Subject: Groton, MA Source: An Historical Sketch of Groton, Massachusetts 1655-1890 by Dr. Samuel A. Green Groton: 1894 ************************************************************************ NOTICE: Printing the files within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. _______________________________________________________________________ The USGenWeb Project makes no claims or estimates of the validity of the information submitted and reminds you that each new piece of information must be researched and proved or disproved by weight of evidence. It is always best to consult the original material for verification. ************************************************************************ p.1 TOWN OF GROTON The town of Groton lies in the northwestern part of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, and is bounded on the north by Pepperell and Dunstable; on the east by Tyngs- borough and Westford; on the south by Littleton and Ayer and on the west by Shirley and Townsend. The First Par- ish meeting house - or "the tall-spired church" is situ- ated in latitude 42 degrees 36' 21.4" north, longitude 71 deg. 34'4" west of Greenwich, according to the lat- est observations of the US Coast Survey (ca 1894) It is distant nearly thirty-one miles in a straight line from the State House at Boston, but by the traveled road it is about thirty-four miles. The village of Groton is situ- ated principally on one long street, known as Main Street, a section of the Great Road, which was formerly one of the principal thoroughfares between Eastern Massachusetts and parts of New Hampshire and Vermont. The Worcester, Nashua and Rochester Railroad passes through it, and traverses the township at nearly its greatest length, running six miles or more within its limits. It is reached from Boston by trains on the Fitchburg Railroad, connecting with the Worcester, Nashua and Rochester road at Ayer, three miles distant from the village. The original grant of the township was made in the spring of 1655 and gave to the proprietors a tract of land eight miles square; though subsequently this was changed by the General Court, so that its shape varied somewhat from the first plan. It comprised all of what is now Groton and Ayer, nearly all of Pepperell and Shirley, large parts of Dunstable and Littleton, and smaller parts of Harvard and Westford, in Massachusetts and portions of Hollis and Nashua in New Hampshire. The present (1894) shape of the town is very irregular, and all the original boundary lines have been changed except where they touch Townsend and Tyngsborough. The earliest referenceto the town on any map is found in Rev. William Hubbard's "Narrative of the Troubles with the Indians in New-England," a work published at Boston in the early spring of 1677, and in London during the ensuing summer under a different title. The map was the first one cut in New England and of course, done in a crude manner. It was engraved probably by John Foster, the earliest Boston printer. The towns assaulted by the Indians in Philip's War are indicated on the map by figures; and at that period these places were attracting some attention both here and in the mother country. There were two petitions for the plantation of Groton of which one was headed by Mr. Deane Winthrop (son of Gov. John Winthrop) and the other by Lieutenant William Mar- tin. The first one is not know to be in existence, but a contemporaneous copy of the second is in the possess- ion of the New England Historic Genealogical Society. The petition dated May 25, 1655 is signed by: William Martin Richard Blood John Witt William Lakin Richard Haven Timothy Cooper John Lakin John Blood Mathu Farrington Robert Blood The petition headed by Deane Winthrop was also signed by John Tinker and Thomas Hincklley and probably by Dolor Davis, Richard Smith and Amos Richardson as is inferred from a petition dated May 16, 1656 and given later in this account of the town (Groton). The town is indebted for its name to Deane Winthrop, a son of Governor John Winthrop and one of the petitioners for the grant. He was born at Groton, in the county of Suffolk, England on March 16, 1622-1623; and the love of his native place prompted him to perpetuate its name in New England. He stands at the head of the first list of selectmen appointed by the General Court and for a short time was probably a resident of the town. At the age of exactly eighty-one years, he died on March 16, 1703/4 at Pullen Point, now within the limits of Winthrop, MA. The daily life of the founders of Massachusetts would be to us, now full of interest, but unfortunately litte is known in regard to it. The early settlers were pious folk and believedin the literal interpretation of the scriptures. They worked hard during six days of the week, and kept Sunday with rigid exactness. The clearing of forestsand the breaking up of land left little leisure for the use of pen and paper; and letter writing, as we understand it, was not generally practiced. They lived at a time when printing was not common and post offices were unknown. Their lives were one ceaseless struggle for existence; and there was no time or opportunity to cultivate those graces now considered so essential. Religion was with them a living, every present power; and in that channel went out all those energies which with us find outlet in many different directions. These consid- erations should modify the opinions commonly held in re- gard to the Puritan fathers. The sources of information relating to the early history of Groton are few and scanty. It is only here and there in contemporaneous papers that we find any allusions to the plantation; and from these we obtain but glimpses of the new settlement. The earliest document connected with the town after its incorporation is a petition now among the Shattuck Manuscripts in the possession of the New England Historic and Genealogical Society, which contains some interesting facts not elsewhere given. All signatures are in the same handwriting as the body of the document but those of the committee signing the re- port on the back of the petition are autographs. The report itself is in the handof Joseph Hills. The docu- ment is as follows: "Boston 16 3 mo. 1656 "To the Right Worthy Deputy Governor and Magistrates of this Honored Court "The humble petition of certein the intended Inhabitants of Groten "Humbly sheweth "That yor Peticon having obteined theire Requeste of a Plantacon from this honor'd Court, they have made Entranc thereuppon and do Resolve by the Gracious Assistants of the Lord to proceed in the same (though the greatest Number of Peticoners for the Grant have declyned the work) yet because of the Remoteness of the place, & Considering how heavy and slowe it is like to be Carried an end and with what Charge and difficulties it will be Attended yor Peticoners humble Requests are "1 That they be not nominated or included in the Country taxesuntil the full end of three years from these prints (in which time they Account theire expenc will be great to the building a house, procureing and maintaining of a minister etc, with all other nessossary Town Charges; they being but few at present left to Carry on the whole worke) and at the end of the term, shall be redy by gods help to yeald the Rates according to their Number & abilities & what shall be imposed uppon them. "2 That they may have libertie to make Choyce of an other then Mr. Danford for the Laying out their town bounds because of his desire to be excused by reason of his urgent ocations otherwise, & that they be not strictly tyed to a square forme in their Line Laying Out. "So shall yor Peticoners be indoridged in this great work, and shall as, duty bindes pray for yor happiness and thankfully Best yor humble servants "Dean Winthropp Dolor Davis Will. Martin Jno. Tinker Richard Smith Robert Blood Jno Lakin Amose Richenson "In Ans. to this Peticon wee Conceive it needfull that the Town of Groten be freed from Rates for three years from the time of their Grant as is desired. "2d That they may imploy any othjer known Artist in the room of Mr. Danfort as need shall be. "3d That the forme of the Towne may a little varie from A due Square According to the Disrecon of the Comitte. "21 3d mo. (56) "Daniel Gookin Joseph Hills John Wiswell "The Deputyes approve of the returne of the Comittee in answer to this petitio & desire the Consent of or hone'rd magists. hereto "William Torrey Clerke "Consented to by the magists "Edward Rawson Secret. "[indorsed for filing:] Grotens Peticon [Entrd & Xs secured p4 8 ] 1656" ______________________________________________________ Excerpts above from a much longer hisory by Dr. Green Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth. (E-mail: Farns10th@aol.com)