Number 40
Winter 2012
The Trustees of the Whittier Birthplace, the Haverhill Whittier Club, and the Amesbury Whittier
Home Association annually publish The Whittier Newsletter, jointly edited by Elinor Curtin Cameron, Tim Coco, Dianne Cole, Cynthia Costello and Arthur H. Veasey III. Items concerning Whittier
and Whittier manuscripts, news of Whittier collections and organizations, and queries about future
material inclusions in the Newsletter should be addressed to Arthur H. Veasey III at [email protected].
Whittier Focuses on History to Write Powerful Poem
By Cynthia C. Costello, President Whittier Home Museum, Amesbury, MA
Always strongly interested in local stories, folklore and history, John Greenleaf Whittier seized upon local history of Dover on December 1662, “when
Constable, Major Richard Waldron issued a warrant which required the constables of Dover, Hampton, Salisbury, Newbury, Rowley, Ipswich, Wenham,
Lynn, Boston, Roxbury and Dedham, to whip three Quaker women (Anne
Colman, Mary Tompkins and Alice Ambrose). ‘You and every one of you,
are required, in the King Majesties’ name to make them fast to the cart’s tail,
and driving the cart through your several towns, to whip them upon their
naked backs not exceeding ten stripes apiece on each of them, and so to convey them from constable to constable ‘till they are out of this jurisdiction, as
you will answer it at your peril, and this shall be your warrant.’”
This historical injustice inspires Whittier to write his famous narrative more
than 200 years later, How the Women Went from Dover:
The tale is one of an evil time,
When souls were fettered and thought was crime.
And heresy’s whisper above its breath
Meant shameful scourging and bonds and death.
Whittier, in his characteristically optimistic and compassionate way, refuses
to vilify those who persecuted his spiritual forbears and rather focuses on
the heroism of a few people, especially Justice Robert Pike of Salisbury. Pike
stands out immediately as a heroic advocate of religious freedom and an opponent of ecclesiastical authority.
The women begin their ordeal being first whipped at Dover. As they arrive
in Salisbury Whittier describes the heroic deed of Constable Pike:
‘Show me the order, and meanwhile strike
A blow at your peril!’ said Justice Pike.
Of all the rulers the land possessed,
Wisest and boldest was he and best.
He read the warrant (and proclaimed) ‘god judge the brute!
I tread his order under my foot!
Cut loose these poor ones and let them go;
Come what will of it, all men shall know
No Warrant is good, though backed by the Crown
For whipping women in Salisbury town.’
This evocative piece spurred more research on my part. I referred to records
from the Salem Witch Trials and also the genealogy chart of Patty Rose on
Ancestry.com.
Pike was born in England in 1615, and chosen a member of the General
Court of Massachusetts and Justice of the Peace from Salisbury. Pike was
engaged in three major controversies during his lifetime. The first was his
arraignment by the General Court in 1653 for his vociferous hostility to the
persecution of Quakers especially by clergy, declaring they had “exceeded their ecclesiastical rights and broken their oaths as freemen when they
passed their notorious laws against Quakers.” For this offense Pike was
tried, convicted, fined and disenfranchised from the General Court.
In the second instance, in 1675, he called out the dogmatic authority of the
clergy in the person of his pastor, the well-known Rev. John Wheelright, and
was promptly excommunicated from the church.
Third was his bitter opposition to the Salem witchcraft prosecutions in 1692,
and his triumphant arguments against them. His (Pikes’) strong leadership
in support of women was evident in pleading the cases of several accused
witches, including Mary Bradbury, Susanna Martin buried here in Amesbury, and many other accused. It is said of the Salem witchcraft delusion
that, “not a voice comes down to us of deliberate and effective hostility to
the movement except Pike confronting the judges, an old man of 76 winters
in his powerful argumentative appeals. He stands out as a pillar of light
upon a starless midnight sky, especially risking that he might be the next
witch named.”
In 1690 at Wells, ME, Gov. Simon Bradstreet reinstated Pike to the legislature, and commissioned him Major Robert Pike, “Commander-in-Chief
of all forces detached or to be detached out of the militia belonging to the
colony of Massachusetts, posted in the provinces of New Hampshire, Maine
and such others to be put under your command.”
In all of these controversies Pike stood virtually alone and suffered many repercussions because of his activism…similar to those suffered by early antislavers like Whittier, Garrison, Thompson and others. Whittier perpetuates
the memory of Major Pike and named witches like Goody Cole and our own
Susanna Martin of Amesbury in many of his poems.
In Whittier’s autobiography he honors Pike with these lines: “From all that I
have read, and from the traditions of the valley of the Merrimac, I have been
accustomed to regard Robert Pike as one of the wisest and worthiest of the
early settlers of that region. He was by all odds the most remarkable personage of the place and time.”
The Poet’s Bridge
By Arthur Hale Veasey III
Spring flooding frequently causes problems around local rivers and streams,
but 2010 was a particularly challenging time for several small bridges that
span our normally quiet creeks and brooks. One result was the closing of
the bridge on Whittier Road that leads to the birthplace of Haverhill’s renowned poet and native son, John Greenleaf Whittier. Damage, caused by
the relentless onslaught of waters from the usually timid Fernside Brook,
required skilled stoneworkers to restore the foundation of the aged bridge to
its historic design and make it safe for passage. Raymond Comeau, a retired
Harvard dean and president of the Whittier Trustees, commented: “All of us
who admire John Greenleaf Whittier are grateful for the efforts of Harverhill
and state officials to preserve this bridge in a manner that respects its agrarian beginnings.”
Three centuries earlier, when Whittier’s great-great-grandfather built a
farmhouse and cleared the rocky New England soil for planting; Thomas
Whittier constructed a dam on the stream that cut through his property to
generate enough power for a grist mill. About that time he must have engineered the first overpass where the bridge stands today to allow for the
passage of carts and livestock as well as the occasional traveler making the
trek from Haverhill to Rocks Village. Over the years the bridge has taken on
many incarnations including the scenic wood rail bridge portrayed in illustrations and postcards that depict Whittier’s barefoot boy character from the
poem of the same name. With the advent of the automobile an arched bridge
made of fieldstones was erected around 1930 to accommodate modern day
travelers. Since then, many a Whittier admirer has traversed this span visiting the Quaker Poet’s childhood home, the jewel in the crown of Haverhill’s
numerous historic treasures.
On the first day of October, 2011 a rainy forecast did nothing to dampen
the spirits of friends, neighbors and elected officials who turned out for a
Saturday morning dedication ceremony for the restored and renamed bridge
on Whittier Road. To avoid confusion with the John Greenleaf Whittier Bridge
that spans the Merrimack
River on US Route 95, the
Trustees had decided to
give the small bridge that
serves the homestead
and local residents, a
new name. It would
henceforth be known as
The Poet’s Bridge. The
Reverend Dr. Gregory
Thomas of the Calvary
Baptist Church opened
the program with a
moving invocation that
recalled Whittier’s stand against slavery in the mid nineteenth century.
Greetings from Haverhill’s Mayor James Fiorentini as well as Dr. Lane Glenn,
President of Northern Essex Community College added luster to the event.
Memorable moments included museum curator Gus Reusch’s recitation of
“The Barefoot Boy,” and recognition of Trustee Barney Gallagher’s service
to the Whittier Homestead. Jay Cleary, President of the Haverhill Historical
Society and a Birthplace Trustee highlighted the event with keynote remarks
touching upon Whittier’s place in history and his relevance to modern day
America, evoking his call for fairness and equality. Adding to the celebratory
tone of the occasion, talented vocalist and choir director Shaunielle McDonald
sang a traditional Welsh hymn “Sound Over All Waters”- the words penned
by Whittier more than a century ago. The dedication was pleasantly brought
to a close with the unveiling of a commemorative granite marker at the side
of the road between the homestead and the bridge.
Whittier Gets Around...
By James P. Cleary III
The words of John Greenleaf Whittier can be found in some of the most
surprising locations. One quotation is engraved in stone on the side of
the Joseph Story Chapel at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge: “With
warning hand I mark time’s rapid flight from life’s glad morning to its solemn night, yet through
the dear God’s love I also
show, there’s light above
me by the shadow below”
This inspiring quotation is
alongside a sundial made
of copper which is affixed
to the building. Another
Whittier quotation can be
found on the sidewalks
of New York on East 41st
Street as part of the New
York Public Library’s Library Way Program. Bronze
plaques are embedded in
the sidewalk with quotes
of famous authors and poets. Whittier’s is the first line of his poem “Proem” “I love the old melodious lays which softly melt the ages through, the songs of Spencer’s golden
days, Arcadian Sidney’s silver phrase sprinkling on our noon of time with
freshest morning dew.” So, wherever your travels might take you, check the
sidewalks beneath your feet and the buildings along side you, for you never
know where you might find a quotation of John Greenleaf Whittier. If any of
our readers have spied Whittier quotes in interesting places, please consider
sharing them with us in future newsletters by contacting the editor.
The Whittier Building, circa 1865
The Haverhill Academy was established in 1827 by several prominent residents including Warner Whittier, James H. Duncan, and Captain William
Caldwell. When the co-educational school opened, the tuition for one semester was $4 with an additional charge of $2 for those female students wishing
to take French. Board charges were $1.50 to $1.75 per week. In an advertisement for students that ran in the Boston Recorder-Telegraph, the school
purported the following: “This Academy offers equal advantages with
other similar institutions, and particular attention is paid to the manners
and morals of the Pupils.” The Honorable Leverett Saltonstall delivered the
address at the opening of the Haverhill
Academy on April 30,
1827. John Greenleaf
Whittier and Dr. John
Crowell were members of the first class.
The building of brick
is 62 feet long and 33
feet wide, two stories
high with a pediment
and cupola. Housed
inside the cupola is a
179 pound bell, which
was cast in 1827 at the
Revere Foundry, headed by Paul Revere’s son Joseph. The building which
for many years housed the Haverhill Chamber of Commerce has, once
again, reopened as a school. The Children’s Learning Center, operated by
the YMCA, provides day care and learning activities for approximately 40
preschoolers age two to six.
Courtesy of the Friends of the Haverhill Public Library
In School Days
Still sits the school-house by the road,
A ragged beggar sleeping;
Around it still the sumachs grow,
And blackberry-vines are creeping.
Within, the master’s desk is seen,
Deep-scarred by raps official;
The warping floor, the battered seats,
The jack-knife’s carved initial;
The charcoal frescoes on its wall;
Its door’s worn sill, betraying
The feet that, creeping slow to school,
Went storming out to playing!
Long years ago a winter sun
Shone over it at setting;
Lit up its western window-panes,
And low eaves’ icy fretting.
It touched the tangled golden curls,
And brown eyes full of grieving,
Of one who still her steps delayed
When all the school were leaving.
For near it stood the little boy
Her childish favor singled;
His cap pulled low upon a face
Where pride and shame were mingled.
Pushing with restless feet the snow
To right and left, he lingered;-As restlessly her tiny hands
The blue-checked apron fingered.
He saw her lift her eyes; he felt
The soft hand’s light caressing,
And heard the tremble of her voice,
As if a fault confessing.
“I’m sorry that I spelt the word:
I hate to go above you,
Because,”--the brown eyes lower fell,-“Because, you see, I love you!”
Still memory to a gray-haired man
That sweet child-face is showing.
Dear girl! the grasses on her grave
Have forty years been growing!
He lives to learn, in life’s hard school,
How few who pass above him
Lament their triumph and his loss,
Like her, because they love him.
2012 Events and Announcements
The Whittier Home Association is hosting Celebrating Whittier III on
the picturesque grounds of Maudslay Arts Center, 95 Curzon Mills Road.
in the Maudslay State Park, Newburyport, where Whittier and his friends
often gathered for their annual “Laurels” party. The celebration of flowers
will feature a summer buffet, an auction of fine items, special music and
programming on Sunday, June 24, 2012, 2:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Please refer to our website for upcoming programs and details including
our always popular Teas in the Garden.
The Haverhill Whittier Club is hosting Snowbound Weekend on Saturday, February 11 and Sunday, February 12th at The Whittier Birthplace, 305
Whittier Road, Haverhill- parking and transportation provided at Biggart’s
Ice Cream stand on Route 110.
Guests are invited to visit with the Whittier family as they gather ‘round the
hearth featured in Whittier’s most famous poem, “Snowbound.” You will
be introduced to the family as well as the wayfarers who spent time with
the Whittier’s during that eventful blizzard nearly two hundred years ago.
A horse drawn wagon, or sleigh if the snow abounds, will carry passengers
merrily along Whittier Road and back to the parking area in the manner best
known to the poet and his contemporaries.
Whittier Home Museum (Amesbury) hours of operation:
Our regular season and hours are listed below. If you are interested in conducting research, an interview, or any other activity that is time sensitive,
please contact us and someone from the Home will make every effort to
accommodate you.
Hours: Open June 2 through October 27. Guided tours Saturdays, noon to
4:00 p.m. – otherwise by appointment by calling 978-388-1337 or 978-4655964.
Admission: Adults $6.00 Students (age 7-17) and Seniors $5.00 Children (under 7) free. Group rates on request.
Although the Whittier Home closes its museum doors to the public during
the winter, our amply stocked gift shop on-line is now “open” year round.
www.whittierhome.org Please feel free to browse our selections and use
us as a resource for your cultural and historic research. The items for sale
include books of Whittier verse, biographical works, pictorials, unique
publishings and illustrated note cards. The shipping cost is inclusive in the
price. Massachusetts tax calculates for residents separately.
John Greenleaf Whittier Birthplace (Haverhill)
hours of operation:
Hours: Open April 7 through November 30
Wednesday, Friday: 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Saturday: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Sunday 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: Closed
Additional tours may be scheduled by prior arrangement; please provide
two weeks notice. Groups larger than five are asked to make a reservation.
The museum is closed on all major holidays and during the winter months,
with the exception of special events.
Admission: Adults $5.00, Seniors (62 and over): $3.00, Students (18 and
over): $3.00, Students (under 18): $2.00, Youth Groups: $1.00 per person,
Whittier Club members: Free
To learn more about the John Greenleaf Whittier Birthplace go to: www.
johngreenleafwhittier.com for news and events and click on Gift Shop to
select from our collection of authentic Staffordshire China, as well as books,
artwork and postcards commemorating the Quaker Poet.
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
The Haverhill Whittier Club
Haverhill Public Library
99 Main Street
Haverhill, MA 01830
Non-Profit Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Haverhill, MA 01830
Permit No. 88