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                   Who's Who in Colonial Boston

1/28/2017

2 Comments

 
The extent of Colonial Boston’s town structure is quite the eye-opener to a 21st Century citizen.  We have attached the town register collated by Robert Francis Seybolt.  There are some well known and highly influential citizens listed on the registry.

How about John Rowe again?   Listed as a “fireward” in 1769.  Additional “esquires” with notable assignments were;
  •  John Hancock, Selectman, resume well known.
  • Joseph Belknap Overseer of the Poor, a credible witness deposed on the Boston Massacre.
  • John Singleton Copley, Clerk of the Market.  Famous portrait painter and Tory.
  • James Otis, Moderator, “taxation without representation is tyranny.”
  • Samuel Adams.  (note, there is no Esq. after his name).
  • John Gray, Surveyor of Hemp and Flax.  The owner of Gray’s Rope Walk, site of the pre-Boston Massacre brawls.  Learn more about the importance of hemp and rope to Colonial Boston here. (Read from the seventh paragraph, for an overview of the three ropewalk brawls immediately befoe the Boston Massacre).
 
The title of “Esq” appears after several distinguished names.  In the 20th Century, it was a suffix used to designate lawyers that passed the bar exam.  It meant nothing of the same in the 18th Century.  It was a very elevated acknowledgment of a person’s position in life.  We could not find an exact standard for the title that permitted others to refer to you as Esquire.  Paul Revere sought this acknowledgment his entire life.  Often it drove him into industries and positions that he felt would elevate him, such as Coroner of Boston, printer of the currency, Grand Mason of the Freemasons, colonel of the artillery, a provider of copper to the U. S. Navy and express rider for the Continental Congress.  It simply was not enough for Paul to earn the respect of the upper class. 

We might suggest that the number of town citizens assigned to a function was indicative of its importance. Firewards seemed to point to the constant threat of fire on the well-fare of Boston.  For an overview of Boston’s eleven major fires click here to visit our blog. 
​
Have some fun researching the several other functions; Fence Viewers, Sealers of Leather, Informer About Deer, Clerks of the Market and  Cullers of Staves. After the libel trial of John Hancock, a function of Purveyor of Madeira Wine should have been added.
Picture
2 Comments
best essays link
2/2/2017 23:19:05

I'm excited to learn more about Boston. I really appreciate your vast knowledge about the city. Because of your site, I became more curious about Boston. Boston truly is a wonder, in terms of historical aspects and events. I don't really know why some of the events that happened in the city was not taught in class for how big and life changing they were.

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Mitch link
2/3/2017 08:30:32

Thank you for commenting. If you are ever in Boston tour with us as our guest.

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  • Freedom Trail Tours
    • In The Footsteps of Paul Revere
    • Freedom Trail Audio Tour
    • The Boston Massacre Tour
    • Boston Civil War Tour
    • The Boston Massacre Lesson Plan
    • Paul Revere's Neighborhood
    • Paul Revere's Row to Charlestown 4/18/1775
    • The Boston Massacre per the Pennsylvania Gazette
    • Paul Revere Lesson Plan
  • Revere Bells Index
    • The Stickney Revere Bell Listings of 1976
    • Paul Revere Bell of Beverly
    • Revere Bells in Boston >
      • Paul Revere Bell Old South Meeting House
    • California's 2 Paul Revere Bells
    • Paul Revere & Son's Bell Westborough Massachusetts
    • Falmouth, Massachusetts
    • Revere Bell Fredericksburg VA
    • Revere Bell Hampton NH
    • First Parish Church of Kennebunk
    • Revere Bells in Maine
    • Revere Bell in Mansfield
    • Revere Bell of Michigan
    • Revere Salem Mass Bell
    • Roxbury First Unitariarn Universalist Church and their Revere Bell
    • Revere & Son Bell, Savannah Georgia
    • Singapore Revere Bell
    • Tuscaloosa Bell >
      • History of the St John and Leavens Patriarchs
      • Samuel St John Jr Estate Genealogy
      • Authenticating the Revere Tuscaloosa Bell
      • Joshua B Leavens Last Will and Testament
      • 20th Century Tuscaloosa bell
    • Revere Bells Lost in Time
    • Revere Bells Washington DC
    • Revere Bell in Wakefield, Mass
    • Revere Bells Woodstock VT
  • Bostonians
    • Edward F Alexander of The Harvard 20th Civil War Regiment
    • Polly Baker
    • John Wilkes Booth
    • The Mad Hatter, Thomas, Boston Corbett who Killed John Wilkes Booth
    • Richard-Henry-Dana-Jr
    • James Franklin
    • Benjamin Harris of Publick Occurrences
    • Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
    • William Lloyd Garrison
    • USS Thomas Hudner DDG116
    • Edward Hutchinson Robbins Revere
    • Amos Lincoln
    • King Philip
    • Mayor's of Boston
    • Mum Bett & Theodore Sedgwick
    • James Otis
    • Paul Joseph Revere
    • Reverend Larkin's Horse
    • John Rowe >
      • John Rowe's Diary Entries
      • John Rowe's Dinner Party
      • John Rowe and the Jail Fire
      • Hang John Rowe?????
      • John Rowe the Fisherman
      • Joh Rowe's Tea Ship
    • Be Proud to be Called a Lucy Stoner
    • Rachel Wall , Pirate
    • Paul Revere the Coroner of Boston
    • Deborah Sampson
    • Who was Mrs. Silence Dogood?
    • Dr. Joseph Warren's Dedication
  • History Blog
  • Lilja's of Natick
    • Lilja Brothers Military History
    • Lilja's Family Album
    • Memorials and Tributes to the Five Lilja Brothers
    • Lilja Family Tree
    • Lilja Historical Family Tree Documents
    • Lilja References
  • Collage of Boston
    • 4th of July Parade, Bristol RI
    • Boston Harbor
    • The Customs House
    • Forest Hills Cemetery
    • Georges Island
    • Nonviolent Monument to Peace - Sherborn
    • The Battle Road
    • Skate bike and scooter park
    • Cassin Young & USS Cassin Young
    • MIT
    • Historic Charles River
    • The Roxbury Standpipe on Fort Hill
    • John & Abigail Adams National Park
  • Boston's Racial History - Ante-Bellum