The Boston Massacre and the Rising Generation

Last Saturday’s reenactment of the Boston Massacre drew scores of volunteers from at least as far north as New Hampshire and at least as far south as Virginia and Kentucky. Their dedication was awe-inspiring, as always.

I was especially impressed by some of the younger participants:

• the drummer for His Majesty’s 29th Regiment of Foot.
• the young children adding pathos as the offspring of Pvt. Edward and Isabela Montgomery.
• the young men playing wigmakers’ apprentices Edward Garrick and Bartholomew Broaders, diligent in working out their cues with the narrator.

They suggest this reenactment has a fine future ahead.

I’m never tired of pointing out that in 1770 most Bostonians were under the age of sixteen. The same pattern applied throughout the British Empire, and probably throughout the world. In an era of short life expectancy and large families, children easily outnumbered adults.

It was only natural, then, that young people were caught up in the violence that year. For example, John Appleton (1758-1829) testified at the soldiers’ trial:

About 9 o’clock I was sent of an errand, in King street. I was going home—at Jenkin’s alley about 20 soldiers, one came to me with his cutlass.

I cried soldier spare my life,

no d—n you we’ll kill you all and struck me upon the shoulder.

I dodged or he would have hit me on the head.

John Adams recorded those words in his trial notes. Young John Appleton had stumbled into one of the several brawls around Boston earlier that night, but he was home by the time of the big fatal fight on King Street. He grew up to become a merchant in France before returning to Massachusetts.

Appleton’s testimony showed that the experience of Boston’s pre-Revolutionary turmoil wasn’t just for adults. And neither are the reenactments.

[The thumbnail above leads to Brian D’Amico’s photographs of the event on Flickr.]

Benjamin Thompson: Worst Apprentice in the World, part 2

Yesterday I described how as a teenager Benjamin Thompson left his first apprenticeship in Salem at age sixteen and sought work in the Boston shop of Hopestill Capen, at the “Sign of the Cornfields.” His old master, John Appleton, evidently agreed to the equivalent of selling the indenture contract. On 19 Oct 1769 Benjamin wrote back with thanks:

I take this oppertunity to inform you that I am Come to Live with Mr Hopestill Capen. I like him and his Family very well as yet. I am Greatly obliged to you for your kind Recommendation of me to Mr. Capen, and shall always retain a Gratefull Sense of the many other Kindness’s I always Recd Whilest I remained with you.

Never shall I Live at a place again that I delighted so much as at your house nor with a Kinder Master. My Guardian says he will Come to Salem and pay you some money very soon, which he expects dayly. Sir I would beg of you not to Give yourself any Concern or Trouble about it as you may depend upon having the Money Very soon.

And he had just a few favors to ask.

Sir if you would Give yourself the Trouble to send Round my things that remain at your house I shall Be obliged to you, and if you will send down the two trunks which I improved [i.e., used] whilest at your house and Charge them to me I will send you the money; please to put up all my small things you can find, vizt scates, hautboy, some Blue paper, a box of Crayons, or dry Colours, some Books, Together with all my Things remaining at your house. Please to stow them in the Trunk that stands in the Kitchen Chamber and please to put that, that stands in the Garret on Board Mr West with it and desire him to Bring them down the first oppertunity. I shall Come to Salem the first opportunity that I can be Spared.

Meanwhile, Capen was probably teaching young Benjamin (who was obviously a boy of many talents) how to serve customers in his shop.

TOMORROW: And how did that work out?

Benjamin Thompson: Worst Apprentice in the World, part 1

In 1766, at the age of thirteen, Benjamin Thompson of Woburn was indentured to John Appleton, a Salem merchant. He was a bright and ambitious lad, and had apparently sought extra lessons from a minister in town.

Benjamin did not, however, throw himself into the clerical work Appleton probably assigned to him.

Three years later, well before his indenture was to expire, Benjamin showed up at the Boston dry-goods shop of Hopestill Capen (in the building that now houses the Union Oyster Shop, shown here) and asked for a position there.

Capen wrote to Appleton on 11 Oct 1769:

I understand that you have had a young Ladd, not long since, that live with you, named Benja. Thompson. He now offers himself to live with me, saying that he was sick was the Occasion of his comeing from you, and that now Business is Dull, you dont want him.

I should be greatly oblig’d to you if you will Inform me by the first oppertunity If he be clear with you or not; if he is, please to give me his True Character, as to his Honesty, Temper and Qualifications as a Shop Keeper. Such a lad will suit me if he can be well Recommended, and as he is a stranger to me I know of no body else that can be so good a Judge of him as you.

Benjamin had indeed left Appleton to go home to Woburn and recuperate, but not because he’d been “sick.” He had injured himself making fireworks.

Appleton apparently sent Capen a letter recommending young Benjamin. Perhaps he wanted to get rid of the lad.

TOMORROW (assuming Blogger will cooperate): Benjamin has a message for his old master.