JARED SPARKS, Tutor Harvard University, 1817 to 1819, afterwards clergyman in Baltimore. Now editor of the North American Review, in Boston. Graduated at Harvard University, 1815. He was the preceptor from the summer of 1815, one year.

JOHN W. PROCTOR, Preceptor from summer of 1816, one year; graduated at Harvard University, 1816; now Attorney and Counsellor at Law, in Danvers.

GEORGE B. EMERSON, From summer of 1817, two years; graduated at Harvard University, 1817, and Tutor from 1819 to 1821; for some time Preceptor of the English Classical school, and now of a private school, in Boston.

SOLOMON P. MILES, from 1819 to 1821, August two years; graduated at Harvard University, 1819, and Tutor 1821 to 1823, now preceptor of the high (English Classical) school, in Boston.

NATHANIEL WOOD, from 1821 to 1823, two years; graduated at Harvard University 1821, Tutor 1823 to 1824, now a student at law, in Boston.

LEVI FLETCHER, from August 1823, to the fall of 1824; graduated at Harvard University, 1823, now Chaplain on board the United States frigate Macedonian.

NATHANIEL KINGSBURY, from the fall of 1824, of the class of 1821; left college during the third year and went to the island of Cuba. He is the preceptor at this time.

Under the present preceptor, the Academy sustains a high character for discipline and instruction. By the new arrangement, the inconveniences that are too apt to occur by the frequent change of teachers will be avoided. The situation of principal of the Academy, is to be a permanent one, as far as is practicable.

POOR.-The support of the poor, formed for some years no inconsiderable part of the annual tax. They were dispersed in different families, in various parts of the town, among those who would support them at the least expense to the town. Too often, and as a natural effect of this wretched system, the lot of these unfortunate persons was cast among individuals, themselves but little removed from absolute poverty. The system too, if such it could be called, was clumsy extravagance; the highest price was paid for the support of the poor, and the treatment of poverty appeared like the punishment of crime.* In view of these things,

*Various attempts, from the year 1763, to the present century, have been made, to establish a work-house, but without success, till the late effort.

the town purchased two years since, a large farm, as an establishment for all whose circumstances compelled them to seek public support. It is under the care of an attentive overseer. Each individual able to work has his appropriate duties suited to his age and capacity. Comfort, economy, and humanity are there united. Religious services are performed at stated times, and the children who never before received any instruction, are now regularly sent to school. In a moral point of view, this establishment is a public blessing-it prevents much immediate suffering, and much pros pective ignorance and vice.* The actual expense for the support of the poor, which formerly was as high as $1200, will not, in future, exceed $500.

POPULATION.--What little I can gather of the number of Inhabitants, at certain periods, in the seventeenth century, will be mentioned, subsequently, in the civil history of this plantation. Excepting this, there is no way of ascertaining the population earlier than 1764.

CENSUS.-1764-1862 Inhabitants, 328 families. This was after Harvard and Bolton were incorporated.

1790-1460 Inhabitants, 214 houses. This was after Sterling was incorporated; which contained by the census of the same year 1428 inhabitants, making the population of both places 2888, an increase of 1062, in 26 years, viz. from 1764 to 1790.

During the period of commercial restrictions, and the last war, and for a few years subsequent, the population it appears increased but little. Many persons emigrated to the state of New York, to the west of the Alleghany mountains, and to other parts of the country, in search of the promised land. The business of the town, much effected by this state of things, has of late, materially increased, and is now greater than at any former period. The population at the present time, may be estimated at 2100. The number of rata

It is chiefly to the exertions of the Rev. Mr. Packard, that the town is indebted for this establishment. He first suggested the plan in this place, and labored diligently to have it adopted. It is no slight praise, to have served with effect the cause of humanity.

In 1786, the selectmen were ordered to bind out poor children, to the end, that the rising generation, may not be brought up in idleness, ignorance, and vice.

ble poles, at this time, is 422. The militia is composed of three companies, viz. the standing company, one of Light Infantry, raised at large, and one of Artillery. There is besides a part of a company of Cavalry within the limits of the town. The whole number of soldiers, is somewhat over two hundred.

BIRTHS AND DEATHS.-The progress of population, compared with the losses might be very satisfactorily ascertained by accurate lists of births and deaths, for any given period. Some negligence prevails here, as well as elsewhere, in furnishing the Town Clerk with information on the subject. The following list, however, may be considered as nearly correct.

Deaths in the Congregational Society since the settlement of Rev. Dr. Thayer, October 9, 1793, to August 1, 1826, six hundred and fifty six. Of this number one hundred forty were over seventy; and sixty six of the one hundred and forty four, over eighty years The family of Osgoods, shows remarkable ages.

of age.

Making an average, each, of eighty six years and nearly five

months.

The following is a list of the ages of Deacon Josiah White and his family.

Josiah the father, 90.

Mary,

His wife, 84.

*The statement of deaths is taken from a comparison of the Church and town records, and is perhaps quite correct. The births are only in the town records, and making a reasonable addition, for names omitted, the number may be estimated at more than five hundred.

Making an average of eighty years, seven months and six days. A few other remarkable ages may gratify the curious.

DIED.

DIED.

CIVIL HISTORY.-The first settlement of Lancaster goes far back in the early history of Massachusetts. It was the tenth town, incorporated in the County of Middlesex, and precedes, by many years, every town now within the limits of the County of Worcester. Indeed, no town, so far from the sea coast, was incorporated so early, excepting Springfield; Northampton was in 1654: Chelmsford, Billerica and Groton, in 1655, Marlborough, in 1660, and Mendon, in 1667.

According to Winthrop, an incontrovertible authority in these things, the plantation at Nashaway was undertaken sometime in

1643. The whole territory around, was in subjection to Sholan, or Shaumaw, Sachem of the Nasbaways, and whose residence was at Waushacum,† now Sterling. Sholan occasionally visited Watertown, for the purpose of trading with Mr. Thomas King, who resided there. He recommended Nashawogg to King, as a place well suited for a plantation, and invited the English to come and dwell near him.

From this representation, or from personal observation, that nature had been bountiful to the place, King united with a number of others, and purchased the land of Sholan, viz. ten miles in length, and eight in breadth; stipulating not to molest the Indians in their

*Gov. Winthrop's history of New England, date, 3d month, (May) 1644, and relating events that preceded that time. I have cited the passage, see post-Rev. Mr. Harrington states the purchase to have been made in 1645: but the authority of Winthrop is not to be questioned. Rev. Dr. Holmes gives the same year as Gov. Winthrop.

The orthography of this word is very various. Harrington spells it as in the text; in other parts of Worcester Magazine, it is different: Gookin in his historical collections of the Indians, writes "Weshakim." 1 Mass. Hist. Col. I Vol. "Wechecum" says Roger Williams, is the Indian for sea. Key to Indian languages, Chap. 18.

A. D. 1643. Winthrop says that "Nashacowam and Wassamagoin two Sachems, near the great hill to the west called Warehasset, (Wachusett,) came into the court, and according to their former tender to the Governor, desired to be received under our protection and government, &c. so we causing them to understand the ten commandments of God and they freely assenting to all, they were solemnly received and then presented by the court with twenty fathoms more of Wampum, and the court gave each of them a coat of two yards of cloth, and their dinner; and to them and their men, every of them a cup of sack at their departure, so they took their leave and went away very joyful." Coats and dinners and sack, were wonderful persuasives with the Indians. Was not "Nashaco wam," the same with Sholan?

John Prescott, Harmon Garrett, Thomas Skidmore, Mr. Stephen Day, Mr. Symonds, &c. Here Mr. Harrington in his century sermon stops. Who are meant by &c. it is impossible to ascertain; perhaps, they may be Gill, Davies and others, mentioned subsequently in the text. Of those first mentioned, a few gleanings may not be without interest. Prescott came from Watertown: Garrett probably from Charlestown. He never moved to Lancaster. Two thousand acres of land, were mortgaged to him by Jethro the christian Indian, and laid out to Garrett, near Assabeth river, in 1651. There were two or more of the name of Garrett at this time in New England. Where Harmon lived, I do not discover. An Indian of the same name, lived in Rhode Island. 3 Mass. Hist. Col. I. 221. Skidmore is mentioned in Boston Records, as of Cambridge, in 1643. Day was of Cambridge, and the first Printer in America. In 1639, he set up a printing press at Cambridge, at the charge of Rev. Joseph Glover, who died on his passage to this country. The press was soon after, under the management of Samuel Greene. Day occasionally visited the plantation at Nashaway. He was of Cambridge in 1652'53, and in '57. In the last, year the General Court, on his complaint that he had not been compensated for his printing press, granted him three hundred acres of land. Also, in 1667, they allowed him to procure of the Sagamore of Nashaway, one hundred and fifty acres of upland, and twenty of meadow. If he ever lived at Nashaway, he probably came in 1665. The VOL. II. 34