termined to make one herself. She selected the straw, split it with her thumb nail, braided it, sewed it, and made the first American straw bonnet, and thus commenced the flourishing industry, which is the basis of the prosperity of Foxboro' and Medfield, and which for many years gave employment to wives and daughters in Norfolk County. Mrs. Baker's pattern was a Dunstable bonnet in the window of Miss Lydia Hill of Providence. She worked without block, frame or num ber, with alternate rows of plain and open work and a scollop at the rim. It is said a fac-simile of the original bonnet is still preserved in the rooms of the Rhode Island Society for the encouragement of domestic industry. 5. Moll Pitcher's Tree has been mentioned. When a house was building near the site of the residence built and now occupied by Mr. B. F. White, it is a tradition that Moll Pitcher stopped and asked one of the carpenters for a drink of cider. Being refused she said, "Your neck will snap like this pipe," at the same time breaking the stem of her clay pipe. Shortly after, the man fell from a staging and broke his neck. It was also predicted that the house would be distroyed by fire, and that whoever lived in it would be unlucky. Afterwards the house was moved to the north side of the street, and Nahatan Hall, often used for social and dancing parties, was attached to it. It was occupied by various tenants and was burned May 27, 1879, making two curious coincidents between predictions and events. Many of the parochial anecdotes relate to Rev. Thomas Thacher, but persons who judge him simply by these will do injustice to a man distinguished by fine scholarship, independence of thought, and generosity of spirit. These anecdotes will show him in relation to his house, his horse, his politics and his devotions. 6. He bought the house now owned by the writer of this paper (Rev. Calvin S. Locke), April 20, 1784, of Mr. Joseph Onion, and remarked at the time that it was an old house and would always be an old house. This house is said, but the tradition is not verified by record, to have been occupied by two generations of Herrings. One Mr. Herring had several daughters and had three maids, one to teach. the girls to card, another to teach them to spin, and another to dance and sing. For some reason it was necessary that some work on the plastering of this house should be done on Sunday. As Mr. Thacher left the house he told the mason, "I must go and preach the word; you will find the spirit in the closet." 7. One day as the carpenter was going away he called him back and said, "I dislike to speak to you about it, but I think you carry away nails every night when you go home." "It is no such thing," said the carpenter indignantly, "I never did it." "Why, yes you do, my good man,” replied Mr. Thatcher, "don't you carry away ten nails on your fingers and ten on your toes?" 8. It was necessary at that time to carry corn to East Dedham to be ground. There was no post-office then at West Dedham, and Mr. Thacher was accustomed to go to Dedham for his mail. At one time he put a bag of corn behind his saddle, intending to have it ground at East Dedham, but the horse refused to go past the post-office, his usual turning point. Mr. Thacher urged him and reasoned with him, "Why, you like meal, don't you?" "This corn is going to be ground for you." The horse still persistently turned towards home. "Well, then, you old fool," said Mr. Thacher, "go where you have a mind to," and let him have his way. 9. In his time the last Wednesday in May was called election day, and was usually celebrated by a militia training. It was expected that planting would be finished before the time, and that afterwards citizens would work out their highway tax on the roads. It was customary to elect a surveyor, and he dignified his office by treating to flip or some other mixture of rum and molasses. Newell Ellis was a youth who worked more or less for Mr. Thacher, and was very desirous of joining the festivity of the roadmakers as soon as possible. He asked Mr. Thacher if he might go. "Newell," said Mr. Thacher, "I think we will have those potatoes hoed first." Newell took the horse and plowed between the rows and hoed the outside rows, and soon returned. "Newell, have you hoed the potatoes?" "Yes, sir," was the reply. "Well, Newell, I think I will have those potatoes hoed again." 10. Mr. Thacher was accustomed, when he came out of meeting in the morning, to invite some of his parishioners to go down and take pot-luck with him, and he jocosely named his pitchers after ladies in his parish. 11. When Mr. Thacher first came to preach as a candidate at West Dedham, he spent the night at Jeremiah Baker's in the house now the residence of Mr. Charles French. In the morning after breakfast he said, "Well, I suppose I must play a tune on that old fiddle of yours." Then he took the Bible, read a chapter, and offered prayer. 12. During his life there was a fierce strife between Federalists and Republicans. Once when Mr. Thacher preached at Dedham he made some remarks which belong to the category of offensive partisan politics. Certain persons rose and left the meeting. "I see," said Mr. Thacher, "I have at least one apostolic gift, the power to cast out devils." THE FISHER FAMILY. The following account is contained in two letters written by Col. Horace Newton Fisher, of Brookline, to Hon. Milton Metcalf Fisher, of Medway, in 1878. His "investigations on this subject were made some twenty years ago," supplemented by some research during his residence in Europe just before the War. It is through the courtesy of Mr. Fisher of Medway, that the following extracts are made. The names and dates Col. Fisher found in the Parish Records of Syleham, England, and in the “Candler Manuscript," in the British Museum (No. 6071 of the Harleian Collection, page 384.) The author of the manuscript was Matthew Candler, a prominent Puritan Minister settled at Codenham, Co. Suffolk, England (b. 1604, d. 1663). A few dates have been supplied from the Dedham Records. The following extracts have been made by Annie Richards Fisher. 1. ANTHONY FISHER' lived at "Wignotte," Syleham, Co. Suffolk, England, on the south bank of the Wavenay river, which separates that county from Norfolk. m. Mary Fiske, dau. of William and Anne Fiske of St. James, South Elmsham, Co. Suffolk. Buried Apr. 11. 1640. 2. JOSHUA3, bap. Feb. 24, 1585; m. 2d, Anne Luson. MARY (twin sister), bap. Feb. 24.1585; m. W. Brigge of Denningham, Co. Suffolk. 3. ANTHONY', bap. at Syleham, Apr.23.1591; m. 2d, Isabel Breck. 4. AMOS2, m. Anne Morrice. CORNELIUS, bap. Aug. 6, 1599 ( M. A., Cambridge University); lived at East Bergholt. Co. Suffolk; m. Elizabeth [ ]; had no children; d. about 1641. According to the Candler manuscript, Elizabeth his widow m. Rev. George Smith of Dedham, same county. MARTHA2, m. John Buckingham of Syleham. 2. JOSHUA, of Medfield, bap. Feb. 24, 1585; m. 1st [unknown], 2d, Anne Luson, Feb. 7, 1638; came to Dedham about 1640; one of the settlers of Medfield, 1649; d. 1674. She d. in Medfield, 1677. ELIZABETH', bap. July 3, 1619, at Syleham. 5. JOSHUA3, of Dedham, bap. April 2, 1621, at Syleham; m. Mary Aldis. MARY3, b. in England; m. Thomas Battelle of Dedham, Sept. 5, JOHN3, b. in England; m. Elizabeth, dau. of Thomas and Sarah 3. ANTHONY, of Dorchester, bap. at Syleham, Apr. 23. 1591; m. 1st [unknown], 2d, Isabel, widow of Edward Breck of Dorchester, Nov. 14, 1663; d. in Dorchester, Apr. 18. 1671. Came to New England, 1637. Children probably born in England. ANTHONY, of Dedham, m. Johanna Faxin of Dedham, Sept. 7, 1647; d. in Dedham, Feb. 13, 1670. His widow d. Oct. 16, 1694. Came to Dedham, 1637. Children, Mehitable', b. in Dedham, June 27, 1648; Josiah, b. May 1, 1654; Sarah1, b. Oct. 27, 1664; Eliezer, b. Sept. 18, 1669. 3 CORNELIUS, of Wrentham, m. 1st, Leah Heaton of Dedham, 31. 1660. 3 3 4 DANIEL, of Taunton; m. Hannah, dau. of John Hill of Dorchester; removed to Taunton. Children, see Plymouth Colony Records, Volume VIII. LYDIA,3 m. Daniel Morse of Dedham. Had nine children, six born in Dedham, and three in Medfield. She was living in 1660, but died before her father's estate was divided in 1672. 4. AMOS, m. Anne Morrice, widow of Daniel Locke, and lived CANTON PUBL LIBRARY at Custridge Hall, parish of Weeley, Co. Essex. According to the Parish Records of Syleham, he m. Anne Lord, Sept. 24, 1633. JOHN, b. in England; d. in Dedham, Sept. 5, 1637. 6. DANIEL,3 b. in England; m. Abigail Marriot. 3 John and Daniel," sons of Amos Fisher, came to New England about 1637, with their uncle Anthony?, his son Cornelius, and their cousins Joshua and Anthony3. With this company came their relations Rev. John Allin and John Luson, all of whom settled in Dedham on the "road to Ragged Plaine" (now Lowder street). The lots granted to these men were all by one vote and were contiguous. John Fisher received twelve acres July 28, 1637, but he died Sept. 5, and his lot descended to Daniel,3 at which time he was a minor. Daniel' became a church member in 1639 and a Freeman in May 1640. 5. JOSHUA, of Dedham, bap. at Syleham April 2. 1621; m. Mary Aldis, dau. of Nathaniel and Mary Aldis of Dedham, Nov. 15. 1643; d. Aug. 10, 1672. According to the Dedham Records, he was, on January 1. 1638, authorized to occupy the house lot assigned to his father, who came to New England about 1640. JOSHUA', b. Oct. 30. 1645; m. Esther Wiswell. Children, John3; Joshua'; Mary3, m. Jeremiah Dean; Esther m. Capt. Daniel Fisher, 3d, of Dedham. These children were heirs of the estate of Elder John Wiswell, or of certain lands laid out to him beyond Blue Hills, near Dedham (1737) in Stoughton. 6. DANIEL3, of Dedham, b. in England, 1621; m. Abigail Marriot, Nov. 16, 1641; d. Oct. 8, 1683. She d. Oct. 11, 1683. Children, Abigail, m. John Baker; Daniel, b. Feb. 26, 1649-50. m. Mary Fuller; Lydia, m. Nathaniel Chickering; Amos, m. Mary Ellis; John, m. Rebecca Ellis; Jeremiah, d. 1676; Esther, m. Thomas Fuller. From Amos and John' are descended the Fishers of West Dedham and Needham, also Col. Horace N. Fisher and Milton M. Fisher. (To be continued.) |