William Ames of Braintree,Cont'd, Page 10
<BODY BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="14c64643.gif" LINK="#0000BF" ALINK="#80028F" VLINK="#660099"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#666666" FACE="Arial" ><B> Ames Family WebSite </B></FONT> | <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" Ames Family WebSite "><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id36.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Table of Contents"><U>Table of Contents</U></A> | <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ames Family History"><U>Ames Family History</U></A> | <A HREF="id33.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ames Family History Contd, Page 2 "><U>Ames Family History Cont'd, Page 2 </U></A> | <A HREF="id34.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ames Family History Contd, Page 3"><U>Ames Family History Cont'd, Page 3</U></A> | <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Coming To New England"><U>Coming To New England</U></A> | <A HREF="id35.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Coming To New England Contd Page 5"><U>Coming To New England Cont'd Page 5</U></A> | <A HREF="id24.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Early Settlement Conditons, Page 6"><U>Early Settlement Conditons, Page 6</U></A> | <A HREF="id38.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Early Conditions, Contd Page 7"><U>Early Conditions, Cont'd Page 7</U></A> | <A HREF="id39.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Early Conditions Contd, Page 8"><U>Early Conditions Cont'd, Page 8</U></A> | <A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="William Ames of Braintree"><U>William Ames of Braintree</U></A> | <B>William Ames of Braintree,Cont'd, Page 10</B> | <A HREF="id26.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Bridgewater Purchase"><U>The Bridgewater Purchase</U></A> | <A HREF="id41.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bridgewater Puchase Contd Page 12"><U>Bridgewater Puchase Cont'd Page 12</U></A> | <A HREF="id27.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="King Philips War"><U>King Philip's War</U></A> | <A HREF="id42.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="King Philips War, Contd Page 14"><U>King Philip's War, Cont'd Page 14</U></A> | <A HREF="id43.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="King Philips War, Contd, Page 15"><U>King Philip's War, Cont'd, Page 15</U></A> | <A HREF="id28.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Puritan Religion, Page 16"><U>The Puritan Religion, Page 16</U></A> | <A HREF="id44.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Puritan Religion, Contd,Page 17"><U>The Puritan Religion, Cont'd,Page 17</U></A> | <A HREF="id29.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The French Indian War"><U>The French & Indian War</U></A> | <A HREF="id45.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Oncoming Revolution, Page 19"><U>The Oncoming Revolution, Page 19</U></A> | <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ames Genealogy"><U>Ames Genealogy</U></A> | <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Related Links"><U>Related Links</U></A> | <A HREF="id31.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U>Contact Us</U></A> | <A HREF="container.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Wind of Change Title 49"><U>Wind of Change Title 49</U></A></div> <div> <IMG SRC="15258020.gif" border=0 width="600" height="2" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <I><B>William Ames of Braintree,Cont'd, Page 10</B></I></div> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="0b1ba0f0.gif" border=0 width="186" height="15" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT> <B> I</B>t was, therefore, with high hopes that <B>Winthrop</B> returned to England in 1643, bringing with him some skilled smelters and a thousand pounds worth of materials and supplies. But ill luck dogged the venture from the start. Because of adverse winds the voyage lasted 14 weeks, and the workmen, sick from ship-fever, arrived only after the frost had sealed the bogs from which the crude ore had to be scooped out with long ladles; so operations were not begun till the following spring.</div> <bR> <div> <B> T</B>he local historians of Saugus & Braintree are still somewhat acrimomiously contending as to which town had the first smelter; but recently discovered evidence points to the Braintree plant as being at least a month the earlier. Winthrop preferred Braintree because of the quality of the ore and because farmers in the region could supply charcoal. On the other hand, the owners of some bogs he needed proved to be shylocks when he tried to buy them. So, although he built the first smelter in Braintree, he immediately followed it with a larger plant in Saugus which could smelt 8 to 10 tons of ore a week, and soon produced bar and wrought-iron, and cast kettles, anchors, etc. The Braintree works were on the Monatiquot River where Elm and Adams streets now intersect. <B>William Ame's </B>house stood a mile away across the fields.</div> <bR> <div> <B>W</B>hile the furnaces and forges were building, the Company issued a glowing prospectus. Colonists were urged to buy stock and share future profits, and invited to make payment in beaver-skins, corn, charcoal or other satisfactory commodities. They were led to expect that the enterprise would soon not only supply iron enough for home consumption, but might add bar-iron to the fish, foodstuffs, pelts, cattle and lumber that New England was already beginning to export. The authorities favored the project by temporarily remitting its taxes, the iron-workers were relieved from military duty and (most astonishing) it was decided not to be a profanation of the Sabbath to tend the smelting fires between Saturday sunset and Monday morning.</div> <bR> <div> <B>B</B>ut the company did not prosper. Its iron turned out to be brittle, the cost of labor was high, and the various managers sent from England proved either incompetent or dishonest. Shareholders, not getting the expected dividends, refused to advance the money they had subscribed, and, as Hubbard, the first historian of the colony, writes; "<I>at length instead of drawing out bars of iron there was hammered out nothing but contensions and lawsuits." </I> After dwindling for 9 years the company went bankrupt, and its lands, forges and effects were sold.</div> <bR> <div> <B>A</B>pparently <B>William Ames</B>, who had cast in his lot with the iron-workes, did not prosper either. It is hoped he did not invest his savings in them. He died the year after they closed, and may have been ill, for he was but 49, and the<B> Ames</B> were usually long-lived. His estate was valued at only L45 while those of his fellow townsmen were appraised at about twice that sum. His wife filed<I> "a true Inventory of ye estate of </I><I><B>Wm Aymes</B></I><I>, her late husband, to the best of her knowledge, save some apparell of her husbands & other smale matters, & when more comes to her knowledge she will discover it." </I>His house,<I> </I>house-lot and out-house<I> (perhaps his workshop) </I>were listed at L35. He had <I>"two young cattel and three swine". </I>The meagre household equipment of chests, chairs, stools, bedding and utensils was called worth only L5, all told. There was a Bible (the sole book in the house), some lumber and a ton of unworked iron. With due regard for the tendency of all executors, then and since, to undervalue estates, it is evident that <B>William Ames</B> died comparatively poor. he was, however, respected in the community, for 7 years after his death he was admitted a Freeman, or voter, of the Colony. This tesifies that other Freemen of Braintree had vouched for his character, that he owned taxable property worth at least L20, and, above all, that he was a professing member of the local church. Only about one man in four was then admitted a Freeman in Massachusetts.</div> <bR> <div> <B>William</B> left a young family. He had 5 daughters, ranging in age from 4 to 13, and 1 boy of 7, named <B>John</B>. It is from this lad that we are descended; and if he had not been born, or had proved another girl, there would be no <B>Ames family of Easton</B>, and the name would have been snuffed out like a candle.</div> <bR> <div> Burdened with this adolescent brood, <B>William's</B> widow, <B>Hanna</B>, after a proper interval, prudently remarried. Her send husband, John Niles, a weaver, supported the children - at least he so alledged when, in 1663, he sought title to sell <B>William's</B> abandoned dwelling.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="106f8220.gif" border=0 width="760" height="34" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> [4] The Ames Family of Easton by Winthrop Ames (1938) Pages 30-35.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="id26.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Bridgewater Purchase"><U><IMG SRC="0d2251e0.gif" border=0 width="37" height="30" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <B>Turn For</B></div> <div> <B>John Ames & The Bridgewater Purchase</B></div> <div> <B>Page 11</B></div> <div> <A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="William Ames of Braintree"><U><B>Go Back One Page</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id36.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Table of Contents"><U><B>Return To Table of Contents</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" Ames Family WebSite "><U><B>Return To Home Page</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id31.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U><B>Go To Contact Us</B></U></A></div> </BODY>