First Church gathered in Charlestown.

39.

ber of people, the artificers among them erected tents and temporary booths for their accommodation.

CHAP. VII.

Church gathered in Charlestown-First Court held there-Morton sentenced for stealing an Indian Cange-Boston, Watertown, and Roxbury settled-Description of the former-Scarcity and its good Effects---Account of Newbury---Arrival of Governor Winthorp's Family---Union of the two Colonies.

AS the great object of these christian pilgrims, in leaving their native country, and settling in this wilderness, was to“ enjoy the ordinances of the gospel, and worship the Lord Jesus Christ according to his own institutions," Governor Winthorp, Lieut. Governor Dudley, Mr. Johnson, and the Rev. Mr. Wil son, on the 30th of July, 1630, entered into a formal and so lemn covenant with each other, and thus laid the foundation of the church in Charlestown. This was the first ordination that took place in Massachusetts.

On the 23d of August, 1630, the first court of assistants was held at Charlestown on board the Arabella, consisting of Governor Winthorp, Deputy Governor Dudley, and Sir Richard Saltonstall, Messrs. Ludlow, Rossiter, Newell, T. Sharp, Pynchon, and Bradstreet, assistants. This court was formed for the determination of great affairs, civil and criminal; justices of the peace, invested with the same authority as like magistrates in England, and other officers, were appointed for the preservation of tranquillity. The first question that came before them was, “how the ministers should be maintained ?” On the proposal of Messrs. Wilson and Philips, the court ordered that houses should be built for them at the public charge, and the Governor and Sir Richard Saltonstall were appointed to carry the order into effect. It was at the same time ordered that Mr. Phillips's salary should be thirty pounds a year and Mr. Wilson's twenty pounds, "till his wife should come over." Thomas Wollaston, who had stolen a boat froin the Indians, was ordered to be brought before them for trial without delay. Carpenters, joiners, bricklayers, sawyers, and thatchers, were ordered to take no more than two shillings a day, under a penalty of ten shillings, to giver or taker, and Mr. Bradstreet was chosen secretary.

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Morton punished for Theft.

On the 7th of September, a second court was held at Charlestown, before which Morton was tried, condemned, and sentenced to be set in the bilboes, and afterwards to be sent prisoner to England by the ship called the Gift, now returning thither; that all his goods shall be seized to defray the charges of his transportation, payment of his debts, and to give satisfation to the Indians for a canoe he had unjustly taken from them; and that his house be burnt down to the ground, in sight of the Indians, for the many wrongs he had done them. All persons were forbidden to plant within the limits of their patent, without leave from the court; those persons who had set down at Agawam were ordered to remove; Trimountain they named Boston, Mattapan, Dorchester, and the town on Charles River, Watertown.

Before the following winter, Sir Richard Saltonstall, with Mr. Phillips and others, removed and formed a plantation at Watertown; the greater part of the church in Charlestown, with Mr. Wilson, removed and settled in Boston. Another company, with Mr. Pynchon at their head, settled at Roxbury.

At Charlestown they had been very sickly, which they ascribed to the water; the only spring they had discovered was overflowed at bigh water, and being informed by one Blaxton, who had been over to Boston and slept there, that he found good water in that place, Mr. Johnson and others crossed Charles' river, and began a settlement in November. Governor Winthorp soon followed them. Here they erected for themselves huts, and spent the winter, On the 6th of December the governor and assistants met, and agreed to fortify Boston Neck; but the design was relinquished shortly after, and instead of a fortification in this place, they concluded to build, the next spring, a fortified town on the spot near where Harvard University has since been established, then called New Town. In the spring following, the governor accordingly began to erect a house; and the deputy governor finished his, and removed his family. But the neighbouring Indians manifesting a friendly disposition, the apprehension of danger lessened, and the plan of a fortified town was relinquished. The governor determined to settle at Boston. This place was called Shawmut by the natives, but Trimountain by the English on account of its three hills. Afterward, from respect to Mr. Cotton, who came from Boston, in Lincolnshire, this peninsula was named Beston. The doubt and hesitancy exhibited by the first inhabitants respecting this spot, or a

place for their principal settlement, proved that they had little apprehensions of its physical advantages or future importance. For some time Dorchester was a large town, and Cambridge its powerful rival. So indifferent was its figure,

that sarcastically it was called Lost Town.

On the 24th of May, 1631, a fortification was begun on Fort Hill. The next day the people of Charlestown went over and assisted the day following the people of Dorchester went; Roxbury also lent their aid. But previous to this, in March, the court had ordered a market to be established in Boston, to be kept every Thursday, which was lecture day. On the fourth of this month, Samuel Cole had set up the first house of entertainment, and John Cogan the first merchant's shop. On the 16th of March was the first fire in Boston, two dwelling houses were consumed. The fire caught about noon in the chimney of Mr. Sharp's house, the splinters of which it was made, not being clayed. Catching the thatch on the roof, the wind drove the fire to Mr. Colburn's house, which was destroyed; the most of the goods were saved. This so alarmed the people," that, for the prevention of the like evil, it was ordered that in Newtown (now Cambridge, to be built the next summer) no man should build his chimney of wood, nor cover his house with thatch." In August the congregation of Boston and Charlestown began to build the first meeting-house in BosIt was erected in Cornhill.

ton.

The following account of Boston was written by a learned Englishman, who had visited Massachusetts, in 1633. "Boston," saith he," is two miles north-east of Roxborough. The situation is pleasant, being a peninsula, the bay of Roxborough on the south, Charles River on the north, marshes on the back side, not forty rods over, so that a little fence will secure their cattle from the wolves. The greatest wants are wood and meadow land, which never were in this place; their timber, and firewood, and hay, are brought from the islands. They are not troubled with musquitoes, wolves, or rattle snakes. Those who live here on their cattle, have farms in the country, the place being more suitable for those who trade. This neck of land is not above four miles in compass, in form almost square, has on the south side a great broad hill, on which is a fort, which commands the still bay. On the north side is another hill, equal in bigness, on which is a windmill: to the northwest is a high mountain, with three little rising hills on the top of it, wherefore it is called Tramount. Although this town

42

Description of Boston.

is not the greatest, nor richest, it is the most noted and frequented, being the centre of the plantations, where the month, ly courts are kept. The town has very good land, affording rich coru fields, and fruitful gardens, sweet and pleasant springs. The inhabitants keep their swine and cattle at Muddy River in the summer, while their corn is on the ground, but bring them to town in the winter."

In 1638 Boston was rather a village than a town, there not being above twenty or thirty houses. Though this town has suffered greatly by the small pox, by wars, and by many terrible fires, its increase and wealth has exceeded the most sanguiné expectations. It is by far the largest and most opulent town in New England; very few towns in North America are equal to it. In 1676 a fire destroyed forty-five dwelling houses; three years after eighty dwelling houses, seventy stores, and several vessels, were destroyed by fire. In 1711 a fire broke out in the centre of the town, and consumed all the houses on each side of Cornhill, from School Street to Market Square; but the most terrible conflagration was in 1760, when one hundred ani seventy-four dwelling houses were swept away, with one hundred and seventy-five warehouses, shops, and other buildings. The loss was estimated at one hundred thousand pounds sterling. In 17.7, and 1794, the fires consumed about two hundred buildings. Beside the fires mentioned, there have been many others, which destroyed a great number of buildings, and property of immense value. The siege in 1775 was calamitous to Boston; it was supposed as many buildings were destroyed then, as were burned in Charlestown.

As the winter approached, provisions became extremely scarce; the people were compelled to subsist on clams, muscles, groundnuts, and acorns, and even these were procured with great difficulty while the show covered the ground. These trials discouraged many; and when it was announced that the "governor had the last batch of bread in the oven," they almost despaired of receiving seasonable relief. They were moreover full of fears lest a ship, which had been dispatched to Ireland for provisions, had either been cast away, or taken by pirates. But God, in his good providence, sent them timely relief. In their trouble they had appointed a day to seek the Lord by fasting and prayer. Before the day came, the ship, with provisions competent to their necessities, arrived, and they changed the day of fasting into a day of thanksgiving.

Good Effects of Scarcity.

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After a winter of great sufferings the court convened, in the spring of 1631, and ordained, "that the governor and assistants shall, in future, be chosen by the freemen alone; that none should be admitted to the freedom of the company but such as were chosen members, who had certificates from their ministers that they were of orthodox principles: and that none but freemen should vote at elections, or act as magistrates or jurymen." This extraordinary law continued in force till the writ of quo warranto, in 1684, annihilated the government which erected it. In November this year, Governor Winthorp's wife and family arrived at Boston; when they came on shore they were honoured with a discharge of artillery; the militia assembled, and "entertained them with a guard and divers vollies;" the judges of the court and most of the people near the town went to salute them. For several days plenty of provisions was sent to them, "cows, fat hogs, kids, venison, poultry, geese, and partridges." Never had there been such rejoicing in New England. The eleventh of Noyember was a day of religious thanksgiving. The distresses endured the preceding season induced the colonists to pay great attention to the raising of provisions for their future support. To encourage a spirit so laudable and necessary, the court enacted" that Indian corn should be deemed a legal tender in discharge of debts." A great part of the cattle which had been imported from England had died; and a milch cow was now valued at twenty-five to thirty pounds sterling.

Two colonies, one at Plymouth, the other at Massachusetts, were now planted in New England. Both were critically situated in respect to their neighbours. The Plymouth settlers had erected a trading house at Penobscot about the year 1627;

of this the French from Accadie had taken possesion. This gave rise to complaints, on both sides, of incroachments on their respestive rights, which led finally to war between the parent countries.

In 1633 arrived a number of people in the ship Hector, who settled at Quafcacunquen. In May, 1634, arrived Mr. Thomas Parker and Mr. James Noyes. Mr. Parker, and about a hundred who came over with them, sat down at Ipswich, where he continued about a year, while Mr. Noyes preached at Medford. In May, 1635, some of the principal people of Ipswich petitioned the general court for liberty to remove to Quafcacunquen, which was granted, and the place incorporated by the pame of Newbury. This was the tenth church gathered in the