Essex County, Massachusetts - Chapter 19, 1888

Pkose Writers

"These flowery fields they loved to tread, These rocky heights to scale, The dells and tangled breaks to thread, And snuff the fragrant gale."

Realizing that the study of kinship, the tracing out of lines of relationship, is peculiarly fascinating and quite as profitable, perhaps, as many of the studies to which attention is usually directed, there have been introduced here and there in the different divisions of this sketch notices, more or less extended, of representative individuals who have appeared in the different periods of our history ; enough to render all the assistance that could in that way be afforded to those who would trace out their genealogical lines. Such studies frequently prove of unexpected value, by unearthing facts greatly beneficial to one or another. Very few of the old New England families can be brought to mind of which may not now be found representatives whose virtues or achievements adorn the parent name. "The records of families," remarks a writer quoted by President Wilder, " constitute the frame-work of history, and are auxiliaries to science, religion and especially to civilization. The ties of kindred are the golden links in the chain which ties families, states and nations together in one great bond of humanity. Everything, therefore, which pertains to the history of our families should be carefully recorded and preserved for the benefit of those who are to follow us. He who collects and preserves his own family history is not only a benefactor in his way, but will deserve and receive the grateful thanks of all future generations. He confers a priceless boon upon those whose names and achievements are thus rescued from oblivion, and preserves the experience and wisdom of ages for the emulation and admiration of posterity." Yet there are multitudes of unretlecting people who never think of these things, and other multitudes who are so engro.ssed with money-making plans that they can see no good in them. Why, a while ago the writer had occasion to ask a man something about his grandfather, and got the abrupt reply, "But I don't even know who my grandfather was, and don't care; there's no money in it! "

And now as to Lynn : Though not able to boast of any very eminent persons at present within her borders, excepting in the mere business relations of life, in which she stands I'emarkably well, and excepting those who are "great in their own eyes," she yet can point to many living descendants of her earlier families who have made a mark in their generation. Let us give an example or two : George Bancroft, the eminent historian, is a direct descendant from John Bancroft, one of liynn's early settlers. George William Curtis, of New York, so prominent in the literary world, is a direct descendant from Ebenezer Burrill, who, July 29, 1725, married Mary Mansfield, and lived in the house that stood on Boston Street near the northeast corner of North Federal. Mr. Curtis's mother was a daughter of Hon. James Burrill, chief justice of the Supreme Court of Rhode Island and United States Senator, who died on Christmas Day, 1820, and whose father, also named James, was a son of Ebenezer, and born in the old Boston Street mansion. Horace Gray, a judge of the Supreme Court of the United States, and late chief justice of the Supreme Court of Massachusetts, is a grandson of William Gray, who was born in the two-story gambrel-roof house, the most easterly on the south side of Marion Street, formerly known as the Dr. Flagg house. The bold and chivalrous John J. In- GALLS, now a member of the United States Senate from Kansas, and one of the " best dressed " members of that body, is a lineal descendant from Edmund Ingalls, one of the first five settlers of Lynn. The catalogue need not be further extended, though many other honorable names press upon the memory. And then, if deceased ones should be brought to notice, the list could not easily be limited. There was Timothy Pickering, the friend of Washington, the sagacious and prudent counselor and co-worker on the foundation of the republic ; his grandmother was a Burrill, of the same lineage from which Mr. Curtis sprang. Theodore Parker, the learned theologian and accomplished scholar, was a direct descendant from the sober old Lynn settler, Thomas Parker. The two Bishops Haven were lineal descendants from Richard Haven, whose house was on Boston Street, corner of North Federal, near that of the Burrills, the ancestral home of Curtis and Pickering just named. Then there was Rev. Samuel Kert- LAND, who, by request of the Provincial Congress, induced the Oueidas and some other Indians of the Six Nations to espouse the American cause in the dark, opening days of the Revolution ; he was a direct descendant from Philip Kertland, the first Lynn shoemaker. Then there was Nathaniel P. Willis, or, as he preferred to write it, when that style was fashionable, N. Parker Willis, the poet, a descendant of Thomas Willis, who was among the first Lynn settlers, locating at what we now call Tower Hill. He was a co-representative with Captain Nathaniel Turner and Edward Tomlins in the first General Court, 1634. And, being a man of consequence, he had allotted him, in the land division of 1638, " upland and medow, 500 acres, as it is estimated,"' while many of his neighbors received not above sixty. He does not appear to have spent the remainder of his days here, and it is not probable that descendants of his remain. It is at least hoped that the line was not tainted by "Old Willis,'' who, many years aso, kept the famous dance-house at North Bend, though he had the distinction of being a soldier of the Revolution. But this trail cannot be further pursued.

Th-e narration of prominent events as they occurred in one's own neighborhood is seldom without absorbing interest. But when the actors in those events are introduced, the interest is greatly enhanced. It is the fashion with local historians and quasi historians to give chapters of biography ; and those chapters are always interesting, at least to residents. But in view of the fact that, as before remarked, many sketches are scattered about elsewhere in these pages, a different plan must be pursued here. A few of those who have not been spoken of in other connections, but are thought entitled to special remembrance, will here receive attention. It will, of course, be borne in mind that it is not the purpose even to name all who have contributed to the prosperity of Lynn, for that would include a large portion of her population. Genealogies of a number of the old families have been published in one shape and another, and the " History of Lynn " contains many pages of such matter.

The following are the names of some of the settlers who appeared here before the year 1700, and who planted families which are still well represented among us, though they were not of the first comers :

Fuller. - Joseph Fuller, the first president of the first Lynn bank; and Maria Augusta Fuller, the poetess, were descendants of the 1644 settler.

Lewis. - Jacob M. Lewis, Lynn's fourteenth mayor, and likewise Alonzo Lewis, the poet and historian, are descendants from the settler of 1639.

Mansfield. - Andrew Mansfield, who came in 1640, was, in 1660, made the first town clerk. To him we are also indebted for the preservation of a record of the land allotments of 1638, which, as he certifies, he copied " out of the Town Book of Records of Lynn," March 10, 1660. Several of his descendants became prominent, two or three in the military line.

Newhall. - The Newhall family, planted here in 1630, and of which the first white child born within our borders was a member, has, during our whole history, till within a year or two, maintained its rank as first in numbers, if for nothing else. The name is not now the most numerous, as, according to recent directories, it is slightly led by that of Smith. They are both old Lynn names, but it is evident that but comparatively few of the present Smiths are of old Lynn stock.

Richards. - Richard Richards, who died December 19, 1851, was a descendant of the 1630 settler. He has been ranked as the most inventive genius, in a mechanical way, ever born here, some of his inventions proving of great value in the local business.

A brief list of some of the subsequent families, that is, those which appeared after the year 1700, and made favorable marks which have from generation to generation been continued, follows : Bubier, Buff"-

This short list contains the names of five mayor?, to wit. : Bubier, Buffum, Mudge, Usher and Walden. And all the families have presented substantial and useful citizens.

It may be observed that several names, conspicuous in former years, do not appear in these lists. In some instances they are of those spoken of in other connections, in other instances of those who left few or no descendants, and in still other instances of those who did little or nothing to promote the prosperity or enhance the fame of this their chosen home, preferring rather to direct their life's labor to mere selfish ends, - a career that too many of us of the present day are prone to imitate-

Hawkes Family. - This family has ever maintained a respectable rank among the old Lynn families. Adam Hawkes, the founder, was one of the seventeen hundred Puritans who sailed with Endicott from Southampton and landed at Salem in June, 1630. He received large grants in the division of the common lands, and during his busy life acquired other tracts. He was an excellent specimen of the hardy, industrious and thrifty pioneer.

The doings of many of the early comers and their successors are not matters of tradition, but of history and record so clear that one can read their lives as if they were contemporaries. Of this first Adam Hawkes, for instance, we know the little knoll where he built his house, we know of the burning of that house, of the flight through the snow with his wife and infant children ; we know when his second house was erected - a house which sheltered some of his descendants for more than two hundred years. In 1872 the old house was taken down, and on one of the bricks of the chimney was found the date, 1601, evidently written in the soft clay with the finger, when the brick was made in England. These bricks, which were in the first house, were relaid in the chimney of the fourth, ou the same farm, by Richard Hawkes, of the sixth generation from the original owner. It is a matter of history that some of the ships of Winthrop's fleet were ballasted with bricks, and it has always been known in this family that the bricks in the first chimney came from England. The farm borders upon Saugus River, and the bricks must have been carried up that stream in boats, as there was no road. Another relic of the original chimney, which has ornamented its successors, but which is now regarded as an heirloom, is an iron fireback, some two feet square, and weighing about one hundred pounds, on which is moulded what has been supposed to be the British arms, but which has since been thought to be a coat of arras - perhaps that of the Hawkes family. The " supporters," though not distinct, seem to be similar to those in the British arms, but instead of the crown, this is surmounted by what appears to be the visors and bars of a helmet and lion. This casting was evidently made to lay in masonry, as the edge is depressed and rough. The fashion of ornamenting the chimney-back above the fire with the family arms or something national was common in early colonial times, probably borrowed from home.

John Hawkes, a son of Adam, the first comer, was a man of considerable local note in his time. His descendants can trace their ancestry to one of the group who signed the immortal compact in the cabin of the " Mayflower." His wife was Rebecca, daughter of Moses Maverick, the founder and for many years the only magistrate of Marblehead. The wife of Mr. Maverick was a daughter of Isaac Allerton, who was one of the " Mayflower " passengers, was Lieutenant-Governor of Plymouth Colony, and for a long time colonial agent. Isaac xlllerton and Moses Maverick were conspicuous in the early days, and their blood mingled with that of the successors of Thomas Hawkes, who was burned at the stake in the reign of " Bloody Queen Mary," for his fiiithfulness to his religious principles.

On the 28th and 29th days of July, 1880, there took place a notable reunion on the grounds of Louis P. Hawkes, who occupies the very place where the father of the family established his abode in 1630, Some three hundred were present, from all parts of the country - representatives from all classes of society, the learned, the diplomatic, the mercantile, the laboring. The Hon. Nathan M. Hawkes, of Lynn, acted as master of ceremonies, and all the proceedings began, continued and ended in the most satisfactory manner. The literary exercises were of a high order, eminently appropriate and interesting. There were devotional exercises, poems, addresses, genealogical sketchings, music, and, for the younger portion, lighter diversions of various kinds. The principal address was by Senator Hawkes, the master of ceremonies, and its terse periods were enriched by historic allusions and family incidents, such as proved of absorbing interest to all present. The sentiments expressed in the closing passages must have found a response in the minds of the elder ones present ; in the minds of all not cankered by worldly ambition, nor closed to the beautiful in nature and the conception of life's higher duties :

"This day is a mile-stone that marks our march of a qiiarter of a thousand years of American life. Individuals and generations lay down the burdens, the failures and the triumphs of life; others stand ready to go on with the duties that citizenship and family command. Let us signalize this occasion as a family by new reverence for the memory of our ancestors, and by new resolves to make our name a still better name in the future than in the past. Let us sanctify the present by making it worthy of the past, ever hopeful of the unseen, wonderful future.

"Within five miles of the ebb and flow of the Atlautic, whence civilization took its westward course, this sylvan retreat has hitherto escaped the rush and crush of busy mercantile pursuits ; the snort of the locomotive is unheard; the primitive solitude is undisturbed, save by the peaceful pursuits of agriculture.

" The oratories of the Jews were beneath the shadow of olive trees ; the ancient Druids of Gaul, Britain and Germany were accustomed to perform their mystic rites and sacrifices in the recesses of the forest ; and our Pilgrim Fathers worehipped God under a like canopy.

Lynn

" We meet to-day under the shade of the walnut. May this spot be spared from the sordid pursuits of business ; may tliis grove he unvexed by the demands of utility for another period of two hundred and fifty years, that our successors may gather here in ' Nature's noblest sanctuary ; ' and may our kin in all coming time resort to this Mecca of the Hawkes family in America."

The family name, like all the surnames of colonial days, was spelled in a way to suit the user ; but there were not so many variations as in most of the familiar names. In England we find it spelled Hawkes, and that has generally been followed here. §ome branches of the family in America, however, spell it Hawks. This saves a letter, but does not make the word handsomer. No full genealogy of the family has yet been arranged. The materials, however, are ample, and space may be allowed for the tracing of one line as a sample. For this purpose we will take our wellknown fellow-citizen, Hon. Nathan M. Hawkes, who was master of ceremonies, as before mentioned, on the occasion of the great family gathering.

Johnson Family. - The Johnson family has been among the most prominent and respectable of the Lynn families almost ever since the settlement commenced, and it would be agreeable to give the genealogy somewhat at large, were it practicable. As the next best thing, however, it may be well to trace the line of a single individual, as a family representative, from the first settler. Others, by their relationship to him, may trace their own lines.

For this purpose, then, let us take the line down to the late Otis Johnson, who died at his well-known residence on Federal Street, February 17, 1870, at the age of sixty-eight years.

Richard Johnson^, the first of the family in Lynn, was born in England in 1612. He came to America with Sir Richard Saltonstall, in 1630, and after residing for seven years in Watertowu and for a short period in Salem, settled in Lynn in 1637, being made a freeman the same year. He was a thrifty farmer, and owned a considerable tract of land at the eastern end of the Common, including the site of the present City Hall. His children were Samuel, Elizabeth, Abigail and Daniel.

services he received, in 1685, a grant of land from the General Court. He died in 1723, at the age of eighty-two, and was buried in the old ground, where his grave-stone may still be seen. He married Mary Collins January 22, 1664, and had nine children.

Richard ^ the sixth child of Samuel ^ was born November 8, 1674; on July 3, 1705, he married Elizabeth Newhall, and died September 26, 1754. He was town clerk for several years onward from 1722, was for three years a repre-^entative in the General Court and a deacon in the old church at the time of his decease. His sons were Samuel, known as Captain, Joseph and Benjamin.

SamueP, Captain, the eldest son of Richard^, was born March 17, 1708, and married Ruth Holten, of Lynn, in or about 1731. His will was probated January 7, 1772.

Richard^, the eldest son of Captain Samuel, was born September 25, 1731, married Lydia Batchelor March 21, 1756, and died September 27, 1765, from a fever resulting from haymaking on the marsh. He had sons, - Samuel, Enoch, Rufus, Timothy.

Enoch, son of Richard^, was born January 16, 1761, married Elizabeth Newhall June 8, 1790, and died March 17, 1815. He was a deputy sheriff". Samuel, his son, was born April 30, 1793, married at Nassau, N. P., and long resided there, dying July 11, 1841. George, his son, was born June 7, 1796, and died October 17, 1849. He was a shoe manufacturer, and married Eliza, a daughter of Dr. Aaron Lummus.

Otis, the youngest son of Enoch, was born January 26, 1802, and died at his residence on Federal Street, Lynn, on the 17th of February, 1870, at the age of sixty-eight years, as before stated. He was married in Savannah, Ga., March 18, 1824, to Miss Virginia Taylor. They had nine children, only three of whom are now (1887) living - namely, Enoch Stafford, Maria Lillibridge and Elliott Clarke. The eldest son of Mr. Johnson was William Otis, who died August 17, 1873, aged forty-eight. He was a graduate of Harvard College, and in due time became established as a physician of more than ordinary reputation, having studied under the venerable Dr. Jacob Bigelow. His literary talents were also of a high order, his articles in the North American Review attracting marked attention.

Bassett Family. - William Bassett, the first of the name here, was a farmer and settled on Nahant Street on land still owned by his descendants. He married Sarah, daughter of Hugh Burt, who died in 1661. He was an ensign in the company of Captain Gardner, of Salem, in the Indian War, and was at the "swamp fight." For his services the General Court made him a grant of land. Captain William Bassett, supposed to be the same individual was one of a council of war, with Major Benjamin Church, at Scarborough, Me., November 11, 1689. His name often appears in the oldest town records of

Lynn, where, in 1691, he is called Quartermaster Bassett. He died March 31, 1703. His daughter Elizabeth was the wife of John Proctor, of Danvers, Avho was executed for witchcraft. She, too, was condemned, but pardoned. The wife of his son William was likewise imprisoned seven months for witchcraft. She had a child, when taken to prison, less than two years old; and the next child she had, after her release, she named Deliverance. The following gives the line of descent down to the children of the late William Bassett, our first city clerk, who was cashier of the First National Bank, and had been for many vears at the time of his sudden decease, June 21, 1871 :

(2) William Bassett, son of William, the first Bassett here, married Sarah Hood, October 25, 1675, and had children, - Sarah, born 1676, who married Joseph Griffin, for her first husband, and a Newbold for her second ; William, born 1678, who married Rebecca Berry in 1703 (his father's lands were divided between him and his brother John) ; Mary, born 1680, who married a Hill ; John, born 1682, who married Abigail Berry, of Boston ; Hannah, born 1685, who married John Estes, of Salem ; Ruth, born 1689, who married Abraham Allen, of Marblehead ; Joseph, born 1692, lost at sea; Deliverance, born 1695, who, in 1719, married Samuel Breed ; Abigail, who, in 1728, married Samuel Alley.

(3) William Bassett, son of (2) William, had children, - Rebecca, born 1709 ; Miriam, born 1712, who in 1732, married David Northey, of Salem ; Joseph, born 1715, who inherited his father's lands and marjied Eunice Hacker ; Elizabeth, who, in 1729, married Benjamin Hood.

(4) Joseph Bassett, son of (3) William, had children, - William, born 1738, who died young; Isaac, born 1741, who, in 1769, married Mary, daughter of Joshua Collins, was a farmer and shoemaker, and inherited one-half of the lands of his father, and died in 1829; Nehemiah, born in 1749, who married Abigail Fern ; Rebecca, born 1754, who married James Breed ; Sarah, born 1757, who married Abraham Breed; Eunice, born 1759; Hannah, born 1763, who married William Breed, of Nahant.

(5) Isaac Bassett, son of (4) Joseph, had children, - Elizabeth ; William, who died young ; Eunice ; William again, who also died young ; Isaac, who married Ruth Breed ; Eunice again, who married Ezra Collins ; Hannah, who married Samuel Neal.

(6) Isaac Bassett, son of (5) Isaac, resided on Nahant Street, on the site occupied by his forefathers, and was long held in repute as a citizen of energy, enterprise and wealth. He died May 24, 1867 ; had children, - William, born March 4, 1803, died June 21, 1871 ; Jeremiah, who died young ; Elizabeth, who died young; Elizabeth again, who married Samuel Boyce ; Mary; Jeremiah again, who also died young ; Eunice, who married W. S. Boyce ; Lydia, who married James B. Kite, of Philadelphia; Hannah; Joseph, who died young; Anna Green, who died April 17, 1863.

(7) William Bassett, son of (6) Isaac, died June 21, 1871, aged sixty-eight. He was the first city clerk of Lynn, and a man much respected ; was prominent in the early anti-slavery movements, and a co-worker with those leading spirits, William Lloyd Garrison and Wendell Phillips, both of whom were present at his funeral. His children were Susanna Smith, who married Cyrus M. Stimson ; Eliza; Mary Ann, who married Thomas Herbert; William Herschell, who died young; Joseph, who also died young; Sarah, who married William W. Kellogg; William, who died young ; William, again, born September 30, 1839 ; Edmund Quincy, who died young.

(8) William Basset, son of (7) William, now head of the banking firm, Ba-set, Whitney & Co., of Boston, had children, - William ; Ruth ; Edith, who died young.

Note. - The ancient spelling of the name was with one " t ;" but in later yeare the final letter was doubled ; recently, however, a desire has been manifested to return to the old orthography.

Tarbox Family. - John Tarbox. the first settler of the name here, came as early as 1640. He was a farmer, and among his landed possessions had seven acres of upland on Water Hill, where he appears to have lived, having an orchard near his house. And upon the premises, before the coming of the whites, there was probably an Indian settlement or encampment, as about there were found numerous arrowheads and other relics. He was evidently a respected settler, active and thrifty. Though farming was his principal occupation, he turned his attention to other pursuits, and was a small proprietor in the iron works. He died May 26, 1674. His will is dated November 25, 1673, and to his son John says, - " I bequeath my house and housing, with orchard and all my land and meddow, with a greene rugg and a great iron kettell, and a round joyned table." He also says, - " I bequeath unto every one of my sonn, John Tarbox, his children, and my son Samuel's children, one ewe sheep apeece.'' The wife of his son John w^as a daughter of Richard Haven, who lived on Boston Street, corner of North Federal, the site on which George O. Tarbox recently erected a dwelling-house and store. Mr. Haven was ancestor of the two Methodist Bishops, Gilbert and Erastus Otis, and George 0. Tarbox, just named, was a lineal descendant from the early settler, John.

With a daughter of Mr. Tarbox the course of true love does not seem to have run with uninterrupted smoothness, for it is found that on the 11th of September, 1649, Matthew Stanley was tried for winning her affections without the consent of her parents, convicted and fined £5, with 2s. Qd. fees, together with an allowance of Qs. to the parents of the young lady for their three days' attendance.

Tavern. He had eighteen children, and died September 12, 1715, aged ninety-three years. He was one of the fifteen Lynn men impressed by order of court, November 13, 1674, for service in the King Philip War. A detachment had previously been sent on the same service. In 1685 he joined in " the humble petition of several inhabitants of Lynn, who were sold, impressed and sent forth for the service of the country, that was with the Indians in the long march in the Nipmugg country, and the fight at the fort Narragansett, " which petition was signed by twenty-five inhabitants of the town.

It can hardly be said that the Tarbox family became very conspicuous beyond our own borders, though of late years some shining lights of the name, and presumably of the lineage, have here and there appeared. Nor has the family with us been conspicuous for numbers, notwithstanding the good example set by Samuel, who, as just stated, was the happy father of eighteen children. Still, there always have been and yet are a fair number with us. The name of Mr. George 0. Tarbox, before mentioned, has been favorably greeted throughout the land for his late effective manifesto touching the "boycott" ordered upon him by the Knights of Labor.

But this class of personal notices cannot be extended here. And the reader may, if he please, consider the foregoing merely as examples that might be greatly multiplied.

And now, with notices of a few eccentric, or rather, perhaps, we should say, abnormal, characters, of which class Lynn has always had an abundant assortment, this division of our sketch will close. Some of those referred to have made an enduring mark and done much to spread abroad the name of the place, but to what advantage or disadvantage there will be different estimates. There is, however, a sort of worldly benefit in being talked about, even if what is said is not quite so favorable. The term " eccentric " is not intended to be applied in an offensive sense, and it is feared that some reader may not see the strict applicability of its use in every instance. In the first notice, especially, it may be deemed hardly appropriate, as matrimonial misunderstandings are in these days so common as to seem " natural " rather than " eccentric." The notices are not given merely to amu.-ie, but for use by way of example or warning, as the case may be.

MoNTOWAMPATE, alias Sagamore James. - It is fitting to begin with a sketch of the Indian Sagamore James, who ruled over a considerable part of the seaboard line of Essex County at the time of the arrival of the whites, though he was then quite a young man, having been born in 1609. His Indian name was Montowarapate, but the settlers called him Sagamore James. He was a son of Nanapashemet, whose jurisdiction extended over a large part of the territory between the Charles and Piscataqua Rivers. On the death of Nanapashemet his '- kingdom" was divided,

The young Sagamore fixed his residence on the delightful elevation still known as Sagamore Hill, lying between Beach and Nahant Streets, and overlooking the beach, Nahant and a considerable portion of the bay. It i-* now (1887) a thickly-settled part of the city, though still retaining some of its picturesque features. Its proximity to the sea was, perhaps, the chief reason why this place was chosen for the " royal residence," though the lovely natural surroundings may have added their attractions. Not much is known of Montowampate, nor indeed individually of any of the Indians found hereabout, though from the narratives of the old writers glimpses of character sometimes occur. Dudley says Montowampate was " of a far worse disposition " than his brother Wonohaquaham, or Sagamore John, as the English called him, who, he says, was " a handsome young man" . . . " affecting Engli-h apparel and houses and speaking well of our God."

The Lynn Sagamore seems to have had a high appreciation of his own dignity, and not a very lively sen-e of the courtesies due to the gentler sex. This is shown by a matrimonial imbroglio, which Thomaa Morton thus recounts in his book entitled " The New English Canaan," published in 1632:

"The Sachem or Sagamoro of Sagiis, made choice, when he came to man's estate, of a lady of noble descent, daughter of Papasiquineo, the Sachem or Sagamore of the territories near Merrimack river; a man of the best note iu all those parts, and, as my countryman, Mr. Wood, declares, in his ' Prospect,' a great nigromancer. This lady the young BiK^hem, with the consent and good liking of her father, marries, and takes for his wife. Great entertainment hee and his received in those parts at her father's hands, wheare they were feasted in the best manner that might be expected, according to the custoine of their nation, with reveling, and such other solemnities as is usual amongst them. The golomnity being ended, Papasiquineo caused a selected number of his men to waite on his daughter home into those parts that did properly belong to her lord and husband, where the attendants had entertainment by the sachem of Sagus and his countrymen. The solemnity being ended, the attendants were gratified.

" Not long after, the new married lady had a great desire to see her father and her native country, from whence she came. Her lord was willing to pleasure her, and not deny her request, amongst them thought to be resisonable, commanded a select number of his own men to conduct his lady to her father , where with great respect they brought her; and having feasted there a while, returned to their own country againe, leaving the lady to continue there at herowne pleasure amongst her friends and old acquaintances, where she passed away the time for a while, and in the end desired to returue to her lord againe. Her father, the old Papasiquineo, having notice of her intent, sent some of his men on ambassage to the young sachem, his sonne-in-law, to let him understand that his daughter was not willing to absent herself from his company any longer ; and therefore, as the messengers had in charge, desired the young lord to send a convoy for her ; but he, standing upon tearmes of honor, and the maintaining of his reputation, returned to his father-in-law this answer : ' That when she departed from him, hee caused his men to waite upon her to her father's territories as it did become him ; but now she had an intent to returne, it did become her father to send her back with a convoy of his own people ; and that it stood not witli his reputation to make himself or his men so servile as to fetch heragaine.'

"The old sachem Papasiquineo, having this message returned, was inraged to think that his young son-in-law did not esteem him at a higher rate than to capitulate with him about the matter, and returned him this sharp reply: 'That his daughter's blood and birth deserved

" The young sachem, not willing to undervalue himself, and being a man of a stout spirit, did not stick to say, ' That he should either send her by his own convoy or keepe her ; for he was determined not to Btoope so lowe.'

" So much these two sachems stood upon tearmes of reputation with each other, the one would not send for her, lest it should be any diminishing of honor on his part that should seeme to comply, that the lady, when I came out of the country, remained still with her father ; which is a thing worth the noting, that salvage people should seek to maintain their reputation so much as they doe."

She was, however, finally restored to his arms, but how the reconciliation was effected does not appear. She soon after became a widow, as the death of Montowampate took place in 1633. Her marital life certainly had its troubles, for besides what has been spoken of, she was taken captive by the Tarratines and held a prisoner for two months. After the death of her husband she returned to her father.

The resolute Montowampate is said to have visited England in 1631, with a letter of introduction from Governor Wiuthrop to Emanuel Downing, the eminent London lawyer, and while there to have received the honors of an Indian king. His errand was to procure redress for a fraud committed by an Englishman named Watts in a beaver-skin transaction.

On the 4th of September, 1632, the court ordered that " Richard Hopkins shalbe severely whipt & branded with a hott iron on one of his cheekes for selling peeces & powder & shott to the Indians. Hereupon it was propounded if this offence should not be punished hereafter by death.'' One of the purchasers of the proscribed articles, it appears by Mr. Lewis, was the mettlesome Montowampate.

But this youthful Sagamore of Lynn soon ended his career. Winthrop, in his journal under date December 5, 1633, says, - " John Sagamore [elder brother of Montowampate] died of the small pox, and almost all of his people." . . . " James Sagamore [Montowompate], of Sagus, died also and most of h's folks."

Mary Pitcher. - The stranger on arriving in Lynn, and leaving the railroad train at the Central Square Station, may observe towering up, a furlong or so off, in a northeasterly direction, a huge porphyry cliff, which he may be told is " High Rock." It is not now, however, so readily discerned from the Square as it was a few years since, for large business buildings, recently erected, intervene. Seventy-five years ago there was but little population in tbe vicinity, and the whole of " Rocks Pasture," near the southern border of which rises High Rock, was lonely and wild enough, with its rocky outcroppings and stunted growth of red cedar. The highway, indeed, wound along the southerly bound, but it was rough and little traveled. In pleasant weather, however, charming views could be obtained of diversified landscape and the ever-changing sea.

Upon the southern declivity, and fronting towards the sea, was a plain little cottage, seated a short distance in from the road, with a small, unkempt garden in front, and broken rocks, thistles and nettles in the rear. And that lonely cottage was the home of " Moll Pitcher," the celebrated fortune-teller of Lynn, for many years. It was here that she entertained the numerous visitors of all classes and from all places, who anxiously sought her aid to unveil the mysteries of the life before them, never doubting that -

"She could tell by tea-ground mark. Fortune bright or fortune dark ; And could give, 0 wondrous dame. Loving swain's or maiden's name, Showing by her mystic art Whether true or false of heart ; And, by turning cards, could show Life's whole span, its weal or wo."

This remarkable woman was born in 1738, of reputable parents, in Marblehead. Her father was a master mariner, and connected with some of the best families in Essex County. And her own reputation seems to have remained unsullied, unless her occult pretensions are to be taken as a stain. Her maidenname was Mary Diamond, and Mr. Lewis says of her, -

"She was of the mediumheight and size fora woman, with a good form and agreeable manners. Her head, phrenologically considered, was somewhat capacious, her forehead broad and full, her hair dark brown, her nose inclining to long, and her face pale and thin. There was nothing gross or sensual in her appearance ; her countenance was rather intellectual ; and she had that contour of face and e.xpression which, without being positively beautiful, is, nevertheless, decidedly interesting; a thoughtful, pensive and sometimes downcast look, almost approaching to melancholy ; an eye, when it looked at you, of calm and keen penetration ; and an expression of intelligent discernment, half mingled with a glance of shrewdness. She took a poor man for a husband, and then adopted, what she doubtless thought, the harmless em ployment of fortune-telling, in order to support her children. In this she was probably more successful than she herself had anticipated ; and she became celebrated, not only throughout America, but throughout the world, for her skill. There was no port on either continent, where floated the flag of an American ship, that had not heard the fame of Moll Pitcher. . . . Many persons came from places far remote to consult her on affairs of love or loss of property, or to obtain her surmises respecting the vicissitudes of their future fortune. Every youth who was not assured of the reciprocal affection of his fair one, and every maid who was desirous of anticipating the hour of her highest felicity, repaired at evening to her humble dwelling. . . . That she made no pretension to anything supernatural is evident from her own admission, when some one offered her a large sum if she would tell him what ticket in the lottery would draw the highest prize. ' Do you thinb,' said she, ' if I knew, I would not buy it myself? ' Several of the best authenticated anecdotes which are related of her seem to imply that she possessed, in some degree, the faculty which is now termed clairvoyance. Indeed, there seems to be no other conclusion, unless we suppose that persons of general veracity have told us absolute falsehoods. The possession of this faculty, with her keen perception and shrewd judgment, in connection with the ordinary art which she admitted to have used, to detect the character and business of her visitors, will perhaps account for all that is extraordinary in her intelligence. In so many thousand instances also, of the exercise of her faculty, there is certainly no need of calling in supernatural aid to account for her sometimes judging right ; and these favorable instances were certain to be related to her advantage, and insured her abundance of credibility."

It is stated that the celebrated "Lord Timothy Dexter," of Newburyport, was accustomed to visit her, and place implicit confidence in her utterances. But whether his strange commercial speculations, which appear to have been uniformly successful, were attributable to her promptings, cannot be known. She was married on the 2d of October, 1760, to Robert Pitcher, a shoemaker, and became the mother of one son and three daughters. And there, in the lonely home, already described, she died on the 9th of April, 1813, aged seventy-five years. Her remains were interred in the old burying-ground, near the western end of the common. The memory of such a person is not likely to be much honored by those of her own generation, and her resting-place has remained unheeded and almost unknown till the present time (1887) - nearly three-quarters of a century - when two worthy citizens - Isaac 0. Guild and John T. Moulton - have erected a neat head-stone to mark the spot, which was some years since pointed out by an aged man who was present at the burial. And to that spot, in future years, many a sentimental maiden and swaiu will doubtless repair - a class who always had her warmest sympathies.

Mrs. Pitcher was connected Avith the Silsbee family of Lynn in this way: Lydia, a great-granddaughter of Henry Silsbee, the first of the name in Lynn, in 1735, married Aholiab Diamond, a son of Captain John Diamond, of Marblehead, and had two sons, Samuel and Richard, and one daughter, Mary, This daughter Mary was married, October 2, 1760, to Robert Pitcher, of Lynn, as before stated, thus becoming "Moll Pitcher." Descendants of hers still remain among us. Henry Silsbee, the old settler just named, probably located on Fayette Street not far from the corner of Essex, in which vicinity he owned considerable land. He was designated as a " shoemaker," though probably quite as much of a farmer. The family has always been respectable, but not numerous, and several eminent individuals have appeared in the line, Hon. Nathaniel Silsbee, United States Senator, among them. Silsbee Street perpetuates the name.

George Gray. - Near the close of the last century there suddenly appeared in Lynn a man seemingly of an age somewhere between thirty and forty years. He was physically well-conditioned, but in disposition unaccountably reserved. It was soon known that he had come to make this his permanent home, for he made himself possessor of a limited tract of wild land in a lonely and dismal neighborhood, and there erected a rude habitation which, for forty years, continued to be his hermitage, for there he lived "solitary and alone" during that long period.

This man was George Gray, the Lynn hermit. And the hermitage was on Boston Street, nearly opposite the entrance to Pine Grove Cemetery. He was by birth a Scotchman, and died on the 28th of February, 1848, at the age of seventy-eight years. Till population began to increase around him, which it did, much to his annoyance, his home was secluded enough for the most determined misanthrope. A high, woody hill rose in the rear ; a tangled swamp on either hand, with a weedy brook winding through ; Avhilein front, beyond a little area of brambles and rank vege- 20J tation, wound the street just named. He persistently, and often with a good deal of asperity, refused to communicate to the many curious inquirers any knowledge of his personal history or the causes which induced the adoption of his comfortless and unnatural mode of life. And that very secrecy gave rise to numberless romantic surmises. Some believed that an unfortunate affair of the heart estranged him from social intercourse ; others hinted that some great crime rendered his flight and concealment necessary. But he had the shrewdness to avoid entangling himself by contradicting or admitting the truth of any report.

One of the latest circumstantial surmises related to his connection with the fate of the French Dauphin, Charles Louis, son of Louis XVI. and Marie Antoinette. It gained currency by an article in Putnam's Magazine, a monthly periodical of high standing ; the theory being that the Dauphin was taken from the custody of Simon, the inhuman ruffian in whose keeping he had been placed, brought to the wilds of America and given in charge of a woman of the St. Regis tribe, who reared him with affection, though never claiming that he was her own child, and probably never dreaming that he was not some poor, friendless waif. It was further suggested that Rev. Eleazer Williams, a missionary of the Episcopal Church, laboring with the St. Regis Indians, was the identical Dauphin. Then gained currency the belief that Mr. Gray was one of those who brought the Dauphin to America, it being declared that he was certainly in France, a red republican, at that period. It is not certain, exactly, what threads were supposed to be found connecting Gray with the transaction, unless it was that Mr. Williams - who no doubt really believed himself to be the Dauphin - came to Lynn, and, finding that Gray was dead, became very anxious to procure a specimen of his hand-writing, for which purpose he called on the writer. But these surmises and rumors need not longer occupy our attention.

At times the hermit was by no means averse to discussing affairs with his neighbors, though very seldom could one receive a welcome to his premises, and never would an invitation to enter his dwelling be extended. His calls were generally made at night. The writer was occasionally favored with one, and usually found him so forgetful of the passing time that it was necessary to remind him of the lateness of the hour by a hint like that of extinguishing the lights, nothing short of some such rudeness being effectual. He was a reflecting man, and of considerable literary and scientific attainment; but the current story of his carrying a Hebrew Bible about in his pocket was, no doubt, a fiction. He took great pleasure in attending lectures, and in studying works on the abstruse sciences. But his fondness for the mechanic arts was, perhaps, his most marked trait ; and he became very skillful in some branches connected with machinery.

Strangers would sometimes vex him with untimely visits, and by unpalatable remarks induce sudden exhibitions of temper; but if one assumed to bean adept in any branch of mechanics, he was pretty sure of a courteous hearing. He claimed several useful inventions, and spent considerable money in establishing his claims against those who infringed his patents.

In religion he was probably a materialist most of life. Perhaps a dozen years before his death he remarked that it was "ridiculous for any one to contend that intelligence was not the result of physical organization." But it was understood that he subsequently abandoned his old views, and died in the Calvinistic faith. He was eccentric in his habits, and had little regard for personal appearance, oftentimes - especially during the last few years of his life - appearing in a grim and filthy condition. He was remarkable, even in old age, for power of physical endurance. Many a time has he walked to Boston, on a winter evening, attended a lecture, and walked home after it had closed, making a distance, in all, of full twenty miles, most likely with no thicker covering to his head than a dilapidated straw hat, and upon his feet coarse shoes and no stockings. He suffered much from disease during his last few years. And there, in his forlorn habitation, without the sympathy of friends or the common endearments of home, in solitude and distress, his last days were passed.

Mr. Gray, at the time of his decease, possessed property to the amount of about four thousand dollars. He died intestate, and his debts were not large ; a considerable portion, therefore, went into the treasury of the commonwealth. His savings do not appear, however, to have accumulated from a miserly disposition, but rather from habits of industry and a naturally frugal turn, for the administrator remarked that from the appearance of things he could hardly have taken suificient interest in his pecuniary affairs to have known what he did possess. In some instances the evidences of his money deposits were found thrown among waste paper.

The death of the hermit was noticed in the newspapers throughout the country, and several persons appeared, claiming to be heirs ; but they failed to substantiate their claims.

HiEAM Marble. - This somewhat singular individual appeared in Lynn in 1852, being then of the age of forty-seven. He brought with him his wife, a son of the age of twenty, and a young daughter. He immediately petitioned the city to sell him the famous Dungeon Rock, a greenstone cliff a mile or two back in the woods, and very difficult of access, on account of steep and tangled ascents, swamps and quagmires. He succeeded in purchasing, at a low price, the rock and about five acres of the surrounding woodland. In that lonely place he erected a rude habitation, and soon set to work building a road down towards the town. This was a severe piece of labor, for gnarled old trees, huge boulders and ledge-croppings were to be removed. But he persevered heroically till a passable way was obtained. How a man, evidently not very strong or in vigorous health, could undertake such a piece of work was astonishing. But the crowbar, pick and shovel were courageously wielded, and resounding blasts awoke the echoes during the hot days of summer, he feigning to regard it as light labor, saying that he had been seized by a weakening complaint, and found himself unable to pursue the hard work he had commenced on the rock, and so had changed to the light work of road-building.

The hard work commenced on the rock was to excavate, in search of treasure, gold and jewels, imagined to have been deposited somewhere down in its unknown depths. He had come, as he alleged, by spiritual direction, and had full faith in the assurance of the spirits, that they would watch his progress, give directions and lead him to final success. By no means deficient in intelligence, he yet was a credulous enthusiast. In person he was of medium height, had a bright, quick eye, and wore a flowing beard of sandy hue, which did not always bear evidence of having recently had the discipline of a comb. He was communicative, and in his conversation ran a pleasant vein of jocularity ; was usually ready to converse on his plans, fears and hopes ; and with great good nature, sometimes with an apparently keen relish, alluded to the jeers and taunts of those who were disposed to rank him as a lunatic. The writer had occasional conversations with him, and was sometimes struck by the freedom with which he discussed the pros and cons of spiritualism ; nevertheless, his faith and perseverance were refreshing. He asserted that he had been a confirmed infidel, a believer in nothing beyond the visible and temporal, till he received communications that could have come from none but intelligent, invisible beings, unrestrained by any physical obstacle.

For about fifteen years Mr. Marble continued his herculean labors at Dungeon Eock, in bodily weakness much of the time, but buoyed up by the strong hope and, as he believed, supernatural assurance that his labor would not be in vain. But it was in vain, and he died there, worn out and diseased, on the 10th of November, 1868, aged sixty-five years. He remained a spiritualist to the last, and the mediums of the vicinity were invited to be present at the funeral services, which were held at the Rock on the forenoon of Wednesday, November 11th. He was a native of Charlton, in Worcester County, and thither his remains were taken for burial.

Edwin Marble, who at the time of his father's death had attained the age of thirty-six years, and had continued to participate in the arduous toil of excavation, now succeeded to the direction of the work, subject, of course, as he declared, to the engineering of the spirits. His health, however, had already become undermined, and he was soon obliged to suspend active operations. He died on the 16th of January, 1880, aged forty-eight, and was buried near the foot of the rock, on the southwestern slope, it having been his expressed desire to be interred near the scene of his hopeful, though fruitless, labors. A considerable number of friends, perhaps fifty, most of them of the spiritualistic faith, were present at the burial service, which was simple and affecting ; and held there, in the deep forest, amid the winter scenery, was peculiarly touching. The hymn " In the Sweet By and By " was sung at the close. He was a man of good character and good disposition, and a firm believer in spiritual manifestations.

Thus died these two worthy men - father and son - their deaths no doubt hastened, if not occasioned, by their operations in the dark, damp cavern their own hands had formed in the bowels of the mysterious Dungeon Rock, that unwholesome work-place, through the ragged seams of which the water dripped, and where the stifled air reverberated with sounds that might well be taken for supernatural indications. Their labors were in vain. No treasure was reached; but it need not be concluded that they suffered pangs of disappointment, for, cheered on day by day, as they believed, by guiding and unerring spirits, they were hopeful to the last.

After this brief notice of the Messrs. Marble, it would seem almost necessary to add something regarding the supposed dei)osit of treasure which had induced them, as well as others before them, to waste labor, strength and means at Dungeon Eock. The floating and incoherent traditions on the subject were gathered up by Mr. Lewis and published in the first edition of his history. And, perhaps, it would be most satisfactory to give his account in its original shape :

" This year (1658) there was a great earthquake in New England, connected with which is the following story: Some time previous, on a pleasant evening, a little after sunset, a small vessel was seen to anchor near the mouth of Saugus River. A boat was presently lowered from her side, into which four men descended, and moved up the river a considerable distance, when they landed, and proceeded directly into the woods. They had been noticed by only a few individuals ; but in those early times, when the people were surrounded by dangers, and susceptible of alarm, such an incident was well calculated to awaken suspicion, and in the course of the evening the intelligence was conveyed to many houses. In the morning, the people naturally directed their eyes towards the shore, in search of the strange vessel ; but she was gone, and no trace could be found either of her or her singular crew. It was afterward ascertained that, on that morning, one of the men at the Iron Works, on going into the foundry, discovered a paper, on which was written, that if a quantity of shackles, handcuffs, hatchets and other articles of iron manufacture were made and deposited, with secrecy, in a certain place in the woods, which was particularly designated, an amount of silver, to their full value, would be found in their place. The articles were made in a few days, and placed in conformity with the directions. On the next morning they were gone, and the money was found according to the promise ; but though a watch had been kept, no vessel was seen. Some mouths afterwards the four men returned, and selected one of the most secluded and romantic spots in the woods of Saugus for their abode. The place of their retreat was a deep, narrow valley, shut in on two sides by high hills and craggy, precipitous rocks, and shrouded on the others by thick pines, hemlocks and cedars, between which there was only one small spot to which the rays of the sun, at noon, could penetrate. On climbing up the rude and almost perpendicular steps of the rock on the eastern side, the eye could command a full view of the bay on the south, and a prospect of a considerable portion of the surrounding country. The place of their retreat has ever since been called the Pirates' Glen, and they could not have selected a spot on the coast, for many miles, more favorable for the purposes both of concealment and observation. Even at this day, when the neighborhood has become thickly peopled, it is still a lonely and desolate place, and probably not one in a hundred of the inhabitants has ever descended into its silent and gloomy recess. There the pirates built a small hut, made a garden, and dug a well, the appearance of which is still visible. It has been supposed that they buried money ; but though people have dug there, and in several other places, none has ever been found. After residing there some time, their retreat became known, and one of the king's cruisers appeared on the coast. They were traced to the glen, and three of them were taken and carried to England, where it is probable they were executed. The other, whose name was Thomas Veal, escaped to a rock in the woods, about two miles to the north, in which was a spacious cavern, where the pirates had previously deposited some of their plunder. There the fugitive fixed his residence, and practiced the trade of a shoemaker, occasionally coming down to the village to obtain articles of sustenance. He continued his residence till the great earthquake this year, when the top of the rock was loosened, and crushed down into the mouth of the cavern, inclosing the unfortunate inmate in its unyielding prison. It has ever since been called the Pirate's Dungeon."

Now, it was this Thomas Veal, who is alleged to have escaped from the Glen and concealed himself in the Dungeon Rock, or Pirate's Dungeon, as Mr. Lewis chooses to call it, who, together with a piratical companion, spiritually appeared to the Marbles, time after time, usually in jolly mood, and assured them of the rich spoils of gold and jewels still in their keeping, and seemed very willing to surrender them whenever they could be reached by drills and gunpowder. And Veal, moreover, added some touching revelations concerning a Spanish princess and another bright maiden who had been held captive there, and were, with their grim warder, shut in forever by the awful earthquake. Is it, then, to be wondered at that the Marbles, firmly believing all this, and much more, should have pursued their exhausting labors with high hopes ? It is not necessary to go into a disquisition as to the authenticity of the traditions here recounted, or an examination of the supposed spiritual revelations. The intelligent reader will perceive the utter absurdity of some and the improbability of others. But yet it can hardly be said that there is no foundation in truth ; and none of us would willingly have one of our long-cherished legends entirely fade away.

There is scarcely a place on the whole New England coast that has not traditions about buried treasures of gold and silver, and where unsuccessful attempts have not from time to time been made for their recovery.

It is undoubtedly true that the old buccaneers, who were desperadoes from every nation and kindred, did for years, about the close of the seventeenth century, pursue their nefarious trade of indiscriminate piracy. And, much to their discredit, the colonists were sometimes charged with connivance at the traffic. Those sanguinary sea-rovers were accustomed to rendezvous in the West Indies, and thence fall upon the richlyladen Spanish galleons as they pursued their way homeward with the wealth of the mines of Mexico and Peru. But their depredations were not confined to these ; every other craft of value that they met fell a prey, excepting in the few cases of successful resistance. Then there were the noted pirates, Kidd and Bellamy, who were known to be more or less on the coast. And if all the accounts of the treasures they buried are true, they must have secreted enough to load half the British navy.

Whether theie was any connection between the earlier sea-robbers and those who made famous the Glen and Pirate's Dungeon at Lynn, may not now be known, but damaging fancies will arise in suspicious minds.

death I But one bold knave stood boldly out, and offered himself for scath - " I'll watch it," quoth he, " for these forty years I've wandered o'er land and sea, And I'm tired of doing the devil's work - so bury me under the tree ; And better I'll rest as I guard this wealth, than you, in the realms stone Deep in the earth above the gold, and they stood the corpse thereon. Now wo betide the daring fool who seeketh that gold to win. Let mortals beware of the noble wretch who standeth that grave within.

There is enough of this old piratical literature to form the basis of a countless number of dime novels, and Lynn would naturally be expected to have her share.

Lynn Writers. - It was a favorite idea of the author of this sketch to prepare extended notices of different Lynn writers, living and dead, who have from time to time, by their works, contributed to the edification or entertainment of their fellow-mortals? giving specimens of the productions. Among the multitude of writers who have lived and still live here, a score at least are deserving of most honorable mention; some having reveled in the delightsome fields of poetry, some in the more sombre walks of history, some in the elevating regions of science and some in the dreamy walks of romance. Such a task would be a delicate one, and in several respects difficult ; for, to say nothing of incompetency on the part of the writer, it would be hard to determine what names should be selected from the long catalogue. It might appear invidious to choose only those who were natives ; and then, as to those who were not natives, puzzling doubts might arise as to where the line should be drawn. Lynn has been the temporary abiding-place of quite a number of the greater lights of literature and science, - of Longfellow, the poet; of Prescott, the historian; of Agas.siz, the scientist, for example. But would it not be rather assuming to claim them as Lynn authors? Their reputation, however, being world-wide, may, perhaps, be said to belong as much to Lynn as any other place. Then there are others who, though natives, turned their backs upon their good mother in early life and afterwards became eminent as writers, but never manifested any love for their deserted parent. Are they deserving of specially honorable mention ? Brief notices of a number of our writers, however, are given elsewhere, and need not be repeated here. Poets and philosophers may not be the most useful citizens in the worldling's estimation, but the lights they shed illumine many a dark passage and cheer many a dismal hour in the tramp of life. Our reverence for departed worth, it is hoped, will not be measured by the length of notice ; for sometimes the better one is known, the less need there is for extended details. And in no case is it our desire to pose as critic.

William Wood, one of the earliest who settled within our borders, should be first named, for as early as 1634, in his " New England's Prospect," he outlined her physical features and drew terse word-pictures of some of her pleasant and impressive localities. But as he is several times brought into view in other parts of this sketch, nothing further is demanded here.

Most of the old parish ministers, from Rev. Mr. Whiting, who commenced his labors here in 1636, down to Rev. Parsons Cooke, the last, whose minibtry here ended by his death, were learned men and skilled in the use of the pen. Their published writings were chiefly on theological topics, and often tinctured by the acrimony of the times. Their discourses on special occasions were sometimes published, and the few copies preserved in the antiquarian collections are even now sought for with avidity, as developing the peculiar religious views and tendencies of the times, as much as for the genius and learning they display. Since Mr. Cooke's day the controversial hatchet has not been fiercely wielded by any of the settled pastors. Indeed, the differing sentiments of most Christian bodies seem to have become more and more assimilated. But it is hoped that the apparent drawing together is to be attributed to the awakening of true Christian love, rather than to indifference as to any religion. But in the company of the clerical worthies we may not long linger. Their fame is not local.

Rev. Enoch Mudge, 1776-1850. - This good man was a minister of the Methodist connection for a great number of years, having been licensed at the early age of seventeen. His poetical effusions were many, and appeared in various periodical publications. His longest production was " Lynn, a Poem." It was written in 1820, comprised some six hundred and fifty lines and was published in pamphlet form in 1826. In the opening lines the muse takes a view from High Rock, his eye ranging over the wonderful panorama of the sublime and beautiful in nature, occasionally pausing in view of some interesting fabric, and all the way scattering didactic reflections and useful hints. It was about this time that the famous sea serpent was first seen in these waters. And in view of the fact that he has this year, 1887, again made this coast his sporting-place, and seemingly retains his early love for our bay, the following quotation will not be deemed inappropriate :

" Hard by the shore is seen, day after day, Surprising sight ! the Serpens Marinus ; A sight so wondrous strange upon our coasts, That multitudes collect to feast their eyes ; He with serpentine movements swiftly glides, Though huge in bulk, and leaves his lengthened wake Far in the smooth green sea, then darts his liead Aloft in air, and seems with careless ease To gaze around ; anon impetuous starts, Plunging his head, and ploughs the liquid way ; Sudden he stops and rests when on the waves, As if to give the observer leave to count The large protuberances upon his back, And mark with leisure eye his wondrous frame. Each eye beholds the varying scene diverse ; Some see, or think they see, the serpent's eyes. His mane and slender neck, and whiten'd breast ; Some see his back all clad in rusty scales, His flippers, or his smooth and velvet skin ; His girth aud length as various they describe, From fifty to thrice fifty feet in length. From fifteen inches through to triple that. Ho is a monstrous something, all agree, But know not what - Sea-Serpent is the name

By which this nondescript is known by us. The literati term him Halsydous, By Ramus and Pontoppidam described. And seen by many in the Greenland seas."

These lines are not given for the brilliancy of their poetic conception or felicity of expression, but they are fairly descriptive. Some of his shorter poems, however, were pronounced by intelligent critics worthy of a place among the selected specimens of our acknowledged poets.

Mr. Mudge was father of Hon. Enoch Redington Mudge, the generous donor of the beautiful St. Stephen's Memorial Church, erected in Lynn in 1881.

Isaac Newhall, 1782-1858. - Mr. Newhall was known in the literary world only by his letters on Junius, a series addressed to Hon. John Pickering, in which he endeavored to show that Earl Temple was the author of those celebrated papers. The letters were published in a duodecimo volume in 1831, and showed the author to be well versed in British politics, with good knowledge of her history and literature. The chief business of his life was that of a retail trader, at one time in Macon, Gra., and afterwards in Salem, Mass. But he spent the evening of his days in quiet and comfort at the old homestead on the eastern side of Mall Street, Lynn - the same house in Avhich he was born on the 24th of August, 1782, and in which he died on the 6th of July, 1858.

Enoch Curtin, 1794-1842. - Mr. Curtin, for some years, was a poetic and prose writer of much local repute and of real ability. But his education was limited, and his ambition to shine as a literary light so small that his name has never become known to the extent it deserved to be, and might have been. His poetic efforts were chiefly confined to the production of odes and verses for special occasions, public celebrations and so forth. And his prose articles were largely on local and every-day topics - political, sanitary, gossiping. No collection of his writings ever appeared in book-form. His residence was in the easterly part of the town - Woodend, so called.

Alonzo Lewis, 1794-1861. - It must be conceded that Mr. Lewis stands at the head of the writers Lynn has thus far produced. He published volumes of poetry and local history, besides contributing, during many years, articles on almost every current topic, for the newspapers and other periodicals. A more extended notice of him appears elsewhere in these pages.

Maria Augusta Fuller, 1806-31. - Miss Fuller was chiefly known by her poems, though her prose writings were by no means without merit. No collection of her effusions were ever presented to the public in book-form, or, we feel quite sure, her fame would have become far from local. Her father, Joseph Fuller, was the first president of the first bank in Lynn, and was our first State Senator. The house in

Solomon Moulton, 1808-27. - Of this young ntian - for he died at the early age of nineteen years - a word should be said, for while we realize the utter futility of any attempt to rear upon the uncertain foundation of what " might have been " any ideal fame, it is yet natural to augur whither steps already taken may fairly lead. Young Moulton certainly made gome poetic contributions to the newspapers that gave great promise for the future, besides containing in themselves passages of striking thought, touching pathos and felicitous expression. It will be remembered that it was from the columns of newspapers that our cherished poets - as Bryant, Willis, Longfellow and Whittier - first beamed. Mr. liewis knew Moulton well, and often spoke highly of his poetic ability. He was born in the house on Boston Street, southeast corner of Moulton, but was adopted by an uncle and lived most of his days in Market Street. No collection of his writings was ever published; indeed, he never wrote enough to make a book of much size.

The writers of whom we have thus far spoken - Wood, Mudge, Newhall, Curtin, Lewis, Fuller, Moulton - have long since departed ; yet, though their tongues are mute and their pens have dropped, with them we may still commune through their works.

" They are silent ; silent forever ! Cold, cold are their breasts of clay ! Oh ! from the rock on the hill, from the top of the windy steep, speak, ye ghosts of the dead ! "

Among her living writers Lynn can boast of several who are worthy of far more extended notice than can be allowed in this connection. Brief recognition, however, is better than entire silence. Fugitive pieces without number have appeared in the publications of the day, many of them worthy of being preserved in durable form. And it is hoped that at some future time a discriminating gatherer may arise to rescue them from oblivion. He may not receive the deserved pecuniary reward, but his labor of love would be highly appreciated. In the present enumeration it seems highly proper that mention be first made of such as have, in one way and another, contributed to the elucidation of our history. Of these should be named :

EiCHARD I. Attwill, who has contributed for the newspapers transcripts of interesting documents which he has here and there discovered, accompanied by apt explanations and annotations from his own pen.

George E. Emery has furnished articles which, "hj his well-trained descriptive powers and lively sense of fitness, have done their share to quicken the taste for historic reading,

Clarence W. Hobbs, by his " Lynn and Surroundings," published at the close of 1886, has added a work of much interest. Its mechanical execution is attractive, and the matter worthy of its neat investment. It is well illustrated, and the name indicates its general character.

David N. Johnson has done work worthy of praise in his " Sketches of Lynn, or the Changes of Fifty Years," published in 1880. He has also written articles for the publications of the day, and hymns and odes for special occasions.

John T. Moulton has done a great deal of pen work, for which he will receive the thanks of future generations. Among other things, he has had all the inscriptions in the old burying-ground copied and printed in durable form, with an introduction. He is one of the most intelligent and accurate genealogists among us. The Moulton family has not been destitute of poetic representatives ; and he, true to the family tendency, has produced some metrical pieces of animating sentiment and easy flow.

Howard Mudge Newhall is yet a young man, but has already written numerous articles of real value on the business of Lynn, its history and present condition. His illustrated article in Harper's Magazine, January, 1885, entitled " A Pair of Shoes,'*' attracted marked attention. He has an eminently practical turn of mind, skill in the arrangement of topics, and clearness of expression.

It may not be overstepping the bounds of modesty for the writer of the sketch now in hand to mention that he has prepared for publication many pages pertaining to the history of Lynn, its sombre and authentic side, as well as its romantic and legendary.

Edwin Thompson has, from time to time, contributed to the newspapers articles on local historical matters that have always been received with favor.

Cyrus M. Tracy has for many years been an acceptable writer as a journalist, essayist and historiographer. Nor has he neglected science and the muse. His historical sketches of several places in Essex County were published in the ponderous volume of C. F. Jewett & Co., in 1878. His " Studies of the Essex Flora" were published in 1858, in pamphlet form. He delivered the poem at the dedication of the City Hall, November 30, 1807, and the oration at the celebration of the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the settlement of the town.

Gardiner Tufts, in 1883, contributed a series of articles to the Lynn Tran^icript entitled "The Old Choirs of Lynn," which, in fact, embodied the musical history of the place for a long and interesting period. They were worthy of the high commendation they received. In the course of the series appeared biographical notices, anecdotes and terse descriptive passages.

For a long series of years, too, our tuneful fellowcitizens, J. Warren Newhall and Joseph W, Nye, have, as occasion prompted, celebrated in verse marked passages in our history, past and present. It is hard to say what Lynn, for almost a generation, would have done without their felicitous contributions for celebrations, dedications and similar occasions.

As we proceed, still other names press upon the recollection. And some of those who do not come within the categories named certainly deserve honorable mention ; among them James Berry Bensel, who very recently forever laid aside his pen. He was regarded by competent critics as a poetical writer of more than ordinary promise. And there seems reason to believe that had he lived he would have taken high rank as a poet.

Edward P. Usher has acquired note as a legal writer, and as a versifier his skill has long been recognized. He delivered the poem at the dedication of the Soldiers' Monument September 17, 1873.

Frank E. Whitten, who is still a young man, has shown marked ability in the line of literary criticism, as well as in other departments. Favorable mention, too, should be made of Eugene Barry, Josiah F. Kimball and Thomas F. Porter.

There are likewise other worthy pen-charmers, whose names would be introduced here were they not presented in other connections in these pages; and some, too, there undoubtedly are whose names have eluded busy memory's pursuit.

It must be admitted that few places can boast of a larger relative number of writers than good old Lynn. And it seems as if, among us all, something considerable might be accomplished. The old penwielders are passing off, but much is reasonably to be expected from some of those now taking their places. The writer, indeed, dares predict that certain of our younger brethren and sisters of the pen will yet attain most enviable renown. But he does not dare record the names of those on whom the prediction rests, as his opinion may not be verified; and were it or were it not verified, his temerity would probably be met by the retributive scorn of those not named as within the horoscopic view.

Macpherson, in his preface to the poems of Ossian, says: "The making of poetry, like any other handicraft, may be learned by industry." But the writer can hardly subscribe, unconditionally, to that, having in view quite a number who have striven for many a day, with unflinching industry, to gain a seat on Parnassus, and have never been able to reach that alluring height - at least in the opinion of their envious critics. However, they undoubtedly received pleasure in picnicking by the way, and were constantly stimulated by hope and expectation. The pleasures of literature, derived from its own dear self, one would think might be sufiicient for all the care bestowed on its cultivation. Says Voltaire, " Literature nourishes the soul, rectifies it, consoles it." Such, indeed, is its legitimate effect ; but in stalk the hankerings after fame and the jealousies which writers, the more eminent as well as the more conceited, too often allow to diffuse their subtile poison. Dean Swift, in his pungent way, puts it thus :

It cannot be denied that much of the versification of the present day, notwithstanding its " mellifluous flow," falls far below the standard of the French writer just quoted, who, in his axiomatic way, remarks : " Verses that do not teach men new and affecting truths little deserve to be read." One may easily perceive that in much of the poetry of our days many hollow and many turbid places are bridged over and concealed by mellifluous versification. But, in the authoritative words of Percival :

" 'Tis not the chime and flow of words that move In measured file and metrical array ; 'Tis not the union of returning sounds, Nor all the pleasing artifice of rhyme, And quantity, and accent that can give This all pervading spirit to the earj Or blend it with the movings of the soul. 'Tis not the noisy babbler who displays, In studied phrase and ornate epithet And rounded period, poor and vapid thoughts, Which peep from out the cumbrous ornaments That overload their littleness."

An attempt to play the critic is very far from the design of the writer, as, of course, a critic should always be better informed than he on whom he sheds his perfume. Is there any limit short of the extent of the human mind, to the knowledge and ability of even the magazine or newspaper reviewer of this enlightened day? Where, then, is the poor writer in one special department? There is an anecdote told of Rev. Mr. Parker, the first minister of Newbury, to this eflTect : President Chauncey and some scholastic brethren undertook to deal with him for something he had written, which they considered too liberal toward the Episcopacy. They addressed him in English, and he replied in Latin ; into that language they followed him ; he then charged in Greek and in Greek they rejoined; to Hebrew he then resorted, and there again they met him. Finally, he made a stand in Arabic, when, not being able to follow him, they gave up the contest. He then intimated that, as they were not his peers in knowledge, it was presumption in them to undertake to criticise him. This was an old-fashioned contest. But your modern critic, being at the head of the class in all human knowledge, heeds no obstacle. And the reflex brilliancy of the friendly commentator often has, as we all know, something to do with shaping his periods. Indeed, he sometimes sees

Our busy community has no catalogue of exclusively literary persons to exhibit. Her writers have been those who exercised the pen at intervals unoccupied by the daily round in some vocation more sure of securing a livelihood. As a general thing, the physically infirm are more inclined to intellec- tual pursuits than the strong and healthy, for the invalid is at a disadvantage where strength of arm and bodily endurance are required ; and hence it is that some of our best writings come from the retired room of the invalid. Bodily infirmity has often done much in making the scholar, by disabling from physical activity. But the bodily health of the good people of Lynn is not intended to be urged as a reason for any deficiency in mental attainment. Sick or well, let us remember that though finely-turned periods always possess a certain charm, they are of little worth to the thoughtful if deficient in backing.

As has been seen, there is hardly a period in Lynn's history when she has not had a bright company of sons and daughters curveting, pen in hand, over the fields of poetry, sentiment and philosophy, and gathering in a goodly store for the relief of the jaded minds of those fellow-mortals destined to the more ignoble pursuits of life. By their refreshing and stimulating contributions, they have performed a good part in keeping alive the vivacious tone that has always characterized our industrious home. And may the prospects of a now promising future never be darkened !