Military History. 229 



location probably saved the town from a general attack. Lieu- 

 tenant Smith is stated to have been in active service during - the 

 \v;ir. and to have commanded a fort. lie was a man of marked 

 ability, holding many positions of public trust, representing the 

 town in the General Court and succeeding to the command of the 

 foot company in 1683, after the death of Captain Hobart. He was 

 also one of the wealthiest of Hingham's inhabitants, leaving prop- 

 erty valued at upwards of <£1100, a considerable sum for the 

 time. Commencing at his house and thence extending south to 

 the present location of Pleasant Street and cast to that of Spring 

 Street and bounded north by Leavitt, and west by Main Street, 

 was a large common or training-field in which, probably not far 

 from where is now the Public Library, was Hingham's third fort, 

 doubtless under the immediate charge of Lieutenant Smith ; and 

 which in connection with his garrison house, provided a fair 

 means of defence to most of the houses on the plain. Around 

 this field were the lots of many of the first settlers, and the homes 

 of their descendants formed at this time cpnte a village. Among 

 them on Main Street was that of Matthew Hawke, afterwards 

 the third town clerk. From him is descended Col. Hawkes Fear- 

 ing, whose house is upon the same spot. Matthew, one of the first 

 settlers, was by occupation a schoolmaster. His granddaughter 

 married John Fearing, Colonel Fearing's paternal ancestor. 

 James Hawke, son of Matthew, also resided at Hingham centre 

 and probably with his father, — he too becoming town clerk in 

 1700, succeeding Daniel Gushing ; and was himself succeeded in 

 the same office by his son James, also a resident of this part of 

 the town, and with whom the name ceased. He left two daughters, 

 one becoming the mother of John Hancock. Next them was Fran- 

 cis James, and but a short distance further south, about where Mi-. 

 David Hersey's house now is, was the homestead of the Ripleys, 

 and on or near it were located John Ripley and Jolin junior and 

 his brother Joshua. Their nearest neighbor, John Bull, " Goodman 

 Bull," was the progenitor of many of the present inhabitants of the 

 town. Bull's Pond, a small bit of water opposite Grand Army 

 Hall, takes its name from the old settler, and marks the location of 

 his property. On Leavitt Street Deacon John Leavitt, tailor, and 

 the father of thirteen children, had the grant of a house lot. He 

 appears, however, to have made his home as far from the centre as 

 he well could, as his residence was in that part of the town known 

 as " over the Delaware." He was not only one of the deacons of 

 the church, but a trusted and leading citizen and officer, represent- 

 ing the town for many years in the General Court. His two sons, 

 Josiah the cooper and fanner, and Israel the husbandman, lived 

 on the same street. Nathaniel Baker, a farmer, large landowner, 

 and a selectman in 1076, and a soldier in the war, was conven- 

 ientlv located at the iunction of Leavitt and East streets. Never- 

 theless we find under date of Dec. 18, 1676 the following : — 



