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

198 History of Swansea
doctrine;' that the 'contentious' be those alone who dispute the magistrate's
authority, the giving of honor where due, 'the laudable custom of
our nation, each to other, as bowing the knee or body,' or the clergy's
authority and right to support, or who reproach any of the churches of the
Colony. Error should not include anything ' yet in controversy among the
godly learned,' especially infant baptism, but parents be free to present
or withhold their children, and pastors free to baptize infants and adults,
or not. These definitions were approved by the committee, and submitted
to the town-meeting. All the fifty-five freemen signed the document, and
not one made his mark.
WiUet and his few Congregational neighbors seem to have hved in
entire harmony with Myles and his Baptist flock, and to have found open
communion in the church. A classical school was opened, and the town
was becoming prosperous, when in 1675 Philip's War burst upon it, destroying
thirty-five of her forty houses and a larger proportion of her property.
Still the town preserved its identity, and the voters of the Colony annually
elected to the magistrates' bench James Brown, one of her leading Baptist
citizens.
From 1675 to 1680 Myles was at Boston establishing a Baptist Church;
but after the rebuilt Swansea had for three years called to him. he returned
to it, and there in 1683 died. His wife Anne outlived him; his son John
(a Harvard scholar) was Swansea's first town-clerk; and curious to relate,
Samuel, the preacher's son or grandson, became the second Episcopal
rector of King's Chapel, Boston. The descendants of this stock (who often
spelled the name Miles) are to be found in many honorable positions."
(Note. It has come to light (1914), that Anne Myles, the second wife
of John Myles, was the daughter of John Humphrey, the early Massachusetts
Magistrate, and that her mother, Mrs. John Humphrey, was Lady
Susan Clinton, daughter of Thomas Chnton, third Earl of Lincoln, and
a sister of Theophiius Clinton, fourth Earl of Lincoln. This I have from
the Commissioner of Public Records of Massachusetts, Henry E. Woods.
Ed.)
John Brown
John Brown the magistrate was not of kin to John Brown the Duxbury
weaver, who was brother to Peter of the "Mayflower." The John
first-named was an English shipbuilder, who knew the Pilgrims at Leyden,
but did not join them there. In 1633-4, when aged about fifty, he, with his
wife Dorothy and at least three children, came to Plymouth, bringing a
fair property; in 1635 Brown became a citizen, and the next year began an
eighteen years' service in the board of assistants. In 1637 he was one of
the original purchasers of the site of Taunton, and in 1643 was in the
militia there with his sons John and James; in 1645 they removed to
Rehoboth, settling at Wanamoiset, now in Swansea, on land scrupulously
bought from Pvlassasoit.
For twelve successive years, from 1645, Brown was one of the
Colonial Commissioners, entering that board in the second year of its
existence. He was also often employed in settling questions between the
whites and the Indians,—the latter having great confidence in him. The
first Commissioners from Plymouth—Winslow and Colher—had assented
to the act of Massachusetts in extending her rule over Gorton's company at
Shawomet (now Warwick, R. I.), but the outrageous and cruel conduct of
the Bay toward the Gortonians enfisted Brown's chivalrous spirit in their
defence. In 1645 Massachusetts authorized twenty famiUes of Braintree
to go down and take possession of the Gorton plantations; but Brown