Curiosities of History: BOSTON
September Seventeenth,
1630-1880.
BY
WILLIAM W. WHEILDON.
SECOND EDITION.
"Ringing clearly with a will
What she was is Boston still."
--Whittier.
BOSTON:
LEE AND SHEPARD, PUBLISHERS. NEW YORK:
CHARLES T. DILLINGHAM.
1880.
Copyright, 1880,
By WILLIAM W. WHEILDON.
Author's Address:
Box 229, Concord, Mass.
Franklin Press:
Rand, Avery, & Company,
117 Franklin Street, Boston.
AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED TO MY WIFE,
1
JULIET REBECCA WHEILDON, IN COMMEMORATION OF THE Fifty-first Year of our Married Life, MAY 28, 1880.
WILLIAM W. WHEILDON.
[Pg v] INTRODUCTION.
It seems proper to say in offering this little volume to the public, that no attempt has been made to exhaust the subjects of which the papers respectively treat; but rather to enlarge upon matters of historical interest to Boston, which have been referred to only
in a general way by historians and previous writers.--This idea rather than any determination to select merely curious topics, has in a large measure influenced the writer; and the endeavor has been to treat them freely and fairly, and present what may be new, or comparatively new, concerning them, from such sources as are now accessible and have been open to the writer. It is not, however, intended to say that an impulse towards some curious matters of history has not been indulged, and, indeed, considering the subjects and materials which presented themselves, could scarcely have been avoided, which was by no means desirable. Although it has been impertinently said, that "the most curious[Pg vi] thing to be found is a woman not curious," we submit that curiosity is a quality not to be disparaged by wit or sarcasm, but is rather the germ and quality of progress in art and science and history.
It has been impossible to correct or qualify, or perhaps we might say avoid, all the errors, mistakes, or contradictions, which have been encountered in preparing these pages; and very possibly we may have inadvertently added to the number. At all events, with
our best endeavors against being drawn into or multiplying errors, we lay no claim to invulnerability in the matter of accuracy, or im-maculacy in the way of opinions; and we very sincerely add, if errors or mistakes have been made and are found, we shall be glad to be apprised of them. There are errors in our history which it is scarcely worth the while to attempt to correct, although they are not to be countenanced and should not be repeated.
A period of two hundred and fifty years since the settlement of the town includes and covers a history of no ordinary character, involving progress and development, not merely of customs, manners and opinions, but of principles, passions and government. The city is a creation, as it were, by the art and industry of man; and, with the reverence of Cotton Mather himself, we add, "With the help of God!" and we [Pg vii]venture the comparison that no change or growth, improvement or embellishment, is to be found in the settlement or the city, that may not be paralleled in the growth, advancement and elevation of its people: indeed, we go even farther than this, the material progress to be seen around us, in all its multifarious forms and combinations, item by item, small or great, is indicative only of the advancement of the people, and marks the progress of moral, mental and intellectual power--of art, science and knowledge.
We take this opportunity to acknowledge our indebtedness to several friends for the loan and use of many rare and valuable works in the preparation of this history, and in particular to Messrs. John A. Lewis and John L. DeWolf, of Boston, and Mr. J. Ward Dean, of the N. E. His. Gen. Society.
[Pg viii]
[Pg ix]
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
I. Topography of Boston. 13
The Peninsula. Two Islands.
2
Anne Pollard.
Curious Descriptions. The Mill Creek.
Great South Cove. The North Cove. Boston Common.
II. The Public Ferries. 27
The Great Ferry. Order of Court, Nov. 1630. Lease to Edward Converse. Ferry to Winnisimmet; Grant to Harvard College. Bad "peag," money. Wampompeague.
Judge Sewall over the Ice. Charlestown mother of Boston. Andros Revolution and Fires. Portsmouth Stage.
Paul Revere crossing.
III. The Boston Cornfields. 37
Spragues at Charlestown; Dividing the Land;
Corn from the Indians; Fencing the Fields, &c.
The Cornfields and Pastures;
The Granary.
IV. Puritan Government. 45
Authority of the Company. Ex post facto Laws.
Punished for a pun. Fines and Ear-cropping. Whipping through three towns. Set in his own Stocks.
Regulating the Dress of Women. The "Body of Liberties."
Ward on Kissing Women. John Dunton on the Laws.
V. Narragansett Indians. 57
Murder of Mr. Oldham.
Visit of Miantonomo to Gov. Vane, Treaty, &c. Narragansett Art.
Coining money. Marriage of Children. Egyptian Custom. Marriage of Cleopatra.
VI. Names of Places, Streets, &c. 62
Curious Indian Names; Names of Streets, Taverns, &c.; Paddy Alley and William Paddy; Dates of the Streets and Lanes;
Royal Names, Names of Patriots, Puritans and Union Names; Names of Taverns and Shops;
Number of Streets and Wharves.
3
[Pg x]
VII. Persecution of the Quakers. 74
Church Government and Civil Government. Interference of the King.
Arrival of Quakers, 1656. Execution of Quakers. Order from the King, 1661. Hutchinson's Opinion. Triumph of the Quakers. Their Meeting House. Meetings discontinued.
VIII. First Newspaper in America. 87
First ever issued--in writing. Gazette in Venice, 1583.
English Mercury, 1588. "Publick Occurrences" 1690. Legislative Interference.
To cure the 'Spirit of Lying.' The Christian Indians. Massacre of French Indians.
General character of the paper and its reading matter.
IX. Curious Boston Lectures. 98
History of Boston; "Boston's Ebenezer;"
A Stone of Help; Widows and Orphans; Hope in God;
Appeal to the Public Officers; Household Religion; Fanaticism and Declamation.
X. Remarkable Proclamations. 1774-5. 104
March 29, War against France; October 18, On account of a Riot; October 19, War against Indians; October 20, Thanksgiving Day;
Nov. 2, Rewards for Indian scalps;
1745, March 25, For a Fast Day; "July 8, Thanksgiving Day; "Sept. 6, For a Fast Day; "November 22, Sailor's Riot; "November 25, Thanksgiving.
XI. Popular Puritan Literature. 115
An Earthquake in Boston; Deborah; a Bee;
Popish Invasion of England; The Scotch Rebellion.