USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Rehoboth > Early Rehoboth, documented historical studies of families and events in this Plymouth colony township, Volume IV > Part 2
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In the case of Seekonk, considerable "cruising" was necessary before any actual surveying was done. The proprietors of the new settlement had an Indian grant of a tract of land "eight" miles square, which figure later proved to be nearer ten than eight. "Eight miles square" equals about 41,000 acres of land, and "ten miles square", about 64,000 acres. As the number of the original proprietors was limited to sixty, each proprietor would be entitled to about 680 acres of land in the eight miles square area, and about 1,070 acres in the ten-mile area.
It requires only a glance at the map of early Rehoboth (see Early
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Early Rehoboth
Rehoboth, vol. II, page 7) to see that the layout of the main village for the Newman settlement of 1643 was not accidental, but rather the result of a skillful job of surveying. The village was laid out in the form of a long parallelogram * running northwest to southeast, approximately seven-eighths of a mile long by about half a mile wide, placed carefully in a U-shaped bend of the Mill River, later called the Ten Mile. From the parallelogram of common land the surveyor laid out long narrow home lots, the head of each butting on the common and the other end extending towards the river. The owners of all these home lots were required to fence the head of each lot, which made a continuous fence around the parallelogram, the inside area of which was the common pasture and which was called the "Ring of the Greene", "Ring of the Town", "Common", and much later, "Seekonk Common".
Besides the general preliminary surveying necessary to first de- termine the location of the central village in the new township of Seekonk, there was the additional extensive surveying job of laying out four divisions of land totaling more than 2,300 acres, approxi- mately four square miles, into some 240 parcels, some of which were at a distance of six miles away from the village.
The following Rehoboth Town Meeting record is ample evidence that the early surveying of the township of Seekonk was done by a Massachusetts firm of professional land surveyors:
12 July 1644-At a Rehoboth town meeting it was "voted that those who were to have allotments in the three divisions to be presently laid out by Mr. Olyver t & his partner Joseph [Joshua] Fisher } & shall not pay
* For a detailed study of the layout of this settlement, together with a map, see Early Rehoboth, vol. II, chap. II.
Ť JOHN OLIVER, of Boston, son of Elder Thomas Oliver, was a "skillful surveyor". He was ad- mitted to the church 1633; freeman 14 May 1634; m. ELIZABETH, dau. of John Newgate. In 1638 he was Sergeant of the Artillery company. He took up the duties of a preacher, for the success of which, although a married man with children, he entered the college and graduated in 1645 with the degree A.B. Children: John, b. 1638, d. young. Elizabeth, b. 1640. Hannah, b. 1642, d. young. John, b. 1644. Thomas, b. 1646, d. young. His widow became the second wife of Edward Jackson of Cambridge [Savage, Gen. Dict., vol. III, pp. 309-10].
At a general meeting of the planters at Seacunke held at Weymouth 24 Oct. 1643, it was "voted that if any of those who have their lottes granted already shall fale, yt Goodman Jacksone of Cam- bridge be admitted if he please" [Rehoboth Town Meetings, Book I, p. 27].
SAMUEL OLIVER, son of Elder Thomas and brother of John Oliver, the Boston surveyor, was drowned 27 Mar. 1652. His wid., Lydia, m. 16 Feb. 1654, Lieut. Joshua Fisher, Jr., Surveyor, of Dedham [Savage, Gen. Dict., vol. III, p. 311].
# LIEUT. JOSHUA3 FISHER (Joshua?, Anthony1), surveyor and innkeeper, baptized in Lyleham, co. Suffolk, England, 2 Apr. 1621, d. at Dedham 10 Aug. 1672. He m. (1) at Dedham, Mass., 15 Nov. 1643, MARY, d. 3 Sept. 1653, dau. of Dea. Nathaniel and Mary Aldis; m. (2) 16 Feb. 1653/4, LYDIA, d. 2 Feb. 1683, widow of Samuel Oliver [brother of John Oliver, the Boston surveyor]. Children: Mary, b. 23 Feb. 1644. Joshua, b. 30 Oct. 1645. Abigail, b. 29 Feb. 1648. Joshua, b. 9 Jan. 1651.
On 1 Dec. 1637, Joshua Fisher, of Dedham, on behalf of his father, who was expected the next summer, was allowed to enter on the privileges offered by the town to a smith, but was to vacate the privilege if his father came not in time to suit the town. The privilege was granted to Edward Kempe on 28 June 1638. Joshua Fisher, a servant, was admitted to the Dedham church in August 1639.
On 18 Oct. 1648, the inhabitants of the town of Dedham petitioned the General Court asking that its military officers be "Eleazer Lusher, captaine; John Fisher, lieftenant; and Henry Philips, en- signe". The court granted this request 27 October of that year [Mass. Bay Records, vol. II, pp. 257-8; vol. III, p. 139]. Joshua Fisher kept the "publicke house" and on 9 May 1649 petitioned the General Court "desiring to be ffreed frome ye custon on wyne". The petition was referred to the committee "ffor composiens" for a full answer [Ibid., vol. III, p. 159]. On 4 Mar. 1658/9, he and Capt. Eleazer Lusher undertook to erect a sawmill in the cedar swamp near the Neponset River.
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Early Surveys and Maps
the Surveying of it by the 28th of the 8th month [October] next at Boston or Dedham according to the proposition of Mr. Olyver shall forfeit the land into the hands of the 9 men } [townsmen] intrusted with the townes affairs.
"It is further ordered, the day above written, that Will. Cheesborough is to have division in all lands of Seakunk for a hundred and fiffty-three pounds besides what he is to have for his own proportion, and that in way of consideration for the pains and charges he hath been at for setting off this plantation " [Rehoboth Town Meetings, Book I, p. 33].
The numbers of the three divisions "to be presently laid out" by the engineers are not known. We do know, however, that a year earlier the second division for "woodland lots" had been made and that previous to this time some home lots had been assigned. As two divisions naturally went together, it would seem probable that these three new divisions of land to be laid out must have included the fresh and salt meadows, which were certainly early divisions.
The record of this Rehoboth Town Meeting, 12 July 1644, brings to light the heretofore unknown land surveying partnership of "Oliver and Fisher", of Boston and Dedham. No mention of this firm is made by earlier writers.
This Mr. Oliver was John Oliver, the "skillful surveyor" of Bos- ton, whose function in the partnership at this time seems to have been that of business manager who made the contacts and brought in the business. Lieut. Joshua Fisher, the junior partner, appears to have been the one who did the actual surveying. There can be little doubt that he was the surveyor who laid out the Seekonk town- ship. John Oliver, the partner, was more interested in preaching than he was in surveying, and, although a married man with chil- dren, in order to better fit himself for the ministry, had entered Cambridge College where he was a student when this Seekonk sur- vey was made, graduating with the degree of A.B. in 1645. If any further proof is needed as to which of the two partners did the actual surveying, it is found in the following Rehoboth record:
30 Jan. 1659-A Town Meeting voted to make a rate to pay the town rates "and to purchase a coppy of a platt of our land yt Leftant Fisher layed out" [Rehoboth Town Meetings, Book I, p. 202].
Joshua Fisher was elected select man in 1648/9 and served for twenty-two years. Deputy, 1653, 1658, 1662, 1663, 1664, 1667, 1671, and 1672. In 1672, administration and division of his estate was granted to sons-in-law Thomas Clap, John Holton, and Daniel Fisher, together with sons Joshua, John, and Vigilance. Widow Lydia Fisher made her will 29 Mar. 1680, proved 24 May 1683. She mentioned her sons Vigilance, daus. Mary Clap, -- Burroughs, Abigail Houghton, and Rebecca Fisher; cousins Mary Clap and Jone Fisher; bro. Deacon Aldis, Mr. Adams of Dedham, Mr. and Mrs. Man of Milton [Fisher Genealogy (1898), pp. 11-16; Savage, Gen. Dict., vol. II, p. 163; Pope, Pioneers of Mass., p. 166; and additional records].
JOSHUA2 FISHER, senior, of Dedham, smith, admitted townsman 1648; special grant of land 21 Sept. 1650; will dated 2 May, proved 19 Nov. 1674. Bequests "to wife Anne; dau. Mary, wife of Thomas Battle, and each of her children; grandchild Joshua Fisher; grandchild Mary, wife of Thomas Clap; grandchild Abigail, wife of John Houghton; grandchild John, son of Joshua Fisher; grandchild Hannah Burrowes; grandchild John, son of John Fisher; his sister Elizabeth and brother Jonathan; grandchild Vigilance, son of Joshua Fisher. Cousin Daniel Fisher of Dedham and grandchild Joshua Fisher executors. Widow Anne Fisher, in will dated 8 Apr. 1675, proved 1 Feb. 1676/7, bequeathed to dau. Battle, grandchildren John and Joshua, sons of her late son Lieut. Joshua Fisher, and to John and Elizabeth, children of her late son John Fisher."
# These townsmen were Alexander Winchester, Richard Wright, Henry Smith, Edward Smith, Walter Palmer, William Smith, Stephen Payne, Richard Bowen, and Robert Martin Rehoboth Town Meetings, Book I, p. 21].
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Early Rehoboth
Now that we know that Lieut. Joshua Fisher of Dedham was the surveyor who laid out the township of Seekonk for the Newman settlement of 1643, he becomes of interest to Rehoboth history. It seems more than probable that the surveying of Seekonk was ar- ranged at Boston by William Cheeseborough, a former Boston con- stable, who appears to have played a prominent part in organizing the Seekonk settlement.
It takes only a little research to discover that Lieut. Joshua Fisher was an important Massachusetts Bay surveyor and made numerous maps and surveys at the direction of the General Court. Many of his maps and surveys are extant in the Maps and Plans Section of the Massachusetts Archives at the State House, Boston. The following list is only a small part of his work, the plans of which, with the ex- ception of the first three, are on record:
- - 1643-Survey of the township of Seekonk [Probable, but no proof].
-- 1643-Survey of three divisions of land in Seekonk [Rehoboth Record]. 16 Nov. 1647-Joshua Fisher made a plat of land in Braintree for the Iron Works Co. and the town [Pope, Pioneers of Mass., p. 166].
15 Oct. 1650-The court appointed a commission to settle the bounds be- tween Watertown and Sudbury. "The measurement of the middle line of the Watertown lands to the length of 8 miles being performed by Lieut. Joshua Fisher, being by the court appointed thereto, as also upon several other occasion". The court approved Lieut. Fisher's plan 2 Dec. 1651 [Mass. Bay Records, vol. III, pp. 214, 234].
7 May 1662-"Lieut. Joshua Fisher laid out a farm of 250 acres formerly granted to Edward Rawson-four or five miles beyond Medfield, on west end of Mr. Lynds farm between Natic line and Mr. Winthrop's farm" [Ibid., vol. IV, p. 51].
29 May 1664-The survey by Lieut. Joshua Fisher of the southern line between Plymouth and Massachusetts accepted by the Mass. General Court and ordered recorded [Ibid., vol. IV, p. 116].
19 Oct. 1664-The General Court held at Boston . .. "having Employed Lieut. Joshua Fisher in finding out the utmost extent of our south line of patent etc. and joining with other commissioners in running same which being now performed & finished, ordered in answer to his desire shall have granted 300 acres upon Medfield line towards the south, Mr. Tyngs farm towards the north, Sheffields farm towards the west, acute angle towards the east which he is to take in full satisfaction for what he hath done in reference to our patent, providing it be not above 300 acres" [Ibid., vol. IV, pt. 2, p. 138].
11 Oct. 1665-At a General Court held at Boston, Joshua Fisher made a report of the layout of 8,000 acres of Dedham lands "at a place called Pecumptick in answer to the grant of the General Court made to Dedham for lands at Natick which Indians settled upon by court order it being north ward from Hadley about 10 or 12 miles. Lajd out as abouesajd May 1665, by me, Joshua Fisher". At the same court Joshua Fisher filed a plat "Lajd out & Exactly measured, according to rules of Art, the above granted 250 acres vnto Captaine Eleaz" Lusher,* October 1659" [Ibid., vol. IV, pt. 2, pp. 282, 285].
The plan for this 8,000 acres of Dedham lands, on file in the Massa-
* On 15 June 1657, Eleazer Lusher was one of four arbitrators mutually chosen to determine a case "in controversy between the inhabitants of Providence and other inhabitants of Providence concerning the titles of lands lying in Pawtuxet" [Early Providence Town Records, vol. XV, pp. 94, 95].
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Early Surveys and Maps
chusetts Archives, Plan Book I, p. 24, shows compass courses with measurements given in miles and rods. This is probably the survey referred to by Temple in his History of Northbrookfield (1887), page 54, where he said: "The compass was first brought into use in laying out land grants in this region by Lieut. Fisher, of Dedham, when he surveyed the Deerfield lands in 1665. They had a chain to measure distances, and some prominent object was selected as a starting point. The chief concern was to get the full quantity named in the grant".
8 June 1671-At a General Court held at Boston-"Lajd out and measured 500 acres to Mr. Thomas Kellond's farm at Wading River, near Cap- taine Hudson's farm as in the plat on file". Part of a course was "to a stake at Seakunck Path near Woodcock's Well. By Joshua Fisher, 1669". The court allowed the layout [Ibid., vol. IV, pt. 2, p. 495].
At the same Court "A platt of a land lajd out to Francis Hudson,* conveying 300 acres, was presented to the court [and approved] & is on file, running & lying vpon Wading River, northward of [Capt.] William Hudson's farme, & measured from a red oake to a white oake tree, 400 rods on the east; from the red oak to a pine stake 84 rods on the south; from the pine stake to a white oak stake 386 rods on the west; from the white oak stake to a pine tree, & so to a little brook, & so to ye white oake, all on the north, as in the plott. Joshua Fisher, May, 70" [Ibid., vol. IV, pt. 2, p. 494].
The plat of this 300-acre farm, laid out to Francis Hudson, brother of Capt. William Hudson, is on file in the Massachusetts Archives, Plan Book I, page 81, Map No. 87, and is signed by Joshua Fisher. The plat is typical of the farm surveys made at that period, the land descriptions of which are the despair of the present-day civil engi- neer. No compass courses are given, nor are the names of any of the abutting owners. Lieutenant Fisher did, however, make careful sketches of the "red oake" and of the "pine tree". So far as the description is concerned, the 300-acre tract could have been located almost anywhere along the Wading River, always provided it was "northward of William Hudson's farm". It was not until late in the seventeenth century that compass courses and names of abutting owners began to appear on farm surveys.
* On 10 June 1684, "Francis Hudson, aged about 68 years; John Odlin about 82 years; Robert Walker, about 78 years; and William Lytherland, about 76 years, deposed before Gov. Simon Brad- street, and Sam. Sewall, Assistant, that they were ancient dwellers of the town of Boston from the first planting and settling and that in the year 1634 the then inhabitants did agree with Mr. William Blackstone for the purchase of his estate and rights in any lands in the neck called Boston, and for said purchase agree that every householder should each pay six shillings which was accordingly collected none paying less, some considerably more, and paid to Mr. Blackstone to his satisfaction. Robert Walker and William Lytherland further testified that Mr. Blackstone bought a stock of cows with the money and removed and dwelt near Providence where he lived till the day of his death" [Snow, History of Boston (1828), p. 51].
WILLIAM LYTHERLAND, Boston 1630, came in the fleet with Winthrop. He joined the church 24 Nov. 1633 and was probably freeman 4 March following when the name in the list is Netherland. He was a supporter of Mrs. Anne Hutchinson, for which he was disarmed and went to Rhode Island, where he was for many years town clerk of Newport. He had a wife named Margaret. He was called to give testimony as to the purchase from the Indians on first coming to settlement here and then called his age 74. See 2 Mass. Hist. Soc. Coll., vol. IV, page 203 [Savage's Gen. Dict., vol. III, p. 139].
William Lytherland was Newport Town Clerk, 1652; General Recorder for Portsmouth and New- port, 1653 and 1654; freeman 1655; and General Recorder for the United Colony of four towns, 1654, 1655, and 1656 [Austin's Gen. Dict. of R. I., p. 126]. William Lytherland was also town clerk of Newport on 26 Oct. 1650 [Early Providence Town Records, vol. XV, p. 34].
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Early Rehoboth
At the time of King Philip's War, Capt. William Hudson's farm was the last Massachusetts outpost before crossing into Plymouth Colony. The next stopping place was at Woodcock's garrison in the north end of Rehoboth.
At Boston, on 9 Aug. 1675, Gen. Daniel Denison ordered Capt. Daniel Henchman, who eight days earlier had allowed King Philip to escape * him, to return to Pocasset, Plymouth Colony, and bring his men, provisions, and ammunition to Boston. He was given authority to order constables to press horses and guides for him in the various towns through which he passed. On his return he was or- dered to draw off the Massachusetts soldiers at Woodcock's garrison, and also at Mr. Hudson's house, unless he should deem it unsafe- "Hudson being of our colony whom we are to take care of" [Bodge, Soldiers in King Philip's War (3rd Ed., 1906), p. 51].
In 1656 Ensign William Hudson, then in England, gave power of attorney to "his sons William Hudson, innholder, and Francis Hudson, fisherman, of Boston" [Pope's Pioneers of Mass., p. 246]. From the plat of the farm laid out to Francis Hudson we know that his brother was Capt. William Hudson, who is probably identical with the Captain Hudson mentioned in the Rehoboth records in 1670.
9 Jan. 1670/1-At a town meeting "it was voted and agreed that Captain Hudson of Boston and John Fitch should have libertye to build a ware house at the watterside and a wharffe. Mr. Paine Sen and Ensigne Smith were chosen to apoint Them the place and quantitys of ground granted for ye warehouse John dogget alsoe had the like liberty granted him" [Rehoboth Town Meetings, Book I, p. 191].
John Fitch was in Rehoboth in 1643 when he was given the land originally laid out to James Walker of Taunton. Fitch was "ac- cepted a freeman of the town" on 22 Feb. 1657, and was one of Rehoboth's two constables in 1670 [Ibid., Book I, pp. 25, 124, 191].
The Hudson-Fitch warehouse and wharf were probably located on the east shore of the salt water cove. The erection of the dam at Seekonk River some sixty years ago converted this salt water cove into a body of fresh water, now known as "Omega Pond". In the early days the east shore of this salt water cove, lined with store- houses and wharves, was the center of Rehoboth shipping which was considerable.
Old maps and deeds are literally headaches for the present-day civil engineer, for two principal reasons. The first is that the boundary corners mentioned in these maps and deeds are usually wooden stakes, piles of stones, or various trees such as pines, red, black, and white oaks, etc., not a single one of which is in existence today. The second reason is the difficulty in determining the actual number of feet in the rod (formerly also called a pole or perch), for the survey could have been made by using either one of three differ- ent lengths-the standard 1612-foot pole, the 18-foot pole, or the 18-foot pole to every second pole of which was added the "lengeth
* For a complete account of King Philip's escape from Captain Henchman, see Early Rehoboth, vol. III, chap. IV, pp. 79-112.
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Early Surveys and Maps
of an arme" (the distance from finger tip to finger tip of the two out- stretched arms), which was approximately six feet, depending on the arm stretch of the surveyor. So instead of one rod equalling the standard 1612 feet, it could also equal 18 feet, or, with the "lengeth of an arme", 21 feet, an increase in length of 41/2 feet, or 26 per centum over the standard rod.
In the early days of land abundance a few extra feet were not important, consequently the surveyor was invariably liberal in his measurements in order to be doubly sure that the settler had all of the acreage called for. The 18-foot pole was not confined to Rehoboth surveys, for it was also used across the river in Providence, as proved by its frequent mention in the early Providence Town Records.
The extent of this more than liberal land measurement in Rehoboth is best understood by the following order legalizing the 18-foot pole surveys:
"The Division of Land Laid out by the 18 foot Pole
"Att a Lawfull Meeting of the Proprietors of the Common or undevided Lands Lyeing Within the Town Ship of Rehoboth on the Twelf Day of September Annoque Domini 1726 Being vnanumously assembled at the meet- ing house in the Westerly Part of the Towne and chose Coll Nath11 Paine moderator for Sd meeting the Sd Proprietors Taking into Consideration that there Having bin several Divisions for Land Laid out in Sd Towne ship by the Eighteen foot Poles Also alowing the Lengeth of an arme once in Two Rods Espeshialy in Barren Ruff and un Even Lands there Having bin no mention made of it as yet; in Sd Proprietors Records & if further Neg- lected; it may Cause trouble in time to Come It is therefore vnanamously agreed to; voted and Confirmed; By the Sd Proprietors; as Foloweth viz (that those Divisions of Land, Granted to be Laid out in Sd Towne Ship by the Sd Proprietors or their Predesesors) the fourth Day of January Anno Domini one thousand Seven Hundred & Two or three: and on the 9th Day of Febru- ary Anno Domini 1707 or 1708: And on the Second Day of February Anno Domini 1712 or 13: Which ware all Laid out by the Eighteen foot Poles; alowing the Lengeths of an arme in two Rods as affore Sd Shall so Remaine & Lye at that meaSure: which we Do Establish & Confirme; With all other Divisions of Land which Before those above mentioned ware Laid out in Sd Rehoboth by the Same measure
"The Sd Proprietors by a vote adjourned Sd meeting to the first Monday of November Next at ten of the Clock on Sd Day at the meeting house on Sd westerly Part of the Towne" [Ibid., Book II, p. 214].
For many years after the first 1643 and 1644 surveys of Seekonk (Rehoboth) were made by the Massachusetts Bay Colony surveyors, the town continued to be more or less dependent on outside survey- ing skill. As already shown, it voted on 30 Jan. 1659 to purchase a "Copy of a platt of our land yt Leftant Fisher layed out". Twelve years later, in 1671, the list of Rehoboth town debts for that year shows that Mr. Paine was paid £2 for obtaining "a plat of the second division " [Rehoboth Rate Book, No. 2, p. 3].
Unfortunately, the record does not state from whom this plat was purchased. Lieut. Joseph Fisher, who had made earlier Rehoboth surveys, was then living at Dedham, and, as he did not die until a year later, 10 Aug. 1672 at the age of 51, it is probable that it was from him that Mr. Paine purchased this plat of the second Rehoboth land division.
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Early Rehoboth
The foregoing covers all that is to be found in the Rehoboth Town Meeting records concerning early maps. In addition to these town meeting records, however, there is another set of records known as the Proprietors'. As these contain some small maps or plats, they will be examined in the following pages. As no careful study has been made of these Proprietors' records, and little or nothing has been printed, the examination will be more detailed than would ordinarily be necessary.
While the town of Seekonk (Rehoboth) was originally a "Pro- prietory" of fifty-eight first settlers, unlike most other towns it had no separate Proprietors' books or Proprietors' clerk for the first sixty-eight years of its existence. During that period, from 1643 to 1712, all of the town business, including the election of town offi- cers, the divisions of common lands, etc., was conducted by the in- habitants assembled in town meetings, the records of which are in the Town Meeting books kept by the town clerk
In 1712, by special warrant, the "Proprietors of the Common and Undivided Lands" met in conjunction with a town meeting and elected a Proprietors' Clerk, who was the Town Clerk at that time. For the next eighteen years the Proprietors' records were kept in the Town Meeting books. In the year 1730, the town voted to keep separate records, to be known as Proprietors' records, of which more later.
The exact date of the beginning of the second settlement of the township of Seekonk (Rehoboth) cannot be definitely fixed from the existing records. We do know that a majority of the original planters, or proprietors, were in possession of their home lots and sufficiently established to do their spring planting in 1643. "At a meeting of the plantors of Seacunke" held at "Weimouth 24 (8) [Oct.] 1643" it was "ordered that the lots not exceed sixty five and in case any that have their lots granted already fale . . . and in case so many fale so as may limit to sixty then not to exceed sixty lots" [Rehoboth Town Meetings, Book I, p. 27].
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