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History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

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1757] FIRST SCHOOL-COMMITTEE— NEW COURT-HOUSE. 305<br />

As the ma<strong>in</strong> use <strong>of</strong> the bridge wonkl be for the purpose <strong>of</strong><br />

reach<strong>in</strong>g the mill, it was considered proper that the pro-<br />

prietors there<strong>of</strong> should bear a portion <strong>of</strong> the expense.<br />

Thes'", however, apparently demurred, and <strong>in</strong> December the<br />

vote was resc<strong>in</strong>ded.—Ensign Josiah Clark and Josiah Clark<br />

Jr. were occupy<strong>in</strong>g a portion <strong>of</strong> the highway with pigsties,<br />

and they were rem<strong>in</strong>ded <strong>of</strong> the trespass, and warned<br />

that they could only cont<strong>in</strong>ue them there " dur<strong>in</strong>g the<br />

town's pleasure and no longer."—Dea. Sheldon was given<br />

permission to build a horse shed on town land near the<br />

meet<strong>in</strong>g-house, and also to make an alteration <strong>in</strong> the seats<br />

<strong>in</strong> his pew <strong>in</strong> the meet<strong>in</strong>g-house, so that he " may more di-<br />

rectly face the pulpit, provided that he restore the pew to<br />

<strong>its</strong> former state at his own cost, when he left it, if the town<br />

so voted."<br />

School-House not to People who lived at a distance <strong>from</strong> the<br />

be used for a " Noon meetiug-house, Were <strong>of</strong>ten, especially <strong>in</strong><br />

the w<strong>in</strong>ter months, much <strong>in</strong>convenienced<br />

on Sundays for want <strong>of</strong> a place <strong>in</strong> which to warm them-<br />

selves after their long and cold ride <strong>from</strong> home before<br />

meet<strong>in</strong>g commencad, as well as a place <strong>in</strong> which to spend<br />

the <strong>in</strong>termission between services. Soon after the new<br />

school-house was f<strong>in</strong>ished, Samuel Janes, and other farmers<br />

resid<strong>in</strong>g at Pascommuck, asked permission to use that<br />

build<strong>in</strong>g " before and Between meet<strong>in</strong>gs as a place <strong>of</strong> Shelter<br />

and Retirement." It would have made a very comfortable<br />

"noon house," but the town refused to permit the<br />

school-house to be opened on Sunday for any such purpose.<br />

So the Pascommuck people were obliged to quarter them-<br />

selves upon their acqua<strong>in</strong>tances on Sunday, or rest and re-<br />

fresh themselves literally under the shadow <strong>of</strong> the pulpit. *<br />

1 People who came <strong>from</strong> distant parts <strong>of</strong> the town needed some other place than<br />

the meet<strong>in</strong>fj-house steps <strong>in</strong> which to pass the time between sermons. In some towns<br />

" noon houses " were built by <strong>in</strong>dividuals, nearly always on land near the meet<strong>in</strong>ghouse.<br />

Most <strong>of</strong> them had two rooms, one for each sex, with fireplaces. Such houses<br />

were <strong>in</strong> use <strong>in</strong> Southampton and Westhampton, but none seems to have been built<br />

here. One family <strong>in</strong> <strong>Northampton</strong>, hired a room near the meet<strong>in</strong>g-house for their<br />

especial use on Sunday.<br />

20

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