USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Brimfield > Historical celebration of the town of Brimfield, Hampden County, Mass > Part 21
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J. WILLARD Secy
Consented to
WVm DUMMER
REPORT OF COMMITTEE.
April 15th 1728.
Pursuant to the order of the Great & General Court above said the Major part of the Committee repaird to Brimfield & having carefully viewed the Lands Surveyed & Platted by John Winthrop Esq called the Lead mines & the Land adjoining within the Township of Brim- field, are humbly of Opinion that there may be a Reform of that Sur- vey and that there is a Sufficient Quantity of Land adjoyning to the Lead Mines to make an Equivalent.
SAM' THAXTER THO8 TILESTON
IN COUNCIL.
FRYDAY, June 7, 1728
Samuel Thaxter, Esq. from the Committee appointed to consider of a Reform of Major General Winthrop's Plat of Land laid out to him at Tantuisques, near Brimfield, gave in the following Report, viz.
Pursuant to the Order of the Great & General Court above said the Major Part of the Committee repaird to Brimfield. & having carefully viewed the Lands surveyed & platted by John Winthrop, Esq. called the Lead Mines & the Land adjoining within the Town of Brimfield are humbly of opinion that there may be a Reform of that Survey and that there is a sufficient Quantity of Land adjoining to the Lead Mines to make an Equivalent-
SAM'L THAXTER, THOMAS TILESTON.
In Council, Read, and Ordered, That this Report be accepted and that Samuel Thaxter, Esq. with such as the Honble House of Repre- sentatye shall appoint, be a Committee to lay out to the Heirs of the late Honbe Wait Winthrop Esq as soon as may be, the Contents of
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APPENDIX.
four Miles Square at Tantuisques, so as to include the black Lead Mines, & that they steer clear of the settlements made at Brimfield, That it be laid out in as regular a Figure as may be, so as to make it a full Equivalent to the former Survey, both as to Quantity & Qual- ity : and the Committee are directed as well seasonably to leave a noti- fication at the House of John Winthrop, Esq', in New London, as to notify Thomas Lechmere, Esqr. to be present at said Survey, if they see Cause A Return thereof to be made to the Court for Confirmation :-
In the House of Representyes Read & Concurred & Ordered
That Major Tilestone & Major Chandler be join'd in the affair.
Consented to,
W. DUMMER.
COPIES OF MINUTES OF COMMITTEE.
Oct. 13th 1724.
Agreed that each of the Established Proprietors be Taxed to the Charge of the Town at ten shillings upon the Poll, and three shillings per acre for their home Lott.
Whereas by the countenance of the former Committee, Sundry Quantitys of Land has been laid out to several of the Grantees, which cannot be supposed by the Present Committee to be agreeable to the design of the Genl Assembly, and a Representation having also been made to this Committee that Extravagant Measure has been made in some of the former surveys, The Comm'tee although they are willing to suit every grantee as far as may possibly consist with reason by allowing them to hold such land as part of their Right upon which they have laid out considerable charge, yet they think it proper to prohibit the said Grantees from making any new improvement upon any land at present that is not likely to fall to fall to them or any of them as a part of their home lotts.
October 14th.
The Committee Considered the Circumstances of the Grantees, and drew up a scheme for regulating the Several Grants, which in many instances were exorbitantly made by the former Committee.
October 19th.
The Comtee had a Conference with the Rev4 Mr Richard Treat con- cerning the proposal made to him of 120 Acre Lott &c. and it was fi- nally agreed between ye Comtee & ye sa M' Treat that by an hundred and Twenty Acre Lott & Rights is to be understood the seventyeth part of said Township & no more and that the forty five acres of his home Lott is to be understood a part thereof.
256
APPENDIX.
The Scheme of Settlement boing fully considered. It was agreed that the following Persons should be Entered on Record with the Rights assigned to each Person, and is as follows.
N. B. The Rights bare the Same proportion as the home lotts do. viz. 120 Acre lot: is double in Rights to a sixty Acre Lott, and so of the rest, proportionably.
No. 1 Nathl Hitchcock 120.
No. 45 John Danielson 50.
A True Copy, Extracted from ye Records.
Test.
JOHN CHANDLER, Clerk for Brimfield.
ACTION OF COMMITTEE ALLOWING EACH SETTLER 120 ACRES OF LAND.
Brimfield May 15th 1729
The Committee Considering that notwithstanding the Settlement made the 15th Day of October 1724 respecting the Several Lots then & since Established on the Inhabitants & the number of Acres with the Rights granted on each Lot which they Judged conformable to the Original Grant and the Direction of the Court to them : And that a like or equal Quantity of Land to each Setler was never intended by the original Grant; yet by vertue of the Grants made by the former Comtre the Quantity of 120 Acres of Land was Granted & for the most part Laid out to each of the Grantees before the Establishment made by the present Committee, and unto some of them double the Quantity by virtue of grants made to Some of their sons under age: by means whereof some Improvements have been made otherwise than would have suited with the present scheme : and there has been an Expecta- tion in others to hold ye Quantity of Land then Granted or Laid out to them : and many Persons have built their Houses so as to be Ac- commodable to the whole Grant or Tract they Expected to hold and enjoy : and some Exchanges have been made, which without due pro- vision to Inable Persons to comply with their bargains might be very prejudicial.
They therefore to make affairs the more Easy Do see Cause to Re- solve and Grant, and it is hereby Granted and Agreed that the Owners of the several Lotts established by this Comte Shall have Liberty (if they see Cause) to take up such Quantity of Land as was granted or Intended to be Granted by the former Comtec and in ye same place where
257
APPENDIX.
laid out or Granted to them or Each of them, not exceeding 120 Acres to a single Lot and twice that number of Acres where two Lots were granted & Laid out to the same family, and what shall Exceed the number of acres according to the late Establishment, Shall be esteemed and Accounted after-division Land, and accordingly be entered in the Records as such, and off set as so much of the after Rights of each Particular Person or Setler to whom the same shall be laid out.
And it is farther Ordered that the Meadows wch are as yet Un- granted Shall be sequestred for the Use of those of the Grantees who have little or no Meadows Laid out to them, that so there may be a proportion of Meadow as near as may be to each Inhabitant. And the Surveyor is directed to take care to make his Returns Accordingly.
A True Copy.
Test. JOHN CHANDLER. Cl for Brimfield.
ACTION OF COUNCIL ON PETITION OF DELIVERANCE BROOKS AND OTHERS.
WEDNESDAY ? July 9: 1729 )
A Petition of Deliverance Brooks, Robert Moulton, and others, Praying for Relief from divers difficulties which they underwent in the Town of Brimfield by the conduct of the late and present Commit- tee for managing the affairs of the said Town : & that the Committee may be dismissed from their Trust & the Inhabitants impowered to order their own affairs as other Towns in the Province.
In the House of Representatives Read and Ordered That this Petition be referred to the next Session of the Court, & that in the mean time the Petitioners serve the Inhabitants of Brimfield as also the said Committee with a copy hereof That they may then shew cause why the Prayer of the Petition should not be granted.
In Council, Read and Concurred. Consented to, W. BURNET.
ACTION IN COUNCIL.
SATURDAY
August 30 : 1729
A Petition of divers Inhabitants of Brimfield Shewing as Enter'd July 9th 1729. being read again in both Houses together with the an- swer for Brimfield, & of the other Inhabitants, & of the Committee for Managing the Affairs of the Said Town: & the matter being fully con- sidered-
It was Voted by both Houses that the Said Petition be dismiss'd. 33
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APPENDIX.
REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON LAND GRANTS.
To Ilis Excellency, Jonathan Belcher, Esq. Captain General and Gov- ernour in Chief, the Honble the Council & House of Representatives in Gen. Court Assembld at Cambridge, September the 9th 1730. The Report of the Present Committee of Brimfield, humbly sheweth That in Pursuance of a Vote of this Great & General Court of the 12th of June 1723, the said Com' have often Repaired to Brimfield. & mett together to pursue & perfect the Settlement of the Town.
That in order to regulate or reconcile ye affair relating to the Grants made by the former Comtee (which were much perplexed in respect both to their Excess in the number of Grants made out & the Quan- tity of Land therein Granted) they proceeded in the following method.
First, They reduced 16 Grants of 120 Acres each to S. The sd 16 Grants being made to S of the principal Inhabitants, who had for themselves and one of each of their Sons Two Grants of 120 Acres each as aforest thereby making 1920 Aeres formerly granted to become 960 Acres by the present Establishment i. e. 8 Lotts of 120 Acres Each. Instead of their former Grants, Several of whose Sons are Mar- ried, and have now built and setled there as well as their Fathers) which they willingly consented to, being assured by the present Comte that their alotments should be of the Largest or Highest Denomina- tion : and that the other Lotts should be bro't down to what this Combe conceived to be intended by the Court in making Brimfield a Township, so that S of the 16 Lotts may rather be esteemed included than that the 16 are reduced to S only. The names of the said Grantees are as follow viz Nathaniel Hitchcock (ye first Inhabitant, and who dwelt there with his family one winter before there was a second family there) Ebenezer Graves, David Hitchcock, Benjamin Cooley, Leonard Hoar, Capt John Sherman, David Morgan, & Nathan Collins.
2ly They setled on Deliverance Brooks, Daniel Hubbard, John Atcherson. & Park Williams an hundred acre grant each (being per- sons who as this Comtee then conceived deserved ye next Largest Lotts) two of whom had formerly a Grant for each of themselves and one for a son, and the other a purchased Lott each of s' Lotts of 120 Acres. It was done to good satisfaction in the Time of it. * [But Deliverance Brooks who had but one grant and has since sold near the whole of it now wants more land to sell for his convenience.]
Bly. They Setled on John Stebbins, Wo Nelson, & John Charles (who had each of them two grants of 120 Acres) 90 Acre Lotts.
· Erased in the original document. C. M. H.
259
APPENDIX.
These persons seemd contented also when & since the settlement was made.
fly. They setled on John Lumbard, David Lumbard, Samuel Hub- bard, Peter Haynes, Joseph Haynes, Peter Montague, Henry Burt, Thomas Stebbins, W" Nichols' heirs, & Micah Towsley, to each of them an 80 Acre Lott. These persons were Esteemd by this Comte to deserve the next Regard to Brooks and Danl Hubbard of any that had single Grants and they all seemd to be well satisfyd with the settlement made.
Fly. They Established 4 Lots of TO Acres each, one whereof is the Minister's Lott namely J' Richard Treat to whom ye people promised a Lott of 120 Aeres, but by reason the lotts were to be reduced, He & they agreed upon a 70th part of the Township instead of 120 Acre Lott (which was supposed would not exceed a 70 Acre Lott) the names of the other Grantees are Eleazer Foot, Wm Warriner, and James Tompson.
6Ly. They established 13 Lotts (which as is Supposed will draw about a 734 part of the Town to each Lott.) to Francis Baxter's Heirs & Assignes, George Erwin, Joseph Frost, David Shaw, John (now Daniel Burt, Joshua Shaw, Samuel Bliss, Those Foot's assigns, John Keep, Samuel Allen. Nathanial Miller, Ezra King, & Robert Old (called also Capt Ashlys Lott) These Lotts contain 65 Acres each.
Tly. Three Lotts were allowed to be 60 Acre Lotts, & Establishd to Samuel King, Anthony Needham & Rob' Moulton Jun' Either of whom were esteemd not to deserve more than one half of the quan- tity of one of the S double Lotts. Tilly Merrick was admitted after- ward conditionally, and so was Robert Moulton, both of them had a 60 Acre Lott apiece, & were very thankfull they were so well dealt with, being then sensible the Comte admitted them not without great difficulty. These 2 last Lotts make 5 60 Acre Lotts.
The Present Comte having considered that the former Comter (as well as themselves) understood the intent of the Court was that Lotts of divers Denominations or differing Quantities should be granted in distributing and setling the Township, and that they designed one Quarter part or more of the whole number of lotts by them to be granted should be but half shares, or not to Exceed a half part of the Largest Lotts as their Book (that part of it written by Col Pynchon) will show, wherefore
Sly They Granted to Eleven Persons (former Grantees & mostly young And singlemen) 50 Acre Lotts, which is supposed will draw about a 95 part of the Township each. The names of ye Grantees are John Nelson, John Danielson, John Miller, John Mighell, Joseph
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APPENDIX.
Davis, Benjamin Warner, Daniel Graves, Benjamin Mun, Dan' Fuller, Nathanial Clark, and afterward John Bullen, with a saving still of the Conditions on which Granted.
Also, one 40 Acre Lott to Samuel Munger (altho' he had dealt de- ceitfully with the Town about a Grist mill) and afterward 2 more Lotts of the same Denomination, one of them to Thomas Green, the other to Daniel, alias Joshua Old, conditionally.
And 6 thirty four Acre Lotts, the Grantees names are Ebr Scot, Mark Ferry, Samt Allan, Jun', Samt Shaw, Seth Shaw, & Daniel Killum.
These last 6 are near half share men inasmuch as 68 acres, or there- about according to ye following scheme draws a 70 th part of the Townships.
8 lotts that indeed are instead of 16 of 120 A make 960 A
4
6
100
400
3
6
90
270
10
10
80
800
4
4
70
280
13
13
65
845
5
5
60
300
47
60
3855
Bro't for'd
verte
47 lotts that indeed are instead of 60 make 3855 Acres
11
11 of 50
550
3
[3
40
120
6
6
34
204
-
67
80
4729
70) 4729 (67 §3 wch is near 68 acres
420
70
70
529
4900
490
4729
39
171
Now if it be necessary to make three lotts more, that the number may be 70 beside the Included lots, It is humbly proposed there may be three lotts granted to such Persons who may best deserve them, either of 57 Acres each or as your Excellency and Honors shall please to direct. Or the 171 Acres may be distributed to and Among those
261
APPENDIX.
who have wrought on their places beyond Expectation, or who were not sufficiently considered at the Establishment (if any such there be) But then your Excellency and Honours will please also to direct what shall be done with the non-resident claimers, viz.
The 6 Gentlemen of the former Com'tee 6 Lotts
The present Colo Pynchon, m' Brewer, ) A Lotts Wm Hamilton & Patrick Marshall § As also the claims of m' Wm Pynchon, Obadiah Cooley, ) Capt George Colton, Thomas Ingersole, David Ingersole, Thomas Mirrick, Thomas Mirrick Jr, Nathan Sikes, Sam- uel Keep, Increase Sikes, Andrew Bayley, Pelatiah Glo- er, Jun' who with John Evan and Eben' Cook that still pretend to 120 Acre Grant Each, altho' ye Comtee has de- clared yur viz. Evans & Cook forfeited, makes
14 Lotts
in all 24 Lotts & all of 120 acres or more.
And there are many other Claimers whose pretentions this Comtee think not worth any notice.
The non-Resident Claimers never had any Encouragement from the present Comtee that they should hold their Grants, inasmuch as they were not made agreeable to the Original Grant, for the Grantees were not obliged to settle them.
The Taxes have been Levy'd on the Polls, & on the Lands in pro- portion to the Grants. Every Poll in the first Tax was was set at Ten shillings & every acre of home Lott at three Shillings and in the sec- ond Tax the Polls were set at 3-4 and the Lotts at 12d an acre.
The Town are in arrears with the Revd m' Treat, which is much to his damage, nor can the Comtee otherwise Redress it than by giving this Information having no authority to make out a Warrant of Dis- tress for Collecting the 'Taxes.
The Surveys are not yet gone thro' several Persons refuse to have their Lotts Surveyd, and others could not have theirs finished, the season of the Year not permitting So that the Record of the Land could not be made.
Finally this Comter are humbly of Opinion it will be reasonable & necessary that one Tax more should be Assessed & Collected in sd Brimfield on Land & Polls only, to set ye Town clear of debt, whh the Comtee would have made before this time, had they not been of Opinion that it was necessary to have the direction of the Great & Gen. Court therein, & that authority might be given to Enforce the
-
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APPENDIX.
payment thereof, And of y" Arrears of the former Taxes in some coll- venient season.
All wch is most humbly submitted by
JOHN CHANDLER
HENRY DWIGHT - Com tee JOSEPH JENNINGS
ACTION ON REPORT OF COMMITTEE.
In Council, Oct. 1, 1730. Read, and Ordered
That this Report be accepted and that the Grants of the twenty- four Lotts therein mentioned, which were made by the former Com- ittee contrary to the Order of this Court, be And hereby are Declared Null & Void, and that this Committee be directed to grant out the three remaining Lots to suitable Persons forthwith, and that the Col- lectors have full Power & Authority to collect, gather in & pay the several Rates & Assess's to them committed, to the Persons weh are or shall be appointed to receive the same in as full & ample Manner as other Collectors have by law, And that the Committee proceed to assess & levy the further Tax by them proposed in this Report.
Sent down for Concurrence
J. WILLARD, Sec'y.
In the House of Reptives Oct 1 1730 ]
Read and non concurred and Ordered That this Report be so far accepted as that the Committee be and hereby are fully authorized and impowered to assess and levy the further Tax by them proposed in this Report, and to appoint Collectors to gather in the same. The said Collectors as also the Collectors appointed upon former assess- ments to have full Power and Authority to Collect gather in and pay the several Rates and Assessments to them committed to the Persons who are or shall be appointed to receive the same in as full and ample manner as other Collectors have by Law.
Sent up for Concurrence.
In Council Oct 3 1730
J. QUINCY Spker
Read and Concurred.
J WILLARD Secy
Oct 3 1730
Consented to
J BELCHER
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APPENDIX.
REMONSTRANCE OF WILLIAM PYNCHON AND OTHERS, AGAINST ACTION OF COMMITTEE.
Province of the Massachusetts Bay. S
To His Excellency, Jonathan Belcher Esq. Capt Gen' and Govern' in Chief, the Honbk Council, and Representatives in General Court Assembled February 10th 1730-31.
William Pynchon for himself and others underwritten
Humbly Sheweth That at the Gent Court in May 1701, a Certain Tract of Land called now Brimfield was Granted to several Petitioners and such others as ye Comtee by that Court appointed should Associate to them, and appointed Col. John Pynchon, Capt Thomas Colton. and others a Comtee, Impowering them to order the Settlem's of the Place, In there making Grants of land to have Respect to mens abilitys to Improve there Land by dwelling or Building on it, as ye Comtee should ord' on a forfeiture and ordering that the Rates and Charges be Raised on ye Grantee or Inhabitants by ye Poll and according to there Grants, And in the same act there is Special Provision that they shall Distrib- ute the land to Sixty familys, That Twenty familys shall dwell there within Two Yeares, and Provision be made by Grant for Seventy more if the land will conveniently accomodate So many.
The Comtee appointd as aforesaid Grantd lotts to all the Petitioners und'written on A Condition of Settlem' and afterwards by an agreement with the Settlers, and with the Comtee the Condition of Settlement was for the Best Advantage of the Place, Releasd to some of the und'written Petition" whereupon several of them have paid Several suis of money, Givin Security for more, and are Ready in all things to Comply with ye agreemts And tho' the Present Comtee for that Place are of Opinion we ought to be Cutt off, we Humbly Pray we may not but may have our Estate Ratified for these Reasons.
1. Because some of us have it directly by Grant of the Genl Court above and are the foundation of the Society to whom others are to be added, and Have been at Great Cost and Charges and no Proffit in the Settlem' of the Place.
2. Because others of us that have been admitted by the first Comtee have been beneficiall to the Place, Expended our money there, & have Built there.
3. Because few of us have less to say then This, viz. that we Have made particular agrees with the Inhabitants and Comtee to save our
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APPENDIX.
Condition or have been Hindered by act of God, which should Pre- judice no Man.
But since our Circumstances are Various and Twould be Endless to comprehend them Particularly in a Petition
We Humbly Pray a Comtee may be appointed to hear our Several and Particular Allegations and Pass upon the Same And that as we Hope they shall be found Reasonable we may have the land Confirmed to us, And Yr most Humble Petion's Shall Ever Pray.
William Pynchon for himself, & in behalf of the Gentn of the former Committee & ye heirs of those that are Deceasd.
GEORGE COLTON
SAMUEL KEEP
OBADIAH COOLEY
THOMAS INGERSOLE
FRANCIS SIKES
THOMAS MIRICK
PELATIAH GLOVER JUNR
INCREASE SIKES
EBENEZER COOK
THOMAS MIRICK JR
DANIEL BREWER
DAVID INGERSOLE
ANDREW BAYLEY
JNO EVINS EBENR COOK
In the House of Rep' Feb. 19, 1730
Read and Committed to the Committee for Petitions.
REPORT OF COMMITTEE.
The Comitee having Considered The aforegoing Petition are of Opinion That The same be refferrd to the Second fryday of the next may session Then to be Considered with the other Petition & matters relating to the affair of the Town of Brimfield.
Per ord' Comte
BENE LYNDE JUNE
In the House of Rep Feb 20 1730.
Read and accepted and Ordered That the Petition be referred to the second friday of the next may session then to be considered with the
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APPENDIX.
other Petitions and matters relating to the affairs of the Town of Brimfield.
Sent up for Concurrence.
J. QUINCY Spkr.
In Council, Feb. 22, 1730 Read and Concurrd.
Feb. 22, 1730
J. WILLARD, Secy.
Consented to J, BELCHER.
PETITION OF JOHN STEBBINS & OTHERS.
May yº 7 Day In the year 1717.
At a Meeting of the former Committe for Brimfield Which was held at Springfield : where they made the first Grants that was made to men that Live In Brimfield. At that time there was a Discoers of the Committes making Some Sixty acors Lots : but the people would not Come to Brimfield for that Encouragement; therefore they Granted Eighty acors to Each man ; and promised to Some that would Come and Lead the way : An Hundred and twenty acors. afterward they Granted an Hundred And twenty acors to Some of them and Some others: that came with considerable fameilies which would otherwise hardly a came : now those men that had the Promies of be- ing made as good or better then any of the Rest: for Their Leading the way : Saw that others were made Equel with them ; then theye themselves to the Committe for a Lot for one of their Sons : that they might In Joy the priviledg promest them : which was granted to Some of them : and to Some others also. also : they preforming the Condi- tions in the year as 20. 21 or 22: In this time the peopole at Brim- field : Labourd under discouragement because the addition Grant on the East Side of the townShip of Brimfield was Defir'd; yet when the addition was Granted : the discouragement Remained Still ; by Reson of the Service of the Honnorable Wait Winthrop this with other dis- couragement : as we conceive were Lets to the towns progress : where- upon the Committe made Additional Grants to the grantees whereby they made to the grants In General ; an Hundred and twenty acors ; notwithstanding the Committes proceding in this the Discouragement Still Remains through the Seirvei of M. Wintrops fiorm booth to the Inhabitance and other Grantes; these Lets and Impediments were Such that we Remain'ed near Seven years without a teaching priest. but when their was means proceded In ; and hops conceived of having the Servie of this foirm Removied ; then men began to quicken their pace. These may Certifie that the Subscribers ; had every and Each of them : an Hundred and twenty acors by a first : and ly by an ad-
34
266
APPENDIX.
ditional Grant : made to them by the former Committe. Either to themselves : or by alowing them to bye of others : and so by making additionall Grants to them; confirm the whole Grants to them. these Suberibers being Evidence not for each other : but for themselves Singly.
JOHN STEBBINS DAVID LOMBARD THOMAS STEBBINS
STATEMENT OF THOMAS STEBBINS & OTHERS.
Again first they say that such Persons were Sattisfied : and others Seem to be Contented : but we say we all ways were dissatisfied at the distrebution.
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