Early Settlers. 203 



in that year, and in the Diary the following names are first found 

 in the respective years mentioned; in 1646, Burr, in 1647, James 

 Whiton ; in 1649, John Lazell, Samuel S to well ; in 1653, Garnett and 

 Canterbury. 



"The number of persons who came over in the ship ' Diligent,' of Ips- 

 wich, in the year 1638, and settled in Hingham, was one hundred and thirty- 

 three. All that came before were forty-two, making in all one hundred 

 and seventy-five. The whole number that came out of Norfolk (chiefly 

 from Hingham, and its vicinity) from 1633 to 1639, and settled in this 

 Hingham, was two hundred and six. This statement, on the authority of 

 the third town clerk of Hingham, must be reconciled with the fact that 

 there was a much larger number of settlers herein 1639 than would appear 

 from his estimate. They undoubtedly came in from other places, and I am 

 inclined to believe that there may be some omissions in Mr. Cushing's list. 

 It may be remarked here, that many of the names mentioned in the previous 

 pages are now scattered in various parts of the country. Many of the first 

 settlers removed to other places during the militia difficulties which occurred 

 within a few years after the settlement of the town ; and a considerable 

 number had previously obtained lands at Rehoboth. 



•' The earliest record to be found of the proceedings of the town in rela- 

 tion to the disposition of the lands is in 1635. In June of that year grants 

 were made to a considerable number of individuals, and on the 18th of 

 September, as has been before stated, thirty of the inhabitants drew for 

 house-lots, and received grants of other lands for the purposes of pasture, 

 tillage, etc. 



"It was in July, 1635, that a plantation was erected here; and on the 

 2d of September following that, the town was incorporated by the name of 

 Hingham, from which it appears that there are but eleven towns in this 

 State, and but one in the county of Plymouth, older than Hingham. lean- 

 not ascertain satisfactorily when the first meeting for civil purposes was 

 held. It is stated by Mr. Flint in his century discourses, to have been on 

 the 18th of September, 1635. There is as much evidence in our town re- 

 cords, and in those of Cushing's MSS. which I have examined, that the first 

 town-meeting was held in June of that year, as in September. The state- 

 ments in the same discourses, that the inhabitants of Hingham arrived in 

 1635, and that they obtained deeds of land from the natives to form the 

 town previously to holding the first town-meeting, are unquestionably erro- 

 neous, being at variance with our town records, Cushing's MSS., and the 

 Indian deed itself. 



"The house-lots drawn on the 18th of September, 1635, were situated 

 on the ' Town street,' the same which is now called North Street. During 

 that year the settlement was extended to ' Broad Cove Street,' recently 

 named Lincoln Street. In the year following, house-lots were granted in 

 the street now called South Street, and in the northerly part of ' Bachelor 

 Street,' now Main Street. 



" Some idea of the relative wealth of several towns in 1 635 may be 

 estimated from the following apportionment of the public rate for that 

 year. Newton and Dorchester were assessed each £26 5 ; Boston, £25 10 ; 

 Salem, £16; Hingham, £6; Weymouth, £4, etc. In 1637 the number 

 of men furnished by this town to make up the number of one hundred and 

 sixty to prosecute the war against the Pequods, were six ; Boston furnished 

 twenty-six ; Salem, eighteen ; Weymouth, five ; Medford, three ; Marble- 

 head, three. The assessment upon this town at the General Court in An- 



