Continuing the testimony in the trial of my ancestor Thomas Tuck charged with stealing
a church bell from the yard of Richard More:
Capt.
William Dixcy deposed that soon after the taking of the forts, Capt.
Lawthrop signified by letter to them that he had procured a bell for
their meeting-house and had sent it home by Capt. More. He, with others,
went to Capt. More who asked if they had a bill of lading or an order
from the General. They not having either, he refused to let them have
it. Sworn in court.
Capt. William Dixcy, aged
seventy-two years, testified that soon after the return of Major
Sedgwick from St. John's and Port Royall, the latter, with Major
Leverett, being in company on a journey from the eastward to Boston
happened to come into deponent's house. They sat down and discoursed
there a while and among other things Major Leverett asked "mee what our
towns name was. I answered him that wee weer no town as yet: then sayd
hee you may do well to lett Major Sedgwick haue the honor of nameing the
town when it is made a town for he hath giuen Captain Lawthrop a bell
for your place and this to the best of my Remembrance was before wee had
any notice giuen us of it any other way." Sworn in court.
Joshua
Hobart certified at Boston, Oct. 18, 1679, that he, living at Bass
river when the French forts were, by Major Robert Sedgwick, reduced to
English obedience, there was a bell at Capt. Richard More's of the
spoils, and which in his absence was taken away, etc. Wit: Joshua
Hobart* and Isaac Pepper.* Sworn, Oct. 18, 1679, before Joshua Hobart,*
commissioner.
Jeremy Hobart* testified to the same, 25 :9 : 1679, before Edm. Batter,* commissioner in Salem.
John
Dodge, jr., aged about forty years, and Nathaniel Hayward, aged about
thirty-seven years, deposed that being in company with Capt. More about
two years ago he told them that the bell which is at Beverly was for
Capt. Lowtrop but, said More, "you beuerly men did steal ye bell in yt
you took ye bell without order when I was not at home." Sworn in court.
Nathaniell
Sharpe, aged about thirty-five years, deposed that he saw some Beverly
men take the bell out of More's yard and Thomas Tuck and Thomas Pigdon
were two of them. Joshua Ward affirmed the same. Sworn in court.
Georg
Stanly, aged about forty-four years, testified that about the time that
Salem new meeting house was built, "I being in company with Captain
Lawthrop, Capt More and Capt. Joseph Gardner at Capt. Gardners hous I
heard Capt. Gardner say to Captain Lawthrop I think said he wee must
haue your Bell for our meeting hous is bigger than yours and your bell
is bigger than ours I think wee may doe well to change bells. Captain
Lawthrop Replyed hee knew no need of that our bell said hee is very well
where it is, the bell was giuen to mee for the place where now it is:
Captain More answered him that allthough the bell weere giuen to you yet
said hee I dont know but I might haue kept the bell as well as you for I
brought it home and I neuer gaue a bill of lading for it neither was I
euer paid for the freight of it. Captain Lawthrop answered Captain More
that hee might haue kept such and such things naming seuerall things as
well as the bell for I had no more bill of lading to show for them said
hee then for the Bell: Come Come said Captain Mor let us drink up our
wine and say no more of it I supose wee shall neuer trouble you for none
of them." Sworn in court.
Anthony Needam, aged about
forty-eight years, deposed that he was a soldier under Major Sedgwick
and heard Capt. Lawthrop ask for a bell for the new meeting house in the
plantation where he dwelt. Deponent heard Capt. Lawthrop ask again at
Port Royal when Major Sedgwick was standing in the fort and he gave him
the bell in the friary, deponent and Capt. Lawthrop throwing it down to
the ground. Then deponent and others took it down to Capt. Moor's ketch
to ship home. Sworn in court
John Floyd testified that he was at the taking of the French forts, etc. Sworn in court.
-pp311-312
Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts, Volume 7 (Google eBook) 1678-1680 Salem, Ma. 1919
I'll have a few thoughts about all this in the third post in this series.
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