HISTORY OF WORCESTER. GENERAL HISTORY. CHAPTER I. ( First Period, from 1664 to 1675 first settlement. Grants to Increase Nowell and Thomas Noyes. Report of exploring Committee, 1668. Petition of Committee of settlement, 1669. Project for settlement. Difficulties with Ephraim Curtis, 1674. Indian deed. Grants of lands to settlers, 1675. View of the plantation, in 1675. Hostilities with the Indians. Settlement abandoned. Few years elapsed after the first settlement of Massachusetts before the outposts of cultivation were advanced far and fast into the wilderness. The stream of emigration soon began to flow westward from its fountain. Eight years after the landing of the Pilgrims, in 1628, Salem was planted. The next year, Lynn was inhabited. In 1630, Boston was founded, and Cambridge and Watertown occupied. Concord was purchased of the natives and commenced in 1635. Sudbury, begun in 1638, sent out colonies to Marlborough, incorporated in 1660. The swelling population pushed farther onward the frontier of improvement. The fertile region around Worcester early attracted attention. When the title of the vast region, acquired from the defeated savage, vested, by undisputed right, in the whole people, the wise policy of government encouraged settlement, while it rewarded patriotic exertions in the public service, and aided objects and institutions of general utility, by gratuities of portions of the forest. In 1657, May 6, a grant of 3200 acres of land was made to Mr. Increase Nowell, of Charlestown.1 May 6, 1662,2 1000 acres were bestowed on the church in Malden, to be forever appropriated to the use of its minis try: Oct. 19, 1664, 250 acres were given to Ensign Thomas Noyes, of Sudbury, who had served under Capt. Hugh Mason.1 These were all, subsequently, located in the vicinity of Quinsigamond.2 The favorable impression from the surveys, excited enterprize to undertake that plantation, which long retained the original name, borrowed from the beautiful sheet of water spreading in the neighborhood of the settlement. John Haynes and Josiah Haynes, of Sudbury, and Nathaniel Treadaway, of Watertown, with Thomas Noyes, purchased the right of Increase Nowell, of his Executors, and, on the 18th of May, 1664, having procured the acceptance of a return, became proprietors of a wide tract, extending along the east side of Quinsigamond, including two of its southern islands, near the going out of Nipnapp River.' They petitioned the Great and General Court for the ap pointment of a Committee, to view the country. In compliance with their request, Capt. Daniel Gookin, Capt. Edward Johnson, Lt. Joshua Fisher and Lt. Thomas Noyes, were commissioned, Oct. 11, 1665,4 to make survey, to determine if there be a 'meet place for a plantation, that it may be improved for that end, and not spoiled by granting of farms,' and directed to report the results of their examination to the next Court of Elections. The death of Thomas Noyes, which occurred soon after, and the difficulties arising from the disturbed state of the country, having prevented the execution of this order, the attention of the colonial legislature was again directed to the contemplated settlement, in 1667. On the 15th of May5 of that year, Capt. Daniel Gookin, Capt. Edward Johnson, Mr. Samuel Andrew, and Andrew Belchar senior, were empowered, as a Committee,6 to take an exact view, as soon as conveniently they can, to make true report whether the place be capable to make a village, and what number of families, they conceive, may be there accommodated. And if they find it fit for a plantation, then to offer some meet expedient how the same may be settled and improved for the public good.' 1 Colony Records, iv. 461. 2 The orthography of Indian names is quite uncertain. The same word is not only written in different manner by contemporary authors, but assumes various shapes in the same instrument. The ancient name of Worcester appears in these, among other forms: Quansiggemuck, Quinsigamug, Quansicamoag, Quansitamud, Quonsiquómon, Quansigamon, Quansiquomog, Quanciggugug, Quonsogogoag. Quinsigamond, has been established by most general use, and is therefore adopted. The true reading was probably Quonsigamoag. 3 Nipmuck, now Blackstone's River. 4 Colony Rec. iv. 562. ib. iv. 587. 6 Notices of the committees of settlement, and of some of the early planters, will be found in the succeeding pages. 1668.] COMMITTEE'S REPORT. 3 Gookin, Johnson, and Belchar, discharged the duty assigned them, in the autumn of the following year, and presented a report on the 20th Oct. 1668,1 which exhibits an interesting outline of the views entertained in former times, and of the general principles adopted in the formation of towns. 'The Committee's return about a new plantation near Quandsigamond Ponds. Boston, 20 Oct. 1668. We have, according to the Court's order, bearing date 15th May, 1667,2 viewed the place therein mentioned, and find it to be about twelve miles westward from Marlborough, near the road to Springfield, and that it contains a tract of very good chesnut tree land; a large quantity but the meadow we find not so much; because a very considerable quantity of meadow and upland, about, five thousand acres, is laid out unto particular persons, and confirmed by this Court, as we are informed, which falls within this tract of land; viz; to Ensign Noyes deceased and his brethren, three thousand two hundred acres unto the church of Malden, one thousand acres unto others, five hundred acres, bought of Ensign Noyes; but, all this notwithstanding, we conceive, there may be enough meadow for a small plantation, or town, of about thirty families and if those farms be annexed to it, it may supply about sixty families. Therefore, we conceive it expedient, that the honored Court will be pleased to reserve it for a town, being conveniently situated, and well watered with ponds and brooks, and lying near midway between Boston and Springfield, about one day's journey from either: and, for the settling thereof we do offer unto the Court that which follows: viz : That there be a meet proportion of land granted and laid out for a town, in the best form the place will bear, about the contents of eight miles square: That a prudent and able committee be appointed and empowered to lay it out to admit inhabitants, and order the affairs of the place, in forming the town, granting lots, and directing and ordering all matters of a prudential nature, until the place be settled with a sufficient number of inhabitants and persons of discretion, able to order the affairs thereof, in the judgment of the Court: That due care be taken by the said Committee, that a good Minister of God's word be placed there, as soon as may be that such people as may be there planted may not live like lambs in a large place: That there be two or three hundred acres of land, with a proportion of meadow, in some convenient place, at the discretion of the Committee, reserved, and laid out for the Commonwealth; and the Committee to have power and liberty to settle inhabitants thereupon, for lives or times, upon a small rent, to be paid after the first seven years.' Daniel Gookin. Edward Johnson. This report was approved and accepted, its recommendations confirmed, and Capt. Daniel Gookin, Capt. Thomas Prentice, Mr. Daniel Henchman, and Lt. Richard Beers, appointed a Committee to carry them into execution. At the distance of more than a century and a half, when we see the hills and vallies of the 'very good chesnut tree land' explored by the committee, thickly dotted with the homes of the husbandman and the villages of the manufacturer, traversed by canal and railway, and supporting a dense population, their estimate of the capacity of the tract, eight miles square, to maintain thirty or sixty families, furnishes strong contrast between their humble anticipations and our overflowing prosperity. At the period when the examination took place, meadow lands were esteemed of high value, and were, indeed, essential for the support of the new settlements. The low grounds, cleared of woods by the industry of the beaver, erecting dams to flood their surfaces; by the waste of fires kindled by the hunter; or the action of streams; afforded the only pasturage that could be obtained, until the forest had been hewn away, and the herbage rose upon the cultivated fields. Notwithstanding, the Great and General Court, by their order, May 15, 1667, had prohibited the laying out of lands within the new plantation, a location had been subsequently made, in right of Ensign Noyes. His heirs had sold to Ephraim Curtis, of Sudbury, afterward distinguished for his gallantry and good conduct in the war with the Indians. The Committee, embarrassed by the selections made by the claimants under the old grants, on the 27th of May, 1669,1 presented the following petition for relief from the difficulties which had arisen, to retard the progress of settlement. 'We, the Committee of the General Court, whose names are subscribed, being appointed and empowered to lay out, settle and manage a plantation, at or about Quansigamond Pond, twelve miles beyond Marlborough, in the road way to Springfield and Hadley, which place is very commodious for the situation of a town, the better to 1 Col. Rec. iv. 426. 1669.] COMMITTEE'S PETITION. 5 unite and strengthen the inland plantations, and, in all probability, will be advantageous for travellers, it falling near midway between Boston and Springfield, and about a day's journey from either; we, having lately been upon the place, to make an exact discovery and survey thereof, accompanied with sundry honest and able persons that are willing forthwith to settle themselves there but finding some obstructions in the work, which, unless this Court please to remove, and, we conceive, they may justly do it, the proceeding will be utterly hindered; and, therefore, we shall humbly offer them unto the honored Court, desiring help therein: 1. We find, that, though the place contains a tract of good land, yet, it is much straitened for meadow. We cannot find above three hundred acres of meadow belonging to it, within several miles: but, there are swamps and other moist lands, that, in time, with labor and industry, may make meadow. 2. We find, that there is a grant of one thousand acres to the ministry of Malden, May the 7th, 1662, which grant is laid out in this place. This farm contains a choice tract of land, and swallows up about one hundred acres of the aforesaid meadow; but the condition of the grant, as the record will declare, is, that it be improved, within three years after the grant, for the ends wherefore it was granted; but that being not done; for it is now above six years since, and no improvement made; we apprehend, the grant is void: but yet, if the Court please to renew it, in any other place, we speak not to oppose it: but, if it be continued and confirmed in this place, it will utterly hinder the settling of a plantation here. 3. There is another grant of land, unto Ensign Noyes, deceased, laid out in this place, containing two hundred fifty acres of choice land, with a considerable quantity of meadow, lying in the heart of this place; and by him was sold to one Ephraim Curtis, a young man living in Sudbury. We desire that the Court will please to make void this grant; being not laid out regularly for quantity or quality, as we conceive, and it will very much prejudice this town. The person concerned may have his land in another place, bordering upon this town, where there is sufficient to accommodate it, and also may have a lot in this town, if he desire it. 4. Whereas, the Court, in their grant of this town, hath reserved two or three hundred acres of land, with a proportion of meadow, to be laid out for the Commonwealth; if it please the Court, because of the straitness for meadow, to abate that reservation, so far as concerns meadow, it will greatly encourage the work. If the honored Court please to remove these obstructions, we |
