Essex County, Massachusetts - Beverly, 1888 (part 2 of 5)

The year 1690 was signalized by the unfortunate expedition against Quebec, under Sir William Phipps. The town borrowed money "to buy great guns and ammunition," and a company was raised and sent with the expedition, under Capt. William Rayment. This adventure is said to have cost Massachusetts £50,000, besides many men, and was disastrous from the beginning. Captain Rayment and his command were subjected to great privations, for which they were "subsequently rewarded by a grant of a township of land."

1692. Witchcraft Proceedings. - It is on record that the Rev. Mr. Hale served as chaplain in this campaign, and that on his return he found the country agitated over the witchcraft sensation. Although none of Beverly's inhabitants perished in this diabolical cyclone, yet several were cried out against by the "Salem wenches," the "afflicted" children, and narrowly escaped with their lives. Four, at least : Dorcas Hoar, Sarah Morell, Susanna Rootes and Job Tuckey, were accused, arrested, condemned and imprisoned. Sarah Morell and Dorcas Hoar were arrested by Mar- shal Herrick/ May 2, 1692, on a warrant issued by Capt. Jona. Walcot and Sergt. Thos. Putnam, of Salem Village, which included the well-known merchant of Salem, Philip English. So far as we may judge from the records of the trials, Dorcas Hoar was the bravest and most outspoken of any of that innocent band of accused, penetrating through the transparent deceit of the " wenches," and promptly characterizing the proceedings as infamous. When she was brought into court the afflicted pretended to fall into fits at sight of her. " After coming out of them they vied with each other in heaping all sorts of accusations upon the prisoner; Abigail Williams and Ann Putnam charging her with having choked a woman in Boston ; Elizabeth Hubbard crying out that she was pinching her, and showing the marks to the standers-by. The magistrate, indignantly believing the whole, said: 'Dorcas Hoar, why do you hurt these?' She answered, - 'I never hurt any child in my life ! ' The girls then charged her with having killed her husband, and with various other crimes. Mary Walcot, Susanna Sheldon and Abigail Williams said they saw a black man whispering in her ear. The spirit of the prisoner was raised, and she said : ' Oh, you are liars, and God will stop the mouth of liars ! ' The anger of the magistrate was roused by this bold outbreak. ' You are not to speak after this manner in court.' ' I will speak the truth as long as I live,' she fearlessly replied."

Having ventured to oppose the bigoted and insensate magistrate and those inspired idiots the "afflicted children," she was, of course, sent to jarison.^

Susanna Bootes was arrested the 21st of May, Job Tookey on the 4th of June. Against Job it was declared that he could "as freely discourse with the devil " as with his accuser, John Lander ; that he had afflicted three of the " children," and had caused the death of Andrew Woodbury. Job Tookey is described as a "laborer," and was charged with having said that he would take Mr. Burroughs' (the accused minister's) part, and that "he was not the devil's servant, but that the devil was his." When charged that his shape afflicted persons, he stoutly assumed that in that case " it was not he, but the devil in his shape, that hurt them." The three girls, Susanna Sheldon, Mary Warren and Ann Putnam, then ci'ied out upon him and then were struck dumb ; after which performance Mary Warren recovered her speech and exclaimed : "There are three men, and- three women, and two children, all in their winding sheets ; they look pale upon us, but red upon Tookey - red as blood." Then

1 " Marshal Herrick does not appear to have been connected with Joseph Herrick, who lived on what is now called Cherry Hill, but was a man of an entirely different stamp. He was thirty-four years of age, and had not been long in the country." - Upham.

2 Dorcas Hoar was the wife of sexlon "Goodman Hoar," and their house was near the Hale parsonage, probably not far from West Dane Street (as it now runs). She was a daughter of John Galley, free of speech and independent in her bearing. A friend of hers had been accused of stealing by Blrs. Hale, and this fact may have led to the accusation of the latter by the affiieted children.

she saw "a young child under the table, crying out for vengeance," and one of her confederates was struck speechless, pointing in horror to the same shape under the table.

Poor Job may well have been struck with amazement upon hearing himself accused of murdering nearly all who had died at Byal's Side for the year or two past, and the magistrates - Bartholomew Gedney, Jona. Corwin and John Hathorne - are represented as having been highly incensed at his obduracy in denying the charges, and promptly committed him to jail.

That these people were eventually released does not lessen the guilt of their accusers and of those who lent themselves as accessories to their conviction. Even the revered minister of Beverly, the Rev. John Hale, countenanced the proceedings against the accused Bridget Bishop, at one time a communicant in his church. About the year 1687 there resided at Ryal's Side "A woman in the neighborhood, subject to fits of insanity, who had, while passing into one of them, brought an accusation of witchcraft against her; but, on the return of her reason, solemnly recanted, and deeply lamented the aspersion."^

Rev. Mr. Hale had examined into the case at the time and exonerated Sister Bishop from the charge, yet " under the malign influence of his friend, the Rev. Sam. Parrish," he went into court in 1692, " without any pretence of new evidence touching the facts of the case, and related them to the effect and with the intent to make them bear against her." Bridget Bishop, innocent of crime, was condemned and soon after executed, June 10, 1692.

In October of the same year, Mr. Hale's own wife was accused, and then his feelings underwent a change. In a treatise, subsequently written against tlie " delusion," he says: "I have had a deep sense of the sad consequences of mistakes in matters capital, and their impossibility of recovering when completed ; and what grief of heart it brings to a tender conscience to have been unwittingly encouraging of the suflferings of the innocent."

The remarks of Cotton Mather may, not inaptly, be quoted here : " They now saw that the more the afflicted were hearkened unto the more the number of the accused increased ; until at last many scores were cried out upon, and among them some who by the unblameableness, yea, and serviceableness, of their whole conversation, had obtained the just reputation of good people among all that were acquainted with them. The character of the afflicted, also, added unto the common distaste ; for though some of them, too, were good people, yet others of them, and such of them as were most flippant at accusing, had a far other character." Setting aside this labored apology for the accusers, this admission of Mather's shows that the " afflicted " had overreached themselves, and had struck too high.

As the first victim executed, Bridget Bishop, was at one time a resident within the present limits of Beverly, and a member of the first church here; so likewise, the last to be selected was a shining light in this same church and community. But Mistress Hale, of Beverly, was one whose piety and " unblameableness " was known to all.

"The whole community became convinced that the accusers, in crying out upon Mrs. Hale, had perjured themselves, and from that moment their power was destroyed; the awful delusion was dispelled, and a close put to one of the most tremendous tragedies in the history of real life." ^

It is curious to note, in this connection, that one of the four daughters of the ill-fated Giles Corey, who was "pressed to death," was the wife of William Cleeves, of Beverly. Two of the wretched man's sons- in-law were among his accusers, but the other two remained constant in their belief in his innocence. To them he willed his entire property, and (it is believed), in order not to invalidate their right to it, endured the tortures of a horrible death ; since, if he had come to trial, his property would have been confiscated. By refusing to plead, either guilty or not guilty, he obliged the court to stay his trial ; but, in order to force him to speak the magistrates imposed upon him the terrible sentence, which he suffered.

Eeturning to the town records, we find among the entries of that same fateful year, one that will lend an additional interest to investigation ; under the head of " births " is recorded : " John, son of Rev. John Hale, and Sarah his wife, December 24th, 1692."

Following along a little later, and without overstepping a strictly chronological record of events, we may note : " Mrs. Sarah Hale, wife of Rev. John Hale, pastor of the church in Beverly, departed this life on the 20th day of May in the year 1695."

A loving tribute to departed worth, is the poem by our townswoman, Lucy Larcom, entitled, "Mistress Hale, of Beverly," in which the life of that troublous witchcraft year, with its local color and environment, is finely delineated. After a description of the proceedings and of the part taken in them by the minister from Beverly, comes the denouement, the accusation of his wife, as the pastor of the first parish enters the court-house. * * * * *

" ' Woe ! Mistress Hale torraenteth me ! she came in like a bird, Perched on her husband's shoulder ! ' Then silence fell ; no word Spake either judge or minister, while with profound amaze Each fixed upon the other's face his horror-stricken gaze.

" But, while the accuser writhed in wild contortions on the floor, One rose and said, ' Let all withdraw ! the court is closed ! ' no more ; For well the land knew Mistress Hale's rare loveliness and worth ; Her Tirtues bloomed like flowers of heaven along the paths of earth.

"The minister of Beverly went homeward, riding fast, His wife shrank back from his strange look, affrighted and aghast. ' Dear wife, thou ailest ! Shut thyself into thy room ! ' said he, ' Whoever comes, the latch-string keep drawn in from all save me ! '

" Nor his life's treasure from close guard did he one moment lose. Until across the ferry came a messenger with news That the bewitched ones acted now vain mummeries of woe, Tlie judges looked and wondered still, but all the accused let go.

" Again in natural tones men dared to laugh aloud and speak ; From Naugus Head the fisher's shout rang back to Jeffry's Creek ; The phantom soldiery withdrew, that haunted Gloucester shore ; The teamster's voice through Wenhani Woods broke into psalms once more.

" The minister of Beverly thereafter sorely grieved That he bad inquisition held with counsellors deceived ; Forsaking love's unerring light, and duty's solid ground. And groping in the shadowy void, where truth is never found.

'- Truth made transparent in a life, tried gold of character, Were Mistress Hale's ; and this is all that history says of her ; Their simple force, like sunlight, broke the hideous midnight spell, And sight restored again to eyes obscured by films of hell.

" The minister's long fields are still with dews of summer wet ; The roof that sheltered Mistress Hale tradition points to yet. Green be her memory ever kept all over Cape Ann Side, Whose unobtrusive excellence awed back delusion's tide ! "

1700. To close the chapter of this eventful century, the last decade of which had been so crowded with sensations and horrors, it remains only to transcribe here the last pathetic entry in the records pertaining to the honored head of the church. " The Rev. Mr. John Hale, Minister of the Gosjjel in Beverly, & Pastor of the Church of Chri.st there, aged about sixtyfour years, departed this life on the 15th day of May, Anno Domini, 1700." Thus went out with the century a life of piety and broad humanity.

"The storms of fanatical excitement and of war with savages and civilized men bad subsided, when, in May, 1700, the primeval epoch of this parish was closed, and Hale, its first minister, sank peacefully - honored, beloved, deeply lamented - to his final earthly rest." The last few years of his life must have been full of sorrow, and, doubtless, the messenger that summoned him hence to join the company of the beloved departed was welcomed and expected. Born in Charleslown in 1636, he graduated at Harvard in 1657, and thus lived through the crucial period of New England's existence. It is a matter of lasting regret, that, with such great abilities as he possessed, with such opportunities for observing the growth of our town from its veriest inception, with such intercourse as he had with the great men of his day, he had not chronicled some of the passing events and preserved for us memoirs of his contempi^raries.

Kev. Mr. John Hale

In 1696 four soldiers, John Burt, Benj. Carrill, John Pickworth and Israel Wood, were serving. in Captain John Hill's company at Fort St. Mary, near Saco.

1700. A grammar school was established this year, with Mr. Robert Hale as master; and the claim of Sagamore John's grandchildren to the township territory was cancelled, by the payment to them of a sum of money, and a deed taken.

Prior to 1700 something had been done in the way of ship-building and the fisheries, so that with the opening of the new century Beverly was Avell embarked upon that career of maritime conquest and adventure which so distinguished her during the period of the Revolution. Upon the land, engaged in occupations mainly agricultural, was a steadily-growing community of sturdy proprietors; on the sea, an equally vigorous floating population, with rights in the ships they sailed, as well as an attachment for the soil of their fathers.

Pioneer Families of Beverly. - In reviewing the eventful epoch closed with the 17th century, we should not lose sight of those men and women who labored for the welAire of the community. Theirs was a struggle with elemental forces, from beginning to end. They were sturdy, intense, giving their whole strength to the overcoming of obstacles such as their descendants are unacquainted with. They brought to their administration of affairs the same good sense that characterized their private life. Their object was to live, and live in freedom, in this new land, giving to every man an opportunity equal to that of every other. The excitements of those distracted times they sometimes shared in, but of themselves they provided no fuel for the baleful fires that burned so long in Salem Village. They were ready, with men and weapons, to respond to every call in defence of the frontier towns, and joined every expedition undertaken for the preservation of their territory.

Among the names mentioned in this connection those accompanied by an asterisk (*) have descendants bearing the same name still (1887) living in Beverly.

The "Old Planters," Balch,* Conant,* Woodbury,* and their associates (whose names, doubtless, have not all been preserved), deserve first mention, as having adventured first over at Cape Ann Side. The three above-mentioned have already been noticed at length; as also Brackenbury, Dixey, Palfrey, Trask,* Dodge* and Scruggs.*

John Woodbury* (as already noticed) took possession of the farm granted him in 1635, and from him descended many of the name in Upper Beverly and adjacent territory. William Woodbury,* his brother, doubtless first built upon the headland now known as Woodbury's Point, just east of Thissel's Brook and Patch's Beach. William and his descendants gradually progressed eastwardly, obtaining possession of lands on the shore as far as the Paine estate, at the westerly head of West's Beach. His son, Nicholas, succeeded to his estates, which later fell to the latter's son, Benjamin, whose daughter, Anna, inherited the property now known as the Paine place.

John Woodbury's son, Humphrey,* settled on land extending from the seashore at or below Mackerel Cove, to the region known as Snake Hill, back of the school-house in that district. He probably built on the slope lying between Ober Street and the headland westerly from the light-house. In contradistinction to that owned by his uncle, this should be called Humphrey Woodbury's Point, in order to properly localize these first settlers. Several families of the name, descendants of Humphrey, are still living in this locality, though retaining little, if any, of the original grant made to their ancestor.

The first projection into Beverly harbor, easterly from the bridge. Tuck's Point, bears the name of another early settler in Beverly, Thomas Tuck,* who owned estates in this vicinity. Ellingwood's Point, the bold projection west of the bridges, bears the nama of Ralph EUingwood,* who owned all the land lying along B.iss River, westerly of the railroad, as it now runs. The first ferryman, John Stone,* it is said, kept an inn or " ordinary " near the junction of Cabot and Front Streets; and a neighbor of his was William Dixey (who was captain of a military company), and who owned land extending from the present Bartlett and Lovett Streets to the seashore. The land granted Captain Trask (one of the five farms, in 1635) went to Thomas Scruggs, by exchange, but the name is early identified with Beverly's history in the persons of Osman Trask * and his nephew, John. The Trask grant came by marriage into the possession of John Rayment,* whose brother, the distinguished military leader of that period, located farther eastward towards Brimble Hill.

Andrew Elliott * lived in the upper part of the town ; his connection with town affairs has already been mentioned. His descendants have made the name distinguished, including a celebrated divine. Rev. Dr. Andrew Elliot; an ex-mayor of Boston, Hon. Samuel A. Elliot, and a president of Harvard College, Charles W. Eliot.

The name of Blackleach occurs in the early annals ; John Blackleach was made freeman in 1635, and had a grant of three hundred acres and more at what is now Beverly Farms.

John West,* who came from Ipswich about 1650, bought the large property of Blackleach, extending from the Woodbury (or Paine) estate westerly to Jeffrey's Creek, or Manchester line, and beyond; and also a tract of land towards Wenhara granted to Gardner. From him the beautiful West's Beach derived its name, as bordering his property.

Robert Woodbury,* who succeeded Andrew Elliot as town clerk, in 1704, and who held the office many years, married a daughter of farmer West (Thomas, son of John), and the house he lived in is still standing, near West's Beach, and now occupied by Dr. Curtis. He obtained a large farm by this marriage, as also did Joseph Woodbury, who married another daughter and settled on the Manchester property.

The origin of the Dodge* family has been already adverted to, the first one of the name here being farmer William Dodge,* who purchased the grant to Peter Palfrey, and resided on it during his life-time. He was made freeman in 1637.

A nephew of these brothers, William Dodge, married a daughter of Roger Haskell * of Beverly. William Haskell * married a daughter of farmer West, and settled at the Farms, where the old Haskell house still stands, built about 1690.

An early immigrant into Beverly from the contemporary settlement of Ipswich, was John Thorndike,* whose son, Paul, married Mary, daughter of James Patch.* These two names are perpetuated by Paul's Point and the contiguous Patch's Beach.

Another acquisition from Ipswich was Anthony Wood,* who located in that part of the town known as the city," or " old haymarket," above the Gloucester crossing.

John Lovett* was the first of this name here, born 1610, died 1686, and who settled, it is said, near the farm at present owned by General Pearsons.

John Lovett, Jr., who died 1727, aged about ninetyone, married a daughter of Josiah and Susannah Rootes, and owned a large lot of land extending from opposite the present Milton Street to beyond Central, and from Cabot Street to the sea.

Peter Pride,* it is said, received his house-lot at or near the present Pride's Crossing, on condition that he direct travelers passing that way.

A group of settlers in that region lying between the town proper and the Farms contained George Stanley,* or Standley, Nicholas Patch,* Jonathan By les, Richard Thissell,* and Richard Ober.* Joshua Bisson* (from the Isle of Jersey) married the daughter of John Black and grand-daughter of Peter Woolfe. Cornelius Baker,* a blacksmith and grandson of Robert, married Abigail Sallows and settled near or on property adjacent to Bisson. The name Sallows is no longer found in Beverly and has been long extinct.

A name prominent at that time was that of Samuel Corning,* made freeman 1641, whose estates once included land in different parts of Beverly, at one time near the meeting-house, and also near Bald Hill, where his descendants still reside.

The first Wallis * was Nathaniel, from Cornwall, England (who t-ettled first at Casco Bay, whence he was driven by Indians), whose son, Caleb, married a grand-daughter of Corning. A street of this name extends from Cabot to Rantoul.

easterly of Ellingwood, are now believed to be extinct in Beverly. Another which has shared the same fate is that of Robert Briscoe, brother-in-law of Samuel Stone, who came here between 1680-90, and who held various important offices during thirty years. His house stood nearly opposite the first church, and was taken down in the latter part of the last century, He is remembered for his numerous benefactions and legacies, and the principal school-building of the town now bears his name.

Richard Ober,* founder of the name in New England, and collateral branches in other States, came from " Absburg," Abbotsburg, England (where he was baptized November 21, 1641), to these shores about 1664. In 1671 he married Abigail, daughter of Nicholas Woodbury, by whom he had five children : John, Anna, Elizabeth, Hezekiah and Richard, Jr. The Obers and the Thissells were from the same village in old England, came to this place at about the same time, and their estates joined each other. The Obers' property was between Mingo's Beach and Plum Cove River. In later times Jeffi'ey Thissell, a Revolutionary pensioner, lived in a house west of the hill, towards town from Mingo's Beach.

Robert Morgan * owned the estate north of and opposite the central fire station, extending thence to the Bancroft estate and to the sea. Many descendants reside here and others are settled throughout the West,

The estate of Robert Briscoe fell to Thomas Stephens* (who came here in 1700), on condition of his paying several legacies. Lawrence Leach,* who died 1662, aged eighty-two, came to Salem in the fleet with Higginson, was proposed for freeman 1630, and a member of Salem church before 1636. The Leach farm was at Ryal Side, and long remained in the family.

Conspicuous among these first citizens was Henry Herrick,* one of the thirty who founded the first Church of Salem, 1629; and, with his sons, joined in establishing the first church of Beverly. He purchased several farms at Cherry Hill and Birch Plain, on which he settled his sons, Zacharie, Ephraim, Joseph and John. His wife was Edith, daughter of Hugh Laskin. In the times of religious intolerance he and his vvife were fined by the authorities for entertaining and comforting an excommunicated person. He died in 1671.

The first of the Grover family was Nicholas Le Grove ; of the Smiths,* Hazadiah, a large property owner, who came from the eastward, married a daughter of Edmund Grover and settled near the old haymarket.

Of these families of the 17th century, it is not possible to more than enumerate such as the imperfect records have preserved to us ; but it is thought that mere mention, even, may be of service to future historian or antiquarian, seeking to trace home some ancestral name.

the town's existence few remain in their entirety. Portions of the original structures, as of the Old Planter's, and of the garrison house on Woodbury's Point, still stand, but incorporated with buildings of later date. The oak frames of these buildings were well-nigh indestructible, but there are few houses in town typical in their architecture of that of those early times. The homestead of Eev. John Hale still remains in the possession of the descendants, the Bancroft heirs ; another erected about that time (1690) is the house on Essex Street, lately occupied by Wm. W. Baker, long the Putnam property, and probably the ancient Picton house.

At the Cove, the Pea house, on Hale Street, erected by Thorndike, gives evidence of antiquity beyond any other ; at the Farms are two of the past century, the Haskell house and the Robert Woodbury, both dating from 1680-'90. In Montserrat are the Corning and Morgan houses, the former, probably, next to the Rea house in age. In North Beverly the " Dudley Dodge " house, the Cleaver and the Woodbury house, and also the Chipman parsonage (1715), residence of the first minister of the second parish.

Near the town centre, several bearing evidences of age, and having the halo of antiquity about them. At the " city," or near the old Haymarket, are two or three, as the Lovett, the Brown and the Davis houses. Just beyond is the locality of a group of the Old Planters ; William Dodge's, on the site of tvhich is the house of Lyman Mason ; farther on the house lately owned by Azor Dodge perpetuates the old Balch homestead, within a stone's throw of which was the residence of Henry Herrick.

Houses of a later period, built by our famous merchants of the Revolution, as the Cabot mansions (now owned by Edward Burley, and heirs of Seth Norwood) stand on Cabot vStreet, fine specimens of the architecture of that time.

That we have so few examples of colonial architecture is because the citizens of Beverly have ever been progressive, lending their efforts to further the aims of advanced civilization, and thus aiding the march of progress, which, while it creates the new, yet effaces the old.

1701. Events of the Eighteenth Century. - Succeeding Mr. Hale in the ministry came Thomas Blowers, " who was highly esteemed for his learning and virtue, and particularly for his devotedness to the duties of his profession." He was born August 1, 1677, graduated at Harvard, 1695, and was ordained here October 29, 1701 ; his salary, eighty pounds per annum, with an allowance of one hundred pounds for a settlement. His residence was near Charnock Street, which takes its name from that of his married daughter, Emma Charnock. A new meeting-house had been ereeted in 1682, fifty feet in length by forty feet in width, with a tower in the centre from which the bell-rope hung, at a cost of three hundred and seventy pounds in silver.

1703-04. The town-clerk, Andrew Elliott, who was the first to keep the records in a systematic manner, died, aged seventy-six years. He was succeeded by Robert Woodbury, who was equally faithful in the discharge of his duties.

1705. The tract of land known as the training-field or common, was deeded to the town March 13, 1705. " The said town of Beverly are hereby obliged not to convey, exchange, or dispose of the said land unto any particular person or persons whatsoever, but it shall lay and remain for the publick use of said town, especially for military exercise."

1707. A negro slave named Robin Mingo, the property of Thomas Woodbury, was married to Deborah Tailor, an Indian woman. Before the ceremony was performed (says Stone) she agreed to live with her husband's master and mistress during her life, "to be then discharged with only two suits of clothes suitable for such persons." This seems a hard bargain, but the claims of slavery and servitude hung lightly upon the servitors. Fifty years later, in 1754, the number or slaves, so-called, was twenty-eight. On July 15, 1722, Mingo received the rite of baptism and was admitted a member of the church. He died in 1773, by which time, at least by 1776, "public opinion had virtually emancipated the slaves of Massachusetts,"

The little bay on our coast known as Mingo's Beach, is supposed to have derived its name from him. There is a tradition extant that his humble cottage was near and above it, and it is also related that his master promised him his freedom when the tide should recede so far as to leave a dry passage between the shore and " Becky's Hedge," lying off" the beach harbor. That event occurred, it is said, but once, and that was the year of his death.

1708. The population this year is given at sixteen hundred and eighty. Since the period of King Philip's War, and with the exception of the witchyear, very little had occurred to disturb the peaceful growth of the population.

1711-12. - The Ryal's-Side people were allowed to associate, as a religious society, with Beverly; but were not united with them until September 11, 1753.

This year, two people of Beverly, Nihil Sallowes and Joseph Gray, were killed by Indians at Winter Harbor. At Cape Sable, three or four years later, another native of the town, Benjamin Dike, was slain by savages. A curious entry in the town records, throwing a side light upon the customs of the day, is the following: March 24, 1711-12. An order " to pay unto Richard Ober, seur., 9 shillings, money, out of ye town rate, yt being for half a barrel of aider, for Laurence Davis his burial (6s.) and for 50 feet of bords for sd Davis his coffin (3s.)."

1715. - The Second Church was organized, December 28th, and the Rev. John Chipman ordained. This good and learned man was born in Barnstable, and graduated at Harvard in 1711. He resided here nearly sixty years, and left a name and posterity yet well-known in the town. The old parsonage in which he resided still stands, not fiir distant from the church at North Beverly.

The original members of this church, and signers of the covenant, 28th December, 1715, were John Chipman, Edward, Joseph, Jonathan, Elisha and John Dodge, John Cressey, John Brown, Jacob Griggs, Joseph Herrick, John Leach, Nehemiah Wood, Josiah Woodbury, Jonathan Rayraent and Moses Fluant. A body of worshippers w^ere afterwards admitted from Beverly and Wenham. There were appointed, to seat the worshippers, persons who were " to show respect to ye aged people amongst us, as allso to have a speciall regard unto persons that have don service for ye benefit of ye precinct, & have contributed high in building of ye hous for ye publick worship of God, and purchasing land for ye use of ye people of sd. precinct, and are likely to pay considerable in ye charge of ye ministry amongst us ; as allso not to seat above two-thirds so many persons in any seat as ye seats will comfortably hold." March 29th, same year, it had been voted that the front seat in the east gallery " be parted in ye middle " for the accommodation of the young unmarried women.

1723. - The records of Ipswich, our near neighbor remind us that wolves were so abundant there, and even in the vicinity of the meeting-house, that parents would not suffer their children to attend worship without some grown person as company. A bounty was offered for heads, and many were taken by means of wolf-hooks. These were made by enclosing four mackerel-hooks in brown bread, and dipping them in melted tallow "till they be as big and round as an egg." They were then exposed near some dead carcass, where they were found and swallowed by the wolves.

A noted resort for bears, at that period, was the great swamp along Ipswich River, and one was killed in the Hamlet (Hamilton) so late as 1757. Deer were abundant in Chebacco woods up to the year 1790, but soon afterwards disappeared.

1727. - This year is memorable for the great earthquake, October 29th, which was felt throughout the colonies and " made strong religious impressions on the minds of many in this town and other places."

Twenty-five new members were added to the Second Church, and the pastor. Rev. Mr. Chipman, gave thanks to God who hath shaken, violently, the earth and also poured out his Spirit upon the people. '^ Soli Deo Laus, qui et terram violenter exagitavit et super populam suum spiritum sinim cffudit.'^ yet be seen, at present (1887) in charge of Henry Wilson, now, in his ninety-third year, the oldest male resident of Beverly. Mr. Wil-ion came here in 1848, from Gloucester ; his wife, who died in 1844, was then eighty-eight years of age. The following is the first entry in the record-book : " This book belongs to the Second Church of Christ in Beverly, gathered out of Salem and Beverly, and embodyed into a distinct Society on the 28th day of December in the year of our Lord, 1715. . . . That part of the Precinct of Salem and Beverly which was a part of Salem was by an Act of the Great and General Court annexed to Beverly and incorporated in the one real Town therewith upon the 12th day of Sept., A.D. 1752." A note is added by Rev. Mr. Stone: " In this Book of Records, Salem usually signifies the territory west of Maj. Conant's brook, and embraced Ryal Side, all of which was set off to Beverly in 1752."

1729. - The second minister of the First Parish, Rev. Mr. Blowers, died June 17, and £50 were appropriated for his funeral expenses. In December of this year, the Rev. Joseph Champney was ordained, whose period of service extended until 1773, when he was followed by the Rev. Joseph Willard, who had been his colleague for about a year.

1730. - Very little of public moment occurred to disturb the serenity of the inhabitants at this period, but in 1730, the members of the Second Parish were agitated? over the question of psalm-singing. The older members wished to adhere to the practice of "lining out" the hymn^, while the nnre progressive wished to sing by note. A compromise was at first effected, but later on it was voted that they would in future sing "at all times of singing in public worship the psalm tunes by rule, according to the notes pricked in our psalm-books."

1747. - "At a meeting of the proprietors of the Common Lands in Beverly, legally warned and assembled at the First Parish meeting-house in said Beverly, on Monday the Seventh day of September, 1747, Captain John Thorndike was chosen moderator of sd. meeting ; voted, Isaac Woodberry, clerk of the property: voted Captain Henry Herrick and Isaac Woodberry, two of the committee in the rume of Captain Robert Woodberry and Deacon William Dodge, deceased; voted that the same meeting be adjourned unto October 13, at 3 o'clock, afternoon.

"At the ajournment, Oct. 13, of the meeting of the proprietors of the Common Lands in Beverly, adjourned the same meeting to Jno. Thorndike, Jun., and there drank two and a half Dubel Boles of punch, and put it to vote if theay act any further and it passed in the negative, and then Desolved the meeting."

1752. - That section known as Ryal Side, though of the first to receive permanent settlers, was not united to Beverly till 1752. At the time Danvers was made a town all that territory between Bass River and Bass River Creek on the east, and Frost-Fish brook on the west, was annexed to Beverly.

One hundred years, or so, later, in 1857, a portion again was set ofT and joined to Dan vers. Within this section so recently detached from Beverly lies Browne's Folly hill, named after William Browne, a native of Salem, born 1709, and educated at Harvard College. This gentleman, about 1750, selected the summit of this high hill as the site for a noble mansion,, which he called Browne Hall, a costly structure, with every appointment the wealth of the owner could supply.

The great hall was often the scene of revelry on a magnificent scale, and tradition states that on at least one occasion an ox was roasted whole, for the entertainment of the guests. Mr. Browne died in 1763, and the mansion was disposed of by the purchaser of the estate, William Burley.

The exact shape of the great house may be traced in its sunken cellar-walls to-day. The hill has ever since been known as " Browne's Folly," yet the view from its summit is one of the finest in the county.

1753. - An enumeration of the population gave two thousand and twenty-three; an increase of about four hundred in fifty years. Of this number twentyeight were negro slaves. Twenty years later, there were sixty less.

The first half of the eighteenth century is pretty well epitomized in the life of one of Beverly's foremost citizens, the physician of the town at this period, Dr. Robert Hale, jr.

Born February 12th, 1702-3, he was at an early age (when between fifteen and sixteen), employed to teach the grammar-school, which was established in 1700. In 1721 he was graduated at Harvard, immediately after which he began the study of medicine with Dr. Manning, of Ipswich. He was married in 1723. and, his wife dying in 1736, leaving him with three children, contracted a second marriage in 1737. His medical practice soon brought him into notice in the neighboring towns, even as early as 1723, and with an estate of above £1000, (part of which was left him by his parents), he was early possessed of independent means. The energy of character, sound judgment and business capacity of Dr. Hale, (says Mr. Stone, from whose excellent history the materials for this sketch are taken), were early appreciated by his townsmen. He was successively chosen to fill the various oflices of surveyor, selectman, assessor, town clerk and treasurer ; besides the duties of which he discharged those of justice of the peace, and collector of excise for the county. As chairman of the school committee, he took an active and efficient part in the measures adopted to improve the school system of the town. For thirteen years, he represented the town in General Court, during which time he was chairman of several important committees.

In 1745 Dr. Hale received the commission of colonel, and commanded a regiment, in the expedition projected by Governor Shirley against Louisburg. The land force employed consisted of three thousand two hundred men from Massachusetts, three hundred from New Hampshire, three hundred from Rhode Island and five hundred from Connecticut, all under command of General William Pepperell, The cooperating naval force was from England, and commanded by Commodore Warren, A company for this enterprise was enlisted in Beverly under Captain Benjamin Ives, Colonel Hale's son-in-law.

"There were not wanting those in influential stations who, moved with an unworthy jealousy for British glory, sought, in public and private, to undervalue the services of the provincial troops. . . . Col. Hale (who, with his regiment, took a conspicuous part in the dangers and fatigues of Mie siege) was keenly alive to American honor: and this ungenerous attempt to wrest from the provincial forces the tribute of approbation justly their due, deeply wounded his sensibilities. He repelled the insinuations of the British, and pointed out (in a letter writtcH at the time) that the great error of the British government, in all their provincial enterprises which failed of success, consisted in the appointment of foreign officers to the command of troops raised here, when between the former and latter there was no reciprocity of respect or confidence."

While at Louisburg Colonel Hale enclosed a jjiece of ground which was long known (and may be still), to our fishermen as " Col. Hale's garden."

"When the government of Massachusetts Bay, in 1755, had determined on an expedition against the French, and the reduction of Crown Point, Col. Hale was selected by Governor Shirley as a suitable agent to lay ihe subject before the government of Jsew Hampshire and solicit their aid. His commission bears date Feb. 22, 1755, and the same day he received from the governor a series of instructions, by which he was to conduct the negotiation."

He was successful in his commission, and succeeded in securing five hundred men as the quota from New Hampshire, though, for some reason, he did not himself join in the expedition.

In 1761 Colonel Hale received a commission of sheriff" for Essex County. In 1767, after holding nearly every office, civil and political, within the gift of his townsmen, he died, full of honors and lamented by all.

Hale are several of value to the local antiquarians, as: "A list of deaths in Beverly, 1730-64;" "An account of all the houses in Beverly," 1723-51 ; "Persons now living in Beverly who have had the smallpox ; " " A list of Widows and Widowers in ye First Parish," which begins with the widow of Mingo (the slave); and under date of February 12, 1747-48, is this remark : " This day there are 7 Widows to one AVidower in this Parish - 63 W., 9 Widowers." ^

Benj. Balch, William Eborn, Bauiel Gloyd, Corporal John Simonds, Joseph Baker, John Clark, Daniel Butman (again in 1759), Eliezer Ellingwood, Robert Matthews, William Moneys, Azor Roundy, Peter Stokes, George Spence {re-enlisted 1759 and 1761), and Andrew Woodbury.

1757. - In Captain Israel Herrick's company of Eastern Rangers, are enrolled : Osman Baker, Robert Baker (also in the Canada expedition 1759), Barth. Peart, John Simonds, John Trask, Josiah Trow.

1758. - In Captain John Tapley's company : John Clark (at the capture of Fort William Henry), William Herrick, Wells Stanley and Barth. Taylor.

1757. - Two families of Acadians, those unfortunate people who were expelled from their homes in Nova Scotia, were quartered upon the town, and a house hired for them. They were partially self-supporting, making wooden-ware and baskets ; but their stay was brief, and they soon wandered on and were lost to the view of their Beverly friends.

1765. Revolutioijary Period. - Troublous times were approaching, and the records of the day show that the people of Beverly were alive to every fateful prognostication from over the water.

They anticipated every movement of the home government, and while conditionally loyal to their distant sovereigns, made it appear, by their acts in town meetings assembled, that they would suffer no infrac- tion of their liberties. The odious stamp act was as unpopular here as in Boston, and its repeal (1765) was heralded by bonfires and celebrated by patriotic speeches.

The i^roceedings of the " Boston Tea Party " were promptly approved, and measures taken for the exclusion of the obnoxious vehicle of taxation. The men, as may be imagined, were more in favor of nonimportation than the Avomen, and amusing stories are told, in which some of the latter evaded the strict letter of the law and joined together for private teadrinkings. Some of these meetings are said to have taken place in the cellars of their respective residences, and, on at least one occasion, an aerial " teadrawing " Avas held on the roof-top of a house.

A man of sober mood, He felt the strife before it came Within him, like a welding flame, That nerve and sinew changed to steel ; And, at the opening cannon peal,

" Cheap was the draught, beyond a doubt, The mother country served us out ; And many a housewife raised a wail. Hearing of fragrant chest and bale To thirstleSR mermaids poured. And Mistress Audrey's case was hard. When her tall Colonel down the yard Called, ' Wife, be sure you drink no tea! For best Imperial, prime Bohea, Were in her cupboard stored.

" Young Hyson, too, the finest brand ; And here the good wife made a stand ; ' Now, Colonel, well enough you know Our tea was paid for long ago,

Before this cargo came, With threepence duty on the pound ; It won't be wasted, I'll be bound 1 I've asked a friend or two to sup, And not to offer them a cup

" Into his face the quick blood flew: 'Wife, I have promised, so must you, None shall drink tea inside my house ; Your gossips elsewhere must carouse ; ' -

The lady curtsied low; ' Husband, your word is law,' she said ; But archly turned her well-set head With roguish poise toward this old roof, Soon as she heard his martial hoof

" But lightly dined the dame that day ; Her guests, in Sunday-best array, Came, and not one arrived too soon. In the first slant of afternoon ;

When sorcerers were believed ; How Parson Parris tried to make Poor Mary Sibley's conjuring cake The leaven of tliat black witchcraft curse, That grew and spread from bad to worse.

" Dame Audrey said : ' The sun gets low ; Good neighbors mine, before you go, Come to the house-top, pray, with me ! A goodly prospect you shall see,

I promise, spread around. If we must part, ere day decline, And if no hospitable sign Appear, of China's cheering drink, Not niggardly your hostess think '.

" They followed her with puzzled air ; But saw, upon the topmost stair, Out on the railed roof, dark-faced Dill, Guarding the supper-board, as still

Au solid ebony. ' A goodly prospect, as I said. You here may see before you spread ; Upon a house is not tvithin it ; But now we must not waste a minute ;

"The women were all liberty men," quaintly remarked a survivor of the Eevolution, " and threatened to scald the Tories ; " yet they parted with their tea with great reluctance.

A tale was current in town some years ago of an interrupted tea-drinking, caused by the lord of the house happening home unexpectedly and surreptitiously dropping a quid of tobacco in the teapot ! But, as a rule, the clandestine meetings for indulgence in the fragrant beverage were winked at by the patriots.

The eager patriotism of our forefathers was tempered by commendable moderation, though they were the very first to apprehend approaching dauger and prepare for it.

"We cannot" (they write), " without criminal injustice to those glorious princes, King William and Queen Mary, or the memory of our venerable fathers, nor without the highest injustice to ourselves and to posterity, consent to yield obedience to any law whatsoever, which, by its natural constitution or just construction, deprives us of the liberty of trial by juries ; or of our choosing meet persons to represent us in the assessing or taxing our estates for his Majesty's service. And we do accordingly advise and instruct you, our representative, to refuse your consent in any sucli case, and do all that in you lies to prevent any unconstitutional drafts upon the public treasury."

"We apprehend that no power on earth can justly deprive us of our essential rights, and that no man can be safe, either as to his life, liberty, or property, if a contrary doctrine should prevail ; therefore, we recommend to you a firm but prudent opposition to all unconstitutional measures."

A powder-house was erected on the south side of the common in 1767, to contain the town ammunition, which had heretofore been stored in the basement of the first parish meeting-house. Increasing supplies necessitated this.

1770. - The first parish meeting-house was taken down and a new edifice erected at a cost of about £1300. During its construction services were held near the big elm on the common. .

1772. - December 21, In town meeting assembled, and in an adjournment of January 5, 1773, they again assert that " the rights of the colonists in particular as men, as Christians, and as subjects, are studiously, rightly, and justly stated by the committee of correspondence for the town of Boston ; and Col. Herrick is instructed to "endeavor, as much as possible, in a legal and constitutional way, to effect the redress of the intolerable grievances, and secure the rights, liberties and privileges, both civil and sacred," guaranteed them by the charter.

1773. - A " committee of correspondence and safety" was appointed the latter part of this year, consisting of representative citizens as follows: John Leach, Benjamin Jones, Henry Herrick, Joseph Rea, Samuel Goodridge, Josiah Batchelder, J. Batchelder, Jr., William Taylor, Joshua Cleaves, Larkin Thorndike, Joseph Wood, Isaac and Nicholas Thorndike, William Bartlett, Andrew Cabot, Joseph Orne, Benj. Lovett, Jr., Nathan and Asa Leach, Caleb and William Dodge, Livermore Whitteredge, Benj. Smith, William Longdell, Thomas Stephens, Edmund Giles, John and Jona. Grant, Isaac Chapman and John Lovett, 3d.

The following letter " to the committee of correspondence for the town of Boston," January 11, 1773, is referred to above, and illustrates their alert and active interest.

"Gentlemen: Inclosed you have the transactions of this town, in consequence of the resolves of the metropolis of this province, and the letter of correspondence herewith transmitted, whereby you will perceive the sentiments of this town with regard to the common cause in which we are all concerned. In the name of the town, we return thanks for the early care taken by the town of Boston to communicate the most early intelligence of any alarming circumstances that they have with regard to any infringements on our rights, as Christians, subjects, or colonists.

"And, gentlemen, inasmuch as we are all concerned in one common cause, we shall esteem it as a favor of a free correspondence, that we may have the most early intelligence of any interesting events of a public nature, as you live in the metropolis, that we may concur with you in any salutary constitutional measures for the good of all ; and are, gentlemen, with the greatest regards,

" That the method of introducing tea into this province in the manner proposed by the British Ministry, for the benefit of the East India Co., is justly and fairly stated by the inhabitants of the town of Boston ; and that it is the sentiment of this meeting, that they will always, in every salutary method, cheerfully join with our brethren of the town of Boston and every other town in this province, in withstanding every unlawful measure tending to enslave us, or to take our money from us, in any unconstitutional manner."

At a county convention held in Ipswich September 6th and 7th, the town was represented by three of its citizens: Benj. Lovett, Saml. Goodridge and Joseph Wood, who subscribed to the report of the committee, which, after asserting their continued loyalty to the crown, continued :

" But though, above all things, slavery excepted, we deprecate the evils of a civil war; though we are deeply anxious to restore and preserve harmony with our brethren in Great Britain ; yet, if the despotism and violence of our enemies should finally reduce us to the sad necessity, we, undaunted, are ready to appeal to the last resort of States; and will, in support of our rights, encounter even death, sensible that he can never die too soon who lays down his life in support of the laws and liberties of his country ! "

"To see if the town will have a watch kept for the preservation of the town, and come into such measures relative thereto as may then be thought best ; and there was a warrant issued out to the several con" stables to warn the same, as follows : viz., to Samuel Woodberry 3d, to warn Farms and Bald Hill Districts; to Joseph Woodberry to warn Koyal Side and Bass River Districts, and to Wm. Elliott to warn tlie Ferry District."

It was later voted that a watch, consisting of nine persons, be posted at three different places ; and that " if the watch discover that any Hoistilities are likely to be made on the town or any of the inhabitants thereof, they are to make an alarm, by the iireing of three guns and the ringing of the bell."

Voted, " to give the captain of the minute-men three shillings and four pence for each half day service in larning of the art military ; the lieutenants two and eightpence, the en>ign two and sixpence, and each private one shilling, eightpence."

Voted, " that the minute-men turn out two half days in a week, and four hours each half day be spent in larning the art military, Col. Henry Herrick was empowered to hire £80, with interest, to pay ofi' the minute-men."

" Boston, Feby. 7th, 1775. " Roceived from the town of Beverly, by the hands of Mr. Henry Herrick, a donation, consisting of the following articles, viz. : Two barrels of sugar four liundred one quarter of sugar, one bbl. rum, five and ]/^ qtls. of fish, ICO lbs. of coflee, two cheeses, eight pair of woniene and five pair of mens leather boots, one hide upper leather, and thin calf skins curried, sixteen pounds chocolate, ten pounds of pork, 25 lbs. fiax, one barrel flower, & one and }A bush, corn ; for the relief and support of the poor of the town of Boston, suffering by means of the Boston Port Bill.

These excerpts from the records of the town, show that our people were ready, with money and musket, to resent the first invasion of their rights. Thus it was, the eventful nineteenth of April, 1775, found them not unprepared. Though every householder bad gone forth to his daily occupation, and was peacefully following his duty for the day, yet the arrival of the breathless messenger, announcing the departure of a British detachment from Boston to seize the military stores at Concord, was a spark that kindled into flames their smouldering tires of patriotism. The business of the day was abandoned, each man seized his musket and hastened to the appointed place of rendezvous. The captains of the militia companies, Joseph Rea, Caleb Dodge and others, mounted their horses and posted to the Farms and other districts, arou-«ing the whole population along their routes. By three o'clock that afternoon a large proportion of the male inhabitants of Beverly capable of service were armed and ready for the conflict. No troops engaged in that memorable fight had so long a distance to march, yet they arrived in season to participate in the skirmishes that followed the battle of Lexington, and assisted in driving the British back to Boston. One of their number was killed, Reuben Kennison ; and three wounded, Nathaniel Cleaves, William Dodge (3d) and Samuel Woodbury.

These names are given in "George's Almanac" for 1776, though Kennison's name is spelled as Kinnym. The widow of Kennison (it is stated by Stone in 1842) retained in her possession till her death (which occurred October 22, 1842, at the age of eighty-nine), the shirt worn by her husband when killed.

The present historian, learning that a portion of that interesting relic was still in possession of connections of the widow Kennison's family, was permitted to see it, August, 1887, one hundred and twelve years after the fatal bullet had pierced it that deprived Reuben of his life. ^ The fragment is about a foot square, of striped homespun, with a jagged hole in it that may have been made by the bullet. It was wrapped in a j-heet of blue paper of ancient manufacture on which was written : " Reuben Kenniston of Beverly, killed at Lexington April 19, 1775. Part of his shirt." It now belongs to Mrs. Huldah Herrick, whose mother was niece to Reuben's wife. Mrs. Kennison was married a second time, to Uriah Wright, and lived at Ryal Side. Reuben lived at Ryal Side previous to 1775, and is said to be buried in the old Leach burial-lot near Brown's Folly Hill.

The house he lived in has disappeared. Tradition states that his body was brought to Ryal Side on an ox-cart. An elm tree which was planted near Keninson's house, April 19, 1775, was blown down a few years ago.

1 At the seventy-fifth anniversary of the battle of Lexington (April 19, 1850) the president of tlie day said : " You may see on the table before me the powder-horn of Isaac Parker, of Chelmsford, who wore it at the North Bridge, and a fragment of the shirt in which Reuben Kenniston of Beverly, was killed, which was preserved witli pious care by liis wife. The holes through it have decayed from the bloud stains, which were left uneffiiced."

A valuable lesson in history might be acquired by tracing the route of our first Kevolutionary soldiers, as they so eagerly pressed on to join their brothers-inarms and that of their return, bearing with them their slain and wounded couirades.

Nathaniel Cleaves, who was wounded in the fight, having had his fingers cut off and ramrod carried away by a bullet, is included in the " list of the names of the provincials who were killed and wounded in the late engagement with his Majesty's troops at Concord." He seems soon to have recovered of his wound, for he was in the Bunker Hill fight of June 17th, and with the troops at Cambridge within a month of the Lexington engagement.

An extremely interesting relic of the times is the journal of this same soldier, which is now in possession of one of our most estimable citizens. It commences :

" Tlmrsda;/, May ye 25, 1775. Captain Low marched from Beverly to CaDibridge ; took up our quarters at mister bloggets ; tlie 27, Saturduy (forenoon), plesent ; at night a scurmig (skirmish) came on between the regulars and our peopel on the island (?) ; burnt a house and barn, killed - horees, burnt one schooner and took sum plunder, and lost no lives on our side, but supposed that we killed a number of them. Sunday, 28, Some guns fired on our peopel that were getting sum guns out of the racks, but no damage. Monday, the 29, brought off the island 27 head of cattel, 20 od horses, 300 sheep and lams, and no damage. Tuesday, the 30, great movement made with the troops in Boston, by which means the country was alarmed, and no men to go out of the camp. Wens., 31 Capt. Cimbel's (Kimbal's (?) company came to Cambridge.

" Thursday, June 1, 1775, Cloudy morning ; cleared of pleasant. Had Mister Willard, Mr. Cutler and Mr. Hichcock in the afternoon. [These the ministers of First Parish, Beverly, Hamilton, and Second Parish, Beverly. These three also rode to Lexington ininiedintely on receipt of the alarm.] A meeting concerning our field officers adjourned to next day. Cornelos Maurice hanged hisself with his hanchirchif. The next day, pleasant morning ; guns were fired, supposed to be at Nodels island (East Boston), and so continued all day by spurts; sent a party of about 200, and 2 field peises, for Chelsea. The day ended with the meeting of the officers ; had the mager before us and had a full hearing; so that day ended. The same night a scout ^^cnt to Dear Island, took of 400 sheap, sum cattel, fore priseners.

" Tlie Zd day, Saturday, a plesent morning ; this day the whole army was mustered on the common to see 2 theives whipped, one 20 stripes, negro 10 ; one man drumed out of the army with 36 drums and 40 fifes, with the rogues march. Sunday, the 4th day, fair whether ; went to meeting, heard 2 sermons. Monday, the 5 day, fair wether ; nothing remarkibel. The Ith day set out for Beverly, reached it about 12 o'clock, and ret'd to Cambridge Saturday, the 10th.

" Monday, the 12 day, a number of the priseners under the main gard ris and abused the captain of the gard, and a gineral cort marshel was ordered to try the same ; the common report for this day is that their is 3 rigement and 3 company of horse off in the Bay ; this day ended without anything new.

" the 10 Bay, a pritty hot Fire, said to be at the effege of Hancock. This day the nuse came to Cambridge that Philadelphia had taken a ship with 750 stand fire-arms and quantity of ammunition. This is good nuse for which I am thankful. About 6 o'clock there was mustered about 1000 men to go and take possession of Bunker hill (!), which they did the same night without any disturbance.

" Till Saturday morning about s'jnrise the Lively fired on our men ; killed Asa poUerd of Billerica ; Orders for our rigement to parade at 5 o'clock with 3 other rigements to relieve those at Bunker hill, but was alarmed at 12 when the troops began to land, which caused a hot fire on both sides, which our side left the ground for want of field peices and powder (!). Soon after the engagement began they set Charlestown on fire ; our rigement returned at night to Prospect hill and intrenched all night. " The 18 day, Sunday, they fired upon our peopel but did no damage."

In this brief chronicle of the soldier's life in Cambridge is given his i-hare in the important battle of Bunker Hill, which he treats merely as a skirmish of little consequence. His point of view was not sufficiently removed from the scene of conflict for him to appreciate its magnitude. He wastes no words in excuses for their retreat, nor stops for gratulation :

" The 24 day, Saturday, in the morning was alarmed by a groat movement of the regiilars on Bunkers hill, sui)posed to be a coming out, but did not. 25, Sunday, in the forenoon stayed at our camp at Cambridge ; about 12 o'clock went down to the hill and begun our brestwork. There was a packet of letters came to gineral Putnam from our priseners in Boston and say that they are treated vary wel. Mister Cleveland preached on the hill, from John 20, 22; this day dug up the bones of a man buried about a foot under ground.

" Went up to see Capt. Francessis men Thursday ; went to breakfast without butter or cheas ; had Capt. Batchelder to dine with us, we had biled vittels and I'ost veal . . . the sargcuts went to supper on New England grog, and then went to our logings in peace.

'^ Fi-yda - this day chool and clowdey ; gineral orders to be on the parade at 5 o'clock, and william Anderson to receive 29 stripes and one Russel 80, and one rid the wooden hors and then went down to Prospect hill to work on the intrenchments. A whooman was drumed of the hill for playing the roge with a drummer, and bob Picket was as focksey as the Divel. . . .

" J«?2/ tte 3 Doj/, this morning cloudy. There was four cannon fired to Rocksbury and one hous sot on fire. General Washington came to Cambridge about twelve o'clock and was atended with a great number of gentlemen from nabering towns ! Captain Low went to Beverly this morning; Ensign Henery Herrick went with him."

Leaves of absence to visit Beverly were frequently obtained, and in one of them Lieutenant Cleaves walked home on a Friday, stopping at Colonel Herricks to " fix up," and " brought up " at Mister Chipmans.

"The next day, 'Saturday,' in the morning went down to Mister Joshua Herricks ; in the afternoon to the Hamlet (Hamilton), from there over to Topsfield, to David Perkinses, from there to Beverly, down to the lower perrish (parish). Sunday the 9, went to meaten in the forenoon, Mister Hichcock preached ; ihen sot of for Cambridge."

bords to finish our barracks ; I'.ad a very plesent time ; they fel In company with a very butiful Lady and took her into the shay with them; the recompense she gave them is not yet none (known) for carying of her. . . . Tusdat/ the 18, this morning warm and clear. I went down to Chelsea with more ofisers and 130 men after a mast for a libertypole ; had a fine prospect of the enemy, saw 83 horses paraded and near 40 more in the paster. I went into a hoxise, got sum biled sider, and kissed the old whomans Daughter to pay for it, had a fine frolick ; at the tavern drove a dog out of the windo, and sum other things worthy of note. Coming back met the chief general aidecamp from Cambridge, who said that there was a great movement with the troops at Kockslery and had struck a number of tents, supposed to bo going somewhere- Arrived a little after sunset very much fatigued, went to bed at ten o'clock, and was under arms by half-past two the next morning. Wensday the 19, Captain Low and Lieut. Herrick went to Watertown for bagonets, and this afternoon I secured some powder and ball."

This excerjit gives a fair picture, probably, of the soldier's life at that period, before the hardships of war had begun. The brave fellow, whose diary we have been permitted to glance at, was lost at sea in 1780, so he must have resigned his commission in the army before the war was over.

In the great work of preparation for inevitable war the women of Beverly ably assisted their husbands and brothers - weaving cloth, knitting stockings, making garments - and dividing with the soldiers their household supplies.

1775__j^pHZ 22, "Col. Henry Herrick, Capt. Benjamin Lovett and Capt. Wm. Bartlett chosen to be a committee in behalf of this town to confer with the committees of the several seaport towns of this county what steps shall be most expedient for them to take at this difficult time, and for to meet at the tavern near Beverly meeting-house on Monday, the 24th instant, at 9 o'clock in the morning." "Also, Col. Henry Herrick, Capt. Ebenezer Francis, Capt. Edward Giles, Capt. Benj. Lovett, Jr., Capt. Nicolas Thorndike, Mr. Peter Pride, and Lieut. Elisha Dodge, were chosen a committee of safety for this town, for to act in that affair in the best manner they can for the Publickgood."

May 19, A town-meeting was warned "to elect and depute as many members as to them shall seem necessary and expedient to represent them in a Provential Congress, to be held at the meeting-house in Watertown, on the 31st of May inst., ... to consult, deliberate and resolve upon such further measures as, under God, shall be effectual to save this people from impending ruin," etc.

Their representative, Capt. Josiah Batchelder, Jr., was instructed to lay before Congress the exposed situation of the town and ask for soldiers to defend it, as many of their men had enlisted in the army.

October 12, It was voted that the committee of correspondence procure "six peases of cannon ;" two six and four four-i^ounders, mount them on carriages and place in position ; to have two breastworks thrown up, one at Woodbury's Point and the other at Paul's Head. It was later voted to place one nine-j^ounder and one four at Woodbury's Point, the other nine and one four-pounder at Paul's Head, and the two fieldpieces wherever the committee should judge best for the public safety.

" After the collision, which extinguished the last lingering hope of recouciliation, the County of Essex, essentially maritime in her habits, launched her thundei'bolts on the deep, and trailed the flag, that for a thousand years had braved the battle and the breeze, ignomiuiously on many a conquered deck, whence went up the pine-tree flag of the rebels in token of victory. The first flag, under the Continental authority, that ever floated at an American mast-head in defiance of British supremacy, was hoisted on board the ' Hannah,' from Beverly ! The first commander who, under Washington's commission, threw down the gauntlet of maritime warfare, was Capt. Manly of Marblehead. . . . The harbors of Salem, Marblehead and Beverly swarmed with prizes. The same hardy fishermen of the seaports of Essex, driven from the theatre of their adventurous industry by the breaking out of hostilities, trod the decks of these little wanderers of the sea, who afterwards manned the ' Constitution' in the second War of Independence, when St. George's Cross went down before the stars and stripes " i

A dramatic episode of the conflict was witnessed in Beverly harbor, this same autumn of 1775, which is graphically described in Stone's " History of Beverly."

One pleasant morning a privateer schooner sailed out of Beverly on a cruise. She had not been long out when she was discovered by a British sloop-of-war, the " Nautilus," of twenty guns, which immediately bore down upon her. The superior force of the enemy induced the captain of the privateer to put back ; but in the confusion of the chase he grounded on the flats. It being ebb tide, the " Nautilus " came to anchor outside the bar, from which jjosition she opened fire on the town. The meeting-house being the most conspicuous object, several shots were aimed at it, one of which penetrated the chaise-house of Thomas Stephens, destroying the chaise, and another struck the chimney of a house on the opposite side of the street.

The worthy man whose chaise was destroyed did not rest an idle spectator, but seizing his musket he hastened to the beach, retui-ningthe fire of the enemy in gallant style. Here he was joined by several other patriotic inhabitants of the town, conspicuous among them being Col. Henry Herrick, an active member of the committee of correspondence, in full military costume. Their fire may not have been very effectual, but it at least showed their good intentions, and warned the commander of the sloop-of-war that he had stirred up a veritable hornet's nest of rebel musketeers. The receding tide soon left the "Nautilus" in an awkward position aground, so that she careened and could not use her guns. In this condition she lay till dark, the target for the cannon of Hospital Point, on Salem side, and of the small arms of the Beverly patriots. The tide rising, after dark, the baflied commander weighed anchor and stood for Boston, "carrying with him no very pleasant recollections of his introduction to the citizens of this town."

Between March and November, 1781, 52 vessels, carrying 746 guns, with crews of 3940 men, were fitted out and chiefly owned in Salem and Beverly.

Beverly has the honor of having sent out the first commissioned privateer of the Revolution. This vessel was the " Hannah," the papers for which were issued September 3, 1775, and signed by General Washington.

The first to commence operations against Great Britain's mercantile marine, Beverly maintained her privateers throughout the war. Our most noted and most successful privateersman was Captain Hugh Hill, who, as early as 1775, brought into port a valuable prize, the British schooner " Industry," the cargo of which was sold and the vessel turned over to the public service. Captain Hill (the first of his family in this town), commenced privateering in the " Pilgrim,'' of twenty guns, which was built under his superintendence in Newburyport. He captured numerous prizes, and nearly all were sent into Beverly, which was then, as one writer has expressed it, the headquarters for our infant navy. More captured vessels (it is said), were brought into this port than into any other in New England. The first navy agent was William Bartlett (after whom Bartlett Street was

On one cruise, while sailing with the English ensign at mast-head, as a decoy, he was boarded by the captain, of a British man-of-war, who, unsuspicious of his host, remarked that he was in search of " that notorious Hugh Hill." Captain Hill, at that moment unprepared for an engagement, answered that he was on the lookout for the same individual, and hoped soon to meet him. The officer departed, but in a few days they met again ; the American flag was run up, and an engagement followed, in which the Englishman was captured, and the prize sent into Beverly.

Captain Hill, who was own cousin to General Andrew Jackson, proved himself such a terror to British commerce, that his capture would have been looked upon as a great achitivement.

Several other townsmen shared with Captain Hill the honor of successful commanders, among them Captain Eleazer Giles, Elias Smith, John Tittle and Benjamin Lovett. Captain Giles, in 1776, sailed from the port of Beverly in a ten-gun brig, with which he captured four merchantmen out of a large fleet, two of his prizes being ships of four hundred and three hundred tons, respectively, and the other two brigs of lesser tonnage. He was, hovvever, captured on a later cruise by a British vessel of superior force, and sent prisoner to Halifax.

Captain Elias Smith, commander of the ship " Mohawk," of twenty guns, cruised mainly in the West Indies, where, in 1781, he captured a Guineaman (slaver) of sixteen guns, which was sent into Beverly.

Captain John Tittle, when sailing in a letter of marque, was attacked by two cruisers, being engaged with them for three hours. All his canvas above the lower yards was shot away, and his crew, looking upon their condition as hopeless, began to abandon their guns, when the gallant captain drew his sword and threatened to run the first man through who left his quarters. A fortunate shot soon taking effect upon one of the enemy and night coming on, he was enabled to escape.

These meagre gleanings from the annals of our town indicate the spirit of this little community, which sent its citizens forth to battle for freedom, on land and sea.

1776. - In January of this year the town voted to hire twenty-four men as night- watchers on the sea coast, at AVest's beach and near Benjamin Smith's house at Plum Cove, and one hundred pounds, to defray these expenses. A watch at the fort was maintained by Colonel Glover, with the Fourteenth Regiment of the Continental army.

At a town-meeting June 13, 1776, three weeks before the Declaration of Independence, it was voted that, in event the Continental Congress declare the independence of the colonies, they would "solemnly pledge their lives and fortunes to support them in it." This pledge was fulfilled on almost every battle-field of the Revolution ; yet, in 1779, a fine of five thousand four hundred pounds was assessed on the town, by the General Court, for failing to furnish a prescribed number of men for the militia.

In a petition for its remission in 1780 the town appealed to the records in evidence that (which was strictly true) they had " furnished more men, and been at greater expense to carry on the war, than almost any other town in proportion to their abilities."

1776. - Town-meetings were held with increasiag frequency, as the exigencies of the occasion demanded the building of breastworks, the purchase of ammunition, instructions to their representatives and protection of the harbor and coast. It was put to vote (November 7th) if the town would stop up their harbor, and it passed in the negative. Voted that " the selectmen be empowered to petition to General Washington, or any other department, for ammunition and men for the safety of this town whenever they shall think it necessary and expedient." They were also empowered to procure two hundredweight of powder, "in the best manner they can."

Interleaved in the volume of records for 1774-83, opposite the entry for July 2, 1776, is a copy of the original proclamation of independence (July 4, 1776,) in accordance with the order accompanying it, that a "copy be sent to the ministers of each parish of every denomination, who, after reading it to their congregations, were to deliver it to the clerks of their respective towns, who are hereby required to record it in their respective town or district books, there to remain, as a, perpetual memorial thereof."

The town records for 1776 show that the regular business of the town went on uninterruptedly, but their pages throughout indicate active preparation for warfare and defense, and seem to smell of gunpowder and bristle with bayonets.

1777. - Under date of February 17th is a list of men paid for watching at night, comprising twenty-six names. The chief bills of the town are for watching, militia service, bounties to soldiers, etc., as " to time spent in making Brestworks ; procuring and hauling cannon ; to hauling 500 cwt. of powder from Andover; to going to Danvers to procure intrenching tools ; " and finally, as war's bloody returns come in, " to choose a committee to supply the soldiers' families that are in the continental army ; " and, " ordered the treasurer to pay the several persons, soldiers in the continental army, the sums annexed to each of their names, they being extremely poor, and unable to procure things of the committee of supply."

1777. The town voted to give fourteen pounds to each non-commissioned officer and private who would enlist in the Continental army for three years, or dur- ing the war, and four pounds additional to such as had been in the army and would re-enlist. Provision was made for barracks for the sea-coast men at Woodbury's Point. Three hundred pounds was voted for the relief of families of soldiers, and the next year two hundred pounds additional.

In 1779 a "sum not exceeding twelve thousand pounds " was voted for procuring men for the army, and in succeeding years sums varying from five thousand to fifty thousand pounds were provided for the same purpose.

In 1780 the selectmen were authorized to procure five horses for the public service, and a bounty was offered to soldiers enlisting of 100 pounds sugar, 100 pounds coffee, 10 bushels corn, 100 pounds beef and 50 pounds cotton or £1370 in money, to which was later added 67 pounds coffee, and the money bounty increased to £1611. Price of labor on the highway was then fixed at £12 per day. Salt sold for £50 per bushel.

1777. A prominent man in military aflfairs at this time was Colonel Ebenezer Francis, born at Medford, in 1743, and removed to Beverly in 1764. He received a captain's commission in the Continental Army, July 1, 1775, the year following was colonel, and commanded a regiment on Dorchester Heights. By commission of November 19, that year, he was authorized to raise a regiment in Massachusetts, and at the head of this regiment, the Eleventh Massachusetts, he marched, in January, 1777, for Ticonderoga. His death occurred July 7, 1777, at Hubbardston, N. Y., near Whitehall, where he was shot while leading his troops to battle.

Previous to setting out on this march his company was assembled in the first parish meeting-house, at religious service, and " associated with him on that perilous exi^edition into the wilderness, were many brave and noble spirits, and some of them highly educated."

His brother, John Francis, fought by his side, an adjutant in his regiment when he fell, and was subsequently in several battles, was wounded at the capture of Burgoyne, and retired with honor. Later, in 1786, he raised a company in Beverly and Danvers, and marched to suppress Shay's rebellion ; after his return was captain of the militia company of the second parish, and commanded the Beverly regiment, dying in 1822, aged sixty-nine years. Two other brothers of Colonel Francis, Aaron and Thomas, fought in the Revolution. As chaplain of Colonel Francis' regiment went the minister of the second parish. Rev. Enos Hitchcock, a graduate of Harvard in 1767, colleague of Rev. Mr. Chipman in 1771, whom he succeeded in 1775.

He had been preceded as chaplain in the regiment by the Rev. Mamasseh Cutler, the celebrated minister at Hamilton. Mr. Hitchcock was at Valley Forge, and wrote of the condition of the army in 1778 : " Numbers of our brigade are destitute, even of a

This brave chaplain survived the war; was dismissed from the Second Parish in 1780, and became pastor of a church in Providence, in October, 1783. He is remembered as an eloquent preacher and as the author of a work of fiction and several publiahed discourses.

In this regiment also was Henry Herrick, a graduate of Harvard, and a successful teacher in Beverly after the war, and Moses Greenleaf, captain of a company, whose private journal contained incidents of the expedition.

1777. The women of Beverly " took a hand " in affairs this year, a company of them gathering and leading a raid upon the storehouse of one of the merchants who had a stock of sugar on hand which he refused to sell, on account of the depreciation of the paper money. With the assistance of some of the men one cold November morning, about sixty of them marched down Main (Cabot) and Bartlett Streets to the wharves, where they broke open the warehouse and loaded up two ox-carts with sugar. The foreman of the establishment offering resistance, he was promptly charged upon by the ladies, one of whom seized him by the hair, at which he fled, leaving his wig in her grasp

The sugar was carted to the shop of the leader, who retailed it at a fair price to customers, and rendered her account faithfully to its owners.

1778. Out of a list often abatements for taxes, opposite five of the names is entered " on account of being in captivity;" two others were " long absent abroad," and one "dead and left nothing."

Out of seven such abatements in 1779, two were for persons who had been "long in captivity;" one, Andrew Ober, "long missing if alive;" and another, Joseph Ober, second, " died in captivity."

1779. At the March town-meeting it was voted to hire five hundred pounds, for the use of the committee for supplying the familes of soldiers.

" These may certify that this list above is a true list of the commission officers, non-commission officers and Privates in ye alarm list under my command in y<' second Parish in Beverly, wh wont to assist at y"= alarm at Lexington & Ooncord, on ye !'.)"> & 2ii* of April last.

Jonathan Conant, Sr., was paymaster under Colonel Francis, and was in the battle of Monmouth ; Joshua Twist was in Gates' army at the surrender of Burgoyne ; William and Samuel Cressy were in the battle of Trenton ; Luke Roundy, a lieutenant in Captain Low's company, was wounded at Saratoga, and died at Albany, and Nathaniel Cleaves was in the same engagement (says Mr. Stone), who adds further names of soldiers in the service, as :

Joseph Perkins, Levi V oodbury, Robert Kaymond, Matthew Chambers and Andrew Peabody, of ship 'Essex," taken June 10, 1781 ; also James Lovett and Benjamin Sprague.

John Tuck, Thomas Hadden, Jo.siah Foster, Ilezekiah Thissell, Nathaniel Woodbury and Zebulon Ober, of snow " Diana," taken June 15, 1781, and committed January 23, 1782.

William Herrick was killed at sea, off Bermuda, in the snow "Diana," the year before ; Benj. Bickford was mate of the "Diana" when Herrick was killed.

1780. In the annals of this period the " dark day " (May 19th) held a conspicuous place. The sun, that morning, rose clear, but "soon assumed a brassy hue," and at two o'clock was totally obscured. During three hours time it was extremely dark, the birds and iowls went to roost in silence, and everything portended an awful visitation. The alarm of the people was universal, many supposing that the judgment day was at hand, and one old gentleman, it is said, dressed himself with great care, took his silver-headed cane with him into the field and calmly awaited the event. The darkness became dispelled during the afternoon, but the night succeeding was of such intense gloom, until midnight, that even the horses refused to go out into it from their stables. In explanation of this event, it is said that the smoke from great forest fires in the interior had settled over this region, thus obscuring the sun and necessitating a resort to candle-light by the frightened inhabitants.

" Beverly, Friday, May 19, 1780. " This day happened something very Kemarkable. From 10 o'clock in the forenoon till half after two in the afternoon, there was totale Darkness. But about 1 o'clock the Darkest ; the sky was as Bed as though the Element had been a Fire. This was Wrote by me in my Bed chamber in the house of coll. Thorndike, where Joseph Baker keeps Tavern."

The first town-meeting under the new constitution was held September 4th, this year, for the election of governor, lieutenant-governor and councillors, and the first representatives, Larkin Thorndike and Jonathan Conant, were then chosen.

1781. The constables were instructed to receive, in the payment of taxes,one silver dollar instead of seventy-five dollars of the old continental paper, and

1781. - The Rev. .Joseph Willard, who had been for e'ght years pastor of the First Parish, was called to the presidency of Harvard College, a position he held until his death, in 1804, " after the longest term of service, but one, in the series of Harvard's presidents." His loss was deeply felt in Beverly, where he had the respect and love of every inhabitant. It was he, who, during the darkest hour of the dark day, acted the part of the true i^hilosopher, and instead of giving way to fear, calmly made observations of the attendant phenomena. As he was thus engaged, he became surrounded by frightened citizens, whose alarm was soon allayed by his own indifference. When one of them rushed up, breathless, with the announcement that the tide had done flowing, he drew out his watch and quietly remarked : " So it has, for it is just high-water."

It is not very generally known, perhaps, that Mr. Willard Avas at one time custodian of the literary treasure? of a privateer. In 1781, the famous privateer. Captain Hugh Hill, brought a prize into port, containing, among other things, the celebrated Kirwan library, consisting of more than one hundred scientific works, ancient and modern, which, when taken, was in transit from England to its proprietor in Ireland. At the suggestion of Mr. Willard, the owners of the prize generally relinquished their title to it, allowing it to be sold, in compliance with law, to an association of gentlemen resident here and in Salem, for a mere nominal price.

" To the honor of Eichard Kirwan it should bo mentioned that he declined an offer of compensation for his property in it, preferring to have it pass for an outright gift to the infant cause and scanty means of scientific progress, in a country not yet emerged from the clouds of desperate strife with his own for separate national existence.

" The books, so fortunately secured, were first committed to Willard's keeping, but upon his removal from Beverly they were transferred to Salem, where they were united with other collections, first under the name of the Philosophical Library, then that of the Salem Athenseum, and finally of the Essex luotitute, of which flourishing, richly-endowed, greatly-valued and useful institution it may be considered as the possible germ. From that germ alone great advantage has, bj' not a few, been derived. Our famous mathematician, Nathaniel Bowditch, of worldwide fame, availed himself extensively of the aid of the Kirwan books, especially in the earlier portions of his remarkable career, when such works were rare, and difficult (at least in this country) to be procured ; and his sense of indebtedness was freely and gratefully acknowledged by him while living, and testified at his decease by a liberal legacy to the institution in which they are deposited, and of which they form a part." 1

It will be seen from the above, that Beverly contributed (though perhaps unwittingly yet, not unwillingly), to swell the stream of knowledge that flowed from the early founts.

Having performed her whole duty in the perilous times, throughout, having lost many of her noblest citizens, and having freely expended of her substance to bring about this consummation, it was with joyful anticipations for the future that she entered upon the era of peace. It was some time, however, before the tangled web of debt and obligations, woven about her by the war, could be unraveled, and her paralyzed commerce regain its wonted activity.

In 1786, especially, the burden of debt and taxation, together with the weight of a depreciated currency, bore heavily upon Beverly, in common with every town in the State. It was in this year that Shay's rebellion occurred, to aid in suppressing which soldiers from Beverly joined the Essex company, under Colonel Wade, of Ipswicli, an officer known and trusted by General Washington.

1785. - Rev. Joseph McKean, who was born in Londonderry, N. H., 1757, and graduated at Dartmouth College, was ordained over the First Parish May 11th, on which occasion a large number of churches were represented. His salary was fixed at two hundred pounds and his settlement at three hundred pound-', to which two hundred pounds was added in 1801. He was a man of great piety and learning, honored by all our citizens. In 1802 he received and accepted a call to the presidency of Bowdoin College. Among other papers i)ublished in the Rantoul Reminiscences is the following bill, for entertaining the council and delegates at Mr. McKean's ordination :

1787. - Beverly cast one hundred and twenty-five votes for Governor, of which seventy-seven were for John Hancock, and forty-eight for James Bowdoin ; George Cabot, Joseph Wood and Israel Thorndike were this year chosen delegates to the convention in Boston January, 1788, for considering the framing of a constitution for the United States. For several years later, it was difficult to find people willing v,o serve the town in official capacity, and fines were imposed upon those who refused offices.

1788. - The first fruits of peace were not long in showing themselves, and the most important step taken in the securing of independence of the mother country was the establishment of a cotton fiictory. This factory, the first in America, was erected in the Second Parish, near Baker's Corner, at the junction of Cabot and Dodge streets. A company of proprietors was incorporated February 3, 1789 - but, the enterprise proving unprofitable, it was afterwards abandoned. The factory attracted much attention at the time, and was visited by General Washington when on his tour through the country in 1789.

A contemporary periodical said of it : " An experiment was made with a complete set of mac hines for carding and spinning cotton, which answered the warmest expectations of the jiroprietors. The spinning jenny spins sixty threads at a time, and with the carding machines forty pounds of cotton can be well carded per day. The warping machines and the other tools and machinery are complete, and jjromise much benefit to the public, and emolument to the patriotic adventurers."

The Salem Gazette, of 1790, says : " The wear of the Beverly corduroys is already become very common ; " yet the enterprise failed, and, after several other attempts, the proprietors suspended operations.

For nearly thirty years preceding 1800, the town was agitated over the spread of the small-pox, and in 1788, even threw fences across the roads, to prevent the passing of persons infected with the disease, erecting a hospital and smoke-houses for fumigation.

1788. - The Essex Bridge was built this year, one thousand four hundred and eighty-four feet long and thirty-two feet wide, at a cost of sixteen thousand dollars. It was to be a toll-bridge for seventy years, at the expiration of which period it reverted to the State. Robert Rantoul states, in his reminiscences, that (then a Salem school-boy of ten), he walked over the bridge the day it was opened, and again in his eightieth year, in 1858, on the day its charter expired.

In October, 1787, the Rev. Daniel Oliver was ordained over the Second Church, continuing here for ten years, when he was succeeded by the Rev. Stephen Dorr, who was ordained in March, 1800.

Several of our inhabitants joined the famous expedition of Dr. Cutler (of Hamilton), that initial migration to Ohio, which resulted in the settlement of our vast Western prairies.

1789. - The event of this year was the visit of Washington, on his tour of the North, when he called on his friends, William Bartlett and George Cabot ; the latter then occupying the mansion now owned by Mrs. Seth Norwood. In the Book of Records of the Second Parish is a note by Mr. Stone of the following communication made to him by Isaac Babson March 13, 1835:

" When General Washington came to visit the cotton factory (near Baker's Tavern corner), he rode from Salem on horseback and was greeted by a great number. As he passed the residence of Col. Francis he bowed to Mrs. F., who was at the window. In the factory a number of females were arranged, holdicg pieces of cloth in their laps for inspection. The General stopped opposite Miss Francis (afterwards Mrs. Low) and examined the cloth in her lap. On leading the factory he entered his carriage (his servant riding his horse) and went on to Ipswich."

As recently as 1863 there died, one who was conversant with these details : Mrs. Beisey Grant (widow of Joseph, and mother of Benjamin D. Grant), a lineal descendant of John Balch, one of the first settlers. She was born in the " Upper Parish," February 10, 1772, and was seventeen years old at the time of Washington's visit, which she distinctly remembered in 1861. Washington paused at her side and asked her several questions about the work, " little realizing, perhaps, the reverent affection with which he was regarded by her, and which would embalm his sentences in her heart forever."