The Territory now comprising Billerica was originally granted to Cambridge.
It was not settled until about 1653. The town was then called Shawshin.
On May 23, 1655, the towns of Billerica, Chelmsford, and Groton were
incorporated and soon after the name of Billerica was voted. The
town at the time included all of what is now Tewksbury, a small part of
Wilmington, about half of Bedford, and about one third of Carlisle.
In 1658, there were twenty-five families present and they hired Mr. Samuel Whiting as the
first minister. The population increased, although at the time of King Philip's War in 1675,
several families left. In 1692 and again in 1695 there were Indian massacres. For a period
of some sixty years almost every able bodied man saw service in the various French and Indian wars.
The following towns were incorporated from part of old Billerica: 1729, Bedford; 1733,
Wilmington; 1734, Tewksbury; and 1804, Carlisle.
For the first hundred and fifty years the town was almost entirely agricultural, but
each man often had a trade which he worked in his own home. With the advent of the Middlesex
Canal in 1794, the Turnpike in 1805, and then the railroad in 1833, the town gradually
became more and more an industrial community. With the growth of the mills in North Billerica
and later the car shops, a smaller percentage of the population worked on farms from year to year.
In 1852, Dr. Zadok Howe left a fund of money for an academy and for many years this supplied
Billerica and the surrounding towns as a high school.
The town records are in existence from the earliest meeting and form a very interesting history
of the development of town government. The present (1934) population of Billerica is 5880.
(from "Ye Towne Book" of Tewksbury, pp. 62-3)
WAMESIT OR TEWKSBURY
Many persons have often remarked that our town should have been named Wamesit after the Wamesit
Indians. This is to be regretted, for the Wamesit Indians were peaceful, and were friendly
with the white settlers. They roved all over what is now Tewksbury and their arrow-heads
and stone hammers have been found on many farms years ago. On what is known as Sandy Plain,
were unearthed pieces of flint, arrow-heads, hammers, spears, and traces of their council fires.
It may be of interest to our citizens to know that the town might have been named Wamesit,
but owing to the failure of our early settlers to construct a Meeting House in the time
designated, our separation from Billerica was postponed for several years.
In the History of Billerica written by Henry A. Hazen and published in 1882 the following appears: -
December 1, 1725 in "a petition of Jonathan Bowers, Samuel Hunt, and divers others, Dwellers
on the Land called Wamesick Purchase and Winthrop's farm, wch land ly ajfacent to Billerica,
between Pautucket and Chelmsford Line, praying for reasons therin assigned, to be erected
into a separate and distinct Town."
This petition was referred to the next session of the General Court, but there is no record of
any action upon it. It was probably abandoned as Chelmsford had also petitioned for annexation
of that part of the Wamesit Purchase that lies on the west side of the Concord River. This petition
was granted to Chelmsford June 13, 1726.
The friends of the earlier project did not, however, abandon their efforts, and were so far
successful that the General Court, April 9, 1729, considered favorably a bill to establish
Wameset Parish, with these bounds: "the line to begin at Concord River, between the lands of John
Rogers jr., and Enoch Kidder, and so on that line to the Way leading to Winthrop farm, so called"
thence on a "strait line to the S.E. end of Prospect Hill, six score rods north of the House of
James Kittredge, continuing the same line to Andover Line", then following that line and Merrimack
River to "Chelmsford Old Line, keeping said line to Concord River to a stake called Patucket or
Wamasset; thence crossing Concord River to the bound first mentioned, which includes Wamasset
or the whole Indian Purchase".
In December, Wamesit Precinct was favorably considered and acted upon by both Houses, "the former
order of this Court referring to Wamasset Purchase Lands notwithstanding". The Precinct
was required, within three years, to erect and finish a good and suitable house for public worship
"where the committee that have already viewed the said lands shall appoint", and settle a l
earned orthodox minister of good conversation, and make Provision for his comfortable
and honorable support".
This was not done, and Wamesit failed to secure a place among the municipalities of the State.
(from "Ye Towne Book" of Tewksbury, pp. 62)
SEPARATION FROM BILLERICA
In 1723, May 13, our early settlers asked the town to erect a meeting house in the center of
the town, or so accomodate the northerly part of the town, upon the Town's cost, or set them off,
so that they maintain preaching among themselves." This the town was not ready to grant, but they
had discovered that it was useless to oppose the separation, and on December 19, when the request
was again renewed, or, as an alternative, that the town would "please to set them off, with
two-thirds of the land lying between Andover and Billerica meeting house, from Wilmington
line to Concord River, for a Township." Others desired that the organization should be a "Precinct,
for their better accomodation in public worship". At this meeting, a committee, consisting
of Mr. Samuel Danforth, Lieutenant Daniel Kittredge, Lieut. Joseph Hill, Mr. Samuel Hunt, Jr.,
and Lieut. Joseph Kidder, was appointed to "view the land" and report, which they did,
January 9, 1733. The report was accepted and granted, provided (if the inhabitants on the
southeasterly side of Shawshin River be willing to join with them).
This final condidtion called out a petition from Samuel Hunt and others to the General Court,
"praying an absolute grant of this Court for their being made a Towne with these bounds", of
the appointment of a committee to examine and report. The latter was done, with the result that
Tewksbury was incorporated December 23, 1734.
Tewksbury was taken wholly from Billerica and received in round numbers nine thousand acres of land.
The following list of families included in Tewksbury is imperfect, but will have interest:
Brown, Joseph
Brown, William
Farmer, Richard
Farmer, Thomas
French, John
French, Thomas
Frost, Daniel
Frost, Edmund
Frost, Joseph
Hall, Richard
Hall, Samuel
Haseltine, Samuel
Haseltine, Stephen
Hunt, Jeremiah
Hunt, John
Hunt, Joseph
Hunt, Peter
Hunt, Samuel
Kidder, Ephraim
Kittredge, Daniel
Kittredge, Daniel Jr.
Kittredge, Francis
Kittredge, James
Kittredge, James Jr.
Kittredge, James, ters (3rd)
Kittredge, Dr. John
Kittredge, John Jr.
Kittredge, Joseph
Kittredge, Thomas
Kittredge, William
Levestone, John (LIVINGSTON(E) later)
Levestone, Seth
Manning, Eliphalet
Manning, Thomas
Marshall, Thomas
Needham, John
Osgood, Stephen
Patten, John
Patten, Kendall
Patten, Nathaniel
Peacock, Samuel
Richardson, Andrew
Rogers, Nathaniel
Shed, Nathan
Stickney, Abraham
Trull, Samuel
Whiting, John
To these forty-seven names enough should probably be added to make the number sixty.
(from "Ye Towne Book" of Tewksbury, p. 23)
ANNO Regni Regis GEORGII Secondi Octavo
An Act dividing the Town of Billerica & erecting the Northerly and Northeasterly part of said
town into a distinct Township by the Name of Tewksbury.
Whereas the Inhabitants of the Northerly & Northeasterly part of the Town of Billerica in the
County of Middlesex are so situated in their habitations as to live very remote from the Place of
Publick Worship & on that account as well as divers others have laboured under great difficulties
and hardships & for relief therin have petitioned this Court the said Lands being already settled
with a competent number of inhabitants to form a township.
Be it enacted by his Excellency the Governor, Council & Representatives in General Court
assembled & by authority of the same that the Northerly & Northeasterly part of the Town
of Billerica with the inhabitants theron be & hereby are set off from the said Town of Billerica
& erected into a seperate & distinct Township by the name of Tewksbury, the line or boundary
of said Town to take in two thirds of the land from Andover line to Billerica Meeting House by a
parallel line with Andover line extending from Concord River to Wilmington line; and that the
inhabitants of the said Lands, Be & hereby are accordingly vested & endowed with all powers,
privileges, imminities & advantages which the inhabitants of any other Town in this Province do or
by Law ought to have, hold or enjoy; & the inhabitants of the said Town of Tewksbury are hereby
enjoyed & required within the space of Two Years from the Publication of this Act to build
& finish a suitable Meeting House for the Publick Worship of God, & that they procure & settle
a learned orthodox Minister of good conversation & make provision for his comfortable &
honorable support provided nevertheless that the inhabitants of the said Town of Tewksbury be &
hereby are obliged to pay their respective proportion of all Province Taxes that are already
assessed upon the Inhabitants of the aforesaid Town of Billerica hitherto arisen within the same.
December 17, 1734. This Bill having been read throo several times, in the House Representatives
passed to be enacted.
J. QUINCY, Sp'kr.
December, 1734. This Bill having been read throo several times in Council passed to be enacted.
THADDEUS MASON, Dep. Sec'y.
December 23, 1734. By his Excellency, the Govnor I consent to the enacting of this bill.
Jn. BELCHER.
THE OLD HAND PUMP
THE OLD OAKEN BUCKET
THE POW-WOW TREE
OLD GARRISON HOUSE
HUNT GARRISON HOUSE
THE WHIGS AND FEDERALS
WANNALANCET
ISLANDS IN THE CONCORD RIVER
ACADIAN EXILES IN TEWKSBURY
THE FIRST MEETING HOUSE
TAVERNS
STORES
BRIEFS
MASONIC HALL BUILDING
OLD TOWN HALL
MILLS
PONDS
FISHING INTERESTS
JOHN GALE
OLD LETTERS
POST 185 G.A.R.
JONATHAN CLARK HOMESTEAD
CHURCH HISTORIES
First Congregational Church -- History of the First Congregational Church of Tewksbury.
First Baptist Church -- History of the First Baptist Church of Tewksbury.
Oblate Novitiate -- History of the Oblate Novitiate of Tewksbury - an institution for the training
of Catholic priests.
Methodist Episcopal Church - History of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Tewksbury.
Congregation B'nai Sholom - History of the Jewish Congregation B'nai Sholom of Tewksbury.
