‘Intense and powerful, with a hint of sweetness to it, just like our heroes, the ‘Old Planters’.

Looking for a beer to honour Roger Conant it’s good to find Peacemaker Pale Ale brewed by Justin Korby at his Stoneman Brewery in Massachusetts.

Closer to Salem, in fact based in Beverly where Conant settled with his family, is the Old Planters Brewery. Founded in 2014 by two friends, Matt Sullivan and Ben Garry, it started in a basement but soon moved to larger premises at 232 Rantoul Street.

Matt and Ben named the brewery after the Old Planters, the founding fathers of Beverly. Blogging on the company’s website in 2018, writer Abby Silverstein explained: ‘It all started in 1623, when the ‘Old Planters’ were sailing south along the coast to Naumkeag, hoping to find land to build an agricultural colony.

'With Roger Conant leading, these settlers successfully completed the task; built their homes and began farming on their new land. Eventually, in September of 1628, a new group of English settlers, lead by John Endicott, arrived with different motives than the ‘Old Planters’.

'Immediately the old and new planters started off on the wrong foot. After going back and forth, arguing over religious issues and agricultural issues, the two groups came up with a peaceful settlement and in 1629; the community decided to change the name to Salem.

'The colonists attempted to live peacefully together in Salem but those were 6 long, rough years for the community. In 1635, Roger Conant and four other ‘Old Planters’, were fed up and requested for a grant. Each of the 5 settlers were individually given 200 acres of land. The grant provided the 5 villagers a total of 1000 acres of land across the other side of the river.

'Shortly after, the ‘Old Planters’ and their families moved to the Bass River Side and it was history from there. Thanks to the ‘Old Planters’, we are lucky enough to call the city of Beverly our home, and for that, we toast to them.’

Abby Silverstein’s account continued with a description of the Old Planters Brewery’s latest product, Thousand Acre: ‘This IPA is an immensely crisp hopped wheat ale with an ABV of 7.2%. Just wait, this is where it gets good; immediately after opening this beer, the aromas of grassy, citrusy, and pine hops take over your body. If you’re a fan of an IPA, then you know what’s next. Layers of hop flavor hit your taste buds following with a hint of malty sweetness to end your sip with a dry, crisp bitter bite.

'This beer isn’t just named Thousand Acre because we put the extra miles in. It’s named after the Founding Fathers’ ultimate accomplishment because it is a tough beer that is intense and powerful, with a hint of sweetness to it, just like our heroes, the ‘Old Planters’.

Pictured are images of the products from the Old Planters Brewery, including Thousand Acre. And if more detailed information is needed, the most complete study is by Beverly historian Alice Lapham The Old Planters of Beverly in Massachusetts and the Thousand Acre Grant of 1635, published in 1930.

The Old Planters Brewery website is at https://www.oldplanters.com/

If you are interested in the history of early America, and Roger Conant as a peacemaker in troubled times you can join the Devon Peacemaker Festival Facebook group at 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/700424602802079

‘The Petition, 1673’ by John Washington

In his painting entitled ‘The Petition, 1673’, British artist John Washington, a resident of Budleigh Salterton, has imagined the scene where Roger Conant in old age is surrounded by his family in Beverly, the Massachusetts community in which he settled and where he would die in 1679 at the great age of 87.

Roger Conant is composing a petition to change the name of the town of Beverly to Budleigh, a request which was rejected by the magistrates of Salem despite the fact that he was one of the city’s founding fathers. Being of a peaceable nature, and respectful of the wishes of the majority, he accepted their decision.

Roger Conant's petition is mentioned on the blue plaque erected in 2023 on the Church Hall in East Budleigh. In his request to the magistrates of Salem he wrote of his neighbours in the town of Beverly who disliked the name because 'it hath caused on us a constant nickname of “beggarly”'. Along with his neighbours, he, 'being all from the western part of England, desire this western name of Budleigh, a market town of Devonshire and near unto the sea as we are here, in this place and where myself was born'.

Perhaps his request was turned down because of religious prejudice against these settlers from the West of England; strict 'separatist' Puritans of the time tended to come from Eastern England. Conant himself is said to have found the 1620 Mayflower Puritans too intolerant for his liking.

Painting ©John Washington. Photo by Peter Bowler.

For more about John Washington's work, click on his website  at https://www.johnwashingtonartist.com/

If you are interested in the history of early America, and Roger Conant as a peacemaker in troubled times you can join the Devon Peacemaker Festival Facebook group at 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/700424602802079

Roger Conant, not forgotten in Beverly

Beverly, mentioned on the blue plaque in East Budleigh, is also celebrating its 400^th  anniversary  in 2026.  It was where Roger Conant and his family finally settled. 

Both Salem and Beverly were originally part of the Native American settlement of Naumkeag, which changed its name to Salem in 1629. Later, Roger wanted to change the name of Beverly to Budleigh, but the authorities refused his request.  However he has not been forgotten in Beverly. 

The 20^th century saw a partial granting of his wish with the use of Budleigh’s name in the Beverly community. On 27 December 1920, Budleigh Lodge A.F. & A.M.  the A.F. & A.M. meaning Ancient Free and Accepted Masons –was instituted at 134 McKay Street in Beverly by the city’s Freemasons. You can see their arms here.  

Beverly also has a Budleigh Avenue and a Conant Street. And this message was received in 2022 along with a donation towards the East Budleigh blue plaque: ‘As a resident of Beverly Massachusetts I'm actually rather glad he wasn't
successful in his name change attempt but to make [up] for that, I'm glad to support the addition of a plaque in his honor.’

If you are interested in the history of early America, and Roger Conant as a peacemaker in troubled times you can join the Devon Peacemaker Festival Facebook group at 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/700424602802079