four years. The Rev. Jacob Flint, the next minister, was settled here in 1798. A Trinitarian church was built here in 1826, and Rev. Aaron Picket was installed the first pastor.

This town is noted for its rocky coasts, and for the numerous shipwrecks which have taken place on its borders. Cohasset rock, which consists of several small islands and sunken rocks, lies about three miles north-east of the harbor; they have proved fatal to many vessels. This town has become quite a place of resort for citizens and strangers, in summer months, to enjoy the marine scenery and sea air. In 1837, there were 36 vessels employed in the cod and mackerel fishery, the tonnage of which was 2,284; codfish caught, 750 quintals, valued at $2,250; mackerel caught, 11,700 barrels, value, $73,286; hands employed, 324. In five years preceding 1837, there were 17 vessels built, the tonnage of which was 2,765, valued at $110,600. Population, 1,331. Distance, 6 miles from Hingham, and about 16 miles to Boston by

water.

11

DEDHAM.

THE settlement of this town was commenced in 1635. In that year, the general court, then sitting at Newtown, (now Cambridge,) granted a tract of land south of Charles river to 12 men. The next year 19 persons, including the first 12, petitioned the general court for an additional grant, lying on both sides of Charles river, which was made, agreeably to this petition. The last-mentioned grant included the territory of the present town of Dedham, and of a number of other towns in the vicinity. The first recorded public meeting was on the 15th of August, 1636, at which were present 18 persons. These adopted a covenant, by which each individual bound himself " to give information concerning any person who applied for admission, to submit to such fines as might be imposed for violation of rules, and to obey all such bye-laws and regulations as the inhabitants shall judge necessary for the management of their temporal affairs, for religion, and for loving society."

The government of the town was delegated by the freemen to 7 men, who were to be chosen annually. These 7 men met monthly, for many years, made many necessary bye-laws, which were recorded in the records of the town. Concerning the appropriation of the land, each man was provided with a lot of 12 acres if married, and 8 acres if unmarried; this to begin with. The after grants seem to have been made according to the necessities of members, or as a reward for services performed. The number of persons in a family was also made a rule by which to divide the lands; quality, rank or desert and usefulness in the church or commonwealth was also a rule considerable in the apportionment.

In a petition to the general court the inhabitants requested that the town might be called Contentment; which name is written over the record of the first several meetings. It would seem that the word well expresses the leading motives of the first 24 settlers in coming into this town. They were soon, however, associated with men of somewhat a different and higher character. The celebrated John Rogers, of Dedham, in England, had been forbidden to preach before the first settlers came to this country. Many of his people emigrated, and numbers settled in this place. From that circum

stance, it may reasonably be inferred that the general court gave to the town the name of Dedham. The first settlers were more immediately from Watertown. They were as follows, viz.:

In July, 1637, John Allin and Eleazer Lusher, and ten other persons, came to Dedham, bringing recommendations, and were at the same time admitted freemen. These 12 persons gave a more decided character to the whole company. The following is the list of freemen who had been admitted into Dedham previous to 1647.

The first settlers located themselves on the margin of the meadows, near the modern center. Each house-lot consisted of a part upland and a part meadow. These lots were laid out in narrow parallel slips. It is stated in Worthington's History of Dedham,* that in 1664, ninety-five small houses, near each other, were situated within a short distance of the place where the court-house stands; the greater part of them east of that place and around Dwight's brook. A row of houses stood on the north side of High street, as that road was then called which extends from the bridge over Dwight's brook westwardly by the court-house. The greater number of these houses were built soon after the first settlement commenced. Four only of these were valued at £20; the greater number were worth from 3 to 10 pounds. At the time these houses were built, there were but very few carpenters, joiners, or masons in the colony. There was no saw-mill in the settlement for many years. The only boards which could be procured at first were those which were sawed by hand. The saw-pits yet to be seen denote that boards were sawed in the woods. The necessary materials of glass and nails were scarcely to be obtained. These houses, therefore, must have been principally constructed by farmers, not by mechanics, and have been very rude and inconvenient. Most of them were probably covered with thatch roofs. By an ordinance of the town, a ladder was ordered to extend from

"The History of Dedham from the beginning of its Settlement, in September, 1635, to May, 1827, by Erastus Worthington." It is to this work the author is principally indebted for the facts in the history of this town. The "Historical Address" of Samuel F. Haven, Esq., on the second centennial anniversary, in 1836, with notes, is also another valuable publication respecting the history of this town.

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the ground to the chimney, as a substitute for a more perfect fire engine. Around these houses nothing was seen but stumps, clumsy fences of poles, and an uneven and unsubdued soil.

Where the meeting-house of the first parish now stands, there stood for more than 30 years a low building, 36 feet long and 20 wide, 12 feet high, with a thatched roof, and a large ladder resting upon it. This was the first meeting-house. Near by was the school-house, standing on an area of 18 feet by 14, and rising to 3 stories; the third story, however, was a watch-house, of small dimensions, and which stood beside the ample stone chimney. The spectator there elevated might view the plain, the site of the present village, then a common plough-field, containing about 200 acres of cleared land, partially subdued, yet full of stumps and roots. Around him at a further distance were the herd-walks, as the common feeding lands were called, in the language of that time. One of these herd-walks was on Dedham Island, north of Charles river, and one was on East street, and more fully in view. The other herd-walk was on South Plain. The meadows were not yet cleared to any great extent. Beyond these herd-walks was a continued wilderness, which was becoming more disagreeable to the inhabitants, for the cattle, goats and sheep seem to have allured the wolves to their neighborhood. The dense swamps about Wigwam were not yet cleared. The numer ous dogs in the plantation, which were so troublesome to the worshipping assembly, were not a sufficient guard against the wolves; and the killing of these animals was encouraged by a considerable bounty. A law of the colony, as well as the dangers of the people from Indian assaults, compelled the first settlers to build their houses near each other. The necessity of adhering to this law continued more than 50 years. But as soon as the inhabitants could live with safety on their farms, houses were built in all parts of the present town. In about 70 years' time, the humble village of the first settlers had disappeared, and the place was occupied by a few farmers for about 100 years. When Dedham became the county town, in 1793, the second village was begun on the place of the former.* The first school-house in Dedham was built in 1648. The master's salary until 1695 was £20; it was then raised to £25. The early settlers at various times made grants of land for the support of schools, and in 1680, Dr. William Avery gave £60 for a Latin school, but from mismanagement these funds were many years ago lost.

The first settlers early procured a minister, built a meetinghouse, and performed every other act necessary for the immediate establishment of public worship among them. They erected the first meeting-house in 1637. The pitts (as the pews are called in the records) were 5 feet deep and 4 wide. The elders' seat and the deacons' seat were before the pulpit; the communion-table stood before these seats, and was so placed that the people could approach it on three sides. This house was pulled down in 1672, and one much larger erected on the site of the old one. This house had 3 pair of stairs in 3 corners of the interior. Men were seated in the galleries on one side, and women on the other; the boys in front. The duty of a tythingman in those days was arduous, and he received as much pay for his services, many years, as the deputy to the general court. He was obliged to go on errands for the elders, whip the dogs out of the meeting-house, and prevent disorder among the boys. The business of seating persons in these two houses came under the jurisdiction of the

The first settlers brought with them a number of small hand-mills, with which to grind their grain; the stones of which were about 2 feet in diameter. The stones of 2 of these hand-mills are stated to be yet remaining in the town. The first water-mill in Dedham was built in 1640. In 1664, a saw-mill was built on Neponset river, by Joshua Fisher. In 1681, a fulling-mill was built on Mother brook, by Draper and Fairbanks.