Genealogical notes of Barnstable families - citizen hylbom blog

124 GENEALOGICAL NOTES OF BARNSTABLE FAMILIES,
established ; but a majority of the first settlers were well educated,
and intelligent—men of large and varied experience in the bosiness
of life. The duty of edueating their children, they held to be second
only in importance to their doty to their God. No town in New
England was settled by a more religions, a more virtuous, or a more
intelligeot population than Barnstable. Id snob a community, the
boy who desired knowledge, bad ample opportunities to acquire it.
He bad to toil early and late, bnt tbe long winter evenings he devoted
to learning. Around tbe spacious kitchen fireplace, brilliantly
lighted by pine torches, tbe village youth would often cluster, with
their books and their slates, eager in the pursuit of knowledge. The
parent, or perhaps the pastor of the church, was their teacher. In
this manner many acquired an education sulBcient to fit them for the
business of life.
When a lad James was bound an apprentice to a blacksmith,
and in after life, when be had become a distinguished man, he
thonght it not derogatory to his character to blow tbe bellows, or
swing the hammer. He was industrious and frugal. When h»
could not earn a shilling he was content if he earned a peony which
he put to a good use. By careful management he accumulated, a
good estate.
In the Goodspeed article there is a diagram of his houselots.
In 1665 his houselot, containing twelve acres, was tbe lot on the
west of Taylor's lane, now owned by the heirs of F. W. Crocker,
Esq., deceased. To whom this lot was assigned at tbe settlement of
the town I am unable to state. It remains very nearly in the same
condition that it was in 1655. The successive owners have been
James Lewes, his son George Lewes, who bequeathed it to his
daughter Mercy Taylor, and she to her daughter Alice, wife of the
late Capt. Isaac Bacon. From him it passed into the hands of Mr.
Williams of Boston, in paymetft of a debt of Isaac Bacon,
Jr. Williams sold it to the late David Crocker, Esq,
In 1665 this lot was bounded on the west by the Wid. Mary
Hallett, and in 1668 by her son-in-law John Hathaway who had
bought of his brother-in-law Josiah Hallett. John and Josiah
started in life about the same time that James did, and imagined
they were born to be rich. They frequented the taverns, acquired
bad habits, and to pay their bills sold from time to time their paternal
estates. James, by his industry and frugality, laid aside sufficient
to purchase all their uplands, meadows, and rights to the commons.
In 1678 he was the owner of all the lands between Taylor's
lane and the Hyannis road, excepting the lands of John Davis on the
southwest corner.
In 1665 he owned three acres of planting land in the old common
field, and three acres of meadow at Sandy Neck. January 29
1667-8, three acres of land on the south of his houselot was granted
to him by the town. Subsequently he purchased other real estate.