Bristol County, Massachusetts - Chapter 3: The First Comers to Taunton, 1924

directing forces and the individuals that control them is the intimate narrative of our generation, verifying to us the issues of our remarkable times. But there was also a day of the First Comers, that even at this hour is a continuous portion of history, and cannot be annulled. No one appreciates this more than the New Englander and the thousands of descendants of the first New Englanders. The founders who ventured into the wilderness - the sturdy, hard-working yeomen, with their faults and frailties too - let them have place in our vision.

Though Elizabeth Poole did not buy "Taunton," as the popular account sometimes has it, but only a small portion of the eastern borders of the then unoccupied territory, it is the brief narrative of her coming here that shall always remain like a star in the crown of the beginnings of the city. We have been told of her arrival from England to Tetiquet by way of Dorchester, and how she actively interested herself in every fundamental project of the busy settlement. Were she living today, every cause of civic, religious and industrial advancement would at least have her approval.

To all appearances, her brother, Captain William Poole, came here when his sister did, but though they both went to Dorchester first, he is not mentioned here as of 1637, the year of Elizabeth's arrival. Whatever the reasons of the latter may have been for settling at Tetiquet, it is evident from all other accounts, as well as from the wording of her will, that she was a Puritan woman of piety, with inbred reverence for the religious life and the means to religion. She was interested in establishing a church here, according to her teaching and light, and with William Hooke and Nicholas Street, Oxford University graduates, she did begin that church. It is plain, too, that here she was accorded equality of rights, whether in the purchase of lands, in the sharing of iron works holdings, or in the establishment of religious interests.

Taunton military men of today may salute the memory of the first of their local captains, William Poole. As soon as there were men enough here to form a military company, and that was only two years after it is recorded that the town was settled, Captain Poole, brother of Elizabeth Poole, was appointed by the General Court the captain, and ordered to exercise the inhabitants in their arms. He may be said to have been the Myles Staridish of the village, and both in 1646 and 1658 he was chosen a member of the Colony Council of War. He lived to be more than eighty years of age, but years before he died he went back to Dorchester to reside, and while there he was not only the town's schoolmaster, but also clerk of writs and registrar of the vital records of the town for about ten years. He was a "revered, pious man of God," remark the Dorchester records. He had three sons and two daughters, born in Taunton, namely, John, Nathaniel and Timothy, and Mary and Bethesda. Timothy met his death by drowning, and John went into business in Boston, and it was through him that his aunt Elizabeth's property came to the Borland family, from whom it was confiscated at the time of the Revolution. John married Elizabeth, a daughter of William Brenton, who lived in Taunton many years, and from whom the famed Haliburton family of Nova Scotia claim descent.

and there will be found in vogue the "prevailing names,' handed down for seven or eight generations, like the Lincolns of Hingham and the Newhalls and the Breeds of Lynn, and "their lines have gone out into all the world,' also. Many names of original settlers survive in Taunton today, but none quite to the extent of those of Williams and Deane and Hall. Genealogists of recent years have produced a vast amount of information from their researches concerning the Taunton branches of the families of those names, and inquiries have been incessant from all over the country with regard to Colonial and Revolutionary lines. In the course of his voluminous writings, the late Judge Josiah H. Drummond, of Portland, Maine, registered the names of more than twelve hundred descendants of Richard Williams, for example.

Richard Williams' descendants for nearly three hundred years have held places of trust and honor in city, county and State. He is generally mentioned among the first of the Taunton settlers because of the fact that he was an energetic pioneer who took the lead in many important matters of town building; he was a typical first settler, a man devoted to all the best interests of the new town. He came originally from a family of Glamorganshire, in Wales, and married Frances Dighton, a sister of Catherine Dighton, the wife of Governor Thomas Dudley, of the Bay Colony. He was a descendant in the same family as that of Oliver Cromwell, the Protector, who sometimes signed himself Oliver Cromwell, alias Williams; but he was not related, as some have supposed, to Roger Williams, founder of Providence, Rhode Island.

Richard Williams, upon his coming here, bought the house and lot of Henry Uxley, the latter leaving no trace of his presence other than that record. Richard Williams was a deputy to the General Court in 1643, and he served thirteen years in that capacity; he was selectman, 1665- 1677, and for many years he was deacon of the church. His home lot, on Dean street, is still pointed out, and there he died in 1693, at the age of eighty-seven years, though his wife, who outlived him, died in 1706, at the age of ninety-six years. Although he could neither see nor hear, he announced when he attended "meeting," in his last years, that it was "comforting and helpful to be with the people of God in their worship."

It seems that John and Walter Deane, brothers, had more to do with the naming of Taunton than any other, they having originated at Taunton Dean, in England. Thousands of the name are descendants of these worthy brothers, in city, State and Nation, and genealogists have compiled a number of records relating to their respective families. Both men were of that sturdy type fitted to subdue the wilderness. Their home lots at the Hartshorn and Newbury estates, on Dean street, are still pointed out.

John Deane was one of the first seven freemen of Cohannet; he was also constable in 1640 and 1654, surveyor of highways in 1640, and selectman in 1657. Walter Deane was a younger brother of John. He was a deputy to the General Court in 1640, and a selectman from 1666 to 1686. He married Elinor, a daughter of Thomas Coggan, and not a daughter of John Strong, as had for years been stated. Descendants of both John and Walter Deane are prominent in all the affairs of the city today.

Whenever we speak of George Hall today, we invariably associate the name with the first live and extensive business of the town. He was first clerk of the iron works established by James Leonard and his associates, and town and city owe much to his acumen and enterprise. The genealogist has traced his descendants by hundreds to this hour, and they are among the leaders in the professions in commonwealth and city. George Hall was a constable, a selectman, and a large land owner on Dean street.

Burt is another of those names of well-merited perpetuation, that was introduced here by Richard Burt - father and son - and later by James Burt, Sr. Richard Burt, Jr., took the oath of fidelity in 1657. Both he and his Uncle James lived at Weir Village, "the Ware," as they called it. The genealogists have thoroughly canvassed the lines of this ancestry.

John Greenman was a first settler, but he did not remain here long. Francis Baylies has misinterpreted the name Greenman as Crossman, and some confusion genealogically has resulted. James M. Cushman approves the name Greenman in this case.

Robert Crossman, first settler, was the first of the name here. The Crossman house, built by a son of Robert, and known to have been in use in 1700, and kept as an inn in Revolutionary times, still stands on Cohannet street.

Genealogy is well-equipped, too, with the concerns of the Richmond family, John Richmond and his son John having been first settlers and large owners in the section still known as Richmondtown. The same may be said of Henry Andrews, the family lines having been notably well traced. Yet Henry Andrews was foremost in all things - a live deputy and committee-man, and so capable a builder of the first little meeting house here in 1647, that he was granted a large section of land known as "Calves' pasture," still pointed out beyond his ancient home site. The Paulls, too, are very many in descent from Richard Paull, who married Margery Turner in 1638 - the first of Cohannet marriages.

If William Harvey were living here today, he might be eligible for any office of trust; he was constable, surveyor, deputy and selectman, and he was often deputy and selectman the same year. He lived not far from the Taunton Daily Gazette building; and it was at his house that the conference for the sale of Taunton North Purchase took place, in 1668, at a meeting of Governor Prence, Major Josias Winslow, Captain Thomas Southworth, and Constant Southworth - an eventful affair of the period.

Many here and elsewhere are descendants from William Phillips, a - militiaman, surveyor and land owner. Hezekiah Hoar, first proprietor, constable and surveyor, was one of the leaders in the iron works enterprise. William Holloway was a first settler; and though he removed to Boston, his sons remained, and preserved the name here.

An exemplary pioneer, soldier and officer was George Macey, lieutenant of the Taunton company through the Indian wars. William Parker is recalled as the town's first "Keeper of Records," and he was authorized to take oaths and to marry. John Parker, his younger brother, was at one time a deputy to the General Court. Little is known of the first settlers who bore the names of Henry Uxley, Joseph Wilson, Benjamin Wilson, William Coy, John Smith, Richard Smith, John Drake, Robert Hobell, David Corwithy, John Luther, Hugh Rossiter, John Kingsley, Thomas Farwell, John Briant, or William Scaddings, though the name of the latter is perpetuated in that of the Scaddings pond and meadows.

"Pondsbrooke," in Berkley, is still pointed out as the home of John Gilbert. Late in life he emigrated to England, and Thomas Gilbert, his eldest son, followed him. Edward Case, one of the first freemen here in 1637, had lands on Caswell street, that were afterwards sold to Samuel Wilbore, town clerk, later to the Caswell family, from whom were descended President Caswell of Brown University and President Angell of Yale. John Browne was prominent in the affairs both of colony and town; in Plymouth he was one of the Governor's assistants, and he was appointed one of the commissioners of the United Colonies, on the part of Plymouth Colony, in 1644. He became an original settler and proprietor in Taunton as well as in Rehoboth; and his son-in-law was Captain Thomas Willett, the first English mayor of New York.

William Hailstone was the only one of his name here. William Dunn, sea captain, was a purchaser, and he brought with him William Witherell, first settler within the bounds of Norton, and from whom leading business men hereabouts have descended. The "widow Randall" was one of the first purchasers in the eastern section of the settlement. Thomas Cooke and his son Thomas were recorded as subject to military duty in 1643. John Gingell was among the first to take the oath of fidelity. Francis Doughty was a first settler, and an opponent to the first church gathering here. Disgruntled and mischief-making, he soon afterward left the settlement.

Rev. William Hooke and Rev. Nicholas Street were the first ministers in succession. Jointly, they were granted a tract of four hundred acres of upland and thirty acres of meadow in Berkley, which farm eventually went into the hands of John Hathaway, Edward Bobbitt, and Timothy Hathaway, the tract being still known as "The Farms."

Anthony Slocum, surveyor of highways here, later removed to Dartmouth, and became one of that town's first settlers, as well. Edward Bobbitt was first of the Bobbitt-Babbitt clan in this section, and he was first to lose his life in the King Philip War in 1675, in Taunton. Captain John Gallup was not only a first comer in Taunton, but also a professional pilot in Boston harbor, and Gallup's Island in that harbor was named for him. He was killed in the Narragansett Swamp fight.

One of the most thorough and comprehensive genealogies that have been written is that of the Hodges family, tracing descent from William Hodges, who owned much land here, and whose descendants, owning property on High and Tremont streets, have been leaders in the affairs of village and town.

Of Thomas Lincoln, James Leonard, James Walker and John Turner, there is much to be said industrially and otherwise. John Macomber was a surveyor in 1670; Oliver Purchase was a first settler and town clerk; John Tisdale was founder of a large family of descendants; James Wyatt was constable and surveyor. Later arrived the progenitors of the Kings, the Reeds, the Harts, and many others who have added to the advancement of town and city's interests.