THOSE TWITCHELS DID WHAT???
BENJAMIN TWITCHELL was killed by Indians and his house burned. This occurred in 1675-6, at the outbreak of King Phillips's War. His
oldest son, Joseph Twitchell, avenged the murder of his father, serving
as a soldier in Captain Mosely's Company, in which he was rated as a
"veteran," and participating in many of the engagements with the
Indians during the war. He was in the battle, Dec. 19, 1675, near what
is today Kingston, R.I., at Lancaster and Sudbury, Mass., in he
following spring.
JOSEPH TWITCHELL gives
one a different idea of what a Pilgrim was like. Suffolk county
court records dated 29 Apr 1679 which reads: "Joseph Twitchell and
Lydia, his now wife, convicted by their own confession of committing
fornication before marriage, fined 3 pounds." Apparently Joseph
and Lydia were able to overcome this moral setback because Rev. Levi W.
Leonard in History of Dublin, New Hampshire (pg. 919), says Joseph "was
a man of irreproachable character; and tradition represents him to have
been a Cyclops in stature and a Hercules in strength."
In Mar of 1701, Joseph posted a 10 pound bond to
assure his appearance the following quarter on charges of stealing a
gun from George Bacher. On 11 Dec 1701, Ebenezer Braddock reported that
Joseph had forfeited his 10 pound bond by failing to appear in defense
of the charges. On the 12th day of December 1701, Joseph appeared
before the court and posted a 30 pound bond for surety of his appearing
on the afore mentioned charges. Joseph wrote a letter in his
defence--nearly unreadable, but it seems to say that it was George
Bacher who borrowed Joseph's gun, and Joseph was just getting his own
gun back. A settlement of some sort was made, but a record of the
outcome has not been found yet.
As for the more humorous side of Joseph Twitchell...
"A Town meeting in Sherborn was held on 3 Mar 1700.
The record says: "That at our general town meeting in Sherborn, March 3
1700, Joseph Twichell and Samuel Eames of Sherborn having disturbed the
peace of the town and hindred the work of the day for several hours are
yet persisting in the same. Abraham Fairbank the town clerk asked him
the sd Twichell whether he thought it was worth the while for the whole
town to wait there all day to hear his popish notions whereupon the sd
Twichell presently quoted a peace of scripture which he said had been
some of his discourse and thereupon the sd Twichell and Eames did
falsly say and publish that the sd Fairbanks did at the same time call
the word of God a popish notion whereas the sd Fairbanks at the same
time did only ask the sd Twichell a question concerning his thoughts as
aforesaid when question was in these words as follows viz. Goodman
Twichell do you think it is worth the while for the whole town to wait
here all day to hear your popish notions."
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