USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Dedham > The early records of the town of Dedham, Massachusetts. 1636-1659, Volume 3 > Part 1
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24
ersity of Cal outhern Regi Library Facil
HE-LIBRARY.OF.
THE UNIVERSE
Y.OF .CALIFO
.LOS-ANGELES
Y.OF.CALIFORNIA
THE-LIBRARY.
THE.UNIVERSITY
E.LIBRARY.OF
THE UNIVERSITY
E.LIBRARY.OF
HE.LIBRARY.OF.
TY.OF. CALIFORN
.LOS-ANGELES
E.LIBRARY.OF
LOS.A!
.OF . CALIFORN
.THE.UNIVERSITY
CALIFOR
S.A
Utl
E.LIBRARY.O
LE.UNIVERSITY
THE.LIBRARY.OF ..
OF .CALIFORN
LOS-ANGELES
HE-UNIVERSITY
AE.LIBRARY.OF
OF .CALIFORN
·LOS.ANGELE
.LIBRARY.OF
LOS-AN
OF.CALIFOR
ALIFOR
THE-UNIVER
3.ANGELES,
E.LIBRARY.OF.
THE.LIBRARY.OF.
OF.CALIFORN
.LOS ANGELES
LOS-ANGELES
.OF.CALIFORNI
LOS-ANGELES
BRARY.O
E.LIBRARY.OF
UNIVERSIT
HE.UNIVERSITY
THE.LIBRARY.OF
ORNE
HE-UNIVERS
OF.CALIFOR
.OF.CALIFOR
. nt.ruicon ..
. NE.CALEND ..
E.LIBRARY.OF
LOS.
OF.CALIFOR
CALIFOR
THE.UNIVERSITY
ES
E.LIBRARY.O
HE.LIBRARY.OF
THE-UNIVERSITY
THE.LIBRARY.OF.
OF.CALIFO
·LOS-ANGELES
THE.UNIVERS
OS-ANGELES.
FOR
1-2
F.CALIF
.OF.
THE-UNIVERS
BRARY.OF
A.LOS-ANGELES
LOS-ANGELES
R
.OF
BRARY.OF.
.OF.CALIFOR
F.CALIFO
THE UNIVERSITY
E-LIBRARY.O
THE.LIBRARY.OF
HE.UNIVERSIT
THE UNIVERSITY
OF.CALIFOR
OF.CALIFOR
THE.LIBRARY.OF
.OF.CALIFO
LOS-ANGELES
LOS-ANGELES
.OF.CALIFOR
THE.UNIVERS/
HE-UNIVERSIT
·LOS-ANGELES-
.OF.CALIFORN
RARY.
THE.UNIVERS/
HE.UNIVERSITY
HE.LIBRARY.OF.
.OF.CALIF
:LOS-ANGELES
OF.CALIFOR
(HE-UNIVERSITY
SHE.LIBRARY.OF.
OF. CALIFOR
.LOS-ANGELES
.LOS-ANGELES
FOR
BRARY.OF.
THE-UNIVERSI
THE UNIVERSITY
OF.CALIFOR
.LIBRARY.
E.LIBRARY.OF
LOS.ANG
UNIVERSIT
OF.CALIFOR
THE.UNIVERSITY
THE.LIBRARY.OF ..
OF.CALIFO
A.LOS-ANGELES
·LOS-ANGELES
{-OF.CALIFORNE
BRARY
HE-UNIVERS
E.LIBRARY.OF
THE.UNIVER
RS
OF-CALIFOR
OF.CALIFOR
THE.UNIVERSITY
E.LIBRARY.O
.LIBRARY.OF
E.LIBRARY.OF
IBRARY.OF
E.LIBRARY.O
LOS.ANGE
UNIVER
OF.CALIFORA
ALOS ANGELES
CHE-UNIVERS
UF .CALIFOR
OF CALIFORA
THE.UNIVERSIT
LES
THE .UNIVERSIT
&THE.UNIVERSIT
OS-ANC
THE.UNIVERS
.OF.CALI
BRARY
UNIVERS
UNIVERSIT
.THE.UNIVERSITY
E.LIBRARY.
ALIFOR Y.OF.CAL R E-LIBR
OF-CALIFORNZ
LOS-ANGELES-
(HE-UNIVERSI
LIBRARY.O
IFC R
·LOS-ANGELES.
E.LIBRARY.O
THE-UNIVE
CALIFOR
OF.CALIFORN
·UNIVERS
LOS
ER MINI
LOS.ANG
E.LIBRARY.OF
THE.UNIVERSITY
.OF.CALIFOR
HE-UNIVERS
BRARY.O
R LOS-ANGELES.
E-LIBRARY.O
THE.UNIVERSIT
OF.CALIFORA
OF.CALIFORA
UNIVERSITY
.LOS.
AE-LIBRARY.OF
HE-UNIVERSIT
BRARY.O
R
·LOS-ANGELES
THE-UNIVERS/
.O
BRARY
LOS-ANGELES
IVERS
.OF.
OR
LOS-A
VERS/
₹.OF. ALIFORNE
:LOS.A
HE-UNIVERSIT
THE.LIBRARY.OF.
OF.CALIFOR
E.UNIVERS
E-LIBRARY.OA
AE-LIBRARY.O
S.A
OF.CALIFORN
THE.UNIVERSITY
.OF .CALIFORNIA
.OF.CALIFO
NIVERSITE A.LOS.AN
F.CALIFO
NIVERSI
AE-LIBRA 1 LOS ANGELES
IIVERS
.OF.
LOS.AN
IVERS
.OF.C
IFOR
LOS.A
RARY.OF
THE UNIVERSITY
.OF.CA
LIFORA
LOS.A
THE.UNIVE
E.LIBRARY.OF.
HE-UNIVERS/ BRARY.O COF.C ·LOS-ANGELES. THE.UNIVERS BRARY.OF .OF.C IFORN LOS-ANGELES A.LOS-ANGELES F.CALIFORA HE-LIBRARY.OF HE.UNIVERSITY A.LOS-ANGELES CALI E.UNIVERSIT THE-LIBRARY.OF. E-LIBRARY.O .OF.CALIFORA .OF-CALIFOR .SO1 E.UNIVI LE-LIBRARY.OF LOS-ANGELES HE.LIBRARY LOS-ANGELES E.LIBRARY.O THE.UNIVER .OF.CALIFOR THE.UNIVERS ·SO1 E-LIBRARY.OF. THE.UNIVERS BRARY.C y LIFOR LOS-ANGELES. VIVERSIT LOS.A GA NIVERSITY OS-ANGELES HE-LIBRA R ALIFORN OF.CALI E.UNIVERS BRARY.OF. A.LOS.ANI LOS-ANGELES THE.LIBRARY.OF. CHE.UNIVERSITE A.LOS-ANGELES CALI ARY.OF THE.UNIVERS LOS ANGELES E.LIBRARY.O THE-UNIVERS E-LIBRARY.OF THE.UNIVERSIT OF .CALIFOR F.CALIFORN THE-UNIVERSITY :LOS-ANGELES CALIFOI 0 THE.LIBRARY.O HE-UNIVERSITE .OF.CALIFORN ALIFORNLS .OF.CAL LOS.A VERS 10 E.LIBRARY.O LOS-ANGELES THE.LIBRARY.OF. HE.UNIVERSIT LOS-ANGELES HE.LIBRARY.OF. THE.UNIVERSITY E.LIBRARY.O ·OF-CALIFORN .OF.CALIFOR A.LOS.A E.LIBR OF-CALIFOR OF HE-LIBRARY.OF E.LIBRARY.OF F.CALIFOR .OF. RARY.OF. A.LOS.AN ALIFORN LIFOI ILIFOR THE.UNIVERSITY THE ELLEN BÚNLAP 1.06 HOPKINS APHICAL SOCI EARLY RECORDS OF THE TOWN OF DEDHAM, MASSACHUSETTS. 1636-1659. A COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT OF BOOK ONE OF THE GENERAL RECORDS OF THE TOWN, TOGETHER WITH THE SELECTMEN'S DAY BOOK, COVERING A PORTION OF THE SAME PERIOD, BEING VOLUME THREE OF. THE PRINTED RECORDS OF THE TOWN. ILLUSTRATED WITH FAC-SIMILES THE HANDWRITING OF FOUR TOWN CLERKS AND OF AUTOGRAPHS OF FIFTY OF THE EARLY SETTLERS. EDITED BY THE TOWN CLERK, DON GLEASON HILL, PRESIDENT OF THE DEDHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY, MEMBER OF THE NEW ENGLAND HISTORIC GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY, AND OF THE AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION. DEDHAM, MASS. PRINTED AT OFFICE OF THE DEDHAM TRANSCRIPT. 1892. Stack Annex St. Annex 5 106 780 V. 3 . N OF DE Al * CONTENTMENT PORATED 1636. ATION BE PUBLISHED BY VOTE OF THE TOWN ; PASSED APRIL 11, 1892. To the Memory of ELEAZER LUSHER, OF DEDHAM, For many years chosen to "Keepe the Towne Booke;" A man of diverse talents, frequently employed by the General Court in important public affairs of the Colony, and at the same time a leader at home in all matters religious, civil and military, This Volume is Respectfully Dedicated. 2056079 MAN was at first a perfect upright Creature, The lively Image of his Great Creator : When Adam fell all Men in him Transgress'd, And since that time they Err, that are the best The Printer Errs, I Err much like the Rest. Welcome's that Man, for to complain of me Whose Self & Works are quite from Error free. Nathaniel Ames (Almanack), 1729. INTRODUCTION. THE year of the two hundred and fiftieth Anniversary of Dedham, 1886, the Town published its first volume of printed Records, comprising the Births, Marriages, and Deaths, 1635-1845. Two years later it published a second volume, comprising records from the several churches, and inscrip- tions from the cemeteries, 1638-1845. At the last annual Town meeting the Town made another appropriation towards printing a third volume, to com- mence with the earliest general records of the Town, by means of which this book is published. It contains the whole of Book One of the Town Records, also, commencing with page 150, is a transcript of the Selectmens' Day Book, a very interesting little book, which has seen hard service, and which has not been so faithfully cared for in the past as the other record books of the Town ; by its paging it would appear that at least seven leaves are gone at the beginning and probably a few at the end of the book. In cases where the entries made in the Day Book were found entered in Book One, and printed therefrom, they have not been again reprinted, references only having been made thereto. September, 3, 1635, the Court ordered a plantation to be settled about two miles above Charles River. Mass. Col. Rec., Vol. 1, page 156. Prepa- rations for the settlement were soon made, and we have a recorded meeting Aug. 18, 1636, [p. 20]. At the third recorded meeting, Sept. 5, 1636, " all ye names of them wch are admitted into our Society are subscribed" (twenty-two in all) to a petition to the Court for an additional grant of land, and praying that the Town might be distinguished by the name of CONTENT- MENT. As a copy of this petition appears at the beginning of Book One, this printed volume begins with that petition. The prayer was granted except in regard to the name, which was called DEDHAM .- Mass. Col. Rec., Vol. 1, p. 179. At the beginning of the record of the first two meetings, however, the name CONTENTMENT was written and afterwards erased and the word DEDHAM written over it. When Book One was put into its present binding, some of the leaves at the beginning seem to have been put together arbitrarily. As now bound, after the petition and the Court order thereon, are eight orders that might now be called by-laws, passed at different dates, and in the arrangement of the matter for this volume it has been thought better to print the Covenant before these orders, and also to include with these eight orders others now bound into Volume three of the Records, as explained by a note on page 4. The record proper begins on page 20 of this printed book. vi DEDHAM TOWN RECORDS. These Records are important to the student of early Colonial history. Dedham was particularly fortunate in having at the beginning men who under- stood the importance of carefully written records. This book contains the Records of four different clerks,-Edward Alleyn, Eleazer Lusher, Michael Powell and Joshua Fisher, and a specimen of the handwriting of each is given. The excellent style of making up the records of the meetings commenced by Alleyn was continued by his successors. The members of the whole "society," as it was called, were interested to know that their conclusions were properly recorded, for the custom was early established of reading at each meeting " that which was agreed upon at the last meeting," and confirming the same. Edward Alleyn was probably the ablest man in the original company, but an important addition was made July, 1637, when twelve new men were ad- mitted, including the first pastor, Rev. John Allin, and Eleazer Lusher, and from that date Eleazer Lusher was an important man in the company. Upon Alleyn's death, 1642, Lusher was chosen as the keeper of the Town Book. Lusher was a member of the first board of seven men chosen to order the affairs of the Town, May, 1639, and from that date during nearly the whole period covered by this book, and for many years after, he was one of the seven men, selectmen as they are now styled, and for many years he was also chosen to keep the Town Book. The interesting sketch of Major Lusher following this introduction, written by Erastus Worthington, shows what an important man he was in the Colony. Under such skilful hands our records read from the very beginning more like the complete records of a modern corporation than like those of a little company of hardy settlers, struggling to make for themselves a home in the wilderness. Indeed so minute in detail were the records made of their early proceedings that over two hundred large pages are required to print the records of less than a quarter of a century (and this does not include the Register of Births, Mar- riages and Deaths, or Record of Grants of Land). In the second volume of the Printed Records, the whole of Book One of the records of the First Church in Dedham was published, containing a minute history of the formation of the Church, written by Rev. John Allin, the first pastor. Mr. Allin's Ms. is quoted in Felt's Ecclesiastical History of New England, Vol. 1, pp. 374-5, and Rev. Henry M. Dexter, D. D., in his exhaustive work on Congregationalism, page 571, says : "One of the best minute descriptions of the methods in use in New England is that of the or- dination of Rev. John Allin over the First Church in Dedham, April, 1639." The late Wm. F. Allen, A. M., Professor of History in the University of Wis- consin, wrote the Editor - "It seems to me one of the most valuable docu- ments, as illustrating the religious life of our fathers of the seventeenth century which I have ever read." A rare opportunity is thus offered in these two volumes of printed Records to study the relations of the Town and the Church to each other in the earliest days of the Colony. - vii INTRODUCTION. This printed volume will also be found interesting to students of family history, especially to such as trace back into the early Dedham families. It has been repeatedly stated that the period of greatest immigration to the New England Colonies was between 1630 and 1640: that at the latter date there was a population in New England of about twenty-one thousand, and that after 1640 more persons went back from New to old England than came from old England to New. "Yet so thrifty and teeming have been those New Englanders that from that primeval community of twenty-one thousand persons have descended the three and a half million who compose the present population of New England, while of the entire population now spread over the United States, probably every third person can read in the history of the first settlement of New England the history of his own progen- itors."- Tyler's History of American Literature, Vol. 1, p. 94. An examination of the index to the Births, Marriages and Deaths, Dedham [printed] Records, Vol. 1, will show that there are very few large fam- ilies there recorded, the original progenitors of which (having the family sur- name) are not to be found upon the general Records of Dedham within the period covered by this printed volume. The transcript of this Volume of Records for the printer has been made by Miss Martha A. Smith, the Assistant Librarian of the Dedham Historical Society, who has performed her work with intelligent skill in reading the ancient manuscript, and with a full appreciation of the importance of accu- racy in such work, and who has also assisted the Editor in reading proof. The fac-similes of autographs, fifty in number, which are found on pages 221-3-5, have been copied with great pains from various sources, from what purported to be original signatures ; the one of Ezekiel Holliman was fur- nished by Edward Field, one of the Record Commissioners of Providence, R. I .; four more were furnished by James Hewins of the Medfield Historical Society, and the rest by Julius H. Tuttle, Assistant Librarian of the Massa- chusetts Historical Society and Editor of the Dedham Historical Register, who has prepared the whole collection for electrotyping, and who has also con- tributed the index of subjects and in many other ways rendered valuable assistance to the editor. The tail-piece, page 220, was contributed by Archi- bald I. Lawrence of Dedham, a pen and ink sketch: of articles in the Histor- ical Society Library, where the editorial work upon this volume has been done. Some of the signs used may need explanation, viz : [* ] The asterisk inside brackets is used to indicate that the words included in the brackets were erased in the original Ms. The dagger indicates that in the original manuscript there is a check mark, in some instances looking like an erasure, but which was intended to show that the matter had been recorded elsewhere, generally used in regard viii DEDHAM TOWN RECORDS. to grants of land, though sometimes used where memorandum was made of something subsequently to be done, which when done was checked off. The words indented in italics are from the margin of the original. [ X ] Crosses inside brackets are used to indicate that something was omitted because herein previously printed. [ ] Space within brackets indicates words illegible, and words with- in brackets doubtful. č. expedicon - expedition. ō. Deaco - Deacon. ₼. comon - common. p. par. per, por -pson-person. i. alieñ - alienation. p. pro - pporcon - proportion. pp - proper. In the index of names, if the same name appears several times on the page it is only indexed once, thus differing from the plan adopted in the index of the two previously printed volumes of Dedham "Records. The New England Historical and Genealogical Society, a few years ago, made an effort to bring home to town officials the importance of printing town records, and a few cities and towns have already undertaken this work. See Third Report on the Custody and Condition of the Public Records, to the Legislature, 1891, pp. 101-3, by the Commissioner on Public Records. The establishment of that office was an important measure and Robert T. Swan, the Commissioner, has done the State an important service, and his reports are among the most valuable public documents issued by the State. Mr. Swan also has urged upon towns the importance of printing their records. I would here express my concurrence with Mr. Swan as to the importance of printing records, and also my confidence of the feasibility of such work, when- ever it is undertaken in the right spirit and not simply for pecuniary gain. The Records of Watertown, one of the most ancient settlements of Mas- sachusetts, are now in the hands of the printer and will soon be published, and the committee in charge thereof can rest assured that their labor of love will be appreciated, and as quite a number of the first settlers of Dedham · came here from Watertown, their records will be interesting to many readers of this volume. With thanks to all who have rendered assistance and encouragement in this work, this Third Volume of Dedham Records is submitted, in the hope that the public will enjoy reading as much as the Town Clerk has enjoyed editing this book of Ancient Records. Son Season Hill Town Clerk. DEDHAM, MASS., Dec. 1, 1892. ix ELEAZER LUSHER. ELEAZER LUSHER. BY ERASTUS WORTHINGTON. Among the twelve men who were admitted as townsmen, and who subscribed to the Covenant of the original Company, in Dedham, on the eighteenth of July, 1637, was Eleazer Lusher. Although that list included Mr. John Allin, Mr. Timothy Dalton, Michael Metcalf, Anthony Fisher and others, men of character and influence, who were a distinct accession to the infant society, yet when we consider the long and distinguished service he rendered subsequently, both to the Town and Colony, to Eleazer Lusher · must be accorded the highest place. Concerning his English history nothing as yet can be ascertained, although some search has been made. His name was uniformly written without the prefix, which the Puritans were careful to place before the names of those who had received a Master's degree from any of the colleges in the University of Cambridge, England. Though a de- vout man, and one of the chosen seven who founded the Dedham Church, yet among those who were considered as eligible to the office of pastor, teacher or elder, his name does not appear. These facts, considered in con- nection with the great aptitude he exhibited for civil and military affairs, lead to the inference that he had not been educated to become a religious teacher. But of his superior capacity and thorough training, the records of the Town and of the General Court furnish conclusive and abundant evidence. The civil offices in the Town, which Lusher held almost continuously from the time of his arrival to the year of his death, indicate in some degree the extent of the public service he rendered there. From October 28, 1642, not continuously but with few intervals, in all twenty-one years, he held the office of Town Clerk, and for twenty-nine years he was chosen one of the seven men "for the regulating of the planting and prudential affairs of the town," as the Selectmen were first called. The first records of the Town x DEDHAM TOWN RECORDS. were the work of Edward Alleyn, who came with the original company and they testify to his accuracy and ability. But in the time of Lusher there ap- pear to be greater fulness and completeness in the records, as well as a more systematic arrangement. Undoubtedly Lusher, being one of the seven men, and devoting for some years nearly his whole time to public business, originated, in some instances the substance, as well as the form of the record. A careful study of the ordinances or by-laws printed in the early part of this volume, forty-eight in number,1 will show a surprising comprehensiveness not only of small matters incidental and necessary to planting a new settlement in the wilderness, but also of things having a broader import and belonging to an advanced civilization. Many of them in form and substance seem more like the laws of the Colony than the by-laws of a town. From internal evi- dence these ordinances appear to have been adopted at different times, but they are all recorded in Lusher's handwriting, and were no doubt collated and arranged by him, if he did not frame them, as is quite probable. How well his services to the Town were appreciated by the generation that fol- lowed after his time and while he was remembered, may be known from a couplet which was then repeated :- When Lusher was in office all things went well, But how they go since it shames us to tell.2 These services of Lusher received a substantial recognition from his townsmen early in his career, in the gift of lands. It was the custom of the settlers, besides making general dividends of lands to each owner of lots in the Town, to grant unappropriated lands as a recompense for public ser- vices. Accordingly at a general meeting of the townsmen, held Jan. 2, 1642-3, the following order was passed : Whereas Eleazer Lusher hath been more than ordinarily employed in public service in Town affairs, to his great damage and loss of time, it was therefore the mind of the Town, declared by vote, that the seven men now to be chosen, should make him some recompense in this division of lands.& It was in the public business of the Colony however, that Lusher found a wider field for the exercise of his peculiar fitness for duties requiring judg- ment, skill and capacity. From 1640 to 1662, with the exception of a few intervening years, he was chosen a Deputy or Representative from the Town to the General Court. In 1662 he was chosen one of the Court of Assistants 1Infra, p. 4-19. "Worthington's History of Dedham, p. 50. 3Infra, p. 92. xi ELEAZER LUSHER. or Magistrates. This was the higher legislative body of the Colony, and it was also the highest judicial tribunal. To this latter office Lusher was an- nually chosen up to 1672, the year of his death. The records of the General Court show, that both as Deputy and Assistant he was active and prominent. Besides his attendance upon the regular sessions, after 1650, Capt. Lusher, as he was then called, was quite constantly employed on various special committees and commissions, to which he was appointed by the General Court. A brief enumeration of these trusts will indicate the high degree of confidence which was reposed in him. In 1650 he was appointed with Capt. Humphrey Atherton to agree with Plymouth Court "concerning the title to land called Shauwamett and Patuxit, and the protection of the English and Indians there, according to our agreement." In the same year, he was one of a committee to settle the boundary line of Watertown and Sudbury. In 1652 he was appointed at the head of a committee to lay out the boundaries of the Indian plantation at Natick. In 1657 he was authorized to act as a Special Commissioner or Magistrate, to hold Courts in Dedham and Medfield. In. 1661 he was ap- pointed with " magistratticall " power, to take proceedings against vagabond Quakers at Dedham. In 1662 he was appointed to hold County Courts at Salisbury, Hampton and Dover. In the same year he was appointed as sole commissioner in the place of Capt. Humphrey Atherton deceased, to perfect the work of running the boundary line between the Massachusetts and Ply- mouth Colonies. In 1663 he was appointed with Maj. Gen. Leverett to settle some differences with Rhode Island, and in 1665 he was sent on a commis- sion to the County of York, to allay some disturbance or "reviling of the government there." In 1661 he was one of an important committee of twelve leading men of the Colony, of which Mr. Bradstreet was the head, "to consider and debate such matter or thing of public concernment touching our patent, laws and privileges and duty to his Majesty, as they in their wisdom shall judge most expedient, and draw up the result of their apprehensions." This was just after the Restoration of Charles II, when much disquiet existed in the Colony concerning the disposition of the king towards the Charter, which the colo- nial authorities guarded with jealous care. In May, 1672, Major William Hathorne and Major Eleazer Lusher were appointed by the General Court "to make diligent inquiry in the several xii DEDHAM TOWN RECORDS. parts of this jurisdiction, concerning anything of moment that have past, and in particular of what hath been collected by Mr. John Winthrop Sen, Mr. Thomas Dudley, Mr. John Wilson Sen, Capt. Edward Johnson or any other, that so matter being prepared, some meete person may be appointed by this Court to put the same into form, so that, after perusal of the same it may be put to press." Though it does not appear that the committee made any formal report, and the General Court took no further action upon the subject until 1679, when a committee was appointed to peruse Hubbard's History of New England with a view to Its publication, it has been thought that the materials collected by the committee of 1672 were placed in Hub- bard's hands. An interesting letter, written by Maj. Lusher to Governor John Winthrop, Jr., of Connecticut, inquiring concerning the writings of his father, the late Governor Winthrop of Massachusetts, shows that Major Hathorne had left that part of the work to him.1 Perhaps the most important and responsible duty which was assigned to Major Lusher by the General Court was that of collating and revising the laws of the Colony, for which he was appointed at the head of a committee, by an order of the General Court passed May 31, 1670. The order is sig- nificant of the confidence which was reposed in his capacity for such work. Whereas there is a great want of law books for the use of the several Courts and inhabitants of this jurisdiction at present, and very few of them that are now extant or complete containing all laws now in force amongst us, it is therefore ordered by this Court, that Major Eleazer Lusher, Capt. Thomas Clarke, Capt. Edward Johnson, Capt. Hopestill Foster, Capt. George Corwin and Capt. Joshua Hubbard, or any four of them, whereof Major Lusher to be one, shall and hereby are appointed to be a committee to peruse all laws now in force, to collect and draw up any literal errors or misplacing of words or sentences therein, or any liberties infringed, and to make a convenient table for the ready finding of all things therein, that so they may be fitted for the press, and the same to present to the next session of this Court, to be further considered of and approved by the Court.2 Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.