Newbury Town

Newbury Town

The town of Nev/bury is situated in the extreme northeastern part of Essex county, as well as that of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It touches the sea coast and is noted for its early and later ship-building operations. In the same part of the county is found both West Newbury and the city of Newburyport. It was named from an English town derived from Burgus or borough, later reduced to "New Bourg" or "New Town" and finally to Newburg; but when it came to be written and rewritten in records, it commenced to be spelled Newbury, possibly from the fact that the letters "y" and "g", v/hen written, are similar in appearance.

Prior to 1634 there resided a Rev. Thomas Parker, who taught a free school in England at New Bourg; he was the only son of a Rev. Robert Parker, of whom it was said by Cotton Mather that "he was one of the greatest scholars in England." Rev. Thomas Parker, the son, came to the shores of New England in the month of May, 1634, with a company numbering about one hundred persons, who first went to Ipswich, then styled Agawam, to locate. After passing the winter in Ipswich, it was discovered that there were so many people there that the company swarmed out to other parts to the eastward. Thus it came about that Rev. Parker and many of his English friends settled at what is now Newbury. For all practical purposes, the date of this settlement may well be fixed as in May, 1635, a year after the party of emigrants arrived from England. They v/ent by water through Plum Island Sound and thence up the river, to which they gave the name of their honored leader. Their landing place was not far from the bridge later constructed, and on the north side of the river. About forty persons made up this colony that first braved the "Wild New England Shore." The list is as follows : Thomas Parker, James Noyes and wife, John Woodbridge, Henry Sewall and servants, James Browne and wife, Francis Plumer and wife, Nich- olas Easton and wife, John Easton, William Moody and wife and four sons, Anthony Short, Henry Short and wife, John Spencer, Richard Kent, Sr. and wife, Richard Kent, Jr., Stephen Kent and wife, James Kent, Nicholas Noyes, Thomas Browne, Richard Browne, George Brown, Thomas Coleman, Joseph Plumer and Samuel Plumer. Others soon joined this band, including Richard Dummer and John and Richard Pike, also John Emery, and soon after they had settled (probably in June or July, 1635), the first church was organized. Mr. Parker preached his first sermon in the open air, under the shade of a huge oak tree 'more than a century old, that stood a hundred yards below the Rowley bridge of later days.

The first houses clustered about the meeting-house, as was the order of the court in those times, which was a means of family safety. An order read as follows : "No dwelling house shall be built over a half mile from the meeting-house on any new plantation without leave from the court, except mills and farm-houses of such as have their dwellings in town."

The court ordered an election in 1636, at which the following men were chosen as town oflScers, as they were later styled, but no such system had yet come into general use in New England, yet this was the prime germ from which the present selectmen system originated. The first officers as above referred to were: Edward Woodman, John Woodbridge, Henry Short, Christopher Hussey, Richard Kent, Richard Brown, and Richard Knight. In 1637 occurred the Pequot War, and Newbury furnished eighty men.

The last-named year, Richard Dummer, John Spencer and Nicholas Easton were disarmed by the General Court for holding erroneous theological opinions. Spencer returned to England, Easton removed to Rhode Island, but Richard Dummer remained in Newbury. After Spencer had departed, a mill which he and Dummer had erected was carried on by Dummer, as is shown by the (now) odd worded instrument of agreement:

August 6, 1688. Whereas it is agreed with Mr. Eichard Dummer of Newbury, by the persons whose names are underwritten, hereunto subscribed, that in case Mr. Dummer doe make his mill fitt to grynd come and doe maintaine the same as also doe keep a man to attend grynding of come, then they, for their part, will send all the come that they shall have ground, and doe likewise promise that all the rest of the towne (if it lye in their power to promise the same) shall also bring their corne, from tyme to tyme, to be ground at the same mill period. And it is further agreed that (the afore mentioned conditions being observed by Mr. Dummer) there shall not be any other mill erected within the sayd towne.)

village site had much of interest in any new community. In 1640 the town of Salisbury was incorporated, and shortly after the town granted to George Carr the island which still bears his name. Carr was appointed ferryman by the court, and thus Newbury, which had been the border town on the east, became connected with the new town, which now enjoyed that distinction. This naturally drew Newbury people away from their first settlement place on the banks of the Parker river, and attracted them nearer to Merrimac. This resulted in the platting of the new town farther to the north, and the removal of the meeting-house to a new site. This new town site was set off January, 1644.

The new century opened with an increasing, though widely scattered, population. The people residing on the borders of Newbury and Rowley erected a meeting-house in 1701-2, and combined the names of the two towns, at first called the parish of "Rowlbury." In 1704 the parish was incorporated as "Byefield Parish." The Dummer and Sewall families did not live in harmony, as had their forefathers, and when they were about to find a name for the new parish, each family wanted its own name. The matter was taken to court, and finally someone asked to have the parish named after his Honor, Judge By field. This was readily agreed to, and the good judge generously donated the church a silver communion set, also a bell. The silver tankards were subsequently burned with the church building.

During the Indian and Revolutionary Wars, as well as later struggles, the Military chapter of this part of Massachusetts will show that the Newbury citizens were loyal to their adopted country, the same being true ever since in the descendants to our own day, - to the close of the terrible World War of 1918.

Saw-mills, fulling-mills and flour-mills made up the list of early industries in Newbury; next came the period of tan-yards and ropewalks. After the incorporation of Newburyport and West Newbury, the old industries mostly died out, with a few exceptions ; for instance, the ship-building industry, which was transferred to the newly-formed municipalities. In 1794 the first incorporated woolen mill in the State was the factory of Guppy & Armstrong, of Newburyport. Besides the large woolen mills on the river, there were two snuff-mills; near the railroad station was a shoe factory at Byfield, carried on by J. 0. Rogers, with a product of a thousand cases per year.

The business connected with ship-building at Newbury was at first carried on at the Parker river. The boats there constructed were doubtless small sloops of a light draught. As early as 1652 mention is made in a pamphlet of "an old building-yard" on Carr's Island, and it shows the launching of numerous boats from here at about that date. Under authority of the government, a report gives the name and tonnage of one hundred and six boats between 1698 to 1851, enrolled at the Newburyport Custom-House, as being one hundred and twenty- eight. Between 1793 and 1852, the number of boats registered at the Newburyport Custom-House was three hundred and twenty, making a total of various types of vessels constructed in and near Newbury, six hundred and fifty-four. After 1851, when the territory on the river between Newburyport and West Newbury was annexed to Newburyport, the Newbury ship-yards were within the city limits, and shipbuilding in Newbury ceased.

The annals of this town should not fail to give a brief account of at least one individual whose inventive genius has in his career revolutionized many an industry. We refer to Paul Pillsbury, who resided at the old Pillsbury estate at Byfield. Among other articles invented by this gentleman may be named the universally used shoe-peg, which revolutionized the shoe-maker's trade, for prior to that date all work about shoe soles had been accomplished by sewing. He also invented and placed on the market a machine to manufacture shoe-pegs, instead of making by hand as at first. He also made shuttles for the cotton factories. His first invention was a corn-sheller, for which he received a Letters Patent in 1803, this being the first attempt at shelling corn in any other manner than by hand-work. In 1808 he obtained a patent on a bark-mill, the foundation of all types of small mills such as paintmills, coffee-mills, spice-mills, etc., now in use the world over. The old way of treating bark for tanning vats had hitherto been accompUshed by rolling it with a grindstone of huge proportions, the same usually being run by a horse. Other inventions of Mr. Pillsbury included a rotary fire-engine, a seed-sower, churn, a gold-washer and sifter, coffee roaster, coffee-mill, window fastener, bee-hive and other useful articles. It is believed that this inventive genius was from the same family of Pillsbury stock from which descended the Minneapohs Pillsbury family - the great flour-making men and politicians of thp West.

It would take a volume to give a detailed account of the various rehgious societies within this town since its first settlement. Ail that will be attempted in this connection will be to give some of the more important facts concerning the church life of the town. Coffin's history of Newbury says: "The people having built a ministry-house, a meetmg-house which was soon used as a schoolhouse, had a ferry established at Carr's Island, and became an orderly community, and began not only to lay out roads, but as they were rapidly extending their settlement farther north, to take special care of the town's timber."

In 1660 the second meeting-house was built. It was in this building that was enacted an extraordinary exhibition by a former member Lydia Wardwell, of her naked person during divine service. For this offense she was taken to Salem and sentenced to be whipped and pay court costs. This poor misguided woman, whose maiden name was Perkins, was the wife of Eliakin Wardwell, of Hampton. The strange

His wife Lydia, being a young woman and tender and chaste woman, seeing the wickedness of your priests and rulers to her husband, was not at all offended at the truth, but as your wickedness abounded, so she withdrew and separated from your church at Newbury, of which she was sometimes a member, and being given up to the leading of the Lord, after she had been often sent for to come thither, to give a reason for such a separation, it being at length on her, in the consideration of their miserable condition, who were thus blinded with ignorance and persecution, to go to them, and as a sign of them she went (though it was exceeding hard to her modest and shame-faced disposition) naked amongst them, which put them into such a rage, instead of consideration, they soon laid hands on her, and to the court at Ipswich led her, where without law, they condemned her to be tyed to the fence post of the tavern, where they sat, and there sorely lashed her with twenty or thirty cruel stripes. And this is the discipline of th« church of Newbury, in New England, and this is their religion and their usage of the handmaid of the Lord, who, in a great cross to her natural temper, came thus among them, a sign, indeed, significatory enough to them, and suitable to their state, who under the vision of religion were thus blended into cruel persecution.

This singular incident is given today, only to show a wide reform since those far away years in the first century of New England's settlement and today.

Just before 1686 were the famous trials of Caleb Powell and Ehzabeth Morse for witchcraft, the two cases being the only ones connected with that strange condition of affairs in New England from Newbury. William Morse, the husband of Elizabeth Morse, was the supposed victim. Powell was acquitted, and Mrs. Morse, after condemnation to death, was finally reprieved.

The Baptist church was formed at Newbury in 1682, with members including these : George Little, Philip Squire, Nathaniel Cheney, William Sayer, Benjamin Morse, Edward Woodman, John Sayer, and Abel Merrill.

To those interested in the church history of this town and its environments, it may be stated that among the various ministers who held a prominent paii; in the settlement and eventual development of the country, these were included: Rev. Richard Brown, First Parish; Rev. Moses Hale of the Byfield Parish ; Rev. Toppan ; Rev. Oliver Noble of the Fifth Parish; Rev. Isaac Smith, of Boston; Rev. Elijah Parish and Rev. Moses Parsons, and others whose names have been missed with the flight of time.

The Methodist Episcopal church was formed in Byfield in 1827, by Rev. William French. The first class consisted of these: David Clifford (leader), Simon Pillsbury, James Burrel, Jerusha Burrel, Alice Pillsbury, Eleanor Perry, Amos Pillsbury, Sally Clifford, Hannah England, William W. Perry, Abner Rogers, Betsey Poor. The same year a neat chapel was built near the Great Rock. This was so small, however, and without seats, that the women stood within the building.

Town Of Newbury 91

some seated on stones which they had brought in from outside, and the men standing on the outside looking in through the open windows. In 1831 a church proper was formed and was a part of the New England Conference. It was styled "The First Parish of The Methodist Episcopal Church for the towns of West Newbury and Newbury." To give a list of the many ministers who served this church so many years is not considered in keeping with this brief church history. Suffice it to say, this church grew and prospered, and has usually been supplied with an average talented minister, down through all the years to the present time.

A society of the Plymouth Brethren was formed here in 1877, as seceders from the Methodist church. It was an English denomination, and never attained any great strength in America.

Total number of male polls assessed, 393; Total number of registered voters, 201; Total number of females registered, 139; Total number of male voters, 20b; Total number of female voters, 118; Total number of persons assessed on property, 405; Value of assessed personal estate, $325,573.00; Value of assessed real estate, buildings, $732,800.00; Value of assessed real estate, lands, $565,408.00; Total assessed valuation, $1,298,208.00.

The United States Census reports gave the population of this town in 1900 as 1,601 ; in 1910 it was 1,483 ; and the 1920 enumeration shows only 1,303. Many of the younger persons have removed, and a goodly number of farmers within the town have for a decade and more been retired citizens in Newburyport, hence the decrease.

Byfield Village is within Newbury, and according to recent statistics it has the following business interests, etc. : Dummer Academy, in South Byfield; BilHard and pool rooms - Orrin B. Tarbox, Central Byfield; Hariy L. Leeming, blacksmith; the Byfield Felt Manufactory; grocers, Charles J. Cheney, William P. Pearson; ice dealer, William N. Sanborn ; physician, Dr. Gorham D. Rogers ; provisions, Rodney M. Hills, Albert H. Woodman ; snuff makers, the Byfield Snuff Company ; blanket makers, (woolen) , the Byfield Felt Company.