USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : containing carefully prepared histories of every city and town in the county, Vol. I > Part 69
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86
"Dracutt Janevery ye 2d 1710. These are the Nams of the men that have the Loots now in Pos- session with ye Consent of ye Gennerall Corts Committe and sum that have sould to outhers with the consent of the Selectmen of the Town of Draeutt. John Varnum Joseph Colbon Ebenezer Goodhew. Benjamin Barans 1 Ebenezer Goodhew 2 Ezekell Cheevers 3 James Colbon 4 Benjamin Hoore 5 Ebenezer Wright 6 Onesimus Marsh 7 Benjamin Barans 8 Solomon Wood 9 Josiah Rich- ason 10 Nathanell Foxe 11 Anthony Neggerow 12 Ezekell Cheevers 13 William Reed 14 Nathanill Cheevers 15 Samuel Prime 16 John Higgoson 17.
" These are ye fifteen that Lye between mr Bellshers Farme and mr wintrips Farme and Every mans nam is seet to his Loot. samuell prime his Loot Lyes below mr wintreips Farm Lying on merimack river. John Higgosons Loot lyes on meramack river below samuell Primes Loot. Min- estirs Loot and the Minestirs Farme lies att Gom- pos ou ye North Sid of bever Brook. Solomon Woods Loot lyes on Gompos Brook. George Brouen 2 Joseph Crosby 3 Ezekell 4 Calbreys Balle 5. John Hayward, Cheney Flage, these two Loot Lye on the north Sid of Bever Brook west of the Minestirs Farm. Sollomon Wood his Loot lyes on ye Easte Side of beaver brook and on north Sid of ye Colbons ould Meadowes. jolın barans, hesacaah Townasane, joseph whitter, these three Loots lys north of mr winterips Farm."
The laying out of the lands and the roads, the construction of buildings and fences, together with the clearing of the forests, the planting, the care and the harvesting of the crops, engrossed the atten- tion and occupied most of the time of the early settlers ; and the tavern, the mill, and the black- sinith shop were places of general resort for learn- ing .the news from Boston, and for discussing the concerns of the young municipality. On Sundays they crossed the river in boats or rafts to attend public worship at Chelmsford. The lots along the
409
DRACUT.
margins 'of the streams were the first ones occu- pied, and, as English hay was then unknown, the meadow lots were greatly coveted, as affording sub- sistence for the cattle during the winter season, The following is a record of a proprietors' meeting, held in the spring of 1716-17 :-
" At a generall meeting of the proprietors of the common and undevided land belonging to the Township of Dracutt legally assembled on the Last thirsday of march in the year of our lord 1716 by vertne of a warrant from justice Tying. 1, chosen for moderator for this present meeting Ezekiel Cheever, Senior. 2ly Chosen for a clarke for the proprietors afore said Nathaniel Fox. 3ly Chosen for a commity to act abont the undevided land belonging to the fore said proprietors mnr George Brown of Bilricah, Captain Joseph Varnum Ezekiel Cheever senr, mr Nathaniel Fox, mr Jeams Fails. 4ly Voted that this commity now chosen shall go upon the nndevided land and view the land that is not yet devided and lay it ont into two squad- rons and the land that lyeth nearest the river lotts to be laid out into the river Lotts and that which lyeth nearest the Gumsetts Lotts to be laid out unto the Gumset Lotts. 5ly Voted that there shall be a considerable quantity of upland to each mans medow laid out of the land that lyeth about his meadow laid out by the committy according to the quantity of meadow he hath and so much up- land as every man hath laid to his meadow it shall be reackoned as so much of his share in the unde- vided land. 6ly Voted that when the land is laid out into squadrons then they shall lay out unto every lott an hundred and thirty acres, or more if they shall judge it best and the next rest at the next laying out. 7ly, Voted that this Committy, or the major part of them, are fully impowered to lay out all the undevided land as soone as can con- veniently be done and that this committy shall be allowed for shillings a day for their service by the proprietors. Sly, Voted that this committy shall have power to sell some of this undevided land to pay the charge of laying out the said land and the sale of the land to be posted up in some public place. 9ly, Voted that for the time to come any two of the committy and the clarke shall have power to call a proprietors meeting by posting up a notification in some publick place 14 dayes be- fore the meeting. 10ly, Voted that this committy shall have to imploy the serveir or artist so much as shall be needfull and the proprietors to bare the charge of it. Illy, Voted that this committy shall
have full power to lay what high wayes they shall judge needfull. Lastly, it is Voted and agreed upon that no man shall debarr any other from coming to his meadow where there shall not be highwayes laid out, but every man shall have suffi- cient liberty to come at his meadow for mowing and making and carrying off his hay. These were the things that were agreed upon and Voted at this meeting. Atest, Ezekiel Cheever moderator."
It appears that one of the early settlers of Dra- cut was a negro, or, as it was written, " neggerow," who bore the name of Anthony, or Tony. A lot of land was laid out to him in 1721, which is thus described : -
" March ye 25th 1721. a Lott Laid out to Anthony of dracutt in the Reserved Land in Dra- cutt in the County of Middlesex in New england Containing Eighty Eight acres, be it more or Less, as it is bounded Lying Southerly of Higginsons medo, bounded Northerly on Higginsons medo Lotts, Bounded Easterly by a Line of marked Trees, Letered A, by Thorntons Land, bounded Southerly by Land Laid out to ezekiel cheever of Salem Village which was Sonld to the sª Anthony. The above sª Anthony had Ten acres of Land Laid out in the bounds of the above sª Cheevers Land the Westerly Line of the above sª Anthonys Land is Pine trees by ffoxes marshes and thorntons Land, the Northwest Corner is a Stake and Stones, also another Lott of Land Laid out to anthony negro of Dracutt in the above sd Reserved Land in Dracutt Containing one Hundred and Sixteen acres, be it more or less, as the Same is bounded easterly on sª Anthonys medo and Ceader Pond, Bounded Southerly with A Line of marked trees, bounded Westerly with a Line of marked Trees Lettered with A, bounded northerly by a line of marked trees by the Land of Benjamin Wood, also another Lott of Land Laid out to the above sª anthony negro in the above Sª Reserved Land in dracntt containing four and a half acres, be it more or less, Lying westerly of his home stead house Lott, bounded easterly on sª Anthoneys house Lott and westerly by Country Rhoad, North westerly by the Rhoad Leading from the Caneuytry to Curtises house, also another Lott Laid out to the above Said anthony negro, Lying in the above Said Reserved Land on the South Side of the Colburns New medows Bounded Southerly by a Rhoad Leading to Ceader Pond medows westerly by the Land of benj: wood, Northerly by the Colburns new medo farine, Easterly by a Line of marked trees Caled
410
HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
four Lott in order from Belchers and Hildrethis Land and Contains Twenty Eight acres, be it more or less, Laid out and recorded by us with some help of Nathaniel Fox in Laying out. joseph varnum, ezekiel cheever, james fales Cinte for Said work. witness joseph varnum, ezekiel chcever."
A lot was also laid out at the same time for the first minister that should be settled in town : - " march ye 25th 1721. A Lott of Land Laid outt to the firs Setled minister in Dracut in the Reserved Land in sd dracutt in the County of Mid- dlesex in New england Containing one Hundred and Twenty one acres Called the Sixth Lott South- ward from Gouldings Pond Bounded westerly on William Colburns Destracted Medo Line North- erly by a Line of marked trees Lettered with S B by the fifth Lott, Easterly upon the East Line of Dracutt, the South East Corner; is a rock Stones on it. bounded Southerly by a Line of marked trees and heeps of Stones, also another Lott of Land Caled the fourth Lott Northward from Gould- ings and Collecuts farme is Laid out to the first Settled minister in Dracutt in the above sª Re- served Land and Contains one hundred and eighty Six acres, be it more or Less, Bounded as followeth, ees westerly by j. varnum Line, Northerly by a Line of marked trees Lettered with S B. Easterly by that Land that was Laid out to make Gumpas Lotts equall with the River Lotts, Southerly by a Line of marked tres Lettered with S B. Num- bered with four chops, also another Lott of Land Laid out to the first Setled minister in dracutt in the above sª Reserved Land Containing Twenty Eight acres, be it more or Less, Lying Easterly of the first setled minister Lott and the minister farme, bounded westerly on the Ministers Lott and ministree farme, Northerly and Easterly by a Line of marked trees, Southerly by a Line of marked trees by a medo that Lyeth on beavour Brook, also Seven acres of upland Laid out to the first Setled minister in the Town of Draeutt, Lying in the Colburns New medo farme. also one acre of Land Lying at the west end of the Seventh Lott North- ward from Gouldings and Calecuts farme. Laid out and Recorded by us with some help of Na- thaniel Fox in Laying out. joseph varnum ezekiel cheever james fales Committee for sª work. wit- ness, joseph varnum ezekiel cheever."
At this time common land was laid out to Eben- ezer Ingalls of Marblehead; Anthony, a colored man, of Dracut ; William Colburn of Dracut ; C'ol. Samuel Brown of Salem ; Caleb Moody of New-
bury ; Joseph Wheeler of Concord ; Thomas Wy- man of Dracut ; Solomon Wood of Bradford ; George Brown of Billerica ; Ezekiel Cheever of Salein Village ; Ephraim Curtis, Jolin Barron, Na- thaniel Fox, Benjamin Wood, of Dracut ; Ebenezer Thornton of Boston; Onesiphorns Marsh of Dra- cut; Mr. Proctor of Boston ; Ebenezer Wright of Draeut ; Jonathan Waldo of Boston; Josiah Rich- ardson of Dracut; Nathaniel Cheever of Salem Village; Joseph Varnum of Dracut ; Alexander McNeal ; Ebenezer Goodhue; Benjamin Richard- son and Samuel Prime of Rowley. Most of them were actual settlers of the town.
Among the localities mentioned in the pro- prietors' book are Ridge Hill, Mine Pit Hill, Walker Brook, Mine Brook, Beaver Brook, Ayer's Hill, Island Pond Hill, Cedar Brook, Dennison's Brook, Island Pond Brook, Golding's Brook, an affluent of Beaver Brook, Toney's Brook, so named from the negro Anthony, Dunstable Brook, Long Pond, North Pond, Ledge of Rocks Pond, Bumpas, The Cove, Distracted Meadows, and Peter's Pond. Some of these names are still retained.
At the town-meeting last mentioned several roads were laid out, of which the description of one will serve as a specimen : -
" March the 25th 1721 A high way Laid out in dracntt in Middlesex in new england in the re- served Land at a place called Prims Lott and Hig- ginsons Land two or three Rod wide as it is here platted out with heaps of Stones and trees blassed with two blasses next the way beginning westerly at Winthrops farm with heaps of Rocks, running easterly over rocky land, then turning partly north easterly with trees marked down a hill of a plain, then running partly easterly on the north Side of the little pond hole, so continuing easterly to the mine pit hill with a little crosse also on the north side of the mine pit, then running northeasterly on the south Side of a Spruce bog in Higginsons Land, then turning partly easterly to the east line of Draeutt Town. this is for a Country Road from dracutt to haver hill. Laid out and platted and re- corded by us Committy for Said worke. Ezekiel Cheever, Joseph Varnum, James Fales."
This was the main thoroughfare leading easterly to Haverhill, and the mine pit referred to is that which has been recently reopened, and which now yields a considerable quantity of zinc.
The price of land at this period may be seen from a report made by Ezekiel Cheever, Joseph
411
DRACUT.
Vamum and James Fales, acting for the pro- prietors : " Dracutt Janevery the last in ye year of Lord 1722, according to the vote of the pro- prietors we have sold 21 acres of said land upon ye mine pit, also 140 acres at the east line of the Town about a mile off from Merrimac river, be they more or lesse, according as they are bounded, sold to Jeams Colburne ffor eight pounds and one shilling, also 100 acres at north pond sold for five pounds to Alexander Mackneal, also 100 acres by Goldings farme. sold to Alexander mackneal for 13 pounds, be they more or lesse according as they are bounded, also a 100 acres by Seder pond, sold for S pound to Richard Jaques, be it more or lesse according as it is bounded, also sold 75 acres to Nathaniel Cheever for Seaven pounds ten shil- lings, be it more or less according as it is bounded, all this above said land was measured with the same measure as the other Lotts were, and were all posted in at the meeting house and some at ye tavern 14 dayes before they were sold."
The earliest records of the town are missing ; the first entry of the choice of town officers is March 25, 1712, when John Varnum was chosen town-clerk, and John Varnum, Joseph Coburn, and Ebenezer Goodhue were chosen selectmen.
December 17, 1715, it was voted "to buld a pound for the town of Dracut, and to set it by the north side of Thomas Varnums little orchard, and granted money for a block staff for the town of Dracut." August 25, 1718, "voted that Quarter- master Colburn should have a plas for a pue on the north side of the East Dore"; also, " that Edward Colburn should have the northeast corner of the meeting house for a plas to buld a peu. Ephraim Hildreth Town Clerk."
August 9, 1721, Captain Joseph Varnum was chosen to represent the town in the General Court. He was also chosen to the same office the follow- ing year.
Among the notices of births and marriages, interspersed among the records of the public trans- actions, is the following : "Jonathan Negro, the Son of Anthony Negro and Sary his wife was Born unto them angust ye 8th day 1721." The father's name was John Anthony, and while coming one day from Tyng's meadow, one of his companions, Elisha, a friendly Indian, was shot by the hostile savages and thrown into what is now called " Elisha's Brook," near the house of Mr. J. P. Coburn. The town at this time contained about two hundred people, and its affairs were
prosperous. The young minister was popular, and the few soldiers at the fort kept the aborigines at bay
For the first expedition of the famous Captain John Lovewell into the wilderness in search of the hostile Indians, in the year 1724, Dracut furnished at least two men, their names being Henry Colburn and John Varnum. They killed one man, and took a lad about fifteen years old captive. For this ser- vice Mr. Colburn subsequently received a tract of land in Suncook, N. H. John Varnum of Dracut attended Captain Lovewell on his second expedition, which left Dunstable January 29, 1724, and on the 20th of February the party succeeded in kill- ing ten of the enemy, whose scalps they brought in triumph to Boston. This exploit took place near a sheet of water since called Lovewell's Pond, in what is now Wakefield, N. H.
" During the march," says Penhallow, " our men were well entertained with moose, bear, and deer, together with salmon trout, some of which were three feet long and weighed twelve pound apiece."
After the exploit of Captain Lovewell and the consequent departure of the Pequawkett tribe of Indians to Canada, the fear of the enemy subsided, and the soldiers were soon withdrawn from the garrisons. This letter to Colonel Tyng of Dun- stable shows the condition of things : -
"SIR, - The cnemy being drawn off and the season of Danger pretty well over, you must forth- with see that the soldiers in the Frontiers be re- duced to the following Numbers ; viz., twenty-five men at Dunstable and Dracut, Ten at Turkey Hills, Fourteen at Groton, Fourteen at Lancaster, Twenty-five at Rutland, and ten at Brookfield and That all the rest of the Soldiers in the Counties of Middlesex and Essex, Including Lieut. Brent- nal's scouts, be forthwith disbanded. And the several officers are required to put these orders in execution accordingly."
The following are entries from the records : - " Dracut, February ye 9, 1727-28. Then tacken up and Strayed By Josiah Colburn of Dracutt a black Mair Colt Coming in two years old with Star in her fourhad. Ephraim Hildredth, Town clerk." " Mar. ye 24, 1731-32. Voted, yt Colonel Joseph Varnum Shall have ye fishing fales in Dra- cutt for this year insewing for twenty pounds."
The first notice of a school in the town is in the words following : --
"Dracut, October 1, 1736. We the Subscrib- ers, in the town above sd, agreed with Mr. Phineas
412
HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
Stevens of Andover to Keep a Reading and Wright- ing Scool In Dracutt three Months Beginning on or aboute the 20th of this Instant October for which he Is to Receive twelve Pounds In Bills of Creddit, as Witnis our hands,
" PHINEAS STEVENS
EDWARD COLBURN Selectmen
JOHN VARNUM
of
JOIIN BOWERS
Dracutt."
The town voted, May 22,1738, £6 to John Var- num " for his Servis and Expenses In Gitting the Town free from Charg of Billirica Bridg." This was over the Concord River on the main route to Boston.
By the divisional line run between the states of Massachusetts and New Hampshire in 1741, the town of Dracut was obliged to yield a large por- tion of her territory to the latter state. This land was, with other territory, incorporated, July 5, 1746, as the town of Pelham. Setting off so much of the town to New Hampshire was not at all agreeable to the remaining inhabitants, and the town chose, November 26, 1741, John Varnum, Josiah Rich- ardson, and Nathaniel Fox a committee to present a petition "that the land might be set back into Massachusetts "; but the request proved una- vailing.1
About the year 1745 the people of Dracut began to agitate the subject of erecting a new meeting- house ; but as there was a disagreement as to the place on which to build it, the question was re- ferred to the General Court for settlement. The spot finally selected was on the roadside, a short distance to the east of Beaver Brook, and the house was built in or about the year 1748. It contained only twelve pews, and these were arranged around the walls, the central space being occupied by long seats for the common people. The dignity of the seats was established by a vote of the town as fol-
1 After the decision on the boundary adverse to Massachusetts was made, she neglected to appoint surveyors jointly with New Hampshire to run the new line, when called upon to do so. New Hampshire, therefore, proceeded alone. The survey was made by Richard Ilazen in 1741. The starting-point being fixed at Pawtucket Falls really gave New Hampshire a strip of territory she had never claimed, these falls being situated nearly at the lowest point of the sontherly bend of the Merrimack. From this point a due north line was measured for three miles, from which began the west line of the province. This deviation of the Merrimack from a true westerly course was not under- stood at London when the decision of the king was made, but the case of Massachusetts was badly managed. Hazen's journal and field-notes are, for the first time, published in The Historical und Genealogical. Register for July, 1879. See also ante, pp. 79, 80, 101. - ED.
lows : "The fore seat below, second seat below, fore seat in front gallery, third seat below, second seat in front gallery, fourth seat below, second seat in side gallery." Other seats were subsequently introduced as they were needed.
In 1752 Captain Josiah Richardson, Ephraim Hildreth, and Timothy Colburn were the selectmen, and Nathan Jones and John Williams were the " to Build a School hous or housen in sª Town," tything-men. It was voted, March 2 of this year, and £8 were granted for school purposes.
March 6, 1758, it was voted "to sell the old meeting-house to the hiest bidder," and the same day David Abbott purchased it for £17. In the year following a French family is mentioned on the records. They were Acadians, whose sad his- tory Mr. Longfellow has so touchingly told in Evangeline. The name of the family was Lande- rée, and they resided while in Dracut in the fami- lies of John Taylor and Ephraim Curtis. It was voted by the town, May 18, 1757, "to give the French family (viz.) Sarah, Mary, and Betty Lan- dre, those three of the French family that belong to the town of Dracutt, twelve dollars to transporte them to Quebek upon these Restrictions that the money shall be Lodged in Mr. Peter Fry's hand, who is one of the Overseers of the Poor of Salem, and not to be Delivered to them unless they Do actually go off and pay there passage for transport- ing them to Quebec. Ephraim Hildreth, Town Clerk." They remained in Dracut till August 15, 1760. Lawrence Clark was one of the schoolmas- ters in 1756; David Fox and Timothy Clement taught school here in 1757. John Varnum, a lieutenant in the army, died at Crown Point in 1760, at the age of twenty-one years.
In 1762 the town was visited by the small-pox, and Asa Kimball died of that disease.
On the 18th of March, 1765, the town was called to deplore the death of its beloved minister, the Rev. Thomas Parker, who had faithfully served it as a pastor for the space of about forty-four years. A meeting of the town was held the following day, when John Varnum was chosen Moderator, and it was then voted, " 1st, to buy Madam Parker a mourning suit. 2nd, to buy six rings for ye bear- ers of ye deceased. 3d, to appropriate 20 pounds for ye mourning suit and rings included. 4th, to raise four pounds more, so that ye whole amount to 24 pounds."
Mr. Parker was the son of Josiah Parker, was born December 7, 1700, and graduated at Harvard
413
DRACUT.
College in 1718. He was somewhat skilled in music, and sometimes entertained the Indians by playing for them airs upon the clarinet. He had a colored servant by the name of Cæsar, who was somewhat noted as a wit. One day Mr. Parker attached a rat to a hook which Cæsar had let down through the ice for pickerel. When Cæsar returned home in the evening, Mr. Parker thus accosted him : " Well, my boy, what have you caught to- day ?" " I don't know, sir," replied the wag ; "it had on a black coat, I guess it was a minister !" Mr. Parker was a good preacher, and his epitaph, which may be read upon an old slab in the burial- place on the left bank of the Merrimack River, well delineates his character : -
" Memento mori. Under this stone is Interred the Re- mains of ye Revª. THOMAS PARKER, a gentleman of Shining Mental Powers, Adorned with Prudence, Benevolence and Curtesie of maners. A warm and Pathetic Preacher of 5º Gospel, . . A most watchful and tender Pastor of ye Church in Dracut, for the space of 44 years. Accom- plished with learning - Humane and Divine, and endowed and adorned with ye social virtues and affections - who departed this life March 18th, 1765, in the 65th year of his age."
The house he lived in was subsequently owned by Colonel Louis Ansart, and then by Mr. Daniel Varnum. It occupied the spot where Mr. Var- num's house now stands. Nathaniel Fox, one of Mr. Parker's venerable and worthy deacons, died December 20, 1765, aged eighty-one years.
The Rev. Mr. Parker was succeeded in the pas- torate by the Rev. Nathan Davies (H. C. 1759), whose ordination occurred November 20, 1765, the Rev. J. Swift preaching the sermon. The town voted, January 13, 1769, "that the Rev. Mr. Davies should Introduce as soon as may be into his Church and Congregation the Psalms of Brady and Tate with Hymns adjoining thereto from Dr. Watts." Mr. Davies was, after a faithful minis- try, dismissed at his own request in January, 1781. His successor was the Rev. Solomon Aiken, who commenced his pastoral labors here June 4, 1788, and closed them in 1815. During his ministry two other religious societies were organized in the town, drawing many persons from his church and society. His successors in the pastorate of the original church have been Rev. William Gould, 1815-1817; Rev. Joseph Merrill, 1820-1833; Rev. Epaphras Goodman, 1836- 1838; Rev. George W. Adams, 1844-1847. The first Sab- bath school in town was commenced by Deacon Amos Perly, about the year 1818. A new church
edifice, called the Side-Hill Church, was dedicated on the 25th of February, 1835. The church itself claims to be the original one of the town.
In the War of the Revolution Dracut bore an active and honorable part. Alive and earnest in the American cause, it furnished its full quota of brave and hardy men for the army, and was well represented in most of the great battles of the time. As the crisis came on, it chose, January 12, 1775, Peter Coburn, a sterling patriot, to repre- sent it in the Provincial Congress. At the same time it appointed Deacon Thomas Hovey, Deacon Amos Bradley, Isaac Fox, William Hildreth, and Dr. Joseph Hunt a committee of correspondence ; and Samuel Colburn, Dr. James Abbott, Reuben Sawyer, John Bowers, William Hildreth, Parker Varnum, Eliseus Barron, Stephen Russell, and Joseph B. Varnum a committee of inspection. It also voted "to have baggonets for a company of menit men." This company was soon formed, and preparations were made for active service. On the 6th of March following the town voted "for each man to be equipt according to the old Prov- ince law," and also to comply with the resolves of the Provincial Congress, " so far as in their power."
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.