USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Rehoboth > Early Rehoboth, documented historical studies of families and events in this Plymouth colony township, Volume IV > Part 3
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The number of original planters, or proprietors, was held to fifty- eight as shown by the extant lists of early land divisions. Each planter was required "to bring in the value of his estate," which was arrived at by totaling the value of all his personal property and "lands in this country", plus each "one person to be valued at £12 sterling" (see ante, page 3). This list of estate values must have been the basis on which the 6, 8, and 12-acre home lots were assigned by the townsmen.
This original return of estate values is on record (Rehoboth Town Meetings, Book I, page 5), and shows fifty-eight planters, or pro- prietors, with total estates of £11,175, including £750 still in the possession of the town. In 1730 this list was copied into the new Rehoboth Proprietors' Meetings Book with the addition of the names of later owners of some of the original estates. Bliss, in his History of Rehoboth (1836), page 25, followed this 1730 copy and not the original Rehoboth record, possibly because he found the original so difficult to read.
13
Early Surveys and Maps
Very early in the settlement of Seekonk, probably in 1644 and definitely during the period when the affairs of the township were ordered by the "Nine Townsmen", steps were taken for the perma- nent establishment of land records, as shown by the following vote:
26 Feb. 1644-At a meeting of the [nine] townsmen of Seekonk "it is ordered that the recording of any mans land in the towne book shall be to him and his heirs a sufficient assurance for ever . . . that noe mans land shall be Recorded untill he bee recorded an inhabitant amongst us and further that noe mans land shall be Recorded until he shall bringe to the towne Clarke a note for his lands are buted and bounded " [Rehoboth Town Meetings, Book I, p. 40].
Shortly after this order was issued, fifty-eight settlers registered their Seekonk land holdings. These were entered in the Town Meet- ings book by Edward Smith, the first Town Clerk. This list also contains the detailed allotments set aside for the schoolmaster, pas- tor, and teacher. Thisis a very important set of records, made more valuable by the fact that the date can be definitely fixed within a year or two [Ibid., Book I, pp. 41-71].
As the years passed, the divisions of common lands multiplied, with a corresponding increase in the exchange and sale of land. In order to have more adequate land records in the towns, the Plymouth Colony Court, in 1654, ordered the town of Rehoboth to prepare a new book of land records. This book was compiled, but unfortu- nately it was not dated. These important records would be of still greater value if the date of compilation could be accurately deter- mined. From the following records, which represent every mention of this land book to be found in the Rehoboth Town Meeting records, it is possible to determine, with fair accuracy, the date of this first book now called Rehoboth Land Records, Book I:
19 Feb. 1660/1-At a town meeting "Capt. Willet, Mr. Peck, ffather [Richard] Bowen, Stephen Payne, senior, and Leiftenant Hunt were chosen by the town to transcribe the land records out of the town book for the clearing of mens lands according to court order made in 1654" Rehoboth Town Meetings, Book I, p. 136].
24 Jan. 1663/4-At a town meeting Deacon Cooper was chosen "to Supply the place of Mr. Peck lately deceased [22 Dec. 1663] to assist Mr. Willet, ffather [Richard] Bowen, Stephen Payne, Senior & Leiftenant Hunt for the profecting of the Records of the townes land" [Ibid., Book I, p. 162].
14 Feb. 1663/4-At a town meeting "the new book of the towne records were read as required of, being according to Court order" [Ibid., Book I, p. 162].
6 May 1664-At a town meeting "Robert ffuller did openly protest agst the recording & bounding of John Allen's Lands [ ] wch Land lyes at Palmer's River in his bounding it on the River for Robert ffuller Chalanges [ ] by the river syde wth in the John Allens bounds as he hath recorded it in the new towne book. At the same tyme John Butterworth being authorized by his uncle Samuel Butterworth did generally protest agst the Revering Samuel Newmans recording of his uncle Samuel Butterworths fifty estate of Commidge * division of meadow & upland belonging to the [ ] for sd estate" [ ]st [Ibid., Book I, p. 158].
* Rev. Samuel Newman died ten months earlier, 5 July 1663. This Samuel Butterworth £50 estate of "commonage" is not listed in Samuel Newman's land holdings, Rehoboth Land Records, Book I, p. 63.
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Early Rehoboth
13 May 1668-At a town meeting "it was votted and agreed upon that the New Booke of Records should be Recorded at plymouth this Next June Court" * [Ibid., Book I, p. 175].
From the foregoing it appears that the writing of the first book of Rehoboth Land Records was commenced in 1661; that it was read (for a probable checking) at a town meeting held 14 Feb. 1663/4; that it was discussed at a town meeting held on 6 May 1664; and that it can be generally dated between 1664 and 1668. Specifically, it was finished to the satisfaction of the voters assembled in the town meeting held on 13 May 1668. As this was only seven weeks after the end of the preceding year, the book could safely be said to have actually been finished in 1667, which would fix the date of compila- tion between 1664 and 1667.
The value of these individual estates was the planter's or pro- prietor's proportional share in the common and undivided lands in the "eight miles square" township of Seekonk (Rehoboth) and was called commonage rights. The largest original estate was that of Richard Wright, the miller, £834, and the smallest was £50. There were eleven of these £50 estates. As these rights were continually bought and sold, the number of proprietors was constantly changing. Through purchases of these commonage rights some of the small estates became comparatively large.
In the division of lands made on 3 Apr. 1735, the number of owners of commonage rights had decreased from 173 in 1712 to 155. In this 1735 division, Dr. and Col. Thomas4 Bowen, the Justice of the Peace, who had inherited his father Dr. Richard3 Bowen's £100 of commonage rights, had increased his holdings to £437-03-04 by purchases of rights from twelve other men, thereby becoming the largest owner of commonage rights in the town. The second largest owner at this time was Capt. John Redway with £250. Captain Redway was a grandson of one of the first settlers, James1 Redway, who originally held £121-10-00 of commonage rights [Rehoboth Proprietors' Meetings, pp. 115-120].
As time went on, there was less and less common land left to di- vide, and the value of commonage rights decreased. On 22 May 1721, Joseph3 Bowen, senior, of Rehoboth, for £2-15-06, sold to Noah Butterworth and Timothy Ide, of Rehoboth, a "£40 estate of Commonage Rights" [Rehoboth Land Records, Book IV, p. 87]. Of course, we have no way of telling whether this was a true market value or a forced sale.
To illustrate better this system of land divisions and the number of proprietors participating in these divisions, from the settlement
* This was the Court of Election held at Plymouth 3 June 1668. There is no mention of this Rehoboth land book in the records of this session in which Rehoboth was well represented by four men; the two deputies, Lieut. Peter Hunt (one of the committee to transcribe the Rehoboth records) and Ensign Henry Smith; and two members of the "Grand Enquest", Philip Walker and Jonathan Bliss.
At this session of the court considerable business concerning the town of Rehoboth was transacted, including the appointment of Daniel Smith to "receive the excise tax in Rehoboth"; a court order that "a tract of land containing a mile and a half lying on the north side of Rehoboth be allowed to be the proper right of said township, etc."; and the appointment of Ensign Henry Smith "to make contracts of marriage in the town of Rehoboth, to administer the oath to give evidence to the Grand Enquest, etc" [Plymouth Colony Records (1661-1668), vol. IV, pp. 180, 183, 185, 186].
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Early Surveys and Maps
of Seekonk in 1643 to the first meeting of the " Inhabitant Proprietors of the Undivided Lands in Rehoboth" held 8 Jan. 1712/13, the fol- lowing records have been extracted :
31 [?July] 1643-Lots were drawn by 58 proprietors in a division of "wood- land between the plaine and towne" [Rehoboth Town Meetings, Book I, p. 25].
9 June 1645-Lots were drawn by 58 proprietors in a division of the "greate plaine" [Ibid., Book I, p. 25].
18 Feb. 1646-Lots were drawn by 46 proprietors in a division of the "new meadow, by only those that were under £150 estate to be made up to £150" [Ibid., Book I, p. 83].
22 June 1658-Lots were drawn by 49 proprietors "for meadow that lies on the north side of the town" [Ibid., Book I, p. 74].
26 May 1668-Lots were drawn by 76 proprietors for "meadows in the North Purchase" [Ibid., Book I, p. 178].
1 Mar. 1668/9-Lots were drawn by 81 proprietors in a division in the North Purchase [Ibid., Book I, p. 26].
12 Mar. 1684/5-At a town meeting it was voted that a division of land be laid out in the southeast part of the town, 20 acres to each £100 estate of commonage rights. The division was made on 9 Apr. 1685 when 86 proprietors drew lots. Capt. Peter Hunt had the largest commonage estate, £427 [Ibid., Book II, p. 60].
19 May 1697-At a town meeting it was voted that two divisions of land be laid out "to the proprietors of the town common", 10 acres in the first division and 10 acres in the second division to each £100 estate of commonage". On 16 June 1697, 137 proprietors drew lots [Ibid., Book II, p. 70].
7 Dec. 1702/3-A town meeting adjourned to 7 Dec. 1702/3 voted to lay out two divisions of lands "to the proprietors of the town, 20 acres in the first division and 20 acres in the second division to every £100 estate of commonage". The divisions were laid out and 163 proprietors drew lots on 29 Mar. 1703 [Ibid., Book I, p. 93].
29 Dec. 1707-At a town meeting town officers were elected "Likewise at the same time the Proprietors of the undivided lands by a unanimous vote agreed upon another division of lands in the undivided lands". At an adjourned meeting held 9 Feb. 1707/8 it was "voted that there should be two divisions of land-20 acres in each division to each £100 estate of commonage & so proportional for a greater or less quantity". Lots were drawn by 170 proprietors [Ibid., Book I, p. 111].
8 Jan. 1712/13-A town meeting chose jurors, and the moderator read some laws and a proclamation respecting several coins and weights of money. "Att the same time the Inhabitants proprietors of undivided lands in Rehoboth were assembled together being warned there to & adjourned the meeting for a further consideration about a division of land in Rehoboth. It was declared to be needful that all the proprietors of the undivided lands should make good their claims either by deed or record to their commonage rights so claimed". The meeting ad- journed to the first Monday in February [Ibid., Book II, p. 148].
2 Feb. 1712/13-"At a Proprietors' Meeting Lawfully warned & continued by adjournment from 8 Jan. 1712 being a full meeting of sd Proprietors & interested persons of the undivided lands in Rehoboth ... It was voted and agreed by sd proprietors that there should be no common or undivided lands within the Township of Rehoboth be given or any other wayes Disposed of Except it be at a Lawfull Proprietors' Meeting . . Voted that a division of lands be laid out containing 4000 * acres-40
* This division of land totaled 614 square miles and was east of the Palmer river in the part of the town that is now Rehoboth, Massachusetts. The writer's great-great-great-great-grandfather,
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Early Rehoboth
acres to each £100 commonage". Daniel Carpenter was elected proprietors' clerk. In this division 173 proprietors drew lots. Daniel Smith had the largest commonage estate, £365 and drew lot No. 145 [Ibid., Book II, p. 149].
We have shown that with the organization of the Proprietors and the election of a Proprietors' Clerk in 1712 the town of Rehoboth kept two different sets of records in one town meeting book, and that commencing in 1730 the town had two sets of records, one kept by the Town Clerk registering the votes and orders of the regular "Town Meetings", and the other kept by the Proprietors' Clerk registering the votes and orders of the "Proprietors of the Common and Undivided Lands". A great part of the time both clerks were the same man.
When the first Proprietors' Meeting Book was compiled in 1730, the scribe wrote (on page 1) what really amounts to a preface, in which he gave a synopsis of the manner of keeping records in the town. Written 218 years ago, and 87 years after the founding of the town, it is a valuable historical document and is here printed for the first time as follows:
"Whereas the Inhabitants of Rehoboth in their first Settling of the Towne, and for many years after were all Proprietors of the Land within the same and carried on their Town business and affairs Together with the Land affair, at the Same meetings, and made use of the Same book for Recording all their votes and agreements Respecting Town business (as Such) and their activi- ties, voting and agreements which Respectt their Dividing and managing their Land as they were Proprietors.
"In the month of [2d] Feb. 1712/13 the Proprietors of the Common and undivided Lands in the Sd Town mett and Chose a Proprietors Clerk [Daniel Carpenter] being the same that was the Town Clerk and the afforsd Book still Containing both the Town and the Proprietors votes [ ] acts till the year 1730-in which the Town and Proprietors passed the following votes (viz)
"At a Town Meeting Lawfully warned May ye 18th 1730. Att the same time the Town taking into Consideration the Case of the Town & Propriety of Lands in the Town with Respect to their book of Records of Town Votes and Actts which Book hath also Contained in the Whool Management of the Town Lands as a Propriety it is therefore voted and agreed by the Town that those votes and acts of the Town as a Propriety, and also those votes of the Propriety Distinkt from the Town with all other Matters Contained in Sd Book Respecting Lands Shall be Transcribed out of Sd Book into a book to be kept for ye use of Sd Propriety. Also the Town Chose Daniel Car- penter,* John Hunt, and Ezekiel Read a committee to Transcribe the old Book". This paragraph is a copy of the town meeting record (Rehoboth Town Meetings, Book II, page 252).
Joseph3 Bowen, born at Rehoboth 26 June 1662, died there 27 Dec. 1727, had two lots in this 4000 acre division. One, 35 acres, was at a "place called Bad Luck", and the other, 21 acres, at a "place called Mountaredidel". On 7 Apr. 1725, Joseph3 Bowen, of Rehoboth, cooper, by deed of gift (for love and affection) gave this land and farm to his son Jabez4 Bowen. He in turn, on 4 Mar. 1761, gave it to his son Nathan5 Bowen. On 18 Feb. 1794, Nathan5 Bowen deeded the farm to his son Nathan® Bowen, Jr. He died in 1853, and the farm came into the possession of his two sons, the writer's grandfather William Bradford7 Bowen and his brother Col. Lyndal7 Bowen. In 1870 William Bowen sold his interest to his brother Lyndal. The farm, located south of Rehoboth village, near Mount Terrydiddle Hill, was in the Bowen family for five generations covering a period of about 180 years. The writer has the original deeds to this farm for five generations, together with other documents containing signatures of all of this line of Bowens from the first Richard in 1643 to the present generation, which is the tenth.
* Daniel4 Carpenter, town clerk in 1729, and for several years before, d. 26 Jan. 1763 in his 67th year. Among other town offices he held was that of surveyor. He is buried in the old Newman
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Early Surveys and Maps
Through the eighteenth and well into the nineteenth century, the proprietors became so powerful in the affairs of Rehoboth and their records so valuable that the town repeatedly threatened to sue the proprietors in a court of law for the possession of these records. The proprietors, however, retained custody of these six record books, which were passed on from one proprietor's clerk to another. About 1870, Solon Carpenter, of Seekonk, a descendant of the last Pro- prietors' Clerk, surrendered the Rehoboth Proprietors' records to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
These six manuscript books of Proprietors' records, now in the office of the Bristol County Registry of Deeds at Taunton, Massa- chusetts, consist of one book of Rehoboth Proprietors' Meetings, 362 pages, and five books of Rehoboth Land Records containing 1383 pages, a total in the six books of 1745 manuscript pages. As nothing has been written about these important records, they are described in detail as follows:
Rehoboth Proprietors' Meetings (1712/13-1841), 362 manuscript pages, 113/8 inches long by 714 inches wide. The first page is a preface followed by 22 pages of land records extracted from Rehoboth Town Meetings, Book I, followed by 51 pages of land records extracted from Book II of the same rec- ords. The record of the first Rehoboth Proprietors' Meeting, held in con- junction with a town meeting on 8 Jan. 1712/13, begins on page 75 and is followed by subsequent meetings which take up the remainder of the book, 287 pages. See ante, page 15.
Rehoboth Land Records, Book I (compiled between 1664 and 1667), 83 manu- script pages (preserved by Emery process) 1212 inches long by 818 inches wide. See ante, page 13.
Rehoboth Land Records, Book II (1684-1703), 388 manuscript pages 1214 inches long by 718 inches wide.
Rehoboth Land Records, Book III (1703/4-1748/9), 369 manuscript pages, 1212 inches long by 8 inches wide.
Rehoboth Land Records, Book IV (1716-1817), 356 manuscript pages, 123/8 inches long by 77/8 inches wide.
Rehoboth Land Records, Book V (1738-1839), 188 manuscript pages, 1214 inches long by 718 inches wide.
These six volumes of the Rehoboth Proprietors' records were transcribed about 1900 and the copies are on file with the original volumes. If Rehoboth Land Records, Book I, is a fair example of these copies, then they are not to be depended on, for they contain many errors due to the copyist's inability to read the old writing. The following, for example, are a few of the errors noticed in Book I: on pages 8 and 14, Joseph "Tory" is copied "Cory"; on page 16, "Sarls" is copied "Saile"; on page 26, Zachariah "Roads" is copied "Reads"; on page 37, Mr. "Pilbeame" (Rece Leonard's father-in- law) is called "Vilbeame", and James "Clark" is copied "Calark"; and on page 42, "Sarle" is copied "Saile". To the genealogical researcher, these errors in copying are serious, for they mislead him into unsuspected pitfalls.
When a Town Clerk of Rehoboth died, or was succeeded in office
Cemetery, and his grave is marked by a horizontal tombstone on which is cut the Carpenter coat of arms, to which his particular Carpenter family has no right (Early Rehoboth, vol. II, p. 90). See footnote, post, p. 16.
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Early Rehoboth
by the election of a new clerk, it was customary for his successor to receipt, in more or less detail, for the town records intrusted to his care. This same procedure was followed in the case of the Pro- prietors' Clerk. The result is that at intervals through the years we have lists of the Rehoboth records in the hands of various clerks. By comparing these listed records with those extant today, we are able to get a fair idea of what is now missing. We could wish that some of these early inventories had been a little more specific and complete.
These various receipts of Rehoboth town records are extremely valuable, and, as they have never been published, the following few examples give an idea of what they are:
8 Apr. 1730-"Then Received of Daniell Carpenter Late Clerk of the Town of Rehoboth Nine Books Belonging to the Sd town which was first the old Book So Caled 2ly thes Book for the Entry of Births marriages and Deaths 3ly the 2d Book of the Same Denomination 41y an old Book of acompts 5ly the New Book of acompts 6ly the Book of Strayes 71y the Book of Earmarks 8ly the New Law Book 91y the Book of Punishments I Say Received by me
"Ezekiell Read Town Clerk"
[Rehoboth Town Meetings, Book II, p. 253.]
The foregoing receipt lists a "Book of Punishments" which is apparently now lost, for it is not among the record books in the pos- session of the Rehoboth Town Clerk. If extant, its location is un- known to the writer. This was an important book, for in it were recorded all sentences to the stocks, pillory, whipping post, etc. These records, if now available, would add much spice to the person- alized history of Rehoboth.
At a town meeting held 13 Mar. 1729/30, Daniel Carpenter, Town Clerk, was elected one of the Rehoboth selectmen, and Ezekiel Read was elected the new Town Clerk. Thirty-two years later, the Re- hoboth selectmen again took over the town records from Ezekiel Read and delivered them to his successor, the new Town Clerk Jesse Perin, as shown by the following receipt:
"Rehoboth Apriel ye 10th A D 1762
"Then we the Subscribers Selectmen of the Town of Rehoboth Received out of the Custody of Mr Ezekiel Read Late Clark of Said Town & TranSmited or Deliverd into the Care and Custody of EnS? JeSse Perin PreSent Clerk of Sd Town Seventeen Books belonging to Sd town: & Said Books are of the following Denomination: (viz) Three Province Law Books Bound two Ditto temporary not Bound: 1: Plymouth Law Book three of Records of Births & Deaths & Eight other Books of Records together with Sundry Papers Relating to Said Clerks office with ye Box for Drawing Jurors
"Sam !! Bullock - Selectmen John Cooper Silvanus Martin of Rehoboth
"Rehoboth Apriel ye 10th A:D 1762
Then Recd of the above Named Select men all the above said Books & Papers together with ye Jurors Box I Say Recd in full by me "JeSse Perin Town Clerk"
[Ibid., Book III, p. 223.]
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Early Surveys and Maps
The jury box mentioned in the foregoing record is probably the ancient box now in the possession of Mr. Thompson, Town Clerk of Seekonk. It appears to be much older than a similar box now in the possession of Mrs. Marion Nichols, Town Clerk of Rehoboth.
The following year a Proprietors' committee delivered the Pro- prietors' records to the new Proprietors' Clerk, Mr. Asahel Car- penter, as shown by the following entry:
"Rehoboth March ye 15th 1763
"Then We the Subscribers being a Comittee Chosen at a propriators meeting March ye third Instant to Examine and Diliver propriators Books to Mr ASahel Carpenter * propriators Clark have Dilivered to Sd Clark Six Books of Records Belonging to Sd propriators and also the Quitt claim from Governor Bradford upon parchment & Likewise a parchment of part of the plan of the town and also a Grant of the Town and also five Deeds & Some other papers belonging to Sd town being all the Books and papers belonging to the proprietors
"Isa Hunt Ebenezer Walker"
[Rehoboth Proprietors Meetings, p. 162.]
This inventory lists the six original Proprietors' books now in the Bristol County Registry of Deeds at Taunton; named and unnamed deeds, miscellaneous papers, and "a parchment of part of the plan of the town". This plan is not known to be now in existence. As it was drawn on parchment, it would seem more probable that it was one of Lieutenant Fisher's important early plans of the town rather than the plat purchased by Mr. Stephen Paine in 1671.
In 1790 streets and a training field were laid out in the "Ring of the Greene"; in 1794 and in 1830 general surveys of the town were ordered by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; and in 1827 a survey was made of the northern part of the town (the village of Pawtucket). The 1790 and 1795 maps will be studied in detail in the following chapters.
In 1794 when the Massachusetts General Court ordered "accurate plans drawn to a scale of 200 rods to an inch" made of each town and district in the Commonwealth, Rehoboth was then undivided and the town was shown on one map. In 1830 the Commonwealth again ordered "accurate" plans made of each town and district, to "a scale of 100 rods to an inch, upon a minute and accurate survey, to be lodged in the Secretary's Office". These plans, with the excep- tion of those for the towns of Carver, Chelsea, Littleton, Nantucket, New Bedford, and Plympton, are on file at Boston in the Secretary's Office, Division of Archives, Town Plans (1830), vols. I to XVI.
Between 1794 and 1830, Rehoboth had been divided into three towns; in 1812, into Seekonk and Rehoboth; and in 1828 the northern part of Seekonk had been set off as Pawtucket so that it
* Asahel5 Carpenter, b. 5 Mar. 1731, was the son of Capt. Daniel4 Carpenter, b. 8 Nov. 1695, d. 26 Jan. 1763. On 18 May 1730, Captain Carpenter was elected chairman of the committee of three to transcribe the land records out of the town meeting books into a book for the use of the Proprietors. He was one of the principal Rehoboth surveyors and in his will, dated 21 Feb. 1760, bequeathed "to my son Asahel Carpenter-my surveying compass and chain and other instruments about surveying and book about surveying". See footnote, ante, p. 16.
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