Crowell Hatch

This 1859 map shows the location of the former Hatch house on Centre street, marked in red. The house sat between today's Soldier's Monument on the right and today's Arborway rotary, near the intersection on the left.



I've been sitting on this entry for far too long, in hopes that I would develop more information on the subject, Crowell Hatch. While I haven't found the information I've been looking for, I have discovered an interesting source I can direct readers towards - more on that later.

Crowell Hatch was born in Marshfield in 1740. He followed the route of many at the time, going to sea, becoming a Captain, and then retiring to shore to become a trader, buying ships, provisioning and stocking them, and sending crews out to trade in foreign lands. Hatch first shows up in Jamaica Plain in 1799, buying xx acres of land from Timothy Penny, then of the island of Jamaica. The estate ran between Centre and Pond streets (then the Road to Newton), following approximately the path of today's Orchard street. I've trace the history of this property back in time to Hatch and Penny in a previous article. This was at the same time when James Perkins, who was following a very similar career path, was buying his estate on the opposite side of Jamaica Pond. Hatch's estate also stood adjacent to that of John Hancock, though Hancock no longer inhabited that house.


Hatch has entered into a second earlier article, in which I discussed the Boit family. In 1789, Hatch, then 49 years old, married Hannah Boit, the 24 year old daughter of John Boit, and merchant, importer and leading citizen of Boston. Ten years later, he bought an estate in Jamaica Plain from Timothy Penny.


The Columbia, as drawn by the ship's artist, George Davidson.



Crowell Hatch has two claims to fame that come down through the years to us; both as an investor, rather than a ship's captain. The first is the voyage of the Columbia, the first American ship to circumnavigate the globe. Following the publication of Captain Cook's journal in 1784, a group of partners including Hatch (then a resident of Cambridge) bought the Columbia, originally built in the North river yards between Scituate and Marshfield. The ship was put under the command of Captain John Kendrick, with a smaller sloop joining the voyage under the command of Captain.Robert Grey. (Here, I'll add that the Columbia carried in its crew one John Boit, son of John Boit mentioned above).

The goal of the voyage was to collect sea otter skins from the Pacific Northwest and trade them in China. Western traders suffered a fatal weakness when dealing with China at the time. While China had many products desired by the West - primarily tea - the West had little to offer China other than silver. As the United States had no source of silver at the time, expensive three-way trading was required to satisfy the Chinese and gain access to Chinese markets. Sea otter fur was of very high quality, and the Russians had been recently using it in their own China trade.




The full story of the Columbia is beyond the reach of this blog. The first voyage of the Columbia began the American China trade, which would make many Boston and other American seagoing cities' fortunes. Hatch later bought out his partners and sent Captain Grey back to the Pacific Northwest, where he named the Columbia river, and bought millions of acres of land for Hatch. While this second voyage set up the American claim on the Pacific northwest (Oregon), Congress failed to see the benefit of Hatch's great land transaction, and failed to recognize it.


Boston Exchange Coffee House.


The second, and lesser claim to fame for Crowell Hatch is in another investment; in this case, the building of the Boston Exchange Coffee House in 1809. The name belies the significance of the building. The Boston Exchange Coffee House was a seven story hotel, stock exchange and merchant/trader's meeting place built by Andrew Dexter in 1809. At the time, it was the tallest building in the nation. Although Dexter had investors - one of whom was Crowell Hatch - much of the money needed to build the Exchange was generated by fraudulent bank manipulation, from Boston to Detroit. At a time when paper money was mistrusted, and the national government was still not the master of its currency, Dexter had banks print money far beyond their deposit's ability to cover. Much like our own time, these banks were massively over-leveraged. In time, with the Exchange built, the financial house of cards would fall, and Dexter would flee to Canada. Just eight years later, in 1818, the building would be destroyed in a fire.

When I first read of Hatch's connection to the Boston Exchange Coffee House, I was hoping to learn more about him through this story. Unfortunately, he seems to have been a minor, silent partner, and shows up nowhere in the story after his initial investment. Hatch lived in Jamaica Plain at the time of the Exchange construction and financial scandal, and died in 1814 - not the 1805 you may see repeated in old documents on the internet.



No doubt by now you're forgotten that at the top of this article, I hinted of more to come. Crowell Hatch does have another claim to fame (or rather infamy) - one that very few people would have been aware of until very recently. One of the first online references I found to Crowell Hatch - which now seems to have disappeared - described him as being "of black-birding memory," or some such phrase. When I looked up the term, it was as I expected: black-birding referred to catching slaves, or dealing in the purchase and sale of the same. This is what stopped me from writing the Crowell Hatch entry: I was hoping to find more evidence that Crowell Hatch had traded in slaves. It should be no surprise that it should be true - Boston was built on trade among the colonies and with other nations, and slaves were just another cargo to them until at least the Revolution and the outlawing of slavery in Massachusetts in the 1780s.

I never did find the evidence I sought, but recently I returned to the subject, and an online search came up with a new source of information on Captain Hatch. A group of amateur historians from the South Shore of Massachusetts has set about telling the story of the voyage of the Columbia expedition: Hit and Run History. In association with WGBH.com, you can watch their story in a series of videos. The episode featuring Crowell Hatch and slavery can be seen here. The Hit and Run History folks have taken local history to the next step, producing their own 'television' documentary, piece by piece.





For a good read about this largely-forgotten episode in Boston's history, read The Exchange Artist: A Tale of High-Flying Speculation and America's First Banking Collapse by Jane Kamensky.

John Boit's journal of the second voyage of the Columbia.

Mass. Historical Society Columbia voyage page.

The Discovery of the Columbia River - a nice article published in a series Old South Leaflets. I can't find a date. The Old South Meeting House produced a series of educational articles on American history through the late 19th Century to go with their lecture series on the same topic.

From Francis Bernard To Deval Partrick - A Long Road

Francis Bernard was Colonial Governor at a time when the citizens of Massachusetts were setting themselves firmly against what they saw as misrule by the home country. His summer estate sat somewhere near Pond street, just south of Jamaica Pond. He played a significant role in Revolutionary Boston, but what caught my eye was the passing reference made below.

The following is taken from The Beginnings of the American Revolution, by Ellen Chase.


"Upon the Governor's departure, the Jamaica Plain house was let, and Lady Bernard and the children removed to "Cherry House," near Boston, accompanied by Cato, their black slave, and the negro coachman. "

Add one to the Jamaica Plain slave count.

David S. Greenough Makes A Purchase

David Stoddard Greenough was the father of David Stoddard Greenough, and ancestor of three additional David Stoddard Greenoughs in a row. D.S. Greenough the First came into possession of the house of Loyalist Commodore Joshua Loring after the Revolutionary War, the house surviving today as the Loring-Greenough house at the Soldier's Monument in Jamaica Plain.

The Massachusetts Historical Society has been nice enough to make available transcripts of papers found in the David Stoddard Greenough papers (direct links below). The first is a bill of sale, dated July 13, 1785, from John Mory to D.S. Greenough.The property being exchanged, for the sum of five pounds, is a mulatto boy, five years of age, named Dick. The boy, son of Mory's negro servant Binah, is assigned as a servant until his twenty-first birthday.

The next year, an agreement of indenture was filed,in which five Selectmen of the Town of Roxbury, acting... in loco parentis?... signed over the labor of Dick Mory, negro child, to David Stoddard Greenough, for the next fifteen years in exchange for room, board and training as a farmer.

Please read the two documents, here and here.

So what goes on here? The documents can be interpreted in more than one way. Slavery in Massachusetts had been effectively outlawed by a court decision in 1783, but it took several years for the decision to be followed in practice. In this case D.S. Greenough buys a five year old boy two years after the legal ruling on slavery, and the contract explicitly states that the boy's service is only assigned until he turns twenty-one. The indenture document also stipulates service until the twenty-first birthday, so it seems as if indenture, rather than life-long slavery was indented from the start.

Should we think of this as simply a way to get around the slavery ruling of 1783, and get a slave in fact, if not in name? That's what I thought at first. Then again, why a five year old boy? At that age, he's useless as a servant/worker, and you have to feed and cloth him until he's old enough to be of use around the house and farm. Given that indenture was still legal, why not just get yourself an able-bodied young man and put him to work immediately?

Buying a slave, or binding an indentured servant at the age of five makes no sense to me. What could lead to D.S. Greenough the First to taking on the expense of caring for a five year old boy? Could the agreement to take on the boy actually be considered in a positive light? I could imagine a story in which Mr Greenough takes on the boy to provide him a job and a home while he grows to adulthood. It's hard to justify the need for legal contracts under that scenario, but I still wouldn't rule it out.

Then there's another explanation. Binah, the mother of the boy Dick, is described in the first document as a negro. The boy is called a mulatto. The difference may not matter, but it does raise the question: who was the father? Hmmm.... Are you thinking what I'm thinking? It turns out that the Greenoughs only married in 1784, so an interesting possibility seems highly unlikely.

In the end, the mystery, such as it is, remains a mystery. David S. Greenough purchased a young boy to work as a servant until he reached his majority - that much we know. Why he did so remains a puzzle to me. The simple answer certainly my be the correct one. On the other hand, the loose ends implied by the language in the documents may complicate the story in ways that we cannot decipher. In school I was taught that indenture usually lasted for seven years, and that it was an agreement among adults. In this case, we have a child indentured until adulthhood by the town fathers. The details make the story a bit messy, but that's history.


Addendum: For a great look at slavery in Massachusetts and the other northern states, check out Slavery in the North. Definitely required reading.

John C. Gore And The Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society

I've posted a few enlightening but depressing slavery entries recently, so it's good to be able to add a positive entry to the mix. Here we meet John C. Gore, of the Roxbury Gores, one of whom was later memorialized by Paul Gore street in Jamaica Plain. This Gore was evidently an abolitionist, and a religious man as well. His effort to contribute to church and cause together came to nought, and so he chose the cause as the greater good.




Deed of John C. Gore.


At a special meeting of the Board of Managers of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society, held in Boston at the Society's Room, Dec. 29, 1841 --- Ellis Gray Loring stated that John C. Gore, Esquire, of Jamaica Plain, had presented to the society a piece of land, valued at about six hundred dollars, by a deed in the following words: ---

Whereas, John C. Gore, of Roxbury, in the county of Norfolk, and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, having learned that certain individuals residing in or near that part of said Roxbury, called Jamaica Plain, were desirous of forming a Baptist Church, and erecting a house of public worship in that place; and having also ascertained that the piece of ground hereinafter described, would be deemed a suitable location therefor, did, in a letter dated on the fifteenth day of May last, offer to make to the said new Baptist Society a free gift of the said piece of ground for the erection of a meeting-house thereon:--- adding to his letter the following request or reservation:

"The only favor I ask in return is, that they (the new Society) will permit this building to be used twelve times in a year of a week day, and not of a Sunday, (for five years from the date of the opening of the house for religious services,) by the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society, who will appoint a responsible person, not personally disagreeable to the Baptist Society, to lecture therein, in order that the cruelties and villainies practiced towards twenty-seven hundred thousand human beings, by a nation who call themselves Christians, and profess to be the most free and enlightened on the earth, may be exposed: after the expiration of which five years, the whole property will remain vested in the Baptist Society, without condition, hindrance, or agreement of any kind."

And whereas the said Gore subsequently received from the Clerk of said new Society a reply to his offer, in the following words:


"Mr J.C. Gore: Sir,-- At a meeting of individuals interested in forming a Baptist Church at this part of the town, your communication, offering a lot of land as the site of the contemplated meeting-house, was read, and referred to a committee specially appointed to consider the same. The committee met for this purpose on Monday evening last, and, after due deliberation,

"Voted, That, although they regard with kindness Mr. Gore's offer, yet under all circumstances in the case, it is inexpedient to accept the same, with the reservations and conditions named by him."


Now, therefore, I, John C. Gore, above named, although painfully and reluctantly convinced not by this only, but by numberless similar instances, that the American Church, professedly dedicated to One who came to proclaim deliverance to the captive, and liberty to them that are bruised, is, as a body criminally indifferent to the wrongs and sufferings of the Slave, and in virtual alliance with Slavery, am yet desirous of making my proffered and rejected gift in some suitable way available to the cause of the true religion, which includes justice and mercy towards our fellow-man.

And for this purpose, I do hereby, in consideration of the premises, grant and convey unto Francis Jackson, Henry G. Chapman and Ellis Gray Loring, of the city of Boston, Esquires, and members of the Board of Managers of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society, a parcel of land in Burroughs-Street, in Jamaica Plain, in said Roxbury, containing three quarters of an acre, more or less, and bounded as follows: Starting from the land of Nathaniel Seaver, on Burroughs-Street, and running on Burroughs-Street, north 37 degrees west, 134 feet; thence turning and running on land of John E. Williams, south 59 1-4 degrees west, 229 feet, 6 inches; thence turning and running on land of John Ashton, south 34 1-4 degrees east, 134 feet 4 inches; thence turning and running north 53 degrees east 234 feet 9 inches, on land of Nathaniel Seaver to Burroughs street, at the point of starting.

With all the privileges and appurtenances thereof: being the same conveyed to me by the deed of Cyrus Josselyn, dated April 3d, 1840, and recorded with Norfolk Deeds Lib. 128, Fol. 60.

To have and to hold the above granted premises to the said Jackson, Chapman and Loring, the survivors and survivor of them and his heirs and assigns to his and their use, but in trust, nevertheless, to make the said property, or its proceeds, instrumental at their discretion, and in any way they may think proper, in promoting the cause of the immediate and unconditional abolition of American Slavery.

In testimony whereof, I, the said John C. Gore, and also Mary Gore, my wife, who executes these presents in token of her releasing all right to dower in the premises, and of her hearty concurrence in this may act, have hereunto set our hands and seals this eighth day of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty.

John C. Gore
Mary Gore


Source: Annual Report and Proceedings: by the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society

And Another

Eleazer Weld was the last of his family to live in Weld Hall, on the grounds of the present Arnold Arboretum. He also seems to have lost something. There is no record of whether his property was returned to him.



Boston Evening Post February 6, 1769


Ran-away from the Subscriber,

of Roxbury, on Monday Morning the 30th of January last, a Negro Man Servant named Prince, about 18 Years of Age, and Five Feet High, well built, except small Legs; with one of his upper Fore Teeth broke nigh half way to his Gum, and a large Sear on his Belly occasioned by a Scald; talks good English: -- He carried off with him a blue Broadcloth Coat and Waistcoat, with plain yellow Metal Buttons, a double breasted striped Flannel Jacket, and a plain brown ditto, two Pair Leather Breeches, one Pair of white Yarn Stockings, one Pair of blue ditto, two Pair of Shoes, one of said Pair with Shoestrings, two striped Woolen Shirts, and a Felt Hat.

Whosoever shall take up said servant and bring his to me the Subscriber at Roxbury, or confine him, and notify the same, so that his master can have him, shall have FOUR DOLLARS Reward, and all necessary Charges paid, by me,

Eleazer Weld.

Roxbury, Feb 1st, 1769.

N.B. All Masters of Vessels, and Others, are hereby cautioned against harbouring, concealing, or carrying off said servent.

Speaks For Itself

Jamaica Plain, Roxbury Sept. 25, 1777

Continental Journal

Ten Dollars Reward.

Ran away from the Subscriber, a Negro Woman called Sarah, she is a short, thick wench about 30 years old, she is supposed to be harboured by some free negro in Boston , any person that will take her up and send her to Goal, or to the Subscriber shall have the above reward and all necessary charges.

Timothy Penny.

Mr Washington Mills

Boston Daily Globe August 9, 1908

Up From Slavery.

Washington Mills Now a Boston Janitor.

How He Ran Away as a Boy and Reached Yankee Lines.

Washington Mills, born into slavery in Murfreesboro, N.C. in 1848, was destined to pass through many and varied experiences before he attained his present pleasant position as janitor and engineer at the American Unitarian association building in Boston.

As a boy his life was uneventful until Noverber, 1862, when the rumor spread that the "Yanks" were near by in Winston, N.C. A little company of 12 slaves, two of whom besides young Mills were boys, decided to run away to the Yankee lines.

So one dark Sunday night they met and set out upon this desparate venture. They travelled through a dense wood until 2 o'clock in the morning, when they reached the house of the mother of one of the men. Here they rested a short time, then went on to the banks of the Clowan river.

They waited a week, hoping that a gunboat would pass which would put them across. None came, however, but at sunset, just a week from the time they started, they procured a boat which landed them on the other side.

They travelled on and on through the deserted confederate country, till they were halted by a Yankee picket. Their leader stepped forward and replied "Friends."

The little band was at last within the northern lines, and under the protection of the Federal government, and then, for the first time in his life, Mr Mills says, he "breathed free air."

This camp which the company had reached was at Trenton, N.C., and they were placed upon an old schooner which in a week's time landed them in Newburn, N.C. There they separated and little "Washy" with another boy set out to look for employment, which they soon found with the 43rd Mass regiment; "Washy" working for the cook, and the other boy for an officer.

In the middle of December, the regiment went on a short expedition, and engaged in several skirmishes. The little colored boys tramped in advance of the regiment. One day, as they were on the march, little Washington Mills happened to walk beside Adjt James Whitney, of Boston, who was riding in front.

"Hello! Where are you going?" Mr Whitney asked the boy.

"With a regiment," he replied.

Mr Whitney said he had promised his mother to bring her a little black boy from the south, and suggested to the boy that he enter service and go home with him. It was satisfactorily arranged, and young Washington Mills entered upon the fourth great change in his life.

When the regiment was ordered home at train for Baltimore was boarded. All the cars were flat except one, a box car, into which "Washy" climbed, and fell asleep. When he awoke he was amazed to find that the train was wholly made up of box cars. Upon inquiry he learned that his car had been switched off. Within a few hours he arrived in Washington, friendless and alone.

He tried to board a train, but was knocked off.

At last he climbed onto a train which he was told was bound for Philadelphia. He had no idea of either the route or the destination, but as luck would have it, he rode into Baltimore. At that time the railroad passed through the main streets of the city, so the train was obliged to slow down. The boy, tired of the long ride, got off and ran beside the cars.

He happened to glance across the street, and there stood Adjt Whitney, who had given him up for dead.

The completes the story of the more exciting adventures which Mr Mills has passed through.

He reached Boston on July 21, 1863, and went to live in Adjt Whitney's home. Miss Whitney, his benefactor's sister, undertook to teach him the "three Rs," as he did not know A from B. He learned quickly, and attended the public schools for two years and a half.

He remained with Mr Whitney for four and one-half years.

He had become a young man and began to feel the natural desire to earn a salary. A Mr Weld offered him work, and he worked for him for 10 months.

Mr Weld then offered to find him a chance to learn the carpenter's trade. Through the influence of Adjt Whitney's father, he was apprenticed to Jonas Finch, a carpenter. He learned the busines, married and settled in Jamaica Plain. He worked for Mr Finch for 20 years.

On December, 1887, he obtained the position of Janitor and engineer at the headquarters of the American Unitarian association, where he is at present pleasantly situated.


***********************************************************************************


I took the following entries from the Boston directory of the time.


Sampson, Murdock, & Co.
Date: 1885

Mills, Washington, carpenter, home Boylston av. near Porter, J. P.

Sampson & Murdock Co.
Date: 1905

Mills, Washington janitor 25 Beacon home 18 Boylston av J P


Boylston avenue was the present section of Amory street between Boylston street and Green street. Eighteen Boylston avenue was a split two-family house just south of Porter street. It is no longer there.

They Didn't Teach Us This At The Agassiz School

Growing up in Jamaica Plain, local history meant Lexington and Concord, and a trip to the Freedom Trail in Boston. I suspect that events of the first half of the 20th century had just overwhelmed the memory of the city and the community. And needless to say, no one wants to put skeletons out of the closet and parade them about. And then comes the Intergoogle, which ruthlessly exposes all sores and scars.

The following is an excerpt from Drake's history of Roxbury. I have a particular interest in the list. As I began looking into the history of Jamaica Plain, I enjoyed finding the origins of street names. Since I lived for 10 years on little Brewer street, I was naturally curious about who Brewer was. It turns out that a Brewer was one of the earliest settlers of the town of Roxbury, and an Abagail Brewer left land to support the Elliot School. Later, Capt. Charles Brewer owned a house on land that became the start of the Arborway and Prince street near Jamaica Pond. In 1914, a Joseph Brewer owned a house and nursery on Centre street between Greenough and Harris avenues.

After I had found all of the previous Brewer information, I found this casual mention in Drake's book.




The Town of Roxbury

Francis S. Drake

1878


Some wealthy families had colored servants who were slaves: most households, however, had hired "help", American girls or men who lived on terms of equality with the family. The signatures of the principal slave-owners in Roxbury are attached to the following petition:

"Roxbury, February 28, 1789. Whereas it hath been too much the unhappy practice of the negro servents of this town to be abroad in the night at unreasonable hours to y great prejudice of many persons and familys as well as their respective masters, the petitioners pray that it may be prevented or punished.

Edward Ruggles
John Holbrook
James Jarvis
Noah Perin, Jr.
Ebenezer Dorr
Nathaniel Brewer
John Williams
Ebenezer Weld
Ebenezer Gore
Thomas Baker
Jonathan Seaver
Joseph Williams"


Most of those men probably lived in Roxbury proper, but Weld and Brewer were probably among those who settled in what is now Jamaica Plain. This isn't the first reference to slaves in Jamaica Plain, but I haven't seen this source cited before. Slavery in Massachusetts certainly did get swept under the rug until recent years. That's a shame. History is much more interesting when you get the whole story.

*** Correction: Slavery was outlawed in Massachusetts in the early 1780s, so by this time, the negroes would not be slaves. I think we can assume, however, that they probably had been slaves up until emancipation, and probably worked for the same men. It would take some deep digging and a lot of luck to determine this, so maybe we'll never know.