Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 7.djvu/62

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��THE GRANITE MONTHLY.

��Christ's church in Boston, New Eng- land, Anno 1744, A. R. 2d. This church was founded in the year 1723. 3d. We are the first ring of bells cast for the British Empire in North America, 1744. 4th. God preserve the Church of England, 1744. 5th. William Shirley, Esq., Governor of Massachusetts Bay, in New England, Anno 1744. The subscription for these bells was begun by John Han- cock and Robert Temple, church war- dens, 1743, and completed by Robert Jenkins and John Gould, church war- dens, 1744. 7th. Since generosity has opened our mouths, our tongues shall ring aloud its praise, 1744. 8th, Abel Rudhall, of Gloucester (Eng.), cast us all. Anno 1744. Still on and up we went, the very same way which Robert Newman took on the night of April iS, 1775, with the signal lights of Paul Revere, who, together with Col. Conant and others, waited on the Charlestown shore for the signal to tell which way the British troops would go, by land or sea.

" If the British marcli By land or sea from the town to-niglit, Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch Of the Xorth Cliurcli tower as a signal

light,— One, if b}' laud, and two, if by sea, Ami I on the opposite shore will be, Keady to ride and spread the alarm Through every Middlesex village and

farm, For the country folk to be up and to

arm."'

We found two pigeons that had sought shelter from the storm, flitting about, startled at our approach, and so we read of Newman's adventure:

•'By the wooden stairs with stealthy

tread. To the belfry-chamber overhead. And startled the pigeons from their

perch On the sombre rafters that round him

made Masses and moving shapes of shade, — By the trembling ladder, steep and tall, To the liighest window in the wall."

This accomplished "Newman came (quickly down, passed through the church, jumped out at a back win-

��dow, and went through Unity and Bennet streets to his home unobserved. He was found in bed by the British, who took him to jail, but for lack of evidence against him he was set at liberty. The ride of Paul Revere is familiar to all.

The views from these " highest win- dows in the wall " are remarkably fine and enchanting. They look out upon a world of progress and activity. How unlike are the surroundings to those which met the observer's vision of a hundred years or more ago. The red-coats went, never to return again, except as friendly guests of a free and independent nation. Where once were barren wastes, now stand im- mense warehouses and innumerable dwellings. The old land-marks are gone, and Boston has encroached upon the sea. The islands of the bay have grown populous, and the beaches, the summer homes of thou- sands from all parts of the world. The interior, as it were, has become a part of this once little town, till the bound- aries of the real Boston of to-day are unmarked, and still Boston is silently and surely marching on.

October 17, 1878, a tablet was placed in the tower of this old church, forty-two feet from the side walk, bear- ing the following inscription:

THE SIGINAL LANTERNS OF

PAUL REVERE,

DISPLAYED IN THE STEEPLE OF

THIS CHURCH, APRIL iS, 1775,

WARNED THE COUNTRY OF

THE MARCH OF THE BRITISH

TROOPS TO

LEXINGTON AND CONCORD.

It is said that Gen. Gage witnessed the burning of Charlestown and the battle of Bunker Hill from this steeple.

Under the church are thirty-three tombs. One contains the remains of Rev. Timothy Cutler, d. d., first rector of the church, together with his wife. In No. 29 once rested Maj. Pitcairne, but his remains were long since re- moved to Westminister Abbey. Lymle M. Walter, the founder and first editor

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