LIFE IN THE BOONIES

westmohney
Jan 28, 2021
6 min read

They had found some parts of the land granted them stony and other parts barren ~ Wilson Waters, History of Chelmsford

harsh conditions

In the beginning, life was difficult for inland towns settled in the northern areas of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The French had already settled many parts of what is now Canada and were beginning to clash with the English over boundaries. The Native Americans, displaced from many areas in the south, became more aggressive trying to hold on to what little they had left.

In the north, because winters were a little more harsh, the wilderness more profound and the distance between larger cities with more supplies and manpower greater, many families moved back to the more populated southern or western villages to find more favorable living conditions. Chelmsford was the farthest north and west of any settlement in Massachusetts thus far. To make matters worse, they found the property that had been granted to them less than desirable. They complained that much of the land was "stony and barren." Of the original 29 families that settled there, only nine stayed for any length of time. The Hildreths were one family that stayed the course, as did the Proctors.

One indication of the difficulty in making a living in Chelmsford was the petition signed by almost every male citizen in 1658. The petition asked for the privilege of trading with the Native Americans due to the hardships which they encountered in providing for their families in "this Remoat Corner of the wildernes." The privilege was not granted. The Colony reserved all rights to trade with indigenous peoples, their statute stating that "the Trade of Furrs with the Indians in this Jurisdiction, doth properly belong to this common-wealth and not unto particular persons."

the four Proctors

Four men of the Proctor name came to New England between 1635 and 1643. They were John, George, Richard and Robert (8GGF) Though many have tried, it has been impossible to determine whether these four were relatives, near or distant. There has been some evidence that they were all descended from a William Proctor of Bordley, Yorkshire, England but, as yet, no proof. John Proctor came to America in 1635 on the "Susan and Ellen," the very same ship as some of our Brigham, Crosby and Loomis relatives. John Proctor's son, also named John, gained notoriety when he was convicted of witchcraft in 1692 and duly executed. George and Richard settled in other parts of Massachusetts and there is no evidence that the paths of these four Proctors ever passed.

our Proctor

Our grandfather, Robert Proctor (8GGF) arrived in New England sometime before 1643. In that year, he was made freeman in Concord, the same year that his father-in-law Richard Hildreth (9GGF) had the same honor in Cambridge. Shortly afterwards, in 1645, Robert married Jane Hildreth (8GGM) and their first four children were born in Concord. Robert signed the petition for the grant of land that would become Chelmsford, and was one of the early settlers there.

Robert and his wife Jane Hildreth Proctor (8GGM), had eight more children born in Chelmsford bringing their grand total to twelve. Unlike his handicapped father-in-law with the lame hand, Robert did well in Chelmsford in spite of a minor infraction in 1661 when the town appointed men to deal "with Robert Proctor of Concord about his trespass of burning up our pines for making tar." Not ecologically friendly!

Robert had property that he granted to six of his sons before his death and, in his will, left his remaining properties to his wife, his absent son and his daughters. It's quite possible that Robert expected some squabbling amongst the young'uns after his death. He made this provision in his will:

"...my said Sons or any of Them shall not have power & liberty upon any pretense whatsoever to challenge & demand any more of this my Estate, either real or personal & It is my Will, Earnest Desire & charge that my Beloved Sons live together peaceably & that they fall not out or Contend about the Disposal of my lands as is above mentioned according to my Conscience & best Judgement in the matter made & ordered." 'Nuff said!

Robert and Jane's seventh son, Thomas (9U), had gone to sea sometime prior to the writing of Robert's will. There is no further word of him so, very possibly, he died on that voyage. Robert left a provision for him in the event of his return:

"My will is that In case my Beloved Son Thomas Proctor lives & returns from Sea to New England yt He shall possess & Injoy for himself, Heirs & assigns forever all my Remaining Lands & meadows in Chelmsford not disposed to my other Sons which I give to him absolutely with all the privilidges of Highway & other Conveniences, as I have granted to my other sons..."

Robert died in 1697 at age 73. There is no record of Jane's death in Chelmsford. I looked at the death records from other towns where some of their children had moved but found nothing for her there either. As she is mentioned by name in Robert's will, we know she was alive in 1697 when she was 69 years of age.

the Pawtucket

The particular tract of land that became Chelmsford happened to include the fishing grounds of the Pawtucket band of Native Americans. In 1652, at the time those lands were being sought for the new town, Rev. John Eliot, sometimes called "Apostle to the Indians," was working hard to convert them to Christianity. He therefore, "entered a petition for a grant of land for the Indians that they might not be disturbed in their ancient possessions." This tract of land was tucked in a corner where the Merrimack River meets the Concord. The Court granted Eliot's petition and the native people living there were "allowed" to continue living by the river.

However, as history as proven time and time again, Native American agreements with the English settlers weren't worth the paper they were written on. Only eight years later, two years after their trade petition was denied, the citizens of Chelmsford reneged on the land grant agreement with the Pawtucket. The townspeople had evidently decided that their need for expansion of the town's boundaries superseded their previous accord. The Court concurred with the settlers and the Pawtucket's lands were reduced to a tiny strip.

These actions by the colonizers led to an ever increasing hostility on the part of the Native Americans that becomes clear in the town records of 1671. The men were ordered to bring clubs with them to the meeting house. The record reads:

"25 the 5th mo 1671 It is ordred by the Selectt men For severall Considerations espetialy For the presentation of peace That with in one moneth After the Date hear of every malle person with in our towne Above the Age of Fiveten years shall provid a good Clube of Fouer or Five Foot in lingth with a knobe in the end and to bringe the same to the meeting house ther to leave the same untill ocation fore use of it."

Though the Praying Indians of Chelmsford were never involved in the conflict, hostility towards the English bubbled over into skirmishes that finally culminated with all out war between Massachusetts Bay and the Native Americans four years later in 1675.

family connections in Chelmsford

Josiah Richardson (1C10x) was the son of Ezekiel Richardson (10U) our uncle who came to New England ca. 1630 as part of the Winthrop Fleet with Thomas Howlett and Thomas French. Josiah went with his father to Woburn in 1642 and lived there until he resettled in Chelmsford ca. 1659 with his brother James (1C10x). Josaih was notable in town for the fact that his first home in Chelmsford was a crude structure “partly formed by digging in the bank” of the river. That's ingenuity!

Josiah's daughter Sarah (2C9x) married a son of William Fletcher.

The Fletchers, who were one of the founding families in Chelmsford, married extensively into various branches of our family. William Fletcher was the founding father of the Fletcher family. His daughter Esther married James Proctor (8U). His son Samuel married Elizabeth Proctor (8A). His son William married our cousin Sarah Richardson (2C9x). Finally, his daughter Lydia married our grandfather Nathaniel Hill (8GGF) of Billerica after both their spouses had died.

Note: William Fletcher, Jr. and Sarah Richardson Fletcher (2C9x) are great-great grandparents to President Franklin Pierce (6C5x), making Franklin a distant cousin of ours.

The connections between the Fletches and the Richardsons became interesting a few generations later due to a piece of property owned by William Fletcher, Sr. The very first town meeting in Chelmsford was held at William's home in 1654. This property remained in the Fletcher family until 1802 when Captain Josiah Fletcher (6C5x), a descendent of both William Fletcher and Josiah Richardson (1C10x), built the house that stands in that spot today. In a strange quirk, that house is now known as the Crosby House. Josiah Fletcher died in 1850 and the house was purchased by another cousin of ours, Ephraim Crosby (3C5x). Even though the Fletchers had owned the property far longer, the street where the house sits was named Crosby Lane and still has that name today.