The Province House and its Occupants By WALTER KENDALL WATKINS Edited by RICHARD M. CANDEE HE way to Roxbury, as Wash- by the familial greetings of a letter from ington Street was called in the Sergeant to “Bro. Corwin, Bro. Jona- T first century of Boston’s history, than and Bro. Browne” for John and was bordered north of West Street by the Jonathan Corwin and William Browne homes of some of the principal settlers. who married their sister Hannah Corwin. South of the Town House (the Old State Samuel Sewall noted in his Diary for House) was the South End of the town December 23, 1681 “two of the chief during these years, while the land behind Gentlewomen in Towne dyed, . viz. the Old South Meeting House remained Mrs. Mary Davis and Mrs. Eliza. Sar- pasture for a century more. The west gent (sic) .“* His second marriage, in side of Washington Street was an excel- 1682, was to Elizabeth, daughter of lent location for a house on the main Henry Shrimpton. street, with a fine prospect of the harbor In 1690 the deacons of the Old South and its islands. Church met at Judge Sewall’s house to The first great Boston fire destroyed arrange for documents and deedsrelating these homes on January 14, 1653, to the church to be placed in a chest and among them that of William Aspinwall, depositedin Mr. Sergeant’s house “it be- town recorder, which stood near the ing of brick and convenient.” Sewall present junction of Washington and also notes, after a hailstorm of April 20, Bromfield Streets. Half way between As- 1695 that the hail broke 480 quarrels of pinwall’s house and School Street was the glass in his new house and as many in home of Thomas Millard with its garden that of Mr. Sergeant’s. and orchard in the rear. Millard’s burned During the governorship of the Earl property came into the hands of Samuel of Bellomont, who arrived in 1698, Ser- Shrimpton, a large landholder who sold geant was prevailed upon to give up his it on October 2 I, 1676 to Peter Ser- home and occupy a house across the geant, merchant of Bost0n.l street. In the best chamber of the Ser- This land had a frontage of eighty-six geant house, as Sewall tells us, Governor feet on the street and of seventy-six feet Bellomont swore in the Judges on July in the rear, with a depth of two hundred 25, 1699 and treated the Council and and sixty-five feet. On this Site Sergeant, other gentlemen with refreshments in a former London merchant of a Lanca- November. Confirmation of Governor shire family, erected a housein I 679. Bellomont’s rental may be found in the Here Peter Sergeant brought his first Provincial records. The General Court two wives, both daughters of prominent Massachusetts merchants. First, was * Massachusetts Historical Society Collec- tions, Fifth Series, VI: I 3. Hereafter reference Elizabeth Corwin of Salem, as indicated to the Diary of Samuel Sewall will be indicated 1 Suffolk County Deeds, VI11:309, X:144. by dates in the text alone. 95 96 Old-Time New England passeda resolve on March 23, 1700, that Boston society, taking an active part in the rent was to be paid out of the treasury town and provincial affairs. As a town of the province, and on August 5 pay- constable in 1674, he was an accuser of ment of X120.16.8 was allowed at the Governor Andros and was named as a rate of ~IOO per annum for fourteen and Councillor under the second charter in a half months. Sergeant also received 1692. He served on the council until 220.3.0 for “dead rent of the house he 1703, when he was negatived by Gov- hired of Wm. Gibbins for nine months at ernor Joseph Dudley, and again from the rate of f25 per annum” and 2+.6d. 1707 to his death in 1714. The last six for mending the windows of his own months of his life were marked by ill house.a health, as Sewall’s journal attests. On On November I 4, I 700 Sewall notes October 5, 1713 he was “confin’d to his that Madam Elizabeth Sergeant was en- house.” By December several ministers tombed. Nearly a year later, October 9, were praying for him and on January 14, I 701 he records, “Peter Sergeant Esqr. I 7 13/14 Sewall notes “Mr. Sargeant is marries my Lady Mary Phips.” The so weak that he keepshis chamber.” next day Sewall and other gentlemen On January 20, I 7 14, Sewall visited visited the bride and groom, supping on Sergeant who spoke passionately against roast beef, venison, pastry, cake and Messrs. Dudley and Nowell’s arbitration cheese.The Sergeants were living in the concerning his second wife’s portion of bride’s house, the Governor Phips man- her brother’s estate. He also desired Sew- sion at the corner of Salem and Charter all “to deal honestly as to a Stable he had Streets. bmlt” for f 60. “I have many times ask’d This marriage, Sergeant’s third, lasted for the Writing I gave him, the Agree- lessthan five years. Once again, Sewall’s ment,” Sewall noted, “that I might take Diary comments, “My Dame Mary a Copy of it: But it caiiot yet be found.” Phipps, Lady Sargeant, alias Phipps, dies The inventory taken of Sergeant’s estate about Sun-Rise” on January 20, 1706. lists this as interest in stable and pasture A consolation visit on January 26 by the land of Samuel Sewall near and adjoining diarist adds to our knowledge of Ser- land lately Peter Sergeant’s, for term of geant’s age : years yet to come, as per agreement of Sewall and Sergeant.4 I visit Mr. Sargeant,who takesmy visit very On February 12, 1714, “The Storm kindly, tells me my Lady would have been 59 years old next March, and that he was two of Snow is so violent that Mr. Jno. Rob- months older. erts gives notice Mr. Sargeant’s Funeral will not be today.” The next day Sewall Sergeant’s fourth and final marriage, to also records that he was “Laid in his Mehetable Cooper, was duly recorded by Tomb in the New Burying place [Gra- Sewall on December 18 of that year. On nary] awhile before Sunset.” December 23, 1706, he commented, “I Sergeant’s will ordered all his house- visit Mr. Sargeant and his Bride; had Ale hold goods to be delivered to his widow and Wine.” and that no appraisal be made of them, As these marriages suggest, Peter reserving from these a silk canopy bed Sergeant was a prominent member of in the tapestry chamber. His widow was ’ GeneralCourt Records, VII ~64. 4 Sufolk County Probate Records, 18 ~79. The Province House and its Occupants 97 allowed to dwell in the house one year if Joseph Prout, treasurer of the town of she did not remarry, and the house was Boston, and to their successorsin the of- bequeathed to his nephew and executor, fices of treasurers forever. The transac- Thomas Sergeant, and other related tion with numerous heirs in different heirs. In his absence, Thomas Palmer parts of England was not actually com- and William Hutchinson were to act as pleted until I 7 I 7, but a previous lease executors.5 gave the Province early possession.The In this capacity they placed the fol- only other expenditure on the house in lowing advertisement in the Boston I 7 16 was f33 for the hangings of two News-Letter for May I 6-23, I 7 I 5 : rooms and two large looking glasses.6 A large fair Brick House formerly the Mansion When Governor Shute arrived in Bos- House of Peter Sergeant, Esq. Deceased, with ton on October 4, I 7 I 6, he was sixty- Out Houses and Gardens thereunto belonging, three years old. A man of military train- Together with a Lease of a Pasture, Coach- ing, he was not well disposedto the op- House and Stable near adjoining, for a term position of the General Court over his of years, is now to be sold by Thomas Palmer Esq’ and Mr. William Hutchinson, Executors salary, his rights as Governor and Com- in Trust for the said Estate. mander. in Chief of the militia, or the auditing of the Province accounts. Yet At this time the General Court was in Cotton Mather spoke highly of the new need of an official residence for the gov- governor, who “appears to have a sin- ernor of the Province. Richard Coote, gular Goodness of Temper, with a Dis- second Earl Bellomont, had been the position to do good reigning in him,” ad- first provincial governor to occupy the ding “Our Governor was a person of Province House. Phips, Stoughton and Excellent Spirit, and I always thought he Dudley had been New Englanders and studied the welfare of the Countrey more occupied their own mansions as gover- than anyone person in it.“’ nors. The appointment of Colonel Elisha Shute, on his arrival, stayed at Paul Burgess in March 17 14/15 presented Dudley’s house for a week, going to the the same situation which had confronted Province House on October I 3, I 7 16. the Lords of Trades and the Provincial In his speech to the General Court on Assembly on Bellomont’s arrival, the November 7, 1716, he said: necessity of a governor’s residence. An- other appointment for Burgess delayed I was also to recommend to you the Building of the matter for a year, until Samuel Shute a House for the Governor j but I am prevented from it, by your having provided a very good was named in his place.