History of Swansea, Massachusetts, 1667-1917; - citizen hylbom blog

Historical Address 83
until the death of Elder Mason in 1748 and of Elder Pierce in
1750, being each of them near ninety years old.
Some of the older members of the Second Church, not
satisfied with the dismission of Elder Philip Slade, left the
church and held services under his conduct at the house of
Deacon Ellery Wood, about a mile north of Luther's Corner.
They were organized as a church by the Six Principle Baptists.
Deacon Wood bequeathed his homestead for the maintenance
of worship and it become the home of Elder Comstock, (the
only pastor after Elder Slade,) and the house of worship as
well. The proceeds of the property which has been sold, are
now held in trust for the benefit of the denomination.
Sketch.)
(See
The Revolutionary War
Her contributions for the support of the war for national
independence constitute an important and honorable chapter
in the history of Swansea.
At a meeting held Sept. 26th, 1774, the town chose Col.
Andrew Cole, Capt. Levi Wheaton, Capt. PhiHp Slade,
Richard Cornell and Capt. Luther Thurber a committee to
meet with the delegates from the other towns of the county,
in Taunton "then and there to deliberate and devise measures
sutabel to the exigency of the times. *'
A Hampshire county convention had just been held "to
consult upon measures to be taken in this time of general distress
in the province, occasioned by the late attack of the
British Ministry upon the constitution of said province. " That
attack had come in the shape of an act of Parliament " For the
Better Regulating of the Province of Massachusetts Bay."
The principle of this act, Bancroft says, ''was the concentration
of all executive power, including the courts of justice, in
the hands of the royal governor. Without a previous notice to
Massachusetts, and without a hearing, it took away rights and
liberties which the people had enjoyed from the foundation of
the colony" with scarcely an exception. It superseded a
charter, "which had been the organic law of the people of
Massachusetts for more than eighty years. " It provided that
the Governor's Council should be appointed by the King,
rather than chosen by the representatives of the people. The
Governor appointed by the Crown, without even consulting
his council, might appoint and remove all judges and court
officers. The selection of jurors was taken from the freeholders
and given to the sheriffs, who were appointees of the Governor.
"