HISTORICAL REFERENCES: MASSACHUSETTS. 705 



riches. The more promising young men of the town followed his example; aud from this small beginning Marblchcad 

 became one of the first trading towns in the bay." 



"From this time," he continues, "the town Vegan to export its own fish. In 1740 the town had 1EO vessels 

 engaged in fishing, and at least a third as many more in carrying them to Bilboa ai d other Spanish ports. The town 

 becaino second in population and wealth to Boston, mid, when the days of trial came, its port of entry aud its freest 

 benefactor." 



"As soon as the fishing business began to resume its accustomed activity," says Road, "a law was passed by the 

 legislature re quiring a tax of sixpence a month for every fisherman in the province. The penalty for the non-payment 

 of the tax was a fine of '20 sterling. The passage of this act was considered a great hardship by the fishermen 

 of Marblehead, who complained that they could barely obtain a livelihood, and could ill aft'ord to pay the tax. This 

 occurred about the year 17',>5. Finally, one Benjamin Boden, a nu:u more daring than his associates, determined 

 to resist what he termed 'the imposition,' and flatly refused to comply to the requirements of the law. The collector, 

 William Fail-child, esq., after vainly demanding the tax, brought a suit against the delinquent for the amount. This 

 action on the part of the collector caused great excitement throughout the town, and finally a town meeting was 

 called to consider the matter. At this meeting the tax was denounced unjust and oppressive, and (he town voted to 

 pay the penalty and the costs of any suit or suits arising from a resistance to the six-penny act." 1 



Concerning the condition of the Marblehead fisheries about the middle of the last century, Douglass writes: 



"Marblehead, in New England, ships off more dried cod than all the rest of New England besides; anno 17112, a 

 good iish year, and in profound peace, Marblehead had about 120 schooners, of about fifty tons burthen; seven men 

 aboard, and one man ashore to make the fish, is about 1,000 men employed from that town, besides the seamen \\lio 

 carry the fish to market; if they had all been well fished, that is, 200 quintals to a fare, would have made 120,000 

 quintals. At present, anno 1747, they have not exceeding seventy schooners, and make five fares yearly; first is to 

 the Isle of Sable; the codfish set in there early in the spring, and this fare is full of spawn: formerly they fitted out 

 in February, but by stormy weather having lost some vessels, and many anchors, cables, aud other gear, they do not 

 til out until March. Their second fare is in May to Brown's Bank, and the other banks near the Cape Sable coast; 

 these are also called spring fish. Their third and fourth fares are to St. George's Bank, called summer fish. Their 

 fifth and last fare is in autumn to the Isle of Sable; these are called winter fish. New England cod is generally 

 cured or dried upon hurdles or brush. Anno 1721, were cured at C'auso, off Nova Scotia, 20, (00 quintals of codfish; but, 

 as it is said, the officers of that garrison used the fishermen ill, and no fishery has been kept there for many years. 

 At present, anno 1747, there is cured in all places of British North America about 300/00 quintals dry mei chant- 

 able cod." s 



In a foot-note Douglass adds: 



"Within these few years our cod-fishery, whaling, and ship building have failed much; and by peculation aud 

 depopulation we were like to have been carried iuto ruin; but it is hoped we may have better times; at present our 

 trade is not half so much, and our taxes from 30 to 40 times more than they were a few years ago. Anno 1748 only 

 55 fishing schooners at Marblehead." 



"The depredations of the French on the sea against the commerce and the fisheries of the English colonies during 

 the year 17JJG were severely felt in Marblehead. Several vessels, with their crews belonging here, were captured while 

 on fishing banks, causing great distress among their families aud great excitement in town. The exposed condition 

 of the harbor caused serious apprehensions of an attack from the enemy, when the people were less prepared to meet 

 it, and it was finally voted to present a petition to the lieutenant-governor praying for the protection of the province.. 

 The petition prayed also for the protection of the fishing interest, and stated that 'in time of war the fishery is prose- 

 cuted with much greater difficulty and risk than any other branch of busiuess,'as will appear by the late capture of 

 our vessels by the French while on the fishing banks. 



" 'That, by the small extent of our town (the whole extent- being little more than 2 miles square, and that rocky 

 and barren), the inhabitants can have no prospect of exchanging this for a more profitable employment in time to come.' 



"During the year 1768, 9 vessels, with their crews, were lost, and the following year 14 others met with a similar 

 fate, making a total of 23 vessels and 122 men and boys. Besides these, a large number were drowned by being 

 washed overboard from vessels which retnrned. A large number of widows aud orphans were thus left to the care of 

 the town, and the grief and suffering caused by these terrible calamities was very great." 3 



"In the year 1766 there were 40 ships, brigs, snows, and other vessels of nearly 12,000 tons in the aggregate 

 [belonging to Marblehead] engaged in foreign trade. Marblehead was then second only to Boston in the number 

 of its inhabitants. It was taxed accordingly, aud more hard money was imported here than into any other town in 

 the province of Massachusetts. As its trade flourished the wealth of its inhabitants rapidly increased. Vessels 

 loaded with codfish sailed from the town for Bilboa, in Spain, or Bordeaux, France, and came back either freighted 

 with the products of those countries or bearing doubloons or dollars. "* 



The above extract will convey some idea of Marblehead's success as a port of foreign trade and as a fishing town. 



"For a time," writes Road, "the attention of the people of Marblehead was diverted from public affairs by the 

 disasters to their fishing fleet at sea. During the year 17G8, 9 vessels, with their crews, were lost, and the following 

 year 14 others met a similar fate, making a total of 23 vessels and 122 men and boys. Besides these, a large number 

 were drowned by being washed overboard from vessels which returned. A large number of widows and orphans 



1 Road's History of Marblehead, p. 50. 3 Road's History of Marblehead, pp. 60-77. 



'British Settlements ID North America. 1760. Vol. i, p. 302. 4 Gloucester Telegraph, February 20, 1861. 



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