Remembering Tidal Times

 

This past Tuesday I launched into the Charles River at the DCR Boat Launch in Brighton (part of Boston, MA) across the river from Watertown, MA and paddled upriver (photo above).  Earlier that morning, on my way to the boat launch, I took a stab at locating the grave of an ancestor who was born in 1643 and lived in Watertown about a mile from my destination, the onetime head of tide (before the Charles River Dam was built). He was the first ancestor of mine born in the New World.  I'd spent almost an hour searching and was just ready to give up when I stumbled upon his gravestone...

Joseph is buried in Grove Hill Cemetery, Waltham, MA (formerly part of Watertown) about 2 miles from the same head of tide. 

  

Like him, I was born not far from the Charles River.  In my recent readings of Captain John Smith's adventures and explorations in Virginia I came across his post-Virginia visit to New England in 1614.  Before publishing his new map of New England he decided to ask "The High Hopeful Charles, Prince of Great Britaine...whereof I heere present your Highness the description in a Map; my humble sute is, you would please to change their Barbarous names, for such English, as Posterity may say, Prince Charles was their Godfather." The part of Smith's map showing "The River Charles"...

A later and more updated version found on the Boston Rare Maps website...

...and the "schedule" Smith included in his Description of New England showing his original names on the map versus those changed by Prince Charles...

The same Prince Charles would later become King Charles I and reign during the English Civil War.  After going more than a little rogue, King Charles was convicted of treason and beheaded in 1649 during the time that Oliver Cromwell controlled England.  Ironically, Charles's son, Charles II, would later regain the throne in the 1660 Restoration.  In an act of reconciliation he pardoned all of Cromwell's supporters except any men (said to be about 50) who played a role in his father's conviction and beheading.  Those poor souls became known as "Regicides" and were hunted down all over the realm.  Several took refuge here in New England where they lived out their days in hiding always fearful of being discovered. 

Meanwhile, back on The River Charles, or perhaps I should say the "Massachusetts River", and heading upstream I passed a knoll on the north side of the river where this historical marker notes how Roger Clap and and company came ashore at the wrong location by mistake...

The spot is near the Perkins School for the Blind where their Howe building rises high above the river...

A little further upriver and also on the north side is the Watertown Founders Monument with its statue of Sir Richard Saltonstall looking towards the river...

Finally reached what was once the head of tidewater navigation near Watertown Landing and the Galen Street Bridge...

The Native Americans called this area Pequossette or Peguusset and it's said many congregated at the falls here in springtime for the bountiful fishing.  The Watertown Dam (at the falls) is around the bend just beyond the bridge.  The current was swift and after turning about provided an easy ride downstream...

Near Griffin's Island the boat slips were empty except for the seagulls...

Heading back downriver the Boston Skyline comes into view...

Yesterday, thanks to our high water levels, I paddled to a cut-off section of the Sudbury River in Wayland, MA where the Old Town Bridge still spans the river's original route...

At one end of the bridge stands a monument to 8 men from Concord who on April 21, 1676, during King Philips War, attempted to aid the Colonists under attack in the Hayes Garrison House across the river...

Each spring I try to paddle to the above monument as it marks the location where my ancestor, Joseph, whose grave I finally located on Tuesday, helped to retrieve and bury the bodies of the Concord men  killed that day...

 

Joseph would have been about 33 years old and had marched about 10 miles from Watertown with Captain Mason's contingent of 40 Watertown men.  They would also bury a larger group of soldiers who'd been killed at Green Hill further from the river.  He and another Watertown man left this written account of their actions: 

"...we drove two hundred Indians over the river and joyned with som others and went to see if we could relieve Captain Wadsworth upon the hill and thear we had a fight with the Indians but they being soe many of them and we stayed soe long that we were almost incompassed by them which caused us to retreat to Captain Goodanous Garrison and their we stayed it being ner night till it was dark and then we went to Mr. Moices Mill to see if we could find any that were escaped to that place all though they wear now persons dwelling there; and thear we found 13: or 14: of Captain Wadsworths men who wear escaped some of them wounded and brought them to Sudbury towne.  On the next day in the morning soe soon as was light we went to looke for Concord men who wear slain in the River middow an thear we went in the colld water up to the knees where we found five and we brought them in Conus to the Bridge fut and buried them thear; and then we joyned ourselves to Captain Hunton with as many others as we could procuer and went over the River to look for Captain Wadsworth and Captain Brattlebank and the soldiers that were slain; and we gathered them up and buried them; and then it was agreed that we should goe to Nobscot to bring the Carts from thence into Sudbury-Towne and so returned Hom againe; to what is above written we whos names are subscribed can testifi: dated the 6: of March: 78/79  Daniel Warren, Joseph Peirce." 

In Joseph's lifetime his King, Charles I, reigned and was later executed in 1649, Oliver Cromwell (the fun seeker) came to power resulting in the 1660 Restoration of the monarchy which brought King Charles II to power, several Regicides arrived in New England seeking refuge from the King's wrath, the King Philips War occurred, and to top it all off...the Salem Witch Trials took place (a tumultuous lifetime!).

One odd item seen along the river was this old payphone from a bygone era (which I remember well)...

Perhaps it was retrieved by a magnet fisherman and left on the rocks because of its hefty weight.

While out on the Sudbury tree swallows were noted to have returned in good numbers and were seen resting between acrobatic performances...

Trash of a plastic nature gathered up on Tuesday while on the Charles included 26 "nip" bottles...

Yesterday's trash from the Sudbury included 10 "nip" bottles...