History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

392 HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
Tyng, son of the Hon. Edward Tyng, born in Boston,
December 15, 1612. He early came to Dunstable,
and erected a house on the right bank of the Merrimack
River, nearly opposite Wicasuck Island, where
he continued to reside until about the year 1713.
He died on the 19tb of January, 172-4. His father,
Edward Tyng, removed from Boston to Dunstable
about the year 1677, and died there December 27,
16S1. He was buried in the old Tyng Cemetery,
and the inscription on his head-stone is :
"Here Ijetli the body of Mr. EDWARD TING Esqr.
aged 71 yeares. Died December 27 Day 16S1."
—
At the time of Jonathan Tyng's arrival in
Dunstable it was a frontier settlement. A dreary
wilderness, occupied by savages and beasts of
prey, extended on the north as far as Canada
the Pawtucket Indians, under Wannalancet, held
the lands upon the river below ; the hostile
Pennacooks above. But few white men had
then ventured to fix their habitations in this
region. Tyng fortified his house, laid out his
farm, and resolved to stand firmly at his post.
His bravery was soou put to the test. On the
breaking out of Philip's War in 1675, as the enemy
was found to be approaching, the English
settlers left their homes and fled ; but Jonathan
Tyng, strengthening his garrison as best he could,
remained as the sole inhabitant of the place. For
this he may well be called the first permanent
settler of Dunstable. The following
clearly gives the situation —
:
petition
"The petition of Jonathan Tyng Humbly Sheweth
: That y'' Petitioner living in the uppermost
house on Merimac River, lying open to y° enemy,
yet being so seated that it is as it were a watch
house to the neighboring towns, from whence we
can easily give them notice of the approach of the
enemy, and may also be of use to the j)ublirpie in
many resi)ects ;
also are near unto the place of the
Indians ffishing, from which in the season thereof
they have great supplies, which I doubt not but we
may be a great means of preventing tlicni tliereof,
there being never an inhabitant left in the town but
myself: — Wherefore your Pelitioiier doth humbly
recpiest that your Honors would be pleased to order
him three or four men to hel|) garrison his said
hou.se, which he has been at great charge to il'ortifv,
and may be of service to the ])ub!i(|iir : xoiir laMnir
herin shall furtheroblige measindiil v biiiiiid tdprav
for a blessing on your Councils and n main Your
Honrables luimble servant, Joxatmax 'rvNc.
" DuNSTAiii.E, Feb. 3d, 107'j 0. "
;
The soldiers sent to defend Mr. Tyng's house
were detached from the company of Captain Samuel
Moseley, and for their support Mr. Tyng
presented, in 1676, this account: " IS of Capt.
Moseley's men from Aug. 13 to Sept. 10, £ 16 16.».;
for 9 men from Sept. 11 to Jan. 17, £4-7 18«.; for
6 men from Jan. 18 to May 25, £25 '6s. and for 3
men from May 26 to July 14, £88*. also for 20 lbs.
of powder at sundry times at 18 J. per lb. and 250
bullets, 5«. delivered for scouting." Also, " for
2 horses to Pennycook out 3 days. Is. 6r/."
At the close of the war about sixty of tiie Praying
Indians were removed to AVicasuck Island, and
placed under the care of Mr. Tyng, who had Robert
Parris, afterwards slain by the Indians, for an as-
sistant. It was probably for this service that the
court granted to Mr. Tyng, December 5, 1683,
"the island in Merrimacke River called Weikeset."
Mr. Tyng was the largest landholder in Dun-
stable. In consideration of £ 23 due to him by
the town, three thirty-acre rights were granted
to him, which were equal to about 1,800 acres.
" This, with large accessions, has continued in the
Tyng and Brinley families to the present day, and
extends from the Merrimack River about six miles
westward, by one mile wide to the Massapoag
Pond, forming a large part of the town of Tyiigs-
borough." ^
The Waldo farm extended northward from
Tyng's farm as far as Holden's Brook; and Cap-
tain Thomas Wheeler's farm extended theuce into
wiiat is 710W Nashua, New Hampshire. A part of
Wheeler's land subsequently became, and still is,
the Bancroft farm. Joseph Perham, Joseph But-
terfield, and others took up lands, and settled ou
the easterly side of tlie Merrimack River as early
as 1711.
Tile first birth mentioned on the records of
Dunstable is that of William, son of Jonatlian
and Sarah (Usher) Tyng, born April 22, 1679.
Of Jonathan Tyng's other children, John (II. U.
1691) was born September 11, 1673, and Eleazcr
(H.U. 1712), April 30, 1090.
In 1697 the garrisons in Dunstable were under
the supervision of the brave Jonathan Tyng, and
he was allowed £20 for keeping the friendly
.sachem, Wannalancet, at Wicasuck Island. Early
in this year the celebrated heroine, Hannah Dus-
' ".Inly 21, 1720, Joseph Blaiulinril .ind his wife Reheecah
sell to Khenezcr Tynj;, Esq., for £ IfiO In srood puhliik hills of
I'icilit ill the Provinee two full nnil whole thirty nere nllot-
inents." DitiI acknowledged befoie Benjamin Thompson, J. P.,
Ainil le, 1741.