Fight  at 
Green  Hill  (For  true  date  see  page  218.)  At  early  dawn 
a  salute  was  fired,  and  a  procession  of  "  Antiques  and  Hor- 
ribles "  paraded,  making  a  trip  to  South  Sudbury.  Later  in 
the  day  a  procession  of  the  citizens,  including  the  school 
children,  was  formed  and  marched  to  Wadsworth  Monument, 
which  was  decorated  with  the  national  colors.  The  following 
sentiment  was  offered  by  Jonas  S.  Hunt,  Esq.,  and  was 
responded  to  by  Hon.  T.  B.  Hurlbut :  "  Wadsworth  Monu- 
ment, —  The  joint  tribute  of  the  State  of  Massachusetts  and 
the  town  of  Sudbury." 

Services  were  held  at  the  Unitarian  Church,  which  con- 
sisted of  prayer  by  Rev.  George  A.  Oviatt,  an  oration  by 
Prof.  Edward  A.  Young  of  Harvard  College,  and  remarks  by 
Rev.  George  A.  Oviatt,  Luther  H.  Sherman,  who  spoke  for 
Wayland,  John  H.  Hillis,  who  spoke  for  Maynard,  and 
Capt.  E.  D.  Wadsworth  of  Milton,  a  descendant  of  Capt. 
Samuel  Wadsworth.  J.  P.  Fairbanks  was  president  of  the 
day.  Jonas  S.  Hunt,  Esq.,  was  toast-master,  and  Homer 
Rogers  chief  marshal.  Music  was  furnished  by  the  Sudbury 
Cornet  Band,  Alfred  M.  Moore  of  Maiden,  leader.  The 
exercises  closed  by  the  singing  of  America. 


HISTORY  OF  SUDBURY.  567 

Nov.  7, 1882,  a  committee  appointed  to  consider  the  laying 
out  of  a  road  between  the  Horatio  Hunt  place  and  the  rail- 
road junction,  reported  favorably,  and  the  road  was  com- 
pleted. 

THE  GEORGE  GOODNOW  BEQUEST. 

In  November,  1884,  it  was  voted  to  "  accept  of  a  donation 
of  Ten  Thousand  Dollars  offered  the  Town  of  Sudbury,  by 
George  Goodnow  of  Boston,  for  the  purpose  of  establishing 
a  fund,  the  income  of  which  he  desires  to  be  used  by  the 
selectmen  of  said  Town  for  the  time  being,  to  assist  such 
citizens  of  the  Town  who  are  not,  at  the  time  of  receiving 
the  assistance,  paupers,  but  who  may  for  any  cause  be  in 
need  of  temporary  or  private  assistance."  By  motion  of 
Rev.  George  A.  Oviatt,  the  town  voted  that,  "  we  do  now  as 
a  town  by  vote  express  our  hearty  thanks  to  the  donor  of 
this  generous  Fund,  assuring  him  of  our  appreciation  of  his 
love  of  his  native  town,  and  equally  of  his  noble  desire  to 
render  aid  to  the  needy  therein.  And  may  his  sunset  of  life 
be  bright  to  the  last,  and  terminate  in  the  day  of  endless 
light  and  blessedness." 

Dec.  24,  1884,  Goodman  Council,  No.  868,  of  the  Royal 
Arcanum  was  organized. 

March  5, 1885,  the  Sudbury  Grange,  No.  21,  was  organized. 

In  1889,  an  unsuccessful  effort  was  made  by  the  Society 
of  the  Orthodox  Congregational  Church  to  hold  their  regular 
Sabbath  Day  services  at  South  Sudbury.  The  same  year  the 
town  took  measures  for  securing  a  suitable  spot  for  the  erec- 
tion of  a  High  School  Building  at  Sudbury  Centre. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 


CEMETERIES. 


First  Burial  Place.  —  Old  Burying-Ground  at  Sudbury  Centre.  —  Mount 
Wadsworth  Cemetery.  —  Mount  Pleasant  Cemetery. —  New  Cem- 
etery.—  North  Sudbury  Cemetery.  —  Burial  Customs. 

Our  vales  are  sweet  with  fern  and  rose, 

Our  hills  are  maple-crowned  ; 
But  not  from  them  our  fathers  chose 

The  village  burying-ground. 

Whittier. 

There  are  few,  if  any,  places  in  our  New  England  towns 
more  suggestive  of  the  past  than  its  ancient  burial  places.  It 
is  there  that  we  find  names  now  but  rarely  spoken  in  the 
places  that  knew  them  once,  and  the  old  headstones  give  a 
record  of  births,  ages  and  deaths,  which  perhaps  could  be 
found  nowhere  else.  Sudbury  has  at  present  five  cemeteries 
within  its  limits:  one  at  South  Sudbury,  one  at  North  Sud- 
bury, and  three  at  the  Centre  ;  but  the  first  burial  place  of 
the  town  was  in  East  Sudbury,  now  Wayland. 

sudbury's  first  burying-ground. 

This  ancient  burial  place  is  in  Wayland,  on  the  north  side 
of  the  road  leading  to  Sudbury  Centre,  and  about  a  half 
mile  from  the  railroad  station.  It  has  the  general  appear- 
ance of  an  old-time  graveyard.  The  wild  grass  covers  the 
toughened  and  irregular  sod,  and  the  uneven  surface  of  the 
ground  indicates  that  it  was  long,  long  ago  broken  by  the 
sexton's  spade.  These  indications  of  the  existence  of  old 
graves  are  correct.  It  was  the  burying-ground  of  the  set- 
tlers, and  here  — 

"  Where  heaves  the  turf  in  many  a  mouldering  heap, 
Each  in  his  narrow  cell  forever  laid, 
The  rude  forefathers  of  the  hamlet  sleep." 

668 


HISTORY  OP   SUDBURY.  569 

The  older  part  of  this  cemetery  lies  near  or  beside  the 
county  highway,  and  may  be  the  half  acre  bought  of  John 
Loker  for  a  burial  place.  Tradition  says  that  prior  to  the 
selection  of  this  spot  a  few  interments  were  made  just  over 
the  hill  to  the  north,  where  tradition  also  states  that  there 
was  an  Indian  graveyard.  These  traditions  have  perhaps 
some  confirmation  in  the  fact  that  on  the  northern  hillside 
remains  of  human  skeletons  have  been  exhumed.  An  old 
citizen,  Mr.  Sumner  Draper,  states  that  in  his  boyhood,  when 
men  were  at  work  in  the  gravel  pit  in  what  was  known  as 
the  "old  Indian  graveyard,"  he  saw  bones  which  they  dug 
up,  that  he  thought  belonged  to  several  human  skeletons, 
and  that  he  had  himself  in  later  years  dug  up  a  human  skull. 
He  also  stated  that  there  were  two  or  three  flat  stones  on 
some  graves,  which  he  believed  were  without  any  inscrip- 
tion, and  that  he  thought  some  such  stones  were  removed 
from  the  spot  long  ago. 

The  town  owned  thereabouts  two  or  three  acres  of  land, 
which  was  generally  known  as  the  "  old  Indian  graveyard." 
But  if  this  land  was  reserved  by  the  settlers  for  a  burial 
place,  it  was  not  long  made  use  of;  for  the  southerly  slope 
was  soon  set  apart  for  this  purpose,  and  has  continued  to  be 
used  for  more  than  two  centuries  and  a  half.  Additions 
have  repeatedly  been  made  to  this  latter  portion,  as  the 
generations  have  passed  away,  and  new  graves  have  been 
opened  to  receive  them ;  and  thus  has  the  slow,  solemn 
march  of  that  silent  company  been  moving  over  that  midway 
space,  until  the  two  portions  are  almost  joined.  Besides  the 
age  of  the  yard,  there  are  other  things  that  make  it  an  inter- 
esting spot  to  the  inhabitants  of  Sudbury.  Within  its  enclos- 
ure stood  the  first  meeting-house.  (See  page  100.)  Here  lie 
buried  the  bodies  of  those  who  bore  the  name  of  Goodnow, 
Curtis,  Grout,  Rutter,  Parmenter,  Rice,  Bent,  and  others  of 
the  early  grantees,  besides  still  others  of  Sudbury's  most 
prominent  citizens  before  the  division  of  the  town.  Because 
of  the  interest  that  thus  attaches  to  the  place,  although  it  is 
not  now  within  the  limits  of  the  town,  we  will  give  the  in- 
scriptions on  some  of  the  older  gravestones  which  lie  along 
the  common  highway. 


570  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

Memento  Mori. 
Here  lyethe  remains  of  Ephraim  Curtis  ESQr  who  departed  this  lyfe 
Nov'  the  17th  A  D  1759  in  the  80th  Year  of  his  age.  He  was  a  Loving 
Husband  and  a  Tender  Parent  a  faithful  Friend,  as  a  Justice  of  the 
Peace  he  Hon'd  his  Commission  by  adhering  steadily  to  the  Rules  of 
Justice,  he  was  Major  of  a  Regiment,  in  which  Office  he  conducted  in 
such  a  manner  as  gave  General  Satisfaction.  He  was  many  years  Rep- 
resentative in  the  General  Court,  a  lover  of  True  Piety,  belov'd  by  all 
that  knew  him  and  Equally  Lamented  at  his  Death. 

"  Here  learn 

the  end  of  man 

Know  that  thy  life 

is  but  a  span." 

On  this  gravestone  is  a  skull  and  crossbones. 

In  memory  of  Capt.  Joseph  Smith  Who  died  March  9th   1803,  aged 
87  years. 

Farewell  my  dear  and  loving  wife 
Farewell  my  children  and  my  friends 
Until  the  resurrection  day. 

Probably  the  captain  of  the  east  side  militia.     (See  period 
1775-1800.) 

Here  lyest  ye  Body  of   M"  Abagail  Paris  wife  to  Mr  Samuel  Paris, 
who  departed  this  life  Feb1*  ye  15th  1759  in  y    55th  Year  of  her  age. 

Probably  the  wife  of  the  son  of  Samuel  Paris  of  Witch- 
craft fame.     (See  period  1675-1700.) 

Here  Lyes  ye  Body  of  Mrs  Patience  Browne  wife  to  Majr  Thomas 
Browne  Aged  59  years.     Died  Aug8t  ye  15,  1706. 

Major  Thomas  Browne  was  a  very  prominent  Sudbury  citi- 
zen.    (See  page  36.) 

In  memory  of    Mr.  Joseph   Rutter,   who  died   Dec.  19th   1781  in 
ye  7gth  year  0f  his  age. 

Down  to  the  dead,  all  must  descend, 
The  saints  of  God  must  die. 
While  Angels  guard  their  souls  to  rest, 
In  dust  their  Bodies  lie. 

Erected  in  memory  of  Mrs  Mary  Rutter  wife  of  Mr.  Joseph  Rutter 
who  died  Sept  2°nd  A  E  82 


HISTOEY   OF   STJDBTJRY.  571 

Joseph  Rutter  was  a  descendant  and  probably  grandson  of 
John  Rutter,  builder  of  the  first  meeting-house,  which  stood 
just  beside  where  the  remains  of  Joseph  Rutter  now  lie. 
(See  page  43.) 

Memento  Mori. 
In  memory  of 
Mr.   Thomas    Bent  who    died  Mrs.  Mary  Bent  wife   of   Mr. 

Wednesday     morning     July     the        Thomas  Bent  who  died  Wednes- 
26th  1775.  day  morning  July  ye  26th  1775 

jEtatis  69.  ^Etatis  57. 

Our  term  of  time  is  seventy  years        Yet  then  our  boasted  strength  de- 

An  age  that  few  survive  cays, 

But   if   with   more   than  common  To  sorrow  turns  and  pain 

strength  So  soon  the  slender  thread  is  cut 

To  eighty  we  arrive  And  we  no  more  remain 

Two  notable  stones  are  those  that  mark  the  graves  of 
Capt.  Edmund  Goodnow  and  wife.  They  are  in  a  horizontal 
position,  and  just  east  of  the  old  meeting-house  site.  The 
inscription  is  rudely  cut,  and  in  the  language  of  other  years. 
It  is  as  follows  :  — 

YE-  DUST- 

HEARE-LYETH-  PRETIOUS- 

NT- 
OF  -  THAT  -  EMENANT  -  SARVA 

OF- 

GOD  -  CAP  -  EDMOND  -  GOODENOW  - 

YEARE - 
WHO -DIED -YE -77-  OF -HIS - 

AYGE- APRIL -YE -6 -1688. 

HERE  -  LYETH  -  YE  -  BODY  -  OF  -  ANNE  -  YE  - 
WIFE  -  OF  -  CAP  -  EDMOND  -  GOODENOW  - 
WHO  -  DYED  -  YE  :  9  :  OF  :  MARCH   1676  :  AGED  - 
67 -YEARS. 

HERE  -  LYETH  -  YE  -  BODY  -  OF  -  JOSEPH  - 
GOODENOW  -  WHO  -  DYED  -  YE  -  30  -  OF  -  MAY  : 
1676  :  AGED  -  31  -  YEARS.     FEBRY  - 18  - 1691. 


572  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

Here  lies  Buried  The  Body  of  ye  worthy  Joshua  Haynes  Esq  De- 
ceased March  ye  29  1757  in  the  88  year  of  His  Age.  He  was  a  Hearty 
Promoter  of  the  Public  weal  Whose  .  .  Humanity  Integrity  and  Laud- 
able Munificence  Embalm  His  name.  He  was  charitable  to  the  Poor 
and  at  his  Death  gave  many  Gifts  to  Particular  .  .  Besides  2  Thousand 
Pounds  Old  Tenor  to  a  Publick  School  and  ye  Poor  of  ye  Town  of 
Sudbury. 

Joshua  Haynes  was  the  donor  of  the  fund  called,  in  the  list 
of  bequests  to  Sudbury,  the  "  Ancient  Donation  Fund." 

HERE  -  LYES  -  YE  -  BODY  -  OF  -  M  R  -  JONATHAN  - 
SIMPSON  -  LATE  -  OF  -  BOSTON  -  WHO  -  DE- 
PARTED -  THIS  -  LIFE  -  NOVR  -  l8t-  1773  -  IN  -  THE  - 
54th  YEAR -OF- HIS -AGE. 

Charlestown  doth  claim  his  birth, 

Boston  his  habitation ; 
Sudbury  hath  his  grave, 

Where  was  his  expiration. 

THE  OLD   BURYING -GROUND  AT   SUDBURY   CENTRE. 

A  winding  wall  of  mossy  stone, 

Frost-flung  and  broken,  lines 
A  lonesome  acre  thinly  grown 

With  grass  and  wandering  vines. 

Whittier. 

The  oldest  graveyard  within  the  present  limits  of  Sudbury 
is  at  the  Centre.  It  is  situated  in  the  north-easterly  part  of 
the  village,  along  the  Concord  road  east  of  the  Methodist 
Church.  An  early  record  of  this  burying-place  is  found  in 
the  proprietor's  book,  and  bears  date  Feb.  26,  1716-17. 
(See  pages  121  and  122.)  Another  record  referring  to  it  is 
dated  June  12,  1725.     (See  page  292.) 

In  this  old  graveyard,  for  a  century  and  a  half  or  upwards, 
what  was  mortal  of  many  of  the  west  side  inhabitants  was  laid. 
The  names  of  Haynes,  Hunt,  Parmenter,  Goodnow,  Brown, 
Moore  and  Howe,  Bent,  Rice,  Richardson,  Willis,  Wheeler, 
Jones,  Puffer,  Hayden,  Walker,  and  a  host  of  others,  long 
familiar  in  Sudbury,  are  to  be  found  on  the  stones.  Un- 
like the  older  part  of  the  first  yard,  at  what  was  East  Sud- 
bury, the  gravestones  are  here  quite  numerous  ;  but,  though 


HISTORY  OP   SUDBURY.  573 

many,  they  do  not  mark  all  the  graves,  which  nearly  cover 
the  entire  space  of  that  "  thickly  peopled  ground."  The 
enclosure  is  encompassed  by  a  substantial  stone  wall,  which 
within  a  few  years  has  been  well  repaired.  The  place  has 
but  little  shrubbery  and  few  trees.  Just  beyond  the  road 
was  the  pound,  near  by  or  on  the  site  of  which  the  hearse 
house  now  stands.  Within  the  past  few  years  this  yard  has 
been  but  little  used.  Now  and  then  the  ground  has  been 
broken  as  the  fragment  of  some  ancient  family  has  found  its 
resting  place  among  a  group  of  old  graves ;  but  these  in- 
stances are  fewer  and  farther  between  as  time  passes  by,  and 
it  will  probably  soon  cease  to  be  used  for  new  burials,  but 
remain  with  unbroken  turf  until  the  morning  of  the  resurec- 
tion.  It  is  a  place  of  sacred  association,  and  as  such  has 
been  regarded  by  the  town's  people  ;  especially  was  it  much 
visited  by  them  during  the  intermission  between  the  Sabbath 
services,  when  two  sermons  were  preached  in  one  day.  Then 
the}r  visited  this  quiet  spot,  read  epitaphs,  talked  of  the  past, 
and  derived,  it  may  be,  such  lessons  from  the  suggestive 
scenes  as  were  a  moral  and  spiritual  help.  Along  the  north- 
erly side  of  the  yard  is  the  Sudbury  and  Concord  highway  ; 
and  ranged  beside  this  are  family  tombs.  One  of  these  is 
that  of  Mr.  John  Goodnow,  the  donor  of  the  Goodnow 
Library.  Upon  others  are  names  of  old  Sudbury  families. 
Within  the  yard  is  only  one  tomb  and  that  is  underground 
and  about  westerly  of  the  Plympton  monument,  and  sur- 
mounted with  a  small  brick  work  upon  which  lies  a  slate 
stone,  with  these  words  :  — 

HOPESTILL   BROWN,   ESQ.,   TOMBE. 
1731. 

This  tomb  contains  the  remains  of  descendants  of  Dea. 
William  Brown,  an  early  grantee,  who  once  resided  near 
Nobscot.  The  tomb  was  years  ago  nearly  full,  the  last  burial 
being  about  1852.  This  burying-ground  contains  several 
marble  monuments  of  some  considerable  size.  The  first  one 
was  erected  in  1835,  and  is  commemorative  of  the  Plympton 
family.     The  graves  of  two,  at  least,  of  Sudbury's  old  min- 


574  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

isters  are  there,  —  Reverends  Bigelow  and  Hurlbut ;  the  in- 
scriptions on  the  headstones  are  as  follows  :  — 

Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Rev.  Rufus  Hurlbut  late  minister  of  the 
church  and  society  in  Sudbury.  He  was  born  in  Southampton,  April 
21,  1787,  and  died  May  11,  1839.     Aged  52. 

"  Precious  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  is  the  death  of  His  saints."  Jesus 
said  "  I  am  the  resurrection  and  the  life,  he  that  believeth  in  me  though 
he  were  dead  yet  shall  he  live." 

In  memory  of  Rev.  Jacob  Bigelow,  Pastor  of  the  Church  and  Con- 
gregation at  Sudbury.  Born  Mar.  2,  1743.  Graduated  at  Harvard 
College  1766.  Ordained  in  the  Gospel  Ministry  1772.  After  a  happy 
and  harmonious  connexion  with  the  People  of  his  charge  44  years  he 
died  Sept  12,  1818.  JEX  75  years.  Habitual  in  piety  and  exemplary  in 
his  life  &  conduct,  Cheerful  and  active  in  health,  patient  and  resigned 
in  sickness:  beloved  and  respected  while  living,  he  was  followed  to  the 
tomb  with  grateful  remambrance  by  his  relatives  and  the  flock  of  his 
charge. 

This  yard  is  the  burial  place  of  more  or  less  of  those 
who  participated  in  the  Concord  fight,  and  subsequent  bat- 
tles and  scenes  of  the  Revolutionary  period.  Notable  among 
these  is  the  grave  of  Deacon  Haynes,  upon  whose  gravestone 
is  this  epitaph :  — 

In  memory  of  Deacon  Josiah  Haynes  who  died  in  Freedom's  Cause 
ye  19th  of  April  1775  :  in  the  79th  year  of  his  Age. 
Come  listen  all  unto  this  call 

Which  God  doth  make  to  day 
For  you  must  die  as  well  as  I 
And  pass  from  hence  away. 

(For  more  concerning  Deacon  Haynes  see  Chapter  XX.) 
Other   stones    at    the  graves  of  prominent    men    of    those 
times  are  inscribed  as  follows  :  — 

In  memory  of  Capt.  Asahel  Wheeler  an  officer  in  the  Revolution, 
Died  Oct.  28  1822  aged  81  years. 

In  the  northerly  part  is  the  grave  of  Capt.  Jabes  Puffer, 
marked  with  a  slate  stone  slab. 

Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Col.  Ezekial  How  who  died  Oct.  15,  1796. 
/Etatis  77. 


HISTORY  OF  SUDBURY.  575 

Sacred  in  memory  of  Wra  Rice.  Esq.  who  died  Dec.  5,  1819.  ^Et.  82. 
Whose  true  character  will  be  better  known  at  the  resurrection. 

Erected  in  memory  of  Mr.  John  Goodnow  who  died  Oct.  13,  1863. 
yEt.  101  yrs.  8  mos.  14  ds     "  The  Lord  is  my  Shepherd." 

The  grave  of  a  servant  of  Rev.  Israel  Loring  has  a  stone 
there  thus  inscribed  :  — 

Here  Lies  ye  Body  of  Simeon  ye  Once  Faithful  &  Beloved  Servant  of 
ye  Rvd  M  isra"  Loring,  who  Died  May  ye  10,  1755.  In  ye  22  Year  of 
His  Age. 

On  the  stone  of  Capt.  David  Haynes,  who  died  1775,  in 
his  eighty-fifth  year,  is  this  inscription  :  — 

Reader 
Death  is  a  debt  to  Nature  Due 
As  I  have  paid  it  so  must  You. 

On  that  of  Mrs.  Mary  Willis  the  inscription  is  as  fol- 
lows :  — 

Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Mrs.  Mary  Willis  who  died  Oct.  9,  1805. 
Aged  84  years. 

Sickness  sore  long  time  I  bore 

Physicians  was  in  vain 
Till  GOD  did  please  to  give  me  ease 
And  free  me  from  my  pain. 

Some  of  the  oldest  have  the  following  inscriptions  :  — 

Here  lyes  ye  Body  of  Mr  Joseph  Brintnal  Died  June  ye  28:  1731  in 
ye  49th  year  0{  his  age. 

Here  lies  Buried  ye  Body  of  Deacn  James  Haynes  who  Departed  this 
life  Octobr  ye  15th  A.  D.  1732  In  ye  72d  year  of  his  age. 

Here  lies  buried  ye  body  of  Mr  Abraham  Woods  Junr  who  departed 
this  life  July  ye  11th  A.  D.  1742.     Age  58  years,  2  M.  &  25  D. 

The  oldest  graves  are  near  the  centre  of  the  yard.  Proba- 
bly for  the  first  few  years  after  the  lot  was  laid  out,  burials 
were  less  numerous  than  a  little  later,  as  the  associations 
connected  with  the  more  ancient  churchyard  in  the  east  part 
of  the  town  would  naturally  lead  to  its  somewhat  continued 
use  by  the  west  side  inhabitants. 


576  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 


MOUNT   WADSWORTH   CEMETERY. 

It  lies  upon  a  sunlit  slope, 
Where,  lingering  late,  the  sunset  rays 

Aslant  their  golden  radiance  cast, 
And  lovingly  day  longest  stays. 

This  cemetery  is  at  South  Sudbury,  and  formerly  belonged 
to  the  Israel  Howe  Browne  estate.  It  was  originally  quite 
small,  having  been  enlarged  several  times.  Formerly  the 
last  lot  to  the  eastward  was  that  of  Asahel  Haynes,  and  the 
northern  boundary  was  just  north  of  the  tombs  or  about  mid- 
way of  the  present  width  of  the  cemetery.  The  entrance 
was  formerly  south  of  Dr.  Levi  Goodenough's  house  and 
joined  his  grounds,  but  it  was  changed  about  the  time  the 
Wadsworth  monument  was  erected,  and  now  leads  from  the 
avenue  that  goes  to  the  monument.  In  presenting  the  vari- 
ous changes  that  have  been  made  in  this  cemetery,  we  quote 
from  a  paper  prepared  by  A.  J.  Goodenough  in  1881,  and  read 
before  an  audience  in  Sudbury  Town  Hall :  "  The  cemetery 
was  first  enlarged  in  1842.  Miss  Jerusha  Howe,  who  died 
Feb.  21,  1842,  had  provided  in  her  will  a  sum  of  money  for  a 
monument,  which  at  that  time  seemed  an  extravagant  outlay. 
Her  brother,  Lyman  Howe,  Esq.,  wishing  to  obtain  a  suit- 
able site  for  so  costly  a  structure,  and  no  satisfactory  place 
within  the  old  grounds  being  found,  he  selected  the  emi- 
nence north  of  the  grounds  —  then  a  stony  pasture  —  as 
being  more  sightly  and  appropriate.  Mr.  Browne  was  un- 
willing at  first  to  have  him  occupy  this  place,  as  it  involved 
the  enlargement  of  the  grounds,  and  among  other  difficulties 
did  not  wish  to  see  land  further  north  [used]  for  burial  pur- 
poses without  the  consent  of  Dr.  Goodenough,  as  it  might 
injure  his  well  of  water.  After  considerable  consultation  on 
the  subject,  Mr.  Browne  yielded,  Dr.  Goodenough  giving  his 
consent,  provided  no  lots  should  be  sold  any  nearer  his  land 
than  Miss  Howe's.  This  increased  the  size  of  the  cemetery 
to  about  double  the  original  extent.  But  many  years  did 
not  pass  before  the  new  ground  was  almost  wholly  occupied ; 
Miss  Howe's  monument  attracting  much  attention,  and  being 
probably  the   principal  cause  of  many  selecting  their  lots 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  577 

here.  By  some  means,  however,  four  lots  were  sold  between 
Miss  Howe's  and  Dr.  Goodenough's  land,  and  three  of  them 
were  occupied.  This  proved  a  difficulty,  as  they  not  only 
interfered  with  the  entrance  to  Miss  Howe's  lot,  but  Dr. 
Goodenough  became  anxious  lest  the  water  in  his  well 
should  be  injured  by  this  encroachment.  Accordingly  he 
bought  the  three  lots  that  had  been  occupied,  paying  the 
owners  for  new  lots,  as  well  as  the  expense  of  removing  the 
remains,  and  Esquire  Howe  buying  out  the  unoccupied  lot. 
Thus  they  hoped  to  secure  for  the  future  open  grounds, 
which  might  be  either  a  grassy  lawn,  or  be  beautified  with 
flowers,  and  thus  render  those  living  near  free  from  danger 
in  their  wells  of  water,  Mr.  Brown  assuring  the  doctor  that 
the  ground  should  not  be  used  for  burial  purposes  during  his 
lifetime.  One  of  these  lots  came  so  close  to  Miss  Howe's 
that  access  could  scarcely  be  had  to  it,  no  space  being  left 
for  a  walk  between.  This  probably  was  the  reason  why  Mr. 
Howe  united  in  purchasing  the  lots.  It  is  presumable  that 
this  was  the  occasion  of  a  general  agreement  between  the 
owners  of  lots,  to  make  walks  between  their  lots,  for  no  pro- 
vision was  made  for  walks  when  the  cemetery  was  first  laid 
out." 

Since  the  paper  from  which  we  have  quoted  was  written, 
the  cemetery  has  been  still  further  enlarged  until  it  now  ex- 
tends nearly  back  to  the  hill.  A  few  years  ago,  there  was  a 
small  growth  of  trees  along  the  avenues  and  about  more  or 
less  of  the  lots,  but  they  were  recently  removed  lest  they 
should  deface  the  stones.  The  arch  at  present  over  the  east 
entrance  to  the  cemetery  was  erected  in  1879,  by  Mr.  Israel 
H.  Browne  over  the  west  entrance.  It  was  completed  July, 
1879.  There  are  those  who  remember  the  old  man  as  he 
stood  and  surveyed  it,  leaning  on  his  staff,  his  eyes  filled 
with  tears.  "This  will  stand,"  he  said,  "  when  I  am  gone. 
The  rest  will  live  to  see  it,  but  I  shall  not  be  here  long." 
He  died  within  a  few  weeks. 

The  following  is  from  a  newspaper  notice  of  his  death : 
"  Mr.  I.  H.  Browne,  who  recently  caused  the  arch  to  be 
erected  over  the  entrance  to  Mt.  Wadsworth,  was  suddenly 
stricken  with  paralysis  Aug.  10  [1879].      He  rallied  for  a 


578  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

few  days,  then  swiftly  sank  away,  and  in  two  weeks  passed 
from  earth,  dying  Aug.  25,  proving  his  own  words  prophetic, 
that  he  might  be  the  first  from  town  borne  beneath  the  arch 
for  burial."  The  erection  of  this  arch  permanently  affixed  the 
name  Mount  Wadsworth  to  the  grounds.  After  the  ceme- 
tery came  under  the  control  of  the  cemetery  corporation  the 
arch  was  removed  to  its  present  position. 

The  first  monument  erected  in  this  yard  was  that  of 
Jerusha  Howe,  and  placed  in  the  first  enlargement  of  the 
grounds.  The  next  was  a  plain  marble  shaft  put  up  by  Dr. 
Goodenough,  which  was  the  first  in  the  old  ground.  Ac- 
cording to  an  estimate  made  about  the  year  1881,  the 
number  buried  in  the  old  part  of  the  cemetery  was  about 
one  hundred  and  thirty-three,  and  in  the  new  parts  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty-nine.  This  estimate  does  not  include  those  in 
the  tombs,  nor  several  graves  nearly  or  quite  levelled  down. 
The  plan  of  making  this  a  common  burial  place,  it  is  sup- 
posed, was  first  conceived  of  by  Mrs.  Lucy  Hinckly,  a 
daughter  of  Mr.  I.  H.  Browne,  whose  brother  had  recently 
died  and  been  interred  in  the  family  tomb  at  the  Centre. 
About  that  time  there  also  died  at  South  Sudbury  Mrs. 
John  Browne,  Sen.,  and  Mr.  Gideon  Richardson  and  wife, 
who  were  likewise  buried  at  Sudbury  Centre.  The  desire  to 
have  the  bodies  of  these  friends  nearer  by,  the  fact  that  the 
old  burial-ground  was  so  full,  and  that  the  spot  was  suitable, 
and  made  appropriate  by  the  grave  of  Captain  Wadsworth 
and  his  men,  all  contributed  to  the  setting  apart  of  this 
ground  as  a  cemetery.  The  first  interments  were  of  remains 
removed  from  the  old  burying  yard,  and  were  made  June  20, 
1835.  It  is  supposed  the  bodies  then  removed  were  those 
of  Elbridge,  Melissa,  and  John  Calvin  Richardson  and  Edwin 
H.  Browne ;  that  the  latter  was  one  of  them  is  indicated  by 
the  following  from  a  letter  of  Mrs.  L.  Fairbanks,  daughter  of 
I.  H.  Browne  :  "  I  have  just  been  to  the  new  cemetery,  where 
dear  little  Edwin  now  rests.  He  was  removed  with  some 
others  some  time  ago  from  the  old  brick  tomb  where  our 
ancestors  were  all  buried,  and  now  they  are  only  a  little  dis- 
tance from  our  home.  Lucy  was  the  first  to  suggest  to  have 
Father  plan  this  new  burial  place." 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  579 

Mr.  John  Browne,  Sr.,  the  brothers  Gardner,  Luther,  and 
Sewall  Hunt  formed  a  plan  to  build  jointly  three  tombs. 
Mr.  Luther  Hunt,  dying  April  17,  1836,  did  not  see  the 
work  completed  which  he  had  helped  to  plan.  The  tomb  of 
Mr.  John  Browne,  Sr.,  has  inscribed  ou  it  J.  and  E.  Browne. 
These  tombs  were  erected  in  1836.  The  stone  was  quarried 
at  the  foot  of  Nobscot  hill,  on  the  north-east  side,  and  cut, 
hewn  and  fitted  at  the  cemetery  by  Messrs.  Damon  and  Pen- 
niman,  who  were  the  principal  workmen.  The  granite,  it  is 
supposed,  was  from  a  hugh  boulder,  rather  than  from  a  ledge 
native  to  the  hill.  The  next  tomb  was  erected  by  C.  G.  Cut- 
ler, in  1839,  and  later,  followed  those  of  Roland  Cutler  and 
A  and  E.  Kidder ;  the  latter  of  which  has  been  somewhat 
altered  within  the  last  few  years.  In  this  tomb  were- de- 
posited for  a  little  time  the  remains  of  Captain  Wadsworth's 
men,  after  they  were  taken  up  for  removal  to  the  present 
enclosure. 

ORGANIZATION   OF   THE   MOUNT   WADSWORTH   CEMETERY 
CORPORATION. 

COMMONWEALTH    OF   MASSCHUSETTS. 
MIDDLESEX  ss.  Sudbury,  Jan.  12,  1887. 

To  the  proprietors  of  "  Mount  Wadswortb  Cemetery  "  in  Sudbury,  in 
said  County. 
A  majority  in  interest  of  the  proprietors  of  Mount  Wadsworth  Ceme- 
tery, having  petitioned  to  Jonas  S.  Hunt,  a  justice  of  the  peace  in  said 
county,  that  they  desire  to  organize  a  corporation  under  the  public 
statutes,  the  said  justice  of  the  peace  has  issued  his  warrant  directed  to 
the  undersigned,  and  the  substance  of  said  warrant  is:  That  a  meeting 
of  said  proprietors  will  be  held  at  the  chapel  in  South  Sudbury  on 
Monday,  the  31st  day  of  January,  A.  D.  1887,  at  2  o'clock  P.  M.,  for  the 
purpose  of  organizing  a  corporation  of  the  proprietors  of  Mount  Wads- 
worth  Cemetery,  to  elect  all  necessary  officers  of  such  Corporation  and 
to  transact  such  other  business  as  may  properly  come  before  the 
meeting.  Hubbard  H.  Brown, 

One  of  said  Proprietors. 

Certificate  of  Organization. 

We,  Rufus  H.  Hurlbut,  President,  Hubbard  H.  Brown,  Treasurer, 
and  Joseph  C.  Howe,  John  B.  Goodnow  and  Nahum  Goodnow,  being  a 
majority  of  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Mount  Wadsworth  Cemetery 
Association,  in  compliance  with  the  requirements  of  the  Public  Statutes, 


580  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

do  hereby  certify  that  the  following  is  a  true  copy  of  the  agreement  of 
association  to  constitute  said  corporation,  with  the  names  of  the  sub- 
scribers thereto  : 

"  We  whose  names  are  hereto  subscribed  do,  by  this  agreement, 
associate  ourselves  with  the  intention  to  constitute  a  corporation  accord- 
ing to  the  provisions  of  the  eighty-second  chapter  of  the  Public  Statutes 
of  the  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts  and  the  acts  in  amendment 
thereof  and  in  addition  thereto. 

"  The  name  by  which  this  corporation  shall  be  known  is  '  Mount 
Wadsworth  Cemetery.' 

"  The  purpose  for  which  the  corporation  is  constituted  is  to  hold 
land  and  tombs  for  a  place  of  sepulture,  and  such  buildings  as  may  be 
necessary  for  such  purpose,  with  the  right  to  sell  burial  lots,  erect 
tombs,  and  with  all  privileges  such  corporations  are  entitled  to  under 
the  Statutes  of  Massachusetts. 

"  The  place  within  which  the  corporation  is  established  or  located  is 
the  town  of  Sudbury,  within  said  Commonwealth. 

"  In  witness  whereof,  we  have  hereunto  set  our  hands  this  twelfth 
day  of  January,  in  the  year  eighteen  hundred  and  eighty-seven." 

Samuel  B.'Rogers,  Jonas  S.  Hunt, 

John  B.  Goodnow,  Edward  E.  Brown, 

Nahum  Goodnow,  Hiram  G.  Burr, 

Hubbard  H.  Brown,  James  P.  Carpenter, 

RUFUS    H.    HURLBUT,  WlLLIAM    L.    STONE, 

Athertox  W.  Rogers,  Edward  N.  Eaton, 

Luther  S.  Cutting,  W.  A.  Ames, 

Joseph  C.  Howe,  Stephen  Moore, 

Walter  Rogers,  Homer  Rogers, 

Charles  L.  Goodnow,  Geo.  A.  Oviatt, 

Fred.  C.  Fisher,  Mrs.  John  A.  Goodwin, 

George  W.  Hunt,  Mrs.  J.  D.  Goodenough. 

"  That  the  first  meeting  of  the  subscribers  to  said  agreement  was 
held  on  the  thirty-first  day  of  January,  in  the  year  eighteen  hundred  and 
eighty-seven,  and  by  adjournment  on  the  fourteenth  day  of  February,  in 
said  year. 

"  In  witness  whereof,  we  have  hereunto  signed  our  names  this  four- 
teenth day  of  February,  in  the  year  eighteen  hundred  and  eighty-seven." 

RUFUS    H.    HURLBUT, 

Hubbard  H.  Brown, 
John  B.  Goodnow, 
Joseph  C.  Howe, 
Nahum  Goodnow. 

commonwealth  of  massachusetts. 
Middlesex  ss.  Feb.  14,  1887. 

Then  personally  appeared  the  above-named  Rufus  H.  Hurlbut,  Hub- 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  581 

bard  H.  Brown,  John  B.  Goodnow,  Joseph  C.  Howe  and  Nahum  Good- 
now,  and  severally  made  oath  that  the  foregoing  certificate,  by  them 
subscribed,  is  true  to  the  best  of  their  knowledge  and  belief. 

Before  me, 

Jonas  S.  Hunt, 

Justice  of  the  Peace. 

Town  Clerk's  Office,  Sudbury,  March  1, 1887. 
The  above  certificate  received  and  recorded  with  "  Sudbury  Records 
of  Organization  of  Corporations." 

Attest:  Jonas  S.  Hunt, 

Town  Clerk. 

proceedings  of  first  meeting. 

Jan.  31,  1887. 

Pursuant  to  a  warrant  issued  by  Jonas  S.  Hunt,  justice  of  the  peace, 
dated  Jan.  12,  1887,  on  petition  of  Samuel  B.  Rogers  and  others  inter- 
ested in  the  Mount  Wadsworth  Cemetery,  so  called,  a  meeting  was  held 
in  the  chapel  at  South-Sudbury,  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  a  corpora- 
tion under  the  Public  Statutes  of  Massachusetts. 

Said  meeting  was  called  to  order  and  the  warrant  read  by  Hubbard 
H.  Brown,  to  whom  said  warrant  was  directed,  and  the  several  articles 
were  acted  upon  as  follows  : 

Article  1.     Chose  Rufus  H.  Hurlbut  moderator. 

Art.  2.     Chose  Jonas  S.  Hunt  clerk. 

Art.  .'5.  Voted  to  proceed  to  organize  a  corporation  to  be  called  the 
Mount  Wadsworth  Cemetery. 

Art.  4.  Voted  to  choose  necessary  officers  for  said  corporation  by 
ballot ;  said  officers  to  consist  of  the  following,  viz. :  a  President,  Clerk, 
Treasurer,  three  Trustees  and  five  Directors,  and  the  following  were 
chosen:  Rufus  H.  Hurlbut,  President;  Jonas  S.  Hunt,  Clerk;  Hubbard 
H.  Brown,  Treasurer;  John  B.  Goodnow,  Nahum  Goodnow  and  Joseph 
C.  Howe,  Trustees;  Rufus  H.  Hurlbut,  John  B.  Goodnow,  Nahum 
Goodnow,  Joseph  C.  Howe  and  Hiram  G.  Burr,  Directors. 

Soon  after  the  death  of  Mr.  Israel  H.  Browne,  the  former 
owner  of  the  cemetery  grounds,  his  heirs  sold  their  interest 
in  the  property  to  five  persons,  who  conveyed  it  to  the 
Mount  Wadsworth  Corporation  soon  after  its  organization. 
On  the  southerly  side  of  the  cemetery  is  the  grave  of  Hon. 
John  Goodwin,  once  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives. In  the  north-easterly  corner,  as  it  was  about  1850, 
was  the  original  Wadsworth  grave.  Because  of  the  former 
existence  of  that  grave  and  the  present  Wadsworth  monu- 
ment, this  cemetery  is  of   more   than  ordinary  importance, 


582  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

and  will  long  be  visited  by  those  interested  in  the  history  of 
Captain  Wadsworth  and  his  men. 

MOUNT    PLEASANT    CEMETERY. 

"In  that  village  on  the  hill 
Never  is  sound  of  smithy  or  mill ; 
The  houses  are  thatched  with  grass  and  flowers, 
Never  a  clock  to  tell  the  hours ; 


All  the  village  lie  asleep; 
Never  again  to  sow  or  reap; 
Never  in  dreams  to  moan  or  sigh, 
Silent  and  idle  and  low  they  lie." 

The  third  cemetery  laid  out  in  Sudbury  is  at  the  Centre 
and  is  called  Mount  Pleasant.  As  its  name  suggests,  it  is 
pleasantly  situated  on  a  hill  and  is  just  north  of  the  common. 
The  original  name  was  "  Pine  Hill,"  and  later,  it  took  the 
name  of  "Pendleton  Hill."  In  the  second  book  of  Town 
Records  is  the  following,  referring  to  land  near  it,  "laid  out 
to  the  right  of  Briant  Pendleton  sixteen  acres  and  one  hun- 
dred and  forty  rods  on  and  adjoining  to  the  Pine  Hill  near 
to  and  north-westerly  of  the  meeting  house  on  Rocky  Plane 
(Sudbury  Centre)  in  the  West  Precinct  in  said  Sudbury." 
(See  page  292.)  This  cemetery  contains  about  four  acres, 
which  were  bought  of  Mrs.  Reuben  Rice,  afterwards  Mrs. 
Thomas  Bent,  by  a  company  of  proprietors,  the  original 
members  of  which  were  Aaron  Hunt,  Cyrus  Hunt,  Charles 
Gerry,  William  Maynard,  Abel  B.  Jones,  Thomas  Stearns, 
Samuel  Jones,  Asa  Jones.  The  land  cost  one  hundred 
dollars,  and  the  proprietors  paid  twelve  dollars  and  a  half 
apiece.  After  the  original  purchase,  a  small  three-cornered 
strip  was  bought  of  William  Maynard  for  a  passage-way  to 
the  town  graveyard.  It  was  set  apart  for  burial  purposes 
soon  after  1840.  The  first  proprietor's  meeting  was  held 
May  24,  1845,  and  the  following  officers  were  elected  :  Abel 
B.  Jones,  Moderator ;  Charles  Stearns,  Clerk ;  Aaron  Hunt, 
Treasurer;  Aaron  Hunt,  Abel  B.  Jones,  Charles  Stearns, 
Directors.  The  first  body  buried  there  was  that  of  Capt. 
Samuel  Jones,  and  about  the  same  time  that  of  Dr.  Thomas 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  583 

Stearns.  There  is  a  fine  view  from  the  hill  to  the  north- 
ward, and,  though  the  place  is  so  near  a  much  travelled 
highway,  it  is  so  situated  as  to  be  quite  secluded. 

THE    NEW   CEMETERY. 

Near  Mount  Pleasant  is  a  new  cemetery  that  is  owned  by 
the  town.  It  was  purchased  a  few  years  ago,  and  has  an 
entrance  on  the  south  to  the  county  road,  near  the  tomb  of 
John  Goodnow. 

NORTH  SUDBURY  CEMETERY. 

It  knew  the  glow  of  eventide, 

The  sunrise  and  the  noon, 
And  glorified  and  sanctified 

It  slept  beneath  the  moon. 

Whittier. 

The  North  Sudbury  Cemetery  is  situated  upon  a  sunny 
knoll  and  consists  of  one  and  six-tenths  acres  of  land,  for- 
merly owned  by  Reuben  Haynes,  and  purchased  by  a  com- 
pany for  a  cemetery  in  1843.  It  is  about  one-eighth  of  a 
mile  from  North  Sudbuiy  village  on  the  county  road  lead- 
ing from  Framingham  to  Concord.  It  is  quite  regularly 
laid  out  in  paths,  with  a  carriage-way  extending  about  it. 
The  lots  are  in  area  twenty-four  by  thirty  feet ;  there  are 
about  two  hundred  and  eleven  persons  buried  in  the  yard 
and  tombs.  The  first  person  buried  there  was  Sumner 
Haynes,  son  of  Josiah,  Jr.,  and  Mary  Haynes,  who  died 
Aug.  6,  1843. 

Soon  after,  the  bodies  of  the  following  persons  were  re- 
moved from  the  old  cemetery  at  Sudbury  Centre  and  interred 
here. 

LYDIA, 

Wife  of  Josiah  Haynes, 

Died  Mar.  3,  1843. 

Aged  66. 

Gone  from  earth  to  bloom  in  heaven. 

HARRIET   AMELIA, 

Daughter  of  Leander  and  Harriet  Haynes, 

Died  Nov.  28,  1839. 


584  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

SUSAN    HUNT, 

Daughter  of  Israel  and  Ruth  Hunt. 

Died  Jan.  2,  1817. 

In  this  yard  lie  buried  Capt.  Israel  Haynes,  Nahum 
Thompson,  Esq.,  and  Deacon  Levi  Dakin.  Among  the 
aged  people  are  John  Hunt,  born  Aug.  16,  1777,  died  April 
1,  1873 ;  Willard  Maynard,  died  June  29, 1879,  aged  ninety- 
two,  and  Josiah  Haynes,  died  Sept.  6, 1857,  aged  eighty-nine 
years,  five  months.  Two  soldiers  who  died  during  the  Civil 
War  are  buried  here. 

OLIVER   M.    RICHARDS, 

member  of  co.  g. 

47th  Reg't  Mass.  Vols. 

Died  Sept.  5,  1863. 

Aet.  36  yrs.  5  m. 

The  grave  has  claimed  our  cherished  one. 
Father,  teach  us  to  say,  "  Thy  will  be  done." 
On  those  bright  plains,  that  ever  blessed  shore, 
We  hope  to  meet  thee  there,  to  part  no  more. 

HENRY    L.    HAYNES, 
killed  at  the  battle  of 

Berryville  Va. 

Sept.  19,  1864.     Aet.  36  yrs. 

A  Member  of  Company  C,  14  Reg.  N.  H.  Vols. 

Here  are  two  tombs,  severally  inscribed  :  — 

ISRAEL   HUNT'S    TOMB 
1845. 

ELISHA   MOORE 
1861. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  585 

BURIAL   CUSTOMS. 

For  thus  our  fathers  testified  — 

That  he  might  read  who  ran 
The  emptiness  of  human  pride, 

The  nothingness  of  man. 

Whittier. 

The  piety  of  our  ancestors  left  little  room  for  customs  that 
were  senseless  or  uninstructive.  If  they  were  severely  sol- 
emn, they  were  devoutly  so ;  and,  if  they  employed  some 
curious  devices,  it  was  for  the  promotion  of  good.  The 
position  of  their  gravestones  shows  that  the  dead  were  laid 
with  the  feet  toward  the  east,  or,  as  it  was  termed,  "  facing 
the  east."  Whence  and  why  this  custom,  we  know  not.  It 
might  have  had  reference  to  the  star  of  the  east  that  an- 
nounced the  birthplace  of  Christ ;  but,  whatever  the  cause, 
it  doubtless  was  suggested  by  some  religious  idea.  To  us 
it  is  a  strong  reminder  of  the  words  of  John  Bunyan :  "  The 
pilgrim  they  laid  in  a  large  upper  chamber  whose  window 
opened  towards  the  sun  rising,  the  name  of  the  chamber  was 
Peace,  where  he  slept  till  break  of  day,  and  then  he  awoke 
and  sang." 

The  character  of  the  gravestones  was  another  peculiarity 
of  those  primitive  times.  It  would  seem  the  object  was  to 
impart  to  these  mementos  of  the  departed  the  most  sombre 
aspect  imaginable.  As  no  flowers  but  those  that  were  strewn 
by  God's  pitying  hand  were  ever  suffered  to  intrude  their 
gay,  sweet  presence  within  the  solemn  enclosure,  so  the 
nearest  approach  to  anything  like  sympathetic  embellishment 
on  those  dark  slabs  was  the  weeping  willow,  which  drooped 
its  long  branches  over  a  funeral  urn.  But  the  more  common 
ornament  was  the  "skull  and  cross-bones,"  under  which 
were  uncouth  markings  and  strange  inscriptions.  Sometimes 
the  stones  were  placed  in  groups,  sometimes  in  irregular 
rows.  Some  were  placed  upright  and  others  horizontal  on 
the  ground  ;  but,  as  the  latter  are  few  and  of  very  early  date, 
we  infer  that  this  mode  was  exceptional  or  that  it  soon  passed 
out  of  use.  Perhaps  it  was  a  wise  precaution  in  those  far-off 
times  to  protect  the  grave  from  the  wild  beasts  which  were 


586  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

prowling  about  through  the  adjacent  forests  in  search  of  prey. 
Another  peculiarity  is  the  fewness  of  the  stones  in  our  old 
graveyards.  A  casual  glance  might  lead  one  to  think  they 
were  full  of  slate-stone  slabs,  but  actual  count  gives  only  a 
few  hundred  for  all  who  died  in  the  first  century  and  a  half. 
Indeed,  in  the  older  portion  of  the  East  Sudbury  grave 
yard  there  are  only  two  or  three  scores  of  stones,  yet  the 
yard  contains  the  remains  of  a  large  portion  of  the  town's 
early  inhabitants.  Indeed,  a  new  grave  can  hardly  be  dug 
without  intruding  upon  an  old  one.  This  seems  to  show 
that  the  practice  of  marking  graves  in  old  times  was  the 
exception  and  not  the  rule.  Still  another  characteristic 
feature  of  these  ancient  grounds  was  their  barren  and  neg- 
lected aspect.  The  graves  were  gradually  levelled  by  the 
touch  of  time,  the  ground  became  uneven  and  rough  and 
covered  over  with  briars  and  wild  grass.  Yet  we  may  be- 
lieve these  spots  were  not  in  reality  neglected  nor  forsaken, 
for,  though  the  floral  and  decorative  offering  was  a  thing 
unknown,  many  an  irregular,  beaten  path  testified  that  the 
place  of  their  dead  was  an  oft  frequented  spot. 

In  early  times  the  dead  were  carried  to  the  place  of  burial 
by  the  hands  of  friends.  No  hearse  was  used  till  about 
1800,  when  one  was  purchased  at  a  cost  of  fifty  dollars.  In 
process  of  time  a  bier  was  used,  and,  as  late  as  the  beginning 
of  this  century,  the  body  was  carried  on  the  shoulders  of  the 
bearers.  In  1715,  the  town  granted  tk  three  pounds  for  pro- 
viding a  burying  cloth  for  ye  town's  use.'"  In  1792,  it  voted 
to  provide  two  burying  cloths;  these  were  to  throw  over  the 
remains  in  their  transit  to  the  grave.  This  is  indicated  by 
the  following  record  :  — 

"  Lieut.  Thomas  Rutter  is  chosen  to  dig  graves,  to  carry 
the  bier  and  the  cloth  to  the  place  where  the  deceased  person 
hath  need  of  the  use  thereof,  and  shall  be  paid  two  shillings 
and  six  pence  in  money  for  every  individual  person." 

In  early  times,  gloves  were  provided  for  funeral  occasions. 
We  are  informed  of  this  repeatedly  by  the  records  of  the 
town.  About  1773,  "  To  James  Brown,  for  6  pairs  of  gloves 
for  Isaac  Allen's  child's  funeral  — 11  —  " 


HISTORY   OP   SUDBURY.  587 

"  To  Col.  Noyes  for  7  pairs  gloves  for  Isaac  Allen's  burial 
—  13  —  " 

"  To  Cornelius  Wood  for  3  pairs  gloves  for  John  Goode- 
now's  funeral."     This  was  about  1673. 

Almost  down  to  the  present  time  the  good  old  custom  pre- 
vailed of  ringing  the  bell  on  the  occasion  of  a  death.  How 
it  used  to  break  into  the  monotony  of  our  daily  toil  to  have 
the  silence  suddenly  broken  by  the  slow  tolling  bell,  that 
said  plainer  than  words  that  another  soul  had  dropped  into 
eternity.  Now  a  pause  —  listen  !  three  times  three  —  a  man, 
or,  three  times  two  —  a  woman.  Another  pause,  and  then 
strokes  corresponding  in  number  to  the  years  of  the  deceased. 
On  the  morning  of  the  funeral  the  bell  tolled  again,  and  also 
when  the  procession  moved  to  the  grave. 

As  late  as  1860,  it  was  common  to  have  a  note  read,  "  put 
up "  the  phrase  was,  in  church  on  the  Sabbath  following 
a  death,  in  which  the  nearest  relatives  asked  "  the  prayers 
of  the  church  that  the  death  be  sanctified  to  them  for  their 
spiritual  good." 

The  grounds  early  used  for  burial  were  owned  by  the  town 
and  set  apart  for  its  common  use.  No  private  parties 
possessed  "  God's  acre  "  then.  Proprietary  lots  were  un- 
known in  Sudbury  one  hundred  years  ago.  Every  citizen 
had  a  right  to  a  spot  for  burial  wherever  in  the  town's  bury- 
ing-ground  the  friends  might  choose  to  take  it.  The  rich 
and  poor  were  alike  borne  to  this  common  spot ;  caste  was 
laid  aside,  and  nothing  save  the  slab  at  the  grave's  head 
might  indicate  the  former  position  of  the  silent  occupant 
of  the  old-time  burial  place.  The  graves  of  households 
were  often  in  groups,  reminding  one  of  our  present  family 
lots,  but  this  was  by  common  consent,  and  not  by  any  titled 
right  to  the  spot. 

The  expense  of  funerals  in  those  early  days  was  much  less 
than  at  present.  The  coffin  was  made  by  the  village  carpen- 
ter of  common  pine  boards,  and  was  usually  colored  red. 
The  following  are  bills  for  coffins  about  a  hundred  years  ago  : 

"  Aug.  21st,  1781,  Isaac  Hunt  Dr  to  James  Thompson  '  to 
a  coffin  for  his  Father,  0  :  10  :  0.'" 

"  1800,  'For  making  a  coffin  for  a  woman,  1.67.'  " 


588  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

"  1806,  '  To  Peter  Willard  for  a  coffin  for  Elizabeth  Good- 
now,  1.30.' " 

"  The  coffin  of  Rev.  Jacob  Bryelow  cost  $10.00,  and  dig- 
ging the  grave  and  attending  his  funeral  was  $2.00." 


CHAPTER   XXXII. 


TAVERNS. 


Early  Names.  —  Character  and  Importance.  —  First  Tavern.  —  Others 
on  the  East  Side.  —  Taverns  in  the  South  Part  of  the  Town.  —  De- 
scription of  the  South  Sudbury  Tavern.  —  "Howe's  Tavern,"  or  the 
"Wayside  Inn."  —  Mr.  Longfellow's  Connection  with  it.  —  Location 
and  Early  History.  —  Description.  —  The  Last  Landlord.  —  Tradi- 
tions Concerning  it.  —  Taverns  on  the  Central  Road  of  the  Town. — 
Taverns  at  North  Sudbury. 

Whoe'er  has  travelled  life's  dull  round, 
Where'er  his  stages  may  have  been, 

May  sigh  to  think  that  he  has  found 
His  warmest  welcome  at  an  inn. 

Shenstone. 

The  Public  House  was  from  an  early  date  considered  in 
Sudbury  an  important  place.  In  1653  or  1654  we  find  it  on 
record  that  "  John  Parmenter,  senior,  shall  keep  a  house  of 
common  entertainment,  and  that  the  court  shall  be  moved  on 
his  behalf  to  grant  a  license  to  him."  (Town  Records,  page 
115.)  From  this  early  period  for  the  space  of  more  than 
two  centuries  public  houses  were  kept  here  and  there.  At 
first  they  were  called  "  Ordinaries,"  at  other  times  Public 
Houses,  but  generally  the  term  Tavern  was  used.  In  one 
prominent  instance  has  the  term  Inn  been  applied,  and  that 
in  connection  with  Howe's  Tavern,  which  Mr.  Longfellow 
called  the  "  Wayside  Inn." 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  589 

The  business  of  these  places  was  to  provide  travelers  with 
lodging  and  food,  or  to  furnish  "  entertainment  for  man  and 
beast."  They  were  to  an  extent  under  the  control  of  the 
town,  as  is  indicated  in  a  record  of  Oct.  4,  1684,  when  it 
was  ordered  that  upon  the  "  uncomfortable  representations 
and  reports  concerning  the  miscarriage  of  things  at  the 
Ordinary  ::::::::: 
three  or  four  of  the  selectmen,  in  the  name  of  the  rest,  do 
particularly  inquire  into  all  matters  relating  thereto."  In 
all  of  these  taverns  strong  drink  was  probably  sold.  Licenses 
were  granted  by  the  Provincial  or  Colonial  Court,  and  the 
landlords  were  usually  men  of  some  prominence.  Taverns 
were  considered  useful  places  in  the  early  times,  and  laws 
existed  relating  to  the  rights  of  both  landlord  and  guest.  In 
the  period  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  when  a  price-list  was 
determined  at  Sudbury  for  various  common  commodities,  the 
followino-  was  established  for  taverns  :  — 


'S 


1779—  Mugg  West  India  Phlip  15 

New  England  Do  12 

Toddy  in  proportion 

A  Good  Dinner  20 

Common  Do  12 

Best  Supper  &  Breakfast  15  Each. 

Common  Do  12,  Lodging  4. 

The  "  Parmenter  Tavern  "  was  the  first  one  kept  in  town, 
and  was  in  what  is  now  Wayland,  on  the  late  Dana  Par- 
menter estate,  a  little  westerly  of  the  present  Parmenter 
house.  The  building  was  standing  about  eighty  years  since, 
and  was  looking  old  then.  It  was  a  large  square  house,  and 
in  the  bar-room  was  a  high  bar.  There  the  council  was  en- 
tertained which  the  court  appointed  to  settle  the  famous 
"  cow  common  controversy."  Subsequently,  taverns  at  East 
Sudbury  were  kept  as  follows :  one  a  little  easterly  of  Wil- 
liam Baldwin's,  one  at  the  Centre,  now  called  the  "  Pequod 
House,"  one  west  of  Reeves'  hill,  at  the  Reeves'  place,  one 
at  the  Corner,  and  one  at  the  end  of  the  old  causeway,  near 
the  gravel  pit.  The  tavern  at  the  East  Sudbury  Centre  was 
kept  nearly  a  hundred  years  ago  by  John  Stone,  father  of 
William  who  afterwards  kept  one  at  Sudbury. 


590  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

The  taverns  that  were  on  the  west  side  the  river,  or 
within  the  present  town  limits,  were  on  the  three  principal 
highways  that  passed  easterly  and  westerly  through  the 
town.  At  the  south  part  they  were  on  the  Boston  and 
Worcester  road.  The  first  beyond  that  by  the  gravel  pit, 
was  on  the  John  Taylor  place,  and  kept  by  Mr.  Wheeler  at 
the  time  of  the  Revolutionary  War.  The  next  was  that  at 
South  Sudbury.  This  house  was  of  medium  size,  had  two 
stories  and  a  small  porch  in  front.  It  stood  at  the  corner  of 
the  Sudbury  Centre  and  Boston  and  Worcester  roads,  and  at 
a  point  south  or  south-east  of  the  Goodnow  Library.  To 
the  right  and  left  of  it  were  large  barns  and  driveways,  with 
numerous  stalls,  and  between  them  and  the  house  was  a  line 
of  sheds,  one  of  which  had  feeding  troughs  for  horses.  It 
could  probably  put  up  from  twenty -five  to  fifty  horses,  and 
in  the  old  days  of  staging  and  teaming  it  was  a  lively  place. 
At  the  beginning  of  this  century  the  tavern  looked  old,  and 
was  at  about  that  time  occupied  by  a  Mr.  Sawin.  Subse- 
quently, it  had  several  landlords.  One  of  the  last  whose  sign 
swung  there  was  S.  G.  Fessenden,  who  occupied  the  place 
about  forty  years  ago.  There  was  formerly  a  bowling  alley 
and  ball-room  attached  to  the  place.  A  stable  was  kept 
there,  and  it  was  the  terminus  of  the  stage  route  from  Stony 
Brook  to  Sudbury.  This  place  was  formerly  a  landmark  in 
the  village  of  South  Sudbury,  and  when  removed  made  a 
great  change  in  the  old-time  look  of  the  place.  It  was  in 
appearance  a  typical  tavern.  Facing  southward,  it  looked 
smilingly  upon  the  approaching  traveler,  with  its  little  roofed 
porch  around  which  the  clustering  woodbine  clung,  while 
just  in  front  and  be}rond  the  short  circular  drive  which 
gently  curved  from  the  country  road,  was  the  "  sign  post " 
and  "  martin  box "  to  which  the  martins  annually  came. 
Besides  these,  was  the  old  ash-tree  that  still  stands,  and  all 
taken  together  made  pleasant  surroundings  that  were  quite 
appropriate  to  a  country  inn.  A  tavern  was  kept  for  a  while 
at  the  Stone  place,  about  a  mile  west  of  Mill  Village.  Mr. 
William  Stone  was  its  only  proprietor,  and  it  years  ago  ceased 
to  be  used  as  a  public  house.  Beyond  the  bridge  a  tavern 
was  early  kept  on  the  George  Pitts  place.     (See  page  493.) 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  591 

THE  WAYSIDE   INN. 

The  scroll  reads  by  the  name  of  Howe. 

Longfellow. 

The  fifth  tavern  on  the  Boston  road  through  Sudbury, 
or  the  last  toward  Marlboro,  is  the  old  "  Howe  Tavern,"  or 
the  famous  "  Wayside  Inn "  of  Longfellow.  This  well- 
known  hostelry  scarcely  needs  any  description  by  us. 
Pictures  of  it  by  pencil  and  pen  have  been  many  times 
made,  and  have  variously  portrayed  its  quaint  characteris- 
tics. But  a  few  facts  here  will  be  proper ;  and,  first,  as 
to  the  poet  Longfellow's  connection  with  it.  It  is  supposed 
that  he  never  visited  the  spot  more  than  twice,  and  that 
then  his  visits  were  short.  Once,  in  his  youth,  it  is  believed 
that  he  stopped  there  while  on  his  way  to  New  York,  to 
take  passage  for  Europe,  and  once,  years  later,  at  which 
time  the  writer  saw  him  at  South  Sudbury  with  his  friend 
J.  T.  Fields,  as  they  stopped  at  the  house  of  a  relative  of  the 
Howe  family  to  inquire  about  the  Howe  coat-of-arms.  Thus 
limited  was  Mr.  Longfellow's  personal  knowledge  of  the 
place,  and  even  when  on  the  premises  it  is  said  that  he  re- 
ceived legends  and  traditions  from  a  source  somewhat  ques- 
tionable. The  truth  is,  the  place  was  early  brought  into 
notoriety  by  summer  boarders,  who  came  from  the  suburban 
towns,  prominent  among  whom  were  Dr.  Parsons  and  Prof. 
Treadwell  of  Cambridge.  The  former  of*  these  first  men- 
tioned "  Howe's  Tavern  "  in  verse,  and  from  his  writings, 
and  from  information  obtained  from  others,  Mr.  Longfellow 
doubtless  derived  much  of  his  material ;  and  about  these 
facts  he  arranged  such  a  setting  of  romance  and  legendary 
lore  as  his  ready  mind  knew  how  to  employ. 

But  stripped  of  every  feature  of  romance  which  may  prop- 
erly have  been  given  it  by  the  great  poet's  pen,  the  Wayside 
Inn  is  a  grand  old  landmark.  It  was  built  about  the  begin- 
ning of  the  eighteenth  century  by  David  Howe,  who  in  1702 
received  of  his  father,  Samuel  Howe,  a  son  of  John  one  of 
the  town's  early  grantees,  a  tract  of  one  hundred  and  thirty 
acres  of  land  in  the  "New  Grant"  territory.  (See  Chapter 
X.)     The  land  upon  which  this  ancient  ordinary  was  built 


592  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

is  situated  in  what  was  called  the  fourth  squadron  of  the 
New  Grants,  and  was  probably  either  lot  No.  48,  which  was 
assigned  in  the  land  apportionment  in  1651  to  Mr.  William 
Pelham,  or  lot  No.  49,  which  was  just  south  of  Mr.  Pel- 
ham's,  and  was  assigned  at  the  same  time  to  Mr.  John  Par- 
menter,  Jr.  Beyond  these  two  lots,  southerly,  was  that 
assigned  to  Thomas  King,  and  adjacent  to  this,  on  the  south, 
was  the  "  Cowpen  Land,"  which,  like  the  others,  was  a  one 
hundred  and  thirty  acre  lot,  and  joined  the  then  "  wilderness 
lands,"  or  the  territory  of  what  is  now  Framingham.  These 
lots  abutted  easterly,  on  the  thirty-rod  highway  which  ran 
north  and  south  through  the  town,  and  westerly,  on  what  is 
now  Marlboro.  The  lot  of  land  upon  which  the  tavern  was 
built  was  not  the  lot  formerly  assigned  to  John  Howe,  the 
grandfather  of  David,  in  the  apportionment  of  1651.  That 
tract  was  lot  No.  16,  and  situated  in  the  second  squadron, 
which  was  the  north-easterly  one  of  the  "  New  Grants."  But 
Mr.  John  Howe  may  have  exchanged  that  lot  for  another,  or, 
if  it  passed  by  inheritance  to  Samuel,  his  son,  it  might  by 
him  have  been  exchanged  or  sold,  and  No.  48  of  the  fourth 
squadron  bought,  or  it  may  be  that  David,  the  grandson, 
made  the  change.  As  the  "  New  Grant,"  though  allowed  in 
1649,  and  laid  out  and  apportioned  by  lot  in  1651,  was  not 
purchased  of  the  Indians  until  1684,  great  changes  doubt- 
less took  place  in  the  ownership.  But,  however  the  change 
in  this  case  came' about,  David  selected  this  spot  for  his  home, 
and  at  about  the  time  of  the  gift  began  to  build.  During  the 
process  of  constructing  the  house,  tradition  says,  the  work- 
men resorted  for  safety  at  night  to  the  Parmenter  garrison,  a 
place  about  a  half-mile  away.  (See  Chapter  XI.)  The 
safety  sought  was  probably  from  the  raids  of  Indians,  who, 
long  after  Philip's  War  closed,  made  occasional  incursions 
upon  the  borders  of  the  frontier  towns.  At  or  about  the 
time  of  its  erection,  it  was  opened  as  a  public  house,  and,  in 
1746,  Col.  Ezekiel  Howe,  of  Revolutionary  fame,  put  up  the 
sign  of  the  "  Red  Horse,"  which  gave  it  the  name  that  it 
went  by  for  years,  namely,  the  "Red  Horse  Tavern."  In 
1796,  Col.  Ezekiel  Howe  died,  and  his  son  Adam  took  the 
place  and  kept  the  tavern  for  forty  years.      At  the  death 


THE    WAYSIDE    INN. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  593 

of  Adam  it  went  into  the  hands  of  Lyman,  who  continued  it 
as  an  inn  until  near  1866,  about  which  time  it  passed  out  of 
the  hands  of  an  owner  by  the  name  of  Howe.  Thus,  for 
more  than  a  century  and  a  half,  and  by  representatives  of 
four  generations  of  the  Howe  family,  was  this  place  kept  as 
an  inn.  In  the  earlier  times  this  house  was  of  considerable 
consequence  to  travelers.  It  was  quite  capacious  for  either 
the  colonial  or  the  provincial  period,  and  was  within  about 
an  easy  day's  journey  to  Massachusetts  Bay.  The  road  by 
it  was  a  grand  thoroughfare  westward.  Sudbury,  in  those 
years,  was  one  of  the  foremost  towns  of  Middlesex  County 
in  population,  influence  and  wealth,  while  the  Howe  family 
took  rank  among  the  first  families  of  the  country  about. 
The  seclusion  of  this  quiet  spot  to-day  is  not  indicative  of 
what  it  was  in  the  days  of  the  old  stage  period,  and  when 
places  since  made  prominent  by  the  passage  of  a  railroad 
through  them  were  almost  wholly  or  quite  unknown.  In 
the  times  of  the  wars  against  the  Indians  and  French  it  was 
a  common  halting  place  for  troops,  as  they  marched  to  the 
front  or  returned  to  their  homes  in  the  Bay  towns.  It  was 
largely  patronized  by  the  up-country  marketers,  who,  by 
their  frequent  coming  and  going,  with  their  large  canvas- 
topped  wagons,  made  the  highway  past  this  ordinary  look 
like  the  outlet  of  a  busy  mart.  Stages  also  enlivened  the 
scene.  The  sound  of  the  post-horn,  as  it  announced  the  near 
approach  of  the  coach,  was  the  signal  for  the  hostler  and 
housemaid  to  prepare  refreshment  for  man  and  beast.  In 
short,  few  country  taverns  were  better  situated  than  this  to 
gain  patronage  in  the  days  when  few  towns  of  the  province 
were  better  known  than  old  Sudbury.  This  place,  noted, 
capacious  and  thickly  mantled  with  years,  is  thus  fitly  de- 
scribed by  Mr.  Longfellow :  — 

As  ancient  is  this  hostelry 

As  any  in  the  land  may  be, 

Built  in  the  old  Colonial  day, 

When  men  lived  in  a  grander  way 

With  ampler  hospitality; 

A  kind  of  old  Hobgoblin  Hall, 

Now  somewhat  fallen  to  decay, 


594  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

With  weather-stains  upon  the  wall, 
And  stairways  worn,  and  crazy  doors, 
And  creaking  and  uneven  floors, 
And  chimneys  huge  and  tiled  and  tall. 

The  region  about  this  old  ordinary  corresponds  to  the 
building  itself,  reminding  one  of  the  Sleepy  Hollow  among 
the  highlands  of  the  Hudson  described  by  Washington  Irv- 
ing. It  is  on  the  edge  of  the  plain  lands  of  the  Peakham 
district,  just  at  the  foot  of  the  northernmost  spur  of  Nobscot 
Hill.  To  the  westward,  a  few  rods,  is  the  upper  branch  of 
Hop  Brook,  with  its  faint  fringe  of  meadow  lands,  over 
which  the  county  road  gently  curves.  In  the  near  neigh- 
borhood are  patches  of  old  forest  growth,  whose  tall  trees 
tower  upward  like  sentinels  in  the  view  of  passers  along  the 
county  road.  Indeed,  so  aptly  does  Mr.  Longfellow  describe 
the  place  where  the  house  is  situated  that  we  quote  further 
from  his  beautiful  verse. 

A  region  of  repose  it  seems, 

A  place  of  slumber  and  of  dreams, 

Remote  among  the  wooded  hills  ! 

For  there  no  noisy  railroad  speeds 

Its  torch-race,  scattering  smoke  and  gleeds. 

Along  the  highway  to  the  eastward  in  the  direction  of 
South  Sudbury,  which  from  this  place  is  about  two  miles 
distant,  are  still  standing  several  ancient  oaks.  These  trees 
were,  doubtless,  standing  and  had  considerable  growth  when 
lot  number  forty-eight  was  of  the  town's  common  land,  and 
owned  by  Tantamous  and  others  who  signed  the  Indian 
deed  in  1684,  by  which  the  new  grant  lands  were  conveyed. 
Beneath  them  Washington  and  his  retinue  passed,  and  per- 
haps Wadsworth  and  Brocklebank  when  they  sped  in  their 
haste  to  save  Sudbury  from  Philip,  and  a  long  procession 
of  travelers,  since  the  opening  of  the  way  to  Marlboro  from 
the  Hop  Brook  mill,  has  passed  under  their  venerable  shade. 
Soldiers  to  Ticonderoga  and  Crown  Point,  and  the  various 
expeditions  to  the  west  and  north  in  the  Revolutionary  and 
French  and  Indian  Wars  have  halted  in  their  march  as  they 
approached  this  picket  line  of  ancient  oaks  that  were  de- 
ployed at  the  approach  to  the  Inn. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  595 

Ancient  Druid  never  worshipped 

Beneath  grander  oaks  than  these  ; 
Never  shadows  richer,  deeper, 

Than  have  cast  these  giant  trees. 


Monuments  of  earthly  grandeur  — 

Shrines  at  which  the  people  bow, 
Yielding  homage  as  to  nobles 

Of  the  honored  name  of  Howe. 

Like  an  old  baronial  castle 

This  weird  structure  holds  its  place, 
Through  whose  portals  has  departed 

Every  remnant  of  the  race. 

Lucinda  (Brown)  Fairbanks. 

There  is  now  about  the  place  an  aspect  of  vacancy,  as  if 
something  mighty  were  gone,  and  very  appropriate  are  still 
further  words  of  the  poet  Longfellow. 

Round  this  old-fashioned,  quaint  abode 
Deep  silence  reigned,  save  when  a  gust 
Went  rushing  down  the  country  road, 
And  skeletons  of  leaves  and  dust, 
A  moment  quickened  by  its  breath, 
Shuddered,  and  danced  their  dance  of  death, 
And,  through  the  ancient  oaks  o'erhead, 
Mysterious  voices  moaned  and  fled. 

We  will  now  briefly  state  something  concerning  the  house, 
and  the  family  in  later  years.  The  structure  of  the  building 
is  quaint.  It  has  a  gable  roof  which  rests  on  low-posted 
walls,  while  L's  extend  from  the  main  body  toward  the  east 
and  west.  It  stands  by  the  roadside,  facing  the  south,  while 
here  and  there,  not  far  from  it,  are  the  huge  trunks  of  decay- 
ing trees,  with  branches  growing  more  and  more  scant  as  the 
years  pass  by.  It  is  said  that  in  the  house  are  eighty-one 
windows.  There  is  upon  one  of  the  window  panes,  cut  with 
a  diamond,  this  sentence  :  — 

What  do  you  think 

Here  is  good  drink 

Perhaps  you  may  not  know  it, 

If  not  in  haste,  do  stop  and  taste 

You  merry  folks  will  show  it. 

William  Molineux,  Jr.,  Boston,  June  24,  1776. 


596  HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY. 

The  house  was  furnished  with  a  hall,  the  typical  kitchen 
of  a  country  inn,  the  bar-room  with  its  high  counter,  while 
outside  and  beyond  the  road  and  nearly  in  front  was  swung 
the  red-horse  sign. 

Squire  Lyman  Howe,  the  last  landlord  of  the  inn  and  the 
one  of  Mr.  Longfellow's  poem,  was  a  man  rather  imposing 
in  appearance,  somewhat  dignified  and  grave.  He  was  at 
one  time  a  prominent  singer  in  the  Congregational  choir,  a 
school  committee  man,  and  justice  of  the  peace.  Years  ago, 
he  was  a  familiar  object  to  the  villagers  of  South  Sudbury, 
riding  in  his  chaise  with  the  top  tipped  back,  as  he  went  to 
the  post-office  or  to  visit  the  district  schools  ;  and  he  fitly 
represented,  in  his  younger  and  more  prosperous  years,  the 
family  of  Howe.  He  lived  a  bachelor  and  was  the  last  link 
of  an  illustrious  lineage.  As  a  tavern-keeper,  he  did  less 
and  less  business  as  his  years  increased,  and  finally  the 
landlord  died  at  the  inn,  the  last  of  the  name  of  Howe  who 
lived  at  that  famous  house.  Since  his  death,  the  place  has 
been  a  resort  for  pleasure-seekers  and  people  of  antiquarian 
tastes.  It  has  been  visited  from  far  and  near,  and  so  it  will 
continue  to  be  as  time  passes  by.  Traditions  concerning  it 
may  gather  and  grow,  and  treasures  of  colonial  art  may  be 
traced  to  it,  till,  like  the  alleged  articles  of  the  "  Mayflow- 
er's "  illustrious  cargo,  the  original  place  of  deposit  could 
not  have  contained  them  all.  Indeed,  marvellous  stories 
have  already  been  told  of  the  auction  that  followed  the  death 
of  Squire  Lyman  Howe,  but  these  stories  are  extravagant. 
A  few  articles  that  were  rare  and  relic-like  may  have  been 
sold,  but,  for  the  most  part,  it  was  only  a  commonplace  sale 
at  the  inn  when  the  landlord  died.  Probably  the  house  was 
largely  depleted  of  what  it  once  contained  ;  the  family  never 
was  one  of  great  wealth,  and  the  circumstances  attending 
the  life  of  the  last  landlord  would  naturally  scatter  many 
of  the  furnishings  of  the  old-time  inn.  The  piano  that  was 
sold  was  the  first  one  ever  brought  into  the  town.  Strange 
stories  have  also  been  told  as  to  occasional  guests  at  this 
ancient  "ordinary."  It  has  been  said  that  Captain  Wads- 
worth  here  rested  and  refreshed  his  men  on  his  way  to  the 
Wadsworth  fight ;  that  here  Washington  stopped  and  Lafay- 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  597 

ette  lodged.  That  some  of  the  traditions  are  true  is  prob- 
able, that  some  are  not  true  is  also  probable ;  as  to  its  con- 
nection with  Captain  Wadsworth  and  his  company,  it  is 
sufficient  to  refer  to  the  date  of  the  house  and  the  date  of 
the  fight.  That  General  Washington  stopped  there  is  quite 
probable,  since  he  went  from  Marlboro  to  Boston  and  dined 
at  Weston  with  Colonel  Lamson  who  commanded  the  Fifth 
Middlesex  Regiment  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  As  the 
Howe  Tavern  would  be  on  his  direct  route  it  would  be  nat- 
ural for  him  to  stop  there  and,  at  least,  take  a  lunch  with 
Mr.  Howe,  another  of  the  colonels  of  the  Revolution.  But, 
though  a  part  of  the  traditions  of  the  place  are  improbable, 
there  yet  remains  enough  of  reality  to  make  this  a  favorite 
place,  and  it  needs  no  embellishment  of  fancy  to  give  to  it 
a  sufficient  charm  or  make  it  rich  in  rare  reminiscences. 
The  old  stage  road  that  winds  its  way  by  it;  the  double 
eaves  of  its  gable  roof;  the  old  oaks  hollowed  by  the  hand 
of  time;  the  name  and  history  of  the  family  of  Howe, — 
these,  with  the  notoriety  of  Mr.  Longfellow's  poem,  all  con- 
spire to  give  the  place  a  fame  akin  to  that  of  the  village  of 
Grand  Pre  of  Evangeline.  What  though  the  tales  of  the 
Wayside  Inn  were  never  uttered  at  Howe's  Tavern  at  all 
under  such  circumstance,  as  the  poet  describes ;  other  tales 
as  touching,  as  thrilling,  and  grand,  may  often  have  been 
uttered  within  it.  Groups,  characteristic  of  colonial  and 
provincial  times,  often  sat  by  its  fireside;  the  inhabitants  of 
Nobscot  and  Peakham  gathered  there  from  hamlet  and  farm, 
to  sit  and  talk  of  a  long  fall  night ;  the  stage-driver  and  his 
passengers  stopped  there  for  lodging  or  lunch,  the  marketer 
halted  as  he  was  "going  down  "  with  his  load,  the  teamster 
with  his  ox-wagon  and  yokes  of  slow  steers,  the  transient 
traveler  also,  and  the  occasional  errandless  tramp.  Such  at 
times  were  guests  at  this  house,  and  found  refreshment  and 
shelter  within  its  time-worn  walls.  Surely,  many  scenes  of  a 
quaint  character  transpired  there  in  the  years  of  the  town's 
early  history,  and  though  they  have  all  passed  by,  the  old 
house  is  suggestive  of  them,  and  stands  a  souvenir  of  other 
and  busier  days  on  an  old  stage  road  of  the  town.  It  recalls 
to  mind  an  old  family  of  Sudbury  and  familiar  events  in  con- 


598  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

nection  with  it,  and  is  a  memorial  of  the  typical  tavern  in 
those  old-time  days. 

The  taverns  on  the  central  road  of  the  town  were  on  the 
present  Berlin  and  Boston  highway,  and  from  the  "  Gravel 
Pit "  to  the  middle  of  the  town.  The  first,  passing  westerly, 
was  on  the  Captain  Rice  place,  about  half  a  mile  from  the 
Centre.  Here,  at  an  early  date,  was  an  inn  which  was  kept 
during  the  Revolutionary  period  by  William  Rice.  The 
house  was  a  square,  two-story  building  of  medium  size,  with 
a  large  chimney  in  the  middle.  It  stood  a  few  rods  north  of 
the  road  and  faced  the  south.  It  is  many  years  since  it  was 
used  as  an  inn.  For  a  long  time  it  was  the  homestead  of 
Capt.  William  Rice,  and  was  last  occupied  by  his  descend- 
ants. A  short  time  ago  it  was  burnt.  Tradition  says  that 
formerly  the  road  ran  through  the  door-yard,  and  came  out 
by  Daniel  Smith's  at  Water  Row. 

The  next  tavern  west  was  the  Wheeler-Haynes  House, 
formerly  the  parsonage  of  Rev.  Israel  Loring.  Walter 
Haynes  kept  a  public  house  there  in  the  early  part  of  this 
century,  but  it  has  long  since  ceased  to  be  used  for  that  pur- 
pose. The  third  tavern  was  at  the  Centre,  at  the  road- 
corner  just  north  of  the  store,  or  at  the  angle  made  by  the 
Berlin  and  Boston  highway,  with  that  leading  from  South 
Sudbury  to  Concord  on  the  left  side  going  north.  This 
tavern  was  kept  years  ago  by  a  Mr.  Rice,  who  was  killed  at 
Wash  bridge.  Subsequently,  in  the  early  part  of  this  cen- 
tury, it  was  kept  by  Dr.  Kidder.  About  fifty  years  ago,  it 
was  kept  by  Joel  Jones,  and  later,  by  Miranda  Page,  at  which 
time  it  was  burnt.  A  fourth  tavern  was  at  the  Dr.  Stearns 
place,  the  second  house  west  of  the  Unitarian  Church.  It 
was  not  built  for  an  inn,  but  was  the  residence  of  Thomas 
Stearns,  a  physician.  After  Dr.  Stearns'  death  it  was  occu- 
pied by  Webster  Moore,  who  kept  a  public  house  there  for 
some  years.  A  tavern  was  kept  at  North  Sudbury,  well 
known  as  the  "Pratt  Tavern."  Another  was  the  "Puffer 
Tavern  ;  "  and  one  quite  old  was  kept  at  the  north-west  part 
by  Jonathan  Rice,  a  prominent  man  in  town. 

Such  are  some  of  Sudbury's  old-time  taverns.  They  had 
their  day  and  disappeared,  because  the  means  of  their  nmin- 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  599 

tenance  failed.  One  means,  on  which  all  these  ancient  hos- 
telries  depended  perhaps  to  a  greater  or  less  degree,  was  the 
sale  of  intoxicating  drinks.  Some  received  patronage  from 
the  old  stage  routes,  and  all  of  them  from  the  passing  trav- 
eler and  his  team.  But  now  the  great  growth  of  the  tem- 
perance movement,  and  the  introduction  of  new  modes  of 
conveyance,  have  so  changed  the  condition  of  things  that 
the  old  tavern  is  needed  no  more. 


CHAPTER   XXX11I. 


PHYSICIANS. 


Early  Mention  of  Physicians.  —  Biographical  Sketch  of  Dr.  Ebenezer 
Roby.  —  Ebenezer  Roby,  2d.  —  Ebenezer  Roby,  3d.  —  Josiah  Lang- 
don.  —  Moses  Taft.  —  Moses  Mossman.  —  Ashbel  Kidder.  —  Thomas 
Stearns.  —  Levi  Goodenough.  —  Otis  O.  Johnson.  —  George  A.  Oviatt. 

.  .  .  Doubtless,  after  us,  some  purer  scheme 
Will  be  shaped  out  by  wiser  men  than  we, 
Made  wiser  by  the  steady  growth  of  truth. 

Lowell. 

An  early  mention  of  a  doctor  in  Sudbury  is  on  page  155 
of  the  first  book  of  Town  Records,  where  it  is  stated  that 
"  Alrake,  Physician,  was  to  have  five  bushels  of  wheat  in 
consideration  of  his  care  of  the  Widdow  Hunt."  Another 
record  on  page  185  of  the  same  book  states  that,  at  a  select- 
men's meeting,  "it  was  agreed  with  Dr.  Chattock  and  payed 
him  for  his  paynes  and  phisick  hee  gave  to  Debrah  Wedge 
and  agreed  with  him  for  a  month  to  keep  her  for  2  shillings 
a  week  which  month  was  out  Sept  the  5th  1702."     We  con- 


600  HISTORY  OP  SUDBURY. 

elude  there  was  no  surgeon  in  town  up  to  the  year  1673,  as 
it  was  then  ordered  that  "  Mr.  Peter  Noyes  do  procure  and 
bring  Surgeon  Avery  from  Dedhara  to  the  Widdow  Hunt  of 
this  town  to  inspect  her  condition  and  to  advise  and  direct 
and  administer  to  her  relief  and  cure  of  her  distemper." 

EBENEZER  ROBY,  M.  D. 

One  of  the  most  noted  physicians  of  Sudbury  was  Dr. 
Ebenezer  Roby  who  lived  on  the  East  Side.  He  was  born 
in  Boston  in  1701,  and  graduated  at  Harvard  College  in 
1719.  He  settled  in  Sudbury  about  1725,  and  in  1730,  mar- 
ried Sarah,  daughter  of  Rev.  John  Swift  of  Framingham. 
He  lived  in  the  old  Roby  house  which  was  recently  destroyed 
by  fire.  He  was  prominently  connected  with  town  matters 
in  Sudbury,  where  he  lived  and  practiced  his  profession  till 
his  death.  He  was  buried  in  the  old  graveyard  at  East  Sud- 
bury, and  the  following  is  his  epitaph  :  — 

In  memory  of  Ebenezer  Roby  Esq,  a  Native  of  Boston  New  England. 

He  fixed  his  residence  in  Sudbury  in  the  character  of  a  Physician 
where  he  was  long  distinguished  for  his  ability  and  success  in  the 
healing  art. 

Born  Sept  20th  1701 
Died  Sept  4th  1772    aged  71. 

For  a  specimen  of  the  charges  of  Dr.  Roby  see  page  350. 
His  son,  Dr.  Ebenezer  Roby,  Jr.,  born  in  1732,  also  prac- 
ticed medicine  in  Sudbury,  and  died  July  16,  1786,  aged 
fifty-four.  Dr.  Joseph  Roby,  son  of  Ebenezer,  Jr.,  was  a 
practicing  physician  in  East  Sudbury  till  1801. 

JOSIAH   LANGDON,    M.  D. 

The  name  of  Josiah  Langdon  is  in  the  town  records  of 
Revolutionary  soldiers  with  the  title  of  doctor  attached, 
which  indicates  that  he  was  a  practicing  physician  in  town 
at  that  time.  As  he  died  soon  after  the  making  of  the 
record,  at  the  early  age  of  thirty -two,  his  professional  career 
was  very  brief.  His  death  occurred  in  1779,  and  he  was 
buried  in  the  Old  Burying  Ground,  which  indicates  that  his 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  601 

home  was  in  the  West  Precinct.     The  following  inscription 
is  on  the  stone  that  marks  his  grave  :  — 

In  memory  of  Doctor  Josiah  Langdon  who  died  Feb.  ye  24th  1779 

ALt32 
Mortuus  Vivit. 

MOSES   TAFT,   M.  D. 

Dr.  Moses  Taft  practiced  medicine  in  Sudbury  towards  the 
close  of  the  last  century.  He  lived  at  the  "  Centre,"  in 
what  has  been  known  subsequently  as  the  "  Barker  house," 
and  where  a  grocery  store  was  once  kept.  (See  period 
1850-75.)  He  was  buried  in  the  western  part  of  the  Old 
Burying  Ground.  His  grave  is  marked  by  a  slate  stone, 
inscribed,  — 

Doct.  Moses  Taft,  Died  July  22nd  1799 
Aged  45. 
"  Let  living  friends  his  virtues  trace 
Then  they11  in  glory  see  his  face." 

MOSES    MOSSMAN,    M.  D. 

Dr.  Moses  Mossman  was  one  of  the  old-time  physicians  of 
Sudbury.  He  practiced  medicine  there  towards  the  close  of 
the  last  and  the  early  part  of  the  present  century.  His 
professional  work  extended  over  quite  a  portion  of  the 
neighboring  country,  reaching  to  Stow,  Acton,  Concord  and 
Marlboro.  The  following  is  a  specimen  of  his  bills,  which 
shows  the  expense  of  medical  calls  and  medicine  in  those 
times :  — 

"  To  Doctor  Mossman  for  doctoring  Asahel  Knight  in  his 
late  sickness,  3  visits  and  medicine  2.75." 

His  home  was  in  the  northerly  part  of  Sudbury  at  the 
Mossman  place ;  and  it  is  said  that,  about  the  locality  of  his 
garden  plot,  the  herbs  still  grow  which  the  doctor  used  to 
cultivate.  He  was  much  beloved  and  respected  as  a  citizen, 
and  it  was  said  that  he  was  very  religious.  In  one  of  his 
journals  he  states  that  on  one  occasion,  as  he  was  riding  in 
a  very  dark  night,  while  in  communion  with  God,  a  light 


602  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

shone  about  the  team  to  guide  him.  He  died,  Aug.  15, 1817, 
aged  seventy-five,  and  was  buried  in  the  western  part  of  the 
Old  Burying  Ground.  At  the  grave  is  a  slate  stone  with 
this  inscription :  — 

In  memory  of  Doctor  Moses  Mossman  and  Mrs.  Mary  Mossman  his  wife. 

Doctor  Moses  Mossman  died  Aug.  15,  1817, 

Mt75. 

Mrs.  Mary  Mossman  died  Aug.  17,  1817, 

^Et66. 

They  lived   mutually  active,  and   highly  respected,  and   died   much 

lamented. 

"  Our  lives  are  closed  and  o'er, 

Our  Saviour's  praises  now  we  sing, 

He  saves  us  by  redeeming  power 

And  takes  us  to  our  Heavenly  King." 

ASHBEL  KIDDER,   M.  D. 

Dr.  Ashbel  Kidder  practiced  medicine  in  Sudbury  for 
about  twenty-five  years  in  the  early  part  of  the  present 
century.  He  was  born  at  Sutton  in  1770,  and  studied  medi- 
cine at  Harvard  College.  Before  and  after  the  commence- 
ment of  his  medical  studies  he  taught  school.  He  married 
a  daughter  of  Ezra  Taylor  of  Southboro.  He  was  lame 
and  his  health  was  not  robust.  He  was  a  Free  Mason 
and  Master  of  Middlesex  Lodge  in  Framingham.  He  was 
also  justice  of  the  peace,  as  is  indicated  by  a  record  in  his 
note-book  of  marriage  ceremonies  performed  by  him  from 
1815  to  1819.  His  practice  extended  over  a  considerable 
district  and  he  was  well  known  in  the  neighboring  towns. 
As  indicative  of  medical  charges  at  that  time  we  give  the 
following  found  among  his  bills :  — 

"  To  Ashbel  Kidder  for  doctoring  Ephraim  How  of  Ac- 
worth,  while  sick  at  Sudbury  in  1812,  to  30  visits  2  miles 
and  medicine  left  each  time  30.25." 

He  lived  at  Sudbury  Centre  in  a  house  at  the  corner  of 
the  roads,  which  was  used  for  many  years  as  a  tavern  and  was 
burned  near  half  a  century  ago.  (See  chapter  on  Taverns.) 
He  died  in  1823,  and  left  four  children,  —  Almira,  Francis, 
Dana,  Caroline,  and  Ezra  Taylor.    A  daughter  of  Francis  D. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 


603 


is  Mrs.  Frances  (Kidder)  Adams,  wife  of  Dr.  Z.  B.  Adams 
of  Framingham.  Dr.  Kidder  and  wife  were  buried  in  the 
Old  Burying  Ground,  and  afterwards  removed  to  the  Kidder 
tomb,  Wadsworth  Cemetery. 

THOMAS   STEARNS,    M.  D. 

Dr.  Thomas  Stearns  practiced  medicine  in  Sudbury  for 
some  years  previous  to  1840,  about  which  time  he  died.  He 
lived  at  the  Centre,  in  the  second  house  west  of  the  Unita- 
rian meeting-house,  on  the  north  side  of  the  road,  and  since 
used  as  a  tavern.  He  was  an  active  citizen,  of  a  positive 
nature,  and  energetic  in  the  prosecution  of  his  plans.  He 
was  interested  in  what  pertained  to  the  history  of  Sudbury, 
and  gathered  quite  a  collection  of  old  documents,  which, 
since  his  death,  have  been  purchased  by  the  town  and  are 
known  as  the  "  Stearns'  Collection."  He  was  buried  in 
Mount  Pleasant  Cemetery. 

LEVI  GOODENOUGH,   M.  D. 

Dr.  Levi  Good  enough  was  born  in  Derby,  Vt.,  Oct.  30, 
1803.  He  received  his  diploma  from  the  Medical  School  of 
the  University  of  Vermont,  Sept.  16,  1828,  and  settled  in 
Sudbury  Feb.  12,  1830,  where  he  remained  till  his  death. 
He  was  a  typical  country  physician.  Having  had  the  advan- 
tage of  studying  with  a  physician  who  kept  a  drug  store,  he 
acquired  some  skill  in  compounding  medicines,  and  was 
accustomed  largely  to  prepare  and  furnish  the  medicines  he 
prescribed.  In  extracting  teeth  he  made  use  of  the  "  turn- 
key," which  he  never  failed  to  adjust  with  due  deliberation 
and  care.  As  a  citizen,  Dr.  Goodenough  was  public  spirited, 
and  a  stanch  advocate  of  reform ;  in  temperance,  his  name 
stands  among  the  pioneers.  He  was  a  professing  Christian 
from  early  youth.  On  going  to  Sudbury,  there  being  no 
church  in  it  of  his  persuasion,  he  joined  the  Baptist  Church 
in  Weston,  where  he  occasionally  joined  in  worship.  He 
also  aided  in  the  support  of  the  Methodist  Church,  Sudbury, 
but  he  identified  his  interests  with  the  Congregational  Church 
of  that  place,  all  the  meetings  of  which  he  took  delight  in 
attending  whenever  circumstances  would  permit.     His  in- 


604  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

terest  in  missions  was  very  great  and  he  gave  freely  in  their 
behalf.  He  had  two  children  by  his  first  marriage,  and 
named  them  Ann  Haseltine  and  Adoniram  Judson,  after  the 
well-known  missionary  to  Burmah  and  his  wife,  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Judson.  His  early  educational  advantages  were  lim- 
ited, but  he  was  a  lover  of  learning,  and  in  after  years 
became  somewhat  proficient  in  Latin  and  the  sciences,  while 
he  practiced  the  most  rigid  economy  that  he  might  give  a 
liberal  education  to  his  own  children  and  lend  a  helping 
hand  to  others  who  were  striving  to  the  same  end.  In  his 
declining  years  he  became  deeply  interested  in  geology  and 
mineralogy,  and  was  enthusiastic  in  the  collection  of  speci- 
mens and  in  calling  attention  to  their  marvellous  structure. 
At  about  the  age  of  fifteen  he  was  thrown  from  a  horse, 
thereby  incurring  injuries  which  rendered  his  after  life  one 
long  struggle  with  disease  and  weakness ;  yet  he  practiced 
medicine  for  over  fifty-six  years  in  Sudbury.  He  died,  April 
3,  1886,  at  the  age  of  eighty-two,  and  was  buried  in  Mount 
Wadsworth  Cemetery.  He  married  for  his  first  wife  Cynthia 
Rice  of  East  Sudbury  (Wayland),  Feb.  11,  1830,  and  for  his 
second  wife  Jerusha  Dakin  of  Sudbuiy,  Nov.  8,  1837.  He 
adopted  two  children,  Carrie  and  Grace ;  the  former  died 
young. 

OTIS   O.    JOHNSON,    M.  D. 

Dr.  Otis  O.  Johnson  practiced  medicine  in  Sudbury  for 
some  years  about  the  middle  of  the  present  century.  He 
was  son  of  John  and  Polly  (Hemenway)  Johnson,  and  born 
at  Southboro,  April  17,  1817.  He  studied  medicine  with 
Dr.  John  B.  Kittridge  of  Framingham,  and  went  from  that 
place  to  Sudbury  where  he  practiced  homoeopathy.  He  lived 
at  the  Centre  and  South  Sudbury.  He  afterwards  returned 
to  Framingham  where  he  died,  Jan.  8,  1882.  He  married 
Mary,  daughter  of  Dexter  Stone  of  Framingham,  and  had 
two  children. 

GEORGE   A.    OVIATT,    M.  D. 

Dr.  George  A.  Oviatt  was  born  in  Boston,  March  30, 1849. 
He  was  the  son  of  Rev.  George  A.  and  Isabella  G.  Oviatt. 
His  paternal  ancestor  came  from  Wales  and  settled  in  Mil- 


RESIDENCE    OF    NICHOLS    B.    HUNT, 
South   Sudbury 


HISTORY  OP  SUDBURY.  605 

ford,  Conn.  His  great-grandmother  on  his  mother's  side  was 
Polly,  daughter  of  Captain  Minot  of  Concord.  She  was 
present  at  the  Concord  fight,  and  was  sent  with  the  small 
children  of  the  town,  who  were  entrusted,  to  her  care,  to  a 
place  of  safety  till  the  danger  was  past.  Dr.  Oviatt  fitted 
for  College  at  Hartford  Latin  School,  and  graduated  at  Yale 
in  1872.  He  received  his  medical  diploma  at  the  College  of 
Physicians  and  Surgeons,  New  York,  March,  1875.  April 
of  the  same  year  he  commenced  the  practice  of  medicine  in 
Sudbury,  where  he  still  resides.  Jan.  20,  1878,  he  married 
Ella  A.,  daughter  of  Nichols  B.  and  Angeline  (Brown)  Hunt 
of  Sudbury,  and  has  one  child,  George  Parker. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 


TEMPERANCE. 


Early  Customs.  —  Effects  of  Cider  Drinking  in  North  Sudbury.  —  Con- 
nection of  Taverns  with  the  Liquor  Traffic.  —  Drinking  Customs  in 
South  Sudbury.  —  Common  Use  of  Malt.  —  Extract  from  James 
Thompson's  Account  Book.  —  Dawn  of  Better  Times.  —  Pioneers  in 
the  Temperance  Cause.  —  Reformatory  Measures. —  Temperance  Re- 
form. 

An  honest  tale  speeds  best,  being  plainly  told. 

Shakespeare. 

This  town,  now  prohibitory  as  it  relates  to  the  liquor 
traffic,  was  formerly,  we  judge,  very  much  like  the  average 
towns  in  the  State  in  this  matter.  There  is  evidence  that 
intemperance  has,  from  an  early  period,  made  havoc  and  had 
its  victims  here.  The  following  record  is  found  upon  the 
town  book :  "  Upon  the  uncomfortable  representations  and 
reports  concerning  the  [condition]  of  things  at  the  Ordinary 


606  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

of  this  town,  it  is  ordered  this  4th  of  October  1684,  that  three 
or  four  of  the  selectmen  in  the  name  of  the  rest  do  particu- 
larly enquire  into  all  matters  relating  thereto,  and  if  upon 
examination  they  find  matters  there  as  they  are  reported 
that  they  advise  with  Mr.  Walker  and  his  wife,  and  labor  by 
persuasion  with  them  with  all  conveniant  speed  to  take  down 
their  sign,  and  to  lay  down  and  relinquish  their  selling  of 
any  drink." 

In  1807,  a  vote  was  passed  "that  the  town  would  use  its 
endeavor  to  assist  the  selectmen  in  carrying  into  effect  the 
law  respecting  Retailers  and  Taverns  in  said  town  [as  they 
were  related  to  certain  persons]  viz :  those  persons  who  mis- 
spend, waste  and  lessen  their  estates  whereby  they  are  likely 
to  become  chargeable  to  said  town." 

It  was  tha  habit  of  the  people  for  two  centuries  to  use 
spirituous  liquors  and  special  occasions  had  their  special 
quantities.  The  farmer  wanted  his  extra  cider  for  his 
hoeing  or  threshing  and  his  extra  rum  for  haying  ;  and  in 
the  latter  work  he  hardly  thought  it  possible  to  get  along 
without  it.  The  carpenter  wanted  a  good  allowance  for 
"raising,"  and  on  afflictive,  and  social,  and  gala  occasions  it 
was  thought  liquor  was  indispensable.  In  1729,  there  is  a 
record  of  payment  "  To  David  Baldwin  for  frame  of  Bridge 
37  pounds ;  to  twelve  men  to  raise  said  bridge  who  went  into 
ye  water  3  pounds,  for  drink  &c  5s — Id  "  In  1759,  there 
is  a  record  of  payment  "  To  Caleb  Moulton  for  material  for 
new  bridge  and  5  quarts  Rum  2 — 11  —  3."  In  1747,  Jona- 
than Rice  rebuilt  Lanham  Bridge,  and  the  next  year  there 
was  a  record  in  the  town  book  of  payment  "  To  Mathew 
Gibbs  for  rum  and  for  raising  Lanham  bridge  12  shillings." 
As  late  as  1816,  on  the  occasion  of  Rev.  Jacob  Bigelow's 
funeral,  we  find  the  following  in  the  record  of  the  town's 
indebtedness  for  articles  furnished :  "  To  Daniel  Goodenow 
for  spirit  and  sugar  &c  $15.40." 

In  1779,  prices  were  established  for  the  common  commodi- 
ties, and  among  them  for  spirituous  liquors  as  follows : 
"  West  India  Phlip  15  New  England  Do  12  Toddy  in  pro- 
portion." Malted  liquor  was  also  early  made  use  of.  Malt 
was  one  of  the  articles  granted  the  town  after  Philip's  War 


HISTORY   OP   SUDBURY.  607 

from  the  so-called  "  Irish  Charity  Fund,"  and  valued  at 
18c?.  per  ball.  Malt  liquors  were  extensively  used,  and  malt 
was  long  considered  quite  a  useful  commodity.  About  1688, 
when  Deacon  John  Haines  made  a  contract  for  building  a  new 
meeting-house,  he  was  to  receive  for  the  work  in  "  country 
pay  at  country  price,  merchantable  Indian  corn,  Peas,  Beef, 
Pork  and  Malt."  There  was  an  old  malt  house  at  South 
Sudbury  owned  by  James  Thompson.  When  it  was  demol- 
ished, which  was  about  the  middle  of  the  century,  it  was 
much  dilapidated,  as  if  it  had  not  been  used  for  many  years. 
This  indicates  the  disuse  of  malt  liquor  in  Sudbury  from 
early  in  the  century.  But  a  drink  largely  made  use  of,  be- 
cause cheap  and  easily  manufactured,  was  cider.  The  cider 
mills  were  in  various  parts  of  the  town.  The  effect  of  cider 
drinking  in  North  Sudbury  has  been  so  forcibly  set  forth  by 
Mr.  John  Maynard  that  we  quote  his  words :  — 

"In  1830,  in  that  half  of  the  town  north  of  the  road  from 
Wayland  to  Hudson,  there  were  12  cider  mills  owned  by 
farmers  who  ground  their  own  apples  and  allowed  their 
neighbors  the  use  of  the  mills  for  8  cents  per  barrel  of  32 
galls.  The  amount  of  cider  made  there  was  much  less  than 
50  years  previously.  Old  orchards  had  decayed  and  new 
ones  bore  grafted  fruit  for  the  market.  The  price  was  very 
low  because  the  use  of  cider  as  a  daily  drink  had  been  super- 
seded largely  by  that  of  cheap  New  England  rum —  a  change 
for  the  better  somewhat,  as  temperate  people  limited  them- 
selves to  3  glasses  or  less  per  day  instead  of  the  unlimited 
use  of  cider  .  .  .  Within  the  territory  above  named  are  now 
only  two  mills  making  together  only  about  100  barrels  yearly 
and  that  for  vinegar.  Orchards  now  produce  grafted  fruit, 
and  the  windfall,  bruised  and  refuse  apples  are  sold  to  large 
mills  at  Sherborn,  Maynard  and  S.  Acton,  for  about  25  cents 
per  barrel  of  2^  bushels.  The  product  is  not  so  strong  as 
that  made  formerly  from  sound  ripe  natural  fruit.  New 
England  families,  one  hundred  years  ago,  larger  than  at 
present,  would  use  both  in  city  and  country  200,  400,  and 
sometimes  more  gallons  of  cider  yearly.  The  mug  was  inva- 
riably on  the  table  at  meal  times,  always  on  the  sideboard, 


608  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

and  too  often  those  who  went  to  the  cellar  for  a  supply 
1  drank  at  the  tap.'  Old  people  of  intelligence  who  lived  to 
see  the  dawn  of  total  abstinence  have  expressed  the  opinion 
that  much  of  the  rheumatism,  inveterate  sores,  and  other 
complaints  of  former  da}rs  was  chargeable  to  the  cider  mug. 
Every  one  who  called,  from  the  minister  to  the  tramp,  was 
offered  the  common  drink  with  the  apology  if  it  was  very 
sour  as  it  sometimes  was  in  the  spring  '  it  is  pretty  hard,'  to 
which  custom  required  the  response,  '  it  is  harder  where 
there  is  none,'  an  assertion  that  often  had  more  of  politeness 
than  truth.  Many  men  and  some  women  kept  more  or  less 
4  boozy '  week  after  week,  and  it  is  a  question  whether  the 
larger  percentage  of  stupid  and  stammering  children  born 
then,  compared  with  those  of  the  present  time  was  not  due 
to  the  excessive  use  of  cider  by  parents." 

That  the  custom  of  drinking  any  kind  of  spirituous  liquor 
was  exceedingly  pernicious,  notwithstanding  what  some  have 
said  of  the  quality  of  it  in  those  days,  is  very  evident.  The 
testimony  is  that  the  tavern  bars  were  a  nuisance.  Says  the 
writer  just  quoted  concerning  them,  — 

"  One  of  the  incidental  benefits  of  railroads  has  been  the 
discontinuance  of  the  old  country  and  village  taverns.  They 
were  a  public  necessity,  were  licensed  for  the  'public  good,' 
kept  by  respectable  people,  afforded  good  accommodations 
for  man  and  beast  at  moderate  rates,  but  the  profits  came 
from  the  sale  of  liquors  at  the  bar  which  was  open  seven  days 
in  the  week  day  and  night,  and  few  landlords  were  willing  to 
admit  that  a  man  unless  he  was  furiously  or  beastly  drunk 
had  taken  too  much,  until  he  had  no  money  to  pay  for  more. 
The  taverns  were  nuisances  to  the  neighborhoods  where  they 
were  located,  and  like  the  modern  saloons,  nurseries  of 
drunkenness  and  pauperism.  The  taverns  of  Sudbury  were 
as  good  as  the  average  elsewhere  and  probably  no  better." 

Such  is  the  strong  language  of  one  of  Sudbury's  promi- 
nent citizens,  with  regard  to  the  former  use  of  both  fer- 
mented and  spirituous  liquors.  The  estimate  as  here  given 
we  believe  facts  will  generally  confirm.     There  were  drunk- 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  609 

ards  in  those  days,  and  sad  havoc  was  made  in  the  town,  in 
the  church,  and  in  many  families  by  intemperance.  Not 
only  was  the  practice  of  moderate  drinking  well  nigh  uni- 
versal, but  it  was  considered  respectable.  What  every- 
body did  was  supposed  to  be  right,  and  that  almost  every- 
body used  intoxicants  is  indicated  by  a  statement  made  to 
the  writer  by  an  inhabitant  of  Sudbury  nearly  seventy  years 
old.  He  said  that  when  he  was  a  boy  he  did  not  know  of 
a  person  in  the  place  (South  Sudbury)  but  what  used  it ;  and 
that  there  were  three  places  in  that  small  village  where  they 
could  get  it.  He  said  it  was  not  considered  a  disgrace  to 
drink,  but  it  was  considered  a  great  disgrace  to  get  drunk, 
and  that  any  one  who  got  so  was  held  up  as  a  warning  to 
others.  He  also  said  it  was  considered  no  disgrace  on  a  holi- 
day to  get  a  little  lively.  That  it  was  not  considered  disgrace- 
ful to  use  liquor  as  a  beverage  is  evident  from  the  open  and 
commonplace  manner  of  the  sales.  It  was  not  by  any  means 
confined  to  the  taverns,  but  was  a  commodity  that  passed 
over  the  counter  of  the  grocery  as  well.  On  a  Saturday 
night  the  staid  villager  would  go  to  the  store  to  get  the  sup- 
ply of  new  rum  as  naturally  as  of  molasses  or  salt.  As  indi- 
cating the  commonplace  way  in  which  malt  was  bought  and 
sold,  we  give  the  following  from  a  credit  page  in  an  account 
book  of  James  Thomson,  a  carpenter  and  wheelwright,  who 
kept  the  malt  house  in  South  Sudbury :  — 

Credit  to  Jonas  Holden  Jur 
by  one  pint  of  Rum 
Septr  12th  17S(J  by  one  Mugg  of  Flip 
Septr  1789  to  two  half  Muggs  of  Flip 
Octr  to  one  half  Mugg  of  Flip  to  Flag 
Novr  to  one  Pint  of  West  India  Rum 
June.  8.  1780  by  one  quart  W  :  Rum 
Octr  5.  1790  by  71-£  of  Beef  at  2d 
Novr  1790  by  half  pound  of  Butter 
Jany  1791  by  17lb  of  Cheese  at  12 
Jany  13th  1791  by  one  Bushil  of  Indian  corn 
July  1791  by  fustian  for  the  foreparts  of  a  Jacket 
Dec.  8  to  his  house  to  Concord  0-1-4 

Not  only  did  each  householder  provide  liquor  for  himself 
and  family,  but  custom  required  that  callers,  not  excepting 


0- 

0- 

4. 

0- 

0- 

8. 

0- 

0- 

8. 

0- 

0- 

4. 

0- 

0- 

■   7. 

0- 

0- 

7 

0- 

11- 

10. 

0- 

0- 

5. 

0- 

2- 

10. 

0- 

2- 

8. 

610  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

the  doctor  and  the  minister  even,  be  furnished  with  flip,  and 
the  more  distinguished  the  guest,  the  more  indispensable  the 
article.  Traders,  under  certain  circumstances,  were  expected 
to  extend  the  same  courtesy. 

Captain  Kidder  told  the  writer  the  story  that  a  customer 
once  came  to  his  shop,  and  he  mixed  a  mug  of  flip,  supposing 
he  had  prepared  enough  for  them  both,  and  passed  it  to  him  ; 
he  took  it,  and,  placing  it  to  his  lips,  drank  the  entire  con- 
tents without  stopping.  When  the  captain  took  the  mug 
from  his  hand  and  saw  it  was  empty,  he  said,  "  Won't  you 
have  a  little  more?"  "Oh,  no,"  said  the  man,  "I  never 
drink  to  excess." 

But  better  times  at  length  dawned  on  the  town.  With  the 
early  agitation  of  the  subject  of  temperance  in  the  land,  Sud- 
bury began  to  make  progress.  Here  and  there,  an  enter- 
prising person  thought  work  could  be  done  without  the  use 
of  intoxicants.  One  of  the  first  to  believe  this  in  the  early 
part  of  the  present  century  was  Deacon  Levi  Dakin,  who 
had  a  barn  raised  without  furnishing  rum  on  the  occasion. 
Another  early  advocate  of  the  temperance  reform  was  Dr. 
Levi  Goodenough,  who  would  not  provide  any  intoxicating 
liquor  to  those  whom  he  employed.  Other  pioneer  advo- 
cates were  Deacon  Martin  Brown,  Nahum  Thompson,  Esq., 
Edward  and  Howe  Brown,  Abel  and  Joseph  Richardson  and 
Deacon  Gardner  Hunt.  Rev.  Rufus  Hurlbut  was  one  of  the 
early  reformers  in  his  profession,  and  Charles  Gerry  was  the 
first  selectman  in  Sudbury  to  refuse  a  liquor  license.  Before 
the  reform  set  in  it  was  the  custom  at  "  Kidder's  shop,"  at  a 
given  time  each  day,  for  an  apprentice  to  go  to  the  grocery 
opposite  and  get  some  rum  for  "black  strap," — a  concoc- 
tion of  New  England  rum  and  molasses.  One  of  the  ap- 
prentices, Ira  B.  Draper  of  Wayland,  then  quite  young,  con- 
cluded that  it  was  a  poor  practice  for  him  to  indulge  in  ;  he 
therefore  refused  to  go  for  the  liquor.  The  example  was 
followed  by  others,  and  soon  a  large  share  of  his  fellow 
workmen  found  they  could  get  along  without  their  daily 
potation  of  "  black  strap." 

About  1835-40,  when  there  was  an  agitation  of  this  sub- 
ject  in    the   country,   temperance    meetings    were    held   at 


HISTORY  OP   SUDBURY.  611 

the  centre  of  the  town  on  Sunday  evenings,  probably  in 
the  porch  of  the  Old  Parish  Meeting-house,  where  evening 
meetings  were  sometimes  held.  Besides  these  meetings,  an 
occasional  lecture  was  given  on  the  subject.  Soon  temper- 
ance societies  began  to  be  formed  ;  one  of  which  was  the 
"  Cold  Water  Army,"  an  organization  for  the  children 
formed  about  1841.  This  society  adopted  a  pledge,  and  at 
times  formed  processions  and  marched  with  banners.  Very 
soon  liquor  ceased  to  be  sold  at  the  South  Sudbury  grocery 
store,  and  it  was  left  for  the  old  tavern  stand  to  be  the  sole 
place  for  the  retail  of  the  stronger  stimulants  for  that  part  of 
the  town.  With  the  lessening  of  places  for  the  sale,  and  the 
growth  of  a  better  sentiment,  the  community  became  more 
abstemious,  the  example  of  one  person  was  followed  by 
another,  until  by  about  the  middle  of  the  present  century 
the  entire  drinking  customs  of  society  thereabouts  were 
changed.  But  even  after  that  time  liquor  was  sold  at  the 
taverns.  At  South  Sudbury  the  bar-room  was  still  open  to 
the  traveler  and  the  occasional  call  of  a  villager ;  but  one 
by  one  the  taverns  were  closed,  and  drunkenness  grew  less 
and  less,  until  at  the  present  time  this  may  be  considered  a 
strong  prohibitory  town. 


CHAPTER   XXXV. 

COLLEGE   GRADUATES   AND    PROFESSIONAL    MEN. 

List   of   Graduates   before   1800.  —  Biographical    Sketches   of    College 
Graduates  and  Professional  Men  since  1800. 

"  Not  many  lives,  but  only  one  have  we; 
One,  only  one. 
How  sacred  should  that  one  life  ever  be,  — 
Day  after  day  filled  up  with  blesse'd  toil, 
Hour  after  hour  still  bringing  in  new  spoil." 

The  following  is  a  list  of  college  graduates  prior  to  1800. 
The  names  of  those  who  graduated  before  1776,  are  taken 
from  a  sketch  of  Sudbury  supposed  to  have  been  written  by 
Dr.  Israel  Loring. 

HARVARD    COLLEGE   GRADUATES    BEFORE    1800. 

Samuel  Jennison  1720 

Noyes  Parris  1721 

William  Brintnall  1721 

Thomas  Frink  1722 

John  Loring  1720 

Jonathan  Loring  1738 

William  Cooke  1748 

William  Baldwin  1748 

The  following  are  biographical  sketches  of  college  gradu- 
ates and  professional  men  since  1800,  so  far  as  we  have 
information. 


Gideon  Richardson 

1749 

Samuel  Baldwin 

1752 

Jude  Damon 

1776 

Aaron  Smith 

1777 

Ephraim  Smith 

1777 

Reuben  Puffer 

1778 

Jacob  Bigelow 

GEORGE   H.    BARTON. 

George  H.  Barton,  son  of  George  W.  and  Mary  S.  (Hunt) 
Barton,  was  born  at  Sudbury,  July  8,  1852.  At  the  age  of 
seventeen  he  attended  the  academy  at  Chester,  Vt.,  after- 
wards, S.  P.  Frost's  private  school,  Maynard,  and  the  high 

612 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  613 

school  of  the  same  town.  After  a  somewhat  rough  experi- 
ence carpentering,  blacksmithing,  etc.,  he  entered  the  Warren 
Scientific  Academy  in  Woburn,  and,  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
four,  entered  the  Massachusetts  Institute  of  Technology, 
and  graduated  with  the  class  of  '80.  In  1881,  he  taught  in 
the  Drawing  Department  of  the  Institute.  He  was  offered 
and  declined  a  position  on  Charnay's  Expedition  to  Yucatan 
and  Central  America.  He  soon  after  accepted  an  offer  from 
the  Hawaiian  Government  survey,  and  left  Boston  for  Hono- 
lulu Aug.  9,  1881.  After  remaining  in  this  survey  about 
two  years,  he  received  an  appointment  in  the  Geological 
Department  of  the  Massachusetts  Institute  of  Technology, 
which  he  accepted  and  still  retains. 

FRANCIS    F.    BROWN,    M.  D. 

Francis  Frederick  Brown,  son  of  Edward  and  Abigail 
(Rogers)  Brown,  was  born  in  Sudbury,  Aug.  12,  1834.  He 
studied  at  Warren  Academy,  Woburn,  and  in  1851  entered 
Amherst  College,  where  he  graduated  in  1855.  He  studied 
medicine  at  the  Harvard  and  Berkshire  Medical  Schools, 
graduating  at  the  latter  in  1862.  Subsequently  he  served  as 
assistant  surgeon  of  the  Forty-eighth  Regiment  M.  V.  M., 
until  it  was  mustered  out  Sept.  3,  1863.  He  settled  in 
Reading  in  1864,  where  he  still  resides  and  follows  his  pro- 
fession. June  7,  1865,  he  married  Emma  Mary  Clapp  of 
Dorchester,  and  has  had  six  children. 

E.    R.    CUTLER,    M.  D. 

Edward  Roland  Cutler,  son  of  Roland  Cutler,  was  born  in 
Boston  Jan.  15,  1841.  In  his  early  life  his  parents  removed 
to  Sudbury.  He  attended  Wadsworth  Academy  at  South 
Sudbury  and  entered  Williams  College  in  1858.  He  gradu- 
ated at  the  Harvard  Medical  School  in  1863,  having  spent 
a  year  at  Rainsford  Island  Hospital,  Boston  Harbor.  He 
entered  the  United  States  service  as  assistant  surgeon  of  the 
First  Heavy  Artillery,  formerly  the  Fourteenth  Infantry.  In 
1864,  he  became  surgeon  of  the  regiment,  and  served  in  that 
capacity  till  the  close  of  the  war.     He  practiced  medicine 


614  HISTORY   OP   SUDBURY. 

for  a  time  at  Hartford,  Conn. ;  spent  three  years  in  medical 
study  abroad,  mostly  in  Vienna ;  and,  Jan.  1,  1870,  settled  in 
Waltham,  where  he  now  resides.  He  married  Melvina  A., 
daughter  of  Samuel  B.  Rogers  of  Sudbury,  and  has  had 
seven  children. 

JOSEPH   CUTLER,   ESQ. 

Joseph  Cutler,  son  of  Christopher  G.  Cutler  and  great- 
grandson  of  Gen.  John  Nixon,  was  born  at  South  Sudbury, 
Dec.  9,  1815.  He  entered  Amherst  College  at  the  age  of 
nineteen,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1840.  He  studied  at 
the  Harvard  Law  School  and  began  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession in  Boston.  As  a  lawyer,  he  was  especially  able  in 
matters  of  real  estate.  He  acted  for  many  years  as  counsel 
for  the  Cambridge  Savings  Bank.  He  was  the  author  of  the 
celebrated  compendium  entitled,  "  The  Insolvent  Laws  of 
Massachusetts,"  three  editions  of  which  were  published  prior 
to  the  United  States  Bankrupt  Law,  and  the  fourth  edition 
of  which  was  revised  and  enlarged  by  him  after  its  repeal. 
Said  the  "Boston  Advertiser,"  "his  memory  will  be  fondly 
cherished  as  of  an  excellent  lawyer  and  an  honest  man,  as 
approximating  closely  to  the  highest  standard  in  every  de- 
partment of  life  and  duty,  and  as,  if  not  one  of  the  world's 
most  famous,  one  of  its  worthiest  and  best." 

HON.    CHARLES   F.   GERRY. 

Charles  Frederick  Gerry,  son  of  Charles  and  Orisa  Gerry, 
was  born  at  Sudbury,  June  3,  1823.  He  graduated  at  the 
Wesleyan  University,  Middletown,  Conn.,  and  soon  after  be- 
came a  teacher  in  the  Boston  Mercantile  Academy,  and  later, 
in  the  Fort  Hill  School,  Boston.  Subsequently,  he  engaged 
in  the  insurance  business,  and  for  a  time  lived  at  Hyde  Park, 
being  its  first  representative  to  the  Legislature  in  1877,  and 
for  some  years  President  of  its  Savings  Bank.  In  the  midst 
of  a  busy  life,  he  has  been  a  frequent  contributor  to  peri- 
odical literature,  and  some  of  his  productions  have  been 
selected  for  school  text-books,  and  some  set  to  music  of  dis- 
tinguished composers.  In  1888,  Lee  &  Shepard  published 
his  book  of  poems,  entitled   "  Meadow   Melodies."      From 


RESIDENCE    OF    HON.   C.    F.   GERRY. 
Sudbury   Centre 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  615 

Hyde  Park  he  removed  to  Sudbury,  from  which  place  he 
went  to  the  Legislature,  serving  one  term  in  the  House  and 
two  terms  in  the  Senate,  being  chairman  during  the  second 
term  of  the  joint  committees  on  Education,  the  State  Library 
and  Parishes  and  Religious  Societies.  He  married  Martha 
A.  Clough  of  Canterbury,  N.  H.,  who  was  a  literary  lady  of 
wide  reputation  and  for  some  years  had  charge  of  the  edi- 
torial columns  of  the  "  Boston  Olive  Branch."  Mr.  Gerry 
has  four  children,  —  Charles  C,  Eleanor  M.,  Frank  F.  and 
Gilbert  H. 

ADONIRAM  J.   GOODENOUGH. 

Adoniram  Judson  Goodenough,  son  of  Dr.  Levi  and  Cyn- 
thia (Rice)  Goodenough,  was  born  at  Sudbury  Aug.  6, 
1833.  He  finished  his  academic  studies  at  Warren  Academy, 
Woburn.  He  entered  Amherst  College  where  he  graduated 
in  1854.  He  began  the  study  of  medicine,  but  weakness  of 
the  eyes  compelled  him  to  abandon  it.  He  spent  several 
years  in  the  South  engaged  in  business,  and  returned  North 
in  1863.  His  later  life  has  been  spent  at  Providence,  R.  I., 
where  he  still  resides. 

GEORGE  M.    HOWE,   M.  D. 

George  M.  Howe,  son  of  Buckley  and  Sally  Howe,  was 
born  in  Sudbury,  July  2,  1824.  After  attending  the  Fram- 
ingham,  Leicester  and  East  Hampton  Academies,  he  entered 
Union  College,  but  was  prevented  by  ill  health  from  com- 
pleting his  collegiate  course.  He  pursued  his  professional 
studies  at  the  Harvard  Medical  School,  and  settled  as  a 
physician  in  the  town  of  Harvard  where  he  practiced  about 
ten  years  ;  he  then  went  to  Framingham,  where  he  continued 
in  his  profession  till  his  death  which  occurred  Sept.  16,  1882. 
He  was  married  at  Harvard,  Jan.  17,  1855,  to  Harriet  M., 
daughter  of  Rev.  James  Howe  of  Pepperell,  and  had  five 
children.  Dr.  Howe  was  a  skillful  physician,  courteous  and 
gentle  in  disposition  and  much  esteemed  by  the  community. 
In  the  words  of  an  obituary  notice  of  him,  "  he  was  laid 
away  for  his  final  rest  on  a  bright,  warm,  autumnal  day 
amid  the  smiles  of  nature  and  the  tears  of  his  friends. 


616  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

ALFRED   S.    HUDSON. 

Alfred  Sereno  Hudson,  son  of  Martin  N.  and  Maria  (Read) 
Hudson,  was  born  at  South  Sudbury,  Nov.  20,  1839.  He 
studied  at  Wadsworth  Academy,  and  entered  Williams  Col- 
lege in  1860,  at  which  institution  he  graduated  in  1864. 
The  same  year  he  entered  the  service  of  the  United  States 
Sanitary  Commission,  and  was  stationed  for  a  time  near 
Petersburg,  Va.,  during  its  siege.  Upon  his  return  he  en- 
tered the  Theological  Seminary  at  Andover,  at  which  he 
graduated  with  the  class  of  '67.  Sept.  26,  1867,  he  married 
Miss  L.  R.  Draper  of  Wayland.  He  was  ordained  and  in- 
stalled pastor  of  the  Congregational  Church,  Burlington, 
Dec.  19,  1867,  where  he  remained  six  years.  Subsequently 
he  was  acting  pastor  of  the  Congregational  Church  at  Eas- 
ton.  In  1876  he  went  to  Maiden  where  he  remained  six 
years  ;  there  he  had  charge  of  the  Congregational  Churches 
in  Maplewood  and  Linden,  both  of  which  erected  meeting- 
houses during  his  pastorate.  Nov.  1,  1883,  he  became  acting 
pastor  of  the  First  Congregational  Church  at  Ayer,  which 
position  he  still  occupies. 

EDWARD  B.   HUNT. 

Edward  Brown  Hunt,  son  of  Emory  .and  Alice  How 
(Brown)  Hunt,  was  born  in  South  Sudbury,  Feb.  19,  1855. 
He  fitted  for  college  at  the  Boston  Latin  School,  entered 
Harvard  College  in  1874  and  graduated  in  1878.  He  taught 
school  at  Newburyport  three  years,  and  has  been  in  the 
Boston  Public  Library  since  1883. 

EDWIN   HUNT. 

Edwin  Hunt,  son  of  Sewall  and  Sophia  (Puffer)  Hunt, 
was  born  at  Sudbury  in  1837.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  he 
entered  the  High  School,  Concord,  where  he  fitted  for  col- 
lege. Two  years  later  he  entered  Amherst  College  and 
graduated  in  1858.  He  chose  teaching  as  his  profession,  and 
taught  a  select  school*  in  Enfield,  Haydenville,  and  Sherborn, 
and  Wadsworth  Academy.  He  served  in  the  United  States 
Sanitary  Commission  until  obliged  to  leave  on  account  of  ill 


HISTORY  Off  SUDBURY.  617 

health.  Resuming  his  profession,  he  became  assistant  pre- 
ceptor at  North  Bridgewater,  after  which  he  accepted  the 
position  of  instructor  of  natural  science  in  the  Free  Academy 
at  Utica,  N.  Y.  He  was  especially  interested  in  the  depart- 
ment of  botany,  the  study  of  which  he  had  pursued  through 
a  large  part  of  his  professional  life.  He  was  a  successful 
collector  of  specimens  and  possessed  an  extensive  herbarium. 
For  researches  in  natural  science  he  received  the  degree  of 
Ph.D.  He  was  re-elected  to  his  position  in  the  Academy 
till  failing  health  obliged  him  to  withdraw.  He  died  May  24, 
1880,  beloved  by  his  pupils,  trusted  in  his  profession,  and 
respected  by  all.  He  married  Mary  A.,  daughter  of  Edward 
Brown  of  Sudbury,  and  left  several  children. 

OTIS   E.    HUNT,   M.  D. 

Otis  Eugene  Hunt,  son  of  Joseph  Goodnow  Hunt  and 
Lucy  Howe  Hunt,  was  born  in  South  Sudbury,  July  7,  1822. 
He  fitted  for  college  at  the  Holliston  Academy,  Wayland 
High  School  and  Wilbraham  Academy.  He  entered  the 
Wesleyan  University,  Middletown,  Conn.,  in  1844,  but  ill 
health  compelled  him  to  leave  at  the  expiration  of  nine 
months.  He  afterwards  studied  medicine  with  Dr.  Levi 
Goodenough  of  Sudbury,  and  in  the  Boylston  Medical 
School,  Boston,  and  graduated  at  the  Berkshire  Medical 
College  in  1848.  He  began  the  practice  of  medicine  and 
surgery  in  Weston,  where  he  remained  sixteen  years.  He 
then  moved  to  Waltham  and  afterwards  to  Newtonville, 
where  he  now  resides.  He  has  been  one  of  the  leading  phy- 
sicians in  Middlesex  County,  and  was  the  first  to  administer 
sulphuric  ether  as  an  anesthetic  in  the  towns  of  Sudbury, 
Wayland  and  Weston.  He  married  Aroline  E.,  daughter  of 
Nahum  and  Abigail  Thompson  of  Sudbury,  Oct.  9,  1849,  and 
has  two  children,  Nina  Maria  and  William  O. 

SERENO  D.    HUNT. 

Sereno  D.  Hunt,  son  of  Sewall  and  Sophia  (Puffer)  Hunt, 
is  a  native  of  Sudbury.  He  early  attended  a  select  school 
at  Sudbury  Centre,  taught  by  Dr.  E.  O.  Haven.     He  after- 


618  HISTORY   OF    SUDBURY. 

wards  attended  the  academies  at  Framingham  and  Deny, 
N.  H.  He  was  the  first  principal  of  the  high  school  in 
Concord,  Mass.,  and  for  ten  years  taught  a  select  school  at 
North  Bridgewater.  In  1865,  he  became  the  preceptor  of 
the  Norfolk  County  Academy,  Milton,  Mass.,  and  subse- 
quently principal  of  the  high  school  ill  the  same  town,  which 
position  he  held  till  1877. 

HERBERT  S.  JONES,  M.  D. 

Herbert  Samuel  Jones,  son  of  William  P.  and  Catherine 
A.  (Brown)  Jones,  was  born  at  South  Sudbury,  Nov.  5, 
1851.  He  entered  Williston  Seminary,  Easthampton,  1873, 
and  Yale  College  in  1875.  In  1885,  he  entered  the  New 
York  Homoeopathic  Medical  College,  and  graduated  in  1888. 
The  same  year  he  entered  upon  the  practice  of  medicine  in 
Elizabethport,  N.  J.,  where  he  now  lives.  He  married 
Evelyn  Wilson  of  Roselle,  N.  J.,  in  1887. 

JOHN   L.    O'NEIL,    ESQ. 

John  L.  O'Neil  is-  son  of  John  and  Julia  O'Neil,  who 
went  to  Sudbury  in  1863.  He  studied  law  for  a  time  in  the 
office  of  Hon.  William  F.  Courtney  of  Lowell,  after  which  he 
graduated  at  the  Harvard  Law  School,  and  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  in  1882.  In  1884,  he  began  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession in  Chelsea,  where  he  still  resides. 

HARRIET    M.    PRATT. 

Harriet  M.  Pratt,  a  daughter  of  Nathan  L.  and  Harriet 
Hunt  Pratt,  was  born  in  Sudbury.  After  a  course  of  study 
at  the  Framinghani  High  School,  she  entered  Smith  College, 
Northampton,  from  which  she  graduated  in  1881. 

LUTHER    PUFFER. 

Luther  Puffer,  son  of  Samuel,  was  born  in  North  Sudbury, 
Sept.  11,  1833.  In  1850,  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  he  en- 
tered the  sophomore  class  at  Bowdoin  College,  and  graduated 
in   1853,  delivering   the  salutatory  oration.     He  began  the 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  619 

study  of  law  in  Andover,  N.  II.,  and  died  Oct.  27,  1854.  He 
was  a  person  of  fine  ability  and  excellent  character,  and  his 
early  death  ended  a  career  which  gave  promise  of  great  use- 
fulness. 

HOMER   ROGERS. 

Homer  Rogers,  son  of  Walter  and  Emily  Rogers,  was  born 
at  South  Sudbury,  Oct.  11,  1840.  He  studied  at  Wads- 
worth  Academy,  entered  Williams  College  in  1858,  and 
graduated  in  1862.  Soon  after  leaving  college  he  enlisted  in 
Company  F,  Forty-fifth  Regiment,  M.  V.  M.  At  the  ex- 
piration of  his  term  of  service  he  taught  school  one  year  in 
Douse  Academy,  Sherborn,  and  from  1864-6  in  Natick 
High  School,  since  which  time  he  has  been  engaged  in 
business.  Jan.  15,  1868,  he  married  Ellen  E.  Perry  of  South 
Natick,  and  lias  seven  children.  His  present  residence  is 
Boston.  In  1888  and  1889  he  was  elected  alderman  and  is 
at  present  chairman  of  the  Board. 


HENRY   SHAW,   M..D. 

Henry  Shaw,  son  of  Rev.  Linus  H.  and  Louisa  A.  Shaw, 
was  born  at  Raynham,  Sept.  12,  1829.  In  1851,  he  began 
the  study  of  medicine  and  graduated  at  Harvard  Medical 
School  in  1854.  For  a  time  he  practiced  his  profession  in 
Upton  and  Leominster,  and  in  1861-2  he  went  from  the 
former  town  as  a  representative  to  the  Legislature.  He  was 
subsequently  sent  by  Governor  Andrew  to  Newbern,  N.  C, 
on  a  service  connected  with  the  care  of  the  Massachusetts 
troops  in  that  vicinity.  July,  1862,  he  received  a  com- 
mission as  acting  assistant  surgeon  in  the  navy,  and  served 
in  all  the  blockading  squadrons  from  Mobile  to  Wilmington. 
In  1865,  he  was  promoted  to  the  next  higher  rank  in  the 
medical  corps.  Leaving  the  United  States  service  in  1866,  he 
practiced  medicine  for  a  time  in  Bedford.  In  1872,  he  be- 
came a  visitor  in  connection  with  the  State  Board  of  Chari- 
ties. He  married,  in  Sudbury,  Jane  M.  Taft  of  Upton, 
October,  1855,  and  has  five  children.  He  resides  in  Charles- 
town. 


620  HISTORY  OF  SUDBURY. 

JOSEPH  A.    SHAW. 

Joseph  Alden  Shaw,  son  of  Rev.  Linus  Hall  and  Louisa 
Alden  (Jones)  Shaw,  was  born  in  Athol,  Jan.  4,  1836.  He 
went  to  Sudbury  in  1845,  and  in  1853  attended  Phillips 
Academy  at  Exeter,  N.  H.,  and  graduated  July,  1855,  in  the 
advanced  class.  The  same  year  he  entered  the  sophomore 
class  at  Harvard  College  and  graduated  in  1858.  While  at 
college  he  received  a  Dexter  prize  from  the  Hopkins  fund, 
"  for  remarkable  diligence  in  his  studies."  In  1858,  he  be- 
came principal  of  the  New  Salem  Academy,  which  position 
he  held  six  years.  For  sixteen  years  he  has  been  a  teacher 
in  the  Highland  Military  Academy,  Worcester,  Mass.,  of 
which  he  is  at  present  the  head  master.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  American  Philological  Association,  and  a  contributor  to 
the  periodicals  of  the  day  on  the  subject  of  philology.     In 

1863,  he  married  Eliza  Antoinette  Thompson  of  New  Salem. 
He  has  two  children. 

CHARLES   THOMPSON,  ESQ. 

Charles  Thompson,  born  at  North  Sudbury,  March  6, 
1827,  is  the  eldest  son  of  Nahum  Thompson.  He  fitted  for 
college  at  Concord,  and  the  Pinkerton  Academy  at  Derry, 
N.  H.  In  1845,  he  entered  Yale  College,  but  was  soon 
obliged  to  abandon  his  studies  on  account  of  a  severe  sick- 
ness, which  left  his  eyes  in  a  weak  condition.  After  some 
years  he  studied  law,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  Jan.  20, 

1864.  Jan.  15,  1864,  he  married  Emily  A.,  daughter  of 
George  M.  Barrett  of  Concord.  In  1872,  he  removed  to 
Concord,  where  he  now  resides  and  follows  his  profession. 
He  has  been  special  justice  of  the  District  Court  of  Central 
Middlesex  since  its  establishment,  and  from  1876  to  1885 
was  chairman  of  the  Concord  Board  of  Selectmen. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

NATUEAL  FEATURES. 

Hills.  —  Forests.  —  The  Flora.  —  Ponds.  —  Brooks. —  Sudbury  River.  — 
Its  Rise  and  Course. —  Its  Fish. —  Poetical  Description  of  Pickerel 
Fishing.  —  Birds  about  the  River. —  Poetical  Description  of  Duck 
Hunting. —  Fur  Bearing  Animals  about  the  River.  —  Slow  Current 
of  the  River. 

And  sweet  homes  nestle  in  these  dales, 

And  perch  along  these  wooded  swells ; 
And,  blest  beyond  Arcadian  vales, 

They  hear  the  sound  of  Sabbath  bells. 

Whittier. 

In  its  natural  features  the  town  of  Sudbury  is  highly 
favored.  There  is  a  good  variety  of  hills,  valleys,  and  plains, 
and  these,  together  with  the  villages,  hamlets,  thrifty  farms 
and  smiling  homesteads,  give  a  pleasant  variety  to  the  land- 
scape. 

HILLS. 

Those  hills  my  native  village  that  embay 
In  waves  of  dreamier  purple  roll  away. 

Lowell. 

There  are  several  hills  in  Sudbury  of  considerable  promi- 
nence for  a  town  so  near  the  sea. 

Nobscot  Hill.  —  The  most  notable  of  the  Sudbury  hills 
is  Nobscot.  This  is  partly  in  Sudbury  and  partly  in  Fram- 
ingham,  the  larger  part  being  in  the  latter  town.  It  is  about 
five  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet  above  the  sea  level.  The 
summit  and  sides  in  great  part  are  covered  with  woods,  but 
the  northerly  slope  has  long  been  an  open  pasture,  greatly 
resorted  to  for  the  whortleberries  that  abound  there.  This 
slope  has  generally  been  known  as  the  "  old  Nixon  pasture," 

621 


622  HISTORY  OP  SUDBURY. 

because  it  contains  the  site  of  Gen.  John  Nixon's  house  and 
was  a  part  of  his  farm.  The  name  of  this  hill  is  of  Indian 
origin,  and  may  be  a  contraction  of  the  word  Penobscot, 
which  is  found  in  the  earlier  records  of  Sudbury.  In  1G74, 
"  Surveyors  were  appointed  of  all  the  field  fences  on  the 
west  side  of  the  great  river  of  the  town  and  Landham, 
Penobscot  new  mill."  Temple  says,  in  the  history  of  Fram- 
ingham,  that  the  meaning  of  this  word  is  "  at  the  fall  of  the 
rocks."  On  the  summit  are  heaps  of  stones,  which  perhaps 
were  taken  there  by  the  Indians  for  the  purpose  of  building 
a  "look  out"  from  which  to  survey  the  surrounding  country. 
The  view  on  a  clear  day  is  charming,  reaching  from  the  State 
House  on  the  east  to  the  far-off  hills  of  New  Hampshire. 

Goodman's  Hill.  —  This  is  another  considerable  hill,  and 
perhaps  next  in  prominence  to  Nobscot.  It  is  a  little  south- 
east of  Sudbury  Centre,  and  about  a  half  mile  from  it.  The 
westerly  side  is  mostly  covered  with  forests,  consisting 
largely  of  chestnut  and  oak.  This  hill  was  the  home  of 
Karto  or  Goodman,  from  whom  it  derived  its  name.  (See 
Chapter  II.) 

Green  Hill.  —  This  is  a  spur  of  Goodman's  Hill,  extend- 
ing south-westerly,  and  is  made  historic  by  Wadsworth's 
fight  with  King  Philip.  On  its  western  slope,  for  hours  the 
English  held  the  Indians  at  bay,  and  from  its  summit  they 
were  driven  at  night-fall  by  the  forest  fires  set  by  their 
savage  foes.  (See  chapter  on  Philip's  War.)  The  slope  of 
Green  Hill  or  a  spur  of  it  extends  to  Hop  Brook  meadows. 
Along  its  western  side,  on  a  small  plateau,  is  Mount  Wads- 
worth  Cemetery.  (See  chapter  on  Cemeteries.)  The  hill 
takes  its  name  from  the  growth  of  evergreen  trees  with 
which  it  was  formerly  covered. 

Sand  Hill.  —  This  hill  is  in  the  easterly  part  of  the  town 
adjoining  Wayland.  In  the  Revolutionary  War,  government 
store-houses  were  built  there,  and,  subsequently,  a  portion 
of  it  was  used  for  a  training-field  and  owned  by  the  town. 

Round  Hill.  —  This  is  a  conspicuous,  well-defined  hill  in 
the  town's  easterly  part,  and  cultivated  to  its  top.  It  lies 
not  far  from  the  river  meadows,  in  the  vicinity  of  Sherman's 
Bridge.     Near  Round  Hill,  and  just  by  the  junction  of  Gulf 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  623 

brook  and  Sudbury  River,  is  Weir  Hill,  so  called  from  its 
proximity  to  the  place  of  a  fishing  weir  used  by  the  Indians. 
(See  Chapter  II.) 

Willis  Hill.  —  This  is  in  the  north-westerly  part  of  Sud- 
bury, and  takes  its  name  from  the  Willis  family  long  living 
in  that  vicinity.  It  is  quite  a  prominent  landmark.  A  hill 
at  the  north  part,  on  which  a  flag-staff  was  erected  during 
the  Civil  War,  has  been  called  for  a  half  century  Jones'  Hill, 
but  in  old  deeds  was  called  Cedar  Swamp  Hill. 


FORESTS. 

The  soil  of  Sudbury  has,  from  its  settlement,  been  abun- 
dantly productive  in  its  timber  lands,  of  which  it  has  always 
possessed  many  acres.  The  principal  trees  are  the  oak, 
pine,  chestnut,  walnut,  maple,  white  birch  and  spruce  with 
here  and  there  a  poplar,  elm  and  hemlock.  The  first  three 
are  the  most  abundant,  and,  until  recently,  many  acres  were 
covered  with  them.  It  was  so  in  the  west  part  of  the  town 
on  the  farm  of  the  late  Paul  Walker,  near  the  line  of  the 
Massachusetts  Central  Railroad,  and  on  the  farm  of  the  late 
Curtis  Moore  on  the  line  of  the  Old  Colony  Railroad,  and 
these  are  but  specimens  of  what  was  on  many  farms  in  the 
town  within  the  last  half  century.  Large  quantities  of  cord- 
wood,  mostly  pine,  were,  about  forty  years  ago,  carried  by 
ox-team  to  the  railroad  and  factories  at  Saxonville,  and  the 
lanes  and  yards  of  the  Sudbury  saw-mills  were  piled  with 
hundreds  of  large  logs  to  be  sawn  into  boards.  Since  the 
more  general  use  of  coal,  less  wood  has  been  cut,  and  prob- 
ably more  land  is  being  abandoned  to  forest  now  than  thirty 
years  ago.  To  our  personal  knowledge,  tracts  of  country 
that  were  formerly  used  for  tillage  and  pasturage  are  now 
growing  up  to  wood.  In  some  places  the  growth  is  rapid, 
about  twenty  years  only  being  required  to  obtain  a  fair 
Growth.  Chestnut-trees  have  been  abundant  on  and  about 
Goodman's  Hill,  Nobscot,  and  some  parts  of  Peakham  Plain 
and  lands  in  the  central  parts  of  the  town.  Walnut-trees 
grow  abundantly  about  Nobscot,  and  to  an  extent  in  other 
localities.      Black  birch  is  found  and  other  kinds  of  wood 


624  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

besides  these  now  mentioned,  but  in  far  less  quantities. 
With  wild  berries  the  town  is  well  supplied.  Besides  grow- 
ing in  the  open  pasture,  very  frequently  when  the  land 
is  cleared  of  forests  the  whortleberry  and  blueberry-bush 
spring  up.  More  or  less  of  the  swamps  abound  with  high 
blueberries  or  bilberries,  notable  among  which  are  Hayden's 
swamp  and  the  one  about  Willis  Pond.  Blackberries  grow 
on  the  plain  lands,  and  the  barberry  on  the  rough,  stony  soil 
of  the  hills.  Strawberries  are  scattered  here  and  there.  A 
place  years  ago  where  they  were  especially  plentiful  was 
east  of  the  old  Lancaster  road,  between  Goodman's  Hill  and 
Green  Hill. 

THE   FLORA. 

The  following  are  some  of  the  flowers  found  in  Sudbury. 
The  small  cow-lily  (Nuphar  kalmianum),  Vitus  riparia,  trum- 
pet weed  (Eupatorium  rotundifoliwri),  mountain  rice  (Ory- 
zopsis  canadensis'),  mountain  laurel  {Kalmia  latifolia),  trailing 
arbutus  {Epigwra  repens),  the  pitcher  plant  (Sarracenia 
purpurea),  meadow  beauty  (lihexia  virginica),  buckbean 
(Menyantlies  trifoliata),  the  two  orchids,  the  Pogonia  ophio- 
glossoides  and  the  Arethusa  bulbosa,  and  Clintonia  borealis.  In 
some  of  Sudbury's  meadows  are  found  the  fringed  gentian 
of  Bryant  (  Gentiana  crinita)  and  the  painted  cup  (  Castilleja 
coccinea).  It  is  also  stated  on  good  authority  that  the  flow- 
ering dogwood  (Cornus  florida)  grows  within  the  town  limits. 

PONDS. 

The  ponds  of  Sudbury  are  small. 

Willis  Pond.  —  This  is  the  largest  and  lies  at  the  north- 
west part  of  the  town.  It  is  nearly  surrounded  by  forests, 
and  is  a  little  lake  in  the  woods.  It  has  an  outlet  to  Hop 
Brook  called  Run  Brook. 

Blandford's  Pond.  —  This  is  another  which  is  sur- 
rounded by  forests.  It  is  situated  just  west  of  Hop  Brook, 
about  midway  between  South  Sudbury  and  the  Willis  mill. 
It  has  an  artificial  outlet  at  high  water  to  Hop  Brook. 

Bottomless    Pond.  —  This    is  a  small   pond   near  the 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  625 

Marlboro  line  and  has  no  outlet.     (For  area  of  ponds  see 
map  of  1794.) 

BROOKS. 

Mill  Brook.  —  This  stream  is  next  in  importance  and 
size  to  the  river.  It  rises  in  Marlboro,  and  enters  the  town 
at  its  south-westerly  part  a  very  small  stream,  and  by  a  very 
circuitous  course  empties  into  the  river  near  Bridle  Point 
Bridge  (Wayland).  Upon  its  banks  are  the  mills  of  Howe, 
Pratt,  Willis  and  Parmenter.  It  is  crossed  by  at  least  eight 
highway  bridges  within  the  town  limits,  the  first  being  near 
the  Wayside  Inn.  It  was  early  known  as  Hop  Brook,  upon 
which  stood  the  Noyes  mills,  the  second  built  in  Sudbury. 
Later,  it  has  had  several  names,  being  called  at  its  lower  end 
West  Brook  ;  farther  up,  Lanham  Brook  ;  at  South  Sudbury, 
Mill  Brook  ;  about  the  Willis  mill,  Wash  Brook  ;  also  Piners' 
Brook  and  Piners'  Wash.  The  lower  meadows  upon  tjhis 
brook  were  formerly  of  considerable  value,  but  below  Lan- 
ham Bridge  they  have,  of  late,  largely  been  in  a  condition 
similar  to  that  of  the  river  meadows.  The  current  of  this 
stream  is  naturally  rapid  away  from  the  various  mill-dams, 
and  perhaps  for  this  reason  it  received  its  early  name  "  Hop 
Brook,"  as,  when  clear  of  obstructions,  it  may  have  skipped 
over  the  stones,  especially  along  the  locality  of  South  Sud- 
bury where  the  fall  was  considerable.  This  is  the  only 
brook  in  town  that  affords  mill  privileges,  and  in  this  respect 
it  has  proved  very  valuable,  having  furnished  power  for  both 
saw  and  grist  mills. 

Pantry  Brook.  —  This  stream  is  in  the  north  part  of 
Sudbury,  and  its  name  may  have  been  a  contraction  of  the 
word  pine-tree.  It  rises  in  the  north-west  part  of  the  town 
and  empties  into  the  river  near  Weir  Hill.  Near  its  mouth 
it  receives  as  a  tributary  a  small  stream  called  Cold  Brook. 
Along  this  stream  are  the  Gulf  meadows,  which,  before  they 
in  part  shared  the  fate  of  the  river  meadows,  produced  con- 
siderable hay.  Other  and  smaller  brooks  are  Dudley  or 
Trull  Brook,  which,  running  from  the  west  part  of  the  town, 
empties  into  Hop  Brook  near  Blandford's  Pond ;  and  Low- 
ance  Brook,  whose  name  is  probably  a  contraction  of  "  Al- 


626  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

lowance,"  and  which,  running  from  the  southerly  part  of 
the  town,  empties  into  Mill  Brook  between  South  Sudbury 
and  Lanham  Bridge.  Both  of  these  brooks  have  been  more 
or  less  fished  in  for  trout.  The  latter  has  some  considerable 
meadow  land,  and  is  crossed  by  Hunt's  Bridge.  All  these 
streams  and  ponds  abound  in  fish,  mostly  of  the  kind  found 
in  the  river.  Besides  those  mentioned  further  along  are  the 
shiner  (Stilbe  chry&olencas),  cheven  (Leuciscus  chephalus) , 
black  sucker  (  Catostomus)  and  the  chub  sucker,  a  fish  of  like 
genus,  and  also  a  few  trout  (Salmo  fontinalis).  We  have 
seen  a  specimen  of  the  latter  that  was  taken  in  Mill  Brook 'a 
short  distance  below  South  Sudbury  mills  that  weighed  nearly 
five  pounds.  This  fish  was  caught  by  Mr.  Nichols  Brown, 
once  a  famous  fisherman  and  hunter  in  Sudbury.  This  is 
the  only  trout  we  ever  knew  of,  large  or  small,  taken  in  Mill 
Brook. 

SUDBURY   RIVER. 

All  round  upon  the  river's  slippery  edge, 
Witching  to  deeper  calm  the  drowsy  tide, 
Whispers  and  leans  the  breeze-entangling  sedge  ; 
Through  emerald  glooms  the  lingering  waters  slide. 

Lowell. 

The  Indian  name  of  this  stream  was  "  Musketahquid," 
meaning  grassy  meadows  or  grassy  brook.  It  was  also  called 
the  "Great  River."  It  takes  its  rise  in  Hopkinton  and 
Westboro,  the  branch  from  the  latter  town  having  its  source 
in  a  large  cedar  swamp.  Passing  through  Framingham,  it 
enters  Sudbury  on  the  south-east,  and  forms  the  boundary 
line  between  it  and  Wayland.  After  leaving  the  town,  it 
runs  through  Concord  and  borders  on  Lincoln,  Carlisle  and 
Bedford  and  empties  into  the  Merrimac  River  at  Lowell.  It 
is  made  use  of  for  mill  purposes  at  Framingham  and  Billerica. 
This  river  receives  but  two  tributaries  of  any  account  from 
the  town.  One  of  these  is  West  Brook  that  empties  in  at 
Bridle  Point  Bridge,  the  other  Pantry  Brook  that  flows 
through  the  Gulf  meadows. 

In  former  times  boats  passed  from  Boston  through  the 
Middlesex  Canal  to  the  Concord  River,  and  so  to  Sudbury. 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  627 

(Shattuck's  History  of  Concord.)  Within  the  present  cen- 
tury iron  ore  dug  in  town  was  laden  in  boats  at  the  Old  Town 
Bridge  and  taken  to  Chelmsford.  Near  the  bridge  on  the 
east  bank,  until  recently,  pieces  of  the  ore  could  be  found. 

The  width  of  this  river  where  it  enters  Sudbury  is  about 
fifty  feet,  where  it  leaves  the  town  it  is  about  two  hundred 
feet ;  at  the  latter  place  it  is  one  hundred  and  fourteen  feet 
above  low  water  mark  at  Boston.  (History  of  Concord.) 
Its  course  is  very  crooked,  seldom  running  far  in  one  direc- 
tion, but  having  many  sharp  curves.  The  banks  are  quite 
bare  of  shrubbery,  except  the  occasional  bunches  of  water 
brush  that  here  and  there  assist  in  tracing  its  course.  Fish 
abound  in  this  river,  of  which  the  more  useful  and  com- 
monly sought  are  the  pickerel  (Esox  reticulatus),  perch 
(JPerca  flavescens'),  bream  or  sunfish  (Pomotis  vulgaris*), 
horned  pout  (Pime  loduscatus') ,  and  common  eel  (Anguilla 
tenuirostris').  The  kind  most  sought  for  the  sport  in  taking 
is  the  pickerel.  Indeed  Sudbury  River  has  become  some- 
what noted  for  the  pastime  it  affords  in  pickerel  fishing. 
Specimens  weighing  a  half  dozen  pounds  are  sometimes 
caught.  A  good  description  of  this  sport  has  been  given  in 
verse  by  one  of  Sudbury's  poets,  Hon.  C.  F.  Gerry,  in  a 
poem  entitled,  "  A  day  on  the  Sudbury  Meadows." 

The  clouds  drift  slowly  o'er  the  sky, 
But  dense  and  black  to  westward  lie, 
Assuring  with  the  east  wind's  chill, 
A  splendid  day  for  pickerel. 


The  river  gained,  we  launch  our  boat 
And  slowly  down  its  current  float, 

Till,  roused,  we  fish  on  either  shore, 

Still  moving  with  a  silent  oar, — 

Now  trolling  with  the  greatest  heed 

Through  lily  pads  and  pickerel  weed, 

Until  a  whirlpool  near  is  seen 

Beside  a  floating  mass  of  green ; 

The  bait  moves  off  with  race-horse  speed, 

And,  down  beside  a  quivering  reed, 

Is  swallowed  with  a  gourmand's  greed. 

A  twitch  sends  through  my  frame  a  thrill,- 


626  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

lowance,"  and  which,  running  from  the  southerly  part  of 
the  town,  empties  into  Mill  Brook  between  South  Sudbury 
and  Lanham  Bridge.  Both  of  these  brooks  have  been  more 
or  less  fished  in  for  trout.  The  latter  has  some  considerable 
meadow  land,  and  is  crossed  by  Hunt's  Bridge.  All  these 
streams  and  ponds  abound  in  fish,  mostly  of  the  kind  found 
in  the  river.  Besides  those  mentioned  further  along  are  the 
shiner  (Stilbe  chrysolencas),  cheven  (Leuciscus  chephalus) , 
black  sucker  (  Catostomus)  and  the  chub  sucker,  a  fish  of  like 
genus,  and  also  a  few  trout  (Salrno  fontinalis).  We  have 
seen  a  specimen  of  the  latter  that  was  taken  in  Mill  Brook 'a 
short  distance  below  South  Sudbury  mills  that  weighed  nearly 
five  pounds.  This  fish  was  caught  by  Mr.  Nichols  Brown, 
once  a  famous  fisherman  and  hunter  in  Sudbury.  This  is 
the  only  trout  we  ever  knew  of,  large  or  small,  taken  in  Mill 
Brook. 

SUDBURY   RIVER. 

All  round  upon  the  river's  slippery  edge, 
Witching  to  deeper  calm  the  drowsy  tide, 
Whispers  and  leans  the  breeze-entangling  sedge ; 
Through  emerald  glooms  the  lingering  waters  slide. 

Lowell. 

The  Indian  name  of  this  stream  was  "  Musketahquid," 
meaning  grassy  meadows  or  grassy  brook.  It  was  also  called 
the  "  Great  River."  It  takes  its  rise  in  Hopkinton  and 
Westboro,  the  branch  from  the  latter  town  having  its  source 
in  a  large  cedar  swamp.  Passing  through  Framingham,  it 
enters  Sudbury  on  the  south-east,  and  forms  the  boundary 
line  between  it  and  Wayland.  After  leaving  the  town,  it 
runs  through  Concord  and  borders  on  Lincoln,  Carlisle  and 
Bedford  and  empties  into  the  Merrimac  River  at  Lowell.  It 
is  made  use  of  for  mill  purposes  at  Framingham  and  Billerica. 
This  river  receives  but  two  tributaries  of  any  account  from 
the  town.  One  of  these  is  West  Brook  that  empties  in  at 
Bridle  Point  Bridge,  the  other  Pantry  Brook  that  flows 
through  the  Gulf  meadows. 

In  former  times  boats   passed  from  Boston  through   the 
Middlesex  Canal  to  the  Concord  River,  and  so  to  Sudbury. 


HISTORY  OF  SUDBURY.  627 

(Shattuck's  History  of  Concord.)  Within  the  present  cen- 
tury iron  ore  dug  in  town  was  laden  in  boats  at  the  Old  Town 
Bridge  and  taken  to  Chelmsford.  Near  the  bridge  on  the 
east  bank,  until  recently,  pieces  of  the  ore  could  be  found. 

The  width  of  this  river  where  it  enters  Sudbury  is  about 
fifty  feet,  where  it  leaves  the  town  it  is  about  two  hundred 
feet ;  at  the  latter  place  it  is  one  hundred  and  fourteen  feet 
above  low  water  mark  at  Boston.  (History  of  Concord.) 
Its  course  is  very  crooked,  seldom  running  far  in  one  direc- 
tion, but  having  many  sharp  curves.  The  banks  are  quite 
bare  of  shrubbery,  except  the  occasional  bunches  of  water 
brush  that  here  and  there  assist  in  tracing  its  course.  Fish 
abound  in  this  river,  of  which  the  more  useful  and  com- 
monly sought  are  the  pickerel  (Usox  reticulatus) ,  perch 
(Perca  flavescens),  bream  or  sunfish  (Pomotis  vulgaris-), 
horned  pout  (Pime  loduscatus) ,  and  common  eel  (Anguilla 
tenuirostris).  The  kind  most  sought  for  the  sport  in  taking 
is  the  pickerel.  Indeed  Sudbury  River  has  become  some- 
what noted  for  the  pastime  it  affords  in  pickerel  fishing. 
Specimens  weighing  a  half  dozen  pounds  are  sometimes 
caught.  A  good  description  of  this  sport  has  been  given  in 
verse  by  one  of  Sudbury's  poets,  Hon.  C.  F.  Gerry,  in  a 
poem  entitled,  "  A  day  on  the  Sudbury  Meadows." 

The  clouds  drift  slowly  o'er  the  sky, 
But  dense  and  black  to  westward  lie, 
Assuring  with  the  east  wind's  chill, 
A  splendid  day  for  pickerel. 


The  river  gained,  we  launch  our  boat 
And  slowly  down  its  current  float, 

Till,  roused,  we  fish  on  either  shore, 

Still  moving  with  a  silent  oar, — 

Now  trolling  with  the  greatest  heed 

Through  lily  pads  and  pickerel  weed, 

Until  a  whirlpool  near  is  seen 

Beside  a  floating  mass  of  green ; 

The  bait  moves  off  with  race-horse  speed, 

And,  down  beside  a  quivering  reed, 

Is  swallowed  with  a  gourmand's  greed. 

A  twitch  sends  through  my  frame  a  thrill,- 


630  HISTORY  OP   SUDBURY. 

But  not  unnoticed  do  they  always  pass 

To  snug  retreat,  amid  the  meadow  grass. 

Traced  is  their  course  sometimes  by  sportman's  eye, 

Who  knows  the  reedy  cove  to  which  they  fly. 

His  trusty  gun  he  takes  from  off  the  hook, 

And  starts  at  once  for  the  secluded  nook. 

His  boat  is  launched  from  off  the  shelving  shore, 

And  glides  along  with  quiet,  dipping  oar. 

Close  to  the  margin  of  the  stream  he  clings, 

Where,  mid  the  water  brush,  the  blackbird  sings. 

Now  the  shy  muskrat  star\s  with  sudden  bound 

From  off  the  bank,  with  harsh  and  splashing  sound, 

That  makes  the  anxious  sportsman  start  with  fear, 

Lest  upward  start  the  ducks  ere  he  draws  near. 

He  rows  more  gently,  as  he  now  detects 

Through  the  tall  grass-tops,  slowly  gliding  specks, 

That  tell  him  there  the  dusky  squadron  lie, 

All  snugly  sheltered  in  the  pool  hard  by. 

And  as  he  listens,  lo !  the  Quack,  Quack,  Quack, 

A  noise  so  welcome  to  his  ear,  comes  back. 

In  river  bend  his  little  craft  he  steers, 

As  place  abreast  the  pool  he  slowly  nears. 

Then  with  one  long  and  calculating  peep 

Upon  the  flock,  he  takes  his  gun  to  creep 

A  little  closer,  but  ere  this  he  do, 

His  fowling-piece  he  takes  to  prime  anew. 

When  all  is  ready,  and  the  distance  right 

To  make  the  shot  effective,  then  keen  sight 

He  takes  along  both  barrels.     Lo,  a  flash  ! 

And  fast  the  deadly  missiles  hurrying  dash. 

At  once  the  startled  flock,  with  sudden  fright, 

Rise  from  the  pool  to  make  a  hasty  flight. 

But  stop  !  behold  again  another  flash  ! 

And  yet  once  more  the  deadly  missiles  dash 

Amid  the  flock,  and  lo  !  the  feathers  fly, 

And  round  about  the  dead  and  wounded  lie. 

Quickly  the  sportsman  springs  to  seize  his  prize, 

That  flutters  there  before  his  eager  eyes. 

The  wounded  first  are  seized,  then  all  secured, 

He  quickly  goes  to  where  his  boat  is  moored. 

This  he  draws  up  beside  the  reedy  bank, 

Where  it  is  left  concealed  mid  grasses  rank. 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY.  631 

Then  he  goes  back  and  waits  for  further  flight 

Of  birds,  to  come  there  ere  he  leaves  it  quite. 

Round  him  the  twilight  deepens  into  gray, 

And  fast  fade  out  the  beams  of  ebbing  day. 

The  wet  dews,  foggy,  heavy,  damp  and  chill, 

The  night  with  moisture  now  begin  to  fill. 

But  soon  he  starts  !  a  sound  comes  through  the  air. 

'Tis  whistle  of  the  wood-duck's  wing  that's  there. 

Quick  to  his  eye  his  fowling  piece  is  raised, 

The  trigger  pulled,  once  more  the  piece  has  blazed. 

And  still  again,  from  off  the  meadow  land, 

The  fluttering  bird  is  seized  with  eager  hand. 

Reloading,  he  again  with  listening  ear, 

Is  all  intent,  still  other  birds  to  hear. 

But  hark  !  that  rushing,  whistling,  nearing  sound 

Shows  that  a  large  sized  flock  flies  near  the  ground. 

Low  lies  the  hunter,  nearer  comes  the  flock, 

Upward  he  springs,  and  click,  click  goes  the  lock. 

Whang!  Bang!  the  charges  of  both  barrels  go, 

As  swoop  the  flock  in  circle  small  and  low. 

The  feathers  fly,  and  scattered  here  and  there 

A  dusky  form  is  falling  through  the  air, 

While  quick  with  sudden  start  and  wheel  and  curve, 

The  unhurt  fowls  to  other  quarters  move. 

With  loaded  hand,  but  step  and  heart  that's  light, 

The  sportsman  does  not  wait  for  further  flight 

But  starts  at  once  to  launch  his  waiting  boat, 

And  soon  again  he  finds  himself  afloat. 

Stoutly  he  plies  the  bending,  splashing  oar, 

That  swiftly  bears  him  towards  the  sought-for  shore. 

Around  the  curve  of  river  bend  he  speeds, 

Now  dark  with  bush  or  overhanging  reeds. 

Afar  he  sees  the  gleam  of  distant  lamp 

Beyond  the  meadow's  mist,  so  dark  and  damp, 

And  on  the  still  air  now  and  then  is  heard 

The  whistling  wing  or  night-call  of  a  bird. 

Soon  nearer  comes  the  sounds  he  gladly  hears, 

That  show  him  that  the  causeway  road  he  nears,  — 

A  sound  of  travel  and  of  rattling  team, 

Which  rolls  along  the  bridge  that  spans  the  stream. 

Soon  he  has  nearly  reached  the  wished-for  shore, 

And  slacks  his  speed  and  lays  aside  his  oar, 


632  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

Takes  carefully  his  game  and  gun  in  either  hand, 
Safe  moors  his  boat,  and  nimbly  springs  to  land. 
With  brisk  walk,  quickly  to  his  home  he  goes 
To  tell  his  story,  as  the  game  he  shows. 

Beside  the  natatores  or  swimmers  there  also  are  found  the 
gralatores  or  waders.  Among'  these  the  great  blue  heron  or 
crane  (Ardea  herodias)  is  quite  common,  and  the  green  heron 
or  '"Fly  up  the  Creek"  (Butorides  virescens)  is  also  seen. 
But  the  most  abundant  is  the  night  heron  or  "Qua  Bird" 
QArdea  nycticorax).  A  few  years  ago  a  colony  of  these  in- 
habited the  woods  just  south  of  West  Brook,  and  not  far 
from  Heard's  Pond.  They  built  their  nests  on  trees  of  a 
young  growth,  and  would  leave  them  at  night-fall  to  visit  the 
neighboring  ponds.  In  the  early  evening  it  was  quite  com- 
mon to  hear  the  peculiar  note,  "qua,"  "qua,"  "qua,"  from 
the  birds  far  out  of  sight  overhead,  and  in  the  early  morning 
they  would  return  to  their  nesting  places,  where  they  would 
generally  remain  through  the  day.  After  a  time  the  colony 
removed  a  mile  or  two  westward  and  located  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  Lowance  Meadows. 

Of  the  bitterns,  the  stake  driver  (Ardea  minor')  is  the  most 
numerous.  The  note  of  this  bird  so  resembles  the  words 
"  plum  pudding  "  that  it  is  called  by  that  name.  The  least 
bittern  (Ardetta  exilis~)  is  found  sometimes,  a  fine  specimen  of 
which  we  possess,  which  was  shot  on  the  meadow. 

There  are  also  found  in  their  season  the  snipe,  yellow  legs, 
plover,  sandpiper,  rail,  and  various  smaller  birds  such  as  fre- 
quent similar  localities  in  this  section  of  the  State.  Wild 
geese  sometimes  stop  for  a  brief  period,  but  are  seldom 
taken. 

The  fur-bearing  animals  about  the  river  are,  mainly,  the 
muskrat  or  musquash  (Mus  zibethicus)  and  an  occasional 
otter.  The  muskrats  are  quite  plentiful  ;  as  many  as  a 
dozen  or  more  are  sometimes  taken  in  a  day,  when  the  high 
water  drives  them  from  their  cone-shaped  houses  to  the 
causeway.  Not  an  otter  has  been  taken  on  the  river  for 
years,  although  they  have  sometimes  been  seen.  And  no 
beaver  has  been  seen  in  the  memory  of  the  oldest  inhabitant, 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  633 

although  formerly  they  probably  lived  there  to  a  considera- 
ble extent. 

A  chief  characteristic  of  this  river  is  its  slow  moving  cur- 
rent, which  in  places  is  scarcely  perceptible  at  a  casual 
glance.  This  slow  current  is  supposed  to  be  occasioned  by 
various  causes,  any  one  of  which  may  perhaps  be  sufficient, 
but  all  of  which  at  present  doubtless  contribute  something  to 
it.  The  chief  reason  is  its  very  small  fall,  which  may  be 
occasioned  by  both  natural  and  artificial  causes.  It  is  said 
to  have  but  two  inches  to  the  mile  for  twenty-two  miles. 
This  slow  current  tends  to  keep  the  river  from  straightening 
its  course,  and  to  increase  the  water  weeds  that  grow  in  the 
channel.  To  speak  of  the  river  in  its  general  historic  con- 
nection is  here  unnecessary,  as  in  the  course  of  this  work 
mention  has  frequently  been  made  of  historic  objects  and 
events  that  have  existed  or  transpired  in  its  vicinity. 


CHAPTER   XXXVII. 

THE    RIVER    MEADOWS. 

Width  of  the  Meadows.  —  Former  Productiveness.  —  Litigation  and 
Legislation.  — Change  in  Productiveness.  —  Causes  of  it. —  Natural 
Features  at  the  Present  Time.  —  Grass. 

Where  merry  mowers,  hale  and  strong, 
Swept  scythe  on  scythe,  their  swaths  along. 

Whittier. 

These  meadows  have  been  notable  from  an  early  period. 
They  extend,  with  varying  width,  the  entire  length  of  the 
river  course.  In  some  places  they  may  narrow  to  only  a  few 
rods,  while  in  others  they  extend  from  half  a  mile  to  a  mile, 
where  they  are  commonly  called  the  Broad  Meadows.     They 


634  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

are  widest  below  the  long  causeway  and  Sherman's  Bridge. 
Comparatively  little  shrubbery  is  seen  on  these  meadows,  but 
they  stretch  out  as  grassy  plains,  uninterrupted  for  acres  by 
scarcely  a  bush.  At  an  early  date  these  meadows  yielded 
large  crops  of  grass  (see  Chapter  I.),  and  subsequent  years 
did  not  diminish  the  quantity  or  quality,  until  a  compara- 
tively modern  date.  From  testimony  given  in  1859  before 
a  Legislative  Committee,  it  appeared  that,  until  within  about 
twenty-five  years  of  that  time,  the  meadows  produced  from 
a  ton  to  a  ton  and  a  half  of  good  hay  to  the  acre,  a  fine 
crop  of  cranberries,  admitted  of  "fall  feeding,"  and  were 
sometimes  worth  about  one  hundred  dollars  per  acre.  The 
hay  was  seldom  "poled"  to  the  upland,  but  made  on  the 
meadows,  from  which  it  was  drawn  by  oxen  or  horses.  Tes- 
timony on  these  matters  was  given  before  a  joint  committee 
of  the  Legislature,  March  1,  1861,  by  prominent  citizens  of 
Sudbury,  Wayland,  Concord  and  Bedford.  Their  opinions 
were  concurrent  with  regard  to  the  condition  of  things  both 
past  and  present.  The  following  are  testimonies  by  some  of 
the  witnesses  from  Sudbury. 

John  Hunt,  eighty-two  years  (p.  105  Printed  Report). — 
"  I  have  owned  meadows  on  the  Gulf  Brook,  one  or  two 
hundred  rods  from  the  river.  I  had  care  of  the  "  Ministerial 
Lot"  on  the  river ;  and  the  nine  years  I  was  out  of  town,  I 
had  care  of  twenty  lots  below  for  some  years,  from  1803  to 
1807.  I  sold  the  grass  on  the  former  for  $10  an  acre,  stand- 
ing. A  great  change  has  since  taken  place  ;  I  suppose  it 
would  scarcely  pay  taxes  for  some  years  past.  They  have 
mortgaged  the  'Ministerial  Lot'  to  pay  for  it,  not  getting 
enough  to  pay  taxes.  .  .  .  Loring's  '  bank  meadow,'  which, 
when  1  was  a  boy,  was  worth  $100  an  acre,  is  not  now  worth 
$10.  A  horse  could  then  be  taken  to  the  river  shore,  you 
could  not  now  get  near  the  river  for  the  water.  Where  I 
have  in  the  low  meadows  fished  standing  dry,  it  is  now  over 
my  head.  There  are  fifteen  or  twenty  acres  in  this  meadow. 
When  I  was  fifteen,  it  produced  the  best  of  meadow  grass  — 
a  kind  of  red-top,  resembling,  though  not  the  same  as  the 
upland  red-top  —  there  is  none  of  that,  and  not  much  except 
coarse  grass,  and  poor  —  some  of  what  we  -call  sedge.     There 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  635 

was  not  much  poling  then  ;  then  they  took  the  horses  to 
the  river.  They  now  pole  it  as  far  as  I  know.  .  .  .  The 
other  lands  in  the  same  neighborhood  suffer ;  cattle  were 
turned  in  there  for  fall  feed,  as  long  ago  as  I  can  remember. 
It  was  quite  an  item  to  farms  adjoining ;  nobody  now  sends 
them  for  fall  feed.  Cattle  could  then  go  on  the  shore ;  for 
years  these  hoods  have  entirely  destroyed  the  cranberries. 
My  land  on  the  Gulf  Brook,  has  been  torn  up  by  freezing 
and  breaking  up." 

William  Stone,  seventy-two  years  (p.  108).  —  "I  bought, 
forty-three  years  ago,  a  meadow  on  the  Sudbury  River,  close 
to  the  meadow  mentioned  by  Mr.  Hunt.  When  I  bought  it 
I  used  to  get  the  hay  almost  every  year.  There  were  two 
acres  of  shore,  and  the  rest,  where  the  water  came  on,  was 
such  a  meadow  as  I  never  saw,  producing  pipe  and  lute  grass. 
I  used  to  get  a  ton  and  a  half  per  acre.  I  used  to  drive 
across  the  meadow  to  water  my  team.  I  mowed  it  about 
twenty  years ;  I  began  then  to  find  the  water  came  over.  I 
built  a  causeway  across,  but  the  water  seemed  to  stay.  I 
tried  to  pole  the  hay  out,  but  it  cost  too  much.  I  sold  it  for 
$110  for  eleven  acres.  At  first  it  was  worth  to  me  $80  per 
acre.  The  water  seemed  to  go  away  only  by  evaporation. 
...  I  have  seen  cattle  getting  fall  feed  on  the  meadows  ;  not 
even  a  man  could  now  go  there  without  miring." 

William  Rice,  seventy-seven  years  (p.  109). — "I  have 
always  lived  in  sight  of  the  meadows  —  I  had  seven  acres, 
and  the  same  in  another  place,  separated  by  the  road.  I 
inherited  the  land.  Blue  grass  and  pipes  grew  there  — 
there  were  other  kinds  of  hay,  good  for  meadow  hay.  We 
considered  the  river  meadow  hay,  the  best  meadow  hay  — 
the  quality  is  now  affected.  Sedge  and  water  grass,  of  little 
value,  now  grows,  which  is  used  for  cattle  bedding.  The 
lots  have  grown  softer ;  we  could  go  on  with  a  team  gener- 
ally. I  have  known  times  when  we  did  not  pole  a  cock  of 
hay.  I  have  rode  a  horse  over  the  meadow.  I  don't  know 
when  they  could  go  on  without  rackets  of  late  years.  Rack- 
ets were  not  in  fashion  in  the  olden  times.  They  used  to 
drive  the  cattle  on  for  fall  feed,  but  have  not  for  twenty  or 
thirty  years.     They  have  not  been  fed  there  much  for  forty 


636  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

years.  I  do  not  own  the  meadow  now,  I  gave  it  away  two 
or  three  years  ago.  The  meadows  have  been  growing  softer, 
as  a  general  thing,  for  thirty  years." 

J.  P.  Fairbanks,  thirty-three  years  (p.  131).  —  "I  own 
meadow  land ;  none  runs  clear  to  the  river,  but  is  on  the 
'Gulf  and  'Broad  Meadows'  .  .  .  The  'Broad  Meadows' 
are  entirely  worthless  since  I  have  owned  them.  From 
1500  to  2000  acres  in  the  '  Broad  Meadow '  are  of  about  the 
same  level.  Not  much,  if  any,  of  the  grass  on  the  '  Broad 
Meadows '  has  been  cut  of  late  years.  The  best  of  my  cran- 
berry vines  are  on  the  '  Broad  Meadow  ; '  but  for  the  water, 
a  bushel  of  cranberries  to  the  rod  could  be  obtained  ;  ...  if 
the  water  should  be  off  we  could  get  good  crops  ;  they  are 
now  worth  $11  or  $12  a  barrel.  ...  In  high  flood  we  get  6  or 
7  feet  of  water  all  over  the  '  Broad  Meadows.'  The  water 
is  on  them  most  of  the  year." 

From  such  evidence  it  appears  that  a  great  and  gradual 
change  in  the  condition  of  the  meadows  came  after  the  year 
1825.  The  main  cause  alleged  for  this  changed  condition 
was  the  raising  of  the  dam  at  Billerica.  This  dam,  it  is  said, 
was  built  in  1711  by  one  Christopher  Osgood,  under  a  grant 
for  the  town  of  Billerica,  and  made  to  him  on  condition  that 
he  should  maintain  a  corn-mill,  and  defend  the  town  from 
any  trouble  that  might  come  from  damages  done  by  the  mill- 
dam  to  the  land  of  the  towns  above.  In  1793  the  charter 
was  granted  to  the  Middlesex  Canal,  and  in  1794  the  canal 
company  bought  the  Osgood  mill  privilege  of  one  Richard- 
son, and  in  1798  built  a  new  dam,  which  remained  till  the 
stone  dam  was  built  in  1828.  As  indicating  that  the  dam 
has  from  time  to  time  been  raised,  we  give  the  testimony 
quoted  from  the  argument  of  Hon.  Henry  F.  French,  before 
the  Legislative  Committee,  March  1,  1861. 

Jonathan  Manning.  —  "In  1798  I  helped  build  the  dam. 
There  was  a  dam  previously  there,  —  what  some  call  a  zig- 
zag dam,  —  leaky  and  not  very  high.  The  dam  I  helped 
build  was  higher  than  the  former  one.  They  made  rafts  to 
bring  timber  from  the  Merrimac,  and  there  was  not  water 
enough  to  fill  the  canal  "  (p.  77).  "  I  should  think,  from  the 
difference  in  the  height  of  the  water,  that  after  we  made  the 


HISTORY  OP   SUDBURY.  637 

new  dam,  the  dam  must  have  been  raised  from  nine  to  twelve 
inches.  I  think  it  made  the  water  about  a  foot  higher  in  the 
canal"  (p.  80). 

Herman  Bay.  — "  New  flash-boards  were  on  the  dam  in 
1817  "  (p.  168). 

Theophilus  Manning.  —  "  After  the  dam  of  1798  was  built, 
they  were  obliged  to  put  something  upon  it  to  fill  the  canal. 
A  foot  and  a  half  was  put  on.  They  call  it  a  figure  four. 
In  1800  the  flash-boards  were  on  "  (p.  169). 

Daniel  Wilson.  —  "  In  1820  or  1821  they  put  timber  and 
flash-boards  on  the  dam  of  1798,  thirty  inches  high'"  (p.  266). 

It  would  be  difficult  and  take  too  much  space  to  give  a 
full  and  extensive  account  of  the  litigation  and  legislation 
that  has  taken  place  in  the  past  near  two  centuries  and  a 
half,  in  relation  to  this  subject.  It  began  at  Concord  as 
early  as  Sept.  8,  1636,  when  a  petition  was  presented  to  the 
court,  which  was  followed  by  this  act :  "  Whereas  the  in- 
habitants of  Concord  are  purp'osed  to  abate  the  Falls  in  the 
river  upon  which  their  towne  standeth,  whereby  such  townes 
as  shall  hereafter  be  planted  above  them  upon  the  said  River 
shall  receive  benefit  by  reason  of  their  charge  and  labor.  It 
is  therefore  ordered  that  such  towns  or  farms  as  shall  be 
planted  above  them  shall  contribute  to  the  inhabitants  of 
Concord,  proportional  both  to  their  charge  and  advantage." 
(Shattuck's  History  of  Concord,  page  15.)  In  1644,  Nov. 
13,  the  following  persons  were  appointed  commissioners : 
Herbet  Pelhani,  Esq.,  of  Cambridge,  Mr.  Thomas  Flint  and 
Lieut.  Simon  Willard  of  Concord,  and  Mr.  Peter  Noyes  of 
Sudbury.  These  commissioners  were  appointed  "to  set 
some  order  which  may  conduce  to  the  better  surveying,  im- 
proving and  draining  of  the  meadows,  and  saving  and  pre- 
serving of  the  hay  there  gotten,  either  by  draining  the  same, 
or  otherwise,  and  to  proportion  the  charges  layed  out  about 
it  as  equabty  and  justly,  only  upon  them  that  own  land,  as 
they  in  their  wisdom  shall  see  nieete."  From  this  early  date 
along  at  intervals  in  the  history  of  both  Concord  and  Sud- 
bury, the  question  of  meadow  betterment  was  agitated. 
At  one  time  it  was  proposed  to  cut  a  canal  across  to  Water- 
town  and  Cambridge,  which  it  was  thought  could  be  done 


638  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

"  at  a  hundred  pounds  charge."  Says  Johnson,  "  The  rocky 
falls  causeth  their  meadows  to  be  much  covered  with  water, 
the  which  these  people,  together  with  their  neighbor  towne 
(Sudbury)  have  several  times  essayed  to  cut  through  but 
cannot,  yet  it  may  be  turned  another  way  with  an  hundred 
pound  charge."  In  1645,  a  commission  was  appointed  by  the 
colonial  authorities  (Col.  Rec.  Vol.  II.  page  99)  "  for  ye  btt  r 
and  imp'ving  of  ye  meadowe  ground  upon  ye  ryvr  running 
by  Concord  and  Sudbury."  In  1671,  a  levy  of  four  pence  an 
acre  was  to  be  made  upon  all  the  meadow  upon  the  great 
river,  "  for  reclaiming  of  the  river  that  is  from  the  Concord 
line  to  the  south  side,  and  to  Ensign  Grout's  spring."  Later, 
a  petition  was  sent  by  the  people  of  Sudbury,  headed  by 
Rev.  Israel  Loring,  for  an  act  in  behalf  of  the  meadow 
owners.  But  legislation  and  litigation  perhaps  reached  its 
height  about  1859,  when  most  of  the  towns  along  the  river 
petitioned  for  relief  from  the  flowage.  The  petition  of  Sud- 
bury was  headed  by  Henry  Vose  and  signed  b}r  one  hundred 
and  seventy-six  others;  and  that  of  Wayland  by  Richard 
Heard  and  one  hundred  and  sixteen  others.  On  April  6, 
1859,  a  joint  commission  was  appointed,  to  whom  the  petition 
was  referred.  The  committee  met,  and  ordered  publication 
of  notice  for  the  hearing  in  five  different  newspapers  in  Bos- 
ton and  Lowell.  As  data  of  evidence  in  the  case,  a  careful 
survey  was  made  of  the  premises  along  the  river,  the  water 
gauge  accurately  taken  by  competent  engineers,  and  a  com- 
plete report  rendered  thereon. 

After  thirty  days  devoted  by  the  committee  to  investiga- 
tion, on  the  27th  of  January,  1860,  the  report  of  five  hundred 
pages  was  submitted  to  a  second  joint  committee  appointed 
by  the  Legislature  of  1860.  This  committee  reported  that 
the  findings  of  the  committee  of  the  year  before  are  sustained 
by  the  evidence,  and  that  it  appears  that  the  dam  at  Billerica 
"  is  an  efficient  cause  of  the  flowage  of  nearly  10,000  acres 
of  the  most  valuable  meadow  land  in  the  eastern  section  of 
the  State,"  and  that  "  this  immense  injury  to  those  lands 
has  been  gradually  accomplished  by  the  canal  corporation 
under  their  charter,  without  the  payment  of  a  single  cent 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  639 

of  damages  to  any  land  owner  for  the  injury."  (See  Ho. 
Doc.  No.  221,  argument  of  Mr.  French.) 

A  bill  was  reported  for  the  removal  of  the  dam,  and  passed 
by  the  Legislature.  It  was  entitled  "  An  Act  in  Relation  to 
the  Flowage  of  the  Meadows  on  Concord  and  Sudbury 
Rivers."  It  provided  that  the  governor,  with  the  advice  of 
the  council,  might  appoint  three  commissioners  with  author- 
ity to  remove  thirty-three  inches  of  the  dam  across  the  Con- 
cord River,  at  North  Billerica,  at  any  time  after  the  first  day 
of  September  1860,  and  that  when  the  same  was  so  removed 
it  should  not  be  again  rebuilt. 

Time  was  considered  necessary  for  the  mill  owners  to  put 
in  steam,  and  the  act  was  changed  so  as  to  leave  six  feet, 
two  inches  of  their  dam.  An  injunction  was  obtained  from 
the  Supreme  Court,  but  the  Legislative  enactment  was  sus- 
tained. An  effort  was  made  in  1861  to  have  the  act  repealed. 
Thus  strenuous  have  been  the  efforts  to  have  the  dam  at 
Billerica  lowered.  In  the  contest  able  counsel  has  been  em- 
ployed on  both  sides,  among  whom  are  Judge  Abbott  and 
Benjamin  F.  Butler,  Esq. ;  skillful  engineer  service  has  also 
been  made  use  of. 

For  any  one  to  attempt  with  great  positiveness  to  clear  up 
a  subject  which  has  perplexed  legislators  and  lawyers,  might 
be  considered  presumptuous.  It  is  safe,  however,  to  say  that 
while  there  is  evidence  showing  that  the  meadows  were 
sometimes  wet  in  the  summer  at  an  early  period,  they  were 
not  generally  so  ;  it  was  the  exception  and  not  the  rule.  It 
was  a  sufficient  cause  of  complaint  if  the  settlers  had  their 
fertile  lands  damaged  even  at  distant  intervals,  since  they  so 
largely  depended  upon  them  ;  but  the  fact  that  they  did  de- 
pend on  them,  and  even  took  cattle  from  abroad  to  winter, 
indicates  that  the  meadows  were  generally  to  be  relied  upon. 
Certain  it  is  that,  were  they  formerly  as  they  have  been  for 
nearly  the  last  half  century,  they  would  have  been  almost 
worthless.  Since  the  testimony  taken  in  the  case  before 
cited,  these  lands  have  been  even  worse,  it  may  be,  than  be- 
fore. To  our  personal  knowledge,  parts  of  them  have  been 
like  a  stagnant  pool,  over  which  we  have  pushed  a  boat,  and 
where  a  scythe  has  not  been  swung  for  years.     Dry  seasons 


640  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

have  occasionally  come  in  which  things  were  different. 
Such  occurred  in  1883,  when  almost  all  the  meadows  were 
mown,  and  even  a  machine  could  in  places  cut  the  grass. 
But  this  was  such  an  exception  that  it  was  thought  quite  re- 
markable. For  the  past  quarter  century  people  have  placed 
little  reliance  upon  the  meadows  ;  and  if  any  hay  was  ob- 
tained it  was  almost  unexpected.  This  condition  of  things 
in  the  near  past,  so  unlike  that  in  times  remote,  together 
with  the  fact  of  some  complaint  by  the  setlers,  and  an  occa- 
sional resort  by  them  to  the  General  Court  for  relief,  indi- 
cates that  formerly  freshets  sometimes  came,  but  cleared 
away  without  permanent  damage  to  the  meadows.  At  times 
the  water  may  have  risen  even  as  high  as  at  present.  It  is 
supposed  that  at  an  early  period  the  rainfall  was  greater  than 
now,  and  that  because  of  extensive  forests  the  evaporation 
was  less.  The  little  stream  that  may  now  appear  too  small 
to  afford  adequate  power  to  move  saw  and  grist-mill  ma- 
chinery, may  once  have  been  amply  sufficient  to  grind  the 
corn  for  a  town.  But  the  flood  probably  fell  rapidly,  and  the 
strong  current  that  the  pressure  produced  might  have  left 
the  channel  more  free  from  obstructions  than  before  the  flood 
came.  Now,  when  the  meadow  lands  are  once  flooded  they 
remain  so,  till  a  large  share  of  the  water  passes  off  by  the 
slow  process  of  evaporation.  The  indications  are  that  some- 
thing has  of  late  years  obstructed  its  course.  As  to  whether 
the  dam  is  the  main  and  primal  cause  of  the  obstruction,  the 
reader  may  judge  for  himself.  Before  closing  this  subject, 
we  give  other  quotations  from  the  argument  of  Mr.  French. 

avery's  soundings  on  bars  in  concord  river. 

Depth  of  Water      Deptli  of  Bar  below 
on  Bars.  Bolt  &  Dam. 

On  line  "  A.  B."  near  dam,  3.92  feet  3.11  feet. 

On  line  "C.  D."  Ford  way,  one  mile  from 
dam,  3.26    "  2.29    " 

At  Barrett's  Bar,  one  half  mile  below  Con- 
cord N.  Bridge,  eleven  miles  from  dam,       1.91    "  1.22    " 

At  Junction  of  Assabet  and  Concord,  2.65    "  1.56    " 

Bar  below  Sherman's  Bridge,  fifteen  miles 

from  dam,  2.45    "  1.00    " 

Bar  at  Canal  Bridge,  Wayland,  twenty-one 

miles  from  dam,  .39    " 


HISTORY  OP  SUDBURY.  641 

Commenting  upon  the  data  of  the  report,  the  counsel  goes 
on  to  state  as  follows :  "  Add  to  these  depths  of  the  bars  be- 
low the  bolt,  which  is  the  top  of  the  dam,  the  depth  of  water 
on  the  dam,  and  you  have  the  least  possible  depth  on  these 
bars,  when  the  dam  is  full.  But  we  must  in  fact  add  much 
more  to  those  depths,  because  water  requires  some  fall  to 
give  it  motion.  The  more  crooked  the  stream  the  more  ob- 
structed by  weeds  and  bushes  and  logs,  and  the  more  rough 
the  channel  the  greater  is  the  fall  required  to  move  the  water. 
Mr.  Avery's  surveys  show  how  the  water  deepens  as  he  goes 
up  the  river,  till  he  finds  a  fall  in  all  of  forty-five  inches  in  the 
distance.  The  dam  prevents  ang  improvement.  Being  higher 
than  anything  else  in  the  river  for  twenty-one  miles,  if  every 
bar  was  cut  out,  and  the  channel  made  into  a  canal,  the 
water  must  remain  higher  than  any  of  the  bars.  The  land 
owners  expect  and  desire  to  improve  the  channel,  which  is 
rapidly  filling  up  with  weeds  and  deposits  of  sand  and  mud. 
Formerly  they  could  do  this  to  some  extent.  Of  late  years 
the  greater  height  of  water  has  prevented,  and  unless  the 
dam  is  reduced  their  case  will  grow  worse  and  worse.  With 
the  great  increase  of  water  and  the  obstructed  channel,  and 
this  dam  higher  than  any  other  object  in  the  whole  river, 
their  condition  is  hopeless.  Reduce  the  dam  thirty-three 
inches,  the  water  will  fall  proportion  ably  on  all  these  bars, 
which  may  be  then  cut  out,  and  the  river  may  be  brought  and 
kept  within  its  banks  in  the  growing  season.  ***** 
I  will  only  add  that  if  any  man  is  bold  enough  to  assert  that 
the  bars  in  this  river  prevent  the  water  from  flowing  off  the 
meadows,  and  that  the  dam,  which  is  by  actual  level  higher 
than  any  of  these  bars,  has  no  such  effect,  he  is  welcome  to 
all  the  votes  he  can  obtain  from  sane  legislators  for  the  re- 
peal of  this  act." 

We  will  now  turn  our  attention  to  a  few  things  regarding 
the  natural  features  that  the  later  condition  of  the  meadows 
have  brought  about.  It  is  said  to  be  an  ill  wind  that  blows 
nobody  any  good,  and  it  may  be  that  some  new  attractions 
have  been  afforded  these  lands  that  were  not  possessed  of 
old.  Sometimes  when  the  flood  is  up,  the  large  expanse  of 
water  with  its  irregular  margin  flashing  in  the  sunlight,  adds 


642  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

great  beauty  to  the  landscape.  The  meadow  at  certain 
seasons,  when  in  this  condition,  furnishes  excellent  fishing 
ground  for  such  as  take  fish  with  the  spear  in  the  night-time. 
On  mild  spring  nights  the  fish  resort  to  the  warm,  shoal 
waters  near  the  uplands,  where,  all  unsuspicious,  they  are 
found  by  the  wary  fisherman,  as  with  light  dipping  oar  his 
boat  glides  over  the  flood.  The  outfit  for  such  fishing  is  a 
small  boat  capable  of  carrying  two  persons,  with  an  iron 
frame-work  or  "jack  "  set  on  an  upright  rod  at  the  bows  to 
hold  the  fuel  or  torch  which  is  usually  made  of  old  pine 
stumps,  and  a  six-pronged  spear  with  an  eight-foot  handle. 
With  this  apparatus  on  a  still  night  the  fisherman  sets  out. 
The  margin  of  the  upland  is  followed,  and  at  one  time  the 
boat  glides  by  open  fields  or  pasture  lands,  at  another  darts 
beneath  the  deep  shades  of  an  overhanging  wood.  Every 
now  and  then,  at  a  signal  from  the  spearsman  at  the  bows, 
the  boat  is  "  slowed  up,"  the  spear  poised  in  the  air  for  an 
instant,  then  a  dash,  and  up  comes  the  fish.  The  frequent 
flowage  of  the  meadows,  it  is  supposed,  has  caused  the 
"punk  holes,"  so  called,  to  which  wild  water  fowl  resort, 
while  the  clogged  channel  with  its  sluggish  stream  may  have 
made  the  place  a  favorite  haunt  for  the  pickerel.  Thus 
beauty  and  utility  in  some  ways  have  resulted  from  the 
present  condition  of  the  meadows. 

GRASS. 

Various  kinds  of  grass  grow  on  the  meadows,  which  are 
known  among  the  farmers  by  the  following  names :  "  pipes," 
"lute-grass,"  "blue-joint,"  "sedge,"  "water-grass,"  and  a 
kind  of  meadow  "  red-top."  Within  a  few  years  wild  rice 
has  in  places  crept  along  the  river  banks,  having  been 
brought  here  perhaps  by  the  water  fowl,  which  may  have 
plucked  it  on  the  margin  of  the  distant  lakes. 


CHAPTER   XXXVIII. 

ZOOLOGY   AND    GEOLOGY. 

To  him  who  in  the  love  of  Nature  holds 
Communion  with  her  visible  forms,  she  speaks 
A  various  language. 

Bryant. 

FUR-BEARING   ANIMALS. 

Chief  among  these,  except  those  mentioned  in  connection 
with  the  river  meadows,  are  the  fox,  rabbit,  squirrel,  wood- 
chuck,  skunk  and  weasel. 

RARE   BIRDS. 

Besides  the  smaller  birds  most  common  in  the  vicinity, 
and  those  mentioned  in  connection  with  the  meadows,  are 
the  rose-breasted  grosbeak  (Jxuiraca  ludovicia?ia),  indigo  bird 
{Cyanospiza  cyanea),  scarlet  tanager  (Pyranga  rubra)  and 
red  start  (Setophaga  ruticilla).  Of  late,  the  purple  finch 
(Carpodacus  purpureus)  has  become  quite  common.  A  few 
years  ago,  in  a  hard  winter,  a  flock  of  pine  grosbeaks  (Pini- 
cola  canadensis)  visited  the  town.  Sparrows,  vireos,  flycatch- 
ers, thrushes  and  warblers  abound.  Of  the  larger  kinds,  not 
considered  game-birds  though  considerably  hunted,  are  found 
the  grackles  (Quiscalinae),  pigeon  woodpecker  (Calaptes 
auratus)  and  meadow-lark  (Sturnella  magna) ;  hawks,  crows 
and  jays  are  frequent,  and  the  latter  have  been  so  destruc- 
tive that,  at  different  times,  a  bounty  has  been  paid  for  them 
by  the  town. 

GAME-BIRDS. 

The  most  common  of  these  and  the  most  sought  after  is 
the  partridge  or  ruffed  grouse  (^Bonasa  umbellus),  the  quail 
{Ortyx   virginianus)   and    the  woodcock  QPhilohela   minor). 

643 


644  HISTORY   OP   SUDBURY. 

The  grouse  and  quail  vary  in  numbers  with  the  nature  of 
the  season  ;  the  former  being  favorably  affected  by  a  dry 
summer  and  the  latter  by  a  warm  winter.  Quail  a  quarter 
of  a  century  ago  were  quite  scarce,  but  of  late  years  they 
have  been  more  numerous.  To  shoot  a  half  dozen  partridges 
in  the  best  of  the  season  is  now  considered  but  a  fair  day's 
work  for  a  good  hunter,  and  so  it  has  been  for  the  past 
fifty  years,  such  being  about  the  average  day's  work  of  Sud- 
bury's old  hunter,  the  late  Nichols  Brown.  Woodcock  have 
become  quite  scarce,  very  few  being  found  except  in  the 
migratory  season.  Formerly  they  nested  in  town,  but  this 
is  now  unfrequently  done.  Fifty  years  ago  the  wild  pigeon 
(Ectopistes  migratoria)  was  abundant  in  Sudbury,  a  favorite 
locality  being  Peakham  Plain.  Considerable  numbers  were 
caught  in  nets ;  grain  was  scattered  upon  a  small  space  of 
ground,  over  which,  when  the  birds  had  alighted  to  feed,  a 
net  was  sprung  by  a  sapling  which  was  artfully  adjusted  for 
the  purpose.  Dozens  were  taken  in  this  way,  but  the  bird 
is  now  scarcely  seen  in  the  town.  (For  fish,  see  chapter  on 
Natural  Features.) 

GEOLOGY   OF   SUDBURY. 

BY   GEORGE    H.    BARTON,   S.  B. 

In  the  history  of  a  town  as  well  as  of  a  country,  it  is  fitting 
that  a  few  words  at  least  should  be  devoted  to  its  geology. 
For  geology  is  in  itself  a  series  of  records  enabling  us  to 
trace  the  history  of  our  globe  back  into  the  past  far  beyond 
any  human  records.  So  far,  indeed,  does  it  carry  our  knowl- 
edge backward,  that  the  very  earliest  traces  of  human  history 
are  only  as  the  deeds  of  yesterday  as  compared  with  the 
ages  that  elapsed  before  man  made  his  appearance  on  the 
earth. 

In  order  to  understand  the  geology  of  an  isolated  political 
division  of  the  country,  such  as  forms  a  town,  it  is  necessary 
to  have  a  general  understanding  of  the  geology  of  the  country 
of  which  it  forms  a  part.  The  United  States  is  a  fair  repre- 
sentative of  the  world,  furnishing  within  its  area  a  more  or 
less  complete  record  from  the  earliest  known  ages  to  the 
present  time.     Here,  in  geological  development,  as  it  is  in 


RESIDENCE  OF  GEO.  E.  HARRINGTON. 


HISTORY   OP   SUDBURY.  645 

human,  time  is  naturally  divided  into  certain  grand  divisions 
or  eras,  each  marked  by  its  own  peculiar  characteristics. 
The  natural  divisions  coincide  with  the  development  of  life 
from  the  lowest  and  most  humble  forms  in  the  beginning  to 
the  high  and  varied  ones  of  to-day  which  have  finally  culmi- 
nated in  man.  Thus,  as  in  human  history,  we  have  the  An- 
cient, Mediaeval,  and  Modern  Periods,  in  geology  we  have  the 
Eozoic,  Palaeozoic,  Mesozoic,  and  Cenozoic  eras. 

In  the  records  belonging  to  the  first  of  these,  the  Eozoic, 
which  means  the  dawn  of  life,  we  catch  faint,  glimmering 
traces  of  the  condition  of  the  world  at  that  time.  We  see, 
indistinctly,  a  globe  covered  with  an  almost  universal  ocean, 
with  here  and  there  occasional  islands  rising  above  the 
general  waste  of  waters  grouped  in  such  a  way  as  to  fore- 
shadow the  continent  which  was  to  take  their  place.  As 
time  went  on  during  this  era  land  continually  arose  from 
below  the  surface  of  the  waters  till  before  its  close  the 
embryo  continent  was  formed. 

As  the  name  implies,  the  first  beginnings  of  life  are  here 
found,  but  they  are  nothing  definite,  they  are  only  strong 
indications.  With  our  present  knowledge  we  know  of  no 
method  by  which  large  beds  of  iron  ore,  or  large  beds  of 
graphite,  can  be  formed  except  by  the  agencies  of  organic 
life.  As  such  beds  are  abundant  in  the  Eozoic  they  furnish 
grounds  for  the  belief  that  life  existed  then  in  some  little 
abundance. 

Then  limestones,  which  are  largely  made  up  of  the  accum- 
ulations of  the  remains  of  animal  life,  are  abundant  in  this 
series  of  rocks.  In  connection  with  these  latter  rocks  occurs 
a  peculiar  structure  which  has  been  thought  by  some  high 
authorities  to  be  the  remains  of  a  low  order  of  animal  life 
and  to  which  the  name  of  Eozoon,  or  dawn  animal,  has  been 
applied. 

However  the  question  of  life  in  the  Eozoic  era  may  finally 
be  settled,  we  find  the  next  era,  the  Palaeozoic,  a  term  mean- 
ing ancient  life,  beginning  with  an  abundance  of  the  lower 
forms  of  life  in  the  waters,  though  we  find  no  evidence  of  its 
existence  upon  the  land.  Some  of  these  forms  were  quite 
highly  organized,  one  being  about  the  same  as  the  horse-shoe 


646  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

crab  of  to-day,  and  this  would  cause  us  to  believe  that  life 
must  have  existed  for  ages  before  to  have  arrived  at  this 
stage  of  development. 

From  the  beginning  of  Palaeozoic  time  to  the  present  there 
is  estimated  to  have  elapsed  about  thirty-five  millions  of 
years.  The  Eozoic  is  supposed  to  have  comprised  at  least 
as  many  years. 

The  Palajozoic  has  three  main  sub-divisions,  which  may 
be  known  as  the  Age  of  Invertebrates,  during  which  life 
consisted  entirely  of  marine  forms  of  animals  and  plants 
of  the  lower  orders,  except  toward  its  close  when  fishes  and 
a  few  land  plants  appeared  ;  the  Age  of  Fishes,  when  these 
first  vertebrates  predominated  and  sharks  ruled  the  seas, 
when  the  continents  first  became  covered  with  forests  such 
as  we  find  in  the  tropics  to-day,  and  insects  appeared  as  the 
first  land-animals ;  and  finally  the  great  Coal  Age,  when  the 
continent  was  covered  with  the  dense  growths  of  tropical 
forests  which  after  ages  of  accumulations  have  given  the  coal 
beds  of  to-day,  which  have  furnished  such  an  important  factor 
in  the  progress  of  our  national  life. 

During  all  this  time  the  continent  had  been  steadily 
growing  in  a  westerly  and  southerly  direction,  till  the  shore 
line,  which  at  the  beginning  did  not  extend  in  either  direc- 
tion further  than  the  limits  of  the  State  of  New  York,  had 
reached  on  the  south  into  Mississippi  and  west  into  Missouri 
and  Kansas,  with  large  islands  in  the  area  now  occupied  by 
the  Rocky  Mountains. 

In  the  third  of  the  grand  divisions  of  time,  the  Mesozoic, 
middle  life,  there  is  found  a  great  change  from  the  preceding 
ages.  Huge  reptiles  of  unwieldy  form  and  bulk  predomi- 
nated over  the  life  both  in  the  sea  and  on  land.  Birds  inter- 
mediate in  form  between  the  reptiles  and  birds  of  the  present 
day  also  appeared,  and  toward  its  close  the  first  faint  fore- 
shadowings  of  the  trees  of  our  present  forests.  The  climate, 
which  at  the  beginning  of  this  era  had  been  tropical  through- 
out the  world,  had  at  its  close  become  much  like  our  present 
climate,  being  only  a  few  degrees  warmer. 

from  the  beginning  of  the  Mesozoic  to  the  present  time 
from  fourteen  to  seventeen  millions  of  years  have  elapsed, 


HISTOBY  OF  SUDBURY.  647 

and  of  these  eight  or  nine  millions  at  least  were  comprised 
in  the  Mesozoic. 

In  the  Cenozoic,  recent  life,  which  began  at  the  close  of 
the  Mesozoic  and  still  continues,  we  have  mammals  the  pre- 
dominating form  of  life,  and  somewhere  in  very  recent 
geological  time  the  introduction  of  the  human  race. 

Then  Cenozoic  has  two  main  sub-divisions,  the  Tertiary 
and  the  Quaternary.  The  latter  is  again  divided  into  three 
divisions  :  the  Glacial,  Champlain  and  Terrace.  These  three 
it  is  necessary  to  notice  somewhat  more  fully.  The  Glacial 
Epoch  is  due  to  certain  conditions  that  caused  the  entire 
northern  portion  of  our  continent  to  be  covered  with  a  sheet 
of  ice  which  over  New  England  reached  a  thickness  of  more 
than  six  thousand  feet,  sufficient  to  cover  our  highest  peak, 
Mt.  Washington.  It  reached  so  far  south  as  to  entirely 
cover  New  England,  and  its  southern  termination  can  be 
marked  by  an  irregular  line  drawn  through  New  Jersey, 
Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  Indiana,  etc. 

This  ice  sheet  had  a  constant  tendency  to  move  south- 
ward, and  in  doing  so  transported  with  it  all  the  loose  mate- 
rial which  had  previously  covered  the  surface  of  the  country 
in  the  shape  of  decomposed  rock,  soil,  boulders,  etc.  At  the 
same  time  it  ground  down,  smoothed  and  polished  the  sur- 
face of  the  rocks  over  which  it  passed,  leaving  it  in  many 
cases  with  a  high  polish,  but  almost  invariably  accompanied 
by  scratches  or  grooves  on  the  polished  surface  which  are 
nearly  always  parallel  to  each  other  and  have  a  nearly  con- 
stant direction  of  S-30-E. 

A  large  portion  of  the  loose  material,  the  earth  or  drift  as 
it  is  usually  termed,  was  eventually  deposited  below  the  ice, 
which  passed  over  it  and  thus  compacted  and  hardened  it 
till  it  became  nearly  as  hard  and  as  tough  as  the  rocks  them- 
selves. This  consists  largely  of  tough,  tenacious  blue  clay, 
somewhat  filled  with  more  or  less  rounded  boulders,  bearing 
upon  their  smoothed  sides  the  same  striations  we  find  upon 
the  smoothed  ledges.  This  portion  is  known  as  the  lower 
drift. 

The  remaining  portion  of  the  loose  material  was  borne 
upon  the  surface  of  the  ice  or  incorporated  in  its  mass,  and 


648  HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY. 

when  the  ice  sheet  melted  and  disappeared  was  left  as  a  thin 
covering  over  the  surface  of  the  lower  drift  and  is  known  as 
the  upper  drift.  The  boulders  found  in  connection  with  this 
are  angular  and  show  little  or  no  signs  of  wear. 

A  prominent  feature  of  the  lower  drift  are  the  hills  known 
as  drumlins  which  are  very  numerous  in  some  sections,  very 
rare  in  others.  They  are  round,  oval,  or  lenticular  in  shape, 
are  largely  made  of  blue  clay,  and  contain  no  ledges,  except 
in  some  cases  just  at  their  bases.  The  upper  drift  covers 
them  with  a  thin  mantle  similar  to  the  other  surface. 

The  melting  of  the  ice  sheet  gave  rise  to  a  large  amount 
of  water,  which  caused  large  rivers,  lakes,  and  floods,  both 
upon  the  surface  of  the  ice  and  the  country.  This  worked 
over  the  materials  of  the  upper  and  lower  drift,  exerted  a 
sorting  action  upon  them  and  deposited  them  anew  in  the 
three  separate  forms  of  gravel,  sand  and  clay.  The  old  river 
channels  were  filled  with  floods,  and  large  masses  of  the 
gravel  and  sand  accumulated  in  them,  while  the  clays  were 
carried  away  b}r  the  rushing  water.  Upon  the  surface  of  the 
ice  rivers  wore  channels  in  which  accumulated  pebbles  usu- 
ally from  an  inch  to  a  foot  in  diameter.  As  the  ice  melted 
these  were  left  upon  the  surface  of  the  country  as  long  and 
very  narrow  ridges,  often  known  locally  as  Indian  ridges,  to 
which  the  term  Kame  has  been  applied. 

As  the  waters  of  the  Champlain  Epoch  subsided  the 
streams  cut  down  into  the  beds  of  gravel  and  sand  they  had 
previously  deposited  in  their  broad  valleys,  and  thenceforth 
ran  in  narrower  channels  leaving  marked  terraces  on  one  or 
both  banks,  hence  giving  the  name  of  the  Terrace  Epoch, 
which  still  continues  to  the  present  day. 

Before  considering  the  special  geology  of  our  town  it  will 
be  well  to  speak  briefly  of  that  of  our  State  as  a  whole,  that 
we  may  better  understand  the  general  relations  of  our  town. 
Nearly  the  whole  of  Massachusetts  is  composed  of  rocks 
formed  during  the  Eozoic  era,  but  not  belonging  to  its  oldest 
divisions.  Nearly  the  oldest  of  the  Palaeozoic,  in  the  Age  ofl 
Invertebrates,  is  represented  by  the  area  known  as  the  Bos- 
ton Basin,  extending  from  Medford,  Maiden,  etc.,  on  the 
north,  to  Braintree,  Quincy,  etc.,  on  the  south,  and  from  the 


HISTORY  OP  SUDBURY.  649 

ocean  on  the  east  to  Waltham  on  the  west.  The  Age  of 
Fishes  is  not  represented.  The  Coal  Age  is  represented  by 
an  area  extending  into  the  State  from  Rhode  Island,  in  Attle- 
boro,  Mansfield,  etc.  The  Mesozoic  era  is  represented  by 
the  red  sandstones  of  the  Connecticut  Valley,  in  which  have 
been  found  numerous  evidences  of  the  reptilian  life  of  that 
time,  and  by  the  trap  ridges  which  form  Mts.  Tom,  Holy- 
oke,  etc. 

Then  in  the  Cenozoic  we  have  the  entire  State  covered 
with  its  mantle  of  drift,  in  some  places  very  thin,  in  others 
reaching  a  thickness  of  three  to  four  hundred  feet,  as  in  the 
southeastern  portion  of  the  State. 

Now  in  regard  to  the  special  geology  of  our  town.  The 
formation  which  underlies  it  is  made  up  of  a  series  of  crystal- 
line rocks,  approaching  a  dark  granite  in  general  appearance, 
which  are  included  in  two  divisions,  diorite  and  diabase, 
but  so  intimately  are  these  mixed  that  it  is  not  convenient 
to  separate  them,  and  with  these  are  a  series  of  quartzites 
and  baked  slates.  The  crystalline  rocks  are  of  volcanic 
origin,  and  in  those  early  ages  were  probably  erupted 
through  and  between  the  layers  of  quartzite  and  slate  which 
had  been  formed  by  deposition  under  the  waters  of  the  sea. 
These  rocks  all  belong  to  a  period  somewhere  near  the  mid- 
dle of  the  Eozoic,  and  from  that  time  to  the  glacial  epoch  we 
have  no  records  to  tell  us  of  the  history  of  the  town.  We 
know  that  long  before  the  latter  time  the  Sudbury  River  had 
hollowed  its  channel  out  of  these  hard  rocks  and  was  flow- 
ing nearly  in  its  present  position  on  the  eastward  of  the 
town.  That  Nobscot  and  Green  Hills  were  prominent  ob- 
jects in  the  topography,  but  that  Plympton's  Hill,  the  hill  at 
the  Centre,  Cutting's  Hill,  and  those  near  Alfred  Thomp- 
son's, Parker  Fairbank's,  and  Andrew  Haynes'  had  no  exist- 
ence, as  we  shall  see  later. 

As  a  whole,  Sudbury  is  a  somewhat  sandy  town,  but  there 
are  certain  areas  that  are  quite  rocky.  In  the  north  of  the 
town  Captain  Jones'  small  hill,  and  the  high  lands  north  of 
Cold  Brook  and  west  of  the  railroad  are  composed  of  out- 
crops of  the  crystalline  rocks  previously  mentioned.  The  hill 
between  Patrick  Lyons'  and  Calvin  Morse's  is  also  largely 


650  HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY. 

of  rock.  In  the  area  bounded  generally  by  the  road,  from 
Plympton  Hill  to  the  river  on  the  north,  the  river  meadows 
on  the  east,  the  Central  Massachusetts  Railroad  on  the  south, 
and  the  road  from  South  Sudbury  to  the  Centre  on  the  west, 
is  the  largest  series  of  continuous  outcrops  in  the  town.  In 
the  extreme  south,  Nobscot  rises  a  solid  mass  of  rock  to  its 
summit.  There  are  many  other  places  where  small  ledges 
outcrop,  but  not  of  sufficient  importance  to  mention  in  this 
short  paper. 

Much  of  the  rock  shows  stratification,  which  in  some  cases 
is  due  to  its  formation  in  layers  under  water,  in  others  to 
successive  sheets  of  lava  flowing  over  each  other.  Wherever 
this  is  shown  the  prevailing  direction  is  about  north-east, 
south-west. 

The  rocks  at  Newbury,  containing  the  ores  mined  there 
some  years  ago,  have  the  same  general  trend,  and  belong  to 
the  same  series.  This  has  caused  some  search  for  ores,  but 
nothing  of  importance  has  been  found,  though  just  over  the 
line  in  Concord  digging  was  carried  on  to  some  depth,  show- 
iug  the  presence  of  some  lead  and  silver,  but  not  enough  to 
be  of  any  economic  value. 

A  small  amount  of  limestone  is  found  just  to  the  east  of 
the  so-called  county  road  on  the  north  bank  of  Cold  Brook. 
At  some  time  in  the  past  it  has  been  burned  for  lime,  traces 
of  the  burned  fragments  still  being  found,  but  beyond  the 
memory  of  any  one  now  living.  In  this  I  have  found  slight 
traces  of  the  structure,  eozoon. 

So  far  as  my  knowledge  extends  there  is  no  rock  in  Sud- 
bury that  will  ever  admit  of  extensive  quarrying  for  build- 
ing purposes. 

In  turning  our  attention  to  the  drift  we  find  that  to  it  are 
due  many  of  the  features  of  our  landscape.  Over  many 
portions  of  the  town  the  lower,  upper  and  modified  drift 
forms  a  considerable  thickness,  but  there  are  no  means  of 
measuring  its  depth. 

Those  interesting  features  of  the  lower  drift,  the  drumlins, 
are  well  represented.  Perhaps  the  two  more  typical  ones  are 
the  ones  known  as  Cutting's  Hill  in  the  northwest  portion  of 
the  town,  and  the  one  a  half  mile  west  of  Sherman's  bridge 


HISTORY  OF   SUDBTJRY.  651 

on  the  Sudbury  River  known  as  Fairbank's  or  Round  Hill. 
The  former  represents  the  typical  lenticular  hill,  its  longer 
axis  running  a  little  north  of  west,  the  latter  is  nearly  circu- 
lar in  outline.  On  the  line  between  Sudbury  and  Concord 
is  a  somewhat  large  one,  on  the  top  of  which  is  the  residence 
of  Andrew  Haynes.  On  the  old  county  road,  about  a  mile 
and  a  half  north  of  the  centre  of  the  town,  is  a  complex  mass 
made  up  of  two  or  three  drumlins  united  together.  Upon 
the  crest  of  the  lowest  is  situated  the  residence  of  the  late 
Aaron  Hunt,  while  the  larger  ones  rise  directly  back  of  A. 
N.  Thompson's.  Plympton's  Hill  and  the  hill  directly  back 
of  the  Unitarian  Church  and  Town  Hall  are  also  well-marked 
examples.  There  are  also  many  other  small  elevations  in  the 
town  belonging  to  this  type  but  not  worthy  of  special  notice. 
The  southern  portion  of  the  town  seems  to  be  quite  free  from 
them,  though  I  am  not  familiar  with  the  extreme  southwest 
corner. 

The  upper  drift  does  not  need  particular  mention,  though 
some  portions  of  the  better  soil  of  the  town  are  furnished  by 
it.  Boulders  of  sufficient  size  to  attract  attention  are  rare,  a 
single  prominent  one  being  situated  on  the  road  leading  from 
the  Town  Farm  to  the  Centre  on  land  belonging  to  the  town. 
There  are  a  few  others  scattered  in  the  woods  away  from  the 
roads. 

The  modified  drift  is  an  important  factor,  furnishing  the 
sand-plains  which  are  the  most  objectionable  feature  from 
an  economical  standpoint.  Of  these  Peakham  Plain  is  the 
largest,  and  this  is  but  a  portion  of  the  large  plain  continued 
west  into  Marlboro,  Hudson  and  Stow.  To  this  belongs  all 
the  area  south  of  the  Maynard  line,  and  stretching  to  the  foot 
of  Nobscot,  while  on  the  east  it  is  bounded  by  an  irregular 
line,  in  some  cases  reaching  nearly  to  the  Old  Colony  Rail- 
road. Other  smaller  but  well-marked  areas  occur  scattered 
over  the  remainder  of  the  town,  one  extending  along  the 
north  road  from  the  Pratt  Tavern  to  the  Old  Colony  Rail- 
road and  about  a  mile  southward,  another  to  the  eastward  of 
the  residence  of  the  late  Andrew  Hunt,  and  a  third  north- 
ward from  George  Taylor's  along  the  river  meadows.  In  the 
Peakham  area  are  several  small   sheets  of  water   such   as 


652  history  or  stjdbuby. 

Willis  Pond,  Bottomless  Pond,  etc.,  which  probably  owe 
their  origin  to  large  masses  of  ice  having  been  left  there, 
around  which  the  sand  was  deposited  by  the  currents,  and 
later  as  these  masses  of  ice  melted  they  left  the  hollows 
which  now  hold  the  ponds. 

Kames  are  not  well  represented  in  our  town,  though  there 
is  one  very  typical  example  crossing  the  road  directly  in 
front  of  the  house  of  Elbrit  Goding,  and  continuing  north- 
ward immediately  to  the  east  of  the  road  till  reaching  the 
northern  boundary  of  the  town.  This  same  gravel  ridge  ex- 
tends northward  nearly  through  the  town  of  Acton.  South- 
ward it  does  not  cross  the  north  road  so  as  to  be  plainly  seen, 
though  there  are  traces  of  it  nearly  as  far  south  as  the  Way- 
side Inn. 

In  the  southern  part  of  the  town  another  kame  begins 
just  south  of  Lanham  Brook,  and  east  of  Sewell  Hunt's,  and 
runs  generally  parallel  to  the  road  toward  Framingham  till 
it  crosses  the  boundary  of  the  latter  town. 

Now  in  conclusion,  taking  a  hasty  review,  we  see  that  our 
town  is  situated  in  that  part  of  America  that  appeared  above 
the  waters  of  the  ocean  in  the  earliest  ages,  and  thus  ranks 
in  age  with  not  only  nearly  the  oldest  parts  of  America  but 
also  of  the  world  ;  that  from  that  time  to  the  present  it  has 
remained  above  the  sea.  forming  a  part  of  the  dry  land  of  the 
continent,  and  hence,  though  there  are  no  records  of  all 
those  vast  ages  preserved,  it  has  witnessed  all  the  grand 
panorama  of  the  development  of  life ;  that  during  the  ice  age, 
which  was  only  about  ten  thousand  years  ago,  its  topography 
was  very  much  changed  and  nearly  all  its  hills,  which  till 
then  had  no  existence,  were  formed,  and  that  it  was  at  the 
close  of  this  latter  age  that  so  much  of  its  territory  was 
buried  beneath  the  sand  that  causes  several  large  areas  to  be 
scarcely  worthy  of  cultivation.  Immediately  at  the  close  of 
the  ice  age,  if  not  before,  primitive  man  began  roving  over 
the  country,  and  then  geological  is  united  with  human  his- 
tory. 


CHAPTER   XXXIX. 

Public  Bequests.  —  Action  of  the  Town  relative  to  the  Publication  of 
the  History  of  Sudbury.  —  Preparations  for  the  Observance  of  the 
Two  Hundred  and  Fiftieth  Anniversary  of  the  Incorporation  of  the 
Town. 

Till  at  last  in  books  recorded, 

They  like  hoarded 

Household  words,  no  more  depart. 

Longfellow. 

BEQUESTS. 

The  "  Goodnow  Library  Fund,"  $20,000,  donated  by  John 
Goodnow.  The  "Samuel  D.  Hunt  Fund,  $1,000;  the  in- 
come of  this  fund  is  to  be  distributed  among  the  poor,  sick, 
and  needy,  who  are  not  inmates  of  the  almshouse  or  other- 
wise assisted  by  the  town.  Accepted,  Nov.  3,  1874.  The 
"Elisha  Goodnow  Fund,"  $4000;  the  income  of  three- 
quarters  of  this  is  to  be  distributed  in  substantially  the  same 
manner  as  the  "  S.  D.  Hunt  Fund ; "  and  the  income  of  the 
other  fourth  is  to  be  used  in  the  purchase  of  books  for  poor 
children  attending  the  public  schools.  The  "  Jerusha  Howe 
Fund,"  $1000 ;  the  income  to  be  expended  in  fuel  for  the 
industrious  poor.  The  "  Ancient  Donation  Fund,"  $453.78  ; 
given  to  the  town  by  Joshua  Haynes,  two-thirds  of  the  in- 
come to  be  used  for  the  poor,  and  one-third  for  schools.  A 
considerable  portion  of  the  original  fund  last  named  has  been 
lost  by  bad  investment.  The  "  George  Goodnow  Fund," 
$10,000  ;  the  income  to  be  used  for  the  industrious  poor  not 
otherwise  assisted  by  the  town.  Accepted,  November*  1884. 
The  "  Henry  Plympton  Fund,"  $250.  The  "  George  Good- 
now Fund,"  $400.  The  "Lois  Hunt  Fund,"  $500.  The 
income  of  the  last  three  are  to  be  used  for  cemetery  purposes 
or  improvements. 

Total  amount  of  bequests,  $37,603.78, 

653 


654  HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY. 

ACTS   RELATIVE   TO  THE   PUBLICATION   OP   THE   HISTORY  OP 

SUDBURY. 

The  subject  of  publishing  a  History  of  Sudbury  was  first 
brought  before  the  town  at  a  meeting  held  Nov.  4,  1862, 
under  the  following  article  :  — 

"  To  see  if  the  town  will  take  any  measures  to  have  a  his- 
tory of  the  town  written." 

The  result  was  that  a  committee,  consisting  of  Dr.  Levi 
Goodenough,  Rev.  Limus  H.  Shaw  and  Charles  Thompson, 
Esq.,  was  appointed  "  to  consider  the  matter  and  report  at 
some  future  meeting  what  action,  if  any,  may  be  advisable 
for  the  town  to  take  in  reference  to  said  subject."  This 
committee  made  a  verbal  report  April  6,  1863,  and  were  au- 
thorized to  make  arrangements  with  Mr.  Andrew  Ward  of 
Newton  to  prepare  a  history  of  the  town.  Mr.  Ward  com- 
menced the  work,  but  soon  afterwards  died.  The  subject 
was  again  brought  forward,  March  6,  1876.  A  committee 
composed  of  Steven  Moore,  Jonas  S.  Hunt,  and  Richard  R. 
Horr  was  appointed  to  consider  the  matter  and  report  at  a 
subsequent  meeting.  Their  report  was  submitted  to  the 
town  and  accepted  April  3, 1876.  The  following  is  a  part  of 
this  report :  — 

"  Your  committee  believe  that  when  this  ancient  Town 
has  its  history  compiled  it  should  not  be  done  hastily,  but 
with  care  and  skill,  and  with  such  research  as  may  be  neces- 
sary to  such  a  history  as  will  not  only  be  a  matter  of  satis- 
faction but  of  pride  to  the  town.  As  the  history  of  Sudbury 
is  also  a  history  of  Wayland  to  a  comparatively  recent  date, 
it  seems  proper  that  she  should  be  consulted  as  to  the  pro- 
priety of  uniting  with  us  in  the  preparation  of  the  joint  his- 
tory of  the  two  towns,  at  least  to  the  time  of  their  separation. 
It  is  therefore  recommended  that  the  town  choose  a  com- 
mittee whose  duty  it  shall  be  to  ascertain  if  Wayland  will 
unite  with  Sudbury  in  having  a  joint  history  of  the  two 
towns  prepared ;  to  collect  such  material  as  they  may  be  able, 
and  report  their  doings  at  November  meeting,  with  estimates 
of  the  probable  cost  of  the  completed  work."  This  report 
was  accepted  by  the  town,  and  the  committee  making  it  were 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  655 

continued  in  office  and  authorized  to  take  such  action  as  they 
thought  proper  to  carry  forward  the  recommendations  con- 
tained in  their  report.  The  chairman  of  the  committee  soon 
after  left  town  and  no  further  action  was  taken  in  the  mat- 
ter. March,  1885,  a  committee  consisting  of  Capt-  James 
Moore,  Jonas  S.  Hunt,  Esq.,  and  Horatio  Hunt  was  ap- 
pointed "  to  confer  with  Rev.  A.  S.  Hudson  in  regard  to  a 
publication  of  the  History  of  Sudbury."  April  6,  of  the 
same  year,  the  committee  reported  to  the  town  the  result  of 
their  interview.  This  was  in  part  that  the  work  be  devoted 
to  the  annals  of  the  town,  but  not  any  part  of  it  to  genealogy 
as  it  is  usually  inserted  in  books  of  this  kind. 

April  2,  1888,  the  town  "  voted  to  publish  not  less  than 
750  copies  of  the  History  as  written  and  compiled  by  Rev. 
A.  S.  Hudson,  and  to  pay  him  $1500  for  his  services  in  writ- 
ing and  superintending  the  publication  of  the  work ;  and 
that  the  Trustees  of  the  Goodnow  Library  be  a  committee 
associated  with  him  to  have  charge  of  the  publication  of  the 
work."  The  town  also  voted  at  the  same  meeting  $1500  for 
the  publication.  The  names  of  the  library  Trustees  are  as 
follows:  Hubbard  H.  Brown,  Atherton  W.  Rogers  and  Edwin 
A.  Powers. 

ARRANGEMENTS    FOR    THE    260TH    ANNIVERSARY    CELEBRA- 
TION. 

At  a  meeting  held  November  1888,  the  town  voted  to  peti- 
tion the  Legislature  for  permission  to  grant  money  to  be  ex- 
pended in  the  observance  of  the  250th  Anniversary  of  the  In- 
corporation of  Sudbury.  Permission  having  been  obtained, 
at  a  subsequent  meeting  the  sum  of  three  hundred  dollars  was 
appropriated,  and  a  committee  was  appointed  to  make  and 
carry  out  such  arrangements  as  would  be  appropriate  to  the 
proposed  celebration.  The  committee  consisted  of  Jonas  S. 
Hunt,  Rufus  H.  Hurlbut  and  Edwin  A.  Powers,  who  were 
to  cooperate  with  a  committee  from  Wayland,  and  the  joint 
committee  were  to  act  for  the  two  towns. 

The  joint  committee  met  at  Sudbury  and  organized  with 
J.  S.  Hunt  for  chairman,  and  R.  T.  Lombard,  Esq.,  of  Way- 
land  for  secretary.     The  following  outline  of  a  plan  was  pro- 


656  HISTORY   OF  SUDBURY. 

posed,  and  left  open  subject  to  change  if  deemed  expedient 
before  the  day  arrived. 

1.  A  gathering  of  the  children  of  the  two  towns  at  Way- 
land  on  the  morning  of  Sept.  4,  when  entertainment  and  a 
collation  would  be  furnished. 

2.  A  return  by  railroad  at  noon  to  South  Sudbury,  when 
a  prooession  will  form  and  march  to  Sudbury  Centre. 

3.  Dinner  in  the  Town  Hall. 

4.  Speaking  from  a  platform  on  the  Common,  if  the  day  is 
fair,  and,  if  not,  in  the  Unitarian  Church. 

5.  Fireworks  and  music  in  both  towns,  with  ringing  of 
bells  morning  and  night. 

It  was  voted  to  extend  an  invitation  to  Hon.  Homer 
Rogers  of  Boston,  to  act  as  president  of  the  day  ;  to  Richard 
T.  Lombard,  Esq.,  of  Wayland,  to  serve  as  chief-marshal ;  and 
to  Rev.  Alfred  S.  Hudson  of  Ayer,  to  deliver  the  oration. 

Ample  opportunity  was  to  be  provided  for  addresses  by 
speakers  from  abroad,  who  are  expected  to  be  present  and 
assist  at  the  celebration. 


CHAPTER  XL. 

CONCLUSION. 

In  concluding  a  work  of  such  magnitude  and  importance, 
we  naturally  pause  and  reflect  over  the  long,  long  story  of 
the  past,  before  we  leave  its  pages  and  close  the  history. 
Many  notable  events  have  been  considered,  and  many  promi- 
nent persons  have  been  brought  to  view,  who  long  since 
passed  away.  Successive  periods  have  been  presented  in 
order,  from  the  beginning  of  our  existence  as  a  town,  until  we 
come  to  a  generation  amid  which  we  live  and  of  which  we 
are  an  actual  part.  It  may  be  difficult  to  comprehend  the 
changes  that  the  years  have  wrought,  but  a  passing  glance  at 
the  chief  of  them  indicates  that  the  town  has  had  a  varied 
experience.  First,  we  behold  a  small  number  of  settlers 
making  their  homes  amid  the  woodlands  of  a  new  country. 
They  clear  fields,  erect  homesteads,  and  let  in  the  light  of 
civilized  life ;  but  the  scene  is  soon  changed ;  shadows 
darken  the  prospect,  the  town  is  invaded  by  Indians,  and 
all  its  resources  are  brought  into  requisition  to  preserve  its 
existence.  The  conflict  passes,  and  there  are  years  of  peace. 
Again  the  settlement  is  disturbed  by  war,  and  again  peace 
follows.  The  town  makes  progress  in  the  succeeding  years, 
and  then  again,  comes  a  season  of  strife.  Thus  alternate 
sunshine  and  shadow  have  played  on  the  scene  as  the  years 
have  advanced,  giving  to  the  town  a  history  of  mingled  pros- 
perity and  adversity.  But  through  all  these  changes  it  has 
maintained  a  steady  growth  and  developed  a  more  substantial 
character  by  these  rockings  by  the  storm.  As  we  look  back 
over  the  scenes  of  its  history  there  is  much  for  which  to  be 
grateful.  1.  That  our  ancestors  were  of  such  sterling  worth. 
Few,  if  any,  New  England  towns  perhaps  are  more  favored 

667 


658  HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY. 

in  this  respect.     The  record  of  their  actions  is  evidence  that 
they  did  not  emigrate  to  this  country  as  mere  aimless  or 
reckless   adventurers,  but   as   men   with    worthy   purposes. 
They  evinced  a  perseverance   in  subduing   the  soil   and  a 
fortitude  in  meeting  the  privations  of  pioneer  life  that  is 
commendable  in  a  large  degree.     Their  faith,  zeal  and  stead- 
fastness in  the  service  of  God,  and  their  reverence  for  things 
sacred  is  prominently  noticeable  in  the  records  ;  and  upright- 
ness in  their  dealings  is  indicative  of  like  theory  and  prac- 
tice.    2.    That  the  town  has  had  such  a  wholesome  and  far- 
reaching  influence.    Town  after  town  received  from  Sudbury 
some  of  its  early  settlers,  and  in  this  process  of  colonization, 
a  formative  influence  was  carried  forth  by  her  citizens,  which 
has  strengthened  and  widened  as  the  years  have  rolled  by. 
3.    That  the  town  has  never  shrunk  from  bearing  its  part  in 
the  burdens  of  the  country  at  large.     In  peace  and  in  war,  it 
has  stood  ready  to  meet  all  the  demands  that  have  been  made 
upon  it.     Even  when  its  own  borders  were  imperiled  it  did 
not  refuse  to  furnish  aid  to  others  if  needed ;  and  the  long 
muster-rolls  and  the  enactments  of  town  meeting  are  evi- 
dence of  its  patriotism.     4.    That  to  so  large  an  extent  the 
traits  of  the  fathers  have  been  transmitted  to  their  posterity. 
This  may  be  due  to  the  comparative  stability  of  its  popula- 
tion.    Generation  after  generation  occupied  old  homesteads, 
and,  with  the  lands,  the  characteristics  became  as  heirlooms 
in  old  families.     While  we  have  these  things  for  which  to  be 
grateful,  it  is   also   gratifying    to    contemplate    the   historic 
character  of  the  town.     Although,  hitherto,  it  has  been  con- 
sidered historic,  yet  as  we  have  noticed  consecutively  and  in 
detail  its  prominent  events,  we  are  more  and  more  convinced 
of  the  importance  of  its  history.     The  story  of  the  past  is 
associated  with  its  hills  and  valleys  and  plains  and  streams. 
Its  fields  have  been  fields  of  battle,  its  soil  contains  the  bones 
of  the  fallen.     King  Philip  once  strode  over  its  territory,  and 
there  he  was  stayed  in  his  devastating  march  towards  the 
sea.     The  highways  of  the  town  were  trodden  by  the  militia 
and  minute  men  on  their  way  to  oppose  the  British  at  Con- 
cord.    The  town's  common  land  was  their  place  of  parade, 
and  from  its  belfry  sounded  the  call  to  arms. 


HISTORY   OF   SUDBURY.  659 

Thus  the  God  of  our  fathers  has  blest  us  by  giving  such 
founders  of  our  town,  by  bringing  us  safely  forth  from  the 
vicissitudes  and  exposures  and  perils  of  two  hundred  and 
fifty  years,  and  by  the  benign  influences  of  the  institutions 
that  our  ancestors  established  and  maintained.  From  the 
faith  of  our  fathers  that  was  God-given,  and  that  clung  so 
closely  to  his  Son,  our  Saviour,  Jesus  Christ,  has  come  the 
prosperity,  the  integrity,  the  worth  of  our  town,  and  the 
wholesomeness  of  its  far-reaching  influence.  "  Praise  God 
from  whom  all  blessings  flow,"  should  be  our  general  acclaim  ; 
and  together  with  this  devout  ascription  should  be  the  culti- 
vation of  a  cherished  purpose  to  maintain  and  perpetuate  what 
of  good  the  past  has  bequeathed.  To  do  this  requires  the 
use  of  the  same  means  which  our  ancestors  employed  in  pro- 
curing this  good,  namely,  a  reliance  on  God  and  His  word,  a 
reverence  for  the  Sabbath  and  love  for  His  church.  The 
Bible  to  our  fathers  in  the  wilderness  was  literally  "  the  man 
of  their  counsel."  By  it  they  were  led  in  their  daily  duties, 
comforted  in  the  time  of  calamity,  and  strengthened  in  the 
hope  of  "  a  better  country,  that  is,  an  heavenly."  Next  to 
the  Author  of  all  good  we  should  bear  in  grateful  remem- 
brance the  privations  and  hardships  endured  by  our  ancestors. 
Our  sunny  hillsides  and  fields  were  cleared  by  their  toil :  let 
these  be  objects  that  quicken  to  gratitude.  Let  the  places 
that  are  designated  as  historic  be  suggestive  of  their  depriva- 
tions. As  from  the  far-reaching  and  silent  past  survive  the 
signs  of  its  many  changes,  may  we  take  knowledge  that  these 
are  indicative  of  changes  yet  to  be.  It  is  a  law  of  human 
destiny  that  one  generation  passeth  away  and  another  cometh. 
The  old  burial  places  were  once  new ;  and  the  town's  inhab- 
itants when  they  set  them  apart  provided  as  they  believed 
for  a  far-distant  future.  That  future  has  come  and  gone,  and 
they  who  looked  forward  to  it  have  joined  the  silent  proces- 
sion in  their  march  to  the  city  of  the  dead  ;  and  among  the 
moss-covered  stones  and  monuments,  strangers  scan  the  in- 
scriptions for  their  names  and  fragmentary  scraps  of  family 
history.  The  new  cemeteries  will  one  day  be  as  the  old,  the 
resting-place  of  the  generation  that  set  them  apart ;  and  in- 
the  years  that  are  yet  to  be,  and  which  to  some  it  may  be  are 


660  HISTORY  OF   SUDBURY. 

in  a  distant  cloud-land,  the  stranger  will  look  for  and  read 
other  epitaphs,  even  those  which  tell  of  our  history. 

The  paths  we  travel  may  be  closed  and  new  ones  opened, 
which  stranger  feet  will  tread.  New  dwellings,  new  man- 
ners, and  new  men  will  be  here,  and  we  shall  be  "  only 
remembered  by  what  we  have  done."  May  we  then  so  live 
that  our  lives  will  be  associated  with  as  much  of  good,  our 
memories  with  as  much  affection,  as  those  which  we  have 
been  considering.  It  is  the  desire  of  the  author  that  the 
record  of  the  past,  which  is  contained  in  this  history,  be 
helpful  in  this  respect  to  ourselves,  to  our  families,  and  to 
those  who  shall  come  after  us.