Even before its incorporation as a town, Wareham strictly enforced its laws. Did you know that many of the early laws dealt with the Sabbath?

“Going to meeting” on Sunday was required, and people could not travel either from one town to another or from house to house in Wareham. They could not rack their hay, nor could anyone pick apples from the orchards.  In 1769, when Israel Fearing was the Justice of the Peace, one traveling scofflaw and one hay picking violator were each fined ten shillings while an apple picker was fined five.

On any day, rams, sheep and hogs could not run free. Even dogs had restrictions. And a fine of five pounds was to be paid by anyone who “shall set on fire the woods in any part of the Township and neglect to put it out before they depart the Spott.”

Another early law required all persons to “restrain their speech” including profanity in public. In 1748, one curser was fined twenty shillings for his crime. Drunkenness was also penalized by law.

In addition to fines, Wareham’s early criminals could also be subject to the town stocks for a certain period of time depending on the transgression. The whipping post was used for flogging convicted criminals such as thieves and also for tramps or vagabonds who received lighter punishments of only fifteen “stripes.”