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The area was first visited by Captain John Smith of Jamestown fame in 1614. He briefly explored the Gulf of Maine, and it was in that finding that he first coined the phrase, ‘New England’, publishing his discoveries in 1615 in London. He enthusiastically embraced the term and took credit for it and thus fostered a growing interest in the English people for the new lands.
In 1634, William Woods’ New England Prospect published in London. It caused a rush of prospective pioneers so much so that King Charles I halted as much as 10 ships filled with passengers to be delayed. He wanted them to pledge allegiance to the King first to assure his dominion over the new lands.
One of the ships detained was the Mary and John containing many of the first settlers of Newbury. As for how many were actually on the ship based on size of the four-hundred-ton vessel, it is estimated as many as 150 souls. Once pledged, they sailed for Agawam (Ipswich).
Once in Massachusetts, Rev Thomas Parker and approximately 40 settlers applied to the General Court for permission to settle Newbury. (Named after the town where Rev. Parker had last preached in England, and many came from Wiltshire, including some that were closely related to the minister.) Permission was granted on May 6th, 1635, and roughly May 8th the party arrived onto the north shore of the Quascacunquen River. Tradition has it that Nicholas Noyes was the first to leap ashore.
In 1636, the first record of selectman was chosen.
One of the first efforts was to survey the land and assign lots.
Most were centered either along the river or around a central open court area forever known as the Lower Green. Each assignment was based on how much the colonizer had invested in the company. The minimum was at least a 4-acre lot and a right to pasture their cattle on the common. One rather wealthy man, Richard Dummer had joined them from Bishopstoke, England later that year and was given 1080 acres. Some were given 200 acres for every fifty pounds they invested in the venture.
Once assignments were completed, the community busied itself with construction of homes. Richard Dummer focused on cattle raising but also received permission to build a mill and a fish trap at the falls of Newbury. By September of that very year, Francis Plumer was licensed to be a tavern keeper. The meeting house was erected, and Rev. Noyes was to assist as a teacher aiding Rev. Parker.
Things were going well until 1637, when ministers meeting in Cambridge began to crack down across the Commonwealth against any religious dissent not sanctioned by the Puritans. Rather unsettling, Richard Dummer and John Spencer, prominent members of the community were singled out. They were disarmed which is disastrous in a community with threatening competing colonizers, Indians, mountain lions and wolves. It was highly insulting as they would be barred from military rank. Both fled which seriously crippled the young town. Fortunately, Dummer returned and with assurances from John Winthrop himself, was able to rejoin the community in 1640.
The threat from native peoples which was a common issue that many New England colonizers encountered never really materialized in the ‘Newbury’s’. Many years before, European fishermen were constant visitors to the abundant mighty Merrimack rich with salmon and sturgeon. They would often consult with the Pentucket village (Present-day Newburyport around Liberty Street) residents and trade with them. Exposed to continental Europe’s many diseases; by the time that 1635 had arrived, the village was largely abandoned and as few as 16-30 indigenous peoples lived in the entire region. Any serious Indian attacks came from raiding parties further north and west of the area.
Settlers in turn debated back and forth over the rights of Indians to the lands. Finally in 1701, the land was officially purchased from Masconomet’s grandson as an official act as there was only one family left by this time.
Logistics were a nightmare. The land that was designated as Newbury was vast encompassing today’s West Newbury, Byfield, modern-day Newburyport and what is today Plum Island and Newbury proper. Roads ended up being constructed after the assignment of lots and many landowners were incensed when parts of their land were ‘taken’ to make the main roads. Each member of the community was supposed to set time aside to construct the roads, but the actuality was spotty and not fully coordinated. As the obligation for Puritans required, they be not far away from a meeting house; complaints were made about the hardship in attendance under difficult circumstances.
In addition, ferries operated at Merrimack and Parker Rivers. The latter was first operated by a John Russe but later managed by Samuel Plummer. The General Court wanted to assert control over present-day Salisbury, so it urged the town to operate a ferry to the north. Established in 1641, and operated by the occupant of Carr’s Island; George, was a difficult individual and many complaints were leveled against him. Nevertheless, his family continued the practice and created a floating bridge on the north side of the island to connect onto the mainland. The family maintained control of the ferry all the way up to 1696.
As the community began to increasingly focus its population toward the Merrimack River and along the Atlantic; it became increasingly more difficult to have mandatory meetings as required by the Puritans. Thus, it was determined that Rev. Parker, Noyes, John Woodbridge and five other prominent men were to determine the location of the new town center. This included creating common pastures, new roads; and plans for the relocation of buildings. The target date was to provide time for the transition with the move beginning in 1646 and ending in 1647. The new meeting house was to the east of the King’s Highway where the present First Parish Burying Ground is located.
Much conflict was created with many taking the town to General Court in protest to the move. The order was made that the transfer could not be completed until a commission was created to answer the issues presented by the protesters. Even with the delay, the move progressed; and further protests were made. But this time, the General Court sided with the town and chided the detractors for not going along with the best interest for all.
Once the relocation was made, a tavern was granted to Tristam Coffin, who though a Royalist, ran it quite successfully.
In 1654, Richard Thurlow built a bridge over the Parker River. Unfortunately, it was not well-maintained (or well-made) and the General Court ordered Captain William Gerrish and Daniel Pierce, Sr. To improve the bridge. They were given the power to press local citizens to make the necessary repairs.
In 1656, the town granted Paul White half an acre of land next to the Merrimack River to create a dock, a wharf and a warehouse near Watt’s cellar. (Thus, the first official business in what would be the future Newburyport.) He was also licensed to operate a distillery in 1662 and sell ‘strong waters’ by the quart. By this time, many roadside taverns had closed down so he was further allowed to sell by the roadside.
One cannot over-emphasize how important Rev. Thomas Parker’s leadership was in the fledgling community. A devout Puritan, he kept the small community focused on spiritual matters. These became ever important as they had external threats such as competing colonizers from the north, the threat of Indian attacks and the inclusion of a wide variety of settlers from different cultures and religions. Internally, there was much tension as freeholders (landowners) disputed amongst themselves over boundaries and taxes and who would sit where in the meeting house. Only in his last years did he become embroiled in controversy. Regardless, when he passed away in 1677, Newbury honored him by declaring the Quascacungen would be forever named after him.
Much controversy was caused by the establishment of the Second Parish in present-day West Newbury. The First Parish strongly objected, and it was finally brought to the General Court. They ruled that it should be reasonable with a meeting house present and already a John Clark proceeding to establish a second parish. Clark stepped down though and Christopher Toppan was chosen to preside at Stovetop Hill.
In the meantime, by 1717; the town had grown so populated that it divided itself administratively into four districts and four schoolmasters were hired. The largest growth was on the waterfront. As well as much maritime activity, shipbuilding began to appear on the shores. Logs floated down the Merrimack from upstate New England made the port the ideal location for construction of ships.
Newbury as a largely agrarian society; became increasingly concerned over the amount of liquor available to men in the port. In 1718, it was voted that no more than five taverns would be allowed to be opened that served beer and wine; and three for hard liquor.
In 1722, the waterside residents petitioned for and were granted without much fuss; a Third Parish. The meeting house was built at Market Square. By 1726, they had established their covenants, hired a minister and set the boundary of their parish.
By 1760, power and wealth were becoming increasingly concentrated near the waterfront. Many businesses were located around the square and the functioning of a ‘town’ began in comparison to the surrounding agricultural residents. The little port already had its own schools, set up a prison on King Street (modern-day Federal) and built a courthouse at Essex and Fish Street (State). Funding requests for town functions were often turned down or delayed by the rest of Newbury. When they refused to recognize and fund the new courthouse, it was the last straw.
A petition to the General Court requested that a new town be made due to the great disparity between the mariners, merchants and traders at the Waterside and the farmers in the majority of Newbury. The Newbury residents strongly objected to the loss of tax revenue but regardless, on January 28, 1764, the new town of Newbury-port was created. An area was carved out initially from Oakland Street to Bromfield Street for the new municipality.
This was just in time! For the little port town would play a crucial role in the upcoming Revolutionary War and the creation of a new national government as well as contributing mightily to the economic well-being of the young country.
References:
A Brief History of Old Newbury: From Settlement to Separation by Bethany Groff, The History Press, Charleston, SC, 2008.
Celebration of the two hundred and fiftieth Anniversary of the settlement of Newbury, Historical Society of Old Newbury, W. H. Huxe, Co, Newburyport, MA, 1885.
History of Newbury, MA 1635-11902, by John J. Currier, Damrell & Upham, Boston, 1902.
Newbury Historical Commission, Newbury, MA, www.newbury1635.org, https://www.newbury1635.org/historical-essays-early-settlement
The Sons & Daughters of the First Settlers, https://www.sonsanddaughtersofnewbury.org/
