The town of Palmer, Massachusetts is on the route from Boston through Worcester to Springfield, and 60 miles south of Colrain. Its story was published in 1889, entitled History of the Town of Palmer, Massachusetts, early known as The Elbow Tract, by Josiah Howard Temple and is online here.
The settlement of 'Elbow Tract' was founded in 1715 by a John King who had headed west from Boston; when the Ulster-Scots started to arrive in Boston in large numbers in 1718, some moved to 'The Elbows'.
"... Probably the first of these came here in 1720; and others followed at different dates, scattering along till 1733. A part of the Worcester colony, joined by a fresh arrival of their countrymen, settled at Coleraine in 1736; and a company of thirty-four, partly recent emigrants, purchased of Col. John Stoddard, Jan. 1, 1739-40, a township to the east of Amherst, being the northerly section of the Equivalent Lands. To this, the first comers gave the name Lisbon, or New Lisburne - changed to Pelham, on the incorporation of the town Jan. 15, 1742 ..."
Others from Ulster later arrived at Elbow Tract from their Londonderry, New Hampshire settlement, and many of the surnames can be found in the famous Shute Petition. The 'List of Early Settlers' includes many specifically described as being from the north of Ireland - online here.
"... The line marked by the passage of the Chicopee river through the town of 'Palmer, early bestowed upon that tract the name of "The Elbows." On this tract, as early as 1727, settlements were made by a considerable colony of emigrants from the North of Ireland, on grants from the proprietors of Lambstown, now Hardwick, and it is stated that John King made a settlement some ten years earlier.
The settlers were the descendants of a colony of Protestants which migrated from Argyleshire, in Scotland, and settled in the North of Ireland about 1612. They emigrated to this country in 1718, and were the first Presbyterians in the country..."
(from 'History of Western Massachusetts', Vol II, Part III, by JG Holland, 1855)
Elbow Tract was renamed as Palmer on 30 January 1752, after a recently deceased Scottish friend of John King's. A Presbyterian congregation and meeting house was founded and the first minister was a Rev John Harvey:
"... it is commonly understood that he was a Scotchman, born in the north of Ireland, and a graduate of the University. Before coming to the Elbows he was employed as a schoolmaster at Londonderry, N. H." .
"... On the 5th day of June, Anno Dom. 1734 the Rev. Mr. John Harvey was ordained the first minister of the church of the Elbow settlement. The ordination was performed by the delegates of the Reverend Presbytery of Londonderry, upon a scaffold, standing on the plain, on the East side of the meadow called Cedar Swamp Meadow, within Mr. Harvey's lot. The Rev Mr. Thomson of Londonderry preached the sermon, and the Rev. Mr. Moorhead gave the charge..."
(from 'History of Western Massachusetts', Vol II, Part III, by JG Holland, 1855)
This Rev John Moorhead was a Newtownards man, and was the minister of the "Church of the Presbyterian Strangers" in Boston. Harvey was succeeded by a Rev Robert Burns, who was "from the North of Ireland, though of Scotch parentage".
Fast forward a couple of generations and the people of Palmer were of course swept up into the momentum of the American Revolution.
One of Palmer's prominent citizens, and an elder of the Presbyterian church, David Spear (1725-1800), gathered a company of 44 'minute men' to march to Lexington on 19 April 1775. The muster roll of those men's names is online here. [His father, David Spear senior (1676-1760), is believed to have been born in Ulster, possibly Coleraine. He and his wife Jane had five sons – David junior, John, William, Calvin and Luther).
(illustration above: Minutemen: Heroes of 1776 / Heroes of 76, Marching to the Fight - Currier & Ives lithograph, 1876)
A few weeks later David Spear junior was appointed as Palmer's representative at the General Assembly of Massachusetts; and on 13 June 1776 a town residents public meeting was called for 17 June. At that meeting, moderated by Robert Ferrell, the people approved the following Declaration:
.............
"At a very full meeting of ye Inhabitants of Palmer, legally met at ye publick Meeting-house, on Monday, the 17th day of June, 1776 , at one of the clock, ye meeting being opened, Robert Ferrell was chosen moderator: and then proceeded & Voted ye following instructions to the Representative of this Town, now at the General Assembly of this Colony, as ye sentiments of this Town:
That, Whereas, the Court of Great Britain hath by sundry acts of Parliament, assumed the power of Legislation for ye Colonies in all Cases whatsoever, without the Consent of the Inhabitants; - Have likewise, exerted ye assumed power in Raising a Revenue in ye Colonies without their Consent: we cannot justly call that our own, which others may when they please take from us against our wills: - Hath likewise, appointed a New set of officers to superintend these Revenues, wholly unknown in the Charter, and by their commissions, invested with powers altogether unconstitutional, and destructive to ye security which we have a Right to enjoy. Fleets and armies hath been Introduced to support these unconstitutional officers in collecting these unconstitutional Revenues: - Have also altered the Charter of this Colony, and thereby overthrown the Constitution, Together with many other grievous acts of Parliament too grievous to be borne: -The peaceable Inhabitants being alarmed at such repeated inroads on ye Constitution & gigantick strides to despotick power over ye Colonies, Petitioned the King for Redress of grievances separately: -finding that to fail, Petitioned joyntly - begging as children to a Father to be heard and Relieved, But all to no purpose, the Petitions being treated with ye utmost contempt.
The united Colonies finding that No Redress could be had from Great Britain, unitedly agreed to an opposition In the most Peaceable way they could contrive, being willing to try every peaceable measure yt possibly could be invented, rather than Brake with Great Britain.
Great Britain being bent on her favorite scheme of Enslaving ye Colonies, declared them Rebbels & Treated them as such. The Colonies being driven to a state of Dispare from the least Reliefe from them, were obliged by ye laws of self-preservation, to take up arms in their own Defence, and meant to use them only as such. But the dispute has arose to so great a height that it is Impossible for the Colonies ever to be Joyned with Great Britain again, with the least Security & Safety to themselves or posterity.
We, therefore, the Inhabitants of this Town, do believe it absolutely Necessary for the safety of the United Colonies, to be Independent from Great Britain, & Declare themselves Intirely a Separate State, as we can se no alternative but Inevitable ruin, or Independence. - But as there is a General Congress of the United Colonies, composed of Honourable, wise and good men, who sit at the Head of affairs, consulting measures which will be most for the Safety and Prosperity of the whole; & have the means of Intelligence and Information in their hands, we submit the whole affair to their wise Consideration & Determination: - And if they shall unite in a separation from Great Britain, we do unanimously determine & declare we will Support them with our Lives and Fortunes!
We do Direct the Representative of this Town to lay these votes before the Honourable General Assembly of this Colony, to Enable them to communicate our Sentiments to the Honourable Continental Congress.
Robert Ferrell, Moderator
.............
• This predates the eventual 4th July Declaration of Independence by 17 days.
• A catalogue of births, deaths and marriages for Palmer, entitled Vital Records of Palmer, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850, was published in Boston by the New England Historic Genealogical Society in 1905. Its Publications Committee included renowned historian of the Scotch-Irish in America, Charles Knowles Bolton (1867–1950) - online here.
• The Spears and other early families were buried in Palmer Center Cemetery, which can be searched on FindAGrave.com here.
0 comments:
Post a Comment