USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Billerica > History of Billerica, Massachusetts, with a Genealogical register > Part 5
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" [10] acor lot Simon Bird.
"[G aco]r James Paterson."
The second division began on the Shawshin below the College Farm, at a place called by the Records the "willow spang" ; and including twenty-four lots on both sides the river, extended nearly to Strongwater Brook, or half way through Tewksbury.
The third division of meadow was made also in 1658, and, after assigning four lots farther down the Shawshin to Andover bounds, passed over to the great meadow south-east of Prospect Hill, which is a mile north of Tewksbury Junction, and follows the meadow on Strongwater Brook back to the Shawshin River again. This remote division was as large as the other two, and gave all the settlers an average of ten acres of meadow in the three widely separate fields. The conditions of this pioneer farming were certainly not the most attractive, when the Township farmer must travel three miles north one day, and four miles east the next, by roads which consisted mostly of blazed trees, to bring home the meadow hay, on which his cow and horse were to subsist when winter came. This process of taking possession of the wilderness, in the name and for the benefit of civilization, tested and developed the manhood of these brave men and women.
The next general division consisted of upland; and the Farm proprietors shared with those on the Township. It was made in 1659, November, and included thirty-nine lots and forty persons ; Peter Bracket and Joseph Tompson holding in common the right of John Gurney, of Braintree. The Record describes this division as "in the great common field, on the East side of Concord river, below the great Bridge." It began "at the little swamp next below the falls," or a little south of North Billerica village, and extended "down Concord river, towards Pawtucket, so far as the brook called Bacon brook," which is just south of the Salem Railroad crossing of the Concord River; "and the breadth of the said land to ly along as the cart-path that leads down towards Pawtucket," near, if not identical with, the present highway. This division averaged
37
LAND DISTRIBUTION.
twenty-two acres to each person, or eight hundred and eighty in all. When the line of Mrs. Winthrop's farm was run, it was found to extend south of Bacon Brook, and cut off the north eight lots of this division. For these the owners received other lots near the head of Heath Brook in a plain called, no doubt for this reason, Recompense Plain.
At the same time another important division was made, in which the Farm proprietors did not share. It is often referred to in the Records as the "second division." It was "on the right hand of the way Leading toward gloab hill, by Shawshin River, and so joining to Shawshin River and the College farme on the southward part, and abutting on the ends of those Lots at Loose playne on the Weste; and in case there be not suffitient thare, then to take it between heath brook mouth and the highway before mentioned, and so come homeward again. And for the devition of the said lands, it is agreed it shall be devided into two devitions, until you come so far as ailwife brook, which deviding Line shall be about the middle of the Land between the above mentioned highway and Shawshin river, butting upon Loose playne and Ailwife brook. The 1st Lott shall begin next Samuel Kinsley, his Lott, and so goe on until you come to Ailwife brook ; then begin at the west end of the other part of the devition, and so goe on until you come to ailwife brook ; then to begin beyond the brook and run from the highway to the river, and so goe on till you come to gloab hill ; then returne homeward, between the highway and heath brook, if need be."
Globe Hill is near the Shawshin, in Tewksbury, and is probably the same on which the State Alms-house now stands ; and the road named is the present highway through Pattenville. This description includes the territory between Loes Plain and Fox Hill on the west, the Shawshin meadows south-east, and the Church Farm south-west. The Rangeway, which separated the First and Second Parts, as they were called, of this Second Division, began near the Asa Holden place, and passed the present fork in the roads where Mr. James Page lives. The two rows of lots were laid right and left from it, towards the road and the river. The first row of nine lots began with Thomas Hubbard's, south of Fox Hill, which passed very soon by his death to Samuel Manning. Others between the road and the Rangeway were Daniel Shed, William Patten, James Kidder, Thomas Foster, James Paterson, John Baldwin, John Marshall, and John Parker, who also bought Marshall's and owned a lot of eighty acres
38
HISTORY OF BILLERICA.
near Pattenville. The second part of this division began farther south. near the Deacon Edmands place, and ran farther down the river, including seventeen lots. The twenty-six lots of this division included 1,193 acres, more or less.
In 1663, December, another division of meadow land took place, and was to all the inhabitants. It began in the remote south-west part of the town, now Carlisle ; four lots had Chelmsford line north, and three were in Fort-wall meadow, which reached Concord line a mile beyond Carlisle village. Coming thence, homeward, three lots were in Fort meadow, as many in Brook meadow, ten in Treble-cove meadow, four on the Concord River, two on the Pond Brook, four in Patch meadow, three in Long-hill meadow, one south-west of Gilson's Hill, and the last three on the river again opposite the Township. These lots averaged two acres each, or eighty in all.
A month later, in January, 1663-4, allotments of upland were made in several places to forty-five proprietors. Fifteen lots were in a field, beginning opposite the lower end of the Township, on the west side of Concord River, and running down the river. Nine lots ran along the Shawshin on the east side, beginning at the College Farm; twelve were in the "pine plain beyond Content" Brook, or near the Tewksbury line ; three were north of Fox Hill and Brook, east of Mr. Nason's place ; and six on the plain on this side of Strongwater Brook, as near as might be "to their own meadows there."
Grants made at various times and places, in this way, could not always satisfy the men who received them. One would prove less valuable or convenient than another, and in 1665, December, a committee was appointed to make a Gratuity Division, as it was called, or grants to various individuals, and exchanges with them for common land, such as equity called for, or would silence complaints. Thirty persons received such special grants ; but Farley and Stearns had no share. as the committee "Judge that their divitions on the Towneship, already laid out to them, is more than in proportion is granted to other men lying as convenient." John Marshall has "two acres by his house instead of six elsewhere." John Sheldon has "3 acres & 33 pole joining to his east line of his home lot, or else 10 acres, at foxes." John Kittredge "one-third part of five acres, adjoyning to the South side of his house-lot, & he is content," and so on. James Kidder received two and a half acres taken from the highway north of his house-lot, now West Street.
.
39
LAND DISTRIBUTION.
In the winter of 1665-6, a large meadow lying north-east of Prospect Hill was divided into forty-two lots, and granted to as many persons. In this division it was agreed that there should be no allowance of "quantity for quality," such as had been common. Another distribution was made at the same time, with the privilege to each man of choosing where his lot should lie, the quantity being one and one-quarter acres to each ten-acre lot. Seven chose lots west of Concord River, near the Great Bridge, and fourteen accepted Heath meadow for forty acres, holding it in common, and subject to such future division as they might agree upon.
The last general division of land which was made before 1685 took place in January, 1665-6. It was a meadow division, located "in the great meadow North-East of Prospect Hill," and near Andover. The following condition was attached to this action : -
"It is agreed by ye Joint consent of the Towne, before the alotments of the northerly medow at Prospect Hill, that in case Cambridge men shall recover any meadow in our precincts, in reference to their lots in this Towne bounds, granted them by Cambridge, that then they shall have it in this northerly meadow ; and then the alotment of this meadow shall be a nullity, vnlesse the towne shall see cause to satisfy such persons (whose alotments shalbe taken away) in some other place, to their content." In other words, they did not intend, if the troublesome Cambridge claims could not be adjusted and were enforced upon them, to permit their location in any of the near and, to them, more desirable parts of the town.
The Record proceeds : "We do agree that ye northerly meadow at Prospect Hill shalbe alotted acording to towne order, to je wholl inhabitance concerned therein ; and for the order of the lying of ye said alotments, we do agree that there shalbee first a dividing line, from this end of the meadow to ye further end, runing as convenient as may be about ye middle of the meadow ; and the first lot shall begin at this hither end, on ye left hand or west side of ye dividing line, and so take ym in order going round, coming homeward on the East side of the meadow, so that ye last and ye first lot will lye neer east and west of each othere.
"Further we do agree that in this divition their shalbee noe consideration of allowing quantity for quality to any person. Also, it was agreed that Joseph Tomson and John Bracket should have liberty to draw one lot for both their proportions.
-
40
HISTORY OF BILLERICA.
"At the same meeting ye alotments drawne were as followeth : -
1. William Haile.
22. John Durrant.
2. John Sternes.
23. James Frost.
3. John French.
24. John Kitteridge.
4. Christopher Web.
25. Simon Bird.
5. Thomas Pattin.
26. James Paterson.
6. Thomas Willice.
28. Simon Crosbee.
29. Nath: Hill.
9. John Shildon.
30. Samuel Chamne.
10. Eldr Chamne.
11. JJohn Poulter.
12. Capt. Bracket.
33. John Marshall.
13. Samuel Maning.
34 Thomas Foster.
14. Peter Bracket.
35 Willm Tay.
15. Jonath: Danforth.
36. Thomas Paine.
16. Mr. Whiting.
37. Golden More.
17. Jacob French.
38. Ralph Hill.
18. John Parker.
39. William French.
John Bracket.
40. John Trull.
41. Samuel Kemp.
42. James Kidder.
43. Henery Jeiffs.
"It was agreed that John Trull's allotment in ye above named meadow should be put out, Because he had above his just pro- portion in heeth brook meadow."
This division included about forty acres. Mr. Danforth was to divide, measure, "make a plott of, and record the whole," for forty and two shillings ; and persons concerned, who did not " seasonably attend" to the laying out of their own lots, were to pay "ninepence a person to those that do ye work."
This account of the distribution of lands in Billerica, in the beginning, would be far from complete without notice of the large grants and farms, held under Cambridge titles, in the south-east part of the town. The largest of these was the farm reserved by the Church in Cambridge for its special use, when it permitted the whole town to assume practical possession of the larger part of Shawshin. It consisted of seven hundred acres lying north of the Woburn Road, and extended from Woburn line to the south-east line of Mr. Hart's land on the west. Its north-east line may still be seen west of the river, a distinct ditch and ridge, with a wall in some places, which two hundred and twenty years have not made even obscure. Here
19. Joseph Tomson.
20. Ben: Parker.
21. George Farley.
27. Daniell Sheed.
7. John Baldwin.
8. John Rogers. Senr.
31. Willm Chamberline.
32. Willm Hamlet.
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LAND DISTRIBUTION.
John Parker lived, certainly foremost in many respects among the earliest settlers.
The remainder of the thousand acres constituting the Church Farm was located north of Fox Hill, and took name from that fact as "Fox Farm." Mr. Daniel bought both parts. He subsequently sold the larger part to Richardson and Walker, and the Fox Farm to Joseph Davis, in whose family the place remained for about one hundred and fifty years.
North-east of the Church Farm, down the Shawshin, and mostly on the east side of it, was the College Farm. Our Records do not describe its bounds ; but a plan, by Danforth, is preserved in the archives of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Whether it formed a part of the grant to President Dunster, or was an independent grant to Harvard College, does not appear. It was sold about 1750 to William Gleason.
In the other direction, above the Church Farm, and with the same extent east and west, was the farm of five hundred acres, granted to Deacon Edward Collins, and sold by him to Elder Champney. It was occupied till 1669 by his son Samuel, who sold it to Richard Daniel; and it was here that Mr. Daniel lived, south of the Woburn Road, near Shawshin River. Above this farm, President Henry Dunster, of Harvard College, had another five-hundred-acre farm, which he sold, 10 May, 1655, to Francis and John Wyman, of Woburn, for one hundred pounds ; and beyond was Daniel Gookin's grant of five hundred acres, near the mouth of Vine Brook, and mostly east of the river. Mr. Mitchel, pastor of the Cambridge Church, had also a five-hundred- acre grant south-east of Gookin. All these grants, except Mr. Mitchel's, bound on Woburn line; and this reached "somewhat above the falls," in Bedford. Beyond was the three-hundred-acre farm of Edward Oakes, sold by him in 1661 to George Farley and the Ralph Hills, father and son. This probably reached the Concord line. Another farm known as the Oakes Far:n consisted of one hundred and fifty acres, given to Captain Gookin in exchange for his lot on the Township, and by him sold to Thomas Oakes. It included the Bedford Springs. West of all these was Job Lane, who coming from Malden had purchased, 2 August, 1664, Governor Winthrop's large grant (already described) of his grandson, Fitz John Winthrop, of Connecticut, and lived probably at the Dutton place.
42
HISTORY OF BILLERICA.
Billerica had also certain land-grants and dealings beyond her own bounds which furnish an important chapter of her early history. The small grants which Cambridge had made in the bounds of Shawshin, numbering more than one hundred and embracing ten thousand acres, were found not easy to dispose of in a way that would not embarrass the settlement. They were not valuable and attractive enough to draw many of these Cambridge families here to occupy them ; but the owners would naturally seek to make as good a sale of them as they could. While these rights were thus held in suspense, the chance that they might be enforced in some unwelcome form would embarrass the measures of the settlers, and make the rights in Billerica less attractive to persons who might otherwise purchase and settle here As a measure of relief from this difficulty, application was made to the General Court for a grant of lands elsewhere, which met with favor, as follows :- 5
"In ansr to the peticon of the inhabitants of Billirrikey, this Court doth graunt the toune of Billirrikey eight thousand acres of lands, for the ends desired, in any place or places that are ffree. & not capeable of making a toune, provided that the sajd lands be laid out before the next Court of Election, and that the inhabitants of Cambridg doe accept thereof & disingage the lands desired at Billirikey, & also that the toune of Billirrikey be seted wth twenty familyes at least wthin three yeares, yt the ordinances of God may be setled & encouraged in the sajd place of Billirikey; & it is ordered, yt Major Willard, Capt. Edw. Johnson, Mr. Edward Jackson, or any two of them, wth Thomas Danforth. or any other surveyor, shall lay ye same out at the peticoners charge. making retourne to the next Court of Election."
Jonathan Danforth, the younger brother of Thomas, was not then as well known to the General Court as he became in later years, and to him fell the task of locating this eight thousand acres. Beyond Chelmsford he had the whole Merrimack Valley to choose from, or even the Connecticut and Champlain Valleys, if it had suited Billerica's profit to go so far. The survey which he made, and returned through the above Committee, on which the location was finally sanctioned, is fortunately still preserved, in the office of the Secretary of State ;6 and on this authority some facts long forgotten have recently come to light, and we are able to reclaim our own. As described and approved by the Court,7 it was located as follows :
5 Colonial Records. Vol. IV, Part i, p. 269.
" Ancient Maps and Plans. Vol. II. Index : "Billerica."
? Colonial Records. Vol. IV, Part i, p. 302.
43
LAND DISTRIBUTION.
"Layd out to the vse of the inhabitants of Billirrikey, eight thousand acres of land. lying vpon Merremacke Riuer. on both sides thereof. taking in the trucking howse now inhabitted by Jno. Cromwell, the sajd land being lajd out about sixe thousand three hundred acres, on the East side the riuer, and about seventeene hundred and fivety acres on the west side the sajd riuer, and is bounded by the wildernes surrounding the same. as is demonstrated by a plott thereof, taken and made by Jonathan Danforth. survejor, and exhibbited to this Court by Major Symon Willard and Capt. Edward Johnson, appointed by this Court. Octob. 14, 1656. to lay out the same.
" SYMON WILLARD. "EDWARD JOHNSON."
"The Court allowes & approoves of the retourne of these comissioners in reference to the land herein expressed. - 1657, May 15."
This survey was the earliest ever made, it is safe to say, in the Merrimack Valley beyond Chelmsford, and is the starting point in the history of Dunstable. The location was in a part of the valley commonly called Naticook, but which Danforth spells "Naticott." The name was derived from a little brook which, according to Fox,8 comes into the Merrimack on the west, "just above Thornton's ferry." The grant began at the Penichuck Brook, which forms the north bound of Nashua, and extends on the west of the river as far north as the Souhegan River. Then it follows the Merrimack nearly a mile, passing two islands, the larger of which received the surveyor's name "Jonathan," then runs eastward two or three miles and southward five or six, returning to its starting point. This Naticott grant remained for a year in the hands of Billerica, when John Parker received authority to dispose of it. (Grants, page 7.)
"$9th, 6m., 1658. It is jointly agreed by vs, the inhabitance of Billerica, That John Parker hath given to him (by the towne) full power to make sale and give assurance of that eight thousand acres of land granted to us, and for our use, by the Honord Generall Court, which land lyeth at Natticott, upon merimack River. And we do hereby, fully, clearly, and absolutely give up our whole interest, right, and title in the same unto the aforesaid John Parker, to make sale of and dispose of as he shall see good for himself & his assigns. Provided always, that the aforesaid John Parker shall purchase, for ye vse & behoofe of the Towne of Billerica aforesaid, all the severall lotts, to the vallue of eight thousand acres, (granted by the towne of Cambridge to their inhabitance,) which grants are already entered in their towne booke, which land lyeth within the bounds and limits of our towne. * * And in case any of ye proprietors of the aforesaid alotments
8 Dunstable, p. 10.
44
HISTORY OF BILLERICA.
shall refuse to sell or give them, then the said JJohn shall returne vnto the towne of Billerica six pence per acre for so many acres as shall remain unpurchased, to ye vallue of (or short of the number of ) eight thousand acres. which money shall remain to Public Towne use."
Fourteen names are subscribed : Jonathan Danforth, William French, Samuel Chamne, Ralph Hill, Sen., John Baldwin, John Rogers, Sen., Ralph Hill, Jun., George Farley, Henery Jeiffs, Willm. Patten, Will" Chamberline, John Sternes, John Marshall, John Shildon.
A month later Parker had sold the land, and agrees with the town as follows : -
"[ ?] day of the 7th month, 1658.
"This present Writing witnesseth, that I, John Parker, doe hereby ingadge to purchase & clere ye severall lotts to ye vallue of 8.000 acors, belonging to Cambridge, Lying in or Towne boundes, vizt., of ye Towne of Billerica, excepting ye farmes Lying on Shawshin River, and the farmes given by Cambridge, to the two brothers, the Okses, yt is to say, Edward & Thomas Okes, for & in consideration of the sum of two Hundred pounds received by me of Mr. William Brenton for the 8,000 acors of land granted to the aforesaid Towne of Billericay. Lying at Naticot; which was given to or Towne of Billericay by the Genrall Courte, for the disingadging of the Lands aforesaide; and I, ye said John Parker, doe also ingadge to bare all the charges, past or shall be. for Laying out the 8,000 acors, or any the charges concerning the purchasing the said Lotts, and also to be by mne procured a deed of sale for the use and in the behoofe of the towne of Billericay aforesaid, acording to the Law of the Country; and what lands shall appear not to be elered, by gift or sale. from the said inhabitantes of Cambridge to ye Number aforesaid, I doe promise to returne to the towne and for the towne's use, 6p. pr an acor, for so many acors as shall appear not to be assurance made of, as aforesaid; for performance of the same, I doe hereby binde myselfe, my heires, and Assignes, to or Towne aforesaid, firmly by these presents. Witness my hand the day and yeare above Written.
.
"JOHN PARKER."
"2:5:1660. The town did order John Parker to bring in an account to the town concerning " [remainder worn ].ยบ
William Brenton, who bought the Naticott land of Billerica, was a Boston merchant and leading business man : often one of the Selectmen. He removed soon after this date to Rhode Island, and was Governor of that Colony in 1666-8, and died in 1674.
" The above original agreement with Parker has been preserved, and was recently discovered, as a loose slip, in the First Volume of Billerica Records.
45
LAND DISTRIBUTION.
Litchfield, which was taken from Dunstable and incorporated in 1724, was known as "Brenton's Farms." John Farmer surmised that he had an early grant of land there, and other writers have accepted the theory and repeated it as history. Our Records have fortunately preserved the true account of the matter and demonstrate that the Naticott grant, the earliest in New Hampshire west of Rockingham County, was made to Billerica.
One circumstance connected with the Naticott grant is interesting, and may be noticed here. "The trucking howse now inhabitted by John Cromwell" was found by Danforth, when making his survey in the winter of 1656-7, just above Thornton's Ferry, on the west of the river, and is entered there on his plot returned to the Court: These houses for trade with the Indians, pushed on beyond the line of settlements, were a feature of the early life of New England. Probably our mysterious ,Shawshin House belongs to this class. But the man who lived at Naticott in 1656 must have been much the earliest English inhabitant of all that part of New Hampshire, and as Billerica found him there she owes recognition to his memory. Tradition has been busy with his name, but as some of the reports have been wide of the truth, we may suspect others are fabulous. The tale has been that he had a house first in Tyngsborough and later at Thornton's Ferry ; that in his Indian traffic he used his hand and foot for weights, incurring the hate of the red men, until they came, burnt his house, and would have killed him ; but, getting a hint of their coming, he just escaped, before his flight burying money and treasure, which was found many years after in Tyngs- borough ; all which has been said to be "as early as 1665."
The facts which are proved are, that Cromwell was living at Thornton's Ferry in 1656 ; and that, two or three years later, he purchased of Capt. Edward Johnson a grant of three hundred acres of land, made to him in 1658, and situated just north of the Nacook or Howard Brook in Tyngsborough. To this place Cromwell removed, built a house large for the time and had a large store, but soon died in 1661. His inventory, in the handwriting of John Parker, is preserved. It was taken in January, 1661-2, and embraces household, farming, and trading stock, such as suggest no recent Indian raid, and could hardly have been gathered there save by a wealthy madman, which he plainly was not, in the face of danger of such attack. Any later discovery of buried treasure cannot be used to reproach his memory, for he died in his bed, and
46
HISTORY OF BILLERICA.
would not have left his widow in need of it, to mortgage and loose the place there, as she was compelled to do. His wife was Salome, daughter of William Batcheller, of Charlestown, and he left two sons, John and Benjamin, and a daughter, Rebecca, who were living in 1702. It is not certain that Cromwell was a model Puritan ; but the case against his memory is shadowy, and he is entitled to the benefit of the doubt. He was an active, enterprising man, as the pioneer at that day in the Merrimack Valley needed to be. The "pound weight" story is charged to various men, and more than doubtful in any case ; and it is not clear that John Cromwell is not entitled to honorable remembrance, or that he brought any reproach upon the great family name which he bore.
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