USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Greenwich > A history of the town of Greenwich, Fairfield County, Conn., with many important statistics > Part 4
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At a towne meeting, may 21st, ye major part of ye towne did pr vote Desire mr. Jeremiah Peck's
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HISTORY OF GREENWICH.
continuance, & going on in ye work of ye ministrye -amoungst us.
Protest.
We John Mead, Sen., & Jun., Thomas Close, John Hubbe, Sen., Jonathan Huested, do enter our protest against ye above sd Rendering this our rea- son, yt as is followeth, that this caule is not accord- ing to ye rules of ye gospel Mr. Jeremiah Peck refusing to baptise our children.
ye above sd John Mead Sen reasons are because sd Jeremiah Peck hath Given him John Mead offence.
It is to be feared that few of even church members are as honest as said John Mead, sen., in giving their reasons for opposing their ministers.
In accordance with " this caule," Mr. Peck continued to preach during the year. But when that time had rolled around, there were so many to whom he had "given offence," that he was not again asked to continue, and was dismissed in 1689, after having preached here eleven years. Afterwards, he removed to Waterbury in this State, with all his family excepting Samuel and Caleb.
Furthermore it is recorded that "ye towne per vote hathe agreed to bye a bulle."
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HISTORY OF GREENWICH.
ANOTHER QUARTER OF A CENTURY, 1690 TO 1715.
Nothing of importance is recorded in 1690. Feeling the want of a minister, the town ap- pointed a committee to procure one. John Mead was appointed town brander, to keep a record of the brands or marks of cattle and slaves.
In 1691, Mr. Abraham Pierson, having re- ceived a call from the committee appointed during the preceding year, agreed to supply the pulpit for a time, but refused to become a settled pastor. He came here from New Jersey, where he had settled soon after his graduation at Cambridge in 1668. He had there been successful and popular as a preacher, and was dismissed after a pastoral labor of more than twenty years. He accepted, dur- ing the first year, of the same salary as had been paid to Mr. Peck, choosing as did his predecessor the sixty pounds without the fire- wood, in preference to fifty pounds with. Before this year no record is made of a tax having been made, so lax were the records kept. They now speak of the tax of a " penny on the pound."
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HISTORY OF GREENWICH.
It was also voted to have a new meeting- house ; and John Mead, sen. and John Mead, jun., John Hubbe, Daniel Smith, and Samuel Peck, were appointed a committee to procure materials and build the house. A subsequent meeting made its dimensions thirty-two feet long, twenty-six feet wide, and fifteen feet high. A controversy which lasted for years concerning the site, delayed the putting up of the building. It was finally built upon a small rise of ground, northwest of the old burying-ground in Old Greenwich, where now stands a small dwelling-house.
1692. No records of importance.
1693. The death of John Mead, jun., the acting constable, was lamented by the people. They called an extra town-meeting, and passed resolutions deploring the loss of so estimable an officer. He was the grandson of the first settler, and left three children.,
1694. Mr. Pierson, having now preached in the church, as indefinite supply, for three years, left and settled in Killingworth in this State. He afterwards was the most zealous of all the ministers in founding Yale College at Saybrook, and was elected its first rector or president. Dr. Trumbull says of him, "At
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HISTORY OF GREENWICH.
his death his loss was deeply felt, and the friends of the College deeply lamented it."
1695. Although frequent mention has been hitherto made in the records, of a school, we have now for the first time the name of so important a personage as the schoolmaster. He rejoiced in the name of Thomas Preut. The school-committee were Jonathan Renalds, - Joseph Finch, and William Rundle. It was voted that no person should be obliged to help support the school who sent no children. The committee were a security for the pay- ment of the schoolmaster's wages. A com- mittee was also appointed "to counte ye clab- bords and ye shingles to tell how many each peticular individual should bring toward ye new meeting-house." A horse-bridge was built by Jonathan Whelpley over the Myanos, according to a vote of town. In payment, he was to receive from each voter, "one bushel of good marcheantable corn." He was also to have the use of a horse and team of oxen until the bridge was finished, which was to be during the next summer. " The bridge to be wide enough for a horse with two bushels of corn on his back to pass without danger of hitting the rails."
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HISTORY OF GREENWICH.
The committee which was appointed, after the departure of Mr. Pierson, to procure another minister, soon extended a call to the Rev. Salmon Treat, " to come and settle among them, and preach upon the Sabbath." He came here, but like Mr. Pierson acted only as stated supply. His reason for this was the unsettled and divided state of the church, which arose concerning the site of the new church. During his first year, he received a salary of "fifty-five pounds with firewood " or five pounds more than had been before paid. And as an inducement to a more per- manent settlement, it was soon after increased to sixty pounds. But the inducement proved insufficient.
Below we have copied the town-list for the years 1694 and 1695, which shows the com- parative wealth of the town at that date. It runs as follows :-
John Rundle,
. £102 10 0
Samuel Peck,
81 0 0
Joseph Ferris,
154
0 0
James Ferris and Son,
103
0 0
Robert Lockwood,
61
0 0
Jonathan Heusted,
77
0 0
Joseph Finch and Son,
. 105
0 ) -
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HISTORY OF GREENWICH.
John Hobby,
£94 15 0
Angell Heusted and Son, 33 10 0
John Heusted, 30 0 0
Samuel Heusted,
45 10 0
Moses Ferris,
22 0 0
Benjamin Ferris,
24 0 0
Gershom Lockwood & Son,
153 15
0
Joseph Knapp,
73 0 0
Jonathan Rundle,
47
5 0
Benjamin Mead,
87 0 0
Daniel Smith & Son,
161 0 0
William Rundle,
60 10
0
William Hubbart,
40 10 0
Ruth Mead, widow of John Mead,
22 10
0
Daniel Mead,
42 0 0
Zachariah Mead, .
30 0 0
Caleb Knapp,
39 10 0
Thomas Marshall,
34 0 C
Ebenezer Mead, .
103 10
0
Joseph Mead, the tanner,
45 10 0
Jonathan Whelpley, .
45 0 0
John Marshall & Son,
165 10 0
Henry Rich, .
39 10
0
John Ferris,
55 0 0
Joseph Palmer,
38 12 0
Jonathan Mead,
45'0 0
John Marshall, Jun.,
69 0 0
John Rundle & Son, 43 14 0
Nathaniel Mead, 30 0 0
Timothy Knapp, .
47 5 0
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HISTORY OF GREENWICH.
John Austen,
£31 0 0
Joseph Finch, Jun.,
29 0 0
Caleb Peck, .
28
0 0
Thomas Close, Jun.,
26
0 0
Joseph Heusted,
54 0 0
Thomas Hobby,
54 10 0
Ebenezer Rundle,
30 0 0
Stephen Holmes, .
31 5
Thomas Close, Sen., .
80 0 0
Angell Husted, Jun.,
41 0
0
Elisha Mead,
38 0
0
Thomas Studwell,
30 0 0
William Palmer,
39
0 0
John Rundle, Jun.,
51 5 0
James Ferris, Jun., .
40 10 0
Thomas Butler, 21 0 0
Gershom Lockwood, Jun.,
0 0 47
Joseph Lockwood,
25 0 0
Benjamin Knapp,
31
0 0
Benjamin Hobby,
29 0 0
Joshua Knapp,
54 0 0
Samuel Mead,
87 10 0
Joseph Studwell,
18 0 0
John Banks,
76 10 0
Samuel Lyon,
88 10 0
Thomas Lyon,
57 12 0
Joseph Mead, not the tanner. 25 0 0
Joseph Close,
24 0 0
Total,
£2638 8 0
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HISTORY OF GREENWICH.
1696. By this time so great a number had removed from Old Greenwich to Horseneck, that Mr. Treat preached at the latter place one Sabbath out of three. He was again in- vited by a unanimous vote of the town to settle permanently ; but he declined as firmly as before.
According to the custom of several towns in this vicinity, a bounty had hitherto been granted, per head, to those killing wolves and bears; but it was now found that Indians and others went way back into the country, and took many of these animals which could do no harm to the people living in this town, and created a continual drain upon the town
treasury. It was therefore voted to discon- tinue a practice which, while it did no good, was periodically filling the town with a set of drunken Indians and lazy white men. The bounty was then allowed only to the white citizens of the town.
Ebenezer Mead was appointed by the town to keep "a place of publick entertainment for man and beast." John Finch, a mariner, ob- tained permission from the town to build a warehouse and dock at the mouth of Pato- muck brook, on Elizabeth Neck. The select-
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HISTORY OF GREENWICH.
men or townsmen for this year were, Daniel Smith, Jonathan Heusted, Joseph Finch, and John Hubbe.
1697. The Rev. Mr. Treat having received a call to Preston, New London county, and accepted it, went away, leaving the town again without a minister. Through a com- mittee of the town, invitations to settle were addressed to several ministers. A Mr. Joseph Morgan accepted the call, came to Greenwich in the latter part of the year, and immediately commenced his labors. His salary was sixty pounds beside firewood. It was increased in sixteen hundred and ninety-eight, to sixty- five pounds. He then preached one half the time at Old Greenwich and the other half at Horseneck, there being a gradual moving on the part of some of the inhabitants toward the latter place. The selectmen for 1698, were John Hobby, Timothy Knapp, and Jonathan Heusted.
1699. Mr. Morgan still pastor. But his popularity with a part of the town was wan- ing. A sectional dispute had arisen between the people of Old Greenwich and those of Horseneck, and Mr. Morgan took sides with the latter. The difficulty arose simply on the
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HISTORY OF GREENWICH.
question of how much time should be devoted to the Horseneck people by the minister; they claiming one half and their brethren being only willing for them to have one third. The Horseneck people obtained the sympathy of their minister, while he lost the favor of the people on the other side of the river. The latter turned their anger upon Mr. Morgan, and circulated slanderous stories against him; while the former became his faster friends, and were ready on every occa- sion to defend him from his calumniators.
It became evident early in the year 1700, that should Mr. Morgan choose to remain, a division would be the inevitable result of the difficulty. But Mr. Morgan, as I think every minister is in duty bound in such circumstances, chose rather to resign than bring about a hopeless division, and sent in the following, which is far more creditable to the minister than to the people to whom he speaks :-
Reasons Why mr Morgan hathe' left preach- ing.
Greenwich, Anno 1700, may 9, Mr Joseph Mor- gan's reasons wherefore hee seeth cause to leave ye work of ye preaching ye gospel in greenwich,
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HISTORY OF GREENWICH.
Imprimis, because there is not a Unitie in ye place, viz: Greenwich and Horseneck for ye publique worship of god-2ly because I do not see a proba- bilite of there coming in gospel order, having given you warning long ago, yt if they were not pro- moters of I would desert ye towne. Bly, because I see not yt masters of families do laye restrant upon there families on ye sabbath night, which is a hin- drance of my worke: for by ye afore sd was 1 article, yt I declare to ye towne, when I first came. & I see several good reasons, yt I think most for ye towne's advantage for me to desert ye towne.
Which several peticalers I have Publiquely at a towne meeting 1700 may ye 6 then having exprest my mind to ye towne. At which time I tendered to hear reasons to ye outside of anything, yt any person should bring against it expressing my desire to remain with you if it might be for the best. I not finding these things answered, I desire to leave ye towne being loth in respect to those who will want me, offering to help to ye outside of my skill to gett another minister.
JOSEPH MORGAN.
His request, Christianlike as it was, was granted by the town. But the people at Horseneck were unwilling to lose their favorite minister; and branching off and forming a new society, they invited Mr. Morgan to preach for them.
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HISTORY OF GREENWICH.
We now find recorded the will of John Mead, senior, or the second John who came to this country. His will was written in March, 1696, or thirty-six years after his set- tlement here with his father and brother ; and his death probably occurred in the same year, when he was not far from eighty years of age. He had been a prominent citizen, re- spected not only for his even temperament but for his energy and decision of character. An anecdote given on a former page, shows many points in his character. In another part of this work will be found a table of all of his descendants. Here is his will signed by " his mark."
John Mead Senior's Will.
Know all men by these presents yt I John Mead Senir. of Greenwich in ye collonie of Conecticut for ye love good will and affection which I have and bare towards my naturall sonn John Mead of ye towne of greenwich, and collonie aforesaid, have given and granted and by these presents do give & grant unto my sd sonn, John Mead, now de- seased for his sonn John Mead my grandsonn a Sertaine persale of land and meadow lying and being in greenwich being bounded by ye land yt I John Mead Senir. bought of John Bowers
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HISTORY OF GREENWICH.
north ; and a line drawn from ye northeast corner of ye land I bought of Angell Heusted, Junior, to a grate rock lying in ye frunt fence. All ye land lying in this compass with ye house as it is bound- ed. Ye frunt of said land being bounded upon the hy waye west. The reare upon ye sea southeast. Upon these considerations following I give and grant clearly, fully and absolutely ye above men- tioned lands to him, his heairs and asignes : Im- primis, yt hee fully confirme yt contract yt was betweene his father and his uncle Ebenezer Mead. 2lly yt hee pay to his brothers Jonathan and Na- than Mead, when they come to bee of age, five pounds to each of them & to his sister Elizabeth Mead fortie shillings. Item I give and fully grant unto ye above sd John, two acres in ye home lott insted of yt, which ye sd John, now deseased, had of me in ye southfield, disposing of yt in ye south- field as I see convenient.
Further, know all men by these presents yt I, John Mead Senir. aforesaid for ye love, good will and afection, which I have and beare towards my naturall sonn Joseph Mead of ye towne of green- wich, have given and granted and by these pres- ents do give and grant fully clearly and absolutely unto my sd sonn Joseph Mead his heairs & as- ignes, a Sertaine parsale of land & meadow, lying in myanos neck estemed seven acres, be it more or less, as it is bounded. Item, I give unto my said sonn Joseph Mead his heaires & asignes,
5
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HISTORY OF GREENWICH.
three acres of land in Stanford Southfield near ye upper gate, be it more or less as it is bounded.
Further, know all men by these presents, yt I, John Mead Senior aforesd from ye love good will and afection which I have and bear towards my naturall sonn Ebinezer Mead of ye town of gren- wich aforesd have given and granted, and by these presents do fully clearely & absolutely give and grant unto my sd sonn Ebinezer his heaires & asignes a Persale of meadow in ye Hosack meadow, estemed two acres and a halfe be it more or less ye bounds being known by ye sd Ebinezer.
Further know all men by these presents yt I John Mead Senior aforesd from ye love good will and efection which I have and beare towards my naturall sonn, Jonathan Mead, of ye towne of gren- wich aforesd, I have given and granted, and by these presents I do fully clearly and absolutely give and grant unto my said sonn Jonathan his heaires and asignes, a home lott, layed out to me at horse- neck, and all my lands lying within Horseneckfield & a Persale of land containing three acres more or less, lying at ye southeast end of Widow Howe's lott.
Further know all men by these presents yt I John Mead Senior aforesd for ye love good will and afection yt I have and beare towards my natu- rall sonn, David Mead, of ye towne of bedford now in ye government of New Yorke yt I ye said John Mead Senior have given and granted, and by these
87
HISTORY OF GREENWICH.
presents, I do fully clearly and absolutely give and grant unto my sd sonn David Mead his heaires and asignes ye accommodation lying and being at bed- ford, both lands and meadows, as it was granted to me.
Further know all men by these presents, yt I John Mead, Senior, aforesaid, for ye love, good will & afection yt I have and beare toward my naturall sonn, Benjamin Mead, of ye towne of grenwich, aforesd, have given and granted, and do hereby fully, clearly, & absolutely give and grant unto my sd sonn, Benjamin Mead, those Persales of land, hereafter exprest, viz. : five acres of land at Stick- lin's brook, as it is layed out to me, and all my lands and meadow lying and being at that place, com- monly called Coscob, as it is layed out to mee, & ten acres of upland above ye road, added now to ye five.
Further know all men by these presents, yt I, John Mead Senior from ye love good will and afection yt I have and beare towards my naturall sonn, Nathaniel Mead, of ye sd towne of grenwich, aforesd, have given and granted, and by these presents do hereby give and grant unto my sd sonn, Nathaniel, his heaires and asignes, an acre and two rods of meadow in ye southfield, as it is bounded ; likewise seven acres of land lying at a place called Crock; also two-thirds of my lands, as it shall be laid out of that estate, in Patrick's list.
Further know all men by these presents yt I
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HISTORY OF GREENWICH.
John Mead Senior aforsd for ye love good will and afection yt I have and beare towards my naturall sonn Samll Mead, of ye towne of grenwich, have given & granted, and by these presents do give & grant, fully, clearely & absolutely unto ye sd Saml. Mead, his heaires and asignes, oll my orcherd, item all my on ye east side of ye hye waye by my house both meadow & land & plowing land, bounded by ye grate rock yt lyeth in ye fence of land of my grandsonn, John Mead, & upon a straight line to ye northeast corner of ye meadow land yt I John Mead, aforesd, bought of Angell Husted Jr. Item, all my land upon Elizabeth Neck, as it is bounded ; item, all my alotment in Stanford eastfield, on Ship- pan, which was my father Potters, as it is bounded item yt persale of land I had of the overseers of my father potter's estate, lying within Stamford bounds, fronting ye hye waye by ye southfield, as it is bounded.
Further know yt ye aforesd housing, land & meadows I do freely give to him sd Samll Mead, my sonn, his heaires and asignes as aforesd also a persale of land lying by Gershom Lockwood, bounded by ye hye waye, west by ye lands of my Grandsonn John Mead southeast which persale of land was not mentioned before. Provided, yt ye sd Samll his heaires & asignes, do well and honor- ably maintain his mother with a convenient roome in ye house, such a room as his mother shall cheuse, & with such other things as may be suitable for her
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HISTORY OF GREENWICH.
comfortable subsistence, during her widowhood, & yt he paye out to his brother Nathaniel, aforesd, 20 pounds in Provesion paye, as it passeth from man amoungst us. Beginning ye payement of it after my decease, and Paying five pounds pr annum, till tis payde.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto sett my hand & Seale, this 16 march, 1695-6.
his JOHN -I- MEAD,
mark.
Signed and sealed in the presence of
SALMON TREAT, ZACHARIAH MEAD.
Certified before me JONATHAN BELL, Commissioner.
Mr. Mead was, as is supposed, buried in an old burying-ground a little southwest from the old one yet in existence on Greenwich Point. All traces of this burial place are now removed, the tombstones having been removed to form fences, and the place being often plowed over without regard for those sleeping the sleep of death there. The grave of even William Grimes is now unknown, as it has been recently plowed over by farmers in the vicinity. And if those who enjoy to
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HISTORY OF GREENWICH.
this day his bounty were disposed to erect a monument to his memory, they could hardly denote the place of his burial.
We here give a copy of his will with other matters of record, as it appears upon the town record.
William Grimes, of Greenwich, his will.
These testifie that I, weeliam Grimes, of this towne of greenwich, being of perfect memory and understanding, but being very sick in body, do give all my lands to ye disposal of Joseph Mead, John Renolds and Eliphalet Jones, to bee Disposed of by them in such a waye as thaye shall judge meet for ye Inlarging of ye towne of grenwich, by accom- modating such inhabitant or inhabitants as shall bee admitted into ye towne in an orderly way, provided they be such men as the aforesd Mead, Renolds & Jones shall judge desirable for the promoting of church and commonwealth. This, my Deade of gift shall stand good and firme at ye time of my dessease.
Witness my hand, this : 18 : July, 1670.
WILLIAM GRIMES.
Witness,-RUTH FERRIS, DEBORA BARLOW.
Inasmuch as the Townsmen of ye towne of green- wich have sent unto me for information about ye Disposal of yt persale of land and meadow, which was william Grimes, to ye disposal of Joseph Mead,
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HISTORY OF GREENWICH.
John Renolds and myself, to be disposed by them, & as they saw most advantageous to ye good & proffit of thee towne of Greenwich; so wee did, al of us agreed, yt ye sd land should bee for ye use of a minister, as performing ye will, & it ought to have been so recorded & for as much as Joseph Mead is now deseased, & I myself beine Remote cannot act in my own person about it, I do constitute my Friend Joseph Ferris, of grenwich, to act in my stead, with John Renolds to see yt it bee setled and recorded, as was firmly ordered. My mind is also that when at any time the towne shall be without a minister, yt ye proffits of ye sd land shall go to helpe mainetaine such as shall bee Imployed in teaching children to Reade.
ELIPHALET JONES.
Huntington, Apr 22, 1691.
This acknowledge by ye subscriber Eliphalet Jones, ye date aforesaid.
JOHN ARNOLD, EPENETUS PLATT.
theire majesties Justices of ye Peace, County of Suffolk, on Long Island.
Greenwich, 1694, March ye 7 Day. Wee, namely, John Renolds & Joseph Ferris conserned in ye disposal of ye above so- named Grimes land as doth above appear so for ourselves our heaires & sucksessors now make this following disposal to stand good and Authentic for ever, namely, yt ye land & meadow yt was Grimeses
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HISTORY OF GREENWICH.
be Disposd of to ye town for ye use of ye ministrie of personage land, & if no minister Bee in ye place ye proffit of ye sd land & medow be Improved to help to maintan such as shall be Imployed to teach children to Read : and wee do jointly agree that this our Disposal do stand good for ye method of ye Improvement of ye towne, as witness our hands, ye date above sd.
JOHN RENOLDS, JOSEPH FERRIS.
The above is brought in here for the sake of the following agreement made in 1704 or 1705. When the separation of the town into two societies had become a plain, settled fact, the town through committees agreed upon the fol- lowing division of ecclesiastical property, which in 1705 was ordered to be recorded, and thus appears upon a page of record :-
ARTICLES OF AGREEMENT
Between ye Inhabitants on ye East sid of Myanos River and ye Inhabitants of sd Greenwich on ye west sid of sd Mianos River.
1. That from the Dates of these there be a liberty of calling encouraging and setling the ministry of the gospel according to ye way of this Colony of Connecticut in two Societies on ye west side as well as on ye East sid of Myanos River.
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HISTORY OF GREENWICH.
2. That for ye encouragement of ye ministrye in either sid of ye sd river there be a rate raised annually by ye yearly list of ye towne of Greenwich, of which ye one halfe to be collected for ye minister of ye East side & ye other halfe to be collected for ye minister of ye west side of Myanos River, & yt for ye present ye anual rate amount to forescore . pounds in provision pay.
3. That all public charges consarning ye minister of ye gospel be equal, according to ye publick list.
4. That thirty acres of land at Horseneck be registered ; and be continually for ye use of ye ministrie, according to ye way of ye sd Connecticut Colony at Horseneck, in ye lieu of grimeses land commonly called, which belong perpetually to ye use of ye ministrye on ye East side Mianos River, or Greenwich old town.
5. That ye half of ye ordinary yearly salary for ye minister in Greenwich be collected in proportion according to ye public list of ye towne for ye minis- trye residing at either place, whether Horseneck or Greenwich Old Towne, provided the other place be destitute of a minister.
6. That it be at ye liberty of each Society to make choice of their respective ministers.
7. That ye general percell of land on ye east side of Myanos river, made choice of by mr. bower & entered upon ye towne records, be absolutely given to ye minister on ye east side, provided he be ordained, or Dy in ye place of his Improvement in Greenwich, & that upon ye same provesion the
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HISTORY OF GREENWICH.
lands the west side of ye sd river offered unto but not accepted by sd mr. bower be absolutely given and confirmed to ye minister of ye said west side.
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