Lucius R. Paige, History of Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1630-1877, with a genealogical register

“ [218] man for burning a house at Northampton; and a negro woman who burnt two houses at Roxbury, July 12, in one of which a child was burnt to death. The negro woman was burnt to death, —the first that has suffered such a death in New England.” It is devoutly to be hoped that the woman who thus expiated her crime at Cambridge, in 1755, was the last “that has suffered such a death in New England.”

“Ye have the poor with you always;” and the judicious relief of their wants is an important but often a very perplexing duty. For several years, as will be related in chapter XV., the church assumed this duty, and made suitable provision for the destitute and distressed. It does not distinctly appear at what time the management of this charity passed into the hands of the town. The earliest reference to this subject which I find on the Town Records is under date of June 29, 1663: “Jane Bourne [or Bowen] making her complaint to the selectmen, that she can find none in the town that is willing to entertain her to their service, and craving their favor that she may have liberty to provide for herself in some other town, with security to such as shall so-entertain her,—the Townsmen do grant her request in manner following, viz., so as that she place herself in some honest family; and in case she stand in need of supply, or the town whither she shall resort do see reason to return her again upon the town, she shall be still accepted as one of the poor of this place; and this is to be understood and taken as binding to the town for one year next after the date hereof, any law, usage, or custom, to the contrary, notwithstanding.” Again, under date of April 8, 1672: “The terms of agreement of the selectmen with Thomas Longhorne for the keeping of William Healyes child, as followeth: That the said Thomas Longhorne is to bring up Hanna Hely, daughter of William Healy, born in the year 1671, providing all necessaries for her of food and clothing in the time of her minority and suitable education meet for one of her sex and degree; and for his satisfaction, he is to be allowed out of the Town Rate five pounds a year for five years; and if she should die before those five years be expired, or it should be provided for by any of its friends before that time, then he is to have no more than for the time he keep it, after five pounds per annum; only forty shillings of said pay is to be made in cash, or, if not, then so much in other pay at money price.” In like manner, for more than a hundred years after this date, provision appears to have been made for the poor, in private families,