USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > North Brookfield > History of North Brookfield, Massachusetts. Preceded by an account of old Quabaug, Indian and English occupation, 1647-1676; Brookfield records, 1686-1783 > Part 48
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He was one of those worthy fathers of Vermont whose sterling virtues, wisdom and indomitable courage carved out and shaped the destiny of that State amid scenes of convulsion at home and abroad. He died in Waitsfield, June 28th, 1822, aged 86 years, leaving numerous descend- ants.
RICHARD WAITE, the fifth of the brothers, at seventeen years of age, en- listed in the provincial army in March, 1762, in Captain Thomas Cow- den's company, with the consent of his guardian, the Hon. Jedediah Foster. In December, 1770, he married Susanna Allen and removed to Windsor, Vt., where he was one of the founders of the first church in 1778, was chosen Deacon in 1781, and was a man of much influence, his name appearing in nearly every page of the records. Like his broth- ers Joseph and Benjamin, he was an active "Green Mountain Boy." He was with his brother Benjamin during the Revolution, and was cap- tain of a company of Rangers in Herrick's famous regiment in the battle of Bennington. After the war he passed the remainder of his life in Windsor, where he enjoyed the confidence and respect of his fellow-cit- izens, both in the civil and military capacity, and died in March, 1823. His grandchildren are now living in Windsor and in New York State.
JEDUTHAN and WILLIAM WAITE, the youngest of the seven brothers, upon the " Lexington alarm," in April, 1775, marched to Roxbury, near Boston, under Captain Peter Harwood, where they were in camp in Colonel Ebenezer Learned's regiment during the rest of the year. The tradition is, that they were in the battle of Bunker Hill. The following years they were both in Captain Toogood's and Captain Heywood's companies, in Colonel Thomas Nixon's Worcester County regiment, en- camped about New York City, and were in the numerous battles and skirmishes from Harlem Heights to Saratoga.
In February, 1780, William was transferred to Colonel Jeduthan Bald- win's regiment of artificers ; and in September, 1781, Jeduthan was trans-
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SECOND PRECINCT -NØRTH BROOKFIELD.
ferred to the "Light Infantry," where they served until 1785. It has been stated that William's left arm was taken off by a cannon-ball in one of the battles ; but two of Jeduthan's sons, now living, say that it was blown off in firing salutes at a 4th of July celebration.
They removed from Brookfield about 1790, to Waitsfield, Vt., where Jeduthan died about 1830, leaving a large family ; and William died in 1843, unmarried.
Thus this family of patriot farmers did what they considered to be their duty in their day and generation ; and of such Daniel Webster says : " Nobler records of patriotism exist nowhere. Nowhere can there be found higher proofs of a spirit that was ready to hazard all, to pledge all, to sacrifice all, in the cause of their country, than in the New England towns."
LAND GRANTS.
THE foregoing Map is compiled from the old Brookfield "Town Book of Records of Lands," with some help from various local maps, and a careful exploration of the ground, for the purpose of identifying such natural objects as are unchangeable. In addition, all the original deeds and later transfers, now on record in the Hampden and Worcester County Registries, have been examined, and are relied on for the settle- ment of many doubtful and disputed points.
The earliest recorded grants of these lots date in 1687; and the grants continued from time to time till 1720-21, when most of the re- maining lands were apportioned to the inhabitants. [See ante, pp. 136- 9, 197-8.] But the description of these granted lots is very imperfect, the bounds usually running from one marked tree or heap of stones to another, without magnetic bearings, and often without distances. The first actual survey, with use of compass, appears to have been made about 1767, by Rufus Putnam ; and his minutes have aided materially in determining the lengths of lines and quantity of angles ; and the deeds based on these surveys often give more or less in detail former ownerships. Some small grants of a few acres each, do not appear on the Plan, as they were made to or bought by adjacent owners. The meadows on the brooks were among the earliest grants, and often in small quantities, and little attempt has been made to mark such bound- aries.
The roads are seen to be very numerous and very crooked. The rule followed appears to have been, to give every settler who would build a house " a way to get to mill and meeting."
The working out of the problem has been difficult and perplexing and expensive ; but the result herewith presented, claims to be in the main
449
LAND GRANTS.
accurate as to most of the grants, and a near approximation to accuracy in the remainder.
As will be seen, the earliest grants in Brookfield township, made at the Re-Settlement of the place in 1686, lie within the limits of North Brookfield.
CHARLES E. JENKS.
INDEX AND EXPLANATIONS OF THE MAP. - For the sake of convenience of reference, the numbering of lots begins at the upper left-hand corner, and follows the method of the printed page, instead of beginning with the earliest grants and following a chronological order. The latter sys- tem might perhaps be more logical ; but it would complicate the arrange- ment, without a corresponding advantage.
NO. I. - SAMUEL OWEN.
Granted 1721 ; owned 1758 by James Wood.
No. 2. - WILLIAM AYRES.
Granted 1756.
No. 3. - HEIRS OF MATTHEW SCALES.
This, and part of No. 14, granted 1748; sold 1749 to William Ayres.
No. 4. - WILLIAM AYRES. ·
Granted 1748. See No. 5.
No. 5. - JOSEPH JENNINGS.
Granted 1722 ; sold, with No. 4, 1749, to Daniel Matthews, jr., who first built and lived here.
No. 6. - SAMUEL OWEN.
Granted 1721 ; sold 1722 to Ebenezer Marsh.
NOS. 7 AND 15. - THOMAS RICH.
Granted 1721; sold to Samuel Ware, who probably built the first house ; sold 1746 to Jedediah How.
No. 8. - WILLIAM AYRES.
Sold to Joseph Ayres.
No. 9. - JOSEPH AYERS.
Granted 1720 and 1721 ; a hundred acres of the west part sold to his grandson Benjamin Kimball, who built a house; the remainder sold 1739 to his son William Ayers, who sold, 1762, sixty-five acres to Rufus
450
SECOND PRECINCT-NORTH BROOKFIELD.
Putnam, Putnam having already built a house there which stood till 1885.
NO. 10. - TILLEY MIRICK.
Granted 1721 ; sold 1729 to Henry Lee, who sold same year to Col. Thomas Fitch of Boston, who at his death owned this and Nos. 17, 37, 46 ind 57 ; Col. Fitch's will, probated 1736, makes sons-in-law James Allen and Andrew Oliver, executors. Most of these lots came to Wil- liam Brattle of Cambridge, by whom they were sold to settlers. They are frequently referred to as " Mr. Allen's land," "Oliver land," " Mad- ame Brattle's land," and " William Brattle's land."
NO. II. - THOMAS BARNS.
Granted 1721, together with most of No. 19. Parts of these lots were sold 1749 to Nathan Barker ; he sold 1759 to Nathaniel Wait, who built the first mills here. In 1766, twelve acres were sold to Francis Stone ; and in 1769 Stone had a grant of twenty-three acres marked S.
No. 12. - JABEZ OLMSTEAD.
See No. 42.
No. 13. - JOSEPH PRICHARD.
Granted 1719 to J. P., son of William Prichard, deceased ; sold 1746 to Thomas Hale, who built a house, afterward occupied by him and his descendants.
No. 14 .- See No. 3. No. 15. - THOMAS RICH.
Two hundred acres granted 1721 ; conveyed 1724 for £60 to Sam- uel Barnard ; by him to Samuel Ware; by him 1747 for £712 old tenor, to Jedediah How. Stephen Rice bought Oct. 22, 1765, eighty- six acres with house and barn for £300 ; sold Feb. 13, 1773, for £346 to Nathan Carruth of Westboro, house wright. See No. 7.
No. 16. JOSEPH AYRES.
Granted 1721.
' Qudu ..
No. 17. - See No. 10. No. 18. - JOHN AYRES.
Granted 1721.
No. 19. - See No. II.
No. 20. - WILLIAM AYRES AND OTHERS.
Granted 1746; this and eight acres granted to John Hamilton, are sold 1748 to Benjamin Batcheller, who is living here 1749 ; sold 1766 to
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LAND GRANTS.
Samuel Hall of Grafton ; sold 1770 to Francis Kidder of Sutton ; sold 1773 to Job Simmons, and conveyed by him 1784 to Jonathan Nye, and from him to Ebenezer Nye, and by him to Bonum Nye.
NO. 21. - ARTHUR TUCKER'S CHILDREN.
Granted 1742 to Thomas Tucker, who probably built before 1750. Part of the lot was granted 1757 to Ichabod How, in 1767 to Silas How, in 1754 to Benjamin Adams, and to Thomas Tucker in 1754, 1757, and 1768.
No. 22. - JAMES AIKENS.
Granted 1717, 1720 and 1721. The north part was sold 1742 to David Kendall, and he sold 1746 with house marked II to Nathan Ste- vens of Andover, and he to Samuel Hoar. The house marked I, where Aikens probably lived in 1717, and the remainder of the grant was sold 1730 to Gershom Keyes ; sold to Thomas Cushing of Boston ; sold 1764 to John Witt, who sold 1765 fifty-two acres to Samuel Haskell of Middleboro.
No. 23 -THOMAS BARNS.
Granted at various dates from 1701 to 1721. On the death of Thomas Barns 1734, Noah Barns took the south part on which he then lived ; sold 1737, a hundred and seven acres to Jason Bigelow of Marlboro, who built house II, and the farm is continued in the Bigelow family to the present (1886). John Barns took the part next north, and sold 1778 the west part to Solomon Barns, and 1774 the east part to Jesse Barns. Jabez Olmstead took the part next north, a hundred and forty-one acres, which he sold 1735 to Joseph How, who conveyed 1747 to Joseph Stone, who sold, same year, fifty acres to Peter Lampson of Ipswich, on which Lampson built house III. Stone retained the re- mainder on which was house IV at Grass hill. The balance of the Thomas Barns grant was taken by Eleazar Warner.
No. 24. - NOAH BARNS.
Granted 1717 to 1721; sold 1741, fifty-four acres at south end to Thomas Gilbert ; sold 1758, twenty-one acres with house to Samuel Hodgman, at Grass hill ; sold 1765, twelve acres to Charles Wetherbee.
No. 25. - ROBERT EMMONS.
Granted 1715 to 1720 ; sold to Gershom Keyes, and by him 1733 to Anthony Cavelly, distiller of Boston ; he sold 1742 to Samuel Wells, he in 1747 to Jacob Caldwell, who sold 1750, fifty-five acres of the south part to Elisha Hastings, and the remainder to Theophilus Potter of Marl- boro in 1756. Hastings sold the fifty-five acres in 1753 to Reuben Hamilton for £45.
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SECOND PRECINCT - NORTH BROOKFIELD.
No. 26. - JOHN HINDS.
Granted 1721; sold 1745 to Seth Hinds, he in 1751 to Joseph Bart- lett, who sold Mar. 3, 1761, to Rufus Putnam, millwright, a saw-mill then being on the place, and conveyed the remainder of the farm in 1767 to Zebulon Rice, who sold 1775 to Rufus Putnam.
No. 27. - SETH HINDS.
Granted I 749.
No. 28. - JACOB CALDWELL.
Granted 1749.
No. 29. - JOHN HAMILTON.
Granted 1738; sold 1739 to Isaac Ball, who sold 1748 lot with house and barn to Ebenezer How ; heirs sold 1755 to John Bacon.
No. 30. - JOHN PATTERSON AND WILLIAM HAIR.
Granted 1721 ; sold 1729 to Samuel Barnard; sold 1734 lot with house I to Samuel Owen ; he sold 1739, thirty acres of the east part to his son Samuel, who sold the same in 1744 to Edward Wright, who sold 1747 to William Wright, who had house II. Samuel Owen, Jr., sold the remainder of the lot in 1740 to Jacob Ball of Framingham, who sold next year to his brother Thomas Ball, and the same was sold 1768 to John Bruce of Framingham, then to Charles Bruce, then to Nathan Moore, then to Joseph A. Moore.
No. 31. - WILLIAM AYRES.
Granted 1721.
No. 32. - JOHN AYRES.
Granted 1721. The Jenks forge built on this lot.
No. 33. - JABEZ OLMSTEAD.
Granted 1721 ; sold 1729 to Gershom Keyes, who sold 1737 to Thomas Cushing.
No. 34. - SAMUEL BARNS.
Granted 1710 to 1721 ; sold 1735 by his heirs to Jonathan Barns, who sold 1738 to Ammiel Weeks, shop joiner, of Marlboro, whose heirs sold 1770 to John Lamson, who conveyed 1773 two and three-quarters acres at north-west corner, with a house on same, to Jacob Batcheller.
No. 35 .- SAMUEL OWEN.
Granted 1721 ; sold to Thomas Gibbs, who sold 1750, the south part to John Batcheller, whose heirs sold 1767 to James Drake, and he in 1772 to Thomas Hardy. Thomas Gibbs sold the north part " where his
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LAND GRANTS.
son Isaac Gibbs then lived," to Isaac Cutter in 1752, who sold 1757 to James Grimes, who sold 1771 to Solomon Foster, who sold 1783 to Bryant Foster, who sold 1791 to Benjamin Doane.
No. 36. - OBADIAH WRIGHT.
Granted 1720 and 1721 ; the east part was sold 1762 to Ebenezer Wright, and the whole was conveyed in 1766 to Joseph Bush of Marlboro.
No. 37. - HOPESTILL HINDS.
Granted 1721 ; this and No. 46 conveyed to William Brattle (see No. 10), who sold 1764 the south-west part to John Bartlett, who sold 1 768 to John Bruce, and he, same year, to Samuel Edmands of Framing- ham. The south-east part with No. 46 was sold 1764 to Peter Harwood, and the remainder to John Watson, and in 1789 to Aaron Forbes, then to Solomon and Edmond Matthews, and they to Ezra Batcheller of Sutton in 1801.
No. 38. - WILLIAM AYRES.
Granted 1721.
No. 39. - SAMUEL OWEN, JR.
Granted 1721.
No. 40. - NATHANIEL WAITE.
Granted 1 768.
No. 41. - WILLIAM DANE. No. 42. - JABEZ OLMSTEAD.
Granted 1714 and 1721. A house was built on this lot by Mr. Olm- stead soon after his first grant ; he sold 1729 to Gershom Keyes, and Keyes sold 1739 to Ephraim Cutter, glazier, of Watertown.
No. 43. - THOMAS GILBERT.
Granted 1710 to 1721, described as "at Tower hill ;" in 1741, he conveys the south and west part to Uriah Gilbert where he builds house I. Uriah Gilbert has a grant marked a in 1748, and in 1757 conveys to the Second Precinct the east part of the Burying Ground. Thomas Gilbert conveys 1742 the remainder of the lot to Jonathan Gilbert, where he built house II. Eighty acres of this were sold 1758 to Ebenezer Parkman, who sold 1762 to Thomas Hardy, and he in 1791 to Eleazar Bradshaw ; who sold 1795, thirty acres to Peter Harwood, and in 1797, six and one-half acres lying north of the Burying Yard to Rufus Hardy, who sold the six and one-half acres in 1798 to William Doane, " with house, barn and black-smith's shop," and he sold the same in 1800 to Walter Walker.
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SECOND PRECINCT-NORTH BROOKFIELD.
No. 44. - ENOCH HINDS.
Granted 1719 and 1721 ; the north part sold 1721 to Samuel Porter, the south part in 1722 to Capt. Thomas Baker, then with No. 53, con- veyed 1726 to Samuel Porter, and all conveyed 1734 to Ebenezer Witt, who sold the north part 1780 to Witt Taylor, which was sold to Eleazar Bradshaw, then to Joseph Poland; the remainder was sold 1780 to Ebenezer Newell, he in 1784 to Jeduthan Baldwin, and next to Israel Hamilton.
No. 45. - JOSEPH BRABROOK.
Granted 1720 and 1721 ; the west part sold 1735 to Charles Adams of Ipswich ; the central part sold 1732 to John Maclung who probably built house II, and sold 1740 to John Watson, who conveyed it same year to William Watson of Leicester ; the east part sold about 1732 to John Watson who built house III, and afterwards sold to Eleazar Bradshaw.
No. 46. - EDWARD WALKER.
Granted 1721 ; conveyed to Hopestill Hinds. See No. 37.
No. 47. - RICHARD BURK.
Granted 1721.
No. 48. - THOMAS GIBBS.
Granted 1714 and 1717 ; Gibbs also had grant north-west of No. 42, marked G; a house was standing on the lot in 1717; sold 1721 to Samuel Owen, who sold 1729 to John Patterson, afterwards sold to William Dane.
No. 49. - SAMUEL BARNS.
Granted 1717 and 1721; sold to John Barns; who sold 1736 the north part to Benjamin Adams of Marlboro ; the south-west part in 1 747 to Moses Barns, who probably built house I; the south-east part in 1747 to Aaron Barns who probably built house II. Subsequent owners of the last named part, Joseph Bruce, Thomas Bond, Amos Bond.
No. 50. - JOHN GREEN, JR.
Granted 1727; sold 1729 to William Ayres, and to Benjamin Adams of Marlboro in 1737 who soon builds a house.
No. 51 .- JOSEPH MOSES.
Granted 1714, and covers a considerable part of what is now the Centre village ; sold 1725 for £20 to Richard Burk ; he sold 1726 to Jonathan Burk who built house I, now standing (1886) ; he sold for £1,412 old tenor, this lot with the lot marked b on the north side (which
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LAND GRANTS.
had been granted to him in 1742 and 1745) to Benjamin Gilbert of Ipswich in 1747, who sold in 1756, forty acres of the south-west part to Daniel Gilbert who conveyed the same in 1757 to Dr. Benjamin Gott of Marlboro, who built the first house on it. The administrator of Gott sold 1764 to Ebenezer Parkman, and he in 1777 to Rev. Joseph Appleton. Rev. Eli Forbush bought in 1752 of Benjamin Gilbert, nine acres of the north side, and of Ebenezer Witt the lot marked c (granted Ebenezer Witt in 1745). Mr. Forbush also bought at the same time twenty acres still farther north, and built house II; he sold 1760 thirty acres with house to Jeduthan Baldwin, which, with other lands, was conveyed by his heirs in 1794 to John Cutler, who sold in 1797 to Jonathan Wetherbee, at which time there was on the premises a house, barn and cider mill, all of which were sold 1805 to Samuel Skerry, and by his heirs in 1821 and 1832 to Tyler Batcheller. In the year 1768, one hundred and eighty rods of land, marked d, where the railroad station stands, was granted to Jeduthan Baldwin. This was the last lot of " Common Land " in the Centre, granted by the Town.
No. 52. - WILLIAM SCALES.
Granted 1714 ; sold 1732 to Abraham How, who soon builds the first house on the lot.
No. 53. - WILLIAM AYRES.
Granted 1720; sold to Ebenezer Witt. See No. 44.
No. 54. - JOHN AYRES, JR.
Granted 1720 ; sold to John Hinds.
No. 55. - JEREMIAH HOW.
Granted 1713, who built house about this date ; sold 1747 to Ichabod How, who sold 1762 to Abraham How.
No. 56. - ARTHUR TUCKER.
Granted 1720; conveyed to Roger Wellington, who sold 1764 to Ebenezer Smith, who the next year sold to Jonathan Goodale of Marl- boro, and he to Josiah Goodale.
No. 57 .- SAMUEL BUSH.
Granted 1721 and 1735 ; conveyed to Thomas Fitch (see No. 10) and by Andrew Oliver in 1759 to Benjamin Wellington. The west part was sold 1761 to Joseph Morse, who sold 1764 to Roger Bruce of West- boro, and he to Noah Hardy ; the remainder was sold to William Har- rington, who sold 1778 to Daniel Forbes.
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SECOND PRECINCT-NORTH BROOKFIELD.
No. 58. - JOSIAH WOOD AND ROBERT EMMONS.
Granted 1703 to 1721 ; conveyed 1736 to Gershom Keyes, then to John Hamilton, then 1744 to John Hinds, jr., on which was then a corn- mill, then to Timothy Hall, then to Jonas Harwood.
No. 59. - JOSEPH GILBERT.
Granted 1770.
No. 60. - SAMUEL GOULD.
Granted 1757 ; sold same year to William Ayres.
No. 61. - THOMAS BARTLETT.
Granted 1721 ; conveyed 1744 to son Joseph Bartlett, "excepting a saw mill ; " sold to Seth Hinds ; sold to Joseph Hatfield of Sturbridge, 1752, " excepting the saw mill of Joseph Bartlett."
No. 62. - BENJAMIN BARTLETT.
Granted 1721 ; sold this lot and No. 74 in 1726, to Henry Dwight, who sold 1737 to Nathaniel Bartlett, wheelwright.
No. 63. - JOHN AYRES (son of Samuel).
Granted 1715 ; house built near this date ; sold 1733 to Daniel Barns ; sold 1746 to Abner Tyler of Boxford.
No. 64. - JOSEPH AYRES, JR.
Granted 1718 and 1719 ; sold 1738 for £556 to John Hill of Reho- both, wool comber.
No. 65. - JABEZ AYRES.
Granted 1718; conveyed to his son Onesiphorus, then to grandson Jabez ; he to Horace Bailey in 1819. The north part was sold to Ste- phen Bailey, then to Cheney Dane, then in 1824 to Elijah Bates, then to Theodore C. Bates.
No. 66. - WILLIAM AYRES.
Granted 1714 ; the north-east part sold 1744 to Daniel Potter ; Potter sold the south part to Jeduthan Baldwin, and the same with a house was sold 1760 to Rev. Eli Forbes. The house I was built by Potter ; II indicates the spot where the First Meeting-house was built.
No. 67. - BENJAMIN AYRES.
Granted 1714 ; after his death held by Joseph and William Ayres, and sold by them 1725, to Jonathan Nutting of Framingham, gunsmith, who sold this and No. 81, in 1729, to John Hamilton, who sold the south part in 1731 to John Burr " late of Ireland," subsequently owned by Samuel Pickard ; the north part was sold to Amos Smith, and afterwards owned by Thomas Ball.
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LAND GRANTS.
No. 68. - THOMAS BARTLETT.
Granted 1717 to 1721; Thomas Bartlett built house on the lot; 10 acres sold 1732 to Abraham How ; 5 acres on west part of the 10 acres sold 1770 for £26 to William Bowman ; sold same with house, tan- ner's and currier's shop 1781 for £120 to Samuel Hardy of Oxford ; sold 1782 for $50 to Samuel Watson and Silas Hazeltine ; sold 1787 for £130 to Aaron Forbes ; sold same year for £100 to Dudley Jurdon, tanner ; sold 1793, for £210 to Ephraim Spalding, jr. ; sold 1794 for £240 to Solomon Doane ; sold 1805 for $1,0,00 to Charles Bruce ; sold Aug. 23, 1809 to Oliver Ward of Grafton, tanner.
No. 69. - JOHN HINDS, SEN.
Granted 1713 ; house built before 1718; conveyed 1719 to son John of Lancaster ; conveyed to Corlis Hinds ; afterwards owned by John Raymond, a descendant of the John Raymond who was the hero of the " Narragansett Fight."
No. 70. - ROBERT GOLDSBURY.
Granted 1713 ; sold 1721 to Jonathan Burk, 1726 to Richard Burk, 1729 to Thomas Gibbs, 1730 to Solomon Goodale, who left it by will 1744 to John Goodale ; next owned by Joseph Chaddock (Chadwick), then by Gideon Jenks, then by Nathaniel Waite. The house (standing 1886) was built before 1744.
No. 71. - SAMUEL WALKER.
Granted 1720. His son Simeon'sold the west part in 1754 to Silas How, he in 1764 to Jonathan Bond, and he in 1777 to Jonathan Jenks. Levi Walker, another son, sold the north part in 1776 to Robert Rich- mond, and the east part in 1766 to Daniel Forbes of Westboro.
No. 72. - EDWARD AYRES.
Granted 1736, and sold same year to Solomon Goodale.
No. 73. - SAMUEL OWEN AND JOSEPH RICE.
Granted 1703 and 1705 ; meadow sold to Solomon Goodale.
No. 74. - OBADIAH RICE.
Granted 1721. See No. 62.
No. 75. - EBENEZER HOW.
Granted 1721 ; this with No. 90 sold 1744 to Richard Beers, and in 1750 to James Smith.
458
SECOND PRECINCT-NORTH BROOKFIELD.
No. 76. - JOHN PYNCHON, SEN.
" Pynchon's Farm " is named in the earliest notices of Quabaug, and was granted near the beginning of the First Settlement of the place. A description of the lot is attested as follows : " A True Copy, extracted from the Records for Quabougue, and taken out of that Book where the Grants and Records of Quabogue alias Brookfield lands are entered while said Book was in Mr. Pynchon's Custody as recorder thereof. This done this 5th day of November, 1674 - John Pynchon, Recorder." The " Farm " comprised 50 acres of upland. The Grant appears to be conveyed in 1742 to Joseph Dwight, and by him sold in 1744 to Elisha Dwight, and called in the deed " Pynchon's Matchuk Farm." Elisha Dwight sold 1757 to Daniel Gilbert.
No. 77. - MATCHUK MEADOWS.
The larger part of these meadows were granted-mostly in small lots - to the first settlers, before 1673. The southerly part of this lot came into possession of Joseph Ayres, who built the house before 1720. His gifts and purchases embraced most of the land in town lying south- west of his house. He and his son William, and great-grandson William, held this estate till the death of the latter in 1835.
No. 78. - JOSEPH AYRES.
Granted 1720.
No. 79. - JOHN AYRES (son of Joseph).
Granted 1714 to 1719. This place has always been in possession of the Ayres family, direct descendants of John ; and is the only farm in town that has had such continuous ownership in a family.
No. 80. - SAMUEL KING alias RICE.
Granted 1721. Surveyed by John Haynes, and a plan of the same entered on the record, and is the only instance of such record of North Brookfield lands.
No. 81. - JONATHAN NUTTING.
Granted 1 727. See No. 67.
No. 82. - EDWARD AYRES.
Granted 1717 ; sold 1719 to Benjamin Bartlett ; conveyed 1737, to- gether with No. 83, to Joseph Bartlett, in 1750 to John Cutler, in 1752 to Job Lane, and by the executors of Lane in 1758 to Jonas Brewer ; now the town farm.
No. 83. - BENJAMIN BARTLETT.
Granted 1720. See No. 82.
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LAND GRANTS.
No. 84. - OBADIAH RICE.
Granted 1721.
No. 85. - HOPESTILL HINDS.
Granted 1713 and 1720; conveyed 1746 to John Worcester of Box- ford ; and same year to Deacon Samuel Gould of Boxford ; sold 1767 to Nathan Gould ; in 1770 by N. G. to Asa Waters of Sutton ; in 1772 to Benjamin Babbitt of Middleboro ; conveyed to Capt. Caleb Clark in 1777; to John Waite in 1784 ; to Nathaniel Waite (a hundred acres of it) in 1787, which Waite sells May 14, 1798 for $2,000 to Uriah W. Johnson of Woodstock, Ct.
No. 86. - EDWARD WALKER.
Granted 1718 to 1721. The east part was conveyed to Levi Walker, the middle to Simeon Walker, and seventy acres of the North-west part to Ebenezer Smith, who conveyed 1762 to Silas How, and he 1764 to Ebenezer Bartlett, who sold sixty acres 1765 to Solomon Goodale, who sold thirty acres of the north side 1767 to Jonathan Bond.
No. 87. - JOHN PATTERSON AND WILLIAM HAIR.
Granted 1720. This grant seems to have been occupied solely by Hair, on which he settled ; the fulling-mill referred to in Chapter I. was near by on Five-mile river. The house II. erected by him was the one tenanted by the step-father of the famous Madame Jumel, when she was in her girlhood. See in Genealogical Register, JUMEL.
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