Welcome to Bidwell Lore number 163! This week continue to look at some of the Stockbridge Selectboard records from the early 19th century.
If you love history as much as we do and have not yet visited the Bidwell House Museum, there is still time to book your tour! We offer guided tours by appointment until the end of the month. It is a beautiful time to visit the house: click HERE for details about scheduling your visit.
Selectmen’s Records 1792-1830, Part II
Rick Wilcox, 2022
Last week we shared some early records from the Stockbridge Selectmen from the ledger book recording payments to individuals in town for services rendered. Stockbridge, not unlike other cities and towns in the Commonwealth, had a welfare system, and Agrippa shows up frequently in the list as one of the residents who provided services for indigent townspeople. The list this week shows town payments from 1814-1824. Again, as we did last week, we have highlighted the entries for Agrippa and as you can see, he was generous to those he wanted to help.
Jan 10 1814 #51 Elijah Brown Jr. & Co for cloth for Frank Duncan 5.25
March 7 1814 #65 the estate of Asa Bement for ringing the bell and cleaning the meeting house 34.25
June 6 1814 #4 Enoch Humphrey for boarding Frank Duncan 15.17
#3 Agrippa Hull for damages on road 6.00
#18 Amos Hagar for boarding & nursing Hurdner Dudley 63.00
#19 Amos Hagar for funeral expenses 1.50
Dec 5th 1814 #22 Jael G. Farmer for two coffins for town poor 3.00
#23 Agrippa Hull for boarding Frank Duncan 28.33
#24 John J. Hopkins for clothing for Frank Duncan 3.68
#34 Oliver Partridge for services as seating committee 3.00#41 Luther Plumb for sundries for Frank Duncan 16.54
#44 Moses Lynch in part payment for transporting baggage to Boston 10.00
#50 Agrippa Hull for boarding Frank Duncan 15.17
#64 Enoch Humphrey [1] for boarding Frank Duncan 15.00
#67 Moses Lynch for transporting baggage to Boston 17.45
#69 Stephen Tucker for digging graves for paupers 2.84
#74 John Hunt for military expenses 121.10 [2]
#79 August Sherrill for money paid for muskets 180.25 [3]
#81 John Whiton for coffins as per receipt 1.83
June 5th 1815 #7 Agrippa Hull for boarding Frank Duncan 8.61
#24 Doct Oliver Partridge for attendance of Morison Darbe 4.01
#61 Stephen Tucker for digging graves for town paupers 3.75
September 2, 1816
#11 Surius Fairman for board Frank Duncan from March to July 17.15
#17 Isaac Curtis for timber to build meeting house steps 3.00
December 2nd 1816 #25 Agrippa Hull for supporting Frank Duncan 24.40
#27 Oliver Partridge for physics for sundry paupers 10.58
#28 Oliver Partridge for Mrs. Lucinda Parmelee 2.68
#29 Oliver Partridge for seating meeting house 3.50 for Ed Mundy 5.40
At a meeting of the selectmen of Stockbridge Feb 27th 1817 the following orders were drawn on the town treasurer
#50 Stephen Tucker for a grave for Rich Roberts 3.00 [4]
#59 Agrippa Hull for supporting Frank Duncan 13.25
#70 Stephen Tucker for digging grave for William Nelson 4.00
March 7 1817 #84 Elijah Brown & Co for sundry furnished Frank Duncan and for taking acknowledgement of said .54
March 15 1817 #2 Agrippa Hull balance due on the first Monday of the month for Frank Duncan 1.06
Sept 1st 1817 #44 Agrippa Hull in supporting Frank Duncan 30.94
December 1st 1817 Oliver partridge for medical aid for John Morrison 13.68 #51 same for Azuba Morrison 16.59
June 1, 1818 #11 Stephen Tucker for digging graves for Sarah Green and Lucinda Parmelee 6.00
#17 Oliver Partridge for doctoring paupers to May 20 1818 7.64
Dec 7 1818 #25 Aug Sherrill [5] for fee as attorney 5.50
#36 Alanson Bennett for 402 feet plank for bridge 10.05
#43 O Partridge a committee for drafting remonstrance & seating meeting house 5.50
#44 O Partridge for doctoring John Morrison & wife Hanna Perkins 7.65
#62 Oliver Partridge for doctoring D. Britton 1.00 & Asa Bunkman 62 ½ cts 1.63
#82 Agrippa Hull for supporting D Britton from May 1 to May 11 till his death 24.55
#83 Oliver Partridge for doctoring John Morrison & wife 32.19
December 6 1819 #116 Dr. Oliver Partridge for attending sundry paupers & serving as committee on School House Road 17.95
#121 Robert E. Galpin for sundries furnished for the town 5.19
# 128 Stephen Tucker for board furnished E. Andrews & for digging grave for Britton 5.00
#148 Doct Oliver Partridge for his several accounts for doctoring paupers to this date 12.34
5th day of June 1820 #8 Oliver Partridge for services as physician 2.50
August 4 1820 #53 Oliver Partridge for medical aid rendered for sundry persons 13.30
#58 Louis Howe for shoes for George Deming 1.75
#61 Caleb Bennett for boarding George Deming from March 6th to March 17th 1820 1.57
5th March 1821 #87 Ralph Deming for sheriff’s services 1.83
#91 Eliakison Hamilton for services as constable year 1819 6.25
Dec 3rd 1821 #23 to Oliver Partridge for medical aid for John Morrison & wife & Mary Rice 19.45
24 Oliver Partridge for services rendered the town as per acct. 14.50
#36 Betty Humphrey [6] for supporting Ned Mundy from Sept 3 to Dec 3, 1821 13 weeks at 97 cts per week 12.61
#63 Oliver Partridge for medical aid for John Morrison & wife 7.57
#64 Oliver Partridge for medical services as per bill 1.50
#67 Minta Humphrey for assistance rendered Black Rose while sick 2.50
#79 Stephen Tucker for digging four graves 8.50
June 3 1822 #43 Oliver Partridge for timber 6.00
#44 Doct Oliver Partridge for doctoring Morrison & wife & Enoch Humphrey 19.97
December 2, 1822 #49 Dr Oliver Partridge for doctoring Enoch Humphrey, John Morrison & Mary Rice 7.21
#51 Agrippa Hull for helping Rebecca 31.93
#86 Oliver Partridge for doctoring Enoch 8.71
June 2, 1823
#27 Doct Oliver Partridge for doctoring & medicine for Enoch Humphrey, John Morrison & wife & Nancy Duncan 26.20
#42 Oliver Partridge for doctoring Enoch Humphrey & Mary Ann Hagar 1.15
March 1 1824 #53 Oliver Partridge for doctoring Enoch Humphrey 4.00
Next week we will look at some articles published about Agrippa Hull during his lifetime.
1. Enoch was a free Black and related to Elizabeth Freeman.
2. A cousin of Mary Gray Bidwell, probably serving in the War of 1812.
3. Attorney from Richmond, clerked under Barnabas Bidwell.
4. Town Clerk’s card file indicates he died 01-18-1817 and lists him as a Negro.
5. Sherrill was one of Barnabas Bidwell’s law clerks.
6. I am guessing that Betty is Elizabeth Freeman’s daughter.