Hannah Whitney Vinton

Tradition reports that the parents of Hannah Thayer were averse to her marriage with Thomas Vinton, from a supposed inferiority of worldly condition on his part. Her father refused to give her any outfit ; her mother secretly gave her some trifling articles, of which the most valuable was an iron dish-kettle, handed to her slily out of the back window. For a time the young couple were left to struggle with poverty and want, eating, it is said, with a wooden spoon out of a wooden trencher.* To supply herself with covering; for n bed, the young wife wove, in a tape-loom, material sufficient for the purpose, which, narrow as it was, she took pains to sew together; of course a very tedious business. Thomas Vinton, in process of time, as the result of diligence and energy in his business, rose to competence and even to wealth. His father-in-law at length became perfectly willing to acknowledge him, and even spoke of him with pride as " my son Vinton."

Thomas Vinton was a blacksmith, or " bloomer," by occupation, and very probably learned that trade of his father ; as he (Thomas) taught it to his own sons after him. He appears to have been a man of much capacity and enterprise. His numerous descendants have reason to cherish his memory, as the founder of their fortunes. He came to Braintree with nothing but his hands and his good character; he became one of the most prosperous and prominent men of the town. At what precise time he came to Brainlree, is not known ; it must have been as early as 1708, and probably two or three years earlier. It is not unlikely that he worked as a hired hand in the iron-works, of which in 1720 he became the proprietor. This may have been the reason why Nathaniel Thayer, a man of property, was unwilling he should have his daughter.

It seems pretty certain that the father of Thomas Vinton, who resided in Woburn, was "of Braintree" in 1709. (See p. 18.) What the precise nature of his business there was, or how long he stayed, does not appear. His name is not on the Braintree records ; he kept his property in Woburn ; there is no conveyance of land in Braintree to him ; and he cannot have remained there long. What could have been the purpose of his sojourn in Braintree, but to assist his son Thomas ?

The first purchase of land in Braintree made by Thomas Vinton was in 1714. The deed is dated March 2, 1713-14, and is recorded Suffolk Deeds, lib. 28 : fol. 86. In it, Nathaniel Hubbard of Braintree, Esquire, for .£192 in bills of credit, conveys to Thomas Vinton, of Braintree, " bloomer," 21 acres of land in Braintree, bounded N. by the highway 15 rods, E. on Thomas WhiteJ 189 rods, S. by said

• Wooden trenchers have not been wholly unknown within the last forty years. I think the story in the text is substantially true ; as it rests on the authority of my grandfather | ! >'i ] and his sister Mchilahle Clark [MH|; the latter having been twenty years contemporary with her grandfather Thomas Vinton.

J Thomas While3 and Samuel White3 were sons of Thomas White* of Braintree, who d. April 11, 1706, and grandsons of Thomas While1 of Wry month, original emigrant, who wu

Thomas White 20£ rods, W. by Samuel White 188 rods, being " land which I purchased of Thomas White of Braintree."

The above purchase must have been very near the Iron Works.* I suppose it included the estate now owned and occupied by Rev. Jonas 5cJ- /' Perkins. At nine shillings for an ounce of silver, which was then the fiLj_t, Lf rate of depreciation of " bills of credit," the sum paid by Thomas Vin- ton was equivalent to 470 Spanish milled dollars ; which may have been as much then as 2000 now. There was a dwelling-house, barn, and shop on this land, and here Thomas Vinton must have lived.

The next purchase is of the Ikon Works, and the land thereto adjacent. The deed bears date Oct. 12, 1720. Recorded, Suff. Deeds, 37 : 183. In this instrument, Nathaniel Hubbardf of Dorchesler, for ;C144§ in bills of credit, conveys to Thomas Vision of Bmintree, " bloomer," one and a half acre of land in Braintree, " adjoining unto Monotoquod River, upon part of which the Iron Works no'.v stand ;" " bounded east by a straight line running from the Highway to the lower side of the Furnace Trough, &c.; south by the Highway, to the Soap-House Runnell, so called ; southeast by a line running from the Furnace Trough to the N. W. side of a large flat rock, lying at the uppermost end of the Furnace-Wharf, then by a straight line from said rock to the N. E. corner of the Forge-Wharf; north by said River and the Iron Works Pond ; west by the aforesaid Runnell; together with the Forge and Iron Works, Sawmill, and all manner of edifices standing and being thereon; and one moiety or half part of the stream, ponds, dams, and flumes, near or upon which the said Iron Works and Sawmill are erected."

The " metes and bounds " referred to in this instrument, being mostly of a permanent character, are traced without difficulty at this day. The " Highway " spoken of, is the road from Boston to Plymouth, now known in that vicinity as " Commercial Street." The " Furnace Trough " was doubtless the canal which conveyed the water of the

representative iif W. 1C36, Ifi37, and d. Aug. 1679. Thomas While3 was selectman of Brain- Iree 1745. Samuel White,3 h. Sept. 19, 1076, m Deborah Peiiniinan of Brainlree, Dec. 5, I'Hl [penkima.v ..'< \ He was chosen deacon of Ihc church in the Middle Precinct, April 28, 1719. Was selectman of H 1725. 1727, 1748. 1731, 1735, 1736.

• 1708, June 2. Thomas While and Mchctahcl his wife (she was dau of Joseph Adams), [A Dams, SO] for ' eighty pounds current lawful money of N. England, and HJO pounds more, as it now commonly parses, that is, silver at eight shillings per ounce Troy," convey to Nathaniel Hubhard of Boston, clerk, 21 acres of laud, with dwelling house, barn, and shop thereon, near the iron-works now standing on Monotoquod River, formerly belonging to Samuel White of Weymoulh ; bounded N. on the highway 15 lods. E. on said Thomas While 189 ro 's; S. on said Thomas While 20j rods : W. on Samuel While 188 rods. [SufT. Deed*, 24 : 244.1 This is Ibe same properly which Hubbard sold above lo Vinlou in 1714 for £192 in bills ofcrcdil.

t Nathaniel Hubbard now lived in Dorchester. In 1714 and previously, he was of Brain- tree, (see page 30.) He was son of John Hubliard. an eminent merchant of Hoston, a resident for some years of Krainlrce, who had owned the Iron Works from about 1680 till hii death in 1710. John Hubbard was a sou of Ibe historian, Kev. William Huhhard of Ipswich. His wife was Ann Levereti, dau. of Hon. John Lcverelt, governor of Mass., who d. March 16, 1679-80. " Mr. John Huhbard died in Boston, Jan. 8, F709-IO, formerly of Biain- Iree "—[Marshall's Diary.] Nathaniel Hubbard. his son, was b. in Boslon, Oct. 13, 1680.

4 At twelve shillings fur an ounce of silver, which was the rale of depreciation of Hills of Credit in 1720, the sum paid by 'I homas Vinton for the Iron Works, Ace., was equal to 266 Spanish dollars. In the inventory of John Huhbard's estate, Dec. 15, 1714, 'he " Furnace wuh ils appurtenances " was appraised al £100, which was Iben equivalent to about £46 Hpanish dollars. John Hubbard died intestate, and hit estate was " represented insolvent." Commissioners were appointed lo settle it.