USA > Massachusetts > Berkshire County > Adams > First records of the town of Adams, Massachusetts (town records 1779-1790) > Part 1
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Gc 974.402 Ad17 1559646
M. L.
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01101 2371
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
https://archive.org/details/firstrecordsofto00adam
New England Cown Series EDITED BY FRANKLIN P. RICE
II
FIRST RECORDS
OF THE
TOWN OF ADAMS
MASSACHUSETTS
SACHUSE
GETTS RECOR
AS
ORD SOCIETY
-1891 -
WORCESTER 1
MASSACHUSETTS RECORD SOCIETY 1892
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1559646
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FIRST RECORDS
OF THE
TOWN OF ADAMS, MASSACHUSETTS.
I. EARLY HISTORY.
The tract comprehended in this township was formerly called East Hoosac. It was explored and surveyed, and the limits traced, by a committee appointed by the General Court of Massachusetts in 1749, and was laid out seven miles in length from north to south, and five in breadth. In 1750, Col. Williams, the founder of Williams College, obtained from the General Court a grant of two hundred acres, on condition that he should reserve ten acres for the use of the fort, and build a grist-mill and saw-mill, and keep them in repair twenty years for the use of the settlers. On the 2d day of June, 1762, nine townships in the northwest corner of the State were sold at auction by authority of the General Court. Of these, East Hoosac was No. I. It was purchased by Nathan Jones, Esq., for the sum of £3,200, who after the purchase admitted Col. Elisha Jones and John Murray, Esq., as joint proprietors.
These proprietors, in October of the same year, employed a surveyor to lay out forty-eight settling lots, containing one hun- dred acres each. A line was drawn through the length of the . township, dividing the best of the land into two equal parts, and on each side of this line was laid out a range of lots. . . . Four years after, Isaac Jones, Esq., who then resided in the township,
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was authorized to survey a further number of lots, not exceeding twenty, of one hundred acres each, and, as agent of the proprie- tors, to admit settlers to the number of sixty. This number was mentioned because it was required by the condition of settlement. fixed by vote of the General Court, that when the actual settlers should amount to that number, they should build a meeting-house, and settle a "learned gospel minister." The rest of the land was laid out in 1768 into lots of two hundred acres each, and divided among the proprietors according to their shares in the property of the township.
Most of the first settlers of this town were from Connecticut. Of these, Abiel Smith, Gideon and Jacob, his sons, John Kilbourn, his son-in-law, and John McNeil, were from Litchfield ; Reuben Hinman and Jonathan Smith came from Woodbury. There were also the names of Parker, Cook and Leavenworth from Walling- ford ; and Rev. Samuel Todd, from Lanesborough, was previously from Woodbury. These people settled in the north village. The first settlers mostly disposed of their lands to purchasers from Rhode Island, many of whom belonged to the Society of Friends, and the population gradually changed till nearly all had sold out and removed from the town.
The first settlers formed themselves into a Congregational church and society. Their first minister was the Rev. Samuel Todd. The first meeting-house was built of logs, and was situated near the center of the town. The Friends' society was formed in the year 1781. David Anthony, Isaac Killy, Isaac Upton, Joshua Lapham, George Lapham, and Adam Hartness, with their fam- ilies, constituted the society at its first organization .- Barber's Historical Collections of Massachusetts.
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II. FIRST ENTRIES IN THE TOWN BOOK.
At a Society meeting of the Inhabitants of East Hoosack on the 23rd January 1778
Voted Justus Holt Moderator
2,, Voted Reuben Hinman Clerk
3. Voted that a Committee be appointed to Offer Conditions of Settlement to MI Todd whereby he may be Discharged
4 Voted that Ambross Parker John Kilburn and Amasa Ives be a Committee for that Purpose
5 Voted that the Conditions to be offered M! Todd be - That Provided MI Todd Relinquish all Right and Title to all Ministerial Land in this Town he be Discharged from the work of the Ministry
April 19th 1779
At a meeting of the inhabitants of the Town of Adams Legally warned and convened on the 19th of April 1779
Ist made choice of M'. John Eaton Moderator
2nd Voted that Jeremiah Collins3. wages be made good to him Agreeable to an act of the General Court
35.ª V. ted Uuanimously for a new Constitution present 44
4th Voted to impower a Deligate with instructions to Join in Convention for Framing Said Constitution
Meeting Dissolved
III. ORGANIZATION OF THE TOWN.
March 8:h 1779 Annual March Meeting
The Town of Adams Incorporated
At a meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Adams Legally warned and Convened on the 8th of march 1779
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Made choice of Capt. Phillip Mason for Moderator
2nd made choice of Isaac Arnold for Town Clerk
3ª Capt. Phillip Mason Select 4th made choice of Capt. Israel Jones Capt. Reuben Hinman men
5th 6th made choice of Capt. Reuben Hinman for Town Treas-
urer 7th. Luther Rich
8th made choice of David Jewell Assessors 9th Eleazer Brown
Meeting adjourned to the 22.ª Instant
March 22nd met according to Adjournment
Edmund Jencks
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Benj" Baker Committee
I2 made choice of William Smith of
13 Jedediah Hurd Safety
14 John Kilburn
15th. Voted to give the Collectors 9 pence on the pound for Collecting of Rates
16 made choice of Lemuel Leavenworth Collector
17 made choice of William Baker Collector of Taxes
9 made choice of Elias Jones
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Gideon Smith
20 Jonathan Husse
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Stephen Smith
Surveyors of
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Philip Mason Ruluff White
Highways
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Oliver Parker Jonathan Hale
26 Voted to Raise one Hundred pounds by Town Tax to make and Repair highways to be paid in Labour at 2/6 pr. day or Indian corn at 2/6 pr. bushell
27. made choice of David Jewell Sealer of wts. & Measures
28 Voted that the Selectmen provide the Weights and Meas- ures for the Town Standard
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May 20th 1779
At a meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Adams Legally warned and convened on the 20th of May 1779
I ** made choice of Mr. John Eaton for Moderator
2n.d Voted a Town Tax of Seven hundred pounds fourteen shillings to be assessed on the Inhabitants of the Town of Adams and Gathered with the State Tax now in the Collectors hands
3 made choice of Daniel Sherman Surveyor of highways Meeting Dissolved
June 17th. 1779
At a meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Adams Legally warned and convened on the 17th June 1779
1st. made choice of Capt. Reuben Hinman Moderator
2nd. made choice of Capt. Israel Jones Clerk
3rd. made choice of Justus Holt Collector in Lew of Lemuel Leavensworth
4th. made choice of Justus Blakeley Surveyor of Highways in the Roome of Gideon Smith
5 meeting Dissolved
July 5th 1779
At a meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Adams Legally warned and Convened on 5th July 1779
Ist. made choice of John Eaton for Moderator
2nd. Voted to give the Nine months men Ten dollars a month to be paid in Grain at the Stipulated price (viz) Wheat at 6/ Rye at 4/ and Indian Corn at three Shillings pr. bushel-
And One hundred Continental dollars as a Bounty Before they march
3rd. Meeting Dissolved
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July 23rd. 1779
At a meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Adams Legally warned & convened on the 23rd July 1779
Ist made choice of Capt. Isaac Hathaway Moderator
2nd. Voted that the Selectmen make provision for the men that are Draughted to the place of Rendezvous
3rd. Meeting Dissolved
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October 4th. 1779
At a meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Adams Legally warned and convened on the 4th. of Oct'. 1779
Ist. made choice of Capt. Phillip Mason Moderator
2nd. made choice of Elias Jones Clerk of said meeting
3rd. made choice of Samuel Todd Esq'. to Serve as a Deligate in Convention at Cambridge in Order to form a Constitution or Frame of Government
4th. Samuel Todd Esq'. was appointed as an Agent for the Town to the General Court to act in behalf of said Town of Adams (Viz) first if possible to Get an Abatement of the State Tax and to Transact any Other Business in Behalf of the Town he shall think Proper
5th. that the [meeting] be adjourned to the 1 7th Inst. Oct'. at One of the Clock P. M. in Order to see if the Town will Send a Deligate to the County Convention to be holden at Stockbridge on the 28th day of Inst. Oct".
Oct. 28th 1779 Met Agreeable to Adjournment and made choice of William Smith as a Deligate to County Convention Test Elias Jones Clerk
6. Meeting Dissolved 8
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November 5th 1779
At a meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Adams Legally warned and convened on the 5th of Oct'. [November?] 1779
Made choice of Capt. Reuben Hinman Moderator
the Question being put Whether any Part of the Town of Adams Should be annexed to and Incorporated with New Provi- dence it was Carried in the Negative 48 to 24
Meeting Dissolved
November 22nd. 1779
At a meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Adams Legally warned & convened on the 22nd. Nov. 1779
1st. made choice of Capt. Reuben Hinman Moderator
2nd. the Question being Put whether New Providence Shall be annexed to and incorporated with the Town of Adams it was carried in the Negative
3rd. Meeting Dissolved
[The next town meeting was held March 20th, 1780.]
Town officers elected in 1780 were :-
Isaac Hathaway, Reuben Hinman, Eneas Parker, Selectmen.
Giles Barnes, Town Clerk.
Reuben Hinman, Town Treasurer.
David Smith, John Kilburn, Ambros Parker, Committee of Safety.
Isaac Hathaway, Giles Barnes, Luther Rich, Assessors.
Elias Jones, Josiah Holbrook, Jonathan Husse, John Sprague, Nath11. Mason, John Eaton, Umphrey Tiffeny, Enos Parker, Surveyors of Highways.
Daniel Day, Edmund Jincks, Giles Barns, Hog Constables.
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May 25th 1780
Voted to pay William Harrendeen 270 Continental dollars to make good the Depreciation of money Due to him as wages for service in the Continental Army
Rates of Jeremiah Ballard, Aaron Luther, Caleb Lippet, James Sprague, Elisha Arnold and Nathaniel Bundy [were abated].
David Jewell and Eleazer Brown were allowed for services as assessors, probably in place of Barnes and Hathaway.
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IV. NAMES OF RESIDENTS THE FIRST TEN YEARS.
Names mentioned in the Town Records in 1 780 :-
Benjamin Russell Abraham Lapham Joseph Smith
Joshua Sprague Kelly Sherman Thomas Train
James Green Stephen Low Abigail Lock
Abijah Perry Daniel McFarland Joseph Bennit
Joab Stafford
Solomon Gardner
Samuel Day
Names in 1781 :-
Jeremiah F. Green John Lippet
Valentine Bowen
Benjamin Slocum Jeremiah Brown David Staples
Ezra Whipple Francis Harrington Jonathan Moffet
Shubael Wilmarth William Ferrand Samuel Miller
Oliver Parker
Jonathan Richardson Elial Todd
William Baker
Isaac Hathaway
Simon Smith
Stephen Carpenter
Names in 1 782 :-
Asaph Cook Abraham Howland George Staples Comfort Arnold
William White Joseph Sole
Names in 1783 :-
Jeremiah Buckland John Wilmarth Joseph Powers
Aaron Simmons John Kilburn
Barnabas Allen
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Amasa Ives
Daniel Lapham
William Peters
John Warren
Joshua Witham
Jeremiah Wilber Oliver Parker
Benjamin Read Widow Raymond
Names in 1784 :-
Aaron Bowen Thomas Nichols
Nathan Tucker
Stephen Ives
Caleb Atwater
Samuel Salsbury
Silas Shippee
John Langdon
Thomas Fenner
Robert Hathaway Sarah Brailey
Betsey Yeaw .
Jane Fenner
Names from 1785 to 1 790 :-
Justus Holt Reuben Hinman
Ambrose Parker
John Kilburn
Amasa Ives
Elial Todd
John Eaton Jeremiah Collins
Philip Mason
Isaac Arnold Israel Jones
Luther Rich
David Jewell Eleazer Brown
Edmund Jencks
Benjamin Baker
William Smith
Jedediah Hurd
William Baker Elias Jones
Gideon Smith
Jonathan Husse Stephen Smith
Ruluff White
Oliver Parker
Jonathan Hale
Daniel Sherman
Justus Blakeley Isaac Hathaway
Samuel Todd
Giles Barnes
Eneas Parker
Joseph Bennett
David Smith
Josiah Holbrook
John Sprague Enos Parker
Nathaniel Mason
Humphrey Tiffany
David Day Nathan Comstock
Jeremiah Ballard
Aaron Luther Caleb Lippet
James Sprague
Elisha Arnold
Nathaniel Bundy
Benjamin Russell
Lemuel Leavensworth William Harrendeen
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