History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

not till 1710 that a minister wns finally satisfac-
torily settled, and a, church duly organized.
Mr. Thomas Symmes, graduated at Harvard
College in 1698, was chosen minister October 8,
1700, but he did not accept, llarch 10 and September
1£, 1701, the committee of tlie precinct was
directed to provide a man to preach with them.
December 19, 1701, they voted that Mr. Joseph
Mors (H. C. 1695) should continue in order for
settlement, and July 6, 1702, they gave him a call
by a vote of thirty to twelve. September -Z'S, they
renewed their call, granting an annual salary, and
promising to build him a house 40 X 20 feet.
November 2-"}, he accepted the call, conditionally,
and the precinct accepted liis answer January 8,
1702-3, and voted to begin the promised house,
which was raised October 4, following, and put into
Mr. Mors's possession the year after. Difficulties
arose, and be was not settled. Perplexing delays
followed, and the precinct finally decided to pur-
chase Mr. Mors's " housing and lands," indem-
nifying him against pecuniary loss, and that lie
siiould leave tliem in tlie spring of 1706. An
agreement was not easily reached, as Mr. Mors
did not convey the premises to the committee until
December .'il, 1707. Ineffectual efforts were ear-
nestly u)ade to bring about a reconciliation between
Mr. Mors and iiis opposers.
In 1706 the precinct was presented at tlie Court
of Sessions for not having a settled minister. Feb-
ruary 11, 1707, the precinct chose Mr. Nathaniel
Gookin to be their minister, but he declined the
call, preferring the position of librarian at Harvard
College, which he held from 1707 to 1709. The
presentment still lay before the court, and tliey had
to make two returns in April and June, 1707.
July 16, 1707, they called Mr. Thomas Tufts, of
the class of 1701 at Harvard; he declined. Jan-
uary 14, 1703, was observed as a day of fasting
and prayer. February 4, 1708, they gave a call
to Mr.^Yilliam Williams (H. C. 1705), who,
after the adjustment of preliminaries, accepted,
August 3:3, 1709. A church was gathered and
organized, and Mr. Williams was ordained Novem-
ber 2, 1709, "about eleven years and a half after
the Farms iiad become a distinct precinct."
"The church consisted at first," says Dr. Sam-
uel Kendal, " of eighteen male members, — nine
from other churches, and nine who had not been
communicants." He gives their names as fol-
lows : " Nathaniel Cooledge, Thomas Flagg, Jo-
seph Lovell, John Parkhurst, John Livermore,
401
Francis Fullam, Abel Allen, Ebenezer Allen, Fran-
cis Pierce, Josiaii Jones, Thomas Wright, Josepii
Allen, Josiah Jones, Jr., Joseph Livermore,
Joseph Allen, Jr., Samuel Scaverns, Joseph Wool-
son, and George Eobinson." Josiah Jones and
John Parkhurst were chosen the first deacons.
May 7, 1708, the freemen of Watertowu ap-
pointed a committee " to run a line between tlie
town and the Farmers' Precinct, referring to the
ministry." This was done May 28, and the line
began at Charles River, followed up Stony Brook
to Beaver Pond, " and from said pond to a black
pine, at the bounds where Cambridge and AVater-
town and Concord meet ; said Farmers' Precinct
being on the west side of said brook."
Having obtained their own church, the farmers
soon gave their attention to procuring their own
incorporation as a town.
A committee, consisting of Captain Francis
Fulham, Lieutenant Josiah Jones, and Daniel
Estabrook, presented a petition at the town-meet-
ing held May 12, 1712, and, December 2, follow-
ing, the town "did by a free vote manifest their
willingness that the said farmers should be a town-
ship by themselves, according to their former
bounds," wath the proviso and conditions : 1. That
the farmers continue to pay a due share of the ex-
pense of maintaining the Great Bridge over Charles
River; 2. That they pay their full and due share
of the debts now due by the town; 3. That they
do not in any way infringe the rights of proprietors
having land, but not residing among the farmers.
The petition was immediately presented to the
General Court, and the act incorporating the town
of Weston was passed January 1, 1712-13.
When the Indians began their attacks upon tlie
settlements in 1675, the men of the Farmers' Pre-
cinct were ready not only to defend their own homes,
but to assist in the defence of the colony. In De-
cember, 1675, a warrant was issued to the militia
of Watertown to furnish "twenty soldiers, with
provisions, arms, ammunition, and good clothing,"
for the defence of the colony. Upon Captain Hugh
Mason's return to this warrant appear the names
of thirty persons (including himself) who appeared
in answer to the summons convening the company,
the names of seven wiio did not appear, and a list
of twenty names of persons "rationly most fitt to
goe upon the servis." Mr. C. H. Fiske, in his
oration, July 4, 1876, gives the names of the fol-
lowing seven persons " who lived in the Farmers'
Precinct and who are included in the above list
"