USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Middleborough > History of the town of Middleboro, Massachusetts > Part 44
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1690
The population of the town in 1690, as near as can be esti- mated, was about two hundred.
The court at Plymouth, in July, ordered that " Middleboro should make choice of a fit man to examine their men in arms, and to see that they are provided with fixed arms and ammu- nition for their respective plans, and to be presented to the court for approbation."
"Out of the tax of 245 pounds to be raised by the colony, Middleberry's portion for this year was 3 pounds." .
561
CIVIL HISTORY
1693-95]
1693
The town passed the following vote June 22 : -
"Our town being met together do agree not to choose a re- presentative because we are few in number and not well able to bear the charge and the law do excuse as we conceive, being low in our estates.
By order of the Town, JOHN BENNETT, Clerk."
1694
July 30, 1694. "Town meeting held at Town House in Middlebery. We, the inhabitants of said Town being greived that Capt. Williams of Scituate, now deceased, should upon his will goe to plant an Indian in the heart and midst of our Town, we fearing what damages & trouble may follow, have chosen & desired Joseph Vaughan & Samuel Wood to use & lawful means to prevent the same."
October 9, 1694. " At a town meeting Mr. John Tomson was made choice of to go to Boston to endeavor to get our money which we, being over rated, paid ; and the town agrees to give him 3s pr day for his charges, but if he gets the money then we agree to give him more."
1695
June 1I, 1695. . . . " At the same meeting the town jointly agreed together by their vote to accept of Eleazer Lewis, John Gibbs, William Thomas, Edward Thomas and John Bennet Jr. as townsmen and to have the privileges of the same."
July 30, 1695. . . . " At the same meeting the town jointly agreed to accept of Jacob Tomson as a townsman and to have the privileges of the same."
" Memorander that the Agents of Plymouth Middlebury & Rochester being impowered by their above sd Towneships did meet at Mr. Howlands house in Middleburry on the 23 instant and on the 24 of said month by mutual consent all went to the head south bounds of sd Towne being 6 miles from ye ware & so found being measured by Capt. Nath11 Thomas of Marsh- field Agent for Pochasset & accompanied with Midleberry Agents from which south or head Bounds all the Agents of the 3 Townes above sd mutually agreed to run the East line as begun by Capt. Nath11 Thomas &c and proceeded east by divers stations till they came on the 25 instant near ye south meadow River where they marked a small pine tree on 4 sides for a Boundary between the 3 Towns above sd two biger
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562
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF MIDDLEBORO
[1695
pine trees on each side thereof & both marked with M: P: R whence ye line runs between Plymouth & Middleberry about one rod on ye easten side of William Ellis his new house n & by w. on the 26 instant beginning at the corner Boundary marked M: P: R: the Line runs between Plymouth & Middle- berry n : & by w to 2 red oakes both marked and the one with M: P whence tho not on ye same yet on a straight line ye course is to the Bridge on south meadow River in the roade from Rochester to Plymouth. And from sd Bridge the River to be the bounds up stream unto the Lower part of the body of meadow there below the double brooks. And thence on the westerly side of said meadow with convenience of up- land for fencing to the place where Plymouth Towne line shall come from Mahutchit tree to the meadow
" The above sd Agreement is on ye daye above written saned : & confirmed by us underwritten : [This date is Septem- ber 26, 1695]
Agents of Plymouth
John Bradford John Waterman John Murdo
Agents of Midlebury
John Soule Isaac Howland
Jacob Tomson in behalf of his father Ichabod Wisewall
Agents of Rochester
Joseph Dotey Aaron Barlowe "
"At this proprietors meeting held at the house of Mr Howland this 12th day of November 1695 John Richmond was chosen Moderator : John Sole and Joseph Vaughan chosen to regulate the meeting : finding many strong Indians living on Assawamset neck without our leave ; we have made choice of Joseph Vaughan and Jacob Tomson of Middlebery to treate with them for so doeing and for those Indians that have a right, to show their title for the same : and that such as can show a right title should not be molested : and such as cannot show an honest title to warn them of sd land : or if they will live peaceably they may let it to them on reasonable terms for one year and so from yeare to yeare till such time the proprietors shall see reason for the contrary and that the above named town men shall have power to chuse a counsell to be with them when they treate the Indians if they shall see cause.
" This is voted by the proprietors at theire meeting held this 12th Novembr 1695."
563
CIVIL HISTORY
1695]
" At a meeting of the proprietors held at the house of Isack Howlands this 12 of November 1695 it was voated and agreed that all the house keepters and all the male persons at 21 yeares and upwards that have been brought up in the town and have theire residence now in the town shall be accounted Inhabitants in this case with the proprietors in this purchase purchased by Capt Church and Mr John Tomson."
" A List of the names of the Inhabitants and Proprietors of the township of Middlebery taken this 12th. day of Novem- ber 1695 is as followeth :
Leiut. John Tomson Ensign Isack How- land
John Eddie
Samuell. Eddie
William Harlow Francis Walker
John Allen
William Tomas
Plymouth Ministry
Joseph Vaughan
Thomas Nelson
Jonathan Sparrow
Samuell Wood
Joseph Barden
Nathaniell.Southworth
Ephram Tincom
George Vaughan
William Cadman
Ebenezer Tincom
William Ellis
John Bennet Seenr. John Miller Seenr. Abiall Wood
Edward Tomas
John Cob
John Holms
Daniell Vaughan
John Tomson junr.
Jacob Tomson James Soule
John Churchill
Obediah Eddie Peter Tincom
Jonathan Morse seenr.
John Hascall seenr. William Nelson David Tomas
Benjamine Nye William King Thomas Fance John Doged Abraham Jackson
Experience Michell
Phillip Dillino
in behalf
Jeremiah Tomas
Nathaniell Morton Joseph Richmond
James Wood Jonathan Cob Eleazer Lewis
Benjamine Warren Thomas Morton
Joseph Bumpas Seenr Isack Billington
John Fuller John Guibs Richard Warren
Middlebery Ministry Adam Right John Soule seenr Jonathan Dunham Zachariah Eddie
John Rogers deceast
Ebenezer Edie paid his fathers pur- chase money to Arthur Howland
this 17th May 1698
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d
is
Isack Fuller Ephraim Morton Joseph Bumpas jr. Governer Prince Maj. Winslow now Joseph Warren Samuell Swift John Alden Ichabod Bartlett John Wadsworth
Robert Sprout paid 3 shillings in money to Arthur Howland for the defraying his part in the laying out of that purchas which was purchased by Capt. Church paid the Ist. of January 1696
V
564
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF MIDDLEBORO
[1695-98
Stephen Barden
John Howland now
John Hayward
Samuell Richmond
Samuell Eaton
George Morton
James Reed John Jones
David Wood
Edward Gray
John Barden
Paragrim White Jonathan Dunham
Abraham Barden
William Brewster have paid his pur-
Samuell Pratt
Matthew Fuller chase money to
Thomas Tomson
Francis Combs Arthur Howland
Peter Tomson Grabrill Followell
this 15 May 1698."
John Miller junr Anthony Snow
John Bennet junr Elder Chipman
Peter Bennet
John Morton
John Soule junr.
Henry Samson
William Hascall
Thomas Little
Jonathan Morse junr. David Alden
November 14, 1695. " At a Town Meeting held this day John Haskit was denied by the proprietors and inhabitants of our Town any residence within our Town as an inhabitant amongst us & he have been warned out several times as the law di- rects."
" At a town meeting held at the town house in Middleboro this 12th. of Dec., 1695, Jonathan Cobb and John Bennett Sr. were chosen to treat with Mr. Cushman and to take his an- swer whether he will be our teacher or not, and if he declines to come to be our teacher then to take his proposition and terms on which he declines to come."
1696
May 20, 1696. " At the town meeting held at the Meeting- house, it was then voted thus : All those that are willing that a petition shall be drawn up to be sent to the Great Court at Boston in order for the procuring of help of the proprietors that live out of the town for the carrying on of the work of the ministry amongst us, let them manifest it by lifting up their hands. This is clearly voted."
1698
April 11, 1698. . . . " At the same meeting Lieutenant Jacob Thompson and Joseph Vaughan are chosen and empowered to buy plank in redyness for the building of the meeting house and to pay for sd plank of that money which they take for the land which is assigned towards the building of said meeting house."
565
CIVIL HISTORY
1700]
1700
Know all men by these presents that whereas wee Isral Chittington Josiah Edson and William Bassett having been nominated and chosen by Capt. James Warren, Insign John Waterman and Mr. William Shirtliff agents of the town of Plymouth of the one party and Lieut. Jacob Tomson Mr. John Sole, and Mr. Joseph Vaughan agents for the Town of Mid- dleborough of the other party, as a comitty run the line fix and settle the bounds and dividing line between the sd Towns of Plymouth and Middleborough part of the way between sd Towns as pr bounds enterchangeably given between the 3d partys dated the 14th instant may more fully appeare Wee the sd comitty have therefore run the sd line fixed and settled the sd bounds as followeth that is to say beginning att a great white oake tree marked on foure sides standing neere the place called Mahutchett on the southerly side of an old pauth by a swamp and thence running south a little easterly by marked range trees unto a great swamp pine or spruce tree marked on foure sides standing by the edge of a piece of fresh meadow neere the bever dam brook, and from that spruce tree running westerly on a straight line to the mouth of the brooke called Springie brook where it runs into Rockey meadow broke and thence unto a marked maple tree standing on the westerly side of sd Rockey meadow brooke and thence on a straight line to a pine tree marked on foure sides a little above the sd maple tree, and thence by marked range trees on the west- erly side of the meadow down to a marked pine tree stand- ing on the west side of a cart path neere the great body of meadow, and thence running partly by the east pauth on the westerly side of it and partly by marked trees untill it come to a pine tree standing above a rockey point runing down into the meadow, being marked on foure sides, and thence runing nere east northeast down to a greate pine tree marked on foure sides standing on the sd point and so on the sd streight line down to the river having had due regard to include ye meadows formerly granted to sd Town of Plymouth with con- veniencys of upland for fencing of sd meadows acording to Court grant
In Witness whereof we have here unto sett our hands this 15th day of May 1700.
ISRAELL CHITTENDEN JOSIAH EDSON WM. BASSETT
)
566
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF MIDDLEBORO
[1700
To all people to whom these presents shall come greeting &c : whereas there has been some contest continuously and debate between the town of Plymouth and the Town of Midlebery about and concerning the dividing line between the said Towns that is to say from a white oak tree standing at or near the place called Mahuchet formerly setled by the Court of Plym- outh : unto the lower part of the body of the meadow called the south meadow where it was on the 26th: of September 1695 agreed upon by the agents for the towns of Plimouth Rochester and Middlebery : now Know yee that wee James Warren : William Shurtliff and John Waterman : of and agents for the said town of Plimouth and wee Jacob Tomson John Soul and Joseph Vaughan agents for said town of Middleberry have as agents aforesaid mutually elected and chosen Capt. Israel Chitington Capt. Josiah Edson and Capt. William Bessit as a committee to settle and determine the said dividing line between said towns of Plimouth and Midlebery and the Court records and any former agreement made between the said Towns or their agents to be as a rule or direction for the said commite to ground their actions upon : and we the said agents before named do firmly bind and oblige ourselves together with the sd towns of Plimouth and Midlebery each unto the other : in the full sum of one hundred pounds in currant mony of New England : that the said towns shall stand to and abide by such a line or bounds as shall be run and stated by them the sd Israel Chitington Josiah Edson and William Bassit and the two of them : their
said setlement being given unto
of them : any time on or date hereof
before the first day of
In witness whereof th
of the tennour of these day of May 1700
JAMES WARREN
-
In presence of
BETTY W WATERMAN
her
mark
WILLIAM SHURTLEF (Seal)
ANNA A RANSOM
his
NEHEMIAH
2 BASSIT mark
JOHN WATERMAN (Seal)
presents have to two Instruments their hands and seals this 14th
May 20, 1700. " Being a town meeting it was voted by the inhabitants that 40 shillings shall be raised on the town to be expended on the raising of the meeting house for the refresh-
567
CIVIL HISTORY
1701-06]
ment of such as shall be at the raising. It is likewise agreed on and carried by the vote of the inhabitants of the town that the meeting house shall be raised on that piece of land that lies between the two roads, that is to say, on the Northerly side of the County Road that leads to Plymouth and on the Southeast side of the road that leads to Bridgewater."
1701
August 5, 1701. " At a town meeting of the inhabitants of Midleberry Aug. 5, 1701, the meeting house was exposed to seale at an outcry and Patiance Hascall, the wife of John Has- call, bid five pounds, 2 shillings money to be paid to the select- men within 3 months and the meeting house to be removed some time between this and winter."
1702
February 15, 1702. . "At a Town Meeting held this day, it is voted that whereas the Town have formerly agreed with Ed- ward Thomas concerning the raising of the Bridge & Causey near his house that it should be raised 3 foot and that the said Edward Thomas should make & maintain the Causey & the Town the Bridge, which accordingly hath been raised near the heights of aforesaid, wherefore the Town doth now agree with said Edward Thomas that he shall keep the Causey in repair & the Town the Bridge, the length that the Bridge now is & when the Bridge shall have need to be repaired again it shall be Made as high as the Causey then is."
1705
" At a town meeting Dec. 10, 1705, the town voted that the Indians shall have 10 shillings for the lumber that was cut on their land for the building of our meeting house to be paid out of the next town rate."
1706
March 29, 1706. "The Town voted that each housekeeper in the Town shall sometime before the middle of June next bring or send in unto Peter Bennet six blackbirds heads upon the penalty of two shillings, that is to say four pence for each head that shall not so be brought in and whoever shall bring or send unto said Peter Bennet more than the aforesaid six heads shall be paid after the rate of twelve pence for six blackbirds heads, & the said Peter Bennet is hereby ordered to receive the said heads & keep an account of the same, & that one Crow's head shall be accepted instead of three blackbirds heads."
568
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF MIDDLEBORO
[1707-08
June 12, 1706. "Town voted that there shall be no ware nor dam set across Namasket River between the Town Ware, that is now to be set up by the Town & the mouth of Assa- wampsett Pond.
"Also voted that there shall be a rate of 10 pounds levied on the inhabitants of the Town for the procuring a supply of the Town stock of Ammunition."
1707
June 3, 1707. "Town agreed with Ebenezer Tinkham, Jona- than Cob & Jeremiah Thomas to provide for the Ministers & Messengers that are sent for to sit in Council the next week, & the Town vote to pay unto them after the rate of ten pence a meal each for their diet in money, to be paid by a Town rate by the last of July next & the Town voted that those that pro- vide for them either rum or wine, shall be paid in money for the same in said rate & that those who pasture their horses shall be allowed six pence for 24 hours for the same in money in said rate & said rate to be made by the Selectmen."
1708
The petition of Ephraim Little for himself and the other proprietors of the town, to the General Court of the state or province, May 26, 1708, sets forth that the general Court in 1703 appointed "a committee to hear the claims of sundry Indians to land on Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, Assawam- set, Titticut &cª. which committee, having notified the Eng- lish & Indians concerned and heard the please & allegations. on both sides, made their Report the said yeare, to this Court : the fourth paragraph whereof to Assawomset Neck, in Middle- berry aforesd. and contains as follows vixt. Concerning the Claim of Betty Sassamon to Assawomset Neck & other lands thereabouts, we find that the Will presented to us, which she saith was made by Pamattaqeasson decd : is not truly translated, as having the original to compare with the copy ; and also by the comparison of Capt. Howdee one of the witnesses present that the said Will was written many years since the said " Mat- taqeason's death ; as also that the English do not molest the sd Betty from the quiet enjoyment of the 27 acres of land that was her father's John Sassamon's, neither do they molest her nor the heires of said Feelix from the enjoyment of the fifty eight acres formerly possessed by sd Feelix on Assawomset neck," - which report had lain before the court ever since the beginning of 1704, without being passed upon.
.
569
CIVIL HISTORY
1717-18]
"In the House of Representatives, June 24th. Read 25th Read & Ordered That the praier of this petition be granted saving to the Indians the 27 acres & the 58 acres, as re- served in the Report," which was finally concurred in Octo- ber 27.
Rev. Thomas Palmer brought several actions against the town for recovering his salary during the years 1708-09.
1717
During the winter of this year occurred the great snowstorm so often mentioned by older inhabitants of the town. It com- menced on Sunday, and continued until the next Wednesday night. The snow fell at an average depth of seven feet, and drifted to the depth of twelve feet. The lower windows of houses were covered, and so great was the weight of snow that supports had to be placed in many houses under the roofs in garrets to prevent their falling in. Paths were dug under the snow from houses to barns, and snow was melted for cattle to drink. In some instances trees were so buried that men walked to their neighbors' on snowshoes, going over orchards. When the snow melted, it caused great freshets, destroying many dams and mills throughout the colony.
1718
At a town meeting February 17, 1718, the town voted "to make choice of Jeremiah Thomas to be their agent to go to Freetown and to treat with Mr. Craghdad and the scholar that is with him in order to procure the said scholar to come to us and to be with us about six weeks upon trial in order that his settling with us as school master if we can agree upon terms and our said agent to agree with him upon terms for the afore- said six weeks."
At a town meeting November 26, 1718, the town voted that "the gallery in the meeting-house shall be taken down on the Northerly side of the house 30 feet in length and that the pulpit shall be got home to the wall on that side of the house, and that the selectmen should agree with the carpenter in the town's behalf concerning the difference that there may be in the charge by reason of the taking down the gallery from what it would have been in the former way proposed."
The town at a town meeting this year passed several votes in reference to allowing persons to build pews in the meeting- house.
570
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF MIDDLEBORO
[1721-28
1721
May 26, 1721. "Town voted for the ensuing year there shall be liberty for swine to go at large being ringed & yoked according as the law directs & that the Field drivers be under- stood to be the proper officers to take care of the just obser- vation of the law in that case provided."
1722
April 17, 1722. "Town agreed with Thomas Nelson that he should take his fish at the ware that now is at Assawampsett Brook & load the carts, for 12 pence a load."
1723
At the town meeting March 10, 1723, "the town voted that the hind seat below in the meeting house and the hind seat in each of the men's galleries shall be for the boys to sit in and that Andrew Mansfield and Joseph Bale, two of the tithing men and Daniel Wood shall be empowered to have inspection over the boys to prevent their playing at meeting."
1724
At the town meeting February 17, 1724, "the town being informed that several of the neighbors are about to set a wear over Namasket River at Pochade Neck, the town voted their disapprobation of their proceedings therein and voted to leave it to the selectmen of the town to take due care to prevent the said wear from being built."
1726
September 13, 1726. "Voted that Zacheus, the Indian shall have 8 shillings for killing a wild cat in the Town."
In 1726 so severe a sickness prevailed in town that more than four hundred and fifty persons were ill at one time for several months, and the number of well were not sufficient to attend to the necessities of the sick and the funeral services of those who had died ; no business could be transacted ; but little grain was sown or corn planted, and there were not enough well men in town to harvest the scanty crops. The selectmen petitioned the General Court for relief, and the court the next session remitted the whole amount of the town tax.
1728.
At a town meeting May 7, 1728, " the town voted to take their part of the 60,000 pounds bills of public credit sent to them according to the act of the General Assembly and also
571
CIVIL HISTORY
1729-30]
voted to make choice of Deacon Samuel Barrows, Lieutenant Nathaniel Southworth and Ensign Elkanah Leonard for their trustees to demand and receive the same of the province trea- surer and to let it out in the town upon good personal security at 6% per annum and that no one person shall take out above 20 pounds nor under 10 pounds, the personal security to be a good surety or sureties, the principal and surety or sureties to be bound jointly and severally in the discretion of the trus- tees, etc."
At the same town meeting it was voted "that Lieut. Na- thaniel Southworth and Mr. John Bennet and Ensign Elkanah Leonard be a committee to provide for the town I drum, 4 halberds, I flight of colors at as reasonable rate as they can, and the town to bear the charge thereof, the money to be raised at the next town rate."
1729-30
At a town meeting March 10, 1729-30, the town voted "to raise money for the enabling of Francis Wilks and Jonathan Belcher Esquires, to wait on the affairs of the province at the court of Great Britain and also to raise said money by way of subscription and whereas it is expected that said money will be returned to the town out of the province treasury wherefore the town voted that in case the money is not paid to the town or particular persons who subscribed the money out of the pro- vince treasury that in one year and that in case thereof the town voted to pay unto the particular persons their respective sums which they subscribed, the same to be made at the town rate."
March 10, 1729-30, "an account of the money raised for the enabling Francis Wilks and Jonathan Belcher Esquires to wait on the affairs of this province at the court of Great Britain as followeth, that is, to pay money let to the town by the particular persons hereinafter named : -
Lieutenant Nathaniel Southworth 2 pounds John Tinkham 2 pounds Deacon Samuel Barrows 2 pounds Jacob Thompson 2 pounds Samuel Wood I pound 10 shillings Thomas Thompson Sr. 2 pounds Mr. Samuel Palmer 10 shillings Mr. John Bennet I pound Shubel Tinkham I pound Joel Ellis I pound
572
[1731-35
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF MIDDLEBORO
Jonathan Smith 15 shillings Capt. Peter Bennet I pound Capt. Vaughan 10 shillings Benjamin White I pound Ephraim Thompson 10 shillings. Ensign Jacob Vaughan 15 shillings Francis Miller I pound John Cobb 10 shillings Mr. Experience Sprout I pound John Thompson I pound Barnabas Thompson I pound
"And on May 13, 1730, the above parties acknowledged that they had received in full of Mr. Samuel Wood each of us his. money that he raised for the use of Squire Belcher and Mr. Wilks and do aquit and discherge him, the said Samuel Wood and the town for the same as witness our hands."
1731
At a town meeting September 15, 1731, "the town voted that they are humbly of the opinion that it is a duty incumbent on the honorable house of representatives to take care to main- tain their just and valuable privileges respecting the supplying the treasury and that no money ought to be issued out of the treasury without any inquiry of the house for what ends and use it is issued and that it is necessary for their consent and allowance thereto as well as of the other privileges of the legis- lative power to which is a privilege the house of representatives have enjoyed as an undoubted right under this present consti- tution."
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