USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Holland > History of the town of Holland, Massachusetts > Part 5
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Then follows a long and wordy description of how the sum is to be levied which we omit. But we give the closing lines of the document as worthy of note:
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THE HISTORY OF HOLLAND, MASS.
"Given under my Hand and Seal at Boston, the Thirty- first Day of December, 1772, in the Thirteenth Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Third, of Great Brit- ain, etc., King.
H. Gray.
AT You are strictly ordered to bring in the money by the Time; as it will be out of my Power to show that Lenity which I have hitherto done."
Is there any wonder there was revolution ?
In the turbulent times just before the Revolution when the people had lost faith in and respect for the courts of law and the usual legal processes, we find that such method as the following was resorted to insure order.
Court of Justice and Honor to decide questions and con- troversies in the District of South Brimfield; then follows the list of men constituting the court which were as follows:
VNehemiah May* 1/Jacob How
Thomas Parker
Nathaniel Munger
1/Benjamin Blodgett
Asa Fisk
VEdward Webber
Anthony Needham
VAbel Allen
Daniel Winchester
Joel Rogers
Dated Sept. 5, 1774.
VJonathan Wallis
We next give a copy of the act by virtue of which South Brimfield became a town with full rights, passed in 1775 about two months after the battle of Bunker Hill and while the British were holding Beston. The Legislature was convened at Watertown.
Whereas there are divers acts or laws heretofore made and passed by former general courts or assemblies of this colony, the incorporation of towns and districts, which against common right and in derogation of the rights granted to the inhabitants of this colony by the charter, contain exception of the right
*Those having the mark V were certainly from the part that became Holland. Six from each parish.
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GENERAL FORMATIVE HISTORY.
and privilege of choosing and sending a representative to the great and general court or assembly .-
Be it therefore enacted and declared by the Council and House of Representatives in General Court assembled and by the Authority of the same :-
(Sect. 1) That henceforth every such exception contained in any act or law heretofore made and passed by any general court or assembly of this colony for the erecting or incorporat- ing any town or district, shall be held and taken to be altogether null and void; and that every town and district in this colony, consisting of the number of thirty or more freeholders and other inhabitants, qualified by character to vote in the election of a representative, shall henceforth be held and taken to have full right, power and privilege to elect and depute one or more persons, being freeholders and resident in such town or district, to serve for and represent them in any great and general court or assembly hereafter to be held and kept for this colony, ac- cording to the limitations in an act or law of the general assem- bly (entitled "An Act") for ascertaining the number and regulating the house of representatives; any exception of that right and privilege contained or expressed in the respective acts or laws, for the incorporation of such town or district notwithstanding.
(Sect. 2) And be it further enacted and declared by the authority aforesaid. That every corporate body in this colony which in the act for the incorporation thereof is said and declared to be made a district, and has, by such act, granted to it, or is declared to be vested with, the rights, powers, privi- leges or immunities of a town, with the exception above men- tioned of choosing and sending a representative to the great and general court or assembly, shall henceforth be, and shall be holden, taken and intended to be, a town to all intents and purposes whatsoever.
Passed Aug. 23, 1775.
Thus early do we find the Colony of Massachusetts Bay in General Court, setting aside a royal decree and bidding de- fiance to the royal will. This act was made valid by the Revo- lution. South Brimfield made a district Sept. 18, 1762, by
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THE HISTORY OF HOLLAND, MASS.
this aet became a township Aug. 23, 1775, and was entitled to a representative in the General Court. We therefore find that she had had three representatives before Capt. Nehemiah May, . who was representative from South Brimfield in 1783, when Holland was incorporated.
But with the war over, the old differences would come up, and they would lead to a division of the town, South Brim- field, for she became a town as noted by act of Aug. 23, 1775. But before we enter upon that period we will give the follow- ing list of taxpayers in the east parish, South Brimfield, for year 1782 and the Board of Assessors the year before the sep- aration, as a study in family history.
TAXPAYERS IN THE EAST PARISH, SO. BRIMFIELD, 1782, AND THE BOARD OF ASSESSORS.
David Anderson
Trenanee Webber
Capt. Jos. Browning
John Wallis
John Anderson
Lt. Edward Webber
John Belknap
Jonathan Wallis
Joseph Ormsbee
David Wallis 2d
Henry Webber
Ashabel Graham
John Ballard
Archibald
Daniel Thompson
Abel Allen
Wm. Wallis
John Graham
Daniel Belknap
Wm. Belknap
Jonathan Belknap
Lt. David Bugbee
James Frizell
Lt. Daniel Burnap
William Frizell
Thomas Belknap
Ichabod Goodell
Peter Haynes heirs
Samuel Webber
Solomon Moulton
We give a copy of the instructions from the Board of As- sessors for that year (1782) to David Anderson one of the Surveyors and Collectors of the highway rates.
Your part of this tax is the sum of sixteen pounds. two shillings, ten penee, which you are to collect in labor on the highways within your limits; and you are to "compleat" and make up the whole of your work at or before the first day of
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GENERAL FORMATIVE HISTORY.
September. Your limits are as follows :- You are to inspect all the roads in this parish west of Elijah Janes and west of the meeting house and south of Marcy's brook unto the brook west to the county road or the bridge at this side John Mun- ger's. Easterly on the road from the meeting house to Abel Allen's and including all the roads west and north in this parish ; and you are to allow to a single man two shillings per day, and to a man and team four shillings per day and so in proportion for a greater or "lesser" sum.
So. Brimfield, April 4, 1782.
Win. Belknap, Joseph Needham, Abner Needham, Assessors of So. Brimfield in 1782.
The road by the parsonage and church above Mr. Lilley's house was known as the "South Road." It was begun in 1735 and extended from Mr. Agard's down by Edwin Hall's (David Anderson's) and later by where Ernest Bennett and also Fred Blodgett now live and up over the shoulder of the hill back of Mr. John Hebard's house where is a cellar hole and is probably the place where Elijah Janes lived. Extending down through the Devil's Elbow, so called, it extended up by the church and just east of Henry Curtis' barn, the old road now abandoned being part of it and up over Indian Field Hill and by where the old southwest school house stood and on southward to the Hind's place. It is not known when this south road was built. It evidently was in existence when the church was built in 1764. But no record of it has been found.
It is interesting to note the men who had held the import- ant town offices 1762-1783 of South Brimfield, and especially the men from that part of South Brimfield that became Hol- land. We give the list.
The first town meeting for So. Brimfield was held Oct. 5, 1762.
The moderator was Humphrey Cram.
The district clerk was Joseph Blodgett.
(5)
.
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THE HISTORY OF HOLLAND, MASS.
The selectmen were Humphrey Needham, Humphrey Cram, Anthony Needham, Jr., Nehemiah May, John Moulton.
List of Selectmen of South Brimfield from 1762-1783 which then included Holland.
1762-1765 Humphrey Needham-, Humphrey Cram, Anthony Needham Jr., Nehemiah May, John Moulton.
1766. Joseph Blodgett, Anthony Needham, John Moulton, Dr. James Lawrence, Samuel Munger.
1767. Joseph Blodgett, Dr. James Lawrence, Humphrey Needham.
1768. Humphrey Cram, Humphrey Needham, Dr. Jas. Law- renee.
1769. Humphrey Cram, Joseph Blodgett Jr., Edward Webber.
1770. Humphrey Cram, Joseph Blodgett Jr., Anthony Need- ham.
1771. Asa Fisk, Joseph Blodgett Jr., Nehemiah May.
1772. Anthony Needham, Daniel Winchester, Nehemiah May.
1773. Anthony Needham, Asa Fisk, Nehemiah May.
1774. Anthony Needham, Dan'l Winchester, Humphrey Cram.
1775. Anthony Needham, Asa Fisk, Humphrey Cram.
1776. Humphrey Cram, Dan'l Winchester, Anthony Needham, Joseph Munger, Edward Webber.
1777. Dan'l Winchester, Nehemiah May, Jonathan Wallis. 1778. Nehemiah Needham, Sherebiah Ballard, Benj. Blodgett.
1779. Thomas Bond, Darius Munger, Wm. Belknap, Abner Needham, Joseph Needham.
1780. Jas. Blodgett, Wm. Belknap, Darius Munger, Jonathan Cram, Joseph Needham.
1781. Jonas Blodgett, Wm. Belknap, Darius Munger, Alfred Lyon, Joseph Needham.
1782. Joel Rogers, Wm. Belknap, Joseph Needham, Abel Allen, Darius Munger.
Town clerks of South Brimfield, 1762-1783. While Hol- land was a part of it were:
Capt. Joseph Blodgett 1762, '63, '66, '67, '69, '74.
Humphrey Cram 1764 and 1768.
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GENERAL FORMATIVE HISTORY.
From the foregoing list of selectmen, the reader will ob- serve that Messrs. Cram, Blodgett, Belknap, May, Webber, Ballard, Allen, were residents of the east parish or what be- came Holland in 1783. Also, that of the town elerks for the 21 years 1762-1783 a resident of the east parish had the office 12 years. The east parish had a fair share of official honors surely in those twenty-one years.
CHAPTER III.
HOLLAND INCORPORATED
Thus far our work has been introductory, for towns do not spring into being by legislative fiat. They become towns by legislative enactment, but only after a period of settlement and development having a history. To show something of the history, and the causes that produced a separation and the formation of a new district is our excuse for the preceding chapter. We now give a copy of the petition to the General Court of the east side residents to be incorporated into a dis- trict. Notice who is governor, and the changes in the form of address.
PETITION.
Petition to Divide South Brimfield.
To his Excellency, John Hancock, Capt. General and Gov- ernor in chief in and over the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled. The petition of the town of South Brimfield humbly sheweth :
Whereas the inhabitants of the town of South Brimfield for a number of years having suffered many disadvantages by continuing together as a town are very desirous of being divided into two towns. Their reasons for such a division are as fol- loweth: 1. the figure of the town is properly a long square, which being divided by the county road, usually called the South Meadow road would reduce each part to an equilateral form nearly, which we humbly conceive would render each part much more commodious and agrecable. 2. The town at present is divided into two parishes having respective meeting houses and ministers, which lays a foundation for several things, not only disagrecable in themselves, but really burden- some and destroying, especially as such a period as the present : 1. By order of a former Court our annual town meetings are held alternately in each parish which occasions no inconsider-
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HOLLAND INCORPORATED
able travel to the inhabitants; and what increases the difficulty is a ridge of mountains situated in the middle of the town, and be- side the land in the middle of the town is so broken that 'tis not likely it ever will be settled and this difficulty must ever remain unless we be divided. 2. To transact the business of the town and parishes necessarily requires two days. Whereas by a divi- sion of the town all the same purposes might be answered in one, and the saving of time, although it were but one day in a year, we humbly conceive to be an argument of some weight, especially at such a time as the present when the united voice of public and private interest calls for frugality in husbanding time and diligence in business. 3. The situation of the town being sueli at the present the number of officers is necessarily increased which adds to the burden and makes it more pressing.
These disadvantages with others that might be offered, were it necessary, are such as we conceive can only be removed by a division of the town. Sensible of this and desirous of relief, a considerable number of the inhabitants belonging to each parish petitioned the selectmen to put an article into the town warrant granted for their annual town meeting, to see if the town would divide into two towns, which petition was granted accordingly. When this petition for a division was put to a vote, it passed in the affirmative, which the records of the town will certify, the dividing line to be the above men- tioned County road, usually called the South Meadow road. In consequence hereof we beg leave to present our humble peti- tion to the Honorable Court praying they would take it into their consideration, and we doubt not but on mature delibera- tion, they in their wisdom will see the reasonableness of our petition and condescend to indulge us in favor of a division into two towns, as in duty bound we shall ever pray.
Joseph Needham Abner Needham William Belknap Abel Allen 1 Selectmen.
Dated South Brimfield, March 21, 1782.
The selectmen were ordered to bring in a bill agreeable to said petition. It is interesting here to give the original
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THE HISTORY OF HOLLAND, MASS.
minutes as found in the town records as entered by the town clerk, with the original numbering.
At the annual town meeting held at South Brimfield, March 11, 1782.
171y. Voted to divide the town into two towns and the dividing line to be the County Road leading from Brimfield along by #Deacon Nathaniel Munger's to Union, commonly called the South Meadow Road. 181y. Voted and chose Mr. Joseph Bruce to go to General Court to get the division con- firmed.
A true copy from the town records.
Attest David Bullen Town Clerk
Dated South Brimfield Feb. 13, 1783.
The following is a certificate from the pen of Gen. Timo- thy Danielson of Brimfield. He was a graduate of Yale 1756, for his father had intended him for the ministry, but the Revo- lution drew him into the struggle for he was an ardent pa- triot. He won military distinction as Colonel and was ap- pointed later Major General. In 1783 he was the senior Major General of the state militia. We give a copy of his certifi- cate.
Boston, Oet. 12, 1783.
This is to certify that at the last session of the General Court, I saw in the keeping of the agent of the east parish of South Brinfield a certificate under the signature of the town clerk of said South Brimfield, purporting that at a legal town meeting in said town, the inhabitants thereof had voted that the east parish there should be incorporated into a town at the South Meadow Road so called, the now dividing line between the parishes, and have no doubt of the authenticity of such attestation, as the same was the common report when I was last at Brimfield, that South Brimfield had voted to divide.
Attest T. Danielson.
*Where Jas. Henry Walker lives.
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HOLLAND INCORPORATED
We next find a certificate from Capt. Nehemiah May, a resident of the east parish, and who this year, 1783, was repre- sentative to the General Court from South Brimfield.
To the Honorable Senate of the Commonwealth of Massa- chusetts, in General Court assembled, this second day of July, 1783. Humbly shews Nehemiah May, Representative of South Brimfield in the county of Hampshire in said state, that lie has been, previous to his coming from home, instructed by the said town, if the east Parish there would not be made a town, to petition the General Court to be formed into a separate dis- trict, which verbal representation he made to the Honorable House of Representatives, and in consequence thereof a bill has there passed to be engrossed for that purpose. Your petitioner prays that in consequence of the same verbal injunction, your Honors would be pleased to reconsider your vote on the afore- said bill and pass a concurrence with the Honorable House that the said East Parish may be relieved from their difficulties by being made a district, and as bound in duty shall ever pray. Nehemiah May.
It is evident that the Representive from South Brimfield saw that the General Court would oppose the proposition to incorporate the East Parish into a township but would incor- porate it into a district. We find that before the Revolution the King, jealous of the growing representative element in the Massachusetts Colony due to the formation of new towns, decreed that new settlements might be incorporated into dis- tricts provided they would forego the right of representa- tion in General Court. The East Parish could not be incor- porated into a town for it did not have the legal number of polls, the law requiring fifty. It was incorporated a district and remained so till May 1, 1836 (53 years nearly) when it became a town. Twenty-one eventful years South Brim- field had been one municipality. She had reached her ma- jority. A liberal quota of her sons, 135, had fought to make the Revolution a success. We give in another chapter a list of South Brimfield men who served in that war. Many
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THE HISTORY OF HOLLAND, MASS.
(84) of the names will be recognized as men living in the east part which became Holland. We give the full list for in some cases it is difficult to decide in just which part some did live. With the act of incorporation the east part became the dis- trict, called Holland, while the west part retained the name South Brimfield, until by reason of a legacy of $2000 from one of her citizens, James Lawrence Wales, the name was changed Feb. 20, 1828, to Wales.
HOLLAND INCORPORATED.
In the year of our Lord 1783.
An Act to Incorporate the East Parish of South Brimfield in the County of Hampshire into a district by the name of Holland.
Whereas the inhabitants of the East Parish in the said South Brimfield have represented to this Court the many in- conveniences they labor under, arising from their connection with the said South Brimfield. For remedy thereof, Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled and by the authority of the same, that all the lands and inhabitants of South Brimfield aforesaid lying and being on the east side of the county road leading from Brim- field to Union in the state of Connecticut, called and known by the name South Meadow road there, be and hereby are incor- porated into a District by the name of Holland, and invested with all the powers, privileges, and immunities that districts in this Commonwealth are entitled to according to law, or de, or may enjoy.
And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid that Abner Morgan Esq. of Brimfield be and he hereby is empowered and required to issue his warrant directed to some principal inhabitant within the said district of Holland directing him to warn the inhabitants of the said district qualified to vote in town affairs to assemble at some convenient time and place in the same district to choose all such town officers as by law are to be chosen annually in the month of March.
Provided, nevertheless, the inhabitants of the District of Holland shall pay their proportionable part of all such town, county, and state taxes as are already or may hereafter be
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HOLLAND INCORPORATED
assessed on the town of South Brimfield aforesaid, until the said district of Holland shall agree upon the proportion of publie taxes the said district of Holland and the said town of South Brimfield shall respectively pay and until the General Court shall lay a tax upon the said district of Holland.
And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid that the inhabitants of the said district of Holland be entitled and they hereby are enabled to demand and receive of said town of South Brimfield their just proportion of arms and ammunition and town stores and of all public moneys that have been assessed or collected for schooling or otherwise for public use of said town of South Brimfield as have not been expended for the purposes designed.
And it is further enacted that the Selectmen of said South Brimfield fifteen days at least before the time of choosing a representative for the said town shall give notice of the time and place by them ordered for that purpose, to the Selectmen of the said district of Holland in writing under their hands to the intent the selectmen of the said district may issue their warrant to the eonstable or constables of the said district to warn there- of to meet with said town of South Brimfield at time and place appointed for the choice of a representative.
This act passed July 5, 1783.
Holland derived its name, so all agree, from Lord Hol- land, who, as Charles James Fox, won America's love as an eloquent defender of her rights, but who subsequently became an ardent royalist and for that reason was elevated to the peerage and given the title of Lord Holland. But we do not find a particle of recorded evidence to prove the claim. That there was a British statesman, a commoner, who brilliantly defended the claims of the American colonies, and who after- wards was raised to the peerage on account of his eloquent de- fense of the royal prerogative is a matter of English history. But recorded evidence that Holland was given its name in his honor, while probably true, we have not been able to find. We therefore concur for the name itself in presumptive evidence. Abner Morgan, Esq., of Brimfield upon receiving notice from
4
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THE HISTORY OF HOLLAND, MASS.
the General Court that the East Parish of South Brimfield had been incorporated into a district named Holland, issued the following warrant :-
Hampshire S. S. To Joseph Bruce one of the inhabitants of the (town) district of Holland in the said county of Hamp- shire, Greeting .- In the name of the Commonwealth of Massa- chusetts you are hereby required forthwith to notify and warn the freeholders and the inhabitants of said town qualified to vote in town meetings, to assemble at the meeting house in town on Thursday, the twenty fourth day of July instant at one of the clock in the afternoon, then and there to act on the following articles, viz. First, To choose a moderator. Second- ly, To choose all such town officers as towns are directed to choose annually in the month of March. Thirdly, To hear petitions and act thereon. Hereof fail not and make due return of this warrant with your doings thereon at the time and place above mentioned.
Given under my hand and seal this fifteenth day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-three. Abner Morgan, Justice of Peace.
In obedience to the within warrant, I have warned the legal voters to meet at the time and place, and for the purposes within mentioned.
Joseph Bruce.
Holland July 22, 1783.
It is very interesting to note the proceedings of this the first district meeting, and we give it in full :-
Helland July ye 24, 1783. At a meeting duly warned and legally convened,-
1. Voted and made choice of Mr. Joseph Bruce for the moderator.
2. Made choice of Eliphalet Janes for district clerk.
3. Voted to choose three selectmen.
4. Made choice of Capt. Nehemiah May for the first selectman.
5. Made choice of Lt. Jonas Blodgett for second selectman.
6. Made choice of Lt. Alfred Lyon for third selectman.
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HOLLAND INCORPORATED
7. Made choice of Mr. Jonathan Wallis for district treasurer.
8. Voted that the selectmen serve as assessors for the pres- ent year.
9. Made choice of Mr. Daniel Thompson for constable.
10. Voted that the old surveyors of the highways serve the year out.
11. Voted that Daniel Thompson and John Wallis serve as wardens and sworn accordingly.
12. Made choice of John Perrin for tything man and sworn accordingly.
13. Made choice of David Bugbee and Abel Allen for fence-viewers and sworn accordingly.
14. Voted that the constables warn town meetings by post- ing up a copy of the warrant on the meeting house door.
15. Made choice of Reuben Webber for hogreaf.
16. Voted that swine run at large being properly lawed (i. e. ringed and yoked).
17. Voted to choose a committee to reckon with the town treasurer.
18. Voted that Deacon Sherebiah Ballard, John Wallis, and David Anderson serve for the aforesaid committee.
19. Voted a committee be chosen to help in making a settlement with the selectmen of South Brimfield.
No committee is specified.
20. Made Choice of Deacon Sherebiah Ballard for sealer of weights and measures.
21. Made choice of Henry Webber for leather sealer.
22. Voted that the annual town meetings be held on the first Monday of March.
Then the meeting was dissolved.
Attest Eliphalet Janes, District Clerk.
We deem the meetings of the district for this its first year of existence of such great interest that we give a full report of them all. Education was of vital interest to these men and we see how soon they took up this question.
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