USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Deerfield > History of Deerfield, Massachusetts: the times when the people by whom it was settled, unsettled and resettled, vol 1 > Part 58
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Shelburne Set Off. The "North West" was not slow to follow the example of "South West." Perhaps the mother town attempted to quiet the inhabitants by voting them, Dec. 7th, 1767, "6 pounds towards hiring preaching there when it was the most difficult for them to come into the town ; pro- vided they have preaching there between this time and May next." Whether this offer of six pounds was sufficient in- ducement for the Shelburne people to raise the rest of the necessary funds to secure a preacher for five months, does not appear. Probably they did, and concluded from the win- ter's experience, that it would be more comfortable to have a minister of their own. At the next March meeting they pe- titioned to be set off into a separate district, the seven-mile line to be the east bound. Their petition "being read & the Question being put whether the town would set off the sd In- habitants ** by such meets & bounds as set forth in the Petition, & it passed in the negative." Evidently the bounds were not satisfactory. At a meeting May 9th, 1768, another petition was preferred. In this, they ask,-
That they will set the Hool of the North west division except part of a kang that is Sett off to Greenfield. [Those signing the pe- tition were] :-
John Taylor, Benj'n Hosley.
Philip Jordon,
John Wells,
James Taft.
David Boyd,
Ebenezer Fisk,
Thomas Wells,
Mary Rider,
Stephen Kellogg,
Daniel Nims,
Martin Severance,
Samuel Poole,
Lawrence Kemp, John Healon,
Jacob Poole, Asa Childs,
Ebenezer Heart, Watson Freeman,
Joshua Gray.
[After debate] on ye Petition the Question was put whether the Town would set off the abovesd Inhabitants in any shape, & it passed in the affirmative.
Then the Question was put whether the Town would set off the aforementioned Inhabitants agreable to there petition.
586
BLOODY BROOK. HIGHWAYS.
Then the Question was put whether ye Town would set off the be- fore mentioned Inhabitants with the Lands that lie upon the South side of Deerfield River, & it was voted in the affirmative.
Then the Question was put whether the Town would set off the Inhabitants with ye Land to ye South side of Mr. John Taylor's lot, & it passed in ye affirmative.
A charter was granted by the General Court, June Ist, 1768. The bounds fixed were :-
Beginning at the north westerly corner of the district of Green- field; from thence, southerly upon the west line of said Greenfield, to the south line of said Greenfield; thence, east, upon the said south line of said Greenfield, until it comes to a line in said Deerfield, called the Seven-mile Line; thence, southerly, upon the said Seven- mile Line, to the south side of the lot on which John Taylor now lives; thence, westerly, upon the south line of said lot, to the west end of said lot; thence, southerly, upon a line parraled with the said Seven-mile Line, until it comes to the south side of the third lot from said Taylor's lot; thence upon a line extended westerly, the same point of Compass with the said south line of the said third lot from the said Taylor's lot, until it meets with the north line of Conway; thence, upon the north line of the said Conway, to the north west Corner therof; thence, upon the west or westerly line of the said town of Deerfield, to the north west corner of said Deerfield; thence, upon the north line of the said Deerfield, to the first mentioned bounds.
The first district meeting was held Oct. 31st, 1768. The officers chosen were John Taylor, moderator; John Wells, clerk; John Taylor, John Wells and Robert Wilson, select- men ; Ebenezer Fisk, constable; Samuel Hunter, deerreeve. All but Wilson were from Deerfield.
Other Deerfield men who settled in Shelburne about this time were John Allen, Asa Childs, Moses Hawks, Lawrence Kemp, Archibald Lawson, Daniel Nims, Reuben Nims, Dan- iel Rider, Obed. Taylor and Thomas Wells.
Bloody Brook Wants to be Set Off. The setting-off fever became catching, and in 1768 the following was presented to the town :-
The petition of the Inhabitants of the South part of Deerfield Humbly showeth :
Whereas we your Petitioners Considering the Great distance we live from the place appointed for public worship as also the badness of the Roads in certains Seasons of the year which renders it very difficult even for those that have Horses to attend upon the public Duties of the Sabeth & quite Impossible for those who have not
As also the Desire we have of Setting up maintaining and regulat- ing schools among us for the instruction of children and youth in a
587
PETITION FOR HOME GOVERNMENT.
better manner than it is possible we should under our present Sir- cumstances
These Gen'l Men & Sundry other reasons moues us at this time as in duty bound to lay before you this our Humble Petition begging that out of your Great Goodness you would not only free us our lands and all other rateable estate that we own in this part of the Town from all public charges that may heareafter arise in the Town but also Grant that the whole of the Land lying between Conway East Line & Coneticut River Begining at Hatfield line & extending North three miles may be devoted to be taxt according to Law & Custom for the aboue mentioned purposes that thereby with the ad- dition of those parts of the town of Hatfield known by the Names of Cantur burey & the Streights we may be enabled to Settle the Ordi- nances of the Gospell among us and defray all other charges that will arise in sd District either of a Civil or Eclieiastical nature So begs your Humble Petitioners and in duty bound shall ever pray :-
Samuel Graves, Elijah Arms,
William Anderson, Eber Allis,
Nath'l Parker,
David Arms, Zebediah Graves, Nath'l Parker, Jr.,
John Allis,
Thomas Arms,
Thomas Chamber-
Jos. Sanderson.
Nathan Frary,
Eliakim Arms.
lain,
Sam'l Barnard,
Samuel Dwelle,
Abel Allis,
After an adjournment of the meeting where this petition was presented, and due consideration, the request was re- fused.
In 1769 a schoolhouse was built at Bloody Brook, the town paying £6 towards its cost. Samuel Barnard was schoolmas- ter there in the winter of 1767 and Nathan Frary in 1769. In 1767-9, Rebecca Childs kept the summer school. The peo- ple of this district were allowed to select their own teachers, but sometimes it was required that the teacher should be ap- probated by the selectmen.
Roads. In 1715, a road was laid "from Deerfield river to the place where the corn-mill is to be set as it may be most convenient for the mill and country road."
1719, a committee was directed "to stake out ye hieway in Ens. Jonathan Wells his lot, at Cheapside, from Deerfield river to ye farther or north end of it."
1738, voted to make a road up to Petty's Plain.
1741, voted to build a road to Colrain.
The proprietors of the East Mountain wood lots laid a road running north and south through the whole range which can generally be traced to-day in "woods roads." It ran just west of the "Narrows," and near this point it was met by a road from Memorial Lane, up the hill eastward. The proprietors' road from this point north gradually neared the Traprock
58S
HIGHWAYS. PRICES.
Ridge, and crossed it in a gap at Flag Pond. It continued east of north through Sheldon's woods and the Dooley farm to Sheldon's Fields and Deerfield river. At the gap in the ridge a road turned eastward by the Keet farm to Wells's ferry-now Rice's-and Montague.
A road from the north end of the street struck the proprie- tors' road somewhere. In 1748, Rev. Mr. Ashley represented that in this road the cows going to the east woods were obliged to travel daily four hundred rods further than need be. He offered to lay a new road in exchange for the land occupied by the old one. His offer was accepted and a road was opened, which ran up the hill north of the Boyden lot, by the present railroad culverts and east to the proprietors' road. Much trouble grew out of this arrangement between. Mr. Ashley and the owners of the land over which the old road passed, and in 1754, the ante-bellum condition of affairs was restored and the present road as far as the Flag Pond was apparently established as a private way.
But the end was not yet. After an apparent truce during the Last French War, the trouble again broke out, but the last that is heard of it is, when in 1763 a committee was chosen "to take a proper Course of Law for opening the Town Road at the north end of the Town to the Country Road that goes to Wells's Ferry," and to employ an attorney ' or attorneys to effect the same.
1749, Bars street was laid out eight rods wide.
1752, a committee was chosen "to look out and mark a Rhode to Charlemont, also to Hunt's town, & to clear the Roads of logs & bushes fit for a Riding Rhode."
1757, the surveyor was instructed to "repair & mend the path from ye South end of ye Town by ye outside of ye common Field fence to Wapping," so as to be a feasible horse road but not to expend over ten days' work upon it.
Voted "yt ye Road from Hatfield bounds to ye Bars Street be six rods wide and from thence to ye gate at ye Bars to be the whole width of ye Bars Street and from ye Bars gate to ye South end of ye Town to be two rods wide.
1764, voted to accept of the Road laid out by the Selectmen from the Country Road to Pine Noock."
1766, "voted to accept of the Road laid out by the select- men from Muddy Brook to Taylor's Mill."
589
A MISSING HOME LOT.
This settled a contention of years' standing in regard to its location ; but in 1769, Mr. Frary was allowed to set up three gates on this road where it passed through his land. "Brooks's ferry," "Oakes's ferry" and " Farrand's ferry," are mentioned about this time, as well as Wells's ferry.
"Jan. 7, 1771, a committee was chosen to take care of ye County road to Eagle Brook to prevent the river from wear- ing away the road for the future & to purchase land to ac- commodate the road." The highway at this time followed the road which now runs by the houses of Rufus R. Wil- liams and Patrick Burke, westwardly to a point more than half way to the present new channel of the Deerfield river, and thence south across Log Meadow near Martin's Falls to the Bars gate, skirting the river and Stebbins Meadow as now.
The above committee reported that they had expended £5, 9s, iod in procuring timber for building a wharf and in buy- ing land. Some of the items of the bill were Is each to Sam- uel Childs, Daniel Arms and Jeremiah Nims "for looking timber." Daniel Arms was paid for fifteen loads of timber ISs, and for two hands and a team three days drawing timber 24s. Samuel Childs had the same charge, and Seth Catlin for one hand and team three days, 18s 6d and John Hinsdale for fourteen rods of land from his home lot, 19s.
Hinsdale's home lot of three acres, fronting south on the road, lay far beyond the present high bank westward, prob- ably quite beyond the present "old bed" of the river.
It appears by the vote that there had been previous trouble at this point, and the wharfing did not put an end to it. The river continued its annual eastward migration for almost a century later, and until it cut for itself a new channel through Old Fort Meadow. The older voters will remember the yearly agitation of the matter in town meeting and the ex- pense of keeping this road on terra firma.
May 13, 1774, Voted that the town will build a House at the end of the Lane near the burying Yard for a Tradesman to dwell & work at his Trade in, sd Tradesman to keep a Ferry near Harrar Meadow Bridge; sd House to be of the contents of Thirty two feet in length, eighteen in breadth, one story high.
It does not appear how long a ferry was kept up here, but in 1780 the ferry house was devoted to the use of the poor of the town.
590
HIGHWAYS. PRICES.
Prices of Labor, Produce, &c. During the period under con- sideration, prices varied so widely that no standard of value to compare with the present can be fixed. This is due to some extent to good and bad seasons-more largely perhaps to the French and Indian Wars-but the widest fluctuations are directly chargeable to the changing value of the Govern- ment "Bills of Credit," of "Old Tenor," of "New Tenor," of the "Last Issue," of the " Middle Issue," and so on, which well-nigh brought financial ruin upon the people. I use such material as the original manuscripts at hand furnish.
In giving the price of labor, I have generally followed the pay fixed by the town for work on the highway in summer, when near home. When obliged to "lay out" on the long roads to Charlemont, Colrain and Huntstown, a sixpence a day was usually added. The fall and winter work was gen- erally a shilling less than summer.
The period given covers the time of "Old Tenor" "Middle Tenor" and "New Tenor" currency, which was at an end in 1752.
1737
€ s d
1737
£
S d
Labor per day,
3
O Weaving linen cloth per yd., I
4
Wheat per bu.,
15
O
Weaving Stript cloth per yd., I
S
Rye per bu.,
I.4
O Weaving Lindsey Woolsey, I 2
Indian corn, bu.,
5
6 Hemp per lb.,
5
Oats, bu.,
4
O
I
3
Salt per bu.,
10
O
Barrel cider,
17
0
Ploughing per acre,
S
O
20
0
Threshing & fanning wheat, bu.,
2
6
2 0
Fanning & chessing,
S
Team to draw boards from Bernardston per day,
O
Bucking & weaving duck per piece,
10
O
1742-3
1742-3
Labor per day,
6
6
Bear meat, 1b.,
2
Wheat per bu.,
1.4
O
Venison, 1b.,
3
Oats per bu.,
4
O
1748, labor,
15
0
Rye per bu.,
12
O
1749-50, labor,
20
0
Flax per lb.,
2
O
1748, Feb., wheat, bu.,
40
O
Tobacco per lb.,
I
6
1748, April, wheat, bu., 45
O
Potatoes, bu.,
S
O
Flax seed, bu.,
18
O
Rattlesnake balls,
4
O
Salmon, 1b., I
0
Black wolf skin,
8
0
O
Turnips, bu., IO
O
Bear skin,
6
O
1751
1751
Labor,
20
O
Coon skin,
IO
O
Pork, 1b.,
I
S
Martin,
20
0
Flax seed, bu.,
30
O
Beaver,
48
0
Rum, gal.,
35
0
Fisher,
55
O
Cider, bbl.,
35
O
Fox,
20 O
Sheet of paper,
2
O
Mink,
5
O
Silver dollar,
25
O
Scyth,
Deerskin,
75
Sheepskin,
Beaver per lb.,
7
6
Flax per lb.,
591
WHAT THINGS COST.
1752
£ S d 1752
£ sd
Silver dollar,
45 0
Oats, bu.,
9 0
Wheat & Pease, bu.,
25
0
Beef, 1b.,
1 4
Rye & Barley,
IS
0
Pork, 1b.,
J 6
Corn,
12
O
1757
1757
Labor,
2
O
Tobacco, 1b.,
4 0
Wheat, bu.,
4
O
A fat horse,
12
Rye,
2
3
Hair for a wig,
40
0
Barley, ..
2
8
Wig for Capt. Burke,
26
6
Corn,
2
5
Pair pistols,
44
0
Pease,
3
O
I
3
Oats,
I
4
Martin,
3
O
Flax,
1b.,
6
Fisher,
7
6
Pork,
..
2 1/2
Otter.
9
O
Beef,
2
Red Fox,
3
0
Venison,
I
O
Grey Fox,
2
5
Bear cub meat,
5
1762-6
1762
Labor,
3
0
Clapboards per M.,
60
O
French rye, bu.,
4
O
Boards,
28
O
Barley malt,
3
0
Shingle, per M.,
13
4
Flax seed, bu.,
6
4
Making Indian shoes,
8
Dozen shad,
I
0
Making Indian stockings,
I
S
Barrell cider,
7 0
Making leather vest,
8
6
Beef,
1b.,
3
Making leather breeches,
6
6
Salmon,
2 1/2
Making clapboards per M.,
30
5 3
Fawn
skin,
4
0
Meal of victuals,
6
0
Fisher,
5
S
Mess of oats,
3
2
Fox,
5
S
12 mug of flip,
3
2
Red Fox,
3
4
A button of flip,
2
O
Wolf,
2
S
Gill rum,
4
2
Sable,
2
8
Gill cherry,
5
I
Mink,
I
6
A dram,
2
2
Fat oxen,
S
0
O
Dram bitters,
I
Cow hide,
3
O
O
Mug cider,
3
Horse to fat for week ex-
12 mug cold grog,
5
0
clusive of provender,
4
O
1/2 mug cold toddy,
4
2
Horse on hay,
2
6
12 mug egg punch,
8
0
Horse 60 miles,
S
O
Egg rum,
1
2
6
Wild Turkey,
2
8
Venison,
I
O
Bear,
6
Board per week,
5
pence far.
Bear cub,
..
In November, 1768, Joseph Barnard sent Silas Hamilton to Albany to buy furs. He was gone four and a half days, and brought back on his horse one hundred and two pounds of beaver and twenty-four raccoon skins, which cost at Alba- ny £39, 18s, York money. His time, horse and expenses were £2, 6s, 3d, a total of £42, 45, 3d, " which was in lawful money," £31 13s, 2d. Hamilton agreed to make up this stock into hats on the following terms :-
"Vis I engage to work up ye Best of ye Bever into hats, I to finde Linings & trimmings Coloring stuff &c. at 8 s per hat the Beverit hats at 75 4d each." Barnard sold " Bever Hats" at 30s each and "Castor Hats" at 18s.
Bear's meat,
Coon skin,
592
HIGHWAYS. PRICES.
In 1760 Ensign Barnard paid David Harrington for mak- ing a "Case of Draws" £2.
1760. Duck was woven in Deerfield and sold in Salem for "£12 0. 0. per bolt." It cost 6s for transportation.
1756. John Crosby, Jr., charged Esq. Williams :--
To a wig for your Lady, £9 0 0 To a new top to your brown wig, I 0 O
To a fan for ye tale of your brigadier wig, 0 15 o
To 20 times shaving, 2 0 0
These prices were in Old Tenor, which had been sup- planted by " Lawful Money " in 1751 ; a few conservatives still clinging to the old way. 1763 Nathaniel Dickinson paid workmen 12s per M for sawing boards.
1770 Jonas Locke decides that Francis Munn should have 12s for making the town a bier, he finding the stuff.
It may be of interest to know what books were in demand by our ancestors. In 1758 Elijah Williams bought a lot in Boston for Deerfield market. A few will be named :- d
S
9 Marshall on Sanctification at 5
I
7 do on fine paper, at 5
2 Praceptors 2 Vols, at 21
3 Centaurs at 5
12 Oxford Testaments with clasps 3 Bibles & 4 Apochrypha with clasps Circle of Service 7 Vols Red at 17
6 Gazetteers at 6
Io Baileys Dictionary at IO
I 4 Salmons Gram at I1
For lighter reading he had :-
The Bucaniers of America, Ansons voige, Lives of Peter the Great, Duke of Marlboro and Marshall Saxon, and Polite Tales.
Under the general laws of settlement, many forms were necessary to save the town unnecessary expense in aiding the poor. Hundreds of persons were officially " warned out of Town," to depart in so many days under a penalty ; many of these became permanent and influential residents. No one was allowed to receive a stranger into his house without due notice to the town officers, giving age, sex, occupation and last residence.
Action similar to the following, to prevent people from becoming town charges, is often recorded :-
Feb. 6, 1758, Voted that the Selectmen be directed to warn the two children of Margaret Choulton out of Town Immediately. [In Aug. 1756, she had given birth to three living sons at the fort of Lieut. Ebenezer Sheldon at Fall Town. ]
5 Dodridge' Rise & Progress &c, at
4
1
O
I
5
593
PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES.
Voted that Lut Field and Samuel Hinsdale be desired & author- ized to take due measures in ye Law to free ye Town from the charge of supporting Margaret Choller & her children & to endeavor to bring ye sd charge on ye Master of sª Margaret, or otherwise, as they shall think best or advise.
1766. Voted that the Selectmen be desired to prosecute all Per- sons who have or shall receive Strangers into their houses as In- mates or Boarders, & who shall not or have not Entered the Cau- tion, as the Law directs.
CHAPTER XX.
HOMESTEADS ON THE OLD STREET.
Not all the lines bounding the house-lots as drawn May 14th, 1671, can be definitely defined. They were not laid out uniformly, as will be seen. The size of these lots was in pro- portion to the number of cow-commons held by each Dedham proprietor, and varied widely. A few remain unchanged as they were drawn ; others have been divided, and still others combined. The lines bounding some few lots have been easi- ly traced, and others with great difficulty. The results given, however, may be relied upon as substantially correct. Omit- ting many minor additions and subtractions, the attempt has been made, at the cost of much time and labor, to trace the successive ownership of these lots from the original draft to the present generation. Not always with success, for many transfers were informal and even verbal. Some of these are only discovered through quit claim deeds given many years later by the heirs of the grantor to the heirs of the grantee. Many deeds were never recorded, and are lost ; and probably some have been overlooked on the records. Therefore, in spite of all research, gaps in the line of ownership often oc- cur, which in the earlier transactions can never be filled. Much, however, has been recovered interesting to those whose ancestors were here born, and whose lives were identified with these homes and acres, where their part on the stage of history was acted, and whence they were carried to their last resting places on the bank of the Pocumtuck, or the hill over- looking its beautiful valley.
A list of the houselots drawn by the Committee this 14-3, 71: [May 14, 1671.]
No. Cow Sheep Lot Com. Com.
Acres
Roods
Rods
Rob't Ware, Nat'l Fisher,
I
15
00
5
14 71/2
Eleazer Lusher, Gent.,
2
9
1
3
3934
Timothy Dwight's farm,
3
John Allin, Gent.,
4
16
O
5
1/2
24
John Hubbard,
5
3
O
I
912
595
DRAWING HOUSE-LOTS.
No. Lot
Cow Com.
Sheep Com.
Acres
Roods
Rods
Timo. Dwight,
6
12
O
+
38
Anthony Fisher, Jr., [farm]
7
Ensign Phillips,
S
16
0
5
1/2
2.4
Samll. Hensdell,
9
16
0
5
1/2
24
Peter Wooderd,
IO
20
O
7
1/
22 12
Capt. Pynchon,
12
16
4
5
3/
2914
John Stebbins,
13
20
O
7
IO
Capt. Pynchon,
14
IS
0
6
4
17
John Fuller,
15
9
312
3
1/4
28
Peter Wooderd,
16
20
7
1012
Mary Hayward,
I7
II
0
3
3,4
211%
John ffarrington,
IS
18
2
6
1/
Ed Richards's farm,
20
S
0
2
34
12
Leift. Fisher's farm,
21
13
I
4
1/2
25 34
John Bacon,
24
7
3
2
1/2
29 1/2
Seargt. Thomas Fuller,
25
20
O
7
IO
Saml Daniell,
26
12
O
4
38
Deacon Chicerins,
27
S
3
2
34
I2
John Haward,
28
S
O
2
3/
12
Peter Wooderd,
29
20
O
7
IO
Isaac Bullard,
30
II
I
3
3/4
33
Rob Hensdell,
31
S
O
2
3/
12
Nathl Coleborne,
32
II
I
3
34
33
Ensine Phillips,
33
16
O
5
2.1
Left. Fisher,
34
6
[I
2
33]
Samll Hensdell,
35
16
O
5
20
Samll Hensdell,
36
14
312
5
301/2
Mrs. Bunker.
37
17
3
6
34 12
Ensigne Phillips,
38
I6
0
5
1/
21
John Baker,
39
13
2
4
3/
2.4 1/2
Ensign Daniel Fisher,
41
I3
O
4
1/2
[14]%]
Thomas Paine,
42
6
O
2
19
Capt. Pynchon,
43
20
O
7
IO
[Total,
515
35]
IO
Samson Frary,
II
9
3
3
Seargt. Avery,
Thomas Mason,
23
13
I
4
When homesteads were passed for several generations from father to son, the successive owners are not generally given.
The numbering of the lots began at the north end of the street on the west side, and ended at the north end on the east side. The "farm " lots were the tracts granted the surveyors who laid out the grant. The claim of the surveyors to house- lots by virtue of their acreage seems to have been partially allowed in the above draft and report, but in point of fact it was sometimes resisted in the actual laying out of the lots. Conflicting claims consequently arose, which created some confusion. The final mode of adjustment does not always ap- pear. In some cases the claims of the "Farmers," as they were called, were bought out by those interested.
38
John Gaye,
40
II
2
3
Church Lott,
22
25 34
596
HOMESTEADS ON THE OLD STREET.
The settlers here generally belonged to that class which should be ranked the highest in all civilized society, as being the most essential-the producers. For the first century, manufacturing, trading, and the learned professions, were . generally, and perhaps always, combined with the cultivation of the soil. To this prime industry the energies of the com- munity were devoted, as being the real source of subsistence. Other occupations, as convenience suggested or necessity compelled, came in gradually, until at length almost every branch of the handicraft of the period was represented in the Old Town Street ; and for generations this was the busi- ness center of a large surrounding territory. To this fact the old account books preserved in Memorial Hall bear abun- dant testimony.
The location of these various industries is given, when known, as a matter of interest. This interest would be large- ly increased if the time when they were carried on could be more definitely fixed. The same is true regarding the old houses, whose age can only be approximately given, as a rule, and often only guessed at. But it may be safely stated as a fact that more than one-half of the houses on the Old Street were built in the last century, and the average age of these is probably more than one hundred and thirty years. They were built by workmen who put their consciences, as well as their muscles and ten-inch oak timber, into their frames. The modern houses-the mushroom ten-penny nail and hemlock scantling affairs-will stand small chance, even with the six- score years in their favor, in a struggle with these old veter- ans for the survival of the strongest. Time seems to have no effect on them. They can only be conquered by fire.
In the following sketches the first name after each number is that of the party who drew that lot in the division of the Town Plat, May 14th, 1671. The statistical notes which fol- low will be of the briefest character.
House Lot No. 1 .- Robert Ware and Nathaniel Fisher. The lot ran west to Broughton's Pond. Ware had the north part, which in 1686 was owned by John Broughton. Here Thomas Broughton, his brother, and all his family, were mur- dered by Indians in 1693. House and lot were inventoried at £20. In 1694 James Brown bought the place and sold it in 1697 to John Severance for "a mare at £3, & new cart
597
ASHLEY AND SHELDON LOTS.
wheels at £2." No conveyance from Severance is found. Fisher's half was held by Richard Weller, and by his son John, who died about 1686, when it was inventoried at £25. John Weller, Jr., succeeded his father, and sold it in 1694 to Godfrey Nims. John, son of Godfrey, held this part, and probably the whole, in 1719. It remained in the Nims fam- ily until 1774, when Abner Nims sold it to Thomas W. Dick- inson for £90. His son Richard was a large manufacturer of brooms here, 1830-37. House, broom shop, two barns and many outbuildings were burned in 1843. It was sold by Richard Dickinson to Elbert Amidon for $1000, who built the present house in 1867.
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