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UNIYERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS LIBRARY
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74
P62
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RECORDS
TOWN OF PLYMOUTH,
Published by order of the Town.
VOL. 1.
1636 TO 1705.
PLYMOUTH :
Avery & Doten, Book and Job Printers.
1889.
PREFACE.
At the anniuil meeting of tlie Town of Plymouth held on the seventh of March, 1887, it was voted, on motion of Arthur Lord, ''that a committee of three be appointed by the Moderator to con- sider the expediency of printiuy; and pul)lishing the whole, or any part, of the Town Records as a part of the history of the Town, and leport at the adjourned meeting, with an estimate of the expense."
The committee, consisting of Arthur Lord, Charles G. Davis, and William W. Brewster, presented at the adjourned meeting, held on the 4th of April, the following report:
'•The committee appointed under Article 16 of the warrant relating to the printing and publishing of the Town Records as a part of the histor}' of the town, submit the following report:
The records of the proceedings of the town, from the date of the earliest record to the year 1828 ai'c contained in four volumes, which are numl)ered and dated as follows: Vol. 1, 1660; vol. 2. 16(iO to 1710; vol. 3, 1716 to 1795 ; vol. 4, 1795 to 1828.
The ( ates above given do not accurately cover the periods includeil in the several volumes. These volumes contain the record of all tiie formal action of the town, which it would be expedient, in the opinion (^f the committee, for the town to publish. These eml)race the records of the town meetings, the laying out of highways, the grants of land by the town, and cover the important periods of local history, the union of the colonies, the various French and Indian wars, the Revolution, the war of 1812, and the interesting action of the town in relation to
VI PREFACE.
the Embargo, and contain much of national and public, as well as local interest, which has never been published in permanent form.
The first volume, which in the lapse of years has become some- what illegible and worn, was copied under a vote of the town in 1824, by Rossiter Cotton, and that copy in 1860 was compared with the original and corrected by Daniel J. Robbins, under the direction of the Selectmen, in compliance with a vote of tlie town. A copy of volume 2 of the records was made by Daniel J. Robbins in 1860, under a vote of the town, and these copies, with the certificates of the copyists, are deposited for .safe keep- ing in the Registry of Deeds.
Witli the aid of these copies it is believed that an accurate transcript of the records could be made for puljlicatiou. The im- portance of their publication will be readily admitted. Within tlie past few years many other towns, notably Braintree, Dedliam and Groton, have caused to be published tlieir early records, and the wiler interest in the Plymouth records affoixls a mucii stronger argument than exists in those towns for their publication.
Tire committee have considered mainly the question of expense, believing that the only opposition to the publication of the town records would arise on that ground. From estimates which have been sulimitted to them I13' responsible printers here and in Boston, it is believed that the expense of the publication of an edition of one thousand copies of one volume of about three luiiidred i)ages, which would include all the records in the first volume of town records and |)art of the second would be al)Out one thousaml dol- lars. This would include all the records to a date subsequent to- 1700.
The committee are assured that an edition of that size could be readil}^ disposed of at a price which would repay to the town all money by it expended in its publication ; so that all the burden the town would assume would be the granting of the use of the money necessar}' until the edition was sold.
Believing that under this view of the matter the town would
PREFACE. VII
gladly incui' the slight expenditure to insure the publication of its eai'l}' records, they recommend the adoption of the vote submitted herewitii.
They make no recommendation as to the publication of the remaining vuhimes at this time, believing thattlieir publication can await that of this lirst volume, and thai then the town wiil willingly vote to continue their })ul)lication, if experience shall show that the oi)inion of the committee as to tiieir probable cost to the town was correct."
In accordance with the above recommendation of the committee it was voted '^that a committee of five, of whom the Moderator shall be one, be appointed by the chair witli authority to print or publish, at a cost not exceeding one thousand dollars, so much of the town records as a part of the history of the town as they shall deem expedient, and that the Selectmen be authorized to borrow a sum of money not exceeding such amount as may be required to carry out this vote."
The committee as ai)pointed by the chair consisted of the Moderator Wm. T. Davis, Arthur Lord, Charles G. Davis, Wm.Vf. Brewster and Thomas B. Drew. The editorial management of the publication was placed by the committee in the hands of the chair- man, whose introductoi-y chapter will further exi)lain its character and scope.
The present volume of three hundred and thirty-six pages in- cludes the first volume of town records, and ninety-eight pages of the second, closing with the record of the town meeting held May 21st, 170.5.
It is the hope of the connnittee tiiat sullicient interest will be excited by the volume to secure a continuance of the work of
publication.
Wm. T. Davis, Akthur Lorp, Charles G. Davis, Wm. W. Brew^ster, Thomas B. Drew, Com^niftee of PubliccUioit, Plymouth, Nov. 15th, 1889,
INTRODUCTION.
The records of Plymouth, exclusive of the records of births, deaths and marriages, are contained in nine volumes, the first covering the period from 1636 to 1692; the second from 1692 to 1716 ; the third from 1716 to 1795 ; the fourth from 1795 to 1828 ; the fifth from 1828 to 1854 ; the sixth from 1S54 to 1866 ; the sev- enth from 1866 to 1878; the eighth from 1878 to 1887, and the ninth from 1887 to the present time.
These records have been kept by Nathaniel Sowlher fron) 1636 to April, 1645 ; by Nathaniel Morton from March, 1647, to June, 1685; by Thomas Faunce from July, 1685, to May, 1723; by John Dyer from March, 1723-4, to March, 1732-3; by Gershom Foster from March, 1732-3, to March, 1733-4; by John Dyer again from March, 1733-4, to March, 1739-40; l)y Edward Winslow from March, 1739-40, to Januar}-, 1741-2; b}' Samuel Bartlett from January, 1741-2, to March, 1766; by John Cotton from March, 1766, to March, 1767; by Ephraim Spoouer from March, 1767, to April, 1818 ; by Thomas Drew from April, 1818. to March, 1840 ; by Timothy Berry from March, 1840, to March, 1852 ; by Leander Lovell from March, 1852, to March, 1878, and from March, 1878, to the present time by Curtis Davie, the pres- ent Town Clerk.
Nathaniel Sowther was chosen Clerk of tlie Colony Court on the third of January, 1636-7, in obedience to a law passed probably November 15, 1636. Before that time the Plymouth Colony rec- ords were kept by the different Governors, William Bradford, P]d- ward Winslow and Thomas Prcnce, and are in their handwriting. At the time of the passage of the above law another law was passed providing "that every man's marke of his cattle be brought to the towne book where he lives and that no man give the same but shall alter any other brought by him and put his owne upon them."
There was no Town Clerk at the time of the passage of this law, and Mr. Sowther, as clerk of the Colony Court, opened a ''town
X INTRODUCTION.
hook" and made the entries relating to marks of cattle to be found on the opening pages of this volume.
These entries, which are not dated, must have been made be- tween November loth, 1636, the date of the passage of the law and the last day of March, 1637, the date of the succeeding entry.
Not only was there no Town Clerk at that dale, but it is difficult to define the exact point of time when Plymouth became a town. It was never incorporated, nor ever by any act of colonial legisla- tion created into a municii)ality. Its first recognition by the Gen- eral Court as a town was in an oider passed on the 28th of Octo- ber, 1633, "that the cliiefe governm' be tyed to the towne of Plymouth and that the Gov'' for the time being be tyed there to keepe his residence & dwelling, and there also to hold such Courts as concern the whole."
The bounds of the town were not fixed by law until the second day of November, 1640, when it was ordered by the Court of As- sistants : "Whereas by the act of the General Court held the third of March in the sixteenth year of his said Majestie's now reign (1639-40) the Governor & Assistants were authorized to set the bounds of the several townships it i? enacted and concluded by the Court that the bounds of Plymouth township shall extend south- wards to the bounds of Sandwich township and northward to the little brook falling into P>laek Water from the commons left to Duxbury and the neighborhood thereabouts and westward eight miles up into the lands from any part of the bay or sea ; always provided that the bounds shall extend so far up into the woodlands as to include the South Meadows toward Agawam lately discov- ered and the convenient uplands thereabouts."
For the want of a more certain date the 28th of October, 1G33. when the order was passed by the Court of Assistants making the town of Plymouth the seat of the colonial government, nia}' be pro[)erly considered the ii'ue period of the birth of the town as distinct from the Colony of New Plymouth. The town records were not begun, however, until three years later, when, as has been stated, Nathaniel Sowther, the Clerk of the Colonial Court, en- tered the marks of cattle in obedience to the requirements of law. The two clauses on the second page of this volume relating to the cattle of Nathaniel and John Morton, and dated 1653, are not parts of the original record, having been interlined by Nathaniel Morton at that date, after he became Clerk of the Colonial Court and assumed the functions of Town Clerk.
INTR OD UCTION. XI
Of Nathaniel Sowther little is known. He appeared in Pljnn- OLith in 1635, and was made a freeman on the 4th of October in that year. He was chosen Clerk of the Colonial Court, as above stated, on the third of January, 163G-7, and was succeeded by Nathaniel Morten in 1647. In 1638 he bought of I^ieut. Wm. Holmes a house lot where the northerly row of tombs now stands on burial hill, and there lived until his removal to Boston, about the year 1649. He died in 1655, leaving no male descendants. By a first wife, Alice, who died in 1651, he had two daughters; Hannah, who married Wm. Hanbury, and Mary, who married Jo- seph Starr. In 1655 he married a second wife, widow Sarah Hill. It has been thought by some that his name Sowther was identical with that of Southworth, but in the records he invariably spelled it either Sowther or Souther, while the name of Southworth, which he had frequent occasion to write, he nlways spelled either South- worth or Southwood. It is a little singular that the pronunciation of Southworth at the present day as a christian name is almost always in accordance with the Southwood spelling which disap- peared from the records at a ver}^ early day.
There was no provision of law for a Town Clerk during Mr, Sowther's term of service, and lie continued to keep the town rec- ords as the Clerk of the Colony. The only requirement touching the subject was contained in an order passed by the General Court on the third of March, 1645-6, '•"•that the Clarke or some (Mie in every towne do keepe a register of the day and yeare of every marryage byrth and buriall & to have 3*" a peece for his paynes." This order did not specifically require the ap])ointmei!t of a Town Ciei'k, and as long as the records were ke[)t by the Clerk of the Colony in distinct town books, the demands of tlie order were sat- isfied.
The last entry made by Mr. Sowther bears tlie date of Aiu'il 8, 1645, and the first entry of his successor, Nathnniel IMoiton, that of March 4, 1647. The last entry made l\y Mv. Sowtlier in the Colonial Court records bears date July 7, 1046, and tlie first made by Mr. ]Morton that of I^ecember 7, 1647. The gap in the Col- onial records is filled chiefly by tlie haiidwritiug of Wm. Bradford, then Governor, one single entry having been made ap[)areiitly by the same unknown hand which fills the gap in the town records.
No record exists of the precise time when Nathaniel Morton was appointed Clerk of the Colonial Court. It is only kiu^wn that he entered his first record of the proceedings of the Court on the 7th
XII - INTRODUCTION.
of December, 1647, and his first record of the town on the 4th of the following March. The office held by him and Mr. Sowther was that of "clarke" until March 5, 1667-8, at which date he for the first time signed his name as secretary. Like his predecessor, he kept the town records in his capacity as Colonial Clarke or Sec- retary until the 4th of August, 1679, when, as appears from the recoi'd on page 160 of this volume, he "was sworne Clarke of the Towne of Plymouth for this present yeer."
Mr. Morton is known not only as the Secretary of Plymouth Colony, but as the author of "NewElngland's Memorial" published in 1669. He was born in 1613, and came to Plymouth in the Ann with liis father, George Morton, in 1623. He married in 1635 Lydia Cooper, and one of his children. Remember Morton, married in 1657 Abraham Jackson, the ancestor of a family which has always been prominent in the Old Colony. He lived for many years on the estate now occupied by Frederick L. Holmes, adjoining Hob's Hole Brook, but in the latter part of his life until his death he oc- cupied a house which stood on the easterly side of Market Street, immediately above the estate of Mrs. John B. Atwood. His last entry in the town records is dated May 18th, 1685, and he died on the 28th of the followiug month.
Thomas Faunce was chosen Town Clerk July 6, 1685, and his first entry was the record of the meeting at which he was chosen. He served until May 13th, 1723, at which date his last entry was made. He was born in 1647, and notwithstanding he was an old man at the date of his retirement, he lived until the 27th of Feb- ruary, 1745, after he had entered his ninety-ninth year. He was the sou of John Faunce. who came in tlie Ann in 1623, and he married in 1672 Jean, daughter of William Nelson. His mother was Patience Morton, a sister of Secretary Morton, his predecessor in office. He was the last ruling elder of the First Church, having succeeded Elder Thomas Cushman, who died on the 10th of De- cember, 1691. During the closing years of his life Mr. Faunce lived in Chiltonville, on the southwesterly side of the old Manomet Road, a little north of the Eel River Bridge. As his term of ser- vice as Clerk extended beyond the period covered by this volume, a reference to his successors will be reserved for future publications of the records.
This volume is largely devoted to giants of laud by the town and the bounding out of lands granted by the Colonial Court. Such records are somewhat dry in their details, but they disclose
INTRODUCTION. XIII
the methods, most interestiug to the antiquary and historian, by which the foundation of our land titles was originally laid. The grants of lands by the Colony Court began before the town had secured any possessory rights, and the grants or sales made by the town did not cease until the present century had opened.
Until the spring of 1624 the tillage lands of Plymouth were used in common. At that time, as Bradford says, the Pilgrims "began now highly to prize corn as more precious than silver, and those that had some to spare began to trade one with another for small things, by the quart, pottle and peck ; for money they had none, and if any had corn was preferred before it. That they might therefore increase their tillage to better advantage, they made suit to the Governor to have some portion of land given them for con- tinuance, and not by yearly lot, for by that means that which the more industrious had brought into good culture (by such pains) one year, came to leave it the next and often another might enjoy it ; so as the dressing of their lands were the more sleigh ted over and to less profit; which, being well considered, their request was granted."
In compliance with the above x'equest, one acre of land was given to each person. Sixty-nine acres were given to those who came in the Mayflower, including twenty-nine acres between the town brook and Fremont Street, east of Sandwich Street, sixteen on Watson's Hill, five between the Burial Hill and Murdock's Pond, and nineteen between Court Street and the harbor, bounded on the north by the Railroad Park.
Thirty-three acres were given to those who came in the Fortune in 1621, including six acres immediately north of the Railroad Park, eight immediately north of the second or Woolen Mill Brook, and nineteen between the first, or Shaw's Brook, and the Second Brook.
Ninety-five acres were granted to those who came in the Ann and the Little James in 1623, including forty-five acres lying north of the Second Brook and extending across the Third, or Cold Spring Brook, and fifty acres lying on both sides of Hob's Hole Brook, and along the shore farther south.
These lands, including one hundred and ninety-seven acres within a territory not more than two and a half miles long, and a quarter of a mile wide, were doubtless the old cleared corn lands of the Indians. Their grants are recorded in the Plymouth Colony Records.
XIV INTRODUCTION.
The second division of lands also recorded in the Plj'mouth Colony Records was made Jannary 3, 1627, when each free holder received twenty acres.
Up to the year 1651 the Colony granted and laid out to Free- men in different parts of the town lots varying in size from five to one hundred acres. Plymouth, at that time, included Plymp- ton, Kingston, Carver, and a part of Halifax. Jones' River Meadows lying in what are now Kingston and Plympton, were granted to eight men in 1640. In the same year the South Meadows were granted to eighteen men, and Dotie's Meadows to five men. All these grants are recorded in the Colon j' Records. The bounding out of many of these grants was subsequently made by the Town Surve3'ors and recorded in the Town Records.
The Wiuuatucksett Meadows, the Mouponsett Meadows, the Punckatesett lands in what is now Tiverton, and lands in Free- town, which belonged to the town, were granted by the town, and their bounds aie entered in the Town Records. Indeed, all the lands included within the original limits of Plymouth are granted and bounded out in either the Colony, Town or Proprietors' Records except a small part of Halifax, the bounds of which are recorded in the Pembroke and Middleboro records, and are a part of the major's and twentj^-six men's purchase added to Halifax, and a small part of Carver, which the Proprietors of the South Purchase of Middleboro laid out by mistake within the bounds of Plymouth, and are bounded out in the records of the South Purchase of Middleboro.
On the 9th of February, 1701-2, a lot of thirty acres was granted by the town to every proprietor or fi-eeman, and on the 16th of the following month it was voted that all the lands jiot disposed of within a tract a mile and a half square, should be held by the town, and all the unallotted lands outside of that tract should be granted to the freemen of the town. The bound- aries of the mile and a half may be found in a foot note on the 296th page.
Before the consummation, however, of this grant to the proprietors the town voted on the twenty-fourth of May. 1703, that all the common land described on page 314 should be devoted to a sheep pasture, but after the failure of this enter- prise the lands were disposed of, as stated in the foot note on the above mentioned page.
The proprietors, under the above grant, two hundred and one
JNTR OD UCTION. X V
in number, organized, with the choice of Thomas Faunce as clerk, on the 26tli of December, 1704, and on the 3d of the following January each proprietor received a twenty acre lot, and soon after a sixty acre lot. After the incorporation of the town of Plympton, on the 4th of June, 1707, the proprietors took the name of the Plymoutii and Plympton Proprietors, and after the cedar swamps which had been previously snrvcy^ed by order of the town by Jacob Tompson had been divided in thirty-nine lots among the members, all the remaining lands, including more than thirty thousand acres, except a few strips and gores were laid out in ten great lots i'lnd also divided.
The successors of Thomas Faunce as Clerk of the Proprietois were Samuel Bartlett, chosen May 25, 1747 ; John Cotton, chosen April G, 1767, and Rossiter Cotton, chosen March 31, 1790, soon after which date the affairs of the proprietors were closed. Their records contained in two volumes are deposited with the records of the town.
The land within the mile and a half tract was disposed of by the town at various times a few lots at the base of Burial Hill, on School Street, as late as the year 1810. The only lots remaining unsold, so far as the editor knows, are Training Green, Cole's Hill, Burial Hill, a part of Court Square, once called the "great gutter," a triangle of land at the foot of Middle Street, in the rear of the old Bramhall store, a strip twelve feet wide at the junction of Sandwich and Water Streets, a lot on School Street, two lots on South Street and the South Pond Road, ninety-four acre^ of woodland at New Guinea, on both sides of the Kingston line. Town Dock, and a hundred acres of woodland at Mauomet Ponds, given by the Proprietors to the town for the benefit of the Indians.
In the preparation of his work for the press the editor has made a transcript of the original records, following closely their punctua- tion, orthography and useof capital letters. In some instances words have been supplied by the copies above mentioned where their illegibility or loss has occurred since the copies were made. In all other instances lost words are indicated by stars.
The numbers enclosed in square brackets show the numbers of the corresponding pages in the original records.
It will be observed that in some instances entries have not been made in chronological order. One of these will be found on the 26th page, another on page 208, others on pages 214, 215, 21G, 218 and 329, and in various other places in the volume. These
XVI INTRODUCTION^.
irregularities are to be accounted for in various ways. The original first volume of records was at some time in such a dilapidated condition that its leaves were separated and pasted at their inner edges on blank sheets of paper and rebound. In the arrangement of these sheets many of these irregularities occurred. It is evident also that there were loose papers in the town archives thought worthy of preservation which were inserted in the volume at the time it was rebound, without regard to their dates. In some instances these sheets were probably copied and entered wherever in any part of the original volume there was sufficient blank space.
It must be remembered in connection with the dates of various entries that until 1752 the year began in England and its colonies on the 25th of March, and that double dates were often applied to all days between the 1st of January, and the 24th of March, inclusive. Thus an entry made on the 10th of Acbruary, 1750, eld style, would be 1751, new style, and would be dated 10th of February, 1750-1.
In conclusion, the editor trusts that the work on which he has bestowed much careful labor will meet the approval of both the committee of which he is a member and of the town whom he serves.
W. T. D.
PLYMOUTH RECORDS.
(Note.— A law wiis passed liy the Colony Court, Noveraher 15, Ki.'Ui, "That every mans mai-ke of his Cattle he hronjjht to the towne lujok where he lives and that no man give the same hut shall alter any other hrought hy him and put his owne upon them.")
[1.] * Bartlet a peece cut out of the right eare before and * out of the left eare behind.
* Church ^cropt on botli eares and a slitt in the downewaide.
* Little a slit in the further eare.
* Higgens a peece cut out behhid in the right eare a slitt cut in tlie same place.
Edmund Cliandler a slit cutt in the neather side of the left eare under the eare.
Steephen Tracy a slitt under each eare.
Richard Sparrow the top of the right eare cut of and two
notches cut out of each side liether eare.
Mr John Weekes a swallow taylt cut out on the left eare.
AVillinm Pontuss swallow cropt upon the * and a snip cut out upon the outside of the right eare.
Mris ffuller a half cut out behind the right eare.
Christ()[)her Waddesworth a swallow forke * * and a sn'p not cut out.
Georg Soale a peece cut out like a -f- of the under side of the right eare downewarde.
Josias Cooke a half round cut out upon * and a peece cut out round upon the back side of *
Experience Michell cutt with this mark A *•
John Tilden cutt with this mark ± in the i-ight *.
* Alden a peece like a long round cut * *.
■^ Jolin Dunhame two scotches u[jon the right eare *. John Cooke the 3'onger a peece cutt out from the top * of the eare almost upon the outside of the right eare.
1 Sliced off at the top.
- This line is erased in the records hy lines drawn through it.
2 PLYMOUTH NE COEDS.
ffrancis Cooke a hole in the left eare and a slit in the vioht eare dovvne the niiddest of the eare.
[o.] Mr Thomas Prenee three marks in the outer side of the eare thns ("^
Leiftennant Willm Holmes fonre marks in the fore side of the far eare thus ^
Jonathan Brewster a crop upon the nar eare and * of fin- eare entt of.
1G53. Nathaniell Morton the markes of his mare two holes in each eare her naturall markes of a black couUer * tending to an iron gra}^ being whit on the * the topp of her head downward and for his other cattle an hole in each eare. Nehemiah Smyth a slit into the middest of the left eare the under peece cutt forth toward the root.
Steven Bryants marke a slit in the le-t eare on the topp of the eare.
Thos : Popes marke the topp croped of the ftirr eare and out of the same eare on the right side.
Mr Atwood cropt upon the left eare and a hole in the other.
Abigaill Clarke a halfe moone on the right eare. Mr Browne a round hole in the nar eare and on tiie right eare * * on both sides thus (o) .
1053. .John Mortons marke a peece cut out of the neare eare and a snipp kutt of the same eare my Mare coulte a starrof white in the forehead and two hinde feete white the horse coulte * and a tipp of white on the Nose and for cattell the Marke aforesaide.
.John Wood a hollow cut out on the top of right yeare.
Giles Rickett the top of the left yeare cutt of and a slit upon the same yeare.
[4.] Leiftennant Southworth the marke of his Cattle is a cropp on the left eare.
John Dunhame senior the marke of his Cattle is a croch on the left eare.
PLYMOUTH RECORDS. 3
[5.] The last day of March 1G37.
It is concluded upon at a Towues meeting that Nicholas ^ shall repaire the Hering ware and draw and divide the Hering this yeare and shall have foure and fourty bushells of Indian corne for his paynes l)ut the Towa shall pay him for the boards used about the repaire thereof. And it is agreed also that * shall bring the corne to his house which shalbe due for * of hering as he hath by the last day of January upon * that he that shall make default herein shall pay a fourth more and shall pay the officer for distraining for *
William Nelson is hyred to keep the cowes this yeare at the same wages he had the last year wich is 50 bushells of Indian corne and is to keep them untill the middle of November next.
[7.] Mr Preuce Gov\
At a meeting of the Townesmen of New Plymouth held at the Govnors the XVIth day of July 1638 all the Inhabitants from Jones River to the Eele River being * thereunto To consider of the disposition of the stock given (by Mr .James Shurley of •^ London merchant) to the poorc of Plymouth who had playnely declared by severall letters in his owne hand writing that his in- tent therein was * wholly to the pooie of the Town of New Plymouth * wordes of the said Ires recorded it doth most playnely appear. And whereas there was some difference how fai'r the Town of New Plymouth doth now pperly extend because some have extended the same as farr as betwixt the said Rivers in regard the constablery and liberties of the said Towne extend themselves so farr yet after much agitation and allegations made It was concluded that the Inhabitants of the said Towne of New Plymouth dwelling betwixt the houses of Willm Pontus and John ^ Dunham on the south and the outside of the new streete on the north side have power to order and dispose of the said stock of cowes so given as aforesaid And have thereupon nominated and appointed Thomas Prence gent Gov^ Willm Bradford and Ed-
1 Probably Nicholas Snow.
2 In March, 1(52:^-4, Edward Winslow returned from En,a;land in the Charity, bringing with him the first cattle introduced into the Colony, and a letter from James Shurley, one of the merchant adventurers, presenting a heifer as a gift, with its increase, for the benefit of the poor of the town.
3 The house of Wm Pontus was near the farm of Thomas O. Jackson and the house of John Dunham was near what is now called the Poor-house pond Tlie New Streete was what is now called North Street.
4 PLYMOrTJT BECORDS.
ward Winslow gent and Assistaiils .)f tlu- Gov'nt, Steplioii * ' Joliu Done and Thomas Willet gent and .lolui Dnnhame * to have the power and anthoritie for there foiire next years to put forth and dispose the said stock of cowes to * the Inhabitants of the poore of the sd Towne of Plymouth as shalbe thought fitt to ptake therein, and by such * in their Judg"' and discretion shalbe thought meete and according to the mind of the Donor in liis fores'd letters declared And also by way of curtesye to sui)ply the wants of some others wch doe inhaliite wthin the lil>erties of said Towne if they shall thinke fitt.
[9.] 26th July loss.
The stock at this tyme was thus disposed.
John Shawe — foure shares ^ in the pyde cowe -'
ffrancis Billington sixe shares } wch was Goodman
M""^ Hodgkinson two shares J Shawes.
Mr John Holmes sixe shares "\ in the browne back
Mr Thomas Hill foure shares >■ cowe was at Georg
Ralph Wallen two shares ) Soules.
Josuah Pratt fonre shares "^ in the black heiffer
Thom Atkinson foure shares I wch was Henry
Samuell P2ddy foure shares j Howlande.
Mr Raph Smith six shares ] In the Red cow wch
Natha" Sowther six shares j was Mr Smyths.
Mr Hellot six shares ] In the browne back cowe
Thom Lattice six shares j wch came from Henry Howland.
There remayned more to the stock at the same tyme
Two steers in goodman Dunhams hands.
One red steere in goodman Shawes hands.
One browne steere in Mr Smyths hands and a bull calf.
One bull calfe in Geo'-g Soules hand.
One cowe calf wch came from Henry Howland.
One old cowe in goodman Dunhams hands.
In money due to the stock £4 10s.
The cow calfe was put to Goodman Duniiame for as long as the farm cowes are and a 3'eare longer upon the same conditions that the cows are.
^ Probaltly Stephen Bryant.
- Pyde for piod meaning spotted or speckled.
PLYMOUTH RECORDS. .>
[10.] At a Tuwiies meeting held the Vlth day of Febniarv This Older was I60.S Mr Thomas Prence Govnor agreed iii)on to Ricliard Willis
stand this year is liyred to keepe the Towuesj eattell for fifty ^larch 17th 1G.')II. Bnshels of Indian corne and is to keepe them from the first of Aprill to the middest of No- vember following well must be paid by eich man according to the unmber of his cattle pportionally and according to the tyme they are kept by him. But if the want but a month or VI weeks of the whole tyme then they are to pay as if they had remayned the whole tyme and if any do refuse to pay because his cattle went not with the heard ; yet notwithstanding he is to pay his pportion as if they had beene bearded with the rest. It is also agreed ui)on that onely the milch cows and workeing beasts shalbe kept about the Towne * and the rest to be remooved from the Towne in May and he thnt dotli not remoove his other cattle then to forfeit tenn shillings a peece for every lieast remayneing here.
It is likewise agreed upon that none shall suffer any calves to goe without a keeper upon pena'ty of five * a peece to be forfeit- ed to the Townes use except they to be kept in enclosed grounds. It is ordered also that none shall suffer any goates to goe without a keeper upon penalty to forfeit five shillings a peece for every default to the townes use.
It is ordered likewise that the Milner shall observe such order in stoi)ing and loosening of the water as shalbe given by the ovei'seers of the hering ware.
John Dunhanie and Willm P<jntus doe undertake to pcure the hering ware repaired and drawne and what they agree for with any that shall doe the worke shalbe payd by the whole Towne according to eich in pporccjn of shares.
[12.] It is lastly agreed u[)on That if auy shall refuse or neglect to make theire fence about theire gardens betwixt his neighbour and himself whereby auy losse or detryment doth accrue to his ueighl)our ui)on warning thereof given hee that hath the danmage shall cause the said fence to l)e made and thother to pay him what he shall disburse aboute it and if he refuse to pay it then his goods to be distrayned for it.
6 PLYMOUTH RECORDS.
At a Townes meeting held the xix March 1689, It is ordered and agreed npon That Thomas Atkins and John Wood shall repaire the hering ware this yeare and shall draw and deliver the herings to eich man according to his shares due to them and shall have ii' p thousand for their paynes of the Towne and after the same rate of the country for those the shalbe allowed to eate and for bayte and to be payd either in money or corne at Harvest at such rate as it doth then passe at from man to man.
It is also agreed upon that whosoever shjdl take any herings either above or below the ware after the ware is sett or shall robb the ware shall forfaite five for one.
[13.] At a Townes meeting the xviith December 1640
The ffreemeu wthin the Towne do genally consent That ^ Mr Chauncey shall have the place that he desireth to be graunted unto him if no way can be found for his staying at Plymouth but if any do goe wth him that should have lands elswhere and take them up there then there shalbe a ratable pporcon abated of the land he shall have elswhere.
AVhereas there is iiii"' and xxx bushells of corne for a rate levyed upon Plymouth and Greens Harbour The Towne -appoynt That John Winslow Thom Willett and Thom Clarke shalbe added to the committee to levy men equally for the pay- ment of it.
It is ordered That the Gov"^ Mr Thom Prence and Mr John Jenny wth the foure committees and Josuah Pratt shall dispose of lands for the Towne this yeare.
• [15.] At a Townes meeting held the 2oth March Anno Dom 1640,
It is ordered and agreed upon That all swine above three months old shalbe linged from the first of Aprill next uutill tiie last of October followinj^ upon the penalty of vi'' a swine ns often as they shalbe found runing during the said terme pvided that if any shall loose their ringes upon warneing ringe them
1 liev. Charles Chauncey came to Plymouth in 1()."58, and was associated with Rev. John Kayner, of the First Chnrcli, until 1(!41 wlien he removed to Scituate, where he remained until 1()54, when he became President of Harvard College.
- After the capture of New York from the Dutch, in li>(>4, Thomas Willett was made its tirst mayor,
PLYMOUTH RECORDS. 7
again pseiitly aud if any swine be coniplayned of to be vinniiy or break into mens grounds that they be yoaked also.
It is ordered that no oxen shalbe kept about the Tovvny excei)t when they are wrouglit, upon the penalty of xd a peece.
The like penalty for any young cattell that shalbe kept about the towne except they be kept on the south side the towne with a keeper.
It is ordered and agreed upon that Wilhn Tontus Thomas Lettiee and John Greemes shall repaire the hearing ware and draw yt and deliver out the shares and to have xviiid p thousand and are to hold yt three yeares save that in regard of the charges this j'euro in repaireing the ware if they shall not be suHiciently paid for their paiues for this first yeare and make it appeare to the Gov"" then at his discretion to allow them iid p thousand on so mucli as he shall think Htt, but if any of them misbehave himself thei-ein the Towne shall choose another in liis sleade.
[10.] At a Towues meeting lield the xxith Aprill l(i4I Concerneing the killing of wolves It is agreed upon that every housholder vvthin the Towneship shall pay a half penny for every pson in his famyly to him that shall kill a woolfe for every woolfe that is killed wthin tlie lilierties of this Towneship (except i)oore psons that have not cattell) and shall bringe the skinn to Mr John Jenney and there receive corne for his pay but Mr Jenney shall have the skinn foi- his paynes in delivering forth the corne.
Whereas Clarkes Hand is graunted to the Towne of Plymouth and Mr John Jenney is desirous to set up the makeing of salt tiiere The Townesmeii of Plym(juth to further the said worke doth graunt the said John Jenney and his assignes the wood upon the said Hand for makeing of salt there, and libert}' to make use of the said Hand for planting so long as he or his assignes shall make salt upon the said Hand and that none sliall cutt wood there wthout consent of the said John Jenney or his assignes and shall sell the Townesmen of Plymouth good salt for two shillings the bushell pvided that the said John Jenney shall not hereafter assigne the said salt works to any man wch not of the Towne cf Plymouth wthout the Townesraen's consent.
f Mr John Jenney The Committees for ) j\Ir John Atwot)d the count are ] Mr John Howland
(^ Mr W" Paddv
8 PLY M or Til HECOHDS.
At a Townes nicetiiiii liold the xxvitli November 1(541
It was agreed that Mr Willm Paddy Tliom Willett Thomas
Clarke Joliii Diiiihaine & John Winslovve shall make and assesse
the Rate for the piiblike charges of this Towiie this yeare. [Then considerations
were pposed about
hemp and flax dressing.]
[17.] At a Townes meeting lield tlie second of May 1G42,
It is ngreed upon that Mr Bradford will fynd a Bull for the Towne Cowes this summer hee shall have vi'' a head for every cowe in the heard that is in the Bill and likely to take proofe. It is agreed That all that will not remove their yong caltell and oxen and all others that give not milk by the ixth day of May next shall pay xd a head ymmediately to the Townes use as oft as they shalbe found altoiit the Towne during the Summer (except the oxen whilst they work and those to be payed foi' their keeping according to the Rate for the Townes cowes.
Willm Baker is to keepe tiie Townes Cowes this sumr. and is to have xxxvi bushells of corne and a paire of hose and shoes and his tyme to begin the fourth of JMay and to continue to the last October following.
The xxiiith of IMay 1G42
At a towns meeting It is agreed that Mr Winslow sshall have jiower to sell the two oxen at Josias Winslowes (so that he take good securitie for the payment for them .'uid the comodities received for them to be brought to Plym to Mr Paddys Ikjusc to be disposed by him the lest :ip[)oynted for the overseeing and ordering the jjoores stock.
[19.] 1G42
At a Townes meeting held the viitli July foi- disi)oseing of the Townes stock of cattell c;illed the Pooies Cattell before Mr Bradford Mr Thomas Prence Mr .Tohn .lenney iNIr Willm Paddy Mr Thomas Willett and John Dunhame a[)i)oynted with some others to dispose thereof.
The Browne Cowe | had I two yere old i yere old steere
Jilr Holmes had J and a steere and calf. The yeare-
ing steere and the calf with xd was
set against the two yeare steere.
PL YMO UTH RECORDS.
9
The Pyde Cowe wlh John 8hawe was dead
Jusiiah Pratts black heiffer
Tlie Brown l)lack Cowe j Mr Hellot Thorn }
Lettis had is dead J
The Red Cowe in Mr i
JSmythe's hande is dead ^
Tlie Cowes set forth Josiiuh Pratt Thorn Savory Anthony S ivory
Mr Holmes Willra Hoskins ffrancis Billington Edmond Tilson John ffinney
And Mr Holmes had the yereling steere and the calf and the lOd and the two yeare old steere remained to the stock.
her encrease was onely a yeareling heiffer valued at 4£ John Shawe had the heiffer and is to pay the stock xxd and to bring in her hide to Goodman Hurste to be tanned, her encrease is a three old steere and i yeareling heiffer The heiffer and 27d were set against the steere and Thomas Lettis had the heiffer and 27d and the stock had the steere
her encrease is i three yeare old heiffer and i cow calf. Josnah had 40. d and the cowe calf and the stock had the heiffer. her encrease is one two yeare old heiffer valued at 54. s M''* Smyth is to have the heiffer and to pay the stock 27. s. this yeare are these three. 'Jlie heiff'er they bad and Josuah is to have thoue half of the benetitt and Thorn and Anthony Savory thother half.
The browne Cowe and Mr Holmes to keepe her.
the black cowe Josuah had.
[20.] The account the division of tlie stock The stock hath ] by John Shaw
oweing to yt j by Mrs Smyth
|
01. |
\)2. |
0 |
|
01. |
07. |
0 |
|
02. |
08. |
0 |
10
PL y MOUTH RECORDS.
The stuck uwetli
|
to Mr HohiK's |
00. |
10. |
0 |
|
To Tliom Lettis |
01. |
07. |
1) |
|
To Josiiah Prtitt |
02. |
00. |
0 |
|
To Kielmrd Sparrow |
00. |
12. |
0 |
|
for keeping a steer |
|||
|
To Mr Bradford and |
|||
|
Thorn Willet for carry- |
|||
|
ing a yoke of steers to |
|||
|
greens harbor" |
00. |
02. |
3 |
|
To ]\Ii-s Smyth |
00. |
0/) . |
0 |
I niore to Kichard Si)arrow 01,
00.
10.
more to .losiiis VVMnslow for wintering a yoke of steers 01.
10. 0
The stock ovveth in all 7. OG. o
There is in the stock at this Division .Inly 7lh l(il2 Tint'c cowes in tlie hands of .losnah Prate INIr Holmes and Edmond Tilson as before.
It i yoake of oxen in liands of .losias Cooke
It i yoake of steeres came in this yeare
It i cowe in the hands of Joim Dnnham
It i yoke of oxen in the hands of Josias Winslowe
It iii liides to be dressed by James Hmst.
Tile yoake of oxen in Josias Winslowes liands were sold liy Mr Paddy for xvi£ and the cowe in John Dnnham's hand for iiii£ 10. s
The totall account
ffor the yoke of oxen It o.veing to yt by Mi John Shawe
riie stock owetli
rcinavneiiig to the stock
|
t |
s |
||
|
id the c( |
)we 20. |
10. |
(1 |
|
Smyth |
uid |
||
|
2, |
0!». |
0 |
|
|
f |
s |
d |
|
|
22. |
li». |
0 |
|
|
07. |
OG. |
^ |
|
|
t |
S' |
d |
|
|
\b. |
12. |
u |
PLYMOUTH RECORDS. 11
£ s d proof e 22. 19. 0
In the stock now
Tluu-e is i yoak of oxen | three cows I
i yoak of steeres }
3 hides In moue}' £15. 12. 9 J
[21 .] At a Townes meeting lield the xxth September 1642,
It is agreed upon by the genrall consent of the whole Tovvne that a fortyfycation shalbe made about the ordinance and another peece mounted and that Gov'' Mr Prence, Mr Atwood Mr Jenney and Mr Paddy shall agree wth workmen to have it doun speedyly and to repaire the watchonse and make a brick chimne3' to it. And afterwards to make a rate for all throughout the Towneshipp.
]Mr Atwood Mr Jenney Mr Paddy John Winslow Manassah Kenipton Thomas Clarke and John Cooke Ju"" : are appoynted to make the rate for the payment of the Clark and messengers wages.
It is agreed upon that the Gov"" Mr Prence Mr Jenney Mr Paddy IMr Done John Winslow and John Cook or the major pt of them shall dispose of lands for the Town on munday come fortnight wch will be second munday in October. September 26th.
Whereas Richard Willis by his long sickness is growne very weake and in great want It is agreed that there shalbe a contribucon gathered for him throughout the Towneship and that Manassah Kempton and Thomas Clark do it for that side of the Towne towards the Eele River and Mr Paddy and John Cooke do it in the town and thother side thereof and to take a note what every man will give him.
It is agreed that Mr Jenney Manassah Kempton and John Dunhamc shall be added to the comittees to conferr and conclude with the generall Court about the war.
It is agreed that every man shall bring two peeces more of viii foote long to finish the fortyfycacon on the fort hill ^ and that Richard Church shall speedyly make the carriage for another peece of ordinance.
1 Burial Hill was called Fort Hill exclusively until KiJW.
12
I'L YMorrii i!K(u>nns.
1.22. J At :i 'I'owiics mcclinii liddcii iit riyiii tlic xiiii Hi of .Imihimiv ill tlic wiitli yc:irc of his ma" now Kaiuiic MW'l.
Coiicciiiciii- llic placcinn- and disposinu- of iTiancis llil- lin-loiis cliildicn according lo llic Act and older of the Coiirt,
II is oidcivd and a-Tcfd ii|H>n that .loliii Cooki^ Hie yonder shall have .loscph until lice shalhr of Ihc a^v of Iwciity and our years (lieinii "'•'" aiioiit vi or \ ii years old) and fyiid him meat drink and a|>|>arell during the said teriiie.
It is ordered that I'.eiijaniiii Katoii his eldest lioy sliaihe wth.lohn NVinslow upon these eonditioiis nut ill he shall accomplish the aiic of x\i years heiiej, aliciil w years in march next and is to lynd him meate drink and apparell during the said termc and [lay tenii pounds for his ser\ ice or xwiiis iiii d yearely pvided that if he dye Ik fore tlieiid of said lernie that then the said John Winslow shall pay pport ioiiahly to the tyme he lives and no more and the payments to lie made in ( 'oiintrey- p\ ided that if any man els will take him upon these coiidieons he may wtli the approl)at ion of the Covernor and Mr. rreiice.
II is ordered ami aureed also thai Cyles IJiekcll shall take another of his children a --rle alioiite live years of a,ue and shall keepe her and liiid her meal drink and apparell imtill she shall accomplish the ai^c of twenty years or he married with consent tirst so that she marry wth consent of the ma""" and shall have xxx s in hand with her towards the apparelliiiii, of her payd him wthiii a month after she comes to him.
It is ordered and a-reed likewis.. That (lahriell ffallowell shall have another of his children a odle ahoiil years of age
and shall lia\c her nnlill she sh;dl accomplish the ai^c of twenty yeares or he marryed (lirst liappeiiiii;i: ) so that she many with
consent of the ma" then lieiiiu- and shall fyiid her meate and
drinke and apparell dnrin-- the said term.'. And shall have will her xxx s. payd him wlhin (.ne month after she is come lo him towards the apparellino (,r her and shall also have xxxiiis. iiii d for the lirst three years iiex«, after the takeiimof her to he payd out of thai well .lohn \\'inslow is to pay yearely for lU'iijamin.
It is also aeicfd upon that the ;noiiev remavneinu' of the poores stock shallte to Imy coriie to relecxc the pseiit i-xlreme nceessilies of such as are ready to pish -' for want of lin-ad. And
( iMiiilry |i:i\ - •• ri.sli'- is;i
tluvt those Mint li;ivc lo do in disposcin^ llic yciircs (■.■illcll sliidl pvide tlic Conu" Mild dispose il wlicrc nccdc is .Mccordinu' lo tlii'ii' l)cst discii'tion.
The 'I'cwne oiMimtiMl \\\ Mcices ol' the hinds of Chirks Ihiiid to tlie live lh:il iiinke s;ill I'or \\i yeiires pjiyiiiLi; .-i
hiislieli of s:ill ye;irel_v lo .losiiali rr.Mlt (hiiviiio- tin. said teniie if it he deiiiaiideih
[1*;J.] At a 'I'owiies iiieeliiiu' iiehl the xi\ April! 1(1 1."..
It is agreed upon that .loiiu Smyth shalhe the ('owe Iveep for this yearc to keep the "rowiies ('owes and shall lia\-e foiirtN hiishells of Indian Coi'iie for his paynos and a paire of shoes lo he einially h'vyd upon every man atH'ordiiii;- lo (he iiiiiiiher of Cowi's that they shall have kept hy him and he is to keepe Ihcm niitill tlie midle of Novenihc!r next.
It is agreed lliat no oxen he kept amongsl the ('owes longer than they are in worki' upon payne x. s. a peeee to he levyed to the Tovvnes nse.
It is onU'red also That the yong eattell slialhe kept will John r.ai'iies and (ieorg Watsons eattell on thother side the hn.oke.
Its ordered That those that keepe two or three ihills to serve the eatti'll wthall shall have two eowes kept freely for eieli I'.iill.
The Corne levyed for the Cow Keeps pseiit use.
Till' (iov' i peek and a pottle
Mr Prenee i [leek and a pottle
Mr Paddy i peek and a i)ottle '
Nath' Sowther )
Mr Ilanhnry ) i peek
Kohert i)ad(h)ek i peek
Mr Jenney i peek and half in hiskett [hreail ]
Mr Done h peek
Thorn Sonthvvood A peek
Rich : Sparrow h \wvk
Jolin wood i peek
Mr Wiliett I peek
Sam Hicks h peck
Mr Reynor ^ peck
' A i)ottli; is a inciisiirc of two (|ii;iits.
14 PLYMOUTH RECORDS.
.Josias Cooke i pottle Rich : Knowles i pottle John ffiuney i pottle Mr Hopkins i pottle
[24.] At a townes meeting holden the xxixth ]\Iay 1()43
^ It is agreed upon that all housholders wthin the Tovvne- ship shall forthwith pvide sutficient Armes according to the act of the Court for themselves and their servants able to beare armes wthin month after the 5tli June next on wch day they are to trayne viz Muskett either wth snaphance -' oi matchlocks with match calUvers'^ and carbines wch are allowed and also fowling peeces not above foure foote and a half long and of reasonable bore And that Mr Thorn Prence Mr W" Paddy John Barnes and Mathew ffuUer to view all such Armes and to certefye such as are defective And those that want either to putt in a suflicient sum or goods to pcure them or els the fyne by the said act to be extended upon them.
Those that contributed to buy Drumheads.
|
Mr Bradford |
6d |
James Cole |
Gd |
|
|
Mr Prence |
6d |
John fflnney |
Gd |
|
|
Mr Jenney |
6d |
Thom Pope |
Gd |
|
|
Mr Attwood |
6d |
Richard Sparrow |
Gd |
|
|
Mr Paddy |
6d |
Robert Paddock |
Gd |
|
|
Mr Haubury |
6d |
Gabriell ffallowell |
I 4d |
|
|
Nath Sowther |
Gd |
Richard AYright |
Gd |
|
|
Thom Southwood |
r, d |
Thom Cushman |
2d |
|
|
Mathew ffuller |
Gd |
AVillm Nelson |
2d |
|
|
Manasseh Kempton |
Gd |
|||
|
It is agreed upon that — |
Russell shall |
have |
4£ 10s |
|
|
to make the Causey * on the |
mars |
>h to Joanes River |
bridge |
; and to |
1 On the 2d of January, ir)32-.'5, the Colony Court passed the following law: In regard to our dispsion so far asunder and the inconvenienc.v that may
befall it is further ordered tliat every freeman or other inhabitant i>f this Colony pr((\'ide for liiiiiselfe and each under him able to beare arms a sutticient musket and otlu-r serviceable peece for war wtb baiideleroes (bandoleers lioxes con- taining charges of powder) and other appurtenances wth what speede may be; and tliat bir'eacb alile psoii aforesai.l be be at all times after the last of May next eusuing fuinisbcd wtb two pownds of powder and ten pownds of bullets and for eacli default in himselfe or servant to forfeit ten shillings.
2 A snaphanoe was a flint lock. In lt)20 the matchlocks were going out of use and the tlint locks coming in. In the party of eighteen, landing on Plymouth Rock, December 11th, 1()20, old style, there were probablv two Hint locks, one of which was carried by Miles Standish.
^ A calliver, or caliver, was a small gun or pistol. ^"Causey" means "Causeway,"
PLYMOUTH RECORDS. in
have h cwt of bread for tlie psent and the said sum to be levyed upon the Towne in Corne at harvest next.
Those that agreed to pvide the said bread, jNIr Prence 14 lb | and for thother 7 lb
• Mr Hanbur}' 14 lb '.other meanes must be used John Barnes 14 lb 1 to pcure it pvided that it My Paddy 7 lb J be in pt of payment.
[25.] At a Townes meeting held the xxiiijth of September 1043
It is agreed upon by the whole that there shalbe a watch kept in regard of the danger of the Indians; That all the whole Towneship shall joyne in keepeing the watch at Plymouth And that when any cannot come to do his duty in the watch the Captaine of the watch or the Corporall shall put a sufficient man in his stead and he shall pay him and if he refuse to pay he shalbe distrayned for it. That there be six men and a Corporall for one watch wch is to continue xxiiii houres from sunn sett to sunn sett and that he that comes not then to his watch and another be putt in his stead he shall pay him although he come himself.
It is agreed upon that there shalbe a watch house ' forth- wth built of brick and that Mr Grome will sell us the brick for xi s p thousand. That sd ordinance be changed for smaler peeces if they can be had.
That Nathaniell Sowther Thomas Southwood - John Duu- hame and Thomas Cushman shall divide the number of the Inhabitants into sevrall watches according to the form order.
That Nathaniell Souther and Thomas Southwood shalbe captaines or masters of the watch thone for one weeke and thother for another weeke and so to continue as long as the watch continues, and Thom Southwood to begin.
At a Townes meeting held the ix of October 1643 for elecion of Comittees for the Court and psons to be of the Counsell of warr for the Towne &c Mr John Done ^ Mr W" Paddy -^ Comittee for John Cooke 1 the Court
John Dunhame J
1 The watch-house was built on Burial Hill. - Southworth.
16 PT.YMOVTII RECORDS.
The Govnor )
Mv Prence I To l)e of the Counsell
Mr Hopkins [ of war for the Towiie.
Mr Jenney 1
INIr Paddy I
Nathl Sowther J Mr Hopkins Manassah Kenipton John Win8h)\v John Cooke Tiiom Clarke Richard ISparrow and Thomas Cnshnian are chosen to be Raters to rate and assess 3 the charges of this yeare for this Towne for the fortyfycation ^ work donn al)ont the ordin- ance, for the building of the watchhonse and the otlleeis wages (but not the bridge causey except it be finished.).
[26.] At a Townes meeting holden the xth ffebruar}' 1G43
It is agreed That wolfe traps be made accos-ding to the order of the Court in manner following,
1 That one trap be made at Joanes River by the Govern- ors famyly Mr Preuces and Mr Hauburies and mathew ffuller and Abraham Pearce
2 That one be made at Playne Dealing - by Mr Coml)e Mr Lee ffrancis Billiugton Georg Clark John .Shawe and Edward Dotey.
3 That one be made at Wellingsly by the Inhabits thei-e with the help of Goodman Dunhame
4 That one be made at broken wharfe ^ by Manassah Kempton Edward Banges Richard Higgens Nathaniell INIorton Nicholas Snow Anthony Snow John Jenkins AVillm ffallowell Robte ffinney John and Ephraim Morton.
5 That one be made at the Towne by Mr Prence Nathan- iel Sowther Thomas Southwood Mr Done John tlinne}' James Cole and Giles Rickett.
All these traps to be made before the next Court.
It is agreed that 50s be levyed by a rate for the Causy at Jones River bridg fc>r the psent and when he shall have donn as much more thereon as by his bargaine he ought to do then to have the rest of his 4£ 10s to be made up by a second rate.
1 On Burial Hill.
^ " Playne Dealing" was what is now railed " Seaside." ^ Broken Wharf was near the head of the F.eacI).
PL yMO I ^TH BECdRbS.
|
They that |
made the rate for the watchouse an< |
1 also to |
|||
|
iliake these i |
ates |
£ |
s |
d |
|
|
' ffor the bridge causey |
02. |
10. |
00 |
||
|
ffor Kiohard Church wages |
00 |
IG. |
00 |
||
|
Charges the foi-tyflne the fort last |
ffor sawing the planks ffor iron work to paddock To Mr Grooines |
00. 00. 00. |
08. 04. 10. |
00 00 00 |
|
|
year |
for a paire of wheels to Mr ffuUer for drawing the |
01. |
10. |
00 |
|
|
planks to the Towne |
00. |
06. |
00 |
||
|
for repaire of the stocks |
|||||
|
to John Groome |
00. |
06. |
00 |
(^ 6. 10. 00
Coniittes now chosen f Mr John Done j Mr W" Paddy ^ Manasseh Kempton 1^ Joliu Cooke Ju'
Stephen Wood and Andrew Ring are to repaire the hear- ing ware and to have it for three yeares now next ensuing and are to have xiiiid p thousand for drawing the fish and delivering out the shares during the said terme
[27.] At a Townes meeting the xxii June 1644
In case of alarume in tjuiie of warr or danger these divisions of the Towneship are to be observed and these com- panys to repaire together.
At Joanes River
( My Bradfords famyly one
Mr Prences one
Mr Hanbury one
Mr Howland one
ffrancis Cooke one
Phineas Pratt
Gregory Armestrong
John Winslow I Mr Lee
If^ PLYMOUTH BE CORDS.
At the Ele RivcM-
u
Tliomas Little
Tlioin Williams
John Smith
Robt ffinuey -' Alauasseh Kempton
Josepii Warren
Richard Church
Robt Bartlet
and the rest
Plymouth towneship~] fffrancis Goulder
according to order ( Wellingsly > Edmon Tilson
given I tJolni Sraaley
And for a watch It is ordered that the watches shalbe observed as they were the last yeare vii men of a night and to beginn half an hovver before the sunn sett and to pa}' iiii d an liower for every one that comes after And if any come not themselves nor send not a sufficient man he shalbe fyned. And Xathaniell Sowthe ' and Thom Southwood masters of the watch.
Orders agreed upon by the Couusell of warr. That the leade bo made up into bullelts and men hyred to do it.
That when an Alarum is made and continued in Plymouth Duxborrow or Marshfeild There shalbe twenty men sent from Plymouth and as many from Duxborrow and tenn from Marsh- feild to releeve the place where the Alarum is so continued.
And when any of these places stand in ueede of help upon the continuance of* the Alarum Then a Beacon to be fyred or els a great fyer to be made from Plymouth upon the Galhouse hill, on the Captain Hill for Duxborrow And on a hill by Mr Thomas his house for Marshfeild. -
[28.] At a Townes meeting xxiith .luly 1644 for the ordering of the poores stock.
By ]\rr Bradford Mr Prence Mr John Done Uv Tiiomas Willett and John Dunhame.
Josias Cooke is to have the yoake of steeres wch are in hands untill the first of November come twelve months and is to leade for them fourty loades of wood as he shalbe appoynted.
1 Sowther is here meant.
- Galliousc Hill was Gallows Hill, and was the high gi'ouiirl between Mur- dock's Pond and Sanioset Street. Th(> Hill in Marslitield was that lying south of the Webster I'laee.
PLYMOUTH REOOnDS. 19
There was u hiowne heiffer well eiiine in out of the xv£ Weh heiffer is putt to Willm Pontus for two yeares and if she have not a calf the first yeare then he is to be paycl for the wintering of her this j'eare as other have, hut if she have a Calf then not, and to have her two yeares on the same termes other have thother Cowcs.
Josuah Pratt and } Are to have the Covve (that
Thom Savory ) Josuah had) betwixt them
but Josnah to have two parts and Thom one pte. The Cowe that Edmond Tilson had hath a cowe calf wch the said PLdmond is to winter and to have vi s out his stock for that half wch belongs to the stock.
i^dmond Tilson ] are to have the Cowe at Edmond
• Saimiell Eddy j Tilsons betwixt them, but Edmond
to have two pts and Samuel one pt and Edmond to winter her and Samuel pay his part thereof. Mr John Holmes ^ Are to have the Cowe that is wth
Willm Nelson c Mr Holmes a::d every of them
John Hey wood J equail parts.
In stock two oxen, two steers in Josias Cooke hand three cowes with Mr Josuah Pratt Pklmond Tilson and Mr Holmes, and one heiffer wth Mr Pontus, and a cow calf wth Edmond Tilson. These are put forth but for one yeare.
[29.] At a Townes meeting iiolden the xxi th Novembiir 1644 The Townes men agreed that five men should be chos ;n to make the Rate for the payment of the publike officers and rhe lott fell upon Mr W" Pald}^ ]Mr John Howland Manasseh Kemp- ton John Dunhame and Thom Cushraan, the Hate they made was for v£ v s
The eight of A prill 1645
Mr Bradford Mr I'rence Mr Paddy Mr Done Nathaniell Souther and Thomas Southwood for and on behalf of the Towne agreed wth James Cole that his soun Heugh Cole should keepe the Cowes this yeare from the middle of this instant Aprill nntill the middle of November following and shall have fifty bushells of corne for his paynes and shall bring them up ever}' morning to bee milked and then carry them forth to feede and bring them hoame at night. The Corne is to be equally levyed according
20 PLYMOUTH JiECOBDS.
to the mimhcr when they are brouglit together and eieli man to pay liis [)[)()icon as it shall come to.
[oO.] 1040 The disposall of ye poors stock that year.
goodman Tillson (in ye division) hath ye lief er of 2 years olde and ye stociv had a yearling bull and a cow calfe. And he was to ]>ay to ye stock 1£ 7s Gd tliis was paid in coi iie to ye use of ye pore a j^ear after viz 5 bnshells to old goodman pontis and ten busliells lent to John Dunham junior and 2 Imshell still remaining in ye hands of John Dunhame which he is redy to paj'. This 2 bushels of corne in goodman's donham's hand is alowed to goodman [)0utis. 1650. JMrllolums^ had a 2 yearling stear valued at 2£ so he had the stear and ye stock was to have 1£ which is yett unpaid.
.losuah Prate and Thomas Savor}' had a yearling heafer and a Bull calfe the hefer valued at 2£ os and the calfe at 2()s The stock is to pay them 1 £ 7s Od That is to Josu;di 18.s 4(1 and to Tiiomas Saverey 9s 4d
Mr AYillett bouglit at ye same time a 3'earling heafer and 3^0 bull calfe which came from Josuah's parte and a yearling bull of Tillsons at 4£ os paid as foUoeth to Josuah 18s 8d and to Tho : Saveray 9s 4d paid more for ye poors use 8 3'eards of coten at 2s per yeard 16s 5d more to Tho. Clark for exchange of a beast and los for wintering of a beast belonging to ye stock, rest due from Mr Willett.
The cow calfe that came fiom Tilson was sould to Jolui Dunham and Sam Eedy at 18s John Dunham hath paid his part 9s in a saw which Kenebeck must answer and Eedy is still debtor.
[:51 .] At a towne meeting the 10 of Desem 1646
It was iigreed that whosoever corns not to ye towne meet- ing being thereunto warned at ye time appoynted shall forfite to ye towns use for every shuch defalte 12d exept he have a suffi- cent and lawfull excuse.
William Hoggkins - Christopher Winter
1 Holmes is here meant.
- Willium Iloskins is here meant.
PLYMOUTH RECORDS. 21
Ralph Joaues frauds Cooke Jacob Cooke William Spooner Ml- Howland Joseph Rarasdeu John Cooke francis Billington Mr Lee
Sam. Sturtevaut Edward Gray John Shavvr Steven Briaut John Winslow Sam King p]phrem Tincome Sara Cntbert Ed Doty Mv Holmes James Hurst John Howard WilUiam Nellsou John Morton John Moses Tho. Letice
lieuteiiiiut
Tlio Southworth James Cole AV^illiam Browne Mr Pady Honoris Attkius Mr Willett :Mr Bradford John Smyth Seuior John Thomson Rich. Sparrew John Wood Tho. Sherive Anderew Ring Rich Wright Gabricll ffallowell
22 PLYMOUTH RECORDS.
Elder C'nshiimn Jos Pratt John ffinnoy Tho Savorey Giles Ricket Tho. Pope Georg Wattson John Barnes VA Hohnan John Donham S en Saranell Dunham James Glace John Jonrden Sara. Eedy Steven Woode Henery Woode Ed. Tillson ffrancis Gonlder
Tho. Whitney
Nath. Morton
John Dunham Junior
John Churchell
Manasah Kempton
Epherem Morton
Tho. Morton
Robert fflney
Thomas Clarke
Georg Bon ham
John ffance
Rich. Smith
Robert Bartlett
Tho. Little
Nath. Warren
John Smith
William harlow
[.'52.] At a towne meeting ye 4 iJes"" 1G47 Mr Rowland ^
Mr Willet | were chosen to make the rate
Mr Pady \- foi- conion charges being
Manasah Kem|)ton I 3£ And allso 25 pounds for and John Donham J ye meeting house.
PLYMOUTH RECORDS. 23
The 81 July 1G52
The division of the stock of the pore vvus made between The Gove'r goodmau Dunham and Will Paddy. .lolin Ileywood is to keepe the cow hee had this psent yeare ensueinge :
his Increase for ye last 2 years were a stere of year and vantage valued at 34s and a cowe-calfe of this year valued at 22s.
in ye division he had the cow-calfe at ye prise tlie stock hath ye steer and is to pay him Gs
John donham had Increase only one yearling stear valued at 34s he bought ye halfe and is to i)ay to William Nellsou 10s and to John ho ward 6s.
AVilliam Nellson hath Increase a yearling heafer valued at 50s and 2 cow-calves valued at 40s. he having a young cow before ye half only of her belonging to ye stock, valued at 5£ his part iK'ing oOs.
the stocke is now to have ye said yong cowe wholy ye riext year.
And he is thus paid for his |)art, 4Us in ye yong catle and 10s by John dunliam as aforesaid
John howard is to have ye cow he had this present in- suing year.
John donham is to have ye cow he had in ye same maner
and John Smith likewise his.
The old cow that is at William Xellson's is sould Ity us to John dunham senior for 4£ G bushells of rye being allreaay gone upon her head to francis Billington ye rest he is to make way for upon demand. AA^'illiam Nellson hath only now in his hand ye yong cowe afforesaid which he is to keep this insiiing year.
a smale debt or 2s to
be cleared by Mr Paddys stock
|
\ due now to ye stock lGo2 |
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|
a yearling stear that came |
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from John heawards cowe an |
d |
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7s. from Mr Pady and Mr W |
iUett |
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for halfe a calfe of John Sm |
iths |
[;5;5.] Mr Bradford Governor March the 4"' 1647
Such as were apointed by the Towneshi|) of new Plym- outh to dispose of lands hfvye granted nnt(j TJiomas Little of
24 PLYMOVTH RECORDS.
Plymouth aforsaid five acres oi upland medow beyond Thomas Clarks farnie at a l)iooke comonly called the Indian brooke ^ the medow bcintr mutch of it nought the lower end of the said medow is to l)c uudcistood the said five acres of upland medow to apertaiiie luilo the said Thomas littell so long asafter himselfe or any of his posterity shall Remayn within the limits of the towneshipe of Plymouth aforsaid but if both him and them shall all depart tlie towneship aforsaid then yt the fi\ e acres of medow aforsaid is to Return into the lands and disposing of the aforsaid Tovvne of Plymouth.
164G
At a Towuesmeetiug of theTowneof plymouth which was in October the yeare above written was gianted unto John hay- wood of the towne aforsaid 4 acres of upland ground lying neer unto goodman hursts brooke •^ adjoyning unto the gardin plote of the said John hayward and so to extend it selfe in length into the woods westerly provided yt he alow a sullitient pasage for cattell betwexte the Swampe lying at the nethei- end of the land and the land it selfe.
[34.] Clu-istopher Winter
INIr Rowland ffrancis Cooke Jacob Cooke William Spooner John Cooke Joseph Ranisdeu ffrancis Billiugton Will, hoskins Mr Lee
Samuell Sturtevaut Kdward Gray John Shaw Samuel King Kphraim Tinkham Samuell Cntbert John Dunham Junior John howard
1 At Manoniet Ponds.
'^ Tliis brook was what is now (u»11{hI ('old Spring Brook.
PLYMOUTH RECORDS. 25
William Nellson
John Morton
John Moses abs
Tho. Lettice
Lieutenant Southworth
James Cole sen
Willam Browne
Mr Paddy
Sarauell Hickes
Captaine Willet
Mr Bradford
John Smith Jun abs
John Wood
Andrew Ring abs
Richard Wright
Gabriell ffallowell
Elder Cnshman
Tho. Savory
Gyles Rickard Sen
Tho. Pope
George Watson
John Browne
Edward holmnn abs
John Dunham Sen
Samuell Dunham
John Jurden abs
Samuell Eedy abs
henery Wood
Edward Tillson
ffrancis Goulder
Tho. Whitney
Nathaniell Morton
John Churchell abs
Mannasses Kem[)ton ,
Ephraim Morton
Tho. Morton
Robert ffinney
Tho. Clarke
Georg Bonum
Robert Bartlett
>[atha Warren abs
26 PLYMOUTH RECORDS.
.lohii Smith Willam harlow tihs John Rickard Gyles Rickard -Juii Richard ffoster Joseph Warren abs Arthur hatheway John Keitlie James Cole Junior James Shaw
Samuel ffuller
Jonathan Dunham Thoinas Lucas
^ [3(>.] riimouth april th-; 6"' IZOfi laid out and bounded thirty six acres of land being part of the sixty acre lot of Mr Ephraim Little in the present division of sixty acre lots in said plymouth Township as followeth : lying at a place called the horse neck 31 acres thereof is bounded on the north side tliereof l)y the 58 acres of Caleb Cook ; and on the East it is bounded from a stake in the range of said Cooks land in boxberry swamj) ranging south and by west sixteen pole to the stake which is the noill.'.east corner bound of the ten acres of Jonathan Bryant antl from thence bo'uided l)y said ten aci'es unto the southwest corner bound there being a pine tree marked ; and from thence ranging south and by west 2<S pole to the stake which is the east coi-ner bound of the 20 acre lot belonging to the heirs of Joshua Pratt ; and from thence by the head of said '20 acre lot unto the [)ine tree marked which is the north corner bound tliereof ; :ind fi'om thence by the rang of said 20 acre lot southwest 8 ((uarters of a point south 14 pole to two small led oaks marki'd standing togetlier by the edge of the meadow ground at Jones river; and so on the same rang to S'lid river ; and from thence bounded by said River up stream unto the o8 ao'es of Caleb Cook first mentioned. And the other live acres tliereof lyeth on the northeast side of Jones River and is boiiudeil by said river from the last mentioned range down stream unto tiie upper i-nd of the meadow of Jonathan
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This entry is written on |
I lialf shrct ..r let |
cr p |
iprr, an |
I wlu |
n the |
first |
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luinc of the records was |
rcl)o\nul was iiisc |
•te.l |
m tliis 1 |
)]ace. |
The |
hind |
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Vrrt'd to was in Kingston. |
PLYMOUTH RECORDS. 27
Briant which he bought of Samuel Bi7ant ; from thence bounded by said Jonathan Bi'vants meadow untill it come down unto the bound between said meadow and the meadow of Samuel Bryant ; and from thence on a straight line to the stake which is the southerly corner bound of the land of the heirs of Joshua Pratt and from thence by sd prats land north v\-est 3 quarters of a point westerly 70 pole to a stake and stones on the side of a hill ; and from thence on the same range 45 pole more to a pine tree marked on the * * * * i^jn near the meadow ground ; and so on the same rang lurne t(^ * * * * * ground ; and from thence bounded by the edge of the upland * * * nty two pole to the two small red oaks marked by the meadow side * * * mentioned. There being allowance * * way through gates or bars ; cross the last * * ed five acres
John Bradford Samuell Sturtevant
- [37.] The 27th 6 mo IGoO
Willi Nelson : is to keepe the ould cow that is in liis hand this psent yeare.
John Heywood is to keepe tlie yonge cow that is in his hand for this psent 3'eare.
Tho Savor}^ is to keepe the cow in that is in his hand fur this yeare.
John Smith is to have the Cow that is in goodman Pontus hand for this yeare.
Willi Nelson is to have a heyfer that is a yeare ould and vantidg halfe belonginge to the stock and the other to liimselfe : and is to keepe her foi- three yeare to the halfes.
Willi Paddy is debt to halfe a calfe wh was John Dun- hams att 12s to pay to the stock.
[38.] The pors stock being caled in 1 (U8 August 4th
1 eowe at William i)ontis. The Increase a yearling steere and a cow calfe. 1 John Dunham and Sam. Eed}'. The Increase a year- ling het'er and a bull calfe. 1 heifer at William Nelson. Increase a covv calfe and 1 cow ])etween Will Nelson and Haward a yearling steere
The stock hath bought goodman pontis halfe of ye year- ling stear and a cow-calfe valued at 2i' 10s so he is to be payed
28 PLYMOUTH RECORDS.
'25s, iNIr Willet Iiatli Ijouglit them and is to pay him 25s. and tlie stock 25s.
The yearling hefer and a bull calf that was Jolm Dunham and Sam Edy was vahied at 3£ 4s the calfe is 18s Mr Pady is to give 9s for ye halfe and either Mr Willet or Tho : Litle is to give 23. s for ye halfe of ye heifer present pay.
The share of Nellsons is valued at 2£ 2.s Mr Wilet is to give 31.S. 6d except William Nellson can make redy pay.
The catle are thus disposed now this year 164.S Aug : 5
To goodman pontis The cowe he had before
John Dunham ye cow that he and Sam : J^edy ha<l l)efoiX'.
William Nellson ye old cow
John Haward ye youge cow
Thorn : Saverey to have a cow yt is to be bought.
[3*).] At a Townes meeting holden at plymouth the 4"' of November 1G4S, The Rateis for coman charges were Mr Hovvland
Manesses Kemton Thomas Ckishman John Cooke Thomas Clarke The towne have a[)()intt'd Mr Willet and Richard Church to manage the busines at the CcMirt concerning the bridge at Kell river in the behalfe of ye towne
At a meeting of the Townsmen of new Plymouth lioldcu at the meeting house the 17"' of May 1G49 the Comites chosen weer
jNIr howland Mr Paddy goodman Kemton goo(bnan Dunham Constable John Thomson
Surveyors Mi- howland
Mr Paddy Mr Willit Grand Jury Robert Bartlet
John ffenney Jacol) Cook Andrew Rinoe
PLYMOUTH RECORDS. ^9
At a meeting of the Townsmen of Plymouth hohlen at the meeting house the * of November 1649 the Raters for the pnhlick cliarges were chosen
Mr howUxncl Mannasses Kemton John Dunham Sen John Cook
leiueteuant Soutliwortli Wheras a certaine propryety or privilidg was formerly graunted by the Towne of Plym unto Mr Bradford Govr Mr Willani Paddy Captaine Tho Willet and others in and unto Clarks Hand ; at the Townsmeeting holden by the Townsmen of Plymouth aforsaid the 18"^ of felireuary 1649 they the said Mr Bradford Mr Paddy and Mr Willet did freely and fully surrender all theire said Right and Enterest which they have formerly had in the said Hand unto the Township of Plymouth.
[40.] The pores stock was taken uotis of by William Brad- ford and John Dunham senior this 26 day of August 165r>.
The cow which John Smith had is dead without any in- crease.
The cow John Dunham had was also boged and dyed. And her increase kild by the wolf.
The cowe at William Nelsons hath no Increase but one that was lost And we have changed her for a yonger with calfe as is suposed. And he is to paye the stock.
The cowe John Heaward had hath encrease a cow-calfe of this year valued 15s and a two year old stear of which is to have half when sould and he hath the calfe in part thereof.
And let him keepe the cowe still upon the former termes.
And the other is in the hands of William Nelson.
[41.] At a Generall meeting of the Townsmen of New Plymouth holden at the house of Mr Willam Bradford Gouv the 18*'' of febreuary 1649
Wheras in Regard to the distance of our habitations and sundry other Inconveniencies the whole Town cannot Redyly com together to acte in the Redrese of sundry things in the Towne aforsaid : The said Towne have therfore ordered by these psents yt seaven men ^ bee chosen and deputed by and in the behalfe of
1 In the choice of these seven men the Town anticipated the law passed by the Colony Court in 1(305, providing for the choice of a Board of Selectmen.
30 PLYMOUTH RECORDS.
the said Towne to order the affayeis thereof; Videleset the said seaven men to liave the disposing of all such lands whetlier at Clarks Hand Manomet ponds or any other place within the libbertj'es of the said Town undisposed of : to the use of such of the said towne as are in want for theire psent nessesilyes they to make use therof as long as they please or their lieairs after them but not to make sale therof if they depart tiie towne but to surrender them upp unto the towne agayne at tlieire departure.
further the said seaven men have power by ihese presents to make Inquiry into the state and condition of the poor of the Towne and to use theire best descretion and ludeavors that the poor may bee comfortably provided for by contriving and seting them in sucli wayes and courses as may most probably conduce therunto ; and allso to see yt tiie provissions of the poor bee not unessesaryly Imbezeled misspent and made away in the sommer season before the winter and times of hard things com : And for such poore as are aged or decripped as they cannot work or any other conceaved by the said seaven men to bee in al)solute need they have libberty and power by to make a Rate for theire Releefe * shall bee absolute necessity calling tlieui therunto ;
And whereas libberty was graunted by the Court holden at New Plymouth * of June last past before the date heerof unto the Townshipe of Plym aforsaid to heard and keepe cattell at Sepecau ; ^ the seaven men aforsaid have libberty and * by these prsents to bier and Imploy men as they shall see oeation in bearding wintering of cattell at Sepecan as aforsaid
finally yt the said seaven men bee Anuuall and yt every yeare it bee at the Townes libbertye to make a new choise by papers or otherwise as they shall see oeation.
Accordingly at the meeting aforsaid seaven men were chosen whicli were These following
John Barnes
Robert ffinne}'
Captain Tho : Willet
Leiuelenant Tho : Southworth
John Cooke Juni
John Dunham Senior
Tho: Clarke
1 Sepecan became Rochester, June 4, 168G, and included what are now Marion and Mattapoisett.
PLYMOUTH RECORDS. 31
Allso yt any five of the seaven meu men aforsaid In ease of the absence of the other two or otherwise shall agree in about or concerning any of the pticulars aforsaid ; it shall stand in force as if all were prsent and agreed therin
And that no Rate bee made by the abovesaid 7 men to exceed the snme of 3 pounds for the poore aforsaid. And if there shalbee Reason to make a larger Rate for the end aforsaid that tlie said 7 men * to the towne that further order may bee taken in that *
[42.] Att a Townsmeeting of the Townsmen of New Plymouth * tlie house of Mr William Bradford Govenr the 4''' of Novem- ber 1650
It was ordered yt whosoever shall after the day of the date * kill a wolfe or wolves and bring Testimony thereof by the skin or head &c shall have for every wolfe yt shall apeer to be killed within the Townes liberties ; fifteen shillings and this to be levied by Rate. And wheras Nathanniell Warren hath lately killed a wolfe before the date heerof yt hee allso bee considered in the next Rate as shalbee thought meet.
The Raters for the Publick charges of this Prsent yeare were
Mr John howland John Cooke Juni
Mannasses Kemton Tho : Clarke
John Dunham S'jni Gyles Rickard Seui chosen constable for the Towne to serve untell the next June court bee expired.
Att a Townsmeeting of the Townsmen of New Plym : holden at the meetinghouse the first of March 1650 Mr howland Mr Paddy Captaine Willet Mr John Winslow John Cook Juni and Tho : Clarke have engaged to pay two coats a peece to bee in reddynes in the hands and custetie of John Morton to pay any Indian that shall kilUa woolfe and make it known to the Govenr upon undoubted Testimony and for such as kill lesser woolves to have an axe or hatchet for every such woolfe ; and that the charge of the said coats bee considered and abated unto the abovesaid pties in the publik charges at the yeares end.
It was ffurther agreed by the Towuesmen aforsaid that the Court order about woolfe trapps (as it Respects them) bee forthwith put in practise viz : that five trapps or more bee forth- with made by severall companies in severall Naighborhoods in
»v^ PL YM Our If iiEOokbs.
the Towusliipp ; and that Nathauniell Morton doe give notice l>y Jjapers of the liames of slich as are to Joyne together for the ^\m\ aforsaid that soe they may bee made and tended
June 1651 ordered that all graves especialtv for grown persons bee diged five foot deep and that all such as have any ocation * * * graves
[48.] At a Towne Meeting hehl at the house of Mr William Bradford the 25' of November 1651
The Raters for publick chai-ges that were chosen were Mr .John howland Mannasses Kemton John Dunham Seni John Cook and Tho : Clark.
The seaveu men chosen to order the afaiies of the Towne febreuary 18"* 1 649 are to coutinew in theire places by the order of the towne for this following yeare.
An acre of laud is graunted unto John Rickard at Welingsley for him to build an house or soe as it hinder no hieway
^ January 1651 Willara harlow and Benjamin Bartlet have killed two wolves for which the towne is indebted to them.
febreuary 1651 Robert Barllet also killed a woolfe the same month 1651.
Robert Bartlet hath sence killed another woolf month 1651.
At a Townsmeeting held at the meeting house the 28th of febreuary 1651 it was agreed by the consent of the Towne that the land graunted unto the Towne by the court at Sepecan should bee Purchased of the Indians at the publicke charge of the said Towne ; when the true ppriators thereof shalbee manifested
It was ordered that wheras there is a Neglect of appeerance at Townemeetings when orderly Sumoned Iherunto : That in case any shall for ye future neglect to com to Townsmeetings when orderly warned shalbee lyable to pay the fine ordered the 10 December 1646 videlect twelve pence a pson for every such default and the said fine to be Required by the Cunstable or som other thought meet by the Towne unless any pson can sufficient reason for his absence.
1 The three clauses relating to Wm. Harlow, Benjamin Bartlett and Robert Bartlett have lines drawn through them in the Records.
PLYMOUTH RECORDS.
33
At this meeting Nathaniell Morton Requested of the Towue a smale moyetie of laud lying betwixt the hieway l»y his house and the water side or Creeke commonly called and known by the name of hobshole allis AVellingsley the said small moyetie being compased on the one side with the aforsaid hole or creeke and on the other side with the brooke Ruuing into the said creeke which makes it a necke the said ********
for the Govers Teame
Tho : Lettice
William Nelson
John ^lortou
for goodman Winters Teame
Willam Hoskins
ffraucis Billington
Nicolas hodgis
Will Spon
for Mr Ilowlauds Teame
Willam Spooner
Benjamin Eatou
Tho: Gray
for ffraucis Cooks Teame
John Cooke
John harmon
Samuell Riuge
for goodman Shawes and
Samuell Sturtivants Teame
They to cut wood for theire
owne Teame.
for goodman hursts and
Ephraim Tinkham's Teame
Themselves to cut the wood
and John Dunham to bee
added to them
for Samuel hickes Teame Gorg Watson John Smith Juni hugh Cole
for Andrew Rings Teame Richard Wright henery Atkins Benjamin Prat
Wheras Nathaniell Warrens
Team did nothing in this
* the last yeare ; hee and his
brethren are to provid wood
for themselves and draw
proportionable to others
for Tho : Clarkes Teame
Willam Shirtley -
Richard Smith
John Smith Seni
for Robert Bartlets Teame
Willam harlow
Richard ffoster
Joseph Green
Gyles Rickard
for Mannasses Kemtons Teame
Samuell Dunham
Ephraim Morton
Tho: Morton
1 A portion of a leaf in the Records containing tlie preface to this list is torn out. The names of Nicholas Hodgis, Benjamin Eaton, Tho: Gray, Samuell Ringe, Joseph Green henery Wood and John Wood have lines drawn through them in the Records.
2 William Shirtley means William Shurtleff.
H4 PLYMOUTH BE COEDS.
for Mr Winslows Teaiiie for Robert ffeuej's Teame
John Howard Tho : Whitney
Samuell Cntbert Edward Tilson
John holmes John Churchill
for goodinan Doties Teanie for goodmau Rickards Teame
James Cole hener}' Wood
rp, ,,, . John Wood
1 ho : Sherive
John Riekard
Willam Browne Leif tenant Southworth
Samuell *
for goodmau Barnes his Teame
James Glase
Jonathan Dunham
1636
[45.] Att a Generall meeting of the Townsmen of Plymouth holdeu att the house of MriEdw Winslow The * of ffebruary Aono dom 1636.
1636 Impr wheras great destruction of firewood is by reason of The topps of many trees are ool}' takeu away and the * are left behind It is ordered by the towne That whosoever * a tree for firewood upon the Comon grounds shall not only * awaj- the toppes but shall alsoe cutt up the bodys of such aud cause them to bee carry ed away as well as the toppes * within one month next after they were fallen upou that each that shall doe the contrary shall forfeit five shillings for each tree to be levied to the use of the towne of Plymouth
1641 It is ordered b}' the Towne that all Swine above * months old shalbee Ringed ;
May 16 It was ordered by the towne that if any shall absent 1636 himselfe from the towne meeting being orderly
warned (which is to say * ) before by the con- thiswases- stable or his de[)ntie : unlesse urgent occation tablishedto Require a shoiter warning; shalbee fined twelve bee in force i)ence for every psou that shall make such defect January '.»"' of non appeerance to the use of the towne unlesse 166(1 he can make a Just excuse
^^It a Townsmeeting held att Plymouth the 3"' * The Richard Towne graunted unto Richard Wright twenty five
AVrights acres to bee layed forth for him at Winiuxtucksett
grant of lo him and his assigues for ever in Regard that
PLYMOUTH RECORDS. 35
25 acres of hee was to liave liad * * in the Towusliip of
laud at Plymouth which hee liought of * * as appeers l»y
Wiuatuxet a Record of Court hearing dati- * ](!;JiS which hee
never was pos>sesscd of * * in any place ; In
consideration * * of the Towni' *«*««*
[46.] it was ordered by the towue that all graves especially for elder psous shalhee diged five foot deep and that all such as have any occation to Iniploy any in diging of graves shall see that they be diged soe deep ;
It was ordered by the towne that all lands or pcells of lands that shalbee grauuted to any within this towueship for the future shalbee graunted openly in towne meetings and that like- wise all Rates, that shalbee for the poor shalbee made auually by those that are chosen auually to make the Rates for the publicke charges of the countrey.
It was agreed and graunted In' the towne of Plymouth unanimously That all such pcells of land both upland and meddow which hath bin formerly grauuted by the seaven men apointed to order the affaires of the town ; shalbee the proper Right of such to whom such lands or meddowes have bine Graunted to belong unto them and theire heires and assignes for ever with- out any exception whatsoever and in speciall a meddow coraonly Called Dotyes was graunted to the pties to whom it is disposed to them and their heires for ever without exception ; alwaies pro- vided that notwitstanding this order and graunt ; That whosoever hath any lands graunted unto them upon any either Hands or beaches belonging to the towne the propryetj' therof shalhee and Remaine unto the Towne of Plymouth in comon ; and that such said psons as to whom such lands are graunt-^d to have tlie use therof for a season. 1657
* ember 26 The Towne agreed that theire land att
* 7 1 Punckateesett over against Road Hand shall
bee lett unto Captaine Cooke and they have appointed Captaine Willett to lett it in theire behalfe which accordingly was done and the tearmes are elswhere extant in the Records of the Court ;
1 Puuckateesctt ou Seconnett River iu Rhode Island.
H6 PLYMOUTH RKCORDS.
[47.] March The Names of those that have Interest and proprieties
1(!">1 in the Townes land att Pnnckateesett over against
K'oad Hand
Captaine Willett
Leif tenant Sonthwortli
:\Ir Willam Bradford '
Mistris Allice Bradford
Mr .loini hovvland
The Holder Tliomas Cushman
John Barnes
Thomas Clarke
G3'les Rickard Seni
Nathaueel Warren
Joseph Warren
Mann asses Keraton
Mistris Elizabetli Warren
John Rickard
Samuell Dnnhani
Ephraim Tinkham
Arthur hatheway
Willam Nelson
Mr Paddy
Mr Rayner
Thomas Pope
Richard Wright
Willm Spooner
John Morton
Ephraim Morton
John Smith Jnni
Gyles Rickard Juni
ffrancis Cooke
John Cooke
AVillam hnrlow
George Bonum
Mr John Winslow
James hurst
Samuell P^edy
John Dunham Seni
1 Tlie name of .Mr. Bradford has a line drawn tlirough it in the Records.
PLYMOUTH RECORDS. 37
Kobert flinney
Robert Bartlett
Edwtiid Gray
Patience Faunce
.lohii ffaunce
Georg Watson
Edward Doty
Jolni Shaw ISeni
James Shaw
(Jabriellffallowell
Nathaneell Morton
Samuell hickes
John Churchill
James Cok^ Seni <
Andrew Hinge
lienery Atkins
Thomas Lettice
John Dunliam Juni
Wilhun Browne
Howard Tilson
Mr Lee
Thomas AV^hitney
John Jourdaine
Jacob Cooke
Thomas Morton
Thomas Savory
rt'rancis Billington
John Smith Seni
Jonathan Dunham
John ha ward
James Cole Juni
Richard ffoster
James Glasse
Mtris Ann Atwood
Samuell Kinge
John Wood
Mistris Margarett hickes
]Mistris Jeney
Will: Shirtlilfe 7i
38
PLYMOrTII RECORDS.
Thoni.ns Littles 5 acre medow
4 acres land to John Ha ward
[48.] Such as wore appointed by the Township of Plymouth to dispose of lands did graunt unto Thomas Little five acrees of upland meddow beyond Thomas Clarkes ffarme att a ])r()oke comouly Called the Indian brooke the meddow being much of it nought the lower end of the said meddow is to l)ee understood That said five acrees of upland meddow to a[>pertaine unto the said Thomas Little soe long as either himselfe or any of his posteritie shall Remaine within the lymetts of the said township of Plymoutii but if both himselfe and all his Posteritie shall depart the township that then the said meddow shalbee att the disposing of the towne.
foure acrees of upland ground was graunted by the towne unto John haward lying neere unto James hursts brooke adjo^'ueing unto the garden plott of the said John hay ward ; and soe to extend itself e in length into the woods westerly provided hee aiow a sufficient passage for cattle betwixt the swamp att the ueather end of the said land and the land itself ;
The Towne Graunted unto Nathaneell Morton a small Moyety of land lying betwixt the highway by his house and the waterside or creeke comonly called and knowue by the name of hobshole allis Wellings- ley The said smale moyety being compased on the one side with the aforsaid hole or creeke and on the other side with the brooke Runing into the said creeke t which makes it a necke the said moyety soe bounded as aforsaid with all the appurtenances belonging therunto to belong and :ippertaine to him the said Nathaneell Morton hee his heires and assignes for ever ;
The Towne Graunted unto Richard Wright five and twenty aciees of land to bee aded to that which formerly was alowed to bee his due which was twenty ffve acrees in lieu of a pcell of land which hee should have had att Mannomett ponds all which fift}' acrees of land are to bee layed forth for him att Winnatuxett ^
Nath" Moitons grant of land hobshole
6
1 Tlie Winnatuxett River rist^s in Plynipton, ami nuiiiin_si through Halifax, empties into Taunton liiver at Bridgewater. The land referred tu is in Flymptun, th^iij a part of Plymouth.
|
■r Ciisliiiinn ; |
:iii(l lice |
|
Isoc- liluMlic |
to lookr |
|
iiiimudate liiii |
11 witliall |
PLYMOUTH RECORDS. .79
Ijy Mr Brtulfonl jukI the Kl the said Ricluird Wright hatii out some ineddovv tlieie to :u- that soe a competency may hee coulirmed * * * * *.
[4JK] A pccll or Tract of land was uranntcd unto Mr .lohn
Tiie 24tli iiowhuid lying att a lirooke witliin two miles (tr
of May 1 (')()( I therabouts of Winnatnxett ineddovv lying att i>v
alxjiit the said hrooke ; the said p'mises with all
•lohii and singiilare the appurtenances belonging tlier-
II(»wlaiid. unto was graunted by the towne unto the said
• lohn howland hee his heires and assignes for ever.
nifty Acrees of land is graunted unto the Elder
The 24th Thomas Cushinan neare adjacent unto the place
of May ICCd. where the land abovesaid graunted unto Mi- .lohn
howland lyeth ; the said fifty acrees of land with
all and singular the appurtenances belonging thei--
nuto was grainited to the said Thomas Cushinan
To him and liis heii'es for ever ;
ffour score Acrees of land was graunted unto Stephen Jiryant lying The 24"' on the south branch of Joanses Kiver
of May 1()(J0. neare liis meddovv there prcnided hee
The said land Renounce and Kelinqiiish all his title
called Rehoboth and Claime to a |)lace formerly
was and is graunted unto John Shaw Si'iii : Called
relinquished into Rehol)oth * condition vvheiof the
the towne l)y the said said four score acrees of land with all
Stephen Bryant. and singiilare the ai)pnrtenances be-
longing therunto is graunted unto the said Stephen Bryant to hiin and his heires forever bounded on the Noith- west ccjiner at the l)rooke next his meddow with a white oak att the ui)er end of his meddow •. (ni the Southeast side bounded with f»nir pyne and one oake tree all marked ; on the hnver end with two i)yne trees marked on the foure sides : The 24"' tlifty Acrees of land is graunted
of May 1G60, Mnt(j ffrancis Coml)e lying next to
40
PLYMOUTH RECORDS.
and thence to .1 Rid oake on the westeren side and soe to his meddow to a Rid oake marked.
Stephen Bryants land Neare unto the meddow of the said ffrancis Combe The said fifty acrees of land with all and singulare the appurtenances be- longing therunto is graunted unto the said ffrancis Combe to him and his heires for ever ; bounded with a great Rid oak tree att the wadeing place and soe Rangeing through a little swamp and * with a white oake by the swamp and soe Ranging to another white oak marked on four sides and soe Rangeing againe to the westeren corner to a Rid oake soe threw the aforsaid swamp to another white oake marked on foure sides ; *
The 24"' fflfty Acrees of land was graunted unto
of May 16G0. ffrancis Billington viz : a Round Knowle of
land lying and adjoyning to the hole of meddow belonging to the said ffrancis Bil- lington on the south side of the Cartway goeing to Stephen Bryants meddows ; the said ffifty acrees of land with all and singulare the appurtenances belonging there- unto is graunted unto the said ft"rancis Bil- lington to him and his heires for ever.
[50.]
11)00
ffifty Acrees of land was graunted unto Samuell Sturtivant lying on the North side of Joanes river on the Southeast side of his meddow there the said tfifty acrees of land with all and singulare the appurten- ances belonging therunto is graunted unto the said Samuell Sturtivant to \).\\x\ and his heires for ever :
PLYMOUTH RECORDS. 41
* 24th May 16G0
Tlirt'L' acrei's of hind was graiinLed unto Jonathan Dunham and three acrees of land unto Benajali Piatt lyino- att the heads of theire lands to bee viewed and layed forth for them by George Watson and George Bonum ; the said prmises with all and singulare the a|)[>urtenanecs belonging therunto is graunted unto ihe said Jonathan Dunham and Benajali Pratt; to them and each of them theire and eacli of theire heires and assignes for ever ; The 24"'
of May IGGO ft'oity Aerees of land is graunted unto
three Indians naml}' to Acconootus AVanna and "Wampocke lying att Shifting Cove ^ to bee layed fortli and bounded with all other conditions and cercomstances to bee ordered about it by George Watson Robert Bartlett Nathaneell ^Val•ren and Willam Cooke ; and if there shalbce oceation to put in auotlier Indian witli tliein tliat tlieii they shall each tell acrees ; The 24'h
of May 1660. It was agreed l>y the towne that WiUam
harlowes ffence of Post and Rayles where it iKnv stands next the highway shalbee the bounds of the upper end of his land ; The 16th
of ]May 1652 The Towne graunted unto Mr John
Reyner asmale Moyety of land - viz : what- soever was then Coniou lying att the u\)ev end of the acrees formerly layed out to Mr John howlaiid and others on the other side of the brooke against tiie mill ; a little brook pteiug Gabriele ffallowell and it att the nper end; To belonge to the onely proper use and behool'e of him the said John Reyner hee and his heires for ever ;
1 Shifting Cove was a Cove on tlie Manomet Shore, South of Manoiuet Point.
- This land included the Poor House lot. Fallowell's land included a part or the whole of the land of the late Stoplieii Maylinry. and the little brook was the outlet of the swamp, which hy tlif raising of "the Mill pond has heconie what is now Slaughter House Pond. This brook was a little later called Dunham's Brook.
42 PLYMOUTH RECORDS.
[51.]
The 30"' An Inlargiiient of land is grauiited unto
of INIay 165'J the Elder Cushman att the nper end of his
land att Joanses river ; to goe up in eqnal
l)roportion for breadth into the woods soe
Ellen Cushman high as the pyny ' * ;
The 30"' An adition of land is graunted unto
of May 1659 Leiftenant Southworth and Patience ffaunce
Widdow att the heads of their lotts of the
Lieut Southworth said Leiftenant Southworth and John ffaunee
Patience Faunce att the Eel rivei- ; this adition to extend a
quarter of a mile into the woods from the
heads of the said lotts ;
The 30"' In like manor an adition of land is graunted
of May 1659 unto Robert fHnney and Thomas Morton att
the heads of theire lotts they are now
possessed of ; to extend a quarter of a mile
into the woods from the heads of the said
lotts
Meniorand : That the last graunts above
mentioned viz : to Leiftenant Southworth
Patience ffaunce Elder Cushman Robert
fflnney and Thomas Morton ; is to bee
understood onely of the wood of the said
lands to belong to them ; but the land to
Remaine comon ; and that on the graunts
to Robert flhiney and Thomas ]Mortou any
may Notwithstanding take any diy wood
within the said bounds ;
The 21 A smale pcell of land lying neare unto
of November John Cooks att Rockey Nooke was graunted
1660: unto Richard Wright to bee a i)lace to sett
The confeirmation on house on ; and it was layed forth and
was on the 20th confeirnied unto him the said Richard
of January 1660: Wright as it was bounded by P>phraim
Richard Wright iMorton one of the measurers of lands
api)ointed by the towne The 20"' It was ordered by the towne that all the
of ffebruary 1660 : land lying att the Eelriver swamp l)etwixt
] '• Pyny" prolialily iii<'iuis Pint' Woods.
PLYMOUTH RECORDS. 43
the P^elriver and the shingle brooke - shalbee Reserved for comon to the use of the towne ; Att the same time it was ordered by the towne likewise that all the land that lyeth betwixt John Cooke and ffraucis Billington not disposed of alredd}' to Richard Wright shalbee and Remaine for comon to the use Richard AN^right of the towne ;
At the same time It was grannted unto Willam Clarke that in case when his land is layed out and bounded there is any that will not be pi*ejuditiall to others that hee shall have enlargement ;
[52.] fflfty Acrees of land is graunted unto
* * Robert Bartlett lying between the sea and
the fferne swamp between the Eelriver and Maunomett ponds with all and singulare the appurtenances to him and his heires for ever ; The 3d of It was ordered by the towne that wheras
September Complaint is made of great abuse by Reason
1660: of the peeling of the Rind of from cedar
trees in the swampes belonging to the town- ship whereby much timber is like to bee spoyled and thereby the town much damni- fyed ; That whosoever shall hentsforth either themselves or any they shall Imploy or sett on worke either English or Indians peele the Rinds of any cedare trees within this towneship or belonging thereunto ; and not Imrove the bodyes of such trees soe peeled within halfe a yeare after they are peeled shall foi'feite for every such default fifty shillings to the townes use ffebruary It was ordered by the towne hencforth
1660 : none shalbee pmitted to take into ptenorship
any of any other towne to gather knots and raakeTarr on the townes lands to the preju-
- Shingle Brook is tlie stream on which the zinc factory of N. Wood & Co. stands in Chiltonville,
44 PLYMOUTH RECORDS.
(lice of tlie town on the penaltie of forfeit- iii<i' for evei'y load !soe gathered in siicli [jtenor-ship five sliillings to the townes nse
It was likewise ordered att the same time that none shall gather any knots to make Tan' and h'tt Ihem lye nndravvne togellier above six montlis on payne of forfeiting and loosing the said knotes ; It being by this order lawfnll for any other in such case to take them and Impiove them ; as thev shall see good : Aprill ' The guns and swoids belonging to the
16()1 towne were disposed of as foUoweth :
It to Mr Bradford one gun ; To Nathanucell Morton for tlu' use of Abraham Jackson one short gun and a sword ;
To Nathanneell AVarren for the use of bis man John Rose one matchcock gun with a fier locke since delivered to him for tin- said gun and hee is to stock it and titt it up on the townes account.
To Thomas IMorton one long gun To Ephraim Morton one sword To John Dotey one gun viz. one niuskett : To Stephen Bryant one of the longer sort of guns whicl.1 was since delivered to Sergeant liarlow
To Jonathan Dunham one sword: which hee since hath Returned, these to I)e kepi * * * Mr Southworth :Mr Crow and Mr Barnes in the behalfe of tlietowni' Reconed with Gyles Kickaid Seni : and (u'orge Bonum and there Ren)aines due to the towne from the said Rickard 2£ Tl ese armes It from Geoi'ge Bonmn (». l.s. (i
were delivered three swords belonge to the Towne
to the ConstaJ)le Nathaniel Morton * sword
by order fiom the Sergeant Tinkham one sword Towne * 13, IGTG Leift JNIorton one sword
1 Tlie clause here inserted relatiiiK- to tlic (lisi)csition of arms is erase( lU'cords by iiiarl<s drawn over tlie lines.
PLYMOUTH RECORDS. 45
[53.] Att the Towne meeting held att Plymouth the 10th day of JanuaiT 16(51
It was ordered that a Rate of ten pounds should bee made and levied upon the Towne to bee layed out in bellowes andtooles for a smith and to liee kept for tlie uses of the towne ; The men deputed to make the said Rate were .lohn Cooke. Nathaniell Warren and hugli Cole :
It was likewise ordered att the same meeting by a unani- mus voat of all the Townsmen then prsent : That a Rate of sixty pounds should bee made and levied upon all the Inhabitants of the Towne ; to bee Improved for the purchasing and procuring of a place for a minnester by those psons formerly deputed by the Towne to enquire out and prepare a place for the end aforsaid : whoe were Captaine Southwoith Robert fflnuey Ephraim JNIorton and Nathaniell Warren ; The said sum soe to bee levied is to bee payed att two severall payments viz : the former being the one halfe therof is to be payed by the last day of June next following the date heerof ; and the other halfe to bee payed by the last of November next following the date heerof in current countrey pay ^ and to bee desposed to the end aforsaid by the psons above named ;
Gorg Watson Nathaniell Warren and Joseph Warren are deputed by the Towne to give meeting with Mr Hinckley and Nathaniell Bacon whoe are appointed by the Court to set out the bounds of the Townes lands att Sepecan this to bee done as sone as conveniently may bee
At this meeting fiifty acres of land is Confeirmed being formerly graunted unto Edward Gray lying on the west northwest side of Joanes River meddow or therabouts to bee layed out on both sides of the l)rooke which Runs from the pond through his owne meddow soe as it may bee as little prejudicial! to the Generall as may bee ; the said ffifty acrees of land with all and singulare the appurtenances belonging therunto graunted unto the said Edward Gray to him and his heires forever ;
[54.] * A smale pcell of swamp or meddow is graunted joyntly
IGr.l unto Andrew Ringe and Abraham Jackson lying att
the south meddow at the further end of the Cove ; Wheras formerly a smale pcell of land was graunted
Countrey jiay " was " pay in prortnce " at fixed prices.
46 PLYMOUTH ii^cOnDS.
unto John Dunliam Juni : lying on the north side of his feild above plaine dealing in case it should not prove prejudicial! to the Neighbourhood there ; and wheras some of the neighbors whom it most conserneth have taken notice of his desire con- serning the pmises and have given theire consent unto his said Request ; The Towne have therfore graunted unto the said John Dunham three acrees of land lying on the north side of his field aforsaid ; to him and his heires for ever this to be la^'ed forth and bounded with all convenient speed and the bounds to bee here entered ; provided that the Neighbours shall have libertie to fetch wood from of the said land as they shall have occation notwith- standing this graunt ;
Att a towne meeting held at the meeting house att Plymouth the 24* of Maich 1661, Conserning the demand of twelve pounds by Richard Church and John Thompson in Re- ference unto a former bargaine about the meeting house ; the Towne agreed by a voate that they would not compound with the said ptes ; but will answare the tryall of it by law if the said pties shall see cause to comence suite against the towne or any that have formerly bine theire agents about the said bargaine ;
Libertie is graunted unto John Cooke and Jacob Cooke to looke out some land where it may lye conveuicLt for them and not prejudicial to others and a Competency therof to bee Con- feirmed unto them by the towne.
Att a Towne meeting held att Plymouth the 24th of 1662,
Leiftenant Ephraim Morton and George Bonum were appointed by the Towne to be Surveyors for the measuring of land as occation may Require within this Township.
[55.] Att a Towne meeting held att the meeting house att Plymouth the 24th day of May 1662
The Towne have Refered the busines about our lands att Punckateesett and places adjacent concerning the Incroachment of some of Road Hand upon some pte of the said land ; unto the deputies of our Towne together with the messengers of the towne now sent viz : John Cooke and Nathaniell Warren to make our addresses to the Court in the townes behalf and otherwise to to act (conserning the same) as they shall see cause ;
Mr Howland desired a smale hole or pcell of meddow neare his land graunted him formerly by the towne ;
Richard Wright desireth a smale pcell of meddow about
PLYMOUTH RECORDS. 47
two nccers which is over measures of what was alowed to ffrancis Biliington ;
Jonathan Shaw desires some Comon land about his house att Lakenham ^ ;
ffrancis Comb.' Requesteth a smale point of meddow neare the meddow he bought of Edward Gray
Ephraim Tinkham Requesteth a smale pcell of meddow lying upon the brooke that Runeth from Doties pond ;
Benjamine Eaton desireth a smale pcell of meddow about half an acree lying neare ffrancis Billingtons meddow and some upland to it ;
Ephraim Morton desireth an Inlargment at the head of his lott ;
The Towne have declared themselves Conserning Clarkes Hand that it is now att theire disposing notwithstanding former libertie graunted to pticular psons to Improve it ; It being now deserted and not Improved by any ;
Georg Watson Nathaniell Morton and Willam harlow Renewed theire Request for their former desire of land att Manno- mett ponds ; the towne was moved to chos some to dispose of lauds and those pticnlares are Refered untill the towne shall take further order for the disposal of lands ;
Att this meeting Willam Crow was voated to bee a sur- veyor for the measuring of lands ;
[56.] Att a Town meeting held by the Townesmen of Plym- outh the 30"^ of June 1G62
The Towne made Choise of Robert fflnney and Ephraim Morton to Receive that which is agreed by the Towne to be l)rought in for the building of a house for a minnester ;
Att this meeting the Towne agreed in Reference unto lands for the disposing therof that there shalbee a meeting on sett purpose for that end ; to bee on the last Munday in October next and that then the towne either together or by a Comittee then to bee chosen for that purpose dispose of lands ; and that in the meantime such as want land have libertie to look out for the supply of their wants in that behalf ;
Willam harlow the Constable of Plymoutli for the yeare 1GG2 gave in his account as foUoweth :
1 Lakenham was the early name for what is now Carver.
48 PLYMOUTH RECORDS.
|
The sixteentli of October IGGl |
the towne |
by their |
Rator^ |
||
|
I nite of |
£ |
s |
d |
||
|
25 |
12 |
03 |
|||
|
The pticulares wherof were dis |
posed |
as 1 |
folio weth |
||
|
Item to the Treasurer |
02. |
06. |
00 |
||
|
Item to ffrancis Goulder |
08. |
00 |
00 |
||
|
Item to Mistris ffiiUer |
01. |
10. |
01 |
||
|
Item to John Barnes |
02. |
03. |
04 |
||
|
Item to Edward Gray |
01. |
00 |
06 |
||
|
Item to Thomas Savory |
03. |
14 |
02 |
||
|
Item to Ephrahn INIorton |
00. |
14. |
00 |
||
|
Item to John Cobb |
00. |
14. |
00 |
||
|
Item to John Dunham Seni : |
00. |
12. |
00 |
||
|
Item to Robert fflnney |
00 |
OG. |
00 |
||
|
Item to Mr howland |
00 |
12 |
00 |
||
|
Item to WiUam Crow |
00 |
OG |
00 |
||
|
Item to Nathaniell Warren |
00 |
12 |
00 |
||
|
Item to charges of Rators att James Coles |
00 |
O'J |
00 |
||
|
Item to 4 barrells of Tarr as |
yett |
in |
|||
|
William harlowes hands |
02 |
00 |
00 |
||
|
Suma totalis |
' 25 |
13 |
07 |
||
|
Reste due to Willam harlow |
when |
the |
|||
|
Tarr is delivered |
00 |
01 |
06 |
[57.] At a Towne meeting held by the Townesmen of Plym- outh the 27th of October 1662
The Names of those that desire nieddow in Sampson's Countrey "^ or therabonts are as followeth
henery Wood foure acrees of meddow
John Jourdaine graunted Jonathan Dunham
Nathaniell Warren lying att Sampsons * pond;
AYillam harlow to liim and his heires forever.
Gabriell ff alio well
Robert fflnney
Joseph Dunham
Abraham Jackson
Thomas Whitney
Thomas Pope
1 This footing is a correct copy of the original, Imt should be 24 19 1
^ Sampson's Countrey was in the vicinity of Assowampsett Pond in Lakeville
PLYMOrTH RECORDS. 4^
Saniuell Dunliiun
Saimiell Kiiige
The Names of those whoe desu-e meddow att the lower south ineddow ; next unto those that have had former grauntes there
(xorge Wa^s()ll
Kphraim Morton
Nathaniell Morton to bee Considered with
.John Rickard some meddow there in lieu
Jonathan Shaw of tliat which hee Relinquished
James Cole Juni : in Joanses River meddow
hngh Cole
Joseph Bartlett
Tlie Names of such as desire Med low in the * soe called ; lying on the south side of Turkey Swamp.
Captaine Bradford
Stephen Bryant Joseph Warren
Samiiell Sturtivant Willam Crow
John Morton Edward Gray
Richard Wright Samuell Kinge
John harmon Ephraim Tinkham hen( ry Wood Twenty acrees of upland graunted unto This is since Thomas Lettice lying on the Northwest side of
layed out a little brook att Doteys meddow being a little
for him * aliove his Comon wast meddow there to him and
* (i book his heires for ever ;
fifty acrees of ujjland is graunted unto Jonathan Morey next unto Sandwich bounds butting on the sea * * for ever
* * and * * ;
[58.] foure acrees of meddow is graunted unto ffrancis Combe lying next unto his meddow which hee bought of Pxlward Gray on the southerly side therof : to him and his heires for ever ;
Twenty acree-; of upland is graunted unto John Rickard lying on the northerly side of lakenham with all and singulare the api)urtenances thernnto belonging to him and his heires for ever;
Twenty acrees of upland is graunted unto James Cole Juni : lying on the northerly side of his land att Lakenham with all and singulare the appurtenances to him and his heires for ever ;
4
r>o PLYMorrn RKC()Ht)S.
'IMie Towiie Iiuvo <>r{iunted unto John Dunluini Scni : Tliut * 11 grannt of huid fornunly giaunted unto him by the court lying att Swan hold : shalhoe hiyed out to him with the best con- veni(Mice that may bee ;
fifty aerees of upland is graunted unto each of those twelve men that have meddovv giaunted to them at Winnatuxett to bee layed out to them there
The names of such as desire meddovv att the new found meddow in the south side ot ^Turkey Swamp
Capt Bradford .Joseph Warren
Stephen Bryant John harmon
Sainuell Sturtivant
Samnell Kinge George Bonum and
Edward Gray Andrew Ringe desired
John Morton a peece of meddow lying
"NVillam Crow southerly from the
Richard Wright cedar bridge.
Thirty acrees of upland graunted unto John harmon att or neare winnatuxet when those abovesaid twelve men have theiro portions layed out for them if then it can bee found with all and singulare the appurtenances to him and his heiies for ever
Thirty acrees of upland is graunted unto Samuell Dunham lying att -^ Warrens wells on the Easterly side therof with all and singulare the appurtenances to him and his heires for ever;
Thirty acrees of upland is graunted unto Joseph Dunham lying att his brother Samuell Dunhams att Warrens wells aforsaid with all and singulare the appurtenances to him and his heires for ever ;
A smale pcell of meddow is graunted unto .John Barnes h'ing att the uper end of the south meddow ; if it l)ee not graunted before to any otiier
[5J).] fifty acrees of upland land is graunted unto Nathaniell Warien neare JMannomett ponds neare some meddow formerly graunted to his Mother ; the said fifty acrees of upland with all and singulare the appurtenances lielonging therunto ; to him and his heires for ever ;
1 Turkey Swamp was near tlie line between Plympton and Halifax.
•^ Warren's Wells— a trart ol luw land l.ctwe.'ii tli.' Sonlli I'nnd Itoad and the Uussell Mills Pond.
PLYMdUTil EECdRDS: Si
Hft}' aci-ees of upland is graiinted unto Ephraim Morton lying on the further side of the brooke att Mannomett ponds over against Sanwjell Ryders land ; tlie said fifty aerecs of upland with all and singulare the appurtenances to the said Ki)hraini Morton to hitn and his heires for ever ;
fifty acres of ui)land grauuted unto Josejih Warren lying- att Mannomett ponds neare unto the place above mentioned with all and singulai'e the ai)|)nrtenances ; to him and his iieii'es for ever ;
Graunted unto Gorge Watson Willam harlow and Nath- aniell Morton ; to each of them lifty acrees of upland lying att Mannomett Ponds at the further end thcrof ; the said fifty acre s of upland to each of them with all and singulare the appurten- ances belonging therunto ; to belong to them and every of them theire and every of theire heires and assignes forever ; this to bee understood that if there is not enough to make up the same ; that is good betwixt the Indians and the pond then to have some to make it up on the other side of the pond ;
fifty acrees of upland is graunted unto John Churchill lying att Mannomett ponds on the southerly side of the above- said hundred and fifty acrees graunted to Gorge Watson William harlow and Nathaniell Morton when theires is layed out ; the said lift}' acrees of upland with all and singular the appurtenances to him and his heires for ever
ffifty acrees of upland graunted unto Joseph -Bartlett lying att Mannomett Ponds over against his Unkells land theire with all and singulare the appurtenances to him and his heires for ever
A small pcell of land is graunted to Jonathan Shaw * neare his house att Lakenham to bee layed out to him soe as to bee not prejudicial! to the Naighbourhood there ; the said pcell of land to appertaine witli all the appurtenances unto the said Jonathan Shaw hee and heires for ever ;
fifty acrees of upland is graunted unto hugh Cole lying betwixt the hither mannomett point and the peece of salt marsh ; with all the appurtenances belonging thereunto unto him and his heires for ever ;
forty acrees of upland is graunted unto John Dunham on the southwest of ^ colchester
1 Colchester was a part of what is now Plympton.
.>!> PLYMOUTTl nK(U)]n)S.
[()().] Alt tlie 'I'owiH' iiKH'tiiiu- Ir.M ;iU llic nuTtino- house and with ;i .loyiit consent agreed that the house for a niinnester wliieh liatli l)in in agitation shall hee Itnilt att the Townes ehjirge accord- ing to such pioportions on each man as tiiey have engaged for the Accomplishment tlierof : and that such as have not bine spoken to: or iiave not expi'essed themselves what they will gixc towards it Ijee spoken to in convenient time and that such sumes as they shall contriliute towards it ; bee aded to the Rest for the accomplishment therof ; that soe such us have undertaken to agree with workmen (in the townes Ijelmlf) be not damnified : and that the said house may be built according to expectation :
Cupt ; .Soutliwortli John Morton Stephen IJryant and Ephraim Morton were a[)pointed by the Towne to Assist Cupt : AMllett in defending against Richard Church and John Thompson plaintiffes against him in an action of the case to the damage of twenty fonre pounds about our meeting house.
AVheras Complaint is made of some disorder and abuse about takeing of the heerings at the yearly season the towne have proposed to henery Wc>od that if himself with som others that hee shall agree with all will order by draw or take them and made equal! devisiou of them to the Inhabitants of the town they will allow him or them 9 pence a thousand : onely for full agree- ment concerning these propositions it is Refered nntill the next trayning day after the date heerof :
Att a Towne meeting Ik Id att the meeting Herrings house the 23 of March 1G62 It was ordered
by the towne that henery Wood and Gorge Bouum with one other whom the}^ shall see meet to be added to them ; shall draw or take and devide the hei rings to the severall families of the Township of Plymouth whoc shall have theire shares in number according to the number of the i sons in theire families and they the said henery AVood and Gorge Bonum etc are to make meanes for the stopage
* th(> said of the said herrings and takeing of them
* to in theire goeing up att theire owe
* p charge ; and they are to lett them goe up on
* for fjytlny nights on saterday nights and on the
* ing and Lords dales : and the towne doth prohibite
* ibuting all those that have enterest or shalbee Im-
PLYMOCTJl nE COEDS. ;>o'
* tlic'Ui to Iho [)loYC'cl in the 3Iill to stopp water when the ^' habitants tide is out of the jxjnd during tlie time of the
* for said herrings ; and tliat they the said pties are
* * hereby authorized to take eourse for tlie [)re-
* thousand venting of Boyes swine and doggs from l)ee delivered anoying of them in theire coming up
* mill
Aljraham .laekson desii'eth a sniale pcell of u[)land alt or neare "Warrens wells neare unto some land lately giaunted to Sanniell Dunham and Joseph Dunham
Robert ffinney Nathauiell Warien and Ki)hraim 3Iortou are appointed b}' the towne to Run tlie line and to see tiie bound> sett l)etwixt the Township of Sandwicli and our Townshiii.
Nathaniell ^Morton and Nathauiell \\'arren are appointed Ity tlie towne ***** ;
[01 .] The l)oinids of .John Dunham ,Iuni : his graunt of forty acrees of land on tlie southwest of eolehester is boundetl as foUoweth viz : on the northerly end witli a white oake tree on the southwest corner and on the other (!orner of that end two young asi)in trees growing * and on the west side with a white oake tree by the way side ; from the said west l)ound to bee in breadth folly pole broad ;
Att a Towne meeting lield att the meeting house att I'lymouth the 3"' of July IGGo
Nathaniell Warren and Ephraim Morton were a[)i)ointed by the towne to give meeting to those appointed by the Court to Run the line betwixt Sandwich and <Mir Township
A certaine pcell of meddow lying att the lower end of the uper soutli meddow l)eing about 2 acrees Minister bee it more or lesse is Reserved for the use of a
I.ott minnester
It is likewise ordered ])y tlie T(jwiie that Claikes Hand, Sagaquish and the gnrnetts nose the wo(jd of them l»ee Reserved for the use of a minnester onely John Smith the boates man att Plymouth hath libertie this year to fech from any of the said Hands what hee iieedeth : and if in case any other att any time or the said Smith att the Hevolution of this yeaie shall fech any wotjd from of any of those Hands or [jhices fornamed they
54 PLYMOUTH RECORDS.
shall forfeit all such wood to tho tovvnes use ; to bee Improved for tlie use of the miunester ;
Att the Towne meeting held at the meeting house att Plymouth the 16th day of September 1663 ;
It was ordered aud agreed by the towne that the house now in building by the towne shalbee att the dispose of the Towne for the use of the rainnester and that for this yeare the sume of sixty pounds bee allowed unto Mr Williams for his maintainance to be collected out of the Township.
Att this meeting Robert fflnney Nathaniel Warren Ei)hraim Morton and Nathaniell Morton they or any two of them are ai)pointed by the towne to agree (in theire behalfe) with a workman about the covering of the minnesters house with shingle if it shalbee found to bee the best way of covering
Att this meeting two sertaine pcells of Meddow ^ were graunted unto John Jourdaine and Richard
g ch Wright to each of them a like portion of the said s- §' pcells viz : the one pcell lying att the southeast end P^ ^ of Jacob Cookes meddow in the woods ; and the other ^ 2- pcell ; soe much as is comon att the head of Cn]itnine '2.'-< Southworths meddow att Wimiatuxett ; and both tlic
DC
^ said pcells exceed not foure acrees apeece llu'v tlie
said John Jourdaine and Richard Wriglit to ha\ e and to hold to each of them foure acrees of \\\v above said pcells of meddow to them and theire heires and assignes for ever ; seaven acrees of upland was graunted att this meeting unto Jonathan Bosworth lying att the soutlieast end of INIr how- lands land lying att a jjlace called Colchester soe it prejudice not a highway there ; the said seaven acrees of upland with all and singulare the appurtenances to him and his lieiies for ever;
[(>2.] It was agreed by the towne that such as have medd(jw att the uper south meddow shall have to each of them a sinale portion of upland graunted and layed forth about ten acrees a man to lye as conveniently as may bee unto theire meddowes tl i? to bee done as soon as the land can bee viewed and thinges put into a way for the orderly doeing of the same ;
The 20"' of february 1662.
The bounds of the land graunted to Ro))ert Bartlett is as foUo^>'eth viz ; fifty acrees of upland lying along by the ferue
PLYMOUTH RECORDS. .XT
swamp l)et\vecMi the Eelrivei- and Maiiomett ponds being bounded on tlie North norwest end with a Rid oake under the foot of the pyne hills by a little swamp and soe Ranging Nortli northeast fifty l)ole in breadth towards the sea and soe Rtniing along by the sea- side eight score pole to a little swamppe peece of ground conionly called the grounutt place and soe Runing from the ^ grounutt place west southwest to a pyne ti'ee standing on the southwest side of a ferney swamj) ;
* - The bounds of the land of Joseph Bartlett the 20*'' of
february 1662, is as followeth viz: fifty aerees of upland lying att Manoraett ponds att the brooke side ; the easterly end therof being bounded with a little swamp and soe ex- tending it self in the length therof six score pole by the l»rooke side up into tlin woods being bounded att the uper end with a walnutt tree l)y the l)rooke side ; and being in b]-eadth three score and eight pole f)-om the brook ; itt is bounded with a marked maple tree standing in a smale swamp on the westerly corner ; and on the northerly corner with a little white oake marked ; and a stone i)itched upright by it ; always provided that there is and for ever shalbee a way Reserved through the breadth of the aforsaid land for the conveniency and use of those that have lands lying on the further side of the abovesaid brook att or neare the old way which cattle use to goe over the brooke att which said allowance for the way is foure pole in breadth ;
The 2'"' of November 1663 the Town mett on some
occations not heer enserted ; the Towne appointed this day month
to bee another Towne meeting
[()JJ.] Att a Towne meeting held att the meeting house att Plymouth the 30"' of December 1663.
It was oidered by the Towne that whereas great damage is in the Remote meddowes of the Towne by neat cattle to the Indan- gering the Improverishing and undoeing of the Towne That in case any neatcattle shallbee found in any meddow that is above four miles from the saltwater viz ; the south meddowes Doytes meddowes Joneses River meddow and Winnatuxett meddowes with all other meddowes adjacent or neare the said meddowes within the said
1 " (rroiHiutt" undoubtedly means "ground nut."
- This land is in what is called the IJrook Neighborhood, and i)ortions of it are now oijcupied by descendants of Joseph B9,rtlett.
56 PLYMOUTH BECORDS.
limitcs of the phiccs above nicntioiied from the first tla^' of Aprill to the last day of August aniiiially ; they shalbee comitted to the pound and there to Reraaine untill the damage shalbee satisfied or cattle Replevied ; and that it shalbee lawfuU for any two men of the tov\'ne soe finding cattle trespasing as aforsaid to bring them to the pound and to have six pence a head for all such cattle soe brought to the pound as aforsaid and the pound keeper to have four pence a bead for all such cattle soe Impounded ; and that the owners of the said cattle so Impounded they or some of tlie naigh- borhood shall have reasonable notice therof :
It was ordered by the Towne that all swine upon Just Com- l)laiut of damage done by them shalbee Ringed or Yoaked ; and in case any mans swine being Ringed shall break into any mans corne field or garden being sufRcieutly fenced the owners of such swine shall pay Just damages :
^ Att this meeting Jonathan Shaw desired a pccll of upland about twenty acres might bee granted to him l^'ing l)etvvixt land which he bought of Robert Ransom and the pond
Wheras a certain pcell of meddovr lying ueare the bounds of Plymouth Towards Sandwicli hath bine challenged for Correction by Robert Bartlett ; which yett notwithstanding hee could iml dearo up to bee his by the Record of the court; and that since it doth ap- peei' to bee within the Liberties of our Towne ; The Tovviic have grauuted and doth by these presents confeirme unto the saitl Kobt-rl Barllett eight acrees of the said meddow with all and singulare the appurtenances belonging thereunto To him and his heircs for- evei ; The said meddow is a pcell of meddow somtime mowed l)y Thomas Butler: and on the easterly pte of it is neai'e a pond and a little swamp and on the notherly [)te of it hatli another |)om(1 ueare unto it and on the westerly pte or side of it hath ancjther pond out of which said pond cometh a small Issue or Rnndlett of dirty watei- ;
1 This land was on the Wcnhani Hoad in Carver.
PLYMOUTH RECORDS. ru
[()4.1 Till' bounds of the lands grtiuiited to Rieluud Wright iitt Wiiiatncksi'lt lycth southwest and Northeast and the vves- 1^. tfrn liDund hy the River side is a wahiut tree by a great j" Koeke t nd thi' northerniost bound is a white oake and the z. easterly l»ouiid a small white oake ; and the south bound !i :i Hid oak ; and is four seoie jjnle in breadth and a hundred ^ in length in all lifty aerees : fore mentioned in this booke. ^ ''I'he bounds of a small pcell of laud att Kockey nooke
^ wiieii'on Kieliaid U'l'iglit now liveLli as followeth viz ; by 5 the C'omon Road w:iy with a Hid oake tree from thence to ^ a great cleft Hocke on the northwest side and soe to the 5- sea; and on the southerly side with the land of ffraneis I Rillington.
^ The bounds of the land which John Dunham duni
5. bought of Benajah Pratt lying above plaindealing viz ; which he now liveth on is as followeth on the southwest corner with a biu-chen tree marked : on the northwest Corner with a Hid oake tree marked haveing a white onke Joyned to it on the northe.Mst cornei- with a bush mai'ked and on the southetisi corner with a white oak tree marked ; and between the white oake tree last named and the said bush there is a very great Hocke by the brook side st:ind- ing directly in the Range :
The bounds of the land gi'annted by the Towne to John r- Dunham duni: which was layed out to him by Leiftenant H" Morton ; lying and being att Winnatnxett which is O twenty of the fifty grauuted to him there ; is as followeth ; =_ att the southwest corner with an hea[) of stones lying on z. a Hocke ; att the northwest corner with a great Pyne tree i^ marked ; att the northeast corner with a Rid oake tree = marked at Wvt southeast comer with an liea[) of stones lying on a great broad stone flatt almost by the ground. W The bounds of Hichard Wrights land att Winiuituxett
2- It lyeth southwest and Northeast and the western bound ~- b}' the River side is a walnut tree by a gieat Rocke and ^ the northwest bound a white oake ; and the easterne 1- bound a small white oake and the south bound a Rid "^ oake and is four score pole in breadth and an hiuidred in length.
1 The paragraph coiu'erning tlie bounds of Richard Wright at "Rockey iNooke " has lines drawn tlirougli it in tlie records,
5fi PLYMOrril BKCOHDS.
'V\w 1)()iiikIs (>f tlie land of Hicluuxl Wrighl on which his
house standeth tit Rockey nooke as it was hiyed out by
Leiftenant Morton is as followeth The bouuds on the
Northerly side is a great cloven Roeke by the sea side
j^ and soe Ranging up towards the woods to a great heap
2. ot" stones within the feild and soe to the path the l)reath
2 is to inn southerly from the sjiid heap of stones to a great
3^ Rid oake marked on four sides; the southerly side to
•^^ Run from the said Rid oake downward to the sea to a
"§- great Ri'markal)le Roeke and soe to the sea the length of
it is from the C'omoii Road w:iy U) the sea;
[05.] Alt a Townc meeting JU'ld att the house of Mistris Bradford att Plymouth the twenty sixt of -lanuaiy Anno lGG;i.
it was ordered by tlie Towne that tiie snme of sixty i)ouu(ls shalbee levied by Kate foi' the Inlargement and linishing of the ^minnesters house provided that in case som few that may scruple the way of gathering or levying thj said sume by Rate ; that if they shall voleutarily p:iy according to theire proportions to the satisfaction of them that shall undertake for the accomplishing of the worke ; it shall be accepted ; the saiil sume of sixty pound is to bee payed the one halfe tlierof by the tirst day of May next eusueing the date heerof ; either in Tarr or any kind of corn ; provided the Tarr bee marchantable and to bee delivered att twelve pence in a barrell cheaper then it shall att that time goe at Boston and the corn att prise then cuirent ; the other halfe of the above said sume of sixty pound is to be paid l)y the * of Septeml)er next ensueing the date heerof ; in wheat barly pease butter or money in any of the aforsaid pticulares ; alsoe to be Remembered that in case any one shalbee able and willing to pay his whole Rate att the time of the tirst payment in Tan it shalbee att lihertie of the undertakei's for the worke ; whether they will Receive it o;' noe and accordingly to doe thei'ein as providence shall offer op|)ortuni- ties the Improvement thereof towards the accomplislinient of
the said work ;
The psons appointed to lU'ike tlie al>o\(' said Rate were John Dunham seni ; Joseph Warren William luulow and William Crow and these or any three of them to make the said Rate and deliver a transcript therof to the Constable with all convenient speed ;
1 The minister's lumse often icffire<l to was situated soutli of tlie Unitarian cluirch nearly on the site n<)\v oeciiiiied by the house of Charles 15. Harlow.
PLYMOUTH RECORDS. 59
The lUKleitakeis for the said worke in the behalfe of the Tovvne are Capt : Sontbwortli Gyles Rickard seni : Robert ffinney Eph- riam INIorton Nathaniel Warren F.dward Gray and Nathaniel Mor- ton ; The adition aiiieed on is to bee 14 or 15 foot in nnto the bnilding alreddy erected to bee in eqnall breath and heiglh nnto tlie same and * ehinnieyes and that the whole honse l)ee covered with shingle upon l)onrds
Wheras there is forty or fifty sliillings over jjlusse of the Conntreys of tliis yeare The Towne alowetii that (bee it more or les(<e) itshalbee aded and put into the stocke for the accomplishing of tlie aforesaid house : ;iud tliat Nathaniel Warren and Epl)i'aim Morton Require it nnd cause ii to bee aded to the aforsaid stocke ;
A quarter of a mile iu length was by the Tovvne alowed and C'onfeirmed unto each <jf the naighbours that have land on the * of the Eeleriver viz ; Nathaniel Warren Robert Bartlett Joseph Warren and Ephraim Morton and the Rest this to goe from the heads of theire lotts towards the pyne hills a quarter of a mile in length and of eqnall breadth to the lotts of land they are now pos- sessed of ; the said addition with all and singulare the appurte- nances to have and to hold to them and theire heirs for ever; Na- thaniel Warren hath libertie from the Towne and is deputed in theire behalfe to purchaise a certaine pcell of land
Natlianiel Warren and Joseph Warren are aj)|iointe(l by the Towne to goe with the Measurers of land att some convenient time to settle a difference about lands betwixt Robert Bartlett and and hngh Cole This day month is appointed by the Tovvne on which to have * * about the herrings and * *
[()(>.] January the 20 1663.
It was ordered by the Towne that for as nuich as C.q)t : S(nitliworth having formei'ly bought about ten aciees of meddow of Mr. Rayner and it being found to bee but five or six Acrees : Rather than to Remove the bounds upon the naighbours the towne have graunted four Acrees of meddow unto the said Caplaine Sonthworth where bee can find it in any undesposed of ; and hee hath [)itched upon foure acrees of nuiddow in a hole mowed by
* was Captaine Bradford neare Munponsettt Pond;
* nted The Towne have graunted unto Samuell Dun-
* yeares ham and Gyles Rickard Juni ; a pcell of meddow
* but ground Comonly Called and known by the Name forgotteji of Mouthers Marsh to each of them a like propor-
60 I'LYMorT/I RECORDS.
Hi'cor.lcd tioii tliei'of Hk" wlioU' liciiio- cstiiiiatod alt about
1»_V oicU'i' twelve acreos ; to theiii and iIhmic licirrs and as-
entiTc'd sigiies for ever ;
[(>7.] Att tlu' Townc nicotin<i- held alt IMynioutli tiie 21 of ffi'l.ruarv Anno doni IGG."..
(ieor<>e AVatson Nathaniel WanxMi and Willain C'larkr were ajjpointed by tlieTowne in theii' behall'e to inanai;e the business about an exchange of land desired by Aennootus which was tiien mentioned to the Towne by the said Nathaniel Warren ;
It was then oidered by tlie Towne that if any of the Towne shall make wares unto any of tlie Remote IJivei's of the 'i'owne to take henings that in ease any shall come afterwaids to take herrings att the said Rivers and soi' come to have benilit of the said wares and likewise of the wai-es made befori' tlii'y come to take herrings as aforsaid in such Remote Kivers Thatt all such i)sons shall beare a i>roi)ortional)le charge both of the said wares and wayes made unto them :
It was then ordert'd by the Towne that whereas att a for- mer Town meeting held att Plymouth t\\v 'M) of May KJoD Snndi'y Inlargnients of land onely for tlie wood therof was graunted un- to the Elder Cnshman and divers others : Thatt att this meeting the Towne graunted unto all such psons th it not onely the wooil of such lands shalbee theires but the propriety of the land alsoe more- over that this grannt is general! to all such as have great lotes on both sides of the Towne \iz : That to each tliey shall have an ad- dition of a quartei' of a mile from the heads of theire lotes in length ; and in breadth lo bet* in e(piall proportion with theire said lotes by the great lotts is luiderstood tlie lotes tiiat were l.iyed out att the first: on tlu' nortli side of the Towne soe fai'r as to the south side of the widilow Doties lott and on the south side of tlu' Towne from holmans RN)cke to tlie Keleri\er : this graunt is both of land and wood; [)rovidi'd that this doth not prejudice any for- mer graunts ;
Att this meeting ten aeives of land was graunted unto Thomas Savory alt tlie ' foiire mile brook lying lU'Xt unto his other land theie
John Att this meeting a smale pet-ce of wood land \\y. ;
.Jordan tliat peece of wootl land lying l)etvvixt the feild of
1 Four Mile Brook cross-es tlie Carver Koad.
PLYMOUTH RECORDS. 61
Oyles lAicbard Seiii ; uiul the ' little town is granted nnto John Jourdaine ;
Att this meeting a little peece of npland gionnd about an acrce was grannted unto Benajah Pratt lying eastward from his baru 'J'o bee layed forth by John Dunham seni ; and Gorge "Watson the bounds wherof is to the eastward or northeast corner of a wall att John Dunham seni ; his feild and soe eastward of a Ivonnd hole to a sniale Rocke :
Att this meeting the Towne granted unto Samuell Dunham -Joseph Dunham Abraham Jackson and Jonathan Pratt to each of them six acrees of meddow ; lying in a meddow neare the lower south meddow.
' Wheras a certaine pcell of meddow hath bin for sometime challenged by Robert Bartlett lying neare unto the bounds of Ply- mouth towards Sandwich it l>eing grannted him by the court which yett notwithstanding hee could not prove hy the Record and that since it doth apeer to bee within the liberties of our towne The ToWne have grannted unto the said Robert Bartlett eight acrees of the said meddow to him and heires for ever ;
[()S.] ffebruary 16G3.
Att this meeting twenty acrees of meddow was graunted unto Robert fflnney lying att Sampsons Countrey if it be there to bee had
The Remainder of the meddow formerly graunted to Gyles Rickard seni ; lying between Doties meddow and a place called Colchester is graunted unto his sonnos John Rickard and Gyles Rickard juui ;
Thirty acrees of land was graunted unto Robert Ransorae lying on the south side of Lakenham pond next adjoyning unto the land hee hath there ;
fforty acrees of land is graunted unto Jonathan Shaw lying att Lakenham next adjoyning unto that land hee hath there alreddy
Ten acrees of land was graunted unto every of those that have meddow in the uper south meddow and ten acrees of land is graunted unto ever}' of those that have medd©w in the lower south meddow ;
1 The little town was on the road leading from the Sandwich road at Hohs Hole I'.ruok. - These seven lines have marks drawn through them in the records.
6*1^
PL YMOUTIl RECORDS.
Teu nerees of laud is graunted unto H()l)tMt Ijiutlett lyiug adjoyning to his meddow tliat Tiiomas Butler mowed
A little peece of swarni) was graunted unto Andi-ew Kinge lying between the ' pond on the backside the fort liill and (labriell ffallowells ffence
Ten acrees of land graunted unto Stephen Bryant adjoyn- ing to his meddow formerly graunted by the towne ;
Thirty acrees'of land was graunted unto Gorg Bonum lying southerly to that laud which hee bought of ICdward Gray ;
Thirty acrees of land w'as graunted to Gyles Kichard Juui ; lying next adjoyning to his fathers meddow before mentioned
Thirty acrees of land is graunted unto Willam Nelson lying on the North side of Jonses River meddow on both sides of the brookethat goes from Mr. .Joseph Bradfords ; soe as it bee not prejudiciall to the naighbours ;
In case it soe fall out that there is more meddow in the place where Robert Bartlett hath meddow above expressed that then the towue have graunted that which Reraaines unto Joseph Bartlett soe it exceed not six acrees ;
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[69.] |
March the 22 cond 1663 |
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The owners |
- The severall lotes on Puncateesett |
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names |
Necke are as followeth |
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Impri |
I |
Lott is ffogglaud bounded with a well |
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Mr howland |
or springe and a Cedar bush on the north |
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Mr Cushuian |
beach therof ; and one share lying on |
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the east side of the South point of the |
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necke ; bounded att the South end with |
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the highway ; and goeth downe to the |
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creekes mouth ; the west side bounded |
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with the highway ; the north end bound- |
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ed with a pyne stake at the west side |
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and on the east with a stake standing |
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by a stone in the marshy ground ; |
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Thomas |
2 |
Lott lyeth on the southend of the |
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Clarke |
south point and west side therof ; the |
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William |
north end is bounded with a walnutt |
1 The pond here referred to is Murdock's Pond and Fort Hill was the ISnrial Hill and extended across Russell Street.
- Puncateesett Necke was on Seconnet River and is now in Rhode Island.
PLYMOUTH RECORDS.
6h
ShirtlitTc
take standing bj' the highway the said lighway is tliree pole in breadth and ;oeth betwixt this lott and the shave of the first lott to the creekes month sonth foniteen degrees westerly ; and goetli from this lott and share to a springe att the head of the Cove the sonth end and west side of this lott is bounded with the sea.
Memorandum that on the 12th day of June 1G72 that Elizabeth sometimes the wife of Willam Sliurtleffe deceased came before the Govr and freely surrendered up all her right and Interest shee had in the land att Punckateesett which was the land of her former husband Willam Shurtliffe forenamed ; unto Thomas Clarke above named and acknowlidged her selfe to be satisfyed for the same ; and the Gov"^ gave orders it should be soe recorded.
Samuell Eedy Thomas Savorv
Lott is on the west side of the south point bounded on the south end with a waluutt stake standing att the highway side betwixt the 2cond lott and this att the north end buteth to the highway att the cove as farr as a white thorne bush ; att the East side bounded with the high- way at the west side with tlie sea and ffogland beach ;
Joshua Pratt Gj'les Rickard Juni :
Lott lyeth on the south end and west ^ide of the body of the uecke and is on the east side of the highway that goeth to the Cove bounded with a Pyne stake and a Rid oake stake att the south end therof and att the north end it butts to the east and west highwayes and is bounded with a waluutt stake and a dry pyne stake.
(U
PL YMO UTII RECVEDS.
|
Kpliraim |
5 |
Lett lyetli on the eastorly side of tlu> |
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Tinkhiun |
fourth lott aud att the south end hoinidcd |
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.loliii Smith |
with a Rid oake stake and a wahmtt |
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.liiiii ; |
stake and att the North end witli a (hy pyne stake and a stone sett u[) att tiie highway. |
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NuthaiiioU |
6 |
Lott Iveth on the East side of the |
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AVturen |
first lott bounded on the south end with |
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.loliii Smilli |
two wahiutt stakes aud on the noitii |
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Si'iii : |
end next the highway witli a stone sett up and a Rid oake stake |
(Jyie Seni : John H
Rickar kan
[70.] (Gabriel! fallowel Andrew Ringe
Lott lyetii on the east side of the first lott bounded on the south end with two walnutt stakes ; and the north end with two Rid oake stakes next the high- way.
lyeth on the east side of the seaventh lott aud att the south end is bounded with a walnutt stake and the waare and att the north end is bounded with a Rid oake stake
Mistris hickes Sam : hiekcs
Thomas Lettico Rich: Wright
lO
lott lyeth on the east side of the body of the necke and on tlie north side of the east and west highway att the east end butteth on and bounded att the said end with a stake and a little walnutt tree in swampy ground ; aud att the head being the west end aud next the highway that goeth through the body of the necke aud soe to the maine it is bounded with a smale Rid oake and a pyne tree ;
Lott lyeth on the north side of the 9*'' lott and buteth home to the waar bounded att the e.ast end with a little walnutt tree in swampy ground and a Rid oake stake and att the west end with a pyne tree aud a walnutt stake,
PLYMOUTH BECORDS.
65
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Mistris Jenney Joseph Ramsden |
I I |
Lott lyoth on the noith side of the 10th lott and is bounded att the cast end with a Rid oake stake and a Imrcli tree and gocth to the waare and att the west end on tlie sontli side it is bounded with a waluutt stake and the nortii side bounds at the liead to bee Regulated att the head in tlie s.vamp according to tliis wahuitt stake |
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Mistris Warren Joseph Warren |
12 |
Lott is on the North side of the eleventh lott : att the east end it buteth to the waare and is bounded with a burch ti'ee and and an alder stake : and att the west end it is butted to the high- way ; and the bounds to bee Regulated according to the south head bounds of the 11* lott which is now a walnutt stake and the north head bounds of the thirteenth lott which is a burch tree in the swamp |
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Willam Browne P^dmund T ilsou |
\3 |
Lott is on the north side of the 12th lott goeth to the waare att the east end and is bounded with an alder stake and a white oake stake standing by the end of an alder tree and att the west end and north side it is bounded with a burch tree standing in the swamp the south head bounds of this lott to bee Regulat- ed according to this burch tree ; and the north head bounds of the 10'^ lott which is a walnutt stake ; |
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John Wood Thomas Pope |
14 |
Lot lyeth on the north side of the 13"^ lott on the east side is bounrled with a white oake stake and a beach tree buteth to the water and att the west end is bounded with a burch tree in the swamp and a white oake stake ; |
H(i
PL y MOUTH RECORDS.
[71.]
Robt'i't Loc Edwnrd Dontev
15 } Lot lyeth on the north si.k' of the Utli [lott and on the east end is hounded witli ja Beach tree and a great dry white o;ike and goeth to the water ; and att the head next the highway with two white oal;e stakes ;
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Francis Billington .James Sliaw |
16 |
Lott lyeth on the north sicU' of the LV' lott att the east end bounded with a great dry white oake tree and a great white wood tree ; and goeth to the water ; and the west end bounded with a white oake stake and a Rid oake stake ; |
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John Dunliam seni : Jonathan Dunham |
17 |
Lott lyeth on the north side of the 16"' lott and att the east end is ])ounded with a white wood tree and a flatt blake stumpe that stands by the water side : and att the head and west end thcrof ; with a Rid oake stake ; and a walnntt stake ; |
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Francis Cooke John Cooke |
18 |
lott is on the north side of the 17"' lott and att the east end is bonnded with a blacke flatt stump by the water side and a great white- wood tree and att the west end with a walnntt stake and a Rid oake stake |
Samuell Sturtivant Edwaid CJray
Lott is on the north side of the 18"' lott and att the east end is bounded with a great whitewood tree and a Rid oake tree and att the head and west end therof it is bounded with a Rid oake stake and a walnntt stake. The 17: 18 and 11): lotts are 96 pole in length which is to be measured from the west end and then what land falleth att the foot betwixt the water and them is to be equally de- vided to them in Respect of theire Infe- rior quallitie to other lots ;
PLYMOUTH RECORDS.
H7
* Winslow Ooroe Bon II m
Robert ttinney Samuell Kinoe
Gonge Watson John Shaw senier
20 j I'^t^t h'eth on the west side of the body !of the necke and is bounded with a Rid oake bush att the west end therof att tlie east and west highway side and on the north side and west end it is bounded with a willow stake by a smale Rocke Istone it extends from the Cove highway to the way in the body of the necke and lyeth on the north side of the east and svest highway ;
Lott is on the north side of tlu' 20"' lott ; and extends from the Cove to the highway in the body of the necke and on the south side at the west end is boiuided with a willow stake : and on the uorlli side of the south end with a Rid oake stake ;
22
Lott is on the north side of the 21 lott bounded at the west end with a Rid oake stake and a pyne tree and extends from the water to the highway in the middle of the necke ;
Willam harlow henery Attkins
23
Lott lyeth on the north side of the 22 lott bounded att the west end with a pyne tree and a walnutt stake and ex- tends from tlie water to the higliway in the middle of the necke ;
James Cole
seni :
Robert Bartlett
[72.] Samuell Dunham James Cole Jnni :
24
Lott lyeth on the north side of tlie 23 lott ; and att the west end is bounded with A walnutt stake and a walnutt bush and extends from the water side up to the highway in the middle of the necke ;
25
Lott on the north side of the 24th lott and att tlie west end is bounded with a walnutt stake an 1 a walnutt Bush and extends from the water side to the highway in the middle of the necke ;
Arther Ilathcway John Ilowaid
PL YMO UTII NECOBDS.
26 ; lott is on the north side of th(> 2') lott and att the west en<l is l)()undcd vvitli a walnutt stake and a sni:de Hid cake bush and extends from the water side to the highway in the middle of tlie I :necke ;
.lolm If an nee Tliomas AVhitney
27
j lott lyeth on the north side of the 2G 'lott and at the west end is bounded with [a smale Rid oake bush and a Rid oake tree by the bank and extends from the water side to the highway in the middle of the neck.
Join) Barnes John Moilon
lott lyeth on the north side of the 27"' lott and att the west end is bounded with a Rid oake tree on the banke and a white oake tree on the banke and extends from the waterside up to the highway in the middle of the necke ;
John Dunham Jun Willam Spooner
iNIistris IJradfoi'd Mistris Attwood
29
lott is on the north side of the 28th lott and att the west end is bounded with a white oake tree on tne banke and a white oake tree a smale distance of ; and extends from the water side to the highway in the middle of the necke ;
I lott is on the north side of the 29"' ilottand att the west end is bounded with a white oake tree a smale distance of from the bank and a Ride oake bush on jthe line on the north side of this lott it {extends from the w^aterside east southerly 1 14 degrees eighty six pole to a walnutt I stake that stands by the highway ;
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hicob Cooke |
31 |
lott is on the north side of the 30th |
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John Jordaine |
lett and on the south and west end is |
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bounded with a Rid oake bush and on |
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the east end and south side with a wal- |
l^L YMO UTH RECORDS.
on
CaptJiine AVillett :\Ir Paddv
EiWiniiin
.AIoiUmi
•lolm Cluucliill
nutt stake and from this walnutt stake the Hoe to Run l)et\vixt this lott and the highway north 14 degrees westerly for a highway to the 32 lott and to the meddow the north bounds to l»ee ordered by the owner therof and tlie owner of the 32 cond lott
32
lott lyeth on the north side of the one and thirtyeth lott and is bonnded with the said 31 lott to bee equall in quantitie with the 31 lott; and the bounds betwixt to bee sett as the owner shall agree ; and this lott is to have a highway to the marsh on the east side it being the north point
33
lott lyeth on the east side of the North point and highway that is in the liody of the necke att the soutli end is l)ounded att the highway with a white stone and a walnutt stake and from the said stake extends notherly to the meddow to a white cake tree
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]Mannasses |
^4 |
lott Iveth on the east side of the 33 |
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Kemton |
lott and is bonnded att the south end |
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Nathaniell |
att the highway with a walnutt stake and |
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Morton |
a walnutt bush and from the said bush the line extends north 14 degrees easter- |
Thomas Morton l^iclnuxl ffoste
->rl lott lyeth on the east side of the 34 lott and is bounded att the sout hend of !the highway wath a walnutt bush and a smale walnutt tree and from the said walnutt tree extends north 14 degrees east to a younge Rid oak sa[)line : taking all upland :
70
.hiiiK's hurst Willaiu Nelson
PL YMOiril IlECORDS.
>5 lott lyetli :itt the goeing iiulu the iieeke oil the iiuiue upon the east side of the thirty lift lott tuid is houiided att the south end with a suiale waluult tit!e and a siuale wliite oake tree: and att the norlh end wilii a young Kid oake sap- line and a sniale walnut bush ; his breadth IT) [)olc ; and in length seaventy eight ;
[To.] Menioianduni 'I'liat against the east side of the eight lott and against the east end of the 9th lott there is a peeee of meddow estimated att about three aerees that doth not appertaine unto those lotts but Keinaines undevided as the measurers doe testi- fy and declare ; furthermore the said measurers have declared that conserning a certain hill on the southwest point of the 2 coml lott that wheras it is badd they allowed for itt in the measure ; and therfore wheras there are stones on it that may bee usefnll for the gene; all ; that it is left comon ; and wheras there is certaine values of stones lying about the lirst lott: called ffogland : thai they are left comou for Uie good of the whole in consideration that they may prove usefull for the generall ;
Wheras the measurers of the said land att Punckateesett etc layed out but thirty and six lotts ; and that it doth appear by the list of the Names of the Purchasers that have enterest in the said lauds ; that there shoidd have bine thirty seaven lotts layed out ; and one single share more ; Captaine Southworth expressed himselfe to bee willing to bee left out for the present in taking his pte with the other ptenors ; and to take a share for himselfe and one for Mr. Rayner (which two shares make one lott) in the lands adjoyning as yett not layed out ; provided the rest of the ptenors would cleare it from the Indians in point of puichas or such troble as might arise from them or others in that behalfe which they joyntly engaged to doe ; and likewise for the odd single share not layed out henery Wood expressed himselfe willing to accept of it and to take it when layed out for his share on the tearmes and conditions that was engaged to Captaine Southworth for his ;
Att a Towne meeting held at the meeting house att Ply- mouth the 17"* of May 1664
PLYMOUTH RECORDS. 71
AVlii'i'as imieh prejudice acre weth unto the towne l>y llic null ai)i)ccr:!ncr of the townsmen utt Town meetings when hiwfully warned theruiito and that this abuse ariseth by the neglect of the execution of foruier orders made by the towne for tlie Uedresse heerof ;
Jt was att tliis meeting furtlier ordered tliat wliosoever sliall absent himsilf from any towne meeting being orderly warned therunto shall pay twelve pence for every default accortling to the aforsaid orders ; unlet se hee can make a Just defence approved of by the towne and that the cunstable of the Towne shall carfuUy levy the same for the townes use ;
AVheras the Towne hath formerly ordered in Reference mito horses or horse kind belonging to other places and townships Kuning within our Townes bounds that the owners of such horses or horse kind should pay for every one they have Runing in oui' townes liberties ; the some of tw(j shillings and six pence p aiium ; and that in case any of our Towne or others shall att any time take up and cai'ry away any such out of the towne to bee Respon- i^able to (tay the said sume for every horse kind tliey shall soe carry out ; and that l)y the neglect of the Improvement of the said Older the lowne is much dauuiitied ; it was nowe ordered l)y the towne that whosoever of other Townslii|)s or [jlaces that have any horse kind goeing withm the liberties of our Towne shall pay the sume of "2 shillings and six pence for every of them for every yeare which according to their age or otherwise they shall apeer to have bine in the Townshi[) or towns liberties : and this for tlie time past; and for thi' Time to come that the al)Ove said (jider to l)ee strictly oliserved in the ptes of it ; and that whosoever shall carry out of the Township any such horse kind as have bine for some time therein shall pay * * :
[74.] Att a Tcjwne meeting h Id att the meeting house att Plymouth the .s"' of July 10(54
It was ordered by the towne concerning the Eelriver l)ridj;e that our deputies be fully Impowered to treat with the court and carry on the l)usines about the building of it
Tlie Raters chosen were Robert fHnney Willani Clarke and Willam Crow
Att a Towne meeting held att the meeting house the * of October 16G4 The Raters chosen were John Morton Robert flinney Willam Crow
72
PL YMO UTII RECORDS.
Wheras great Inconveniency hath accrew-
ed to the Towne by pmiting of sundry psoiis
to take the benifitt of the Townes Comons
ill a promiscuous and disorderly way ; It is
ordered by the Towne that noe one Shall
Improve any benefit on our Comons except
householders approved by the Towne up >n
paineof forfeiting whatsoever shallbeeKaiscd
four acrees of to the townes use ; and in ease any under pre-
meddow is fence of hiering of servants shall Improve
granted unto and Imploy any man or boy that hath noe
John Jourdaine Right to the Comons of the Towne ; that
att the south shallbee found to bee in ptenorship in Im-
meddow out of proveing the said Comons by Raising any
that meddow benifit thereon ; that whatsoever benifit or
there undisposed profHtt sliallbee soe Raised as aforsaid shall-
of bee wholly forfeit to the townes use
Mr Prence f were appointed by the Towne
Capt Southworth j in due and convenient time to
Nathan iell Warren j meet together to consider of
Ephraim Morton 1^ such propositions and pticulars
as may probably tend to the
Comon good and welfai-e of
the towne ;
It was ordered by the towne tliat in case the Constabl"
Samuell Sturtivant shall faithfully and carefully collect what is
yett un payed of the last yeares Rate to the rainnesters house hee
shall have halfe of his owne Rate viz ; of the last Remited unto
him that is to say to the last Rate to the house aforsaid
The last Mnnday in December next is a[)pointed for a Towne meeting day for the disposing of lands etc
Att a Towne held att the meeting house att Plymouth l»y the Townsmen of Plymouth the 27lh of May 1665
Certaine of the naighborhood betwixt the towne and the Eelriver were appointed by the towne to view the highwaies in the naighborhoods aforsaid and to Consult and Compound with the naighbors for the settling of them for the best conveniency that may bee both to the generall and each pticulare ; and what con- clusions they Come to of any wages that they make Record there- of to the Court that soe they may bee entered upon publicke Record with the markes of them : and soe to bee pmauent
PLYMOUTH RECORDS. 73
Rol)ert ffiuney Nath : Warreu
Willam Harlow Nath : Morton
hiigh Cole Ephraim Morton
Willam Clarke Conserning the land att Pnnckateeset it was ordered that Capt : 8onthworth Natlianiell Warren and Edward Gray doe treat wilh Phillip the Sachem Conserning our Interest therein (soe much oposed) and to Procure of him an evidence for it besides what wee have or a full Confeirmation thereof ; and to Indent with by giving him some gratuitie for his satisfaction Reward and Incur- ragment and that Jolni Cooke Nath : AVarren and Edward Gray doe lett out our meddows therein in the behalfe of the ptenors for this yeare to the l)est advaiitnge they can
[75.] heer foUoweth the bounds of severall peells of land be- longing to Gyles Rickard seni : graunted unto him in severall places.
Imprimes a Lott of Land lying a little from Lakenliam Necke on the easterly side of Winnatucksett River begin ing att a great Rocke and soe Runing eighty pole Northwest downe the River and the other Rangeth northeast one hundred pole to a great heap of stones upon the southeast corner ; and on the Northeast end a brooke and soe to another brooke by the end of a swamp ; and southwest untill it comes to Winnatucksett River unto a white oake tree there marked
The bounds of the meddow belonging to Gyles Rickard seni : in Winnatucksett meddow is as follovveth viz ; twelve acrees wherof eight lyeth next Mr John howland between the said John howland and Edward C^ray ; bounded on the easterly corner with a maple tree ; next to the said John howland with anothei' ma[)le tree ; on the westermost Corner next to Edward Gray with :in oake : and on the northermost Corner next to Edward Gray with a pyne tree ; three aci'ees and an halfe more therof lyeth nt the uper end of the meddow next above Captaine Southwortli ; and halfe an acree that lyeth adjoyning to these three acrees the said Gyles Rickard bought of J(jhn Cobl) and P^dward Gray soe the whole of the aforsaid amounts to twelve acrees ; furthermore there lyeth by this meddow that lyeth above Captaine Southworths meddow an acree and an halfe that doth belonge to John Morton ; soe this five acrees and an halfe is hounded on the notliermost Corner next to Cap- taine Soulhwoi'th with a white oake marked : and on the wester-
14 PLYMOUTH RECORDS.
most corner is houmlLHl with u gri'ut bltieke oakc staiitlin^ in llic meddovv the ui)er end is hounded with the iiphuid there heint; noe mure above it belonging to that meddow ;
Those pcells of land above mentioned were layed out according to order pmee Gorge Bouum John Morton and John Cobb have acknowledged the sale of these smule i)cells of meddow above mine att Winnatucksett to goodman Kickard ; and I thinke Kdward Gray alsoe but hee hath sold it before witnes Thomas Southvvorth
Plymouth the oO"' of December
1(504 The bounds of the laud of (iylew IJiekaid seui : lying all his meddow in the woods which was graiuited him by the court : the length of it is half a mile the I'asterly end l)Uteth upon pte of the meddow and a peece of low swamp gi'ound the l)rooke that I\uns out of the meddow bounds the land all along the south side ; the north side ui)on the comon : the Kange of the land lyeth west in length att the west end by the brooke it is bounded with a marked white oake : and from thence north to a mai'ked Rid oake about lifty jiole in breadth ; the east end is bounded on the north side witli (livers marked oakes and soe to run on a line t(^ meet with a marked Kid oake that stands on the north side att the west end of the land mensioned ;
pme Thomas Southworth May the 1 : U;C.:5
The bounds of twenty acrees of laud grauuted unto Thomas Lettice by the towne the 27 of October 1(;G2 was layed out by Willam Crow the first of tt'ebruary KlOi as foUoweth
Att the Keipiest of Thomas Lettice This graunt 1 have measui-ed and bounded the said
is formerly land att tlu' north end on the east side
liecorded with a young Kid oake tree : and from
in this booke the said tree the line goeth nearest due
south un'.o a great l)yne tree marked and staudeth on the west or noiwesl side of the said little brooke and from the said Pyue tree the line goeth direct- ly to the meddow and at and from it tile line extends to a youngc white oake sapling growing ui)on the Root of a
PLYMOUTH RECORDS.
75
Pyne tree and soe home to tlie med- dovv ; allowance being given for a higli- way tlu-ew tlie said land
AVilliam Crow
[7(>.l A true Record of tlie Ainesurement of severall lotts or portions of nieddow aloted to severall psons in the lower soiitli meddow in the townsiiii) of Plymouth which was done the 14"' of Aprill lu(U as foUoweth
Tlie .six acrees l)eIonging to Gorg Watson which hee bought of Gorge l)ouum lyetli betwixt the meddow of -John AVood on the north side and the nieddow of Thomas Pope on the soutli side ; and all the meddow tliat lyeth on both sides of the little brooke wliicli Cometh from towards Lalvenliain and Runeth into the mainc lnooke is graunted and layed forth to the said G<jrge Watson for tliree acrees of tliat six wliicli was formerly graunted him by the seaven select men ; and wlieras there is a smale peece of med- dow wliicli is thought to be Com )n if it shall appeer not to belonge to any lolt alreddy layed out which small |)L'ece of Geo meddow lyeth upon a smale brooke
Watson highei- up in tlie same meddow calle 1
of these two tlic beaver dam brooke ; if as afo said
acrees see 13 it do3 not appertaine to any other al-
pages forwards reddy layed foith then the said Gorgj
thes3 two acrees Watson is to Iiavt; it for two acrejs
of raj!ld.)w is moiv of tlie said six ac.ves grainted
otherwise ordered by thj s.^iven uk'ii afors lid ; and thj
for Gorg Watson is to other two tlierof b3lo.v Willam har-
have it in another lowes meddow ; ou the west side of tlie
place said River
Nathaniel Mortons Lott is Itounded on the northerly end on the East side with a smale white oake tree formerly, marked and now Rerewed and on the nortlierly end on the west side with A great Pyne tree marked the River trending in att that place neare
70 PLYMOUTH RECORDS.
to llio u[>l;iiul ; there is ;i Cei'taine Cove lying on the easterly side of the said lot Runing into the land there being nieddow graunted to Nathaniel Morton hee Renonnced it lying att Jones river ; and tooke it att this meddow soe that this peell of meddow became six Acrees hee having six acrees there graunted him by the Court before this was layed out to him
Gorg Bonuras Lott lyetli next unto Nath : ]Mortons Lott on the southerly end and is bounded on the northerly end on the east side with a greate pyne tree mari<ed standing on the southerly side of the Cove fornamed in Nath: Mortons lott neare unto the entery thereof; and on the northci'ly end on the west side with a smale Pyne tree marked
henery Woc.ds lott lyeth next to Gorge Bonums Lott on tlie southerly end and is bounded on the northerly end on the east side with a pyne tree standing on a point marked and on the northerly end on the west side with a white oake tree marked ;
John Chnrchills Lott lyeth on the southerly end of henery Woods lott and is bounded on the northerly end on the east side with a i)yne tree marked and on the northerly end on the west side with a i)yne tree marked ;
Willam harlowes Lott lyeth on the southerly end (jf John Churehills Lott and is bounded on the northerly end on tiie east side with a pyne tree marked au'l on the northerly end on the west side with a i)yne tree marked and on the southerly end on the west side with a pyne tree marked standing In a grove of pynes and on the southerly end on the east side with a smale pyne tree on a point l)me Nath : Morton
'r(jwne Cleark
1()()1 In Reference unto the desire of .loiiathan Morey to have the nieddow land graunted to him that was sometimes '['hennas LittU's being upon the Indian brooke beyond INIannomett [)t)nds ; The towne did give libertie unto the said Jonathan Morey to use and Imjjrove the snid nieddow untiil they shall see Reason otherwise to dis[)()se of it ; Reserving -still the propriety tlu'reot' unto themselves :
[77.] 1 '^'n acrees of land is layed out to Ste|)hen IJryant by his meddow on the westerly side begining att the Path goeiuL!,' to Bridgwater: bounded with a great Rid oake att the palhside : and Runs Noitlieily alonge liy the nieddow side to a white oake which is betwixt tfrancis Combe and him ; soe Rangeth to a Crooked
PL YMO I rril RECORDS . 77
walimtt by the mecldow side ; att the Noithermost Corner ; soe Ranging westward to a white oake and soe Ranging south baeke to ffrancis Combe ; is marked with a smale Rid oalve itt Runs forty pole square
Att a Towne meeting held at the meeting house the eleventh day of September anno dom 1666 the towne of Plymouth did with one unanimous consent agree to alow unto ^ Mr Brinsme seaventy pounds a yeare besides his fierwood ;
And wheras in consideration that the said Mr Brinsme is like to leave good acomodations to come hether and therin shall much deny himselfe and that in case he should change his condi- tion and by death bee taken away from amongst us and leave a family Iiehind him ; hee haveing nothing assured to him in point of proprietie beside the said sum yearly abovementioned ; in Reference to acomodation of house and land or farme etc ; The Towne have Refered the matter with like unanimouse consent unto the Gov'' : Capt : Southworth Capt : Bradford the Elder Cushman Nathauiell Morton John Barnes Robert ffinney Nathaniell Warren John Morton and Ephraim Morton to treat with Mr Brinsraee about it and to come to Composition with him either to accomo- date him with lar^d etc ; according to what wee have or to engage to alow him a sume to procure acomodation himselfe soe that the said sume exceed not an hundred pound ;
Wheras att the said meeting Complaint was made by di- vers of want of acomodation of lands ; especially meddow It was agreed that the next towne meeting which is to bee on the next training day after this date that then there shalbee a Consideration of such in som proportionable way to such as are alreddy accomo- dated
Att which day the towne agreed and gave libertie to Na- thaniell Warren and Joseph Warren to Purchase thirty acrees of meddow with * * graunted by the Court unto the towne at Sepecan which is for * * Likewise it was agreed and ordered then by the Towne that Nathaniell Warren and Willam harlow shall alsoe Purchase such other lands as are yett unpurchased be- sides those fornamed in the behalfe of the Towne with the Courts
The bounds of. Gyles Rickard seui : his laud lying next the laud of Gorg Watson lying above the head of Wellingsley brooke
iKev. "\Vm. Brimsmead is here meant who supplied the pulpit of the First Church a short time after the departure of Rev. John Rayner.
78 PLYMOUTH RECORDS.
is as foUowelli ; on the south eoriicr with an heap of stones and soe Rnning fort}- \):)\v up upon a west southwest luie to a sniah^ heap of Koekes witli some stones on tlie topp of them ; which is tlie houiul of the west corner ; on the south corner it is houncU'd witli a smale Red oake tree; and on tlie east corner witli an heap of stones
Tlie bounds of acertaine addition of hand graunted unto the said ^ Gyles Rickard seni : aded to liis gar- den plott hee now liveth on is as followeth viz ; forty Tiiis foot in breadtli on tlie southerly syde below from his
laycd out ffence southerly or tlierabouts and Twelve foot
August from his fence southerly att the uper end or ther-
1667 abouts as it is now staked and layed out ; and soe
for tlie length Run ui)on a straight line from tlie lower end to the uper end is the bounds ;
[78.] Att a Townmeeting held att the meeting house att Ply- mouth 27"' of Dember 1665 Capt : Southworth engaged to assist the Constable of Plymouth iu procuring in the Remainder of the Rate levied for the finishing of the minnesters house. Robert flinney ~)
Ephraim Morton ■ were appointed by theTowne to
Nathaniell Warren i take speedy course for the and Willain harlow J finishing of the said house.
Att this meeting It was generally voated by the Inhabi- tants that the sume of seaventy pound formerly engaged unto Mr Brinsme to bee alowed to him yearly bee Raised by way of Rate and that the said sume bee payed att two severall payments An- nually viz ; the one halfe by the fiifteentli of May and the other lialfe thereof by the fifteenth of December and that one third pte or one pte of three of every such pairaent of seaventy pounds bee payed in money or wheate att prise Current the said money or wheat to bee delivered by the fifteenth of June auually and the other two thirds to bee payed in Corne or Tarr att prise Current ; to bee payed att or before the times foremeutioned yearly ;
Att this meeting a ^garden plott was graunted unto Jacob Michill adjoyning unto the homestead of Gyles Rickard seni : in
1 Gyles liickanl lived on the south side of Sandwich Street on land including the house lots of the late John Chase and the late (Jeorge Harlow.
- This garden plott iiiclndcd the lot on which the Carver house stands on the South westerly sid»( of Sandwich Street recently owned hy the late Barnal)as H. Holmes and Jacob JNIicliill built a part of the present house.
PLYMOUTH RECORDS. 79
case hee build therou ; the said garden plott to be laj^ed fortli by Nathaniell AVai-reu and Willam harlow ; with as little prejudice to any of the naighbonrs as may bee ;
Att this meeting it was agreed by the towne that the southeast side of Captaine Soutliworths laud att tlie Eelriver bee bounded with the said River from the lower end to the uper end of the said land ;
The eight day of January 1665 Wheras John Morton Lciftenant Ephraim Morton Robertt ffinney Stephen Bryant and Sergeant Tinkham and Willam harlow were formerly appointed by the Towne to dispose of such pcells of meddow as are yett undis- posed of to such especially as are in want in the Towneship ; did accordingly meet on the day and ycare next above named and dis- posed of meddow to severall psons as followeth
Iinpr That wheras Gorge "Watson expended forty five shil- lings in money towards .the paying for the south meddowes ; six acrees of meddow was appointed unto the said Gorge Watson in lieu therof ; lying in the lower south meddow in case the said forty five shillings bee not satisfyed betwixt the date heerof and the last of Aprill next ; and in case it bee then paied that the said meddow is to returue to the Towne
The bounds of Robert ffinneys meddow when it is deter- mined by the Towne uext wee dispose unto Gabriell ffallowell three acrees of meddow in the meddow last found out lying neare the south meddow
And unto John Jourdaine foure Acrees to lye next to Gabriell ffallowell
And unto henery Wood three acrees next to John Jour- daine
unto Edward Dotey three acrees att the turkey swamp
unto Samuell Sturtivant two acrees att the turkey swamp
unto Thomas Pope two acrees next unto henery Wood as above said
unto Jonathan Shaw two acrees on the brooke where his father Watson hath meddow att the south meddow
unto Gabriell ffallowell three acrees
unto Samuell King three acrees att the Turkey swamp
unto Jonathan Morey three acrees next unto Thomas Pope
unto John Dotey three acrees
unto Richard Willis two acrees next to Jonathan Morey
fiff PL YMO [ ^TII KECOUDS .
unto Jnmes Colo Juii : three aerees next to Richard Willis unto SainuL'U Kiuge .Iiiii : three aerees next to James Cole unto .John harman two acrei's att the Turkey swamp
[TiK] nnto Willaui Nel^son four aerees att the lowest of the lower south meddow
unto Samuell Dunham lialte an aeree next nnto his other meddow
unto Benajah Pratt two aerees of swamp
nnto Joseph howland two aerees alreddy measured att the Turkey swamp
nnto Stephen Bryant att the Turkey swamp three aerees ()!• where Robert Latham mowed on the Townes meddow
nnto Gorge Bonum that i)te of swamp between his owne meddow to the Ceader Bridge and another pcell of swampy med- dow att Andrews Bridge lying a little above the said bridge ;
nnto Ephraim Tinkham four aerees next to Willam Nel- son as above named ;
nnto Leiftenant INIorton foure aerees next to Ephraim Tinkliani
nnto William harlovv fonre aerees next to Leift Morton
unto Joseph Bartlett one acree of meddow att the second Pond beyond the Indian brooke towards Sandwich and two aerees more att the south Conntrey if it bee there to bee had
nnto Nathaniell Morton one acree of meddow in holes ou the North side of the Cove which land is layed out to him and Joseph Dnuham and others att the lower sonthmeddow It being a smale slip of meddow which Runs out of the said Cove on the north side of the ffathermost slip if it bee an acree but if not to bee made up by the next slip up the Cove easterly on the said north side
We graunt unto Ephraim Tinkham and Willam Nelson two aerees of meddow att Taspequans Pond :
Those who have proportions of meddow att the south Conntrey are to pay one shilling and six pence an acree by the last of march next or otherwise to forfeit theire graunt ;
The bounds of Stephen Bryauts meddow above expresed is as foUoweth viz : it is bounded with a pyne tree marked betwixt Edward Doytes meddow and a stake on the other syde Right opposite ; and att the other end betwixt the meddow of Samuell King and it is bounded with a pyne tree marked ; and oppo-
Plymouth recorJds. 81
site against with an oake tree marked standing att a little cove or slip of meddovv att the upper end of the said Cove; opposite to the aforsaid pvne tree between the said Samnell King and him ;
The bounds of Captaine Bradfords mcddow att Naponsett pond is as foUoweth viz : fonre acrees lying att the uper end of Turkey swamp on the westerly side of the Hand and is bounded with a maple tree maiked standing on a hill side betwixt his med- dovv and the said swamp and soe Rangeth Crosse the meddow on a southwest line to a white oake tree marked ; cereulated with a swamp att the northwest end
Alsoe to Josepli howLand two acrees of meddow there layed out to him lying on the westerly side of Capt : Bradfords meddow abovesaid and is bounded with the aforsaid white oake on the southerly end of the said Hand and soe to another white oake standing in a swamp on the westerly side of the said med- dow ;
I Gorge Bouum being appointed by the Towne of Ply- mouth to lay out such lands as was given out ; as to the Ellder Cushman fifty acrees lying upon the brooke by Jonathan Bos- worthes about halfe a mile downe the said brooke or therabouts ; did with the Elder and his son and Jonathan Bosworth lay out the same begining att a srnale spruce upon the aforsaid brooke it be- ing the corner bounds and soe Runes Northwest six score pole unto a smale oake bush from thence Northeast unto a smale Rocke neare a spruce swamp side ; it being the next Cornei- l)ound and from thence eastward to a great spruce tree
A lott of land layed out for Jonathan Shaw containing forty acrees from tne old bounds to the pond 44 pole to Range up by the pond side above the head of the pond to a smale Red oake neare the cartway that comes from the south meddow on the westward side It Rangeth over from that unto two smale Red oakes about the northeast end of a deep bottome ; and soe it Rangeth north to his boiuids of his lands
[80.] a lot of land layed but to Robert Ransom thirty acrees from the easterly of the pond side begining att the brooke that Runs out sixty pole and Runs away east northeast unto two Pynes that stands in a swamp att the very Corner and soe Rangeth to the brooke that Runs by the side of his ovvne land ;
The bounds of the upland graunted by the Court unto John Dunham seni : lying att a place called swan hold ;
6
82 PLVMOVTH HECORDS.
as it was layed out by Leifteuant Morton is as foUoweth ;
viz : bounded on the westerly end with a Pyne tree "3 ^marked standing on the northwest side of a little swamp ; cc ^ and on the Northerly to a marked tree on the south side
1 of Dotyes Pond and on the southerly Corner it is bounded -S with a black oake marked and soe Runing downe betwixt p the said swan hold and Dotyes pond aforsaid to a marked -c" tree on the P^asterly Corner ; In Reference unto the
2 bounds of his meddow att Swan hold ; Leiftenant Morton judged that all the meddow there either Respecting quantity or qualitie was but competent and scarsly soe : to answare the Courts graunt to the aforsaid John Dun- ham seni ; and soe the whole that is there is alowed unto him in Respect unto the said graunt ;
Att a Towne meeting held att the meeting house at Ply- mouth the fifth day of ffebruary 1665 ;
Capt : Southworth (
Leift Morton ■ were chosen by the Towne to bee the
Mr John howland , select men for the Towne of Plymouth ;
Gorg Watson i^ and Impowered by the towne to call
and Robert fflnney Towne meetings as the occatious of the
towne may Require and to take Course
about Idle and extravigant psons and to
graunt lands either upland or meddow
as occations of the j'care may Require
within our Township ;
The Rators Chosen by the Towne to make a Rate of forty
pounds for and towards ; as pte of the charge alowed to Mr
Brinsmod ; for this yeare were
"Willam harlow Willam Clarke and Samuell Dunham Leift Morton f were appointed by the towne to settle
Nath : Warren | two severall grauuts of lands lying att
Gorg Bonum ■{ Manomett Ponds viz : the one unto
Willam Clarke I Samuell Ryder and the other unto the
and Hugh Cole t said Will : Clarke which graunts was to
each of them twenty acrees : Benajah Prat was Chosen by the Towne to bee a Receiver of the excise according to Court order
k
PLtMOlffH RECORDS. 83
The Towne have graunted unto Mr Thomas Prence six acrees of upland meddow l3ing on the west side of Joneses River ineddow next unto that meddow which was formerly graunted unto Mr John Winslovv ;
Jonathan Barnes ] are graunted libertie to looke out
and Jabese howland j ffor accomodation of land within
the Township both upland and med- dow ; in order unto theire accomo- dation : Edward Gray ^ were appointed to Repare to the
Will : Clarke r" Inhabitants of the towne with the
and Willam Crow J first conveniency they can to see
what may be collected for the Re- leife of ffrancis Billington hee have- ing lately suffered great lose by the ^ burning of his house ; June the 20* 1666 the Surveyors for the highwaies Choseu by the Towne were Jacob Cooke Thomas Lcttice and Robert fflnuey whoe were chosen the last yeare to the said office but for- asmuch as they did nothinge in the mending of the wayes they were Required to serve this yeare againe
[81.] Att a Towne meeting held att the meeting house att Plymouth the fourth of July 1666.
The cellect men choseu were
John Morton ( these approved
Leifte : Morton I by the Court
Robert ffluney \ and sworne
Nathaniel Warren I July the 5 : 1666 Willam harlow I
The Rators chosen were Willam harlow Willam Clarke Willam Crow • The pticulares the Celect men are to take into theire Cog- nizance and charge besides what the Court orders to them : is as followeth
Item to looke into the Towne bounds that none encroach on them
Item to the settleing of the bounds betwixt Plymouth and Sandwich
1 This was probably the first fire in Plymouth after the destruction of the Common House, January 14, 1620-1, old style. Billington's house was at Seaside.
S4 PLYMOUTH BECOUDS.
Item to take some Coni'se with Idle i)soiis and to see tliem follow some liuvfull Implyment
Item to finish the settlement of the bonnds of Agawam
Item to mind the Townes Consernes in Reference to the Comons and unnessesaiy spoyle of wood theron :
It is ordered That wheras there is due from the Towne unto Gorge Watson the sume of 47 shillinges in money That in case the said sume bee payed unto him by the 1 6 "' da}^ of Octol)er uext ; that the six acrees of meddow bound over unto him for the payment of the said sume shalbee then Released to the Townes use or then to bee his proper Right ; and in case it bee then Released as aforsaid that then the said six acrees of meddow shalbee at the Townes dispose for a publicke use and not to bee appropriated to any pticulare and that the Towne shalbee att the Charge of the laying of it out ;
October 17 1666
^ The waies layed out by Leift Ephraim Morton Nathaniel Warren Robert ffinney hugh Cole Willam harlow and Nathaniel Morton Apointed by the Towne of Plymouth for to lay them out ; are as foUoweth : viz : from the Towne bridge up the hill as the way now is onely a little on the turning on the Right hand on the banke to be taken downe and soe up to three stones piched into the ground together on the tope of the hill ; and soe upon a line to another greate stone pitched up on the westerside of the way and soe bounded by another neare the southeast Corner of Giles Rickards garden and soe up the hill to a great Rocke which is the bigest on the tope of the hill neare the Corner of John Barnes his garden place : and from thence on a line to a heape of stones ; and from thence on a line to a heap of stones in a valley ; and from thence to a Rocke by the swamp side with a great stone on it lying neare Willam harlowes ; and from thence to a heap of stones on the southerly side of the gutter that Runs downe to the watering place ; and from thence onward to another heap of stones in Alkarmus feild ; and from thence to a heape of stones on the Northerly side of Wellingsley brooke and soe over the said
1 This is the laying out of Sandwicli Street. The town bridge was just above tho level of the brook and consequently there was a hill on its southerly side, (iiles Kickiud's land was on till- rij^lit, the land of John Barnes was on the left nppnsite to the Green, mid Alkarmus' field extended from Sandwich Street t«> Gallows Lane at IMount I'leasant Street. From John Churchill's land at Jabez Corner the laying out includes two roads, one along shore to the Cliff and the Warren farm, and thence to the old ;^^anom('t Moad, and the other by George Bramhall's, and to the left across Eel River anil intersects the otlier on the .south side.
PLYMOUTH ME CORDS. .9.5
lirooke to an lieupe of stones ou the topp of the hill by WelUugsly ; and from thence to a heape of stones on the southermost end of the said hill ; and from thence to an heape of stones along southerly t(^ a Corner of a field which was formerly Ralph Wallens and from tlience to another heape of stones onwards to the toi.p of a hill southerly and from the stones a long Rocke with a dent in the topp of the southwest end of it : lying on the southerly side of John Churchills teild which was somtimes the land of Anthony Snow and from the said Rocke towards the waterside northeast or thereabouts to an heape of stones and soe alonge the hyeway as it is now in use and soe along the waterside as it is now in use to an heape of stones att the lower end of (rorge Mortons land and soe bounded with heapes of stones on the westernside of the said way that is now in use unto Robert ftinneys Clift and soe to the fflshing point; left it be understood that all the hea[)es of stones named are to be named as markes of this way doe lye on the western side of the said Way ; but to proceeed. The way from the fflshing point is to goe to the end of Nathaniel Warrens Land to an hea|) of sto::es and soe by heapes of stones up threw his feild to his barne and soe on the southwest side of his house downe to the way that Comes over the Eelriver bridge and soe to a peece of Comon land which lyeth between the lands which formerly were Mr Winslows and Mr Warrens ; But to returne to the aforsaid Rocke by the side of John Churchills feild and from that said Rocke the way is to goe up the valley and soe towards the Eelriver as it is now in use to an heap of stones on the westerly side of the said way att the head of Willam Clarkes feild ; and soe bounded by severall heapes of stones on the westerly side of the said way to a Certaine great Rocke lying neare the foot of Eelriver bridge leaveing James Clarkes house on the westerly side of the * ;>n 1 soe from the said Rocke over the said britlge and s )e directly to maet with the way on the southerly side of the said Bridge fornamed ;
[82.] Att a meeting of the Celectmen of the Towne of Ply- mouth the scond of October KKIG
It was ordered by them that hensforth noe wood or timber be spoyled by barkeing within a mile and an halfe of any naigh- borhood but they that fell trees shall carry away l)oth top and body on the penalty of eighteen pence a tree ;
86 PLYMOUTH RECORDS.
It is further ordered by them that whosoever shall carry or sell any barke out of the towne shall forfeite thee prise therof to the townes use :
It is further ordered by them if any of our Township shall find any Incroachment upon our Towne by any of any other towne ; It shalbee lawfull for any of our Towne forthwith to take out an attachment upon any timber or knots or Tarr etc soe felled or taken and shalbee payed for his paines and the benifitt to Re- dound to the Towne
October 22 1666 It was ordered by the Towne that the Celect men of the Towne of Plymouth or any two or three of them agreeing together shall have power to give order to the Constable to warne Towne- meetings as often as occation shall Require Respecting the townes occations and that the Constable shall give seasonable warning therof by order from them ; according to the time appointed by the towne formerly in that Respect
Nathaniel Warren "^ are deputed by the Towne to Pur-
Joseph Warren ! chase all such lands as are to be Pur-
Willam Clarke { chased of the Indians att or about
and hugh Cole J Agawaam
Nathaniel Morton ^ were appointed by the Towne to lett
John Morton I aud to farme, sett and lease out the
and Leift : Morton [ Townes lands att Agawaam for the
Willam Clarke \ Townes use for any tearme of time
Willam barlow under seven yeares
and ffrancis Comb J
Att a meeting held by the townsmen of Plymouth the 2cond of January 1666 ten acrees of land was graunted unto Benjamine Eaton lying above ffrancis Eillingtons house neare Rockey nooke ;
hugh Cole to be accomodated with meddow att the lower south meddow downe that River below those that have meddow there aheddy graunted
the land above expressed graunted to Benjamine Eaton was above the land that was somtimes Gorge Clarkesand is to be layed out as to the best conven- iency to him soe to as little prejudice to the uaighbors October as may bee ; the land lyeth between ffrancis Billing- 1666 tons and that