History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

302 HIS1VII r OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
There are elderly people in all our towns who
behold with rejoicing the contrast between the
present schools and those of their early days, when
their school-buildings were little better than
hovels, their school-terms limited to six or eight
weeks, and their text-books confined to B'llmorUt's
SjieUer, tiie New Testament and Psalter, and per-
liaps Webster's Third Part, and none but " written
arithmetics."
By the will of the late Hon. Leonard M. Parker
the tow'n has been furnished with the commencement
of a fund for tlie support of a high school
for the free use of all the inhabitants of the town.
Though the settlements of Shirley were subse-
cpient to the time of Indian depredations, the town
was organized as a district seven years before the
close of what has been termed the French War,
which occasionally demanded army recruits from
the colonies. Several volunteered from Groton
and some from Siiirley, among whom was Mr.
Josepli Longley. He was chairman of the selectmen
at the organization of the district, and Avas
the first town-clerk. This latter office he was ap-
pointed to fill until 1758, when he enlisted in his
Majesty's service, and was mortally wounded in the
battle and defeat of Fort William Henry.
Previous to the rupture witli the motlierland
the town had assumed larger proportions, and was
enabled to take an active and decided part in the
controversies and conflicts that resulted iu the inde-
pendence of tlie country.
Tlie settlers of Shirley had, with the Puritan descent
generally, been proud of their motlierland, —
" blessed England," as they reverently called her, —
and willingly did reverence to the " best of kings "
yet when the grievances imposed had become too
numerous and oppressive to be tamely endured,
they were prepared to second every worthy measure
to sustain the rights and secure tiie liberties of the
colonies, and to pledge tiieir property and lives in
the. glorious struggle for inde])pndeiice.
Tiie papers that were ilriwn at liie order and
sanctioned by a vote of ilic Idwii.iu relation to
British aggressions, — too long I'or iiiscrlion here,
— ;
,wv ailniiiiililc both in spirit and scholarshij). Tiie
lirst was adopted at a meeting of the town, October
In about eicht years after the reijcal of the
Stamp Act the inhabitants of the town received a
missive from a committee appointed by a meeting
of the citizens of Boston, complaining of the in-
justice of the crown in apjjointing judges for tlie
province of Massachusetts Bay, payhig their sal-
aries, and without whose consent they could not be
removed, as a serious infringement of tiieir rigiits,
giving the people no better chance for justice, no
better security of life and property, than if they
were ruled by the most despotic government under
heaven.
In relation to the Act on Tea, passed by the par-
liament of Great Britain in 1773, we find the fol-
lowing resolutions, with other decisions equally
firm, receiving the unanimous vote of the citizens
convened for tlie purpose —
:
" 1. Tliat we will neitlier buy, nor sell, nor
drink, nor suffer it to be drunk in any of our fam-
ilies, any Tea tiiat is subject to an American duty.
" 2. That we will stand ready to unite with our
brethren, through the colonies, in every proper
measure to retrieve our liberties and to establish
them upon such a firm basis, tliat it will be out of
the power, at least of our present enemies, to wrest
them out of our hands."
The sympathy, repeatedly expressed, with the
citizens of Boston was confirmed by deeds. After
the passage of the Boston Port Bill a town-meeting
was called and lioklen, January 18, 1775, at wliidi
it was voted to " make some provision for the suf-
fering poor in Boston and Cliarlestown on account
of the Boston Port Bill, so called, and that the
same be done by subscription." A committee was
chosen "to receive the donations for said poor, and
forward them, as soon as may be, to Boston or
C^harlestown."
At this same meeting the yoke of allegiance to
tlic mother country was completely broken by a
vote to withhold the province tax for the support
of his Majesty's government.
It was also voted, at this meeting, to endorse
the Association of the Grand American Congress,
held in Pliiiadelpliia in October, 177-1'. Tlie paper
of association, which was drawn for the signatures
of the entire people, — too long for insertion here,
would have done honor to a mucii older commu-
IS, I7()5, and was a protest against tiie Stamp Act. nity than that whicli peopled the young town of
While they firmly condemned in tliis ])aper the Siiirley. It was presented for signatures January 1 8,
officials of tlie crown, tliey avowed loyalty to liis 1775. This decision of the jieople was attended
Majesty's person, and invoked for liim tiie favor of by another as extraordinary as it was rare. Here
Heaven.
is (he record. " At a legal meeting of the inhabi-
tants of Shii-lov, held im tlie IStli day of Jan.,
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