Full text of ' Mi ill i 11 ill il Hi ii»f ll^L^^i OLD DARTMOUTH^ HISTORICAL SKETCHES No. Being the proceedings of the Twentieth Meeting of the Old Dartmouth Historical Society, held in their building, Water street, New Bedford, Massachusetts, on June 30, 1908. THE KEMPTON FAMILY IN OLD DARTMOUTH Mary Kempton Taber SOCIAL LIFE AMONG THE FRIENDS OF LONG AGO Mary Eastman Bradford HEAD OF WESTPORT AND ITS FOUNDERS Henry Barnard Worth Note.— The 'Old Dartmouth Historical Sketches' will be published by the society quarterly and may be purchased for ten cents each on application to the Secretary and also at Hutchinson's Book Store. Giii Thft Eooiety HH ii 1314 PROCEEDINGS TWENTIETH MEETING Old Dartmouth Historical Society IN THEIK MriLIIINH; WATER STREET, NEW BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS JUNE 30, 1908. The Old Dartmouth Historical so- c-iety held its twentieth regular meet- ing the evening of June 30 with a good attendance in spite of the very warm weather.
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The program for the evening comprised papers on 'The Kempton Family in Old Dartmouth,' by Miss Mary Kempton Taber; and ■'Social Life among the Friends of Long Ago,' by Miss Mary Eastman Brad- ford. Both papers were listened to with much interest and cordial appre- ciation. In introducing the first speaker of the evening. President Wood said: 'In the history of Old Dartmouth no name is older than that of Kemp- ton for it appears upon our earliest record.
Among tln' man. ' descendants of the faviiily of Kempton now living', few of them bearing the name, there are a goodly number who are living in the very district set off to their progeni- tor, old Manasseh Kempton, 2 50 years ago. 'Our fellow member who is to speak to us this evening is now living, and I believe has always lived in about the centre of the largest tract that be- longed to this worthy ancestor. She is well fitted to speak to you on the.subject which she has chosen, for she has always been proud of the Kemp- tons.
I introduce Miss Mary Kempton Taber, who will address us on the Kempton family in Old Dartmouth.' THE THREE MEETING HOUSES OF THE CONGREGATIONAL SOCIETY IN NEW BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS. (Courtesy of tlie First Congregational Society) In each of these Meeting-Houses the Kempton Family were prominent membt and pew-holders.
The Kempton Family in Old Dartmouth By Mary Kempton Taber 'Ephraim Kempton arrived at Ply- mouth in the ship Ann August, 1623. He was the first Kempton to come to tlais country. (The name was some- tiine spelled Kimton.) His two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, came with him.
The father died in 1645, the sons were appointed administrators of his estate. Ephraim 2d married and settled in Scituate. '.Manasseh was a very noteful citizen a man of great executive ability; was chosen deputy to the general court, surveyor of highways, and assessor of taxes, serving many terms in each office.
In 1624 he married Julian, widow of George Morton, thus com- mencing what afterward became a very close relation with the Morton family, especially noticeable in the christian naines in both families, Ephraim and Manasseh being used over and over again. 'He was one of the original 36 purchasers of Dartmouth in 1652. 'He died without children in 1662. The records said, 'He did much good in his place the time God lent him.' 'In 1714 there was a Manasseh Kempton in Southampton, Long Island, by occupation a gunsmith, who was formerly of Plymouth. He represented the Kempton landed in- terest in Dartmouth which he derived from his uncle Manasseh.
There is considerable mystery how the South- ampton Manasseh obtained title t;5 the Dartmouth lands; as the original purchaser left no will his supposed heir would be his brotlier Ephraim. But this brother never owned the Dartmouth lands according to the records; and a still further problem is to decide who the Long Island man was; if the original purchaser was his uncle, it might be suggested that tlie Scituate Ephraim could be his father, but there is no record estab- lishing this fact, and when later this gunsmith transfered his Dartmoutli lands to Ephraim Kempton 3d, he calls him his cousin, which is an ab- surdity, if this Ephraim was his ov.-n brother.
'The confusion created by these different relationships given in the deed, leaves in considerable doubt the relation of the Long Island man to the families in Plymouth; one thing, however, seems certain, that as he died about 1736, Manasseh, the first purchaser could not have lieen his father. 'In 1733, Man.isseh transferred most of his Dartmouth lands, consisting of extensive tracts of swamps, wood- land, and shore meadows. Years be- fore, the proprietors in the division of the common lands had allotted to the Long Island Kempton extensive tracts of upland, meadow and cedar swamps in Darlmoutlh. The first was 150 acres at the extreme end of Scon- ticiit Neck; the second was a farm of 100 acres on the east side of the Acushnet river north of the tenninus of the Coggeshall street bridge; the third was r, tract of 4 acres on the east side of Clarks Point, divided by Butler street; the fourth was a tract of woodland comprising 300 acres in Smith Mills, lying between North Lartmouth railroad station and tfhe road between Faunces Corner and Hixville; the fifth, known as the Homestead and designated by Thomas M. Stetson as 'a magnificent rect- angle,' was bounded on the east by the Acushnet river, on the west by Rockdale avenue, its south line 100 feet south of Spring street, the north boundary 100 feet north of Sycamore street, and its area over 400 acres. 'TTie distinguishing marks along the south side have been obliterated for over a century, except a curious jog in the west line of County street in front of the residence of the late James Arnold, which may be observed as late as the Atlas of 1871.
'The north boundary of the Kemp- ton farm can be easily traced: Rock- dale avenue at a point 320 feet north of West Maxfield street, changes its direction; this i^oint is the north- west corner of the Kempton home- stead. The line extended about 100 feet north of Sj'camore street, at Pleasant street crossing the Armory lot, and reac'hing Purchase street 420 feet north of Maxfield street. Within this domain the village of Bedford started. The county road traversed this farm as early as 1711, and later was called County street; extending therefrom, east and west, were farm lanes whicli afterwards be- came the modern streets. On its wa- ter front was built 12 of the 15 wharves that were in existence in 1820. Here was built in 1794 the first school house, situated on Purchase street; a meeting house, built in 1795, northwest corner of Purchase and Wil- liam streets; and dwellings of Bed- ford's first merchants. 'While the Kemptons: owned valu- able interests in Dartmouth from the date of Oie purchase in 1652, yet for over eight.x' years none of them lived on Buzzards bay until Ephraim came to Dartmouth in 1736, being the first (if tliat namr to reside in this part of the province.
'The Long Island Manasseh in 1733 transferred the land on Clarks Neck, the homestead on the west side of the AcusTinet liver, and the Smith Mills woodland to 'my loving cousin, Ephraim Kempton of Plymouth, ship- wright'; in his will, probated in 1736. He devised the remainder of his Dart- mouth lands to 'my kinsman, William Kempton, ship carpenttir, now living in the town of Plymouth.' William and Ephraim were sons of Ephraim 2nd, and it is difficult to understand if the Long Islander was another son, why he should have described one brother as 'my kinsman' and the other as 'my cousin.' 'This included the end of Sconticut Xeck and the farm on the east side of the Acushnet river.
In 1742 William Kempton transferred to Jethro Delano the Sconticut Neck land, the transfer describing it as ■given me by my honored LTncle Ma- nasseh Kempton, late of Long Island.' 'William occupied as his homestead the farm on the east of the Acush- net river. The Smith Mills property was conveyed to William Ryder.
'When the transfer was made of the great homestead to Ephraim Kempton there must have been a family arrangement that a portion of it as intended for Samuel Kempton, the brother of Ephraim, as a short time later Ephraim conveyed to Sam- uel the south third of the hoinestead; the north line of this section was 100 feet south of Elm street. Ephraiin occupied the remainder of the farm as his homestead; also the Clarks Xeck lot until his death in 175 8. 'Sainuel Keinpton never resided in Dartmouth, but in 1744 conveyed his tract of 150 acres to Colonel Samuel Willis; it is said that the latter built a house for his son, Ebenezer, on the west side of County street at the head of William street, and when, in 1748, Colonel Willis transferred the 150 acres to Joseph Russell, the latter oc- eui)ied this house as his homestead. 'William Kempton, the owner of the Fairhaven farm, at his death in 1787 devised his homestead to his three sons, William, Stephen and James; it was occupied by these sons and their descendants for many years after. This farm lay in the hollow between the hdls, one at Dahls Cor- ner and the other at the terminus of the Coggeshall street bridge, and ex- tended from the river eastward a third of a mile; within its limits were the Tripp farms, Gould place, -and the Woodside cemetery.
'The son, William, Jr., moved to Acushnet Village, and at one time owned and occupied the house north- west corner of Lunds corner. He also established on the east side of the Acushnet river, the old tavern which is situated en the south side of the road and is the third building east of the bridge, for half a century this tavern was a famous resort for con- ivial persons living in New Bedford. Ii- 1758 at the death of Ephraim Kempton the first Dartmouth resident, he gave by will his Clarks Neck lot to his children, Thomas and Joanna, the latter the wife of Benj. Drew, she sold her interest later to Esther Butler, her niece, and they divided the tract and Butler street was opened on the divi- sion line. Some of this tract is still owned by the Keinpton descendants. 'The homestead farm of Ephraim, the south third of which was between Svcamore and Elm streets, he gave by will to his son, William, the same who lived on the east side of the Acushnet river, and the rest of the homestead to his son Thomas.
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'The division Mne between William and Thomas was Kempton street, 'hich had been opened as a traveled lane in 1778 at the time of the British raid. In his will William Kempton gave the section between Elm and Kempton streets to three other sons, Benjamin, Manasseh and Ephraim. 'During the years between 1760 and ISOC these three Kempton brothers were selling house lots. Thomas Kempton at his death in 1769, by will gave the sections ijf his homestead be- tween Kempton and Hillman streets to his son Ephraim, the other half of his homestead north of Hillman street to his son Thomas. 'When the Clarks Point tract was assigned to Manasseh Kempton, a stream of fresh skater flowed north into the river, south of where the Butler mill is now located. Fresh water was not abundant on Clarks Neck, consequently this stream was considered a public convenience rather than a private right, as in the north- west corner of the Kempton tract the proprietors laid out a watering place, which was a strip of land extending from the road to the brook over 600 feet distant; through this strip ten rods wide, animals could be driven to the water. 'When the Kempton watering place, comprising 4 acres, was found to be oi greater extent than the needs of the public required, the town of New Bedford placed a school house at the west end and a )i)W(1er house further east.
Within a few years the old wood- en school house bad given way to a handsome briclnnember emotions on faces in the dear old Friends meeting, but they were sometimes most beautiful in their calm placidity, and would we could see them once more. The 'American Friend' of Tenth Month eleventh I think of 1906 has a very interesting aiticle a 'memory of times Gone By.' I quote from it this extract. 'Some- times a little coterie of visiting Friends would stay a week and have appoint- (C meetings in the neighborhood visit- ing families and otherwise occupy themselves; always coming home for supper and breakfast. ' 'In return for their company and prayers, they shared our best things. Some of these things, more especially the delicacies of the table were a sur- prise to our not over indulged juvenile relish, and the children wondered where mother had previously stored them away. She lias kept all her se- crets to this day God bless her.
In return for the best we had, our guests gave us their best. How well I re- member it; the Friends in the parlor v.hile we girls with increasing dignity passed back and forth with china fiom the parlor closet.
We were not so intent upon bringing the cups and saucers carefully, as upon the bits of conversation that fell upon us. The most solemn moments of my life were those at father's table when a holy hush fell on the oblong group, for the table was an extension, on pur- pose for company. 'The Friend, on whom the burden to pray first fell, leaned forward with her hand on her face, as if she were indeed one of the cherubims leaning over the Mercy Seat in Moses's time.
Ill reverent and orderly turn each of our guests prayed for our parents, 'the heads of this house,' 'the dear children, collectively and individually, most of it was individually. It was this personal appeal in prayer and ex- h( rtation, not forgetting prophecy that has so riveted me physically and men- tally to these 'family opportunities.' The Reading meetings were another 13 social recreation, someone read aloud from a Quaker book of biography, travel, or religion, for instance, 'The Life of Elizabeth Frye,' 'The Works of Daniel Wheeler in Russia,' who was sent for by the czar of that land for agricultural education among the Russian peasantry.