HISTORICAL REFERENCES: MASSACHUSETTS. 713 



bo set up and carried on within this town, lliat such persons either of the town or who way come into the town from 

 other places, and shall annually, during the proper season of the year, employ themselves in their own vussels or those 

 of others, in catching and curing of codfish, are hereby treed and to be freed from and released of their poll tax for 

 the space of three years next ensuing the time of their commencing in the said business, and so long as they continue 

 in it within said term upon the provision that all such persons who come from other plates shall be approved of by 

 the selectmen of the town or a m tjor part of them, from time to time, and such of them as shall be by the selectmen 

 disapproved of shall be still subject to be warned out of the town according to law.' To what extent the business 

 was transacted under this encouragement of the town we are unable to say. However, this industry was carried on 

 at that time to considerable extent, as building vessels for this trade continued to be prosecuted at the Point and 

 neighborhood from that time to the Revolutionary War, when it was suspended, and the hardy fishermen were 

 selected to man our impromptu navy. 



"After the Revolutionary War the fish business was revived in Quincy. In the early part of this century Mr. 

 Nickersou, Major Vinal, and Mr. Bramhall were engaged, to a considerable extent in this business at the Point. It 

 continued to be successful until the embargo and the war of 1812 seriously interfered with its prosperity. At the 

 close of the war the business was again revived, and continued to prosper with vaiied success. A largo share of the 

 business was in the hands of capitalists of Provincetown and other Cape Cod towns. In 1833 the fish interest began 

 to concentrate at Germantowu. Captain Brown took up his residence there that year; Captain Hodgkiuson in 1834, 

 and Captains Prior, Rich, Holmes, and others about that period. The land at Germautowu was mostly occupied by 

 fish flakes, as great numbers were brought there to be cured. In 1836, the business amounted to a little rising 

 $30,000. Ten vessels were engaged in cod and mackerel fishing. The amount of codfish caught and cured was 6,200 

 quintals, the value of which was estimated at $18,800. 



' The number of barrels of mackerel packed for market was l,7oO, the value of which was estimated at $12,242. 

 The number of men engaged in the business was 100. The local fish trade was at first carried on by different persons, 

 who would go out in the morning and procure fish, and in the afternoon dispose of their fine large fresh fish from their 

 wheelbarrows for cents each. In 1823 the first cart, owned by a Mr. Rice, was used for the disposal of fish. Mr. 

 Snow, of Boston, succeeded Mr. Rice, and made a fortune out of the business. Mr. Samuel Andrews was engaged in 

 the local trade longer than any other person, and died at a ripe old age of 75 years 10 months and 11 days." 



THE WHALE-FisiiKKY. " Whale-fishery business was established at Germantown and at Quiucy Point about the 

 same time. The first vessel fitted out, of any note, at Germantown was the Cambrian, in 1839 a top-sail schooner, 

 which sailed on a cruise of eighteen months under Captain Holmes, of Germantown. The Cambrian made quite a 

 successful voyage, having procured 2U whales and secured 4~20 barrels of sperm oil. The Ontario sailed under the 

 command of Captain Prior; also the John Rove Dodge, the Curacoa, and others, which were equally as fortunate in 

 supplying their owners with oil from the greasy monsters. The Cambrian was probably the first whale-ship that 

 sailed from this port. The Creole, under the command of Captain Cook, the principal owners of which were Messrs. 

 Calvin White, of Braiutree; Simon Gillett, Ebenezer Woodward, Daniel Baxter, Isaiah G. Whitou, and Charles A. 

 Brown, of Quincy, sailed the latter part of the year 1840, for the Western Islands, where she was fortunate in securing 

 a fine cargo, consisting of 540 barrels of sperm oil and 10 of blaclsfish, which liberally remunerated all those connected 

 with the vessel and voyage. She was absent nine mouths and a half. The brig Eschol also sailed as a whaler." 



HTJI/L. 



EAKLY IJISIOKY OK HULL AND ITS FISIIKIUKS. The original name of this town was Nautascot, an Indian word, 

 and the place was given to the fishermen by the general court of Massachusetts in 1G41 for the purpose of encouraging 

 the fisheries. The present inhabitants trace their deeds back to the following order from the general court of Massa- 

 chusetts, dated June 2, 1641: "It is ordered that a plain at ion for the furthering of fishing shall be set up at Nantascot, 

 and that all the neck to the end of the furthest beach towards Ilingham, where the tide overfloweth, shall belong to 

 it, and that such of the present inhabitants of Hiugham as will follow fishing, and will move their habitation thither, 

 shall have land and meadow upon Nantasket Neck according to the order here established; and that all other men 

 that will follow fishing, and will remove their habitation thither, shall have such accommodation there as the plau- 

 lation will afford; and that it shall be lawful for any other fishermen inhabiting any other towns within the bay to 

 set up stages at Nantaskct, or any of the islands belonging thereto, with sufficient ground for the drying of their fish. 

 And there shall be allowed now, at the first, to every boat which shall use fishing, four acres of upland for the present, 

 .iiid the meadow to be disposed of in an equal portion among such as have cause; and ft is further ordered that the 

 island called Pedock's Island, and the other islands not already disposed of, shall belong to Nantascot, to be to the 

 iibo of the inhabitants and fishermen so soon as they shall come to inhabit there." 



A commission of four men was formed to lay out and dispose of the land as ordered. Among the first twelve men 

 that availed themselves of this order we find the names of John Prince and Nathaniel Bosworth; each of these received 

 2 acres of land. 



Thirty years afterwards, iu 1G71, we find these two men presenting the following petition: 



"To the Right Honoured Magistrates and Deputies of the General Court of New Plymouth, now sitting: 



" The wise providence of the great Guide of all men and actions having so ordered, by his providence, to bring 

 me here in this juncture of time, wherein there hath been brought under consideration that fishing design, of late 

 years found at Cape Cod, for mackerel with nets; which, win n we came from home, I may truly say I had not the 

 least thought to have, in the least manner, troubled; this honoured ;:ss(inbly with things about; yet, being here, and 



