Narrative history Author:Frank Smith Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER If. THE BEGINNING OP PARISH LIFE. Fourth Precinct Of Dedham Character Of The People Early Settlers In Dover Henry Wilson Thomas BattleNath... more »aniel Chickering James Draper Old Fortification First Effort To Be Made A Precinct First Tax List Petition To The General Court And Signers Organization Of The Precinct And Election Of Officers. The great, eventful Present hides the Past; but through the din Of its loud life hints and echoes from the life behind steal in; And the lore of home and fireside, and the legendary rhyme, Make the task of duty lighter which the true man owes his time. Whittirr. As the history of Dover is interwoven with the history of Dedham, it is most difficult to give with certainty much that one desires to know about the early settlement and life of the people of this town. In its incorporate capacity it was styled the Fourth Precinct of Dedham; but with the organization of the church it became the Fourth, or Springfield, Parish. The progenitors of most of the early Dover families were among the first settlers in Dedham ; and we proudly claim the history of the mother town as a part of our own history, in ecclesiastical affairs previous to 1/29 and in all town affairs before 1784. " The first settlers of Dedham were a remarkable collection of people. Tradition brings down a high character attached to most of the names found on its earlyrecords, and their public and private acts fully confirm it. Orderly and industrious in their habits, they allowed no one to remain in their community who was not engaged in some regular occupation. Any violation of rules was followed by a penalty, yet the most exact strictness was accompanied by equally unfailing loving- kindness. Liberal were they towards each other and their neighb...« less