Chapter 8 - Bellingham and the Revolution

The call for the September 2, 1774 Town Meeting had a further article:
 

"To see if the Town will give Directions to the Committee of Correspondence Concerning the grevinces that we Labour under."
 

The Town was ready to get involved! But slowly and carefully.
 

"Resolved that the Committee of Correspondence of this Town use their influance as the County Convention to be holden by adjournment at Dedham on the 6 current that all Prudent measures may be taken that no act of the British Parlement may take place that are contrary to our charter Rights & Privilege."
 

The appointment of the original Town Committee of Correspondence is not in the records. However, that September meeting "Voted to dismis Samuel Scott from being one of the Committee of Correspondent and chose Stephen Metcalf in his room." The Committee of Correspondence was a body formed in many of the colonial towns of this period, duplicating the one formed over the colony by the leading Massachusetts Bay rebels. The formation of such a committee in Bellingham is a clear sign the Town was not only aware of what was going on but was an active participant.
 

The Town that failed to send a representative to the General Court for years was now caught up in the events unfolding in the colony. The next Town meeting on September 30, 1774, saw three more articles concerning the larger matters of the colony.
 

The call to choose a representative to the General Court was met with a vote to choose none.
 

A second article asked "To see if the Town will give their opinion on the Resolves of the County of Suffolk Convention." The Town voted to "Except the County of Suffolk Resolves to be good." Benjamin Partridge of Bellingham was present in Milton on September 9, 1774, when the resolves were adopted. He was paid by the Town for his attendance ( See Town Meeting vote of September 11, 1775 below). They charged Britain with "intolerrable Acts" and resolved to shut down all commerce with Britain until the rights of the colonists were restored. The Resolves did, however, recognize the rule of King George III.
 

Still another article was
 

"To see if the Town will chuse a man to join the Provence Convention or to give the Deputy instructions."
 

The Town that was too poor to send a man to the General Court in Boston "Voted to chuse a man to join the Provence Convention. The Town made choice of Luke Holbrook to serve as a Delegate in the Provincial Congress to be held at Concord on the Second tuesday of october next."
 

The direction was set. Article 4 asked
 

 "to see if the town will grant any money for too buy five arms or a fieald pees and appoint a man or men to by the ammunishon that the town granted money for last September." It was "Voted to chuse 3 men for to by the amination that the town granted for Last September. Voted to chuse Stephen Metcalf, Aaron Holbrook and Joseph Holbrook."
 

The choice of men was revealing. Metcalf had held most town offices over the years including moderator. The Holbrooks were also prominent in the Town, serving as Selectmen, as well as being a large landholder along the Charles River on what is now High Street to Hartford Avenue (the Hill Farm). It was further "Voted that the committee take £10 of the Constables of the Provence money to buy Powder for the Town stock"
 

Article 5 was more direct. "Or to Act any other thing Relating to the Defuceltyes betwent Great Britton and the Coloneys."
 

The only action on this article was: "Stephen Metcalf Chosen a delegate to meet the Provential Congress at Cambridge on the first of February or soner if need bee."
 

The die was cast and events in the colony were in motion. From the view of the small town of Bellingham, rebellion was not far off. The meeting of January 23, 1775 had as its main article:
 

"To see if the town will grant money for to pay men thart will inlist themselves to stand Ready at a minits warning to go in the Defence of the Provence Privilages." Whether by coincidence or because of common usage in the colonies, Bellingham was asking for its own minute men.
 

Alas, the words were greater than the action. When brought forward "then the moderator put the second artical to vote not a hand up."
 

It was "Voted that the Selectmen give our Deligate instruction before he go to set in the Provence Congress.."
 

The "provence money" remained a problem. The March 6, 1775 meeting had an article "To see what the town will do conserning the Provence money that this town was taxed in the year 1773 that the Constables have not to Harresson Gray". The next article asked the same for the money for 1774. The Annual Town Meeting that year elected officers, paid several bills and then adjourned to March 17 when the next step along the path to the Revolution was taken.
 

The Town did finally make the break. The Town Meeting voted to send the money to the new government, not to the King's colonial government.
 

"Voted that David Jones & Asa Blake Constables for the year 1773 the money they have not paid to Herrison Gray Esq. they pay to Hennery Gardener Esq of Stow Recever general for the Provence and the town will indamnifie Sd Constables for not Paying to Harrison Gray if Sd David Jones & Blake will not go to Boston the above Excepted by a vote town."
 

"Voted that the Assessors of said town for the year past are hereby ordered & directed not to return any certificated to Harrison Gray Esq of the Provence moneys ordered to be assessed on said town & the town hereby promis indammifie and save harmles each of said Assessors therefore the above excepted by a vote of town."
 

On April 19, 1775 the ride of Paul Revere and the Battle of Lexington-Concord brought a new level to the dispute, now an armed insurrection. Bellingham answered the call. Certainly Paul Revere did not arrive in Bellingham, but word of the events certainly did. The Massachusetts archives show that 54 men marched from Bellingham to participate in the events near or in Boston. Where they went or if they participated in actual combat is not known. What is known that the men spent 2 to eleven days in service at a distance of 64 miles (approximate distance to Boston and back). The names of the men and their wages is recorded in the Massachusetts Archives (See Appendix A).
 

Up to the meeting of April 25, 1775, the call to Town Meeting was "To each of the Constables of the Town of Bellingham Greeting in his majestyes Name..." The April 25 meeting was called omitting for the first time "in "his majesty's Name.." Rebellion was clearly in the air.
 

Article 2 asked
 

"To see what number of men the town will give a bounty to ingage in the Provence Service for a set time in Case the Congress do not give no bounty or any other thing that the town shall think Proper Relating the Present Difficelty in the Nation."
 

No longer was it a colony problem, but "the Nation".
 

The Town Meeting was up to the task this time.