USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Brookline > Town records of Brookline, Massachusetts, 1838-1857, v. 1 > Part 1
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Gc 974.402 B81t v.1 1128719
M. L.
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
3
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 00084 2051
GEN
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
https://archive.org/details/townrecordsofbro1183broo
Alfred D. Chandler.
TOWN RECORDS
OF
BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS,
1838=1857.
V. 1
PART
BOS TO
RIVER
OKLINK
MUDDY
FOUNDED 1630,
INCORPORATED
1705
974.402 B 8it v. 1
PUBLISHED BY VOTE OF THE TOWN.
1892.
PRINTED BY C. A. W. SPENCER, HARVARD SQUARE, BROOKLINE.
1128719
This volume has been prepared and is published pursuant to the following vote, passed at the special town meeting, held September 18, 1890, under the eighth article in the warrant, to wit :-
Eighth Article,-" To appropriate money for the printing of Town Records."
" Voted, That the sum of two thousand two hundred dollars be appro- priated for printing the Town Records for the years 1838 to 1871, inclusive, said sum to be taken from any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated."
The records of the period covered by the above vote are published in two volumes, one comprising the years 1838 to 1857, inclusive, the other the years 1858 to 1871, inclusive.
B. F. BAKER,
BROOKLINE, February, 1892.
Town Clerk.
BROOKLINE TOWN RECORDS.
1838, MAY. At a meeting of the Inhabitants of Brookline legally warned and assembled at the Town Hall, May 7, 1838, Deacon John Robinson was chosen Moderator.
Voted, That the report on Town Accounts be accepted.
Voted, That the sum of Forty-two hundred dollars be raized for the expences of the Town the current year.
Voted, That the report of the committee for the repairs of Roads at the south part of the town be accepted.
Voted, That the Selectmen be authorized to borrow for the use of the Town One Thousand dollars if need be and placed in the hands of the Treasurer.
Voted, That the time for collecting Taxes hereafter be by the first day of October under the same restrictions as on the first day of January heretofore.
Voted, That Doct. Charles Wild, Deacon Elijah Corey and Ebenezer Heath be a committee to Audit the Treasurer's accounts, and report at the March meeting.
O. Whyte having declined at March meeting being consid- ered as a candidate for the office of Collector & Treasurer, on motion of Deacon Clark a
Vote of thanks was past for his services as Treasurer.
REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON TOWN ACCOUNTS.
The committee which was chosen at the meeting in March last respect- fully report that they have carefully examined the books, accounts, securities & vouchers of the late Town treasurer and of the new treas- urer of the school fund for the last year as was required of them, and the following is the state of affairs :-
The treasurer of the school fund has received a ballance of 141 63
from the hands of the late treasurer Mr. James Leeds, and
has collected interest
110 69
making him responsible for 252 32
He has paid for instruction to order of Selectmen
255
leaving the fund indebted to him
2 68
2
Brookline Town Records. .
The amount of the fund as it has stood for many years was
2281 01 received from the surplus revenue and devoted to the ) same purpose as hitherto 2209 54 which with amount taken from the Town treasury to ? make up a round sum 11 19
gives $4501 74
for the total amount of the fund at the present time and yeilding (being now all regularly invested) an annnal income of .
$270 10
"The Town treasurer's accounts for a whole tax levied of 3571 35
by bad debts abatements &c 61 63
now outstanding & unpaid
163 64
224 97
and amount actually collected
3346 38
To this is'to be added balance in his hands at the last audit and back taxes and other debts collected in the year render him accountable to the town in the sum of
348 24
But he has exhibited satisfactory evidence of having paid for the use of the town to orders of the Selectmen
4402 23
making the town his debtor in a ballance of
$7 30
The Total disbursements then has been by Town
treasurer
4402 23
The expenditures fall under the following class :
Repairs of Roads 1284 81
School Houses & Town house
283 53
Support of the Poor
893 42
Expences of public education
975 91
Sallaries & expences of Town Officers
319 23
Military expences & abatements
30 25
Damages, pound expences, depreciation of bills
108 58
County and Needham taxes
605 59
Engine department fires, &c
.. 155 91
.
$4657 23
By the foregoing statement it will be manifest that the finances of the Town are in arrears, small balances being due to both the Treasurers, the outstanding debts to be paid amounting to about 400$, while nothing is due to the town except a few arrears of taxes which can be brought in offset-this las arisen from the insufficiency of the last tax levied to meet a number of unexpected contingencies which have swelled tlie expenditures muchi beyond their ordinary limits. The last tax was as small as has been voted at any time in ten years past, and that too inclu- sive of the appropriation of 1000$ for the repairs of Highways, while at the same time an unlooked for expenditure of nearly 1000$ was to be provided for from these diminished resources the extent of which this was accomplished proves the Judgement and care with which the affairs of the town are managed, and afford good evidence that the current expences have rather fallen short than exceeded their usual amount.
700 31
$4394 93
3
Meeting, May 7, 1838. .
It is not to be concealed that the expences of the poor have been increasing till they amount to more than double what they were in 1830, but this increase appears to be unavoidable and there is no prospect of this being much less under the present system of providing for their support,-whether any better system can be devised would seem to be a matter of serious consideration for the town.
With respect to the time and manner of collecting and assessing the taxes as well as the period for closing and auditing the town accounts and reporting thereon, it has long since been manifest to this committee that some change was requisite, but as much diversity of opinion exists upon the subject and it has been introduced as one of the leading objects of this meeting, it would seem unnecessary perhaps premature in this committee to report further upon it.
In view of the foregoing statement of finances and other circumstances your committee present to you the following extimate of a Tax necessary to defray the demands which will be presented in the year ensuing.
ESTIMATE.
Outstanding debts
400
Support of the Poor
625
Education
1000
Repairs of Highways
1000
Other repairs
200
Town Officers Salary, Stationary
400
County & Needham taxes
620
Assessing & collecting taxes
125
4370
deduct for income
170
to be raized by Tax
4200
Your committee cannot close this report without the declaration that they find the books of the two Treasurers faithfully kept, and their accounts all amply avouchered and in good order and the expression of their opinion that the thanks of the town are especially due to Mr. Oliver Whyte, late Town treasurer, for the faithful manner in which he has so long performed the duties which he has now relinquished,-all which is respectfully offered by
CHARLES WILD,
Committee. EBENR. HEATH,
The committee chosen in 1836 to superintend repairing the Road in the south part of the Town, report as follows :-
The amount expended in 1836 amounted to 357.18~ $, but the wall being not all removed that year the road could not be compleated. The com- missioners were called upon and they examimed the road,-as the wall had not been moved according to order they did not accept the road as compleated at that time.
4
Brookline Town Records.
The Inhabitants of Newton and vicinity wishing to have a superior road to any in the region requested the Commissioners last spring to revisit the road, they did so and your committee waited upon them and received further directions respecting the work to be done.
The Commissioners thought at that time to lay out about one hundred dollars more would be sufficient to put the road in good repair,-this sum was found insufficient, the amount expended last year was $170.58, the work was done under the immediate superintendence of your com- mittee in the most economical manner they could possibly devise. The Commissioners were again called upon to examine the road-they said they would attend to it, that your committee need not give themselves any further uneasiness respecting it, they further added that they think the road is in excellent order and that the sum annually raized to repair that road properly expended will keep it in better repair than any road in town similarly located.
In behalf of your Committee,
A. W. GODDARD.
$527.64.
Your committee chosen last year to examine the road above Mr. Benjamin White's and make such repairs as they thought proper, ask leave to Report, your Committee did examine the road and were of opinion that the expence to widen and straiten that road as suggested by a previous committee was too great a sum to lay out for the trifling advantage the Town would receive. The length of road to be straitened and widened is twenty-five rods, the least expence would be 200 dollars, the chief expence would be to dig away the bank and lay the wall. Your committee were of opinion that the Town ought not to lay the wall that it is not customary for towns to build the wall in similar cases they therefore concluded to cut the bushes in the road and mend the road, ' which is all your committee thought proper to do.
In behalf of your committee,
A. W. GODDARD.
NOVEM. At a meeting of the Inhabitants of Brookline legally warned and assembled on the twelvth day of Novem- ber, 1838, to give in their votes for Governor, Lieut .- Gov- ernor, Senators & Counsellors, Representative to Congress and Representative to the State legislature, and also to choose a Moderator and see what the town will do with the fire Engine.
For Governor :
Edward Everett had Ninty votes.
Marcus Morton had Forty-four.
5
Meeting, December 3, 1838.
For Lieut .- Governor :
George Hull had Ninty votes. Theodore Sedgwick had Forty-four.
For Senators and Counsellors :
Thomas French had Eighty-five votes.
Samuel G. Goodrich had Seventy-six.
Joseph L. Richardson had Eighty-five.
Benjn. P. Williams
Forty-four.
Asa Pickering
66 Forty-five.
Benjn. V. French
Forty-four.
Lewis Fisher 66
Five.
Lord Rockland 66 one.
John Ruggles six.
James Richardson 66 two.
For Representative to Congress :
William S. Hastings had Ninty-four votes. Alexander H. Everett had Forty.
For Representative to the General Court :
First trial no choice.
Second trial Thomas Griggs had sixty-three votes and was chosen.
Silas Pierce had thirty-five.
Seth T. Thayer twelve.
Scattering seven.
Thomas Griggs was chosen Moderator, &c.
A committee of nine chosen to recommend what should be done respecting the Fire Engine, and report at an adjourned meeting. The Committee chosen were the Select- men, Thomas Seaverns, George Stoddard, Dan'l Sanderson, Tho. Tilden, A. W. Goddard, & David Coolidge.
The meeting was then adjourned for three weeks at 3 o'clock in the afternoon to receive the Report of the Com- mittee.
DECEM. 3, 1838. At an adjourned meeting from the 12th of November, Mr. Samuel Philbrick was chosen Moderator.
The committee made their Report recommending the pro- curing a New Engine which was accepted, But so few attended this meeting, It was recommended that the Selectmen call a meeting for the purpose of having a more general attendance.
6
Brookline Town Records.
The committee chosen the 12th November to examine into the situation of the Fire Engine have attended to that duty and make the following report, viz. : That it is advisable in their opinion to purchase a New Engine their reasons are as follows, first according to the best informa- tion, the present one does not answer as a suction Engine, secondly, that it is necessary to have a suction Engine in this place as it would be difficult in many places to supply it with water without one, thirdly, that Brook- line ouglit to own one independent of Roxbury, as Brookline has to be at the whole expense of manning and keeping it in order and are obliged to attend to all their fires, and fourthly to refit it as a suction Engine would be attended with considerable expence and Roxbury would still retain their share in it.
For these reasons they think it advisable to purchase a new one and let the old one remain until the two towns can agree to dispose of it. Your committee have made enquiries respecting the expence of a new one and find that one can be obtained with all suitable apparatus for tlie sum of 850$, made by W. & C. Hunneman, warranted if it did not prove of suitable dimensions to exchange it for one that is at any time by putting the paint in as good order as when delivered and paying the difference between the first cost.
CHARLES STEARNS, JR.,
REUBIN HUNTING, DAVID COOLIDGE, A. W. GODDARD,
G. STODDARD, JOHN W. BASS,
THOMAS TILDEN, THOMAS SEAVERNS.
1838, DECEM. At a meeting of the Inhabitants of Brook- line legally warned and assembled December 12, 1838,
Deacon Thomas Griggs was chosen Moderator, when the Town
Voted, To procure a new Engine with the necessary apparatus.
Voted, That a committee of Three be appointed to carry the above vote into effect.
Voted, That the Selectmen be the Committee for that purpose.
O. WHYTE.
Town Clk.
-
Meeting, March 4, 1839.
7
1839.
JANUARY 7th. The Selectmen met at the Post Office and made the following list of State Paupers :
George Thompson, about 63 years of age, born in England, came to this State in 1802, became chargeable May, 1835, to 1st January 1839, 365 days @ 7 cts 25 35
Ann Potter, 10 years, Brookline, 1828 365 days
George P. Washington, 1 year, unknown, 1 January 1838 to 1839 365
730 @4 cts 29 20
$54 75
1839, MARCH. At a meeting of the Inhabitants of Brook- line legally warned and assembled March 4, 1839, for the choice of Town Officers and other business,- Deacon Thomas Griggs was chosen Moderator.
Oliver Whyte, Town Clerk. Sworn.
Charles Stearns, Junr.,
Iolın W. Bass, & Selectmen & Assessors.
James Robinson in place of -
Reubin Hunting who is leaving town for Brighton.
Artemas Newell, Collector and Treasurer.
Doct. John Pierce, Rev. Wm. H. Shailer, )
Dea. John Robinson, Dea. Elijah Corey, & General School Committee. and the Selectmen.
Seth T. Thayer, North District Prudential School Committee.
Hugh M. Sanderson, & Middle
Samuel Hills, South District
Elisha Stone, A. Newell, Surveyors of Wood, &c.
George Murdock, Nath'l M. Weeks, Fence viewers.
David Coolidge, Otis Withiington, ) Sam'l Philbrick, Sam'l Pettes,
John Dustin, Joseph White, Geo. Craft, Tim. H. Child, & J. W.Warren,
Feild drivers.
Jolın Robinson, J. C. Clark, - Dan'l Pierce, Charles Stearns, & Firewards. and James Robinson,
John Dustin, Pound Keeper.
8
Brookline Town Records.
Charles Stearns, Junr., 1 North District 7
Seth T. Thayer,
2
Samuel Philbrick, 3
John W Bass, 1 Middle
Henry Pettes,
2
66
Surveyors of
Joseph White, 3
A. W. Goddard, 1 South
Caleb Craft, Junr.,
2
Highways.
John W. Warren,
3
John Hayden, Eastern turnpike
Daniel Pierce, Western do.
Doct. Charles Wild, Committee
Dea. Elijah Corey, & on
Ebenezer Heath, Town Accounts.
Elisha Stone chosen Constable.
John Bullard had sixty-nine votes for County Treasurer.
Ebenezer Seaver had one vote for do.
Voted, That the Report of the Auditors on Town Accounts be accepted.
Voted, That Four Thousand five hundred dollars be raized for expences of the Town the Current year.
Voted, That One Thousand dollars of the money voted to be raized be expended in repairing the highways within the Town, and that the same shall be assessed upon Polls and Estates of the Inhabitants resident & non-resident as other town charges are assessed, and be collected as other town taxes are collected, nine hundred dollars of which to be divided between the several highway districts in the same proportions as was ordered last year, and that one hundred dollars be left with the Selectmen to be applied at their discretion, and that the Selectmen shall be authorized to draw orders in favor of the several Surveyors for such part and no more of each District's portion as said Surveyors shall have lawfully expended in repairing the roads.
Voted, That the money belonging to the Two Parishes, being the proceeds from the sale of wood from the Needham wood lot, be divided between the two Parishes in Brookline (as per vote 2d page following) .
Voted, That a committee consisting of Dea. Elijah Corey, Daniel Sanderson, and Thomas Tilden do examine the state of the Middle and South school houses and report at the next Town Meeting the probable expence of repairing the same.
9
Meeting, March 4, 1839.
Voted, To accept the report on the school fund as follows :
By a vote of the town the Trustees of the School Fund were requested to report annually the amount of said fund and to whom loaned with the security for the same. They have attended to that Duty and make the following report.
To Theophilus Dame, Note and Mortgage on House & Land ) in Brighton with Policy of Insurance 435 84 Edward Hall, Note & Mortgage on his Real Estate in this Town with a Policy of insurance 204 53
Charles Hastings, Note & Mortgage on land and buildings in 305 00 Brighton with a policy of insurance
Samuel Brown, Note and Mortgage on land and buildings in Boston with policy of Insurance 811 11
Daniel Kingsbury, Note & Mortgage on land in Newton with policy of insurance . 1225 00
Dea. John Robinson, Note & Mortgage on House land and )
Tanyard in Brighton with policy of Insurance 1520 73
Total sum of said fund $4502 21
We are persuaded that the above security is satisfactory.
CHARLES STEARNS, JR., Trustees
DANIEL SANDERSON,
JAMES ROBINSON, .of School Fund.
REUBIN HUNTING,
Voted, To accept the Report on the New Engine, Brook- line, as follows : -
The undersigned having been appointed a committee at a Town meeting holden December 12th, to procure a new Fire Engine and necessary apparatus, having attended [to] the same, state that they have received proposals from several Engine manufacturers.
Your committee were requested by several members of the Engine Company to purchase one of Mr. Hunneman's manufacture.
After having noticed Engines of the several different constructions in operation they saw no reason why their request should not be granted. Your committee upon these considerations proceeded to contract with Mr. Hunneman to furnish a new Fire Engine and necessary apparatus to be built of the best material and finished in a thorough and workman- like manner for the sum of nine hundred dollars, to be finished by the first Monday in February. The Engine being delivered was tried in various ways by the Engine Company and performed in a manner which we are pleased to learn was satisfactory to the company and likewise to your committee with the exception of the leading Hose which are to be exchanged and such given in return as shall be acceptable.
CHARLES STEARNS, JR., REUBIN HUNTING, JOHN W. BASS,
Committee.
10
Brookline Town Records.
Voted, That the Town Treasurer be authorized and direct- ed to collect the proceeds of the sale of wood from the ministerial wood lot in Needham, it having been loaned to Mr. Daniel Colby of Boston as per his Note and Mort- gage and the same with the Interest that may be due thereon to divide and pay over in equal parts to the treasurers of both Parishes taking their seperate receipts for the same.
Voted, That a committee of five, Samuel Philbrick, Dea. Timothy Corey, Moses Jones, Doct. Wild, Joshua C. Clark, examine the old Engine and Report at next meeting with recommendation how it shall be disposed of.
Voted, That the Town Hall cannot be granted for the use of a private school.
Voted, That the Selectmen be a committee with Doctor Shurtliff & Seth T. Thayer to remonstrate against the prayer of the Aqueduct Corporation as follows :
WHEREAS, There is pending in the Legislature a petition from the Aqueduct Corporation in Boston for an Act to empower said corporation to divert the brooks of water which pass through this Town from their natural course, and whereas the streams are so small they can be but as a drop in the Bucket in comparison with the wants of the City, yet are of immense importance to the public in another point of view as they pass through a great proportion of the town, crossing the roads in several places, affording watering places (for the Inhabitants and to the travel- ling community) of which there are none other between the city and the upper part of Newton.
It is therefore Voted, That the Selectmen, Doct. Shurtliff and Seth T. Thayer be a committee to present a remon- strance in behalf of the Town against the said petition being granted, and that our Representative be requested to urge upon the Legislature that no act be granted that will deprive this Town and the public at large of these important natural rights.
Voted, That this meeting stands adjourned till the first Monday in April next at 3 o'clock in the afternoon.
Meeting, March 4, 1839.
11
REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON TOWN ACCOUNTS. The committee [appointed?] by the Town to examine into and Report upon the accounts of the Town treasurer and the Treasurer of the School Fund of the Town of Brookline for the Year ending March 1, 1839, Respectfully represent that from a full and careful investigation of the subjects submitted to them they find that the Treasurer of the School Fund has received .
$726 06
of which $525 was from bond & mortgage redeemed, but in course of the year reinvested ·
525 00
and he has paid balance due to himself last year 2 68
3 93
leaving in his hands a balance of
197 13
726 06
Mr. Oliver Whyte, the former Town Treasurer, since the last audit and previous to delivery of the Books to the present Treasurer, had received ·
$272 04
of which he had paid out to order of Selectmen, cur- rent expences, &c. 218 66
and he paid over to the present Treasurer 53 38
272 04
the whole tax levied for the year 1838 was 4231 93
from which deduct bad debts, errors & losses 42 75
balance amt. unpaid
6 31
leaves amount of Taxes for the year actually received
4182 87
Mr. Newell's additional receipts as Treasurer for the year :
From O. Whyte 53 38
Proceeds of hay scale
58 03
Rects. from State bounty & Military
41 02
Interest of Parish Fund
50 00
Borrowed for Use of Town
1000 00
of this amount he has paid to order of Selectmenl .
4916 70
and leaving in his hands at the close of accounts . $468 60
Thus it appears that there has been paid out for the purposes
of the town by Mr. Whyte
218 66
By School Fund Treasurer
3 93
and by Town Treasurer
4916 70
making grand total
5139 29
.
of this there has gone to payment of permanent debts 625 80
pay of demands to be refunded, such as State ? bounty, Military and Parish 91 02
716 82
Leaves the amount paid for the current expenses ? of the Year
$4422 47
This money has been devoted to the following purposes, viz. : For support of the Poor
618 44
Purposes of Education, Instruction 786 35
Repairs of school houses 33 79
General repairs Town House, burial grounds, &c. 120 90
County and Needham taxes
511 01
Repairs of Highways
987 60
Abatement of taxes
16 10
Engine department Current Expenses 153 14
New Engine 900 00- 1053 14
Town officers, levying, assessing and collecting taxes, ? Salaries, Stationery, legal advice, &c. - 295 14
$4422 47
·
5385 30
expense of office 1 25
12
Brookline Town Records.
Your committee have the satisfaction to report that they find the affairs of the town in a favorable condition and that notwithstanding the expence of important repairs and a new Engine under a tax of less than usual amount the permanent [debt?] of the town is short of 650$. The new arrangement as to the Period of collecting taxes appears thus far to have worked favorably and the amount to have been promptly collected, the delinquencies are without precedent small, being by lapses, errors & remissions, only $42.70, and good balances unpaid but $6.31, whether this be attributable to change in the mode and period of collection or to the efficiency of the Treasurer carrying the closer regulations into prompt execution, it seems but the duty as it is the pleasure of the Com- mittee to bear testimony to the most perfect accuracy with which the Books have been kept, the very great degree of completeness in closing and settling all accounts due or payable up to the very date of the exami- nation and the punctual tender of the balance on hand in cash to the Committee., Depending on the continuance of the same faithful efforts on the part of the Selectmen & Treasurer, your Committee [think?] that the payment of all the Debts of every description as well as of important and extensive repairs which will probably be found necessary for the southern school houses may be well accomplished by a Tax based on the following Estimate, viz. :-
ESTIMATE.
Payment of permanent debt 650
of outstanding debts
500
66 County & Needham taxes
600
Support of the Poor
600
of Schools 1000
Repairs of Highways .
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