Bristol County, Massachusetts - Chapter 2: Discovery and Early Happenings, 1924

Bartholomew Gosnold discovered what he named Elizabeth Islands (in honor of his Queen), in 1602. He left his men to build a fort and storehouse upon one of the group, while he crossed the bay (Buzzards) and discovered the mouth of the river (Acushnet), on the west shore of which later arose the city of New Bedford. This was in the month of March, and June the same year he sailed for England with his ship loaded with sassafras root, furs, and other articles bought from the Indians, who had treated the strangers with "all courteous kindness." This is the first record of any commercial intercourse between Old and New England, showing the first impression we made on the tribes of Indians - we were their friends from the start. In 1620 came the immortal "Mayflower" with her body of men and women, who amid hardship and untold suffering founded a mighty nation here. Plymouth Colony became a positive fact.

Salem was settled in 1628, and Massachusetts Bay in 1630. From these and subsequent settlements went forth the pioneers who invaded the interior and forced their way up and down the "stern and rock-bound coast." Communities were founded at Scituate, Middleboro, Taunton and Dartmouth, all being known within a few years as good trading places and centers of local government, with schools and churches. It was not until 1652 that Dartmouth was purchased from the Indians, through old chief Massasoit and his son Wamsutta, the old Indian deed naming as the purchasers William Bradford, Captain Standish, Thomas Southworth, John Winslow, John Cooke, and the "rest of their associates or old comers." The entire township of Dartmouth was divided into thirty-four shares which were named and entered in Plymouth Colony records, Book 2, page 107, where the boundaries of the purchase are also set forth. Prior to 1652, there were other settlers whose names were later entered on record.

Incorporation. - The town of Dartmouth was incorporated in 1664, and sent its first representative, John Russell, to the General Court at Plymouth.

John Cooke, one of the "boys of the Mayflower," an only son of one of the original grantees of the town, became a resident, locating his home at Oxford Village, Fairhaven. He was a Baptist preacher, was an important public-spirited man, and held local offices. He died in 1694, and was buried at Burial Hill, Fairhaven. The will of William Wood, when probated, was found to contain this bequest: "And whereas the bodies of some persons that were of good account in their day were buried on the little hummock or island in the meadow at the foot of my homestead commonly called 'Burial Hill,' and I not willing that their graves be anyway defaced do therefore in this my will hereby give the same hummock or island to and for a burying place forever." During King Philip's War the township of Dartmouth was laid waste by the Indians, and many settlers lost their lives, and those who did escape sought safety in the garrison houses located - one in Fairhaven, just north of the present site of Riverside Cemetery, at the home of John Cooke, and known as Cooke's Garrison; another on the north bank of the river Apponagansett, known as Russell's Garrison. Ancther was located on Palmer's Island. The war so demoralized the township that the settlers' taxes could not be paid for the next three years. The Indian wars that wrought such damage might have been avoided, but the difficulties that beset the Pilgrims must be considered; and now, with the world so recently in arms, no criticism is just that lays the blame for those years of suffering and loss upon either of the parties in question; both had provocation, both erred, and both suffered.

In 1685 the town was summoned to Plymouth Court to explain why they had failed to provide for their minister of the gospel. The outcome was that in 1686 it was ordered by a vote to build a meeting-house, which was to be "24 by 16 feet, with nine feet stud." Dartmouth Monthly Meeting was organized in 1699. The records of this church have been preserved until the present time.

During the first century of the town of Dartmouth, many settlers had located in the town, not attracted by its fertility of soil, but had made their homes there far away from the large centers that they might enjoy religious freedom. The growth was slow, and the events such as we would now call unimportant and without much general interest. Farming was the principal occupation. The land was taken up by both Puritan and Quaker stock. These pioneer settlers do not appear to have been guilty of any offense other than the want of obedience to the rigid requirements of the court in regard to the support of a minister and the observance of the Sabbath. There was a vast amount of friction between the Quakers and Puritans. In 1724 John Tucker and Peleg Slocum refused to pay a tax for building a Presbyterian church at Chilmark, and their property on Elizabeth Islands was seized. Yet to the Quakers of Dartmouth and Tiverton, aided by the Baptists, must be given the honor of the first successful appeal for justice to the English government.

In 1723, John Atkins and Philip Tabor of Dartmouth, Joseph Anthony and John Sissons of Tiverton, were assessors of their several towns. Being Quakers and Baptists, they refused to collect the taxes imposed by the General Court for the support of the ministry, and were thrown into prison at New Bristol. The case was tried in the courts and they were acquitted and the taxes levied were remitted.

The people were frequently under rebuke on account of the lack of interest they took in military matters. The chief military officer of the colony, writing in 1690 of Dartmouth, said: "They have not a man in the town that seems in the least concerned whether we have any military officers or no." In 1716 Dartmouth Monthly Meeting bore strong testimony against slavery, and a century and a half later New Bedford established a noble record as a city of refuge for the runaway slave and as a station on the so called "Underground Railroad."

While Dartmouth was for the first century an agricultural town, it was but natural that a village should spring up along the coast line of its territory. In 1760 the first tract was sold for village purposes to John Loudon; it was just south of the four corners (Union and Water streets), and upon this he erected a house in 1761. He was a calker by trade, and at one time conducted an inn which in the raid by the British was fired. In 1761 Benjamin Tabor bought land and established a structure suitable to carry on the boat-building and block-making business. In 1765 also came a new resident, Joseph Rotch, a merchant from Nantucket. Joseph Russell was also a pioneer merchant here and had to do with all the "beginnings" in New Bedford. Russell being the family name of the Duke of Bedford, hence the naming of New Bedford. It was first "Bedford," but when it was found that another Bedford was in the colony, the prefix "New" was added. A new order came about after Joseph Rotch located there. Houses and shops multiplied, population increased greatly, and soon the place had a name on the map of the world, and a coast fishery was soon established and lasted many years. The first ship built was in the yards owned by Francis Rotch, son of Joseph Rotch, near Hazzard's Wharf. The vessel, named "Dartmouth," launched in 1767, was the first to be built, and it had the distinction of being one of the vessels connected with the "Boston Tea Party." Another ship was built there about that time, the "Bedford," the ship which was the first to display the American flag in British waters. She was loaded with four hundred and eighty-seven butts of whale oil, was American built, manned wholly by American seamen. This was the vessel that first displayed the Stars and Stripes of America in any British port.

While the town of Dartmouth had been intensely loyal to the cause of Independence, the village of Bedford had taken little active part; in fact, had tried to curb her neighbor across the river, Fairhaven. There were no privateers fitted out or owned in New Bedford, but the harbor was an important rendezvous for privateers which were largely owned in Boston, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. However, many Dartmouth men were engaged in privateering, and the first naval exploit and capture recorded in the annals of the Revolution is placed to their credit - the date, May 13, 1775; place, Dartmouth Harbor. The war tied up the whaling fleet, and a host of daring, energetic men were without occupation. They naturally turned to privateering - the product of war, a strange mixture of good and evil prompting men to valiant deeds and noble sacrifices, and leading them to deeds of violence foreign to their nature. The records show that more than six hundred men sailed from Massachusetts ports alone; Boston had a list of three hundred and fifty. Certain ports having good harbors, easy of access, became very important centers, Dartmouth being among the best, from which privateers shot in and out to thread the coast in both directions, disappearing at the presence of an English man-of-war, only to pounce upon some unsuspicious merchantman who soon afterward would be lawful prize, anchored at Dartmouth or other convenient port.

One of the famous figures in American naval history is John Paul Jones, a Scotchman by birth. He served on the "Alfred" in 1776, himself unfurling the American flag the first time it was flung to the breeze on board that ship. Soon after, he was given command of the "Providence," a fast sailing vessel mounting twelve guns, one of the fleet of thirteen vessels authorized by the Continental Congress. His first cruise lasted fortyseven days, resulting in the capture of sixteen prizes. He frequently visited Dartmouth Harbor, and his crew was recruited frequently from Dartmouth men. The "Providence" was so successful that a British brig-of-war near double the gun power of the American vessel, was ordered to cruise for her. The two vessels met and a bloody contest ensued. The final broadside of the "Providence" was chiefly of old spikes, bolts, and pieces of hoopiron. So near was the battle fought to New Bedford, that when the vessels anchored in the harbor, blood was yet running from the sides of the brig. The wounded of the crew who later died were brought on shore and buried in a small hillock a short distance north of the spot once occupied by Rotch's rope-walk. Finally these dead seamen were more properly buried in Oak Grove Cemetery.

The activity on the part of Dartmouth privateers marked them for future vengeance. 'The severe conflict between the British and our vessels in that memorable fight is found well told in all American histories, also in the recent "History of Bristol County," pages 17 to 27. When the British retired, the condition of the town was pitiful. Warehouses, shipyards, ropewalks and stores that had given employment to the people; dwellings and barns; the fleet of seventy ships - all gone up in flame and smoke, New Bedford's contribution to the price paid for American Independence. The price paid by other communities was equally great, but when the news reached the individual members of the eight companies of soldiers who served from Dartmouth, a spirit was aroused that boded no good to the enemy they were to meet later. Dartmouth sent at least five hundred men into the army, besides a large number of seamen in our navy. All over the land there were men who remained loyal to the Crown, and it would have been strange if Dartmouth had been without such. The non-resistance of the members of the Society of Friends does not prove them opposed to Liberty's cause; on the contrary, just so far as their religious principles would permit, they were friendly and helpful.