those from that town, who usually had worshipped here, joined themselves to that society, since which, this has been styled the Baptist Society in Shrewsbury. The number of members connected with this church in 1825, whose relations had not been removed, was 74. Mr. Elias McGregory was their first settled minister; he was ordained 17th June, 1818, and received by contribution about $200 per annum; he was dismissed at his own request, in May, 1821, but with great reluctance on the part of the society. After this, several gentlemen officiated here on the Sabbath; among whom was Mr. Samuel W. Vilas; he preached to them nearly a year, and was about to be settled over them, when he sickened and died, July 15, 1823, in the 33d year of his age. He was esteemed and beloved by those who knew him, and his premature death disappointed the expectations of many. This society has not at present any ordained minister; Mr. Henry Archibald preaches to them about half of the time with a compensation, at the rate of $250 a year.

The Restoration Society was formed April 11, 1820; its present number of male members is about 170, of whom 104 belong to this town, as appears by certificates filed in the Town Clerks office. It was incorporated, April 26, 1824, under a law of this Commonwealth, by the name of the "First Restoration Society in Shrewsbury." Their Meeting House was finished and dedicated, May 29, 1823, and is 41 by 42 feet. It is in the modern style, with a projection of 11 feet by 28, through which, by a door at either end admittance is gained into the house. The projection, on which is a steeple, fronts the Turnpike road; on the south side of which the house is situated. It is about a mile and an half South of the Congregational Meeting House. The Meeting House is painted within and without, and having a pleasant location, makes a handsome appearance. It is furnished with a large well toned organ, an elegant piece of workmanship, made by a self taught and very ingenious young man of this town; and which is used on days of public worship. The house cost about $3000, An acre of land, for the accommodation of the house and other purposes, was given to the Society by one of its individuals.

The Rev. Jacob Wood was installed over the church and Society, on the day of the dedication of the house, and has a salary of $468 per annum, raised, till Nov. 1825, by voluntary subscription, but now by legal taxation-six houses for public worship are now standing on the original grant of Shrewsbury.

SCHOOLS. The grants for the support of schools have been $700 annually; for several years past, but are now $720; $200 for Mistress' schools, $430 for Masters' do. and $90 for fuel. The town is divided into seven school districts, each having a school house, but all of them owned by the town. The inhabitants are not confined to their respective districts, but may send their children and youth under their care, to either of the schools, as it may best accommodate them. The School houses and districts are distinguished by numbers; and the amount of money granted each year is annually apportioned among them according to the following rule adopted in 1814, and founded partly on the amount of the valuation, and partly on the number of scholars in each district.

The number of scholars that attended during the winter season

of 1825-6, is about 500.

POOR, &c.-The town has two or three times had under consideration the subject of procuring a farm, where on to support its paupers. It never had an establishment of this kind, and does not yet deem it expedient to purchase one. The number of paupers supported, some wholly, and others partially, by the town, for five years past, was from 18 to 32 per year; and their annual average expense to the town, $650.* They are vendued, sometimes individually, and at others collectively, to the lowest bidder, for one year, commencing on the first of April. It is supposed, that when the paupers of a town are vendued, they are not supported in so economical a manner as might be adopted; nor in one, that tends so much to their comfort as would be desirable. The practice of venduing them to the lowest bidder is one, the long usage of which, in many places, has obliterated that nice sense of feeling, which makes man shudder at the thought of being instrumental in the sale of his fellow man; a practice, that places this unfortunate class of people, many of whom have become so by unforeseen circumstances, and consequently without any fault of theirs, in a condition to be sold like slaves. We exclaim against the inbuman practice of sel*The number of paupers supported wholly or partially by the town 19 expense to the town,

was in 1821

1822

18

do.

do.

do.

do.

$675,56
549,36

527,57

696,11

361,00

ling Africans and negroes; it is honorable to us to do so; it is an odious traffic; and is not the selling of paupers an odious prac tice? It has been so long and so generally practised in this part of the country, that for an individual to attempt to remedy it, is for him to set himself against thousands; yet it is a consolation to know, that many, even a great many, who acquiesce in this practice, do it with great reluctance, and would be glad, from feelings of humanity, to have it discontinued.

It is true, the body of the slave is sold for the labor it can perform, while it is the support of the pauper, that is put up at auction but the case is not materially different. Their situation is not so unlike, as it is thought and intended to be; the support of the slave is incidental to the purchase of his body, while the body of the pauper is incidental to the sale of his support; the latter has a master no less than the former, who derives to his benefit what can be obtained from his servant's labor; and as it is natural for a man to make the most he can of a contract, the pauper often has a hard master, as well as the slave; for while the one is accustomed to hard labor, and often beaten with stripes, the other, too frequently, suffers the want of a sufficient support, as well as kind treatment. In some respects, the situation of the slave is preferable; his feelings are respected by selling him to the highest bidder, while the feelings of the pauper are mortified by his being sold to the lowest; and while the one is not sold, perhaps, but once in his life, the other is publicly exposed to sale annually. The mark of degradation is annually stamped upon him, as if to remind him of his dependence on his fellow men. At the same time he is subjected every year to the liability of having a new master; nor is this all the slave has not, while the pauper has, the benefit of a tolerable education; has lived and associated with civilized people, and is possessed of feelings, that have thereby become refined; it generally so happens, if not out of regard to his feelings, and those of relatives and acquaintance, that the slave, though unciviliz ed,is sold among strangers, himself a stranger in a strange land; while the pauper, civilized and of refined feelings, is made by his countrymen to endure the grievious mortification of being publicly sold in his own town, and perhaps, to one, never his friend; and of being looked down upon in this humiliating situation, caused perhaps by sickness or misfortune beyond his control, by many, who once looked up to him, and of seeing himself neglected, if not despised by others, who, in his better days, had been wont to take him by

the hand. Independent of the better treatment the poor would receive, every town would find it for its interest to have a poorhouse, either by itself, or by uniting with an adjoining town, to have one for the common purposes of both.

POUNDS.-There have been four Pounds built at the expense of the town; the two first of wood, and the two last of stone. The first was erected in 1723, and stood near the brook, by the old Post road, at the west end of Mr. Samuel Bullard's apple orchard, three quarters of a mile east of the Congregational Meeting House; the travelled way, notwithstanding the road was laid where it now is, was then between his house and the brook, and came into the road about half a mile east, and about a quarter of a mile west of his house, and opposite where Capt. Keyes' houses were burnt, in 1723, (of which more hereafter) and continuing west, it left the road to the north, and, passing south of where Henry Baldwin's house now stands, came into the road again more than a mile further west, on the top of Daniel Maynard's hill, so called. The second Pound was built in 1746, and stood on the same road, half a mile further west, partly on ground now occupied by a Blacksmith's shop. The third was built in 1764, on the same spot; and the fourth, in 1799, and stands on the common, a little distance north west from the Congregational Meeting House.

FIRES. There have been nine dwelling houses, two barns, one school house, and one saw mill burnt in this town. The first was Gershom Wheelock's house, which stood on the old Post road, not far distant from where Mr. Joseph Nurse now lives. No record of any thing relating to this event has been found, by which the precise time when it happened is known. As aged people say, this was the first house burnt in Shrewsbury; it must have been prior to the 7th of August, 1723; since which, no house has been erected on that spot. Mr. Wheelock soon after purchased the house lot No. 23, where his grandson, Deacon Gershom Wheelock, now lives; who has in his possession some small articles of furniture that were saved from the fire. The place where he now lives, descended from father to son and grandson, and has been in their united possession nearly one hundred years. The house burnt, was the first house built in Shrewsbury. Gershom Wheelock, who built it, came here from Marlborough, and was the first man who commenced work in this town.

The next fire was the most remarkable, as well as the most sorrowful occurrence that ever took place in this part of the coun

try; and, as the town was then in its infancy, was peculiarly shocking. It is related in Whitney's history of the County of Worcester; Whitney says, he gives it in the words of the account published in the only newspaper, as he was told, then printed in New England, if not on this side of Philadelphia. It was a small half sheet, printed by B. Green, and is as follows:

"BOSTON, AUGUST 15, 1723.

"An exact account of the awful burning of Capt. John Keyes' house, with five persons in it, at Shrewsbury, in the night between the 7th and 8th of this inst. taken from a letter of the Rev. Mr. Breck, of Marlborough, and from the mouth of Mr. Ebenezer Bragg,* of the same, formerly of Ipswich, the only person of those, who lodged in the house, who, by a distinguishing providence, escaped the flames.

"Capt. Keyes was building an house about nine or ten feet off his old one. It was almost finished; and Mr. Bragg aforesaid, the carpenter, with his brother Abiel, of 17 years of age, and William Oaks, of 18, his apprentices, were working about it. Capt. Keyes, with his wife and four daughters, lodged in the old one; and the three carpenters, with the three sons of the Captain, viz. Solomon, of 20, John, of 13, and Stephen, of 6 years of age, laying in the new. On Wednesday night, going to bed, they took a more than ordinary care of the fire, being excited thereto, by the saying of one, he would not have the house burnt for an hundred pounds; and the reply of another, he would not for two hundred; upon which, they carefully raked away the chips lying near it, and stayed till the rest were almost burnt out; and then they went all six together into three beds in one of the chambers; and were very cheerly and merry at their going to bed, which was about ten of the clock. But, about midnight, Mr. Bragg was awakened with a notion of the house being on fire, and a multitude calling to quench it; with which he got up, saw nothing, heard no voice, but could hardly fetch any breath through the stifling smoke; concluded the house was on fire, perceived somebody stirring, against whom he hit two or three times in the dark, and not being able to speak, or breathe any longer, and striking his forehead against the chimney, he thought of the window, and happily found it: when he gained it, he tarried a minute, holding it fast with one hand, and reaching out the other, in hopes of meeting with some one or other to save them, till the smoke and fire came so thick and scorching upon him, he * Father of the late Deacon John Bragg, of this town.