Worcester County, Massachusetts - Sutton. 1, 1889

The township of Sutton was purchased by certain persons residing in Boston, of John Wampus and others. Nipmug Indians, and is described as a tract of waste land eight miles square, lying between the towns of Mendon, Worcester, New (Jxford, Sherburne and Marlborough, embracing within its limits an Indian reservation four miles square, called " Hassanimisco."

The origin of the name is unknown. Deacon Leland gives an old tradition, which he regards wellestablished; It is this John Wampus visited England ; while on his return voyage to New England he received medical aid and other kindnesses from a fellow-passenger, Dr. Sutton, and from gratitude to him for his kindness, suggested his name for the town-

1 In preparing this History of Sutton, the writer has selected largely trom the " History of Sutton" printed for the town in 1878, edited by Rev. W. A. Benedict and others, instead of culhng over again the original material from which that work was compiled, as collected and preserred by Deacon .Jonathan Lehiud and Christopher C. Baldwin. Therefore, while I have not followed the form or arrangement of the book, I have tiiken from that history any material facts and used tliem without other acknowU'iIgment of anthotship. - J. W. S.

The original deed from John Wampus & Co. seems to have been lost, from the fact that the " Proprietors of Sutton," at a meeting held February 22, 1731-32, ordered "Tliat the Clerk shall provide a new book and transfer this regularly, and that on the first pages of it, the original deed of John Wampus, alias White, together with the Grant of the General Court, be first placed " - and though a new book was procured and the transfer made, no deed appears. The grant referred to was recorded on the first pages, and is as follows :

Joseph Dudley, Esqr., Captain General and Oovernor In Chief In and over her JIajesties Province of tlie Massachusetts Bay in Xew England in America - To all to whom these presents shall come Greeting.

Whereas John Conner, Pewterer, James Smith, Shop-keeper, Willijim >Iumford, Stone cutter, and Joshua Hewes, Innkeeper, all of Boston In the County of Suffolk, within the Province aforesaid by their petition presented to the said Joseph Dudley, Esqi'., Govenor, and the Genera! Assembly of the aforesaid Province, at their last Session begun the Eighth day of March last passt before the sale hereof. Have humbly prayed iu behalf of themselves and company, a confirmatiuu by a grant of this L'ourt of their right and title to a certain tract of land purchased of John Wampus, alias White, and (.'onipany, Indians situate in the Nipfnug Country between the towns of Mendon, Worcester, New Oxford, Sherburne and Slarlborougli, of eight miles square, iu which is included a tract of land four miles square called Hassananiisco, and possessed by the Indians. And Wherejis the said Govenor and General As^mbly liave ordered that the prayer of said petition be granted, saving the lands purchased by the Haynes's, and reserving the Indian property of Hassananiisco - Provided also that they intrench upon no former grant of the General Court, and they be obliged to settle a town of thirty families, and a minister upon said lands, within seven yeares after the end of the present war with the Indians. And that they reserve three hundred acres of the said lands for the firot settled minister, four hundred acres for the ministry, and two hundred acres for the use of a school, all to be laid out conveniently. The said tract to begin upon the line of Marlborough next Hassananiisco, a platt thereof to be returned and approved by tliis Court, as in and by the record of said General Aesembly, relation being thereunto liad, doth and may appear.

Know ye therefore that I, the said Joseph Dudley, Esqr., Governor, agreeable to the above recieved order passed by the Council and Assein - bly respectively, and pursuant to the power and authority contained and granted in and by her Majesties Royal Charter the Governor and General Assembly of the aforesaid Province of Slassachusetts Bay, have granted, ratified and confirmed and by these presents do freely, fully und absolutely grant, ratify and confirm unto the above named John '""onner, James Smith, William Mnmford, Joshua Hewes, and others, iheir Partners, viz.: Paul Dudley of Boston aforesaid Esqr., John Jackson of said Boston, honsewright, Mary Conner and Elizabeth Pittoni, daughters and co-heirs of John Pittom Plunimer, deceased, Edward Pratt of Newtown within the County of Middlesex, Physician, and Elizabeth Wilson of Hartford in the Covinty of Connecticut, Widows, their heires and assignes forever, all the aforesaid certain tract of waste land purchased of the Indians, Native Proprietoi-s, as above mentioned, scituate and described as aforesaid, and to be surveyed, platted and approved as above directed, with and under the severall savings, reservations. Provisos and conditions above expn-ssed, and all the estate, right, 'I'itle, Inheritance, use, property, and Interest of the said several peij^ons therein and thereto - Together with all ar-d singular the fields, feeding, herbage, pastures, soils, swamps. Meadows, Rivers, Rivulets, Ponds, Pools, Woods, underwoods, trees, timber, stones, fishing, fowling and linnting Rights, Members, Heraiiitanients, Einolunients, Profits, Privileges and Appurtenances thereto belonging or in any way appertaining. The said tract of land being hereby granted fur a township, the same to be called Sutton. And to have, use, exercise, ami enjoy the same powers, immunities, and privileges by Law granted to towns. To have and to hold all the said tract of land by the name of the town of Sutton, with all the aforesaid premises. Emoluments, Profits, Privileges and appurtenances therefu belonging, with and under the sevenill savings, reservations, Provisos and conditions hei-ein before expressed. .And lube surveyed, plotted, returneil and uppruv^d us ubuvu tfaid unto the said John Conner, James Smith, William MumforJ, Joshua Hewes, Paul Dudley, John Jackson, Mary Conner, Elizabeth Pittoni, Edward Pratt, and Elizahetli Wilson, their lieirtfs and aspignes to their proper use and behoofe forever. Yielding, Rendering and Paying therefore unto our Sovereign Lady Queen Anne her kings and Successors one fifth part of all the Gold and Silver Oar and Precious stones, which from time to time and at all times forever hereafter shall happen to be found, gotten bad or obtained in any of the said lands and Premises, or within any part or parcel thereof - In lieu and stead of all Rents, Services, Dues, Dutys, and liemaiids whatsoever from the said lands and premises, and for every part and parcel thereof. In Testimony Whereof I the said Joseph Dudley, Esqr., Governor have signed these presents and caused the Publick seal of the Province of Massachusetts Bay aforesaid to be hereunto affixed.

The tract of land included in the above grant was, with the exception of here and there a cleared space, on which the Indians raised their corn, and a few marshes, called meadows, an unbroken forest, heavily wooded with pine, oak, hickory, chestnut, birch and maple. In its physical aspect it presented many attractive features, and was a favorite resort of its native owners, who reserved a home within its limits. Its surface is uneven and hilly, and, though none of its hills rise to a great height, yet many of tliem are of sufficient elevation to reveal from their summits scenes of quiet beauty unsurpassed in any other portion of New England.

The soil is varied, in the southern and eastern part being of a samly and gravelly nature, while in the northern and western parts much of it is a clayey loam. In the main it is well adapted to agriculture, though some portions, particularly in tlie southern part, are too rocky to be brought under cultivation, and none of it was subdued and made productive without much p.atient toil.

The fine farms of to-day, which embellish hill-side,, hill-top and valley, are the result of the muscle and money the several generations that have occupied them have contributed. This township furnishes great facilities for manufacturing purposes, as well as for agriculture. There are within its limits several natural ponds, fed largely by hidden springs, who.se outlets afford fine water privileges. The principal of these are Dorothy Pond in the north part of the town,' Ramshorn in the northwest. Crooked Pond (Singletary Lake) near the centre and Manchaug Pond in the southwest. Blackstone River - called by the Indians Kittatuck - has its rise in Ramshorn Pond, and passes through the town from northwest to southeast. This river furnishes valuable waterpower. So also does Mumford River, the outlet of Manchaug Pond. Mill Brook, the outlet of Crooked Pond (Singletary Lake), has in the distance of a mile a fall of one hundred and seventy- five feet, and afibrds seven water privileges. There are several other streams in town which the early settlers utilized by the erection of saw-mills, grist-mills and fullingmills, and which in later da3's have been employed in manufacturing of various kinds.

In its geological features the town presents nothing of a peculiar nature. Like many other towns in Eastern Massacliusetts, the rocky formation is chiefly granite, quartz rock and gneiss. Gneiss predominates, and the quarries which have been opened furnish most excellent stone for building purposes. This rock often contains iron pyrites, mica, lead, tin and some other mineral substances in small quantities. The glitter of the little, particles has led to the belief that gold and silver might be found in this town, and, in common with many others in the State, it has had its excitements over wild and fruitless searches for the precious metals.

There are natural curiosities in the town, some of which are thus referred to in Whitney's " History of Worcester County :" As first. In the west part of Sutton, within sixty rods of the rise of the inlet of Ramshorn Pond, which is the head of Blackstone River running to Providence and falling into the sea at Bristol, is a brook sufficiently large to carry a saw-mill in Sutton, then bears away into Oxford, joins French River, which unites witli the river Quinebaug, and enters the sea at New London.

Secondly. A few rods west of the Second Parish Meeting-house there is a swamp having tvro outlets, one at the southwest, the other at the southeast. Both these outlets enter Blackstone River above described, at about one mile's distance from each other. But the river is estimated to run ten or twelve miles after the entrance of that one on the westerly side before it returns and takes in that on the east.

Thirdly. In the southeastern part of the town is a cavern in the earth or rocks, commonly called Purgatory. The rocks on each side of the chasm evidently appear to have been rent asunder. People may enter some rods under tlie ground or rocks, and there are cracks down which the)' drop pebbles, and after these strike the sides alternately several times they are heard to fall into the water; and a brook issues out at tlie bottom of the hill.

It is the side of a hill which consi-sts of vast ledges of rocks. Where the natural descent begins, a chasm has been formed of perhaps thirty, and in some places forty feet in width, in these ledges by some violent concussion which left this body of stones of all shapes and sizes to fall in. Above, it is open to the heavens, and the ledges, on either side, are from five to ten and so on to twenty and even forty feet in height. This chasm is, perhaps, near eighty rods in length, and the descent is gradual and not very difficult. Where the greatest depth is, water issues from crevices in the rocks and liangs in icicles and even in solid bodies of ice, not only in May, as I have seen, but in June, although the descent is to the south. Some small caverns were formed by the fulling of these rocks, through which persons have descended and come out several rods below. This is a most stupendous place, and fills the mind of the beholder with exalted ideas of the infinite power of the great Creator of all things, " who removeth the mountains and they know it not; who shaketh the earth out of its place, and the pillars thereof tremble.''

The ledges which Mr. AVhitney says are *'from five to ten and so on to twenty, and even forty feet in height," are found by actual measurement to be in some places between fifty and sixty feet in height. Dr. Hitchcock, in speaking of Purgatory, puts the extreme height of the sides of the fissure at seventy feet.

November 17, 1714, the proprietors held the first meeting of which there is any record. At this meeting (held in Boston) it was voted, ** That three men should be chosen for a committee to order the affairs of that place" - Sutton. Nathaniel Brewer, Jonathan Draper and Eliezer Daniels were chosen such coniniitteej and '* were to stand until others were chosen/*

It was the same day voted tliat all the charges that baa beeu and shall ari(5f, till the next meeting should he jiajed by the rroprietors equally accoidiiig to their several proportidiis at twenty shillings for every '>0(i acre right.

That Jonathan Praper, Eliezer Daniels and Nathaniel Brewer should be a conmuttee to go and lay out sixty lots at Sutton, for the Proprietors, of thirty acres a lot, thirty roils wide and one hundred and sixty long.

Voted the same day that all such as had one five hundred acre right sliould have a thirty acre lott, and they who had more according to their juxijiortion.

It appears from these votes that the first division of the township was into sixty live-hundred acre rights. Each proprietor owned at least one right, some more. Actual surveys, as will appear, were afterwards made of lots, corresponding in number to the number of rights, and varying in area from thirty to one hundred acres. These lots were drawn by the proprietors - each right being entitled to one - and di^iposed of by them individually.

1 Before the adoption of the "New Stylo" in England, 1752, the year was considered as beginning March 26th, Any date between the Ist of January and the 24th of March would be a year too little; so to avoid mistakes, it had become customary to give both yeai-s as 'above. March '2d would occur in the year 1714, should the year begin tiie 25th of March; in 171.''», should it begin llie 1st of January.

Voted, that all such as should appear to go first and live at the town of Sutton, for their encouragement should have one hundred acres of land given them for their own, provided they settle two years from the dato hereof; and they to hear their proportion of town charges, tlie Proprietora to bear half the charges of building a Meeting-house and settling a nnnister the first four years.

Voted that every man shall have a convenient way to his lott through his neighbor's lott, where it shall be most convenient for him and least damage to his neighbor ; also in all after divisions in the town every person shall have a convenient way to their lotts, which lott is to be understood to be a proper whole lutt.

Voted the same day that for encouragement of thirty families to go and settle first, they should have four thousand acres laid out to ihem on the northwest side of the road from Marlborough to Oxford providetl, and it is to be understood that such as appearand are allowed by the Committy do go and work upon their lotts within six weeks, and make a return to the Conimitty. And upon their default the Committy shall have liberty to putt in others as shall appear.

Voted the same day tliat the Committy shall go and survey the four thousand acres of laud, and lay out thirty home lots in it, containing forty acres per lott, !it the settlers' charge.

It seems that the survey of the land granted to the thirty families who should be approved by the committee and settle upon it within the time prescribed was made and the thirty lots of forty acres each were in due form laid out. But no settlement was effected during the year. It appears that no formal " Act of Incorporation " was ever secured, or asked for by the proprietors or settlers of the town. The following endorsement is on the back of a plan of the township on file in the land ofiice.

In the House of Representatives, June 18, 1715. Ordered that the Land described and Platted, on the other side, be allowed and confirmed to the Proprietor of the Township of Sutton. I'rovided it Intrench on no former grant. Sent up for concurrence.

The next meeting of the proprietors of which there is a record was held in Boston, IMarch 13, 1715-1(), at which the following votes were passed :

The same day it was voted that wheresoever any clay wan found in any num's lott, it should be foi' the use of the whole town till a pnhlicL place Was found for that use.

Voted the same day that the proprietors will be at half the charge of building a meetitig-honse and settling a minister for the first four years from the date hereof.

Voted the same day that the settlers shall have liberty to cutt grasse and timber in the Proprietor's laiicl till they come to improve and to ho laid out.

2 This lot embraced a tract of one hundred and nixteeu acres at the foot of Crooked Pond, and included the privilege of the stream tu the lower falls.

During this year (1716) three families were found of sufficient nerve and enterprise to pioneer the settlement of the town. These families were those of Benjamin Marsh, Elisha .Johnson and Natlianiel Johnson.

They built their cabins near the centre of the town, and spent there the winter of 1716-17. It proved a trying winter to them. It was the winter made memorable by the deep suow which fell the last of February, and wholly covered the cabins.

Elisha Johnson, whose cabin was located near the place cow occupied by Mr. Samuel Prescott, had left his family the morning of the day the great snow commenced falling, for the purpose of obtaining some supplies in Marlborough.

He was seen on his way by a friendly Indian, who, when the storm had subsided, started on snow-shoes for the little settlement, and found the cabin of Mr. Johnson by the hole which the smoke from the fire-place had made through the snow. His family would doubtless have perished had it not been for the kind forethought of this friendly Indian, Mrs. Johnson said " no human voice ever sounded half so sweet as did that." Other families were attrac'ed during the year 1717 by the offer of a farm for the taking, so that, at its close, the thirty fiimilies to whom a grant of four thousand acres had been made, and for whom homelots of forty acres each had been laid out, were on the ground.

The tract of land which the four thousand acres embraced was so located on the north side of the Oxford Road, that a north and south line dividing it into equal parts would pass directly through Singletary I^ake.

The home-lots fronted some of them on the Oxford Road, extending as far west as the place now occupied by Deacon John Marble, and east as far as the place now occupied by H. S. Stockwell. Five of them were north of and joining those most easterly and eight of them in what is now the " Eight Lots District " - the most easterly of these being the place now occupied by Mr. Solomon Severy.

These are tiie names of such ai are entered settlers in the four thousand acres that was given to them upon the conditions that they would go and settle first there and bear charge with the proprietors according to their agreement.

The plat of " Settlers' Land " contains four thousand nine hundred and sixty acres. The south line on the Oxford read was 1,240 rods, the west line 640, the north line 1,240, the ea,st 700 rods. Six hundred acres were allowed foi- " Crooked Pond " (Singletary Lake), and three hundred and sixty acres for fiirm. This farm was at the southwest corner of the plat, and fronted on the north side of the Oxford road, the east line being near Deacon Marble's house. For what purpose this farm was laid out cannot now be learned. There is no record with reference to the use to which it was put, and no allusion is made to it, only as bounding the land adjacent as this was apportioned among the settlers. The thirty persons above named style themselves " Proprietors of the four thousand acres," and kept a record of their meetings. This record contains little of interest, as it is mainly filled up with proceedings pertaining to the division of what remained of the four thousand acres among the occupants of the home-lots, and the boundaries of each man's portion.

The aim seems to have been so to divide the land that no one should have reason to complain that he had been wronged ; and that no dissatisfaction was expressed when the allotments were made is pleasing evidence of the good feeling which existed, and the disposition of all to see that exact justice was done.

The mill-lot to which reference has been made was assigned to Ebenezer Dagget, as appears from the following entry in the proprietors' records :

Ebenezer Dagget hath the mill-Iot with tlie privilege of the stream to the lower falls, upon condition that the said Dagget, or his Ileires, keep a Grist-mill for the use of the town ; and if the said Dagget denies or refuse to keep a mill for the use of the town he shall return the stream to the town again.

The first town-meeting was held at the house of Captain John Stockwell, December 3, 1718.-' This house was a small one, about titteeu feet by ten, and stood near the present dwelling of Mr. Simeon Stockwell. Elisha .Tohnson was elected moderator; and selectmen, a town clerk and a constable were chosen "to continue in office until the next March meeting."

Action was also taken on a proposition of the proprietors, that a committee be appointed to act with a committee whom they had chosen, to aid in the matter of building a meeting-house, and establishing the preaching of the Gospel.

- Not within the house, but at the house. The moderator, Elisha Johnson, stood upon a rock, nearly flat on one side, and this rock is the foundation-stone in the southeast corner of the cellar wall of the house now owned by Simeon Stockwell, and illustrated on page 235 of the ''History of Sutton."

Voted the same day that the four years charges for carrying on (he worship of Ood, and building a meeting-house should begin from this day above mentioued.

Voted the same day that there shall be twenty pounds raised by the Proprietors and settlers towards the carrying on of the woi-ship of God amongst them, which money is to be paid into the Clerk's hands to be improved for that use.

Voted the same day that Joiiatltan Diaper, Nathaniel Brigham, John Haye, and Nathaniel Brewer are a connnittee to agree with workmen to build and furnish a lueeting-house ; and the Proprietors obliged themselves and heires to bear their equal proportion of said charges.

'i'lie committee of the proprietors wlio wa.s chosen to nuinage the affairs relating to tlie settlement of the worship of God in this Town, having made application to the Town at this meeting, that a committee may be appointed by this Town to joyn with them to move forward and carry on proper managemeuts and agreements for said service -

Voted unanimously that the Town do now choose five persons to be a committee to joyn with the Proprietor's committee aforesaid, who siiall from time to time represent the Town in order to building and furnishing a Meeting-house in said Town, and it is Resolved, that William King, Samuel Stearns, Benjamin Marsli, John Stockwell and Freegrace "Marble or the Major part of them, be a comittee for said service.

That tliere siiould be a rate levied on the settlers of the four thousand acres, according to every man's right, of one hundred pountis to defray the charges of building the Meeting-house.

Voted the same day that "William King, Samuel Stearns and John Stockwell shall be a committy to get a minister, by the second Sabbath iu May, and so on for three months.

Another town-meeting was held December 25th, at which it was voted that Mr. Macinstree should have fifteen pounds for three months' preaching.

The meeting-house was built during this year. Its location was on the west side of the Common, and near by that of the Central School-house. It fronted toward the east, was about forty teet by thirty-six, had folding-doors in front and single ones at each end. It was lighted by two small windows of diamond glass set in leaden sashes, at each side and end for the lower floor, and one window of the same fashion and size in each side and end for the gallery.

The pulpit was on the west side of the house opposite the front door, which opened into the broad aisle. The seats first used seem to have been nothing more than ordinary benches with backs. The gallery extended across the front side and each eud, and had two rows of seats through its whole extent. Behind these seats there was a narrow platform which the children who could find no other place occupied. " A very convenient place," Deacon Leland quaintly remarks, " for idlers; not much chance, however, to escape detection, as the tything-man, in his official capacity, was ready to notice every delinquent."

From this point we leave the " Annals of Sutton," and shall give the further history under its appropriate "Topic," illustrating the character of the town by its public acts in support of churches, schools and libraries ; by its enterprise and thrift on the farm and in the manufactory ; by its prompt patriotism and self-sacrifice in both the earlier and the later war; by the personal history and public renown of many who have gone out from the town and others more potent in their influence on its history who have remained to mould its character ; only giving the following data as essential to its history and not included therein :

March 13, 1823, " voted to petition the General Court, at the next sessions, for the Inhabitance of Hassanamisco that dwell on the southwestward side of the Blackstone River to be laid to this Town."

The northeastern part of the town, embracing the Indian reservation of Ha.ssanamisco and a small portion of territory in addition, was incorporated as the town of Grafton in 1735.

April 10, 1778, the town of " Ward," comprised of parts of Sutton, Worcester, Leicester, and Oxford, was incorporated. The name was afterward changed to " Auburn."

November 24th measures were taken for erecting a new house, and the Building Committee was as follows : Amos Armsby, Jonas L. Sibley, Daniel Tenney, Elisha Hale and Nathaniel Woodbury. June 15, 1829, the corner-stone was laid, and the new church was dedicated February 24, 1830.