USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Chelsea > Documentary history of Chelsea : including the Boston precincts of Winnisimmet, Rumney Marsh, and Pullen Point, 1624-1824, vol 2 > Part 12
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" The said mr. Watts Informs that Messrs. Elias Parkman and Thomas Stoddard have Improved the said Ferry from the said first of March to the Sixteenth of June last, and that from the said Sixteenth of June to this Time he the said Watis has Improved it.
" Mr. Watts further Informs, That the Perquisites of the said Ferry for some time past have not been Sufficient to Support the Charge, But is of opinion, If the Ferriage of Single Persons might be raised to Six pence it might Answer, without augmenting the Ferriage of Horses, Chaise &c." 39
Sept. 15, 1737. " Memorandum, That mr. Watts's Motion Re- specting augmenting the Ferriage, for Single Persons, over Winni- simet Ferry, as Entred the ah. Currant, be mentioned at the Opening of the Town Meeting on Wednesday the 21st instant, for the Towns Consideration thereof." 10
Oct. 19, 1737. " Samuel Watis Esqr. Appearing According to the desire of the Select Men, They Discoursed with him relating to Winnisimet Ferry, Who agreed as follows, Viz !.
" That if he the said Watts should take a New Lease of the said Ferry commencing from March next then in that Case he will pay the rent of said Ferry for the current Year, since the Expiration of the late Lease, at the rate of Twenty Pounds p. annum." 41
March 14, 1737/8. " The Seleet Mens Report of the present state of Winisimet Ferry - Read, as follows, Viz'.
" Pursnant to a Vote of this Town as above - The Select Men have given Publick Notice of Leasing out the Ferry between the Town and Winnisimet, for a Term of Years; But there has been selectmen would be at the Town House every Wednesday from 4 to 6 P. M. until the following November. 1
57 Selectmen's Minutes, 1736-1742, Boston Ree. Com. Rep., xv. 68.
38 Supra, note 25.
30 Selectmen's Minutes, 1736-1742, Boston Ree. Com. Rep .. xv. 69.
Ibid., 72.
41 Ibid., 77.
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no Offers made as yet, to take a Lease of it, Under its present Circumstances."
(Signed by the seleetmen, Boston, March 13, 1737.)
" Voted, That the Select Men be, and hereby Are Desired and Tinpowered to Lease Out Winnisimet Ferry for a Term of Years, Or from Year to Year, in the best Manner they can, for the ad- vantage of the Town." 42
April 5, 1738. " Whereas upon a report made by the Select men to the Town, at the Annual Meeting the 13. of March last past, relating to present State of the Ferry between Boston and Winni- simet, The Inhabitants did by their Vote then past, Desire and Impower the Select men to Lease out the said Ferry for a Term of Years, or from Year to Year in the best manner they can for the Advantage of the Town.
" Pursuant to the said recited Order.
" Voted, That the Town Clerk eause the same to be Speedily Advertised in the Publiek News Papers, that so it may be Effected as soon as may be." 43
Jan. 20, 1738/9. " Ordered, That the following Advertisement for Letting Winnisimet Ferry be Printed in the several News Papers, Vizt.
" To be Let, upon Lease for Years or otherwise, the Ferry be- twixt the Town of Boston and Winnisimet - Any Person or Per- sons Inclined to Hire the same, may treat with the Select men, every Wednesday in the Afternoon, with whom they may Agree upon reasonable Terms.
" By Order of the Seleet men of Boston " SAMUEL GERRISH Town Clerk " 44
June 29, 1749, the General Court, reciting that the num- ber of boats theretofore assigned by law for Winnisimmet Ferry had been found insufficient, enaeted that from October 1, 1749, there should be " four sufficient boats " for the more
42 Town Rec., 1729-1742, Boston Rec. Com. Rep., xii. 188, 189.
43 Selectmen's Minutes, 1736-1742, ibid., xv. 105. [The advertisement appeared in the Boston Evening Post, April 24, 1738.]
# Selectmen's Minutes, 1736-1742, p. 156. [See the Boston Evening Post, January 29, 1738/9.] Apparently Samuel Watts eontinued lessee of the ferry, as August 26, 1741, he appeared before the selectmen, at their request, and said that he did "not Expect to Pay any Rent to the Town . .. from the time his Lease expired." (Selectmen's Minutes, 1736- 1742, p. 306.) January 31, 1757, the selectmen considered the question of prosecuting Captain Watts " for the Rent of Winnesimmitt Ferry." Bos- ton Rec. Com. Rep., xix. 53.
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speedy transportation of passengers, with two sober, able- bodied men (one to be a white man) constantly to attend cach boat, two of which were to be equipped " with good sails and two good oars, the other two to be row-boats or barges, and furnished with four oars cach." Two of said boats (one to be a row-boat ) should constantly ply from Boston to Wimmisim- met, from sunrise until uine at night, from April to Noven- ber; and from 8 A. M. to 8 P. M. the remainder of the year. Also it was enacted that when any one of the boats landed on either shore, the other boat on the same side should immediately put off ; and that one or more of the ferrymen should, within the hours mentioned, " constantly abide at or near each boat, to keep them from grounding, and to attend on passengers." Suitable penalties were provided for neglect of duty. The fares were to be as follows: for each passenger in a row- boat, nine pence; " for a horse, eighteen pence ; for a horse and chaise or chair, with two wheels, three shillings "; for other luggage over fifty pounds, at " fourpence halfpenny per hun- dred, in bills of public credit of the last emission, and no more ; ' and for each passenger in one of the sail-boats, sixpence; for a horse, eighteen pence; for an horse and chaise or chair, with two wheels, three shillings "; for other luggage over fifty pounds, at the rate of " threepence per hundred, in bills of publick credit of the last emission." The aet was to continue in force for three years from its publication and no longer.15
The ferries . between Boston and Winnisimmet were not merely for the convenience of those places, for before the open- ing of the Salem and Newburyport turnpikes to Boston, about 1803, they were the only means of direct inland travel to Salem, Portsmouth, and the whole eastern country. 46 Mem- bers of the General Court, judges, and military companies from Essex County, generally reached the capital by way of Winnisimmet Ferry. But boats propelled by sails or oars were inconvenient for the transportation of teams. Ice in winter, and occasional head winds and rough water at all seasons, made
45 Mass. Provincial Acts and Resolves, iii. 465, 466. [ Apparently this aet was not renewed at the end of the three years. See also the petition of Samuel Watts infra, p. 129.1
4 | The post road at an early date went by Charlestown, Medford, Malden, Lynn, and Salem; see list of roads in the carly almanacs.]
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passages irregular, protracted, and often dangerous.47 These hindrances at an early date led to the setting up of inns at Winnisimmet. It was usual for travellers from the cast in- tending to tarry over night in Boston, to leave their horses at Winnisimmet; 48 and for those intending a journey to the eastward to go by boat to Winnisimmet, and to hire there teams to their destination.49
47 [Cotton Mather, in describing a journey to Salem in May, 1709, wrote: " A fearful Hurricane & Thunderstorm overtook us, just as we gott out of Winnisimmet Ferry-boat, (a Ferry three miles wide) ; which had it overtaken us four or five minutes Earlier, we had unquestionably perished in ye waters." MSS. Diary, 1709, 19th day, 3d. mo. Amer. Antiq. Soe., Worcester. See infra, p. 122.]
43 [In the list of John Brintnall's possessions, in the tax list of 1701, appear 83 horses and no sheep; on the tax list of 1702, 6 horses and 40 sheep. Possibly the General Court was in session when the former list was made. In the middle of the century the accounts of Samuel Watts show that he frequently ineurred bills for pasturing sheep on neighboring farms during the busy season at the inn. ]
4" The following from Samuel Watts' aeeount book are a few noticeable instanees :
1742. April 24 John Choate Esq. Dr To keeping a Horse 4 nts . £0. 5.0
May 6. Same to keep Horse 2 nts at Hay 0. 2.6
May 7 Judge Lyndell Dr To keeping his Horse 1 nt
Hay 0. 1.3
29 Majr: Danll Epps
Dr To keeping his Horse
3 nts pd. . 0. 2.3
June 2 The Honble John Greenliefe Dr To keeping Horse 8 nts 0. 6.0
Dee. 9 Honble Judge Lynde-(The first Chief Justice Lynde) Dr To keeping Horse 2 nts . 0.10.
1. 6 To ferreage
1744 March 13. Thomas Hutchinson Esqr. To Horse to Cape Ann .
0. 3.5
1745. Honble: Judge Auchmuty Dr (The first Robert Auchmuty, Judge in Admiralty, and at that time doubtless on his way to Portsmouth to hold eourt.) To Horse here to Piseata [qua] and eame round p Charlestown with ferrage 5.10.0
1746. Aug. 13. Timothy Lyndall Esqr (Sometime Speaker of the House) Dr To Horse keeping 1 nt . 0. 3.6
20. Capt. John Clark of Salem Dr To a Horse and Chair to Salem Seven days . 4. 0.0
Oet. 9 The Hon. Timothy Lindall Dr To Horse Keeping 4 nts 0.14.0 Nov. 15. Benja. Goldthwait Dr To a Horse for John Taplin to go to Salem and carry Duble . 3. 0.0
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I do not know how early inns were opened at Winnisim- met; but November 13, 1644, "Goodm Smyth, of Winnet- semet, hath lib'ty to sell wine, & to keepe a house of comon intertainment." 5º
May 26, 1647, " Samu : Davies, of Winnetsemet, hath liberty granted him to keepe a house of comon intertainment, & lo draw wine, he paying 308. p @ for his licence into the treas- ury." 51 Samuel Davis is said to have had something to do with the ferry, and at one time occupied part of the Vane allotment.52
1747 July 13 Judge Lynde Dr To Horse Keeping Int. Hay 0.10.0 Ang. 15. Same To Horse keep.g 3 nts . 0.13.6 . ESce Diary of Benj Lynde, 34, 47, 53, G6, 67, 73, 74, 115.]
60 Mass. Col. Rec., ii. 87. Goodman Smyth, afterwards better known as Lientenant John Smith, was for many years tenant of Governor Belling- ham's Ferry farm, and manager of the ferry. His license was renewed from time to time as late as 1681. |The lease of John Smith dated from January, 1664/5. ( Vol. i. p. 438.) John Pemberton was tenant of the Ferry farm in 1662. Presumably " Goodfi Smyth " of 1644 was Francis Smith, father of John Smith. The preceding March at a Quarter Court at Boston: " ffrancis Smith is graunted his bill of 21b 3s lld for ferridge, & horse pasture, of Magistrates, & Deputies horses from the 25th, of ye 20 Moth 1642, to the 5th of the Ist Moth 1833 " ( Records of the Court of Assistants, ii. 139.) In later years Deputies to the General Court from the eastward were accustomed to ride to Winisimmet, and leave their horses there at pasture during the session of the Court. Presumably Francis Smith, the ferryman, was "Goodm Smyth," the innkeeper, and also tenant of Richard Bellingham, the owner of the ferry franchise, and an influen- tial member of the Colonial government at the date when the license for an inn at Winnisimmet was granted. (Supra, note 48.) Francis Smith, in May, 1748, received a license to sell wine at Reading. According to Eaton (History of Reading, 111), Francis Smith was a proprietor in Watertown in 1636/7, " stopped a while, it is said, at Chelsea Ferry." and settled in Reading in 1647. In May, 1647, Francis Smith and Lieut. Spragne were appointed by the General Court to lay out a high- way from Winnisimmet to Reading. (Mass. Col. Ree., ii. 192.) This same General Court of May, 1647, licensed as innkeeper Samuel Davis of Winnisimmet. ) 1
61 Mass. Col. Ree., ii. 188. May 26, 1647, the General Court, tired of applications for license, directed that the County Court or Court of Assis- tants should attend to that business. ( Ibid.) [ The extant records of the former date from 1671; of the latter, from 1673; hence the line of innkeepers cannot be given with certainty. ] The records show that the people of this generation are not the first who have been vexed with the question of " license." Those curious to study it will find mich in Mass, Col. Rec., iii. 135, 149, 276; iv. pt. i. 23, 34, 152, 323.
62 Supra, vol. i., p. 150, note 2.
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HISTORY OF CHELSEA
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1661, November 5. " JJnº Pemberton & Jnº Moulton are allowed to keepe a publick house of intertaimnent att Win- isimett till April court next." 53
John Brintnall, in his petition to the General Court in 1711, says that " for the Space of Seventeen years Last past " he had " kept the Ordnary ju Winysimnett and the fferry betwixt that and Boston " and that he was " about to Remove from that House and Service." The house was the Watts 54 house on the Ferry farm.55 In 1709 Brintnall purchased the Maver- iek estate, on which Samuel Maverick's Palisade House was standing in 1660. In 1712 the selectmen " Voted, that John Brentnall & Edward Watts at their Respective Houses at Win- nisimet be Allowed & Recomended as Inholders." 56 So. at that time there were two inns at Winnisimmet, across the street from each other.
When Edward and Rebecca Watts, in 1710, came over to their Winnisimmet estates, they then, or soon after, occupied the Ferry farm with the inn; and after his death the seleet- men, July 12, 1714, approved as an innholder, " Rebecca Watts Widdo at her House at Winisimet "; and October 31, 1715, her son Edward, "to Sell Strong drink as an Inholder at his House at Winesimet." 57
In 1754 Edmund Dix of Chelsea petitioned the General Court to empower the Court of Quarter Sessions to license him to keep a tavern at Point Shirley, in a building already im- proved as such, alleging that since the " cod fishery business "
53 Town Records, in Boston Rec. Com. Rep., vii. 5. [See supra, vol. i.
. p. 296, note 7.]
[It was the ancient inn, not the Watts mansion. Vol. i. pp. 297, 54 578.]
55 See Hiller's account, supra, vol. i. pp. 580, 581.
56 Selectmen's Minutes, June 30, 1712, Boston Rec. Com. Rep., xi. 166. [In 1710 and 1711, neither the name of John Brintnall nor of Edward Watts was on the list of innholders licensed by the Court of General Sessions of the Peace. In 1710, Thomas Marrable, tenant of Colonel Nicholas Paige and living near the Lynn boundary, received a license. (See supra, p. 74). In 1712 and 1713, both John Brintnall and Edward Watts held licenses; the former paid £4 each year; the latter £4 in 1712, and £5 in 1713; after 1713 the name of John Brintnall disappeared from the list. In 1717, he was fined £10 and costs for selling strong drink without license. ( Records of the Court of General Sessions of the Peace.) Rebeckah Watts, widow of Edward Watts, was the only innkeeper at Winnisimmet in 1714.]
57 Selectinen's Minutes, 1701-1715, Boston Rec. Com. Rep., xi. 211, 237.
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had been carried on a great number of persons were employed there, with no public house to entertain them. June 27, 1757, the selectmen [ of Chelsea ] approved of John Chandler to keep the Inn.58 Between 1766 and 1774 Mrs. Abigail Hawkes, widow of Jonathan Hawkes, who died in 1762, was the innkeeper at Runney Marsh, and to her house the town meeting was often adjourned. The old Hawkes Tavern is still standing on School Street, Revere, and was the residence of the late Captain John Tewksbury. About the same time Captain Richard Watts was innkeeper at the ferry.50
Edward Watts, who managed the Maverick ferry, and Thomas Gyles, the lessee of the town ferry, worked them as one; as later did Samuel Watts and Thomas Gyles, lessees for seven years from March 1, 1729/30, at £20 per annum.60 The arrangement of the ferries may be gathered from the Watts MSS.$1
As we have reached the time when Rumney Marsh was set off from Boston as the town of Chelsea, thereby parting with its legal interest in the Boston ferry to Winnisinnnet, I shall not longer follow its history except to say that the franchise and real estate therewith connected were sold to the Winnisim- met Company, November 15, 1836.62 The time for the his- tory of the Company will come; but I shall not anticipate it, and will only notice such incidents respecting ferry regulations
58 Mass. Archives, exi. 321; Chamberlain MSS., iv. 53.
69 July 10, 1749. " Agreed Richard Watts be recommended to the Ses- sions for a licence as an Inholder. And William Oliver a retailer. MSS. Rec. of the Selectmen of Chelsea, i. 5. See also ibid., p. 69.
60 Boston Ree. Com. Rep., xiii. 192.
1 October 7, 1715, when Thomas Gyles and Edward Watts were interested in the ferry, they contracted with James Combs for one year in running the boat between Boston and Winnisimmet, and when the boat was not running, for other service, as they might dircet ; and for these services they agreed to pay Captain Arnold £3. 2s. for Combs' passage, presumably from England, and at the end of the year, £9. Ss., in Province Bills, with " Meat Drink Washing & Lodging." When Samuel Watts became sole owner of the Ferry farm inelnding the ferry, as well as innholder, he made a similar contraet with George Campbell, Mareh 1, 1728/9, for £23; and March 26, 1729, purchased of Abigail Thomas a negro woman, named Qushaby, and her child Venus, and their wearing apparel, for £110. Chamberlain MSS., i. 119, 125, 129.
02 Suff. Deeds, L. 417, f. 217. For the later history of the ferry, see Chelsea Directory, 1854, " Reminiseences of Chelsea," prepared by Frank B. Fay, son of Colonel Franeis B. Fay. [See vol. i. pp. 298, 299, note 23.]
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as were for the accommodation of travellers, and the occasions when the ferry has been obstructed by ice.
The first is from Shurtleff's Topographical and Historical Description of Boston.63 " The Chevalier François Jean - for he had not then attained the rank of Marquis - in the course of his travels, left Salem on the fourteenth of Novem- ber, 1782, on horseback for Boston. He describes his approach to the town in the following words: 'The road from Salem to Boston passes through an arid and rocky country, always within three or four miles of the sea, without having a siglit of it; at length however, after passing Lynn, and Lynn Creek, you get a view of it, and find yourself in a bay formed by Nahant's Point and Pulling's Point. I got upon the rocks to the right of the roads, in order to embrace more of the country, and form a better judgment. I could distinguish not only the whole bay but several of the islands in Boston road, and part of the peninsula of Nantucket [a mistake for Nantasket], near which I discovered the masts of our ships of war. From hence to Winisimmet ferry you travel over disagreeable roads, some- times at the foot of rocks, at others across salt marshes. It is just eighteen miles from Salem to the ferry, where we em- barked in a large scow, containing twenty horses; and the wind, which was rather contrary, becoming more so, we made seven tacks, and were near an hour in passing. The landing is to the northward of the port, and to the east of Charles-Town ferry.' " 6ª
These are instances of the closing of the harbor by ice:
December 26, 1630. "The rivers were frozen up, and they of . Charlton could not come to the sermon at Boston till the afternoon at high water." 65
1634/5, January. "In the end of this month, three men had their boat frozen up at Bird Island, as they were coming from Deer. Island, so as they were compelled to lodge there all night; and in the morning they came over the ice to Noddle's Isle, and thence to Molten's Point in Charlestown, and thence over the ice, by Mr. Hoffe's, to Boston. At the same time six others were kept a week at the Governour's Garden; and in the end gate with their
03 pp. 78, 79 (ed. 1890).
64 See infra, p. 131, the reminiscences of General Sumner.
" Savage, Winthrop, i. 39.
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boat to Mattapan Point; for, near all that time, there was no open place between the Garden and Boston, neither was there any pass- ing at Charlestown for two or three days, the wind about the N. W. three weeks, with mnuch snow and extreme frost." 66
1634-5, February. " About the middle of this month, a proper young man, servant to Mr. Bellingham, passing over the ice to Winnesemett, fell in, and was drowned. Divers others fell in, in that and other places, but, by God's providence, were saved." 67
1641-2, January. " This winter, . . . all the bay was frozen over, so much and so long, as the like, by the Indians' relation, had not been these 40 years, and it continued from the 18th of this month to the 21st of the 12th month [ February]; so as horses and carts went over in many places where ships have sailed." $8
1680-1, January 10. " Charles River frozen over, so to Nod- dles Island." 69
1685-6, January 24. " Friday night and Satterday . . . the Harbour frozen up, and to the Castle. This day so cold that the Sacramental Bread is frozen pretty hard, and rattles sadly as broken into the Plates." 70
February 1, " In the Afternoon a great Cake of Ice comes from Cambridge-ward and jostles away the Body of Ice that lay between the outward Wharfs and Noddle's Iland: so now our Harbonr open again." 71
February 13, "Satterday, pretty well clear our Dock of Ice by a Passage Cnt open. Shut up abont 7 weeks." 72
1686-7, January 28. " Mr. Moodey and I goe to visit Mr. Morton at Charlestown, went on the Ice from Bronghton's Ware- house. I came home upon a Streight Line from his House to Boston." 73
Thursday, February 3. " Spring Tides shake the Ice and carries away part ; near night it suddainly breaks away to the outward Wharf's more suddenly than hath usually been known." 74
Governor Beleber, writing to the Lords of Trade January 14, 1740/1, says: " I should sooner have wrote your Lord-
" Savage, Winthrop, i. 154.
Ibid., 155. Also see ibid., 251.
Savage, Winthrop, ii. 60; [also supra, vol. i. p. 111].
69 Sewall, Diary, i. 49.
70 Ibid., 118.
71 Ibid., 120.
Ibid., 121.
73 Ibid., 166.
74 Ibid., 167.
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ships on all these heads but that the severe season for some weeks past has made a land of ice from this town into the ocean & blockt up all the shipping." 75
The harbour was closed by ice Jannary 1, 1765; December 21, 1767; February 9, 1769; January 23, 1774; 76 also in 1780, 1844, 1856, and 1857, and many people went on foot to their business in Boston, crossing by the track of the ferry boats.77
75 6 Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc., vii. 361.
70 Rowe, Diary, in 2 Proe. Mass. Hist. Soc., x. 59.
77 Even when the harbor was not frozen the passage from Winnisimmet to Boston by ferry-boats with sails was sometimes dangerous. In the Boston Weekly News-Letter, Thursday, Nov. 26, 1741, is the following: " Last Thursday one of the Winnisimet Ferry-Boats turn'd upon her side in a sudden Gust of Wind, so as to fill with Water, whereby a French Gentlemen, newly arriv'd was drown'd; 'tis said he had a considerable Quantity of Gold about him: Four others that were on board held fast to the Boat, till the other Boat from the Shore came up and took them in."
123
APPENDIX
CHAP. XXIV]
APPENDIX
[The Landing-place of Winnisimmel Ferry in Boston
WHEN Thomas Gyles took a lease of the ferry from Boston to Winnisimmet in November, 1708, Merry's Point near the North Battery was assigned as the starting place of the ferry. Its loca- tion there can be seen on Burgiss' plan of the town. A few facts have been gathered as to earlier landing-places.
At the January term of the Court of General Sessions of the Peace in 1707/8, a complaint was entered by the selectmen of Bos- ton against William Parkman, shipwright, for an encroachment " over the Town Ship or Ferry way being part of the Counnon high- way leading from the Mill Bridge towards Winnissimet in Boston . . . by Erecting a hallow wharff upon the same now in the Tenure of William Greenough of Boston, Shipwright."1 The complaint was entered umder an order from the selectmen to the town clerk, October 8, 1707, directing him to make complaint " Agt William Parkman for building a hollow wharfe, Over the Town-Slip Nigh Mr. Edward Bndds Wharfe." 2 October 22, 1708, the selectmen ordered that " William Parkman be directed to remove ye Incum- berance at ye Towns Slip at ye end of North Street," and on No- vember 16, the selectmen "Signified to Mr. Budd that they do Assert as belonging to ye Sª Slip from ye upper to ye Lower end of his wharfe the breadth of the Lower end of north Street Measuring from Mr Nashs Shop & wharfe as it now Stands & that what ineroachment is there made is done on Mr Bndds Side." No- vember 30, 1708, William Parkman, who lost the snit in the court, delivered formal " possession of the Slip at ye end of North Street " to the town clerk, and Merry's Point having been chosen as the future landing-place for the ferry, an agreement was then entered into between the seleetmen and John Greenongh, ac- cording to which he was to pay thirty shillings a year for the use of the slip.3 From these extraets it appears that the foot of North, now Hanover, Street was an earlier landing-place for Winnisimmet Ferry than Merry's Point. Yet the selectmen's vote of November 29, 1708, shows that Greenough had occupied the ship at the
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