THE BRIGADIER GENERAL TIMOTHY RUGGLES
by Jess Geary
It might surprise some people to learn that the initial concept of a Hardwick Fair, a time of gathering crops, animals, and people that showcased this town’s distinguished position, at least until its interruption during the tumult of 1775, was the result of the actions of British loyalist and Tory, Brigadier General Timothy Ruggles. In 1762, his successful appeal to the Great and General Court on behalf of the town brought to life this much-loved tradition. Although the influence that Ruggles used to create this now favorite local event would soon end, the Fair was resurrected by future residents and is now considered the “Oldest Fair in the United States.”
Commonly known as the Paige Building, it was home of the Hardwick Farmers’ Cooperative Exchange from 1914 -1974. After this time period the building was used for the Hardwick Fair, Scouting, 4-H and other community groups.
As many locals may know, some of our town’s early members were not in support of a separation from the Crown, and it created a contentious atmosphere for the town’s families, often pitting resident against resident and playing a role in some of the most dramatic tales of Hardwick’s early history. In light of the upcoming 250th anniversary of our country’s democratic origin story, it seems apt timing to reflect on the local history related to this significant period, and it is important to see Ruggles’s actions and beliefs in the context of the changing tides of American politics during his lifetime.
As was mentioned in the fall newsletter, the grandson of the town’s founder, Samuel Ruggles, Jr, was Brigadier General Timothy Ruggles, who was born in 1711 in Rochester, MA., and graduated from Harvard Law in 1732. He was a leader in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Paige’s 1883 History of Hardwick says he was “one of the most prominent citizens of Massachusetts, and indeed of New England in both military and civil affairs” (p. 482). In many ways, he brought to life
the dreams of his father and grandfather. However, in ways they could not have possibly foreseen, the actions of this over six-foot-tall, imposing but noble General and his family members made for many a tale in Hardwick lore and legend and have kept the town’s name in the annals of Massachusetts’s and America’s history.
After graduating from Harvard, Timothy traveled to Sandwich often for his work as a lawyer, and it was there he met a widow, Bathsheba Bourne Newcomb, of a prominent, wealthy, local family, who already had seven children and ran an inn and tavern. Timothy was a lawyer in Rochester, Massachusetts, the town for which he was also serving as a Representative in the General Court. Once he met the beautiful Bathsheba, their relationship resulted in a marriage soon after it began. In 1736, her powerful father, Judge Melatiah Bourne, performed the matrimonial ceremony. Ruggles eventually became a Sandwich resident and served as that town’s Representative from 1739-1752. He and Bathsheba ran the tavern and his law practice, and they started having children together. At the end of 1753, they moved to Hardwick when the opportunity to obtain a land grant for a 400-acre property in the country drew them, along with their own seven children and several other family members, to this rural outpost of the province of Massachusetts.
Well stone cover from Timothy Ruggles, 1759, on the Eagle Hill Campus
Throughout his time in Hardwick, Brigadier General Timothy Ruggles was well known for improving methods of cultivating the soil, growing fruit trees, creating a deer park and kitchen garden which he used to host hunts and elaborate dinners, introducing new breeds of horses and cattle, as well as establishing the original Hardwick Fair. Given his time working at a tavern and his deep interest in animal husbandry, it is interesting to note that he did not drink much alcohol or eat much meat for most of his adult life (Daly 2008).
During his first years in Hardwick, North America had become entrenched in Britain’s Seven Years’ War with France (1753 informal start--end 1763 Treaty of Paris), and Timothy fought as a colonial officer for the British Crown in various battles and became the Brigadier General of the provincial troops on the northern frontier. He earned respect and admiration for his work in this role and became Hardwick’s Representative in the General Court, 1754-1770. He would be named the Speaker of the House from 1762-3 (Paige, 483).
In June 1762, one of his first acts as Hardwick’s Representative was to petition on behalf of the town for a remission of a fine the town had received for not having a representative the previous year. He wrote a convincing (although possibly exaggerated) appeal to the General Court of the province that this omission was due to what he said were the citizens’ financial hardships and burdens and a lack of safe and passable roads to Boston. Hardwick was reimbursed the money (Paige 1883, 48). He stood up for the citizens of Hardwick, was loyal to the Crown, and believed that his duty was to protect their shared interests and to encourage his neighbors to remain loyalists, and for many years, they trusted him to speak on their behalf.
In this same year, Timothy Ruggles, as Speaker, wrote an address and answer to “His Excellency’s Speech on May 27th.” In it, he writes:
Although the Events of war are uncertain, we have at present great reason to hope that this will issue in Peace very advantageous to the subject, and consequently glorious to our KING...We are fully persuaded that this Province will, upon all future occasions, strenuously exert itself for the Promotion of His Majesty’s Service (“Legislative Acts”).
This level of loyalty as a devoted subject of Great Britain continued throughout his life. In light of the indignation that the colonists would soon begin to feel as the British Crown increasingly imposed taxes on products such as stamps, sugar, and tea to pay for war debts, Ruggles would face many personal and political challenges in his future in Hardwick, which will be examined in the next issue of the newsletter.
References:
Daly, Bill. 2008. “TIMOTHY RUGGLES (1711- 1795) The Rise and Fall of a Massachusetts Loyalist.” Sandwich Historical Society. https://sandwichhisto- ry.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Timothy-Rug- gles1.pdf.
“Legislative Acts/Legal Proceedings.” Boston Gazette (Boston, Massachusetts), no. 375, June 7, 1762: [1]. NewsBank: America’s Historical Newspapers.
Paige, Lucius Robinson. History of Hardwick, Massachusetts. Boston, New York, Houghton, Mifflin and Company, 1883. Pdf. https://www.loc. gov/item/01011428/.
