Days and ways in old Boston (1915) (14596526709)

Identifier: dayswaysinoldbos00ross_0 (find matches)
Title: Days and ways in old Boston
Year: 1915 (1910s)
Authors: Rossiter, William Sidney, 1861-1929
Subjects:
Publisher: Boston : R. H. Stearns and company
Contributing Library: Boston Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston Public Library



Text Appearing Before Image:
f West and Washington Streets. Fromhis residence there West Street was early knownas Cowells Lane, and down the lane to the pas-ture he led the horses that he rode as messengerfor the Colony to Hartford and New York. In 1680 Mrs. Hunt and her daughter Mrs.Cowell, sold the pasture to Hezekiah UsherJunior. Hezekiah Usher, Senior, was the firstbookseller of the colony. He lived on the northside of the Market Place and his warehouse inthe rear faced the Town Dock. He died in 1676,leaving a goodly fortune and two sons to quarrelover it and evoke the aid of the law. Six monthsafter his fathers death Hezekiah Usher marriedBridget, the widow of Dr. Leonard Hoar, Presi-dent of Harvard College. Mrs. Ushers parentswere Lord John Lisle, who was assassinated atLausanne, Switzerland, in 1664, and Lady AliciaLisle, beheaded at Winchester, England, in 1685.After a few years of married life, spent in tne househe erected in 1684 in Carters pasture, Usherdeveloped such eccentricities that in 1687 Mrs.95
Text Appearing After Image:
An Historic Corner Usher and her daughter, by her previous mar-riage, left Usher and sailed for England, thehusband weeping bitterly. Left alone, Usher was discontented and unhappy.In May, 1688, he leased his house to John West,secretary to Andros, the new governor of thecolony. West had come to New York in 1678,became the town clerk and married the daughterof Thomas Rudyard, lieutenant governor of NewJersey. It was shortly after the arrival of Westin Boston, in June, 1688, at the Usher house,that Andros had his stormy interview with JudgeSewall in regard to occupying the Old SouthMeeting House as a place of worship. Soonafterward Andros was confined in the Fort andWest in the common prison, until they were sentback to England in February, 1689. Two yearslater, in 1691, West died in his lodgings in St.Martins, Ludgate parish, London. In a fewyears his widow again married, having obtainedfor Wests services grants of lands at Barnegatand elsewhere in New Jersey. For a third hus-band she