Curiosities of History: Boston, September Seventeenth, 1630-1880Wheildon, William W. (William Willder)
History
Curiosities of History: Boston, September Seventeenth, 1630-1880
Wheildon, William W. (William Willder)
Boston (Mass.) -- Description and travel; Boston (Mass.) -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775
Almost as a natural consequence of what has now been said, in March, 1636,
we find that provision was made "for having sufficient fences to the
Cornfielde before the 14th of the next second month (April); that for
every defective rod then found, five shillings penalty;" and it was
further provided, "The field toward Rocksberry to be looked into by Jacob
Elyott and Jonathan Negoose; the Fort Hill, by James Penn and Richard
Gridley; the Mylne field, by John Button and Edward Bendall, and the New
Field by John Audley and Thomas Faireweather."
Thus it will be seen, if the rule adopted was carried out, that there were
four or more large cornfields in Boston, and that the principal work of
the people for a time was the raising of corn. At a later period parcels
of corn were occasionally presented or sent to the governor by the
Indians, who had their cornfields before the English people arrived. In
fact, it is recorded in the next month after the arrival of Winthrop, that
so much provision had been sold to the Indians for beaver, that food
became scarce; and in October, 1630, a vessel was sent to the
Narragansetts to trade, and brought home one hundred bushels of corn. In
May, 1631, corn in Boston was ten shillings a bushel, as probably much was
required for planting at this time. In August, 1633, a great scarcity of
corn was reported; and in November, the next year, a vessel arrived from
Narragansett with five hundred bushels of Indian corn. It is very clear
that corn was very early, and for some time, the great dependence of the
settlers.
In Plymouth Colony, in 1630, the salary of the messenger of the General
Court was thirty bushels of corn. In 1685, the secretary's wages was
fifteen pounds a year, payable in corn at two shillings per bushel. In
1690, "one third the Governor's salary ordered to be paid in money, the
rest in corne."
In 1637, April 16, "all the fences and gates to be made up. Sargeant
Hutchinson and Richard Gridley to look after the Fort Field; John Button,
James Everett and Isaac Grosse, in the Mill Field; Wm Colburn and Jacob
Elyott on the Field next Roxburie." Again, in 1640, March 30, "To look to
the fences: Richard Fairbanks and William Salter the field towards
Roxbury; Benj. Gillam and Edmd. Jacklyn, the Fort Field; Wm. Hudson and
Edward Bendall the New Field; Mr. Valentine Hill and John Button, the Mill
Field."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account