Chapter 8 - Bellingham and the Revolution

The May 22, 1775 Town Meeting was again charged with election of a Representative to the General Court. Again the Town would not act. A lower article "to Elect & Depute a member or members to represent our town at the Provence Congress to meet at the meeting house in Watertown on the 31 day of May instant" was acted on. The town "voted to chuse a man to Represant tis town at the Provencial Congress. Made choice of Dr John Corbett." Then the meeting adjourned.
 

The men of the Town were committed to performing their service for the army now forming. Town records show that in May 1775, 26 men marched to serve in Roxbury and stayed there for eight months. From this time forward, Bellingham had men in continuous service in their own militia serving around Boston and Rhode Island. Some went as far as New York. Others went into the main army for service farther afield. (See Appendix B for the Town Record of that service).
 

The next warrant was brief, but clear in its message:
 

"Suffolk ss
 

"To Each of the Constables of the town of Bellingham Greeting by order of the Continental Congress you are Required to warn all the freeholders and ther inhabitants of the town of Bellingham that are qualified by Law to Vote in the choice of a Representative to meet at the Dwelling House of Elias Thayer, on friday the fourteenth Day of July next at ten o clock in the fore noon to chuse a member or members to Represent this town at the general court to be held at Watertown the ninteenth Day of July Next according to the Resolves of the Provencel Congress and make Return of this warrant with your doings hereon to one of the Selectmen on or before the time of meeting."
 

"Given under our hand & Seal the twenty eight Day of June in the year 1775."
 

Selectmen of Bellingham12
 

"Bellingham July 14, 1775 being a Publick town meeting Regulated by the Selectmen for the choice of a Representative and put to Vote and pased in the afformitive and made choice of Stephen Metcalf to represent the town at the great & general court from this time to the Last of May next."
 

A representative was elected after many years, but not to the great and general court in Boston, but to one to be held in Watertown. The government of the people was more and more prominent and looked to as the legitimate government.
 

Bellingham, pleading poverty and unable to pay a Representative, at a Town Meeting on September 11, 1775 paid the following claims:
 

"Voted to Ben^j Partridge for Expence for attending County Meetings 0-12-0"
 

"County meeting at Dedham Sept 1774 Expence 0-5-4
 

Time -2-0
 

Ditto at Milton Expence 0-7-0Time 0-2-8
 

April attended Congress 3 day Expence 6-0
 

Time 6-0
 

May attended 6 days Expence 12-0
 

Time 12-0
 

for making Rates in the year 1774 8-0
 

Bellingham Sept 11 -1775 Stephen Metcalf
 

the above account Excepted by a vote of town"
 

"Voted to Luke Holbrook 0-9-0 for his Expence attending the Congress in October 1774
 

The seperatist movement and the discontent did not only go to the central government. Apparently there was widespread dissatisfaction at all levels. For the next Town Meeting called for November 6, 1775 had the following article:
 

"To See if the Town will joine wilthe Petitioners in behalf of the town & Destrice hereafter menshoned Hull Hingham Cohassett Waymoth Braintree milton Stoughton Stoughtonham Walpole Wrentham Dedham Dorchester Roxbeaury Brookline Meeham midway medfeald & Bellingham in Petitioning to the general court or Assembly of the Colony of the Massachusetts Bay to set the above Sd towns & Destricts into a Destinct County or act any other thing that the town shall think proper concerning Sd Petition."
 

The discontent was not that widespread in the town against the county or perhaps this was a fight they felt should be taken on another day.
 

"Put to vote to see if Said Inhabitants will Impower sum person to sign a petition in behalf of Sd town with a number of other towns in this County, to have all the other town in Sd County be made a Destinct County seperate from the town of Boston & Chealse. Passed in the negative by a unanamus Vote."
 

The cost for representation continued to mount:
 

"County meeting at Dedham Sep^ter 1774 Expence 0-5-4
 

time 0-2-0
 

Ditto at Milton Expence 0-7-0
 

time 0-2-8
 

Ditto at Stoton Expence 0-6-0
 

time 0-2-8
 

Ditto at milton Expence 0-7-0
 

time 0-2-8
 

for attendance at Congress 28 days in the year 1775
 

Expence 5-12-0
 

John Corbett account"
 

County meeting at milton october 1774 Expence 0-7-0
 

time 0-2-0
 

Ditto Stoton Expence 0-5-0
 

time 0-2-0
 

Joseph Holbrook account excepted by a vote of town"
 

Friday, January 26, 1776, brought a personage marching through Bellingham who would later be remembered for his death rather than life. According to the personal diary of Nathan Hale:
 

"Jany 1776
 

26 Friday
 

7 o'c^l fr. woods 4 m to Amadons Mendon & breakfasted.
 

17 m. to Clarkes Medfield & put up-Co-put up 5 m back."
 

The trip from Amadons(a tavern of the day) in what is now the center of Mendon would have taken Hale along the Old Turnpike Road (now Hartford Avenue) in Bellingham.
 

The Annual Town Meeting held March 6, 1776, was a return to the mundane affairs of the Town. The concerns were of an Annual Town Meeting date and a future meeting place, not the events unfolding around them, except for one vote.
 

"According to the Resolves of the great & general Court the Town Voted to chuse a committee of Correspond Inspection & Safte consisting of five men
 

Joseph Holbrook John Metcalf
 

Seth Hall Samuel Darling
 

Ezekiel Bates"
 

What that committee was to do is not mentioned. We can only speculate as to its part in the Town's war efforts to come. It was elected in subsequent years until the fighting stopped.
 

The attitude apparent from the progressive votes and actions of the official bodies is one progressing from complaint in 1774 to resignation on their fate in 1775 to the beginnings of dialogue on the future in 1776. Even in Bellingham, the form and philosophy of that form of government was clearly on the meeting attendees' minds.
 

The Town Meeting of May 20, 1776 was called to "elect and depute one or more Parsons to Serv for & Represent them in a general court to be holden at the meeting House in watertown on wednesday the 29 Day of may Instant."
 

Interestingly it was called "in the Name of the government & People of the massachusets Bay". That name would linger for many years for the fledgling state.
 

Further articles asked:
 

"to see if said Inhabitants will give the Representative instructiones in case they chuse one or more."
 

and
 

"To see if said Inhabitants will act any matter or thing Respecting getting an act made for the Probates of wills and granting letters of Administration & Registering Deeds in the several towns & for chusing county assembly for taxing Sd County or any other matter or thing relating thereto that may thought proper."
 

The first matter was disposed of by:
 

"put to Vote to see of the inhabitants of Sd town will chuse a man to represent Sd town at the great & general court the year insuing & pased in the affarmitive & mad choice Stepⁿ Metcalf Esq to represent Sd town"
 

Stephen Metcalf, as we have seen earlier was the incumbent, but he was also a Selectman at this time and at this meeting was voted Moderator for the meeting. His father John was a prominent citizen as well, serving as Town Clerk and as Clerk of the Proprietors of the Common Land. From the Proprietors records, it appears he was also a surveyor, a job his son Stephen later took up. Stephen Metcalf in the period of the Revolution was also an Assessor, served on most committees to decide policy or end disputes. Stephen is also referred to by the honorific Esquire, often used for attorneys, but not restricted to them at the time. He was a Justice of the Peace and may have received this title from that. During the 1760's he served as a Constable as well. As a surveyor, in 1794 he drew the first map of the town after the Revolution. His service continued well into the next century.
 

As to the Probate the citizens
 

"Voted that it is the opinion of the inhabitants of this town that it is constitutional & necessary for each county in this colony of the Massachusetts Bay to have county assemblies enacted & established in them the members to be chosen one or more in each town each year with power to grant county taxes establish roads and to preform all acts proper for county assemblies: all that are chosen to be payed by those that choos them.
 

"That all deeds of land be recorded in the town where the land lies by the town clerk of the same town for the time being andthat each town be at liberty at each annual march meeting to chuse a register for that and each Clerk or register to have such fees for their service as the same town shall each year agree to give.
 

"That all Deceased wills be proved and recorded and estates settled in each town where the Deceased last dwelled by the Selectmen and town clerk in the same town and that each town have liberty at each annual march meeting to choose a committee (or town council) to prove wills and settle estates and a register to record wills & settlement of estates. Said Selectmen or committee and Register to have such fees as the same town shall agree and that there be liberty of appeal for any parson agrived at the Decrees of any Selectmen or committee in the premises to this Colonis Council."
 

"Voted that we instruct our Representative that he use his best endeavors in the great and general court tha the three foregoing Particulars named in the three foregoing Votes may by Said court be enacted and established with such regulations and restriction as in their wisdom shall Judge equitable"
 

"and we further instruct and impower our representative with such other Representatives that may have from their towns like instruction to be a Committee to prepare present and pursue a Petition to said great and genreal Court of this Colony as soon as may bee that the first named three articles may be by said court enacted and established."
 

A clear predilection for local control and a local voice is evident throughout the records of the time. The townspeople do not appear to have had a great deal of trust for persons from outside of the area, particularly those from Boston.