“The Irish Presbyterians, discontented with their landlord at home and attracted by similarity of sentiment, have established in this place, with some success, manufactories of linen, and have made some attempts at broadcloths; those that have been lately manufactured are close and well woven, but hard and coarse; their hat manufactories have succeeded not better than the cloths; they are thick, spongy and without firmness, and come far short of the beauty and solidity of ours.”
Now it is fair to infer that these industries were not started since the beginning of the Revolution. Those things are not done in war-times for very obvious reasons. That they had been in operation for some years may be taken for granted.
And now here is evidence showing that one of these industries was started a long time previous to the date of the Abbe’s letter. The American Cyclopedia says: “Some of the Scotch-Irish settlers in Boston in 1720 introduced the linen manufacture, which exercised much interest and was greatly encouraged, spinning-schools being established.” I didn’t know until I read this paragraph that there was such an individual as a “Scotch-Irishman” in Boston in the early days. The writers of the records never found one; or if they did, failed to recognize him.
Now a word as to the alleged “Scotch-Irish” of early times in Boston: Thomas Hamilton Murray, secretary of the American-Irish Historical Society, says on the subject:
“The Massachusetts colonial records repeatedly mention the ‘Irish,’ not the Scotch-Irish. Cotton Mather in a sermon in 1700 says: ‘At length it was proposed that a colony of Irish be sent over to check the growth of this countrey.’ No prefix there * * *
“Cullen describes the arrival at Boston in 1717 of Captain Robert Temple ‘with a number of Irish Protestants.’ Captain Temple was, in 1740, elected to the Charitable Irish Society. In another place Cullen alludes to ‘the Irish spinners and weavers who landed in Boston in the early part of the eighteenth century.’”
One of the early citizens of Boston was William Hibbens, of Ireland, who came here in 1634. Like his countryman, John Cogan, he became prominent and wealthy. He was referred to in the colonial records as a gentleman. He served for a long time on the board of selectmen; as magistrate, agent of the colony in England, treasurer of the town stock; deputy to the General Court; highway surveyor; member of the commission to fortify Castle Island, and in other offices also labored for the interests of his townsmen.
Hibbens wedded Mrs. Ann Moore, a widow, and sister of Governor Bellingham. He died in 1654. Mrs. Hibbens was hung for alleged witchcraft two years later. She left her property to her two sons, John and Joseph Moore, of Ballyhorick, County Cork, Ire.
John Casey of Muddy River, as the now aristocratic town of Brookline was called in early days, was a participant in that conflict with the Indians known as King Philip’s War, fought in 1675–6. He took part in the attack on the Red Men’s fort in the Great Swamp in Rhode Island and was wounded in the engagement.
