USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Templeton > Historical discourse in commemoration of the one hundredth anniversary of the formation of the First Congregational Church in Templeton, Massachusetts : with an appendix, embracing a survey of the municipal affairs of the town > Part 7
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horses into the woods ; " that is, into the township. They moreover purchased four bushels of oats, and spent six shillings and ninepence beside, " on the Publick accompt, when going into the woods."
At a meeting at Concord, Jan. 24, 1735 (old style), each proprietor's lot was " drawn out; " that is, determined by the number which fell to him in a chance drawing. Pro- prietors who did not like their lots were allowed to drop them, and take a similar quantity in the undivided land, provided they did so within certain times.
The settlement of the town having been delayed, as else- where stated, on account of Indian hostilities, no further division of land among the proprietors was attempted till May 9, 1750 ; when, at a meeting held in the township, " at the meeting-house place," it was voted to divide the meadow- land forthwith ; and that "four acres in the middling sort of the meadow in said township be the standard (that is, four acres to be the quantity assigned to each proprietor) ; and that the Committee to be chosen shall have power to lay · more or less as to quantity, making said lots equally good to the proposed standard, according to their best judgment." It was further voted, " that, in case the meadow-lands should not hold out so that each proprietor can have his proposed share therein, the said Committee shall have power to lay them out an equivalent, in swamp or upland, according to their best judgment, at the option of the person concerned ; it being done in some regular form." John Whitcomb and Charles Baker were appointed surveyors. It was " voted that the Committee have four shillings a day, they support- ing themselves ; and that the surveyors have the same allowance, with their extraordinary charges allowed them." The meadow did not hold out to give each one four acres. At a meeting in Lancaster, at Mr. Samuel Locke's tavern, June 27, 1750, it was voted, that, in the drawing of the meadow, those who drew " blanks " should have nine acres each "in any of the undivided land, at the option of the person concerned," as a substitute for the four acres of
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meadow. At this meeting, the division was made by drawing lots ; viz., eighty-five meadow-lots and thirty-eight blanks.
On the 11th September, 1751, it was voted "to come to a second division of upland ; that serenty acres shall be the standard ; and that the Committee shall have power to lay out the lots bigger or less, according to their goodness." These 123 seventy-acre lots having been surveyed accord- ingly, they were distributed by lot, May 13, 1752.
The next distribution was agreed upon in May, 1753, - forty acres to be the standard, -" and voted that every proprietor may 'pitch ' to his own land ; and that said Com- mittee qualify said land over or under the standard, as it is for goodness or accommodation." - " Voted that those of the propriety that cannot 'pitch' to their own land have their land laid out and drawn for as formerly." This Com- mittee were to have three shillings and sixpence per day, and the surveyors four shillings a day. A little more than half of these forty-acre lots, of the third division of upland, were "pitched ;" that is, laid out by the recipients adjoin- ing to their own previously distributed lots. The number of "pitched lots " was sixty-six : the other fifty-seven pro- prictors " drew " for locations.
No further distribution took place till twelve years later, and after the town had been incorporated; when, at a proprietors' meeting, Sept. 25, 1765, it was "voted to lay out a division in the common or undivided lands in said town, and that twenty acres be the standard for said divi- sion ; and that the land be qualified by a Committee, and laid under or over the standard as to quantity, so as to make each lot as equal, as to goodness, as may be." Each proprietor was to have liberty "to pitch his lot:" "those that can, and are so disposed, to pitch to their own land ; and those that cannot, to draw for their pitch." On the day of the meeting, fifteen persons, owning twenty-five and a half rights, pitched adjoining their own lands ; and thirty- nine persons, owning forty-three rights, drew for their pitch.
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Twelve years later, - viz., Oct. 29, 1777, - it was agreed that there should be a " fifth division " (that is, fifth division in addition to the division of the meadow), and that " the standard " of quantity to each one of the original hundred and twenty-three rights should be six acres, with similar regulations as to selection of locations as in the fourth division.
When lots had been laid out in these several distributions of land, the survey was usually laid before a meeting of the proprietors, and recorded by the proprietors' clerk. In those surveys and records, therefore, is to be found the descrip- tion, courses, and bounds on which ultimately rested the titles, as regards individuals, to nearly all the land in town. It may therefore be useful here to mention, that, at the end of vol. ii. of the Proprietors' Records, there is a very valuable index to find the book and page where are recorded the lots belonging to each of the original rights or shares in the township, as assigned to the several proprietors in each of the six divisions .*
After the division of 1777, there still remained a quantity of land, in various strips and gores, of irregular shape, which belonged in common, or rather to the holders of the original rights as an incorporation. In 1786, May 3, at a meeting of the proprietors, a Committee having reported that the quantity of undivided land was about nine hundred acres, " lying in such forms and figures, and the land so unfit for improvement, and as it must cost a considerable sum to di- vide the same, and as the proprietors are now considerably in debt," " it is expedient to sell the same at public vendue, and, after paying the debts, divide the proceeds among the proprietors according to their interest," - this proposition was adopted ; any proprietor, who should prefer it, being permitted to lay out his proportion in the undivided lands, before sale, under the direction of a Committee, by paying his part of the debts. June 6, 1787, it was agreed that the
* Six divisions; that is, inclusive of the meadows.
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hill " called the Mine Hill " should be sold " at public ven- due for the most it will fetch." After paying the debts, there was found a balance of eleven shillings and sixpence belonging to cach original right, which the treasurer was directed to pay to the respective owners thereof.
It will be seen that each of the hundred and twenty-three original rights was entitled, in these divisions, to a quantity of land, intended to be equal, upon the average, to a hundred and eighty acres. Probably the quantity for each right, on the average, somewhat exceeded in the survey this standard; and I believe it is usually found, in modern surveys of farms in this town, that the old surveys included somewhat larger tracts than their specified quantities. Multiplying 180 acres by 123, the product is 22,140 acres. To this is to be added the hundred and ninety acres excess of upland allowed to those who had no meadow ; the nine hundred acres sold at the closing up in 1787, with the land at first reserved on Mine Hill; also the land occupied by all the roads then laid out in the township, and by the Common, the burying-grounds, &c. The probability, therefore, seems to be, that the township, as originally laid out, included at least 25,000. acres. " Six miles square, with allowance of three hundred acres for the Mine Farm, and a hundred acres for a pond in said tract" (in Phillipston), which was the quantity specified by the General Court, would have been 23,440 acres. It is plain, therefore, that there was considerable excess in the original dimensions of the town- ship over what the General Court intended.
VALUE OF LAND IN THE EARLY TIMES.
Before any settlements had been made here, the proprie- tors, wishing to secure a mill-privilege situated on Mr. Josiah Hobbs's forty-acre lot (of the first division), pur- chased, Aug. 24, 1743, his whole original right for £26.10s.
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on twelve months credit, -equal to £25 in money down. This was lot No. 91: it was situated in the present East Village. The money was payable, not in bills of old-tenor currency, but in Province bills " of the last emission," which, in 1743, were as good as silver, or nearly so. As there were a hundred and twenty private original rights in addition to the three public ones in the township, including the Phillipston portion, this would make the whole town- ship, if sold at the same rate, worth just ten thousand dollars ; and, as there was not very far from twenty- five thousand acres in the township, that would be at the rate of about forty cents an acre for the land, upon an average, making no allowance for any extra value in Mr. Hobbs's lot on account of the mill-privilege. The proprie- tors deeded this lot - No. 91 - nine years afterwards, to Reuben and Oliver Richardson, for twenty-six pounds. As soon as the township became partially settled, and non- resident owners had advanced money, by way of taxes on their lots, for roads, &c., of course the lots became more valuable. Most of the original proprietors transferred their rights before any settlements took place. Little informa- tion can now be procured as to the prices. By examination at the Registry of Deeds at Worcester, however, it appears that one whole right was sold in 1744, and several others - original rights - were sold between 1753 and 1761 by com- mittees of the proprietors for non-payment of taxes. Quite a number of other parcels of land - parts of lots - were deeded from one individual to another during the same period. I give the result of this examination, as to prices, in a number of cases. All the whole original lots sold for taxes, it will be observed, went at lower prices than No. 91 above mentioned.
1744, Nov. 26. Whole lot No. 7 sold for taxes, deeded to John Brooks for £16. 18s. 8d., lawful money.
1753, Nov. 7. Lot No. 65 deeded to Ebenezer Roby for £18. 16s.
1753, Nov. 7. Lot No. 61 to David Wilder for £15. 14s. 8d.
1754, Jan. 2. Lot No. 2 to Thomas Stoddard for £24. 13s. 4d.
1754, Dec. 31. Lot No. 96 to Nathaniel Longley for £14.
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The average price of these five original rights would be equal to about thirty cents an acre.
The proprietors also sold for taxes several parcels of land, as follows : -
1756, July 8. To Samuel Sawyer, 9} acres, at 2s. 8d. per acre. 1757, Jan. 10. To Phineas Byam, 4 acres and 70 rods, at 4s. per acre.
1757, Jan. 4.
To Joseph Horsley, 10} acres, at 3s. 4d. per acre. To James Kendall, 113 acres of land, set off in
1758, Sept. 22. the third division of lands to John Bulkley's original right, at 1s. 43d. per acre.
1759, Feb. 8. To James Pierce, 4 acres, set off in second divi- sion of lands, at 3s. 6d. per acre.
1757, Jan. 20. To Rev. Daniel Pond, 22} acres, at 91d. per acre.
1760, Mar. 20. Zachariah Emory deeded to William Fletcher 4 acres of meadow, which was the original allot- ment of John Barrett, for £4. 16s., - equal to $4 an acre.
1752, Nov. 8. Samuel Miles deeded to Reuben Miles 42 acres and 4 rods, " with allowance for roads," - situ- ated "on the north side of Ladder Hill," - for £26. 13s. 4d. (This was equal to about two dol- lars and ten cents an acre. But it was laid out as an equivalent for one of the forty-acre lots of the first division, and therefore considered much better than the average of the land of the whole township.)
SAW-MILL AND GRIST-MILL.
At the proprietors' meeting at Concord, Jan. 24, 1735, a Committee was authorized " to agree with any person or persons that will erect a mill or mills in said township." This Committee, soon after, contracted with Mr. Samuel Sheldon, of Billerica, to build a saw-mill and a grist-mill. Mr. Sheldon gave bonds to erect the mills, of which he was to be the owner; and he was to receive a grant of land for establishing them. At a proprietors' meeting at Concord,
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Nov. 1, 1737, the contract was confirmed ; and they " voted and granted to said Sheldon, his heirs and assigns, for ever, eighty acres of land, to be by him laid out in one or two places, in a regular form, in any of the common land in the township, excepting the land reserved on account of the. mine ; the land drowned by his mill-dam to be accounted a part of the eighty acres : provided that there be not more than twenty acres of meadow included in said pond, and eighty acres of land ; provided also he keep up a saw-mill and grist-mill in said township, according to his obligation and agreement made with him."
But Mr. Sheldon never built the mills. At a meeting of the proprietors at Concord, Sept. 6, 1739, it was " voted that the Committee chosen to agree about mills in said township be directed, as soon as may be, to procure some suitable person or persons to build a good saw-mill and corn-mill in said township, and to give them such encou- ragement in any of the common lands or streams within said township as they can or may agree for ; and to enter into obligation for the same, in the name of the proprietors." " Also voted that the Committee chosen to let out the mills in said township be fully empowered to put Mr. Samuel Sheldon's bond in prosecution as soon as may be; or the Committee may have a liberty to agree with Mr. Sheldon as they see fit."
A proprietors' meeting was warned to assemble in Con- cord, Sept. 16, 1742; and one article in the warrant was in these words, - " to inquire whether there is a saw-mill erected in said township, or like to be." On this article the following action is recorded : "Inquired, and there is no mill erected." About three weeks after, at an adjourn- ment of the meeting, the Committee about the mills were instructed to put Mr. Sheldon's bond in suit. At this time, no place had been fixed upon for the location of the mill. In August, 1743, the proprietors refused to give up Mr. Sheldon's bond. It seems, however, never to have been actually sucd. At this meeting, in 1743, the proprietors
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purchased Mr. Thomas Hobbs's right in the township, to secure the forty-acre lot already assigned to him, in order that they might use it for a mill-privilege. This was lot No. 91. The water-privilege, it is said, was the one now occupied by Messrs. Greenwood, Jennison and Co. The purchase included not only the forty-acre lot, but also one share in all the lands then undivided, amounting to upwards of a hundred and fifty acres more. The price allowed to Mr. Hobbs was £26. 10s., to be paid in twelve months, without interest. The proprietors' books do not contain any record of the contract for building the saw-mill on this location. But it appears that a bargain was made with Lieut. James Simonds, Reuben Richardson, and Oliver Richardson. Most likely, it was agreed to give them the land in consideration of building the mill. Probably, it was erected in the course of the autumn of 1743. In November, 1743, a Committee was chosen " to clear the road from the meeting-house place to the saw-mill in said township, and also to look out and mark a road from said mill, across Otter River, into Narraganset No. 2." At that time, there were no permanent habitations here. The next year, 1744, the Indian hostilities commenced, as elsewhere described. No settlers came in for about seven years ; and the saw-mill was probably neglected. Upon the return of peace in 1749, it was not in a condition for use ; and the clerk was directed to notify Lieut. Simonds and his partners " to rectify the mill, so that it may be in order for sawing, and for the bene- fit of the township ; so that they may fulfil their contract." In May, 1755, the proprietors chose a Committee " to take care of the saw-mill, and see that the owners perform according to contract." In March, 1756, on an article " to see whether the proprietors will build a new saw-mill in the township," it " passed in the negative." Another mill, however, was built not long after; for in March, 1760, there was an article " to see if the propriety will choose a Committee to deal with the partners in the old saw-mill, for neglect ; " but " it passed in the negative."
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In May, 1753, it was voted " to build a corn-mill." A tax of six shillings on each right was laid. the same year for that purpose, amounting to a hundred and twenty dollars. Mr. Thomas Sawyer built the grist-mill, in 1754, " on Otter River." It appears that he was to own the mill, and re- ceive a sum of money, in consideration of building it, and engaging to do grinding. In 1763, the proprietors, who still met and acted as a corporation for some purposes, not- withstanding the incorporation of the town of Templeton, had an article in a warrant for a meeting, " to see if the proprietors will prosecute in law the bond against Thomas Sawyer, for his not grinding according to contract for the inhabitants of said town ; or to act thercon as said proprie- tors shall think proper." It was voted to choose a Com- mittee to see that Thomas Sawyer fulfil his contract with respect to the mill. No further notice of the subject ap- pears in the records afterwards.
ROADS.
A very large proportion of the expenditures of this town, from the beginning, have been for making and repairing roads. It would not be practicable, within any moderate limits, for us to give an account of the many locations of highways which appear on the records. Little was done to- wards making roads till after permanent settlers had come in subsequent to 1750. In 1737, a Committee was paid £18. 4s. (in old-tenor currency, at that time equal to about a fourth of the same amount lawful money) for "marking and clearing a road to the township." This probably meant no more than marking out a sort of bridle-path from Westminster. In 1740, a road was " marked and cleared from Narraganset No. 2 to Pequoiage." " A bridge," at the cost of nine pounds (old tenor), was built in 1741 or 1742.
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In October, 1742, it was voted " to clear a road to all the settlers' lots, fit for passing on horseback; and also to Nichewog (Petersham), from the corner of this township; and also a road to the mill-place, wherever it shall be." Under this vote, and another authorizing a road to Narra- ganset No. 2, about forty days' work was paid for. The " settlers " were not yet here : probably a road was cleared of trees to Westminster, and perhaps to Petersham. In 1750, the proprietors granted a tax " for roads through the township, and also to Nichewog line and Pequoiage line," amounting to eighty dollars in the whole. That sum was sufficient, according to the scale of prices adopted in 1753 for highway-work, to pay for a man and a pair of oxen a hundred and fifteen days. In 1752, it was voted that " three rods shall be the general measure for width for the roads through the township; and, in difficult places, to be left discretionary with the Committee as to width." In 1753, the Committee chosen to lay out new roads were directed not to lay them out "before the settlers have pitched on their house-spots."
The expenses in this town for bridges have not been very large. In 1763, the town-record says, "Mr. Noah Merritt undertook to build a bridge over Otter River for ten pounds ; and the town granted it to him, and chose a Committee to see that the work is done according to bargain." This was "on the road to Ipswich-Canada " (Winchendon). The -bridge over Otter River, at the Factory Village, seems not to have been built till 1778. It was then called " the bridge between Leonard Stone's and Timothy Haild's."
The method of repairing highways, till within a few years, has always, with the exception of the year 1832, been by a tax which was allowed to be worked out by the persons as- sessed, under the supervision of the highway-surveyors. For many years, the price allowed was about fifty cents a day for a man, and twenty-five cents for a pair of oxen. In 1787, the price allowed was fourpence an hour for a man " for work faithfully performed," and half as much for a
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yoke of oxen and cart or plough. The price continued the same till 1795, when it was raised one quarter for both men and ox-work. In 1796, the price was raised to sixpence per hour for men, and threepence for cart and oxen. Since 1850, the method has been changed ; and all highway-taxes in this town are now paid in money.
Till within recent times, it was customary for the people in winter, when the roads were obstructed by snow, to volunteer to break them out, and no charge was made to the town. This is now done by the highway-surveyors, at the town's expense.
PROCEEDINGS FOR THE SETTLEMENT AND THE DISMISSION OF REV. MR. POND.
At a proprietors' meeting, Oct. 2, 1754, the records say, -
Voted and chose with unanimity Mr. Daniel Pond to settle in the work of the gospel ministry in the township; and also voted to add to the General Court's encouragement, as his settlement, if he should accept the call to settle as aforesaid, the sum of fifty-five pounds, lawful money ; the one half to be paid in six months after his ordination, and the other half to be paid at the expiration of one year after said term. Voted that we give the said Mr. Daniel Pond fifty-five pounds, lawful money, per annum, as a salary for the first three years after his ordination, and that the sum of fifty-three pounds be his annual support after that term, in case he accepts the call, and settles in the work of the ministry in this place; and also voted that the Rev. Mr. Aaron Whitney be desired to carry a copy of these votes to Mr. Pond, and desire him to comply therewith.
The meeting was twice adjourned to receive Mr. Pond's answer, which was read and accepted by vote at a meeting, Dec. 11, 1754.
The answer was in these words: -
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To the Proprietors of Narraganset Township No. 6, at their Meeting by repeated adjournments from Oct. 2, 1754, to Dec. 11 ensuing.
GENTLEMEN, - I received, by the hand of the Rev. Mr. Aaron Whitney, a copy of your votes passed at your meeting on Oct 2, as before mentioned, respecting my settling among you in the capacity of a gospel minister; and in answer thereto, in the first place, I return you my hearty thanks for your notice of me, and good-will expressed towards me, notwithstanding my unworthiness, &c. Fur- ther : after some deliberation and advice on said affair, esteeming it of signal importance, I accept the call given me to the work of the gospel ministry in this place ; and if it should please God, in his all-disposing providence, to order my ordination to the pastoral office here, I hope, by his Spirit and grace, I shall be enabled, in some good measure, to fulfil my ministry.
So I remain your servant in Christ Jesus,
DANIEL POND.
Having accepted this answer, the proprietors voted that the Rev. Aaron Whitney, of Petersham, Mr. Jason Whitney, and Mr. Hezekiah Whitcomb, " be a Committee to transact all affairs relating to the ordination of Mr. Daniel Pond, so far forth as it concerns this propriety."
Very soon after, however, in consequence of the hostilities which had commenced between the English and the French, there were alarms of Indian incursions in this neighborhood; and it appears that nothing was done about Mr. Pond's ordination for ten months after his acceptance. But at a proprietors' meeting, Oct. 15, 1755, it was voted " that the Committee forthwith proceed to the ordination." Having consulted with Mr. Pond, the Committee appointed the second Wednesday of December for that purpose.
An Ecclesiastical Council accordingly assembled on that day, and completed the organization of the church here, and ordained Mr. Pond, as appears from the following certifi- cate : -
This may certify whom it may concern, that the churches here- after mentioned - viz., the churches of New Salem, Petersham, and Narraganset No. 2* - met on the tenth day of December,
* These churches were represented by Rev. Mr. Kendall, pastor at New Salem, Rev. Aaron Whitney, pastor at Petersham, and Rev. Elisha Marsh, pastor at West- minster (then called Narraganset No. 2), and their respective delegates. - See Church Records.
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1755, at Narraganset No. 6, and, after forming into a council, did gather a church, set apart and ordain the Rev. Mr. Daniel Pond the first minister of that plantation.
Attest, SAMUEL KENDALL, Moderator.
ENTERTAINMENT OF GUESTS AT REV. MR. POND'S ORDINATION.
The Committee supplied the following provisions and other articles for a public entertainment of those who came to attend the ordination of Rev. Mr. Pond. The bills were paid by the proprietors. Most of the items were computed in the " old-tenor " currency, which at the time was depre- ciated, compared with " lawful money," so that a pound old tenor was worth no more than two shillings eightpence ; in other words, in the ratio of seven and a half for one. The prices are here reduced, as nearly as practicable, from the old-tenor rates, in pounds, shillings, and pence, to the équivalent sums in dollars and cents : -
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