OBADIAH HARRIS

In his book “A Peoples Army” on Massachusetts soldiers, author Fred Anderson, records Obadiah Harris, a carpenter from Wrentham was one of seventy who kept a diary while serving in the military during the Seven Years War and having only eight days of training before he confronted the French at Ticonderoga. Harris was one of those in 1758 who constructed a hospital at Fort Edwards and a stockade near Lake George. He spent most of his early time with his battalion constructing roads between Albany and Fort Edwards. On July 8 1758, Harris wrote; “The men were ordered up before the breastwork to take it by force and the French discharged their cannon upon us and cut us down in great numbers as the battle began (about two in the afternoon and ended at sunset). At the beginning of the fight our men prevailed and got part of the breastwork. And the French seeing our men prevail, made as thought to surrender, stopped firing, pulled off their hats and; set up an English flag. And our men thought we had got the breastwork in (hand) and the French turned and fired upon us, killing men in great numbers, by which we were forced to retreat. And the French took full possession of the breastwork again, but our men tried a second and third time, but could not prevail, but were killed until the ground was covered with their dead bodies and we were forced to retreat. And orders came to retreat to the boats and we got back at the break of the ninth day (of July). Came off as fast as we could and got back to Fort William Henry at the sun setting.” The Harris diary is in the Huntington Library in San Bernardino, California, however copies of Anderson’s book, with many excerpts, is in the Fiske Library in Wrentham.  JJM                                                                     

 

Angle Tree Stone

The Angle Tree site was first marked in 1664 when surveyors actually laid out a boundry line divididng the colonies. The slate stone was made by a father and son grave stone carvers from Wrentham, erected in 1790 and added to the National Historic Register in 1976. The stone replaced the "Angle Tree" of the 1600s which was a surveying landmark between Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth Colony. In 1640 the Colonies had agreed that a line from Accord Pond in Hingham and Wrentham, Massachusetts, should be the dividing line between the Colonies. It was an extremely important point for at that time Massachusetts Bay extended to the Pacific Ocean. The line was surveyed by Woodward, a mathematician and Saffrey, an unknown, who made many mistakes and were accused of taking too many pulls on their Toddy. The line was often the subject of disputes and not settled until a U.S. Supreme Court decision was handed down two centuries later. The line is still recognized as the boundary between Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. JJM

1917 Wrentham Fire Truck

                                              Photo submitted by Al McClintock

SAMUEL GOLDSBURY

Samuel Goldsbury was born in Wrentham to John and Eunice (Pond) Goldsbury on August 14 1743 and married Rhoda Partridge on May 30 1764.  Sam taught school for twelve weeks in 1771 and again for eight weeks in 1772.  He was listed on the 1771 tax list but had no agricultural property.  Rhoda and Sam had four daughters and five sons between 1766 and 1788 and two children, who were buried without names, according to the Second Church of Christ (Congregational) in  what is now Franklin.  Samuel was a loyalist from the outbreak of the rebellion and as a result his property in Wrentham was seized.  He was reportedly the victim of mobs in Boston in 1772 and 1774  and later acted as a lieutenant in a company of loyalists raised in Boston. He went to Halifax, Nova Scotia with the Royal Army on March 17, 1776, which is celebrated annually in Massachusetts as Evacuation Day.  In 1776 he moved to New York, where he served as a volunteer in the Battle of Brooklyn Heights. He also raised a company in Colonel Fanning's Regiment and served at Newport, Rhode Island and became part of the garrison at Lloyd's Neck, Long Island, New York. Sam also served on the sloop Savage with a party of Loyalists under his command on an expedition to Martha's Vineyard.  Upon the evacuation he went to Nova Scotia, where he was granted a plantation. Samuel spent several years in England appealing for additional funds and reparations for his losses as a result of the war.  By 1790 Samuel had returned to Boston, where he lived with his family until his death on August 20 1815. Researched and photo sent by Judy Bingham of Fullerton, California. This picture of  Sam may be the oldest of  any Wrentham resident. JJM

Wrentham's Famous Band

     From the files of George Winters,

   made available by Muriel Beresford.

A tale I will tell you of some Wrentham boys,

     How they started a band long ago;

Tho a thing of the past, still the memory is there

     They remember those times, I know.

Turn back the pages in life's yearly book.

     To a winter up there in that old town.

Many people up there remember that band   

    And the noise they made, with a frown.

In Wrentham's town, some years ago

   A band was started, boys you know

All joined the thing - how it did grow,

   From field and factory hand.

A leader down from Franklin came;

   Fitzgerald, was his name,

To start the boys on the road to fame:

   This famous Wrentham band.

At first they met over Redding's barn,

   But soon the noise did so much harm,

His horses kicked in wild alarm;

   This racket they could not stand.

So down they went both fat and lank,

   Into the basement of the bank;

Till, "Move again", proposed some crank,

   You famous Wrentham band.

This time they moved up over Stones's Store;

   'Twas just the place - bare walls and floor,

The music sounded with a roar,

   Far out beyond Shackstand,

Fitzgerald taught them all he knew;

   Gave up command, resigned, got through.

Geo. Farrington - they thought he'd do,

   To lead this Wrentham Band.

When learning, awful sounds they'd make;

    'Twas every noise, both great and small

No one played right - 'twas all a mistake,

    Most racket in the land.

The base horn blew, like the lions roar,

   All blew until their lungs got sore

Each house, from shook ceiling to floor,

   With din, from Wrentham's band

 

This band would always take great care,

   To point their horns straight up in the air,

When playing ; for I do declare,

   Thunder never shook the land,

Like noise these boys made when they blew,

   Aimed at a house, the shingles flew

And windows broke, the inmates grew,

   Afraid of Wrentham's band.

From out their horns such noise would pour,

   Dead fish were found on Archer's shore;

The tall church spire would shake and rock

   Such noise would stop the clock:

From off your foot would tear your sock,

   Music - from Wrentham's band.

These Wrentham boys were not so slow, 

    Nice uniforms they bought, I know,

The man that sold them told them so;

   (He was smooth tongued and bland),

Although these suits were not quite new,

   The band boys said "guessed they'd do."

With these we'll cut a dash or two,

   In Wrentham's famous band.

But when the suits were bought, 'twas found

   Some were too short, some dragged the ground

And then began some trading 'round,

   They cussed the suits, and damned;

They tried to fix them up some way,

  Coat tails cut off, sleeves fixed up, they

With caps and plumes, did look quite gay;

   This famous Wrentham band.

The Wrentham band came out one night, 

    In uniforms, (they were a sight)

Their instruments were polished bright,

   They scrubbed them up with sand.

It grew so hot up in Stone's hall,

   That out they came; first one then all,

Oh, what a crush! Oh, what a gall!

   For Wrentham's famous band 

They formed in line up near the church

   When someone yelled, "Come off your perch"

It scared them all, they gave a lurch

   And fell down in the sand.

But strange to say, no one was hurt

   Their instruments were full of dirt

They'd suck it in then spit and squirt

    This famous Wrentham band.

Before the music would begin,

   Each man would put a big chew in;

The juice would run down on his chin, 

   Then on the ground would land.

Each tune they played tobacco flew,

   Unless you dodged, it would hit you

With awful force their horns they blew

   The famous Wrentham band.

They started off a smart quick pace;

   Big Dennis playing base.

Six feet tall, with smiling face,

   You'd think he owned the band.

Travers and Gilmore, tenor played

  McGaw and Morse, alto, much noise they made

Sweet blew trombone, dogs grew afraid, 

  and howled at Wrentham's band

Dunbar, Farnham and Farrington, cornets blew,

   Wheeler, Parker and Finn each had one too

The noise they made would split a rock in two

    They thought it sounded grand.

Such racket there from drum and fife,

  Like many pigs stuck with a knife,   

You'd think would bring the dead to life

   This noise from Wrentham's band.

Three boys up there played clarinet,

   The sounds they made were loud, you bet

They learned on fish horns, play them yet,

  Each thought his noise most grand.

Ashley and Tolliver - B flat,

  Fred Cook blew E flat: dogs did scat, 

Like guinea hens, such squeaks they'd get

  From Wrentham's famous band

   

Lew Perry played the little drum

   'Twas rub-a-dub, for fun.

The sticks were crooked yet they "done"

   As long as drums did stand.

Hatch whacked the big drum, smashed it through.

   The drumstick slipped, inside it flew,

The drum he then beat with his shoe.

   For Wrentham's famous band.

Their uniforms, they were a sight;

  No coats would fit, the pants too tight;

Caps stuffed with hay, oh what a plight

   But then these boys felt grand

The first tune played was "Old John Brown", 

   Some played it backwards -  upside down,

As John was dead, he could not frown

  On Wrentham's famous band.

Then Hayseed Polka they did play,  

   The menfolks winked, old maids got gay

And farmers shouted out "Horray".

   The music was so grand.

But when they dragged "Old Hundred" out,

   With one accord they raised a shout

"Play faster, what are you about,

    You lazy, Wrentham Band"

But worse, the noise from clarinet

   These sounds once heard you'd ne'er forget.

Methinks I still can hear them yet.

  They squealed out o'er the land.

Cook's E-flat screeched the worst of all.

  To play these things took lots of gall,

Between the rests, they'd yell and brawl,

  "Hurrarh; for Wrentham's Band".

One boy had on two pairs of pants,

   To show his shape how he would prance,

And wink at girls at every chance.

   He felt so big and grand.

Young Fillebrown, the horn he blew,

   You'd think he'd bust the thing in two,

'Twas "I can make more noise then you".

   These boys in Wrentham's band.

That night the band so thirst got,

   Raised thirteen cents right on the spot

It was for cider, which they bought,

   And drank all they could stand.

Then started out to make a spread,

   The stuff worked up, got in their head.

By each a different tune was played,

   By Wrentham's famous band.

This band long since has passed away,

   No music good enough to play

Never was written, so they say,

   Since Cook he left the band

One night he tried to lead them all,

   With claironett, Oh, what a gall!

 That finished it, That was the fall!   

    Of Wrentham's famous band.

Their uniforms are laid away

   In some man's barn amongst the hay

No more they'll have them on and play,

   These lads that felt so grand

Some boys have got their brass horns yet,

   They'll keep them too, for you can bet,

They think of days they can't forget,

   With Wrentham's famous band.

Long in the history of the town,

   Will Wrentham's band be handed down,

'Tho some remember, with a frown,

   "Columbia! Happy Land,"

And "Yankee Doodle", Auld Lang Syne",

   Although it made the dogs all whine

The natives said they played them fine

   This famous Wrentham band.

1906                   John Hatch

   

Painting by Joe Cowell

Spinning Wheels

The 58th issue of The Spinning Wheel Sleuth, produced in October 2007 by Florence Feldman-Wood at Andover, Massachusetts, contains a picture of a John Smith spinning wheel. The article was researched by Sue Batchelor of nearby Plainville, who found his estate inventory, which included, "Warming pans and hetchels, two wheels, valued at eight pounds, six pence and nine pounds of flax, valued at seven pounds, six pence." It states John immigrated from Ireland in 1735, exact date unknown, was listed as a wheelwright in the "West List" records in 1741. The spinning wheel had Smith's name on the end grain of the table and has what are called "Sausage Turnings", which are sometimes seen on certain Irish wheel. The number of wheels in his possession at the time of his death, suggests he was no longer in the wheelwright business. In addition to the information on Smith in the printed Volume II of Wrentham History Vignettes in 2008, Smith served for eleven days in 1775 as a Colonel of the West Regiment of Suffolk County during the Revolutionary War. JJM