years old, and worth £200." The oath sworn at admission requir ed them to be "true and faithful" subjects of the Commonwealth, to" yield assistance and support thereunto" with person and estate; "maintain and preserve" all her "liberties and privileges;" submit to her "wholesome laws;" never "plot nor practise" evil against her; nor "consent to any that shall so do," but "timely discover and reveal the same to lawful authority, for the speedy preventing thereof." Moreover, they solemnly bound themselves "in the sight of God," that whenever called to give their voice" touching any such matter of the state" wherein freemen were to deal, they would give their "vote and suffrage" as they judged in their own consciences might best "conduce and tend to the public weal of the body" without respect of persons or favor of man. He became a member of the Artillery Company in 1643. This association, formed in 1637, met for improvement in discipline and tactics; and comprised the leaders and officers of the volunteer "train-bands," and the principal magistrates and citizens. The first regularly organized company in America, "it may be considered the germ from which all our military character in New England, if not in the United States, has sprung;" and exists still under the name of the "Ancient and Honorable Artillery" of Boston.* Richard Cutter was a member of Cambridge church in full communion, and the following relation of his religious experience is found in Mr. Shepard's manuscript volume: "The Lord was pleased for to give my parents hearts to bring me up in the fear of the Lord, though I had much opposition of heart against my parents, and those that were over me. "And so I came to this place, and coming by sea and having a hard voyage, still my heart was dead and fearless and I found my heart as stubborn as before. And though I had some affection, yet held nothing by me. Hearing one sin continued in with obstinacy and hardness will separate forever from Christ, I considered, if one would, what would many? Which affected me much at the time. And hearing the way to subdue a rebellious heart was to bring it to a straight; and John xiii. 8, 'Thou shalt never wash my feet,' and 'If I wash thee not.'-But nothing struck until the speaker came to the 30th verse of the same chapter, where those that were ready went immediate communion of it.-And at the naming of the doctrine I thought I was not ready for Christ; and one reason because all were naturally unready, but in use of terror.-Then they that art not prepared shall not enjoy him; and very sad it was, for my heart did slight it. *Whitman, Hist. Sketch, 153. +"Richard Cutter, readmitted; Elizabeth Cutter (the wife of Richard Cutter) is member with us in f. c. Their children, Elizabeth, Samuel, William, Ephraim, Gershom, and Marah, all borne and baptized in this church. Nathaniel Cutter (the son of Richard and [Frances] formerly Embsden), baptized Januar. 24, '63; Rebekah, baptized Octob. 8, 1665; Hephzibah, baptized Decemb. 1, 1667, deceased."-Mitchell, Church Record. (Newell, Camb. Chh.Gathering, 63.) "But if I be separate from Christ, 'tis for that cause which maketh angels stand amazed at it. Following Judas' example, I went immediately out [John xiii. 30;] and I stood behind the meeting-house; and, acknowledging that one sin whereby some men present their petitions was opposing his members, by this sin many other sins were brought to my mind-I could not speak to any one, and could apply nothing but what was against the evil. Yet supported by some scripture-one from Jer. iii. 4, 'Will he retain his anger forever?'—I saw I had done as much evil as I could.-And Jer. viii. 4, Shall they fall and not arise? the Lord turn away and not return?'-And another was Hosea vi. 1, 2-I considered the Lord had wounded me, and we shall know [his mercy] if we go on.' And so I was encouraged. Hearing in Matt. xxv. of many differences one was to live to God; I thought it would be the greatest mercy if ever the Lord would help me to live to God.' I knew not which way to go-and I thought I did sin in eating-and I considered I had sins enough-and hence needed not neglect my body-and hence on lecture day a friend coming to ask how it was with me, he said, 'Take heed you do not keep the Devil's counsel !'—and next day he came again and spake to me —and hence I considered of the bitterness of sin; and in private I began to consider the same. Hearing out of Mark xiv. Christ was sorrowful to the death;' and there were four causes: 1st, Christ saw all the sins of the world. 2d, He saw the wrath due to them. 3d, Felt the intolerable weight of wrath. 4th, He had felt the presence of the Father. And by thinking thus sin became bitter unto me. "And thus after consideration of my condition, I complained I was ignorant of his people's ways. And hearing Mr. Phillips, About calling,' &c. &c.—And from Mr. Wells, saw how'sin of nature' did reign. And thus going on, in xxv. Matt. 11, 12, observed it a sad misery not to be known of Christ-And saw evil of this, and not to have one thought, word, shed blood, to do for him, nor to accept any thing from him. Nor to accept anything, this was very sad for to me, and Joel i. 8; Lam. i. 16, both set on my heart; and I considered the bitterness of being parted from Christ, and being so forever.-Or if one did not mean acceptance of Christ.-And Mr. Mather, 'I account all things loss.' And so I had stirring up of desire after Christ, and I was counselled to believe, but I could not believe in Christ. And hearing in Matt. xxv. To labor to accept of it when offered,' showed the offer was universal; hence personal. 2d, Real. 3d, Vehement.—And Rev. iii. ultimo, I counsel thee to believe; be at peace.'—And if the Lord counsel them that felt not, much more a soul that mourns after the Lord Jesus.-And Rev. xxii. ult., Freely take it.'-And the Lord thus clearing the offer, he would have me recieve it only on condition I was humble; if so much humble as to come to Christ. *** And when I was come home I considered what shall I do; but then objected; but may'st presume. And looking on 2 Cor. xix. If I took Christ,' &c., after this the Lord cleared up Christ more fully." About 1644, Richard married his wife Elizabeth, whose surname is unknown. Her tombstone is one of the oldest now standing in the ancient burying ground at old Cambridge : HERE LYES Y BODY OF ELIZABETII CUTTER WIFE TO RICHARD CUTTER AGED ABOUT 42 YEARS DIED MARCH 5, 1661–2 February 14, 1662-3, Richard married Frances (Perriman) Amsden, the widow of Isaac Amsden, or Emsden, of Cambridge. She survived Richard's decease.* The purchasing of land was a highly important transaction with the colonial fathers. December 6, 1653, Richard Cutter purchased of Joseph and Hannah Hills, of " Maulden," the houses and lands of Edward Mellows, of Charlestown, "deceased;" twenty-three, and five and a half acres meadow in Charlestown, in a "place commonly called inattimus field," the "lotts" of Zechariah Symmes and of Edward Convers, of Woburn.t Dec. 1, 1678, for 16s. he bought of Jonathan Dunster, "planter," forty poles of land in Charlestown. In 1680, he bought of Thomas and Grace Shippen, two and a half acres of land, formerly Richard Lowden's, in Menotomy.§ Ephraim and Bethia Cutter, his children, sold him a "parcel of meadow" in Charlestown, on "Menotomyes river," 23d June, 1682. Į He sold twenty acres of land south of Charles River to Walter Hastings, of Cambridge; purchased four and a half acres in "Wimattomies" field, Charlestown, of Richard and Mary Lowden; and in 1686 bought land of John Stedman. December 24, 1657, a writ was issued against Richard Cutter for debt. Aug. 17, 1659, "Gleason's hogs were in his corn "—a subject of litigation.** Having suffered in an action against him by Thomas Eames, of Medford, he petitioned the General Court, 12th Nov. 1659, with the following result: "In ans" to ye petition of Richard Cutter and Elijah Corlet, on his behalfe, the Court, having considered the perticculars in this petition, * Amsden married Frances Perriman, whose father is unknown, 8 June, 1654, and died 7 Apr. 1659. "Widow Embsden admitted into fellowship and full communion, October 21, 1661. Her children, Isaac and Jacob Embsden, both baptized Novemb. 3, 1661."-Newell, Camb. Chh.-Gathering, 64; N. E. Geneal. Register, xv. 21, 22. Bounded E. and N. by lands of Henry Dunster; S. by "Wenotomie" river; W. by Richard Lowden. Bounded S. by Cambridge line; N. by Concord road; W. by Samuel Buck's and Joseph Russell's estates. The same day Dunster sold Buck an acre of land bounded S. by Camb. line; N., Concord road; E. by land of William Dixon, Cambridge; W. by Richard Cutter's. Richard Cutter witnessed the deed. Bounded N. E. by his own land; S. E. by an highway; N. W. by R. Lowden's; S. W. by land formerly Robert Hale's. Ephraim Cutter, Richard's son, was a witness. "Meadow begins there East;" bounded N. by Jona. Bunker's meadow; E. by the river; W. by his "uplands." Bounded W. by Mr. Dunster's lands; N. by widow Russell's; S. by Thomas Shippen's; E. by his own. ** Middlesex Court Files, i. 77, 104, 106, 124. 1659, 6mo. 26: Richard Cutter's testimony (a fragment). Testimony of Elizabeth Cutter, "aged about thirty-nine." His lot was next to Goodman Coke's. judge meete to order, that the County Court for Midlesex, who had the hearing of the petitioners case, and are best able to judge of the demerritts thereof, shall have liberty to make such abatement of his fines as to them shall seeme meete, any lawe or custom to the contrary notwithstanding; and also, that the petitioner have his request granted for a revisall of that act whereby he is recorded for a ljar, which will tend to his clearing, or to his further conviction."* Richard's residence was in Menotomy, but its exact location is a matter of conjecture. He requested to be buried in "Cambridg burying-place," and near his first wife's grave. His monumental stones are in the western part of the yard, about eight paces distant from the marble obelisk of "Livermore, Wilder, and Sheafe." The inscription is perfectly legible: HERE LYES Y BODY OF RICHARD CUTTER AGED ABOUT 72 YEARS DIED Ye 16 OF JVNE 1693. Will of Richard Cutter. In the name of God, Amen. I Richard Cutter of Cambridge in the Mattachusetts Colony in N- England, being at present weake and sick in body but of sound and perfect mind and memory, and waiting for my great and last change, do ordain and make this my last will and testament in manner and forme following (viz.) I doe first and principally commend my soule into the hands of Almighty God, hoping through the merritts death and passion of my saviour Jesus Christ, to have full and free pardon of all my sines, and to inherit eternall life; and my body I committ to the earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my executors hereafter named. And as touching my temporal estate as it hath pleased Almighty God to bestow upon me, I give and dispose as followeth ; I will, after my just debts and funerall charges be paid and discharged, I will and appoint that my loveing wife shall have the whole of my estate, that is to say the yearly rent or income thereof for her maintenance during her natural life, or so long as she shall remaine my widdow. Item, I will and bequeath unto my daughter Mary (now) Sanger eight pounds to be payd in good pay. Item, I will and bequeath unto my daughters Hepzibah, Ruhamah and Sarah, each of them ten pounds apiece to be payd by my executors hereafter named or the survivors of them at the death of my wife or on the marriage of said Hepzibah, Ruhamah and Sarah. If it happen that any of said three daughters aforenamed shall decease before * Midd. Court Files, i. 1163; Colonial Records, iv. 396, 397. marriage or before the time of payment (which happens on death of my wife) that in such case it is my will that the survivor of them shall have the deceased's share divided between them. Item, I give to my two daughters Rebeckah (now) Ffillebrown and Elizabeth now Hall to each of them five pounds apiece on the decease of my wife. Item, I will unto my five sones Samuel, William, Ephraim, Gershom and Nathaniell all my lands and meadows within the limits of Charlestowne to be equally divided amongst them. And it is my mind and will that my son Nathaniel shall have his share (if he desires it) where he now dwelleth. Also it is my mind and will that if at any time any of my sones shall hereafter se cause to sell theire devision or share in the lands to them willed, such son shall make the profer thereof first to his bretheren who shall have the refuse of buying the same. And if any of my aforesaid sones shall neglect to make such offer to his bretheren upon sale of theire devision and except they refuse to buy, such son shall forfeit his land or the value of it. Also it is my mind and will that after my wives decease my house and homestall with swamp on Notomie Brook and woodlotts on the Rocks that some one of my sones will take the same, and the valew thereof as it shall then be prized I doe order shall be divided to all my children that shall then be surviving, only my executors hereafter named shall at the decease of my wife, out of the valew of said house and homestall first satisfie all debts that shall happen for my wife's maintainance that shall happen necessary, her funerall expenses and all charges of Probate and registering. Also I do advise and as a father charge my children to take care of theire mother. I councell my son Samuel to dwell with his brother William Cutter while he remains unmarried. I do nominate and ordaine my sones William, Gershom and Nathaniell Cutter sole executors of this my last will and testament, that my body may be buried at Cambridg burying place near my first wife's grave. I do hereby disanull and revoak and make void all former wills and testaments by me made heretofore. In witness hereof I the abovesaid Richard Cutter to this my last will and testam' contained in one half sheet of large paper have set to my hand and seal. I declare it is my mind and will that my son William Cutter shall if he desires have his share of lands in Charlestowne Bounds next his owne meadow. Charlestowne. By y Honourable James Russell, Esq'. John Pratt one of the witnesses subscribed personally appearing on the 24th of July '93 and made oath that he was present and saw the subscriber Richard Cutter Deceased sign and seal and heard him |