USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Oxford > History of the town of Oxford, Massachusetts with genealogies and notes on persons and estates > Part 33
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Joseph Lamb, 1824. Sylvester McIntire, 1824. Jonathan Rice, 1825, '27. Rufus Harris, 1825.
Ezra Davis, 1825. Learned Davis, 1826, '28. Joab Maynard, 1826, '27. Thomas Warner, 1826.
Jonathan Davis, Jr., 1826, '28, '29.
Ebenezer Rich, 1826, '27, '30 to '36, '44.
Benjamin F. Town, 1827 to 1831. Alexander De Witt, 1828 to 1830. Nathaniel Davis, 1829. William Robinson, Jr., 1830.
Samuel Davis, 1830.
Jonas Larned, 1831, '32. Seth Daniels, 1831, '32.
Alexander C. Thurston, 1832 to 1838.
Amos Johnson, 1833 to 1835.
Justin Root, 1833, '34.
Samuel Mayo, 1835, '36.
Sylvanus Harris, 1836 to 1838.
Joseph Stafford, 1836.
Stephen Barton, 1837, '38.
Francis Sibley, 1837 to 1840.
Rufus Larned, 1837 to 1839, '44.
Jasper Brown, 1839 to 1841, '45, '46, '50.
Nathaniel Brown, 1839 to 1841. Rufus Eddy, 1839 to 1842. Joseph Hudson, 1840, '42, '43. Israel Sibley, 1841.
Cornelius Putnam, 1841.
Peter C. Bacon, 1842, '43. Thomas Rich, 1842, '43.
David Barton, 1843, '44, '53, '54. Timothy Aldrich, 1843.
Erastus Ormsbee, 1844, '45, '48, '51.
Liberty Lamb, 1845, '46. Rufus Moffitt, 1845. Jonas Bacon, 1845, '46.
275
CIVIL OFFICERS.
John Fitts, 1846. Walter L. Rosebrook, 1846.
Martin Boomer, 1847.
Ira Merriam, 1847, '48, '54, '58, '60, '64. Hiram Moffitt, 1847. Thomas Clark, 1847.
Zenas M. Larned, 1847.
Samuel Aldrich, 1848, '49.
David Wait, 1849, '50.
Albert Huntington, 1849.
Marshall Pratt, 1850, '51.
Thomas Appleby, 1851, '52.
Samuel Davis, 1852, '53.
Joseph Pelton, 1852 to 1854.
Lament B. Corbin, 1855 to 1868, '70, '71.
George W. Hartwell, 1855, '56. John B. Pratt, 1855, '56.
Samuel W. Smith, 1857.
Theophilus W. Wilmarth, 1857, '61 to '63.
Loren C. Parks, 1858.
Emory E. Harwood, 1859 to 1864. Archibald Campbell, 1865 to 1867. William E. Pease, 1865 to 1868, '76, '77.
Edwin Bartlett, 1868, '78, '82, '83, Charles O. Wallace, 1889. '84, '85, '88.
Reuben Rich, 1869, '73, '82. Charles A. Sigourney, 1869.
Charles A. Angell, 1870, '71, '73. Asa B. Taft, 1869 to 1871. George Hodges, 1872, '74, '75, '79 to '81.
Samuel R. Barton, 1872, '74, '75, '89.
Samuel C. Paine, 1873.
John D. Hudson, 1873, '76, '77.
Isaac B. Hartwell, 1873.
James B. Campbell, 1874 to 1876.
Ausman H. Davis, 1877.
Lucian M. Chaffee, 1878. William H. Thurston, 1878.
Ebenezer D. Rich, 1879 to 1881. Willis M. Wellington, 1879.
John Lamb, 1880, '81.
Allen L. Joslin, 1882, '83.
Alfred W. Long, 1883, '84, '85, 88.
Fred. G. Hyde, 1884.
Joseph L. Woodbury, 1885, '86, '87, '88.
John E. Kimball, 1886, '87.
David Merriam, 1886, '87, '90.
Walter D. Tyler, 1889, '90.
William H. H. Thurston, 1890.
Town Clerks.
John Town, 1713. Benoni Twichell, 1714.
Richard Moore, 1715 to 1720, '22, '25 to '28, '30, '31, '33, '34. John Comins, 1721, '23, '24. Jonathan Ballard, 1729. Isaac Larned, 1732, '36 to '38. Israel Town, 1735. Eleazer Ward, 1739 to 1746. John Willson, 1747 to 1775. Samuel Harris, 1776 to 1798.
Jonathan Harris, 1799 to 1811. Archibald Campbell, 1812 to 1818.1 Samuel Smith, 1819 to 1823. Benjamin F. Town, 1824 to 1825.
Charles G. Prentiss, 1826 to 1828. Benjamin F. Campbell, 1829 to 1836.
Sylvanus Harris, 1837 to 1841. Alvan G. Underwood, 1842, '43, '47 to '55. Willard Benson, 1844 to 1846. George F. Daniels, 1856. William E. Pease, 1857 to 1866. John B. Pratt, 1867 to 1869.
Alfred W. Long, 1870 to 1873.
Edward W. Bardwell, 1874 to 1877.
A. Burrill Yeomans, 1878, '79. Edward S. Pease, 1880 to 1890.
1 Campbell died Oct., 1818. David Batcheller was clerk until Smith was chosen.
276
HISTORY OF OXFORD.
Treasurers.
Richard Moore, 1721, '29.
Samuel Davis, 1732, '34, '37 to '41.
Jonathan Ballard, 1742, '43. Jonathan Town, 1745.
Israel Town, 1746 to 1749.
William Davis, 1750 to 1752, '57, '58.
Duncan Campbell, 1753, '54.
Thomas Davis, 1755, '56.
Josiah Wolcott, 1759 to 1771.
William Campbell, 1772 to 1776.
Samuel Harris, 1777 to 1780, '87 to '94.
Levi Davis, 1781, '82. John Dana, 1783, '84.
James Butler, 1785, '86, '95 to 1805, '07, '13.
Joshua Turner, 1806.
Marvin Moore, 1808 to 1811.
Nathan Hall, 1814 to 1817.
Jonathan Davis, 1818, '27 to '29. John Mayo, Jr., 1819, '20. Abijah Davis, 1821.
Peter Butler, 1822 to 1824, '38.
William Sigourney, 1825, '26.
Stearns De Witt, 1830, '31.
Hollis De Witt, 1833 to 1835. Jonas Larned, 1836.
Alexander C. Thurston, 1837. Ebenezer Rich, 1839 to 1841. Alexander DeWitt, 1842, '43. Jasper Brown, 1844 to 1846.
Alvan G. Underwood, 1847 to 1855.
Charles A. Angell, 1856 to 1860, '65 to '68, '70 to '73, '78 to '80. Emory Sanford, 1861 to 1864. Wilson Olney, 1869.
James B. Campbell, 1874 to 1876.
George W. Sigourney, 1881. Allen L. Joslin, 1882 to 1890.
Moderators, Annual Meeting.
John Town, 1714, '17 to '19, '21, Sylvanus Town, 1805 to 1807. '22, '31.
Isaac Larned, 1720, '29.
Benoni Twichell, 1723, '24.
Richard Moore, 1725, '30, '33.
Ebenezer Learned, 1726 to 1728, '34, '40, '44 to '48, '53, '56, '57, '60, '62, '65.
Samuel Davis, 1732, '35 to '38, 41 to '43, '49 to '52, '55.
Eleazer Ward, 1739.
Benjamin Davis, 1754, '58.
Samuel Manning, 1759.
Duncan Campbell, 1761.
Thomas Davis, 1763.
Edward Davis, 1764, '66, '68, '69, Jasper Brown, 1840, '41, '43 to '72 to '75, '79, '80. '46, '50.
Josiah Wolcott, 1767, '70, '76, '81 to '84, '86, '88 to '95.
Ebenezer Learned, 1777, '78, '85, '87.
Ebenezer Humphrey, 1796 to 1800. Sylvanus Learned, 1801 to 1804.
Jonathan Davis, 1808, '18, '27, '28
James Butler, 1809, '13.
Marvin Moore, 1810 to 1812.
Abijah Davis, 1814 to 1817, '19, '20, '23.
Rufus Moore, 1821, '22.
Charles G. Prentiss, 1824.
Peter Butler, 1825.
Stephen Barton, 1826, '31, '34 to '39.
Ira Barton, 1829.
Alexander De Witt, 1830, '32, '33, '42.
Martin Boomer, 1847, '48. Stephen Davis, 1849, '51.
Samuel C. Paine, 1852 to 1854, '58, '69, '73, '76, '78, '79, '83. Jonathan P. Dana, 1855 to 1857.
:
277
CIVIL OFFICERS.
George Hodges, 1859 to 1863, '72, Ezra C. Whittlesey, 1882. '74, '75, '77, '80, '81. Charles I. Rawson, 1884. Lament B. Corbin, 1864 to 1868, '70, '71. Edwin Bartlett, 1885. John E. Kimball, 1886 to 1890.
Assessors.
The first Board of Assessors chosen was in 1778, the Selectmen having previously filled that office.
Samuel Harris, 1778, '80, '82, '83, Timothy Lamson, 1808. '85.
Ebenezer Learned, 1778, '79.
Elijah Pratt, 1809. Jonas Eddy, 1810.
Elisha Davis, 1778.
Edward Davis, 1779.
Alexander Campbell, 1779.
John Dana, 1780, '90.
John Pratt, 1780, '81, '95 to '98, 1809, '10.
Levi Davis, 1781.
Ephraim Russell, 1781, '82, '92 to '94, '99, 1800, '05.
Collins Moore, 1782.
Elias Pratt, 1783, '84, '99 to 1802, '06, '11, '12.
Sylvanus Town, 1783 to 1786.
Marvin Moore, 1784.
Amos Shumway, Jr., 1785 to 1789, '91 to '94, '98, '99, 1801, '03, '04, '05.
Amasa Kingsbury, 1786. Lemuel Crane, 1787, '88.
Allen Hancock, 1787 to 1791, '95 to '97. Sylvanus Learned, 1789, '90, '92 to '97.
Abijah Davis, 1791, 1800.
Jonathan Davis, 1798,1 18022 to 1804, '08,3 '11 to '14, '18, '21. Nehemiah Davis, 1801 to 1804, '16.
Jonathan Harris, 1805 to 1807, '10, '11, '13.
William T. Fisk, 1808, '09, '14, '15, '17. John Mayo, Jr., 1806, '07, '16, '19, '20, '26.
1 Styled " Major." 2 Styled " Colonel."
3 Styled " General."
Abisha Learned, 1812, '14, '15, '18, '21, '25, '47. Ebenezer Pratt, 1813, '17.
Thomas Davis, 1815.
Jeremiah Pratt, 1816. Samuel Smith, 1817, '19, '20, '22, '25, '29 to '31, '40, '42, '47. Richard Moore, 1818.
Isaac Stone, 1819, '20, '22, '23.
Jeremiah Kingsbury, 1821. Learned Davis, 1822 to 1824, '27, '31 to '35, '37, '40, '42, '49. Samuel Harris, 1822.
Charles G. Prentiss, 1824 to 1828. Jeremiah Learned, 1824, '26 to '29.
Joab Maynard, 1828 to 1830.
Jonathan Rice, 1830.
Richard Stone, 1831.
Hollis De Witt, 1832 to 1834.
Thomas W. Chapman, 1832.
Cyrus Lamb, 1833, '37, '38, '40, '44.
Stephen Barton, Jr., 1834, '37. Emory Sanford, 1835, '36, '41, '46, '51, '52, '54.
Sylvester McIntire, 1835.
Wilson Olney, 1836, '48, '54.
Jonathan Davis, Jr., 1836, '43, '47. Samuel Davis, 1838, '39. Josiah S. Prentice, 1838, '39, '45, '46. Rufus Moffitt, 1839. Daniel Davis, 1841.
278
HISTORY OF OXFORD.
Andrew Sigourney, 1841.
Moses Stone, 1842, '43, '48, '59.
Jonas Larned, 1843.
Francis Sibley, 1844.
Jasper Brown, 1844, '51, '53.
Israel Sibley, 1845.
David Wait, 1845.
Vester Vassall, 1846.
Seth Daniels, 1848.
Erastus Ormsbee, 1849, '50, '55. Ira Merriam, 1849, '50, '61 to '63. Stearns DeW. Harris, 1850.
Theophilus W. Wilmarth, 1852, '56, '58 to '60, '64, '67.
Charles A. Sigourney, 1851. Albert H. Daniels, 1852.
Increase S. Hawes, 1853 to 1855. George Hodges, Jr., 1853, '72.
Elias B. Crawford, 1855.
Samuel W. Smith, 1856, '61, '62.
William H. Thurston, 1856.
Archibald C. Harris, 1857.
Reuel S. Davis, 1857.
Franklin G. Daniels, 1857, '58.
Thomas D. Shumway, 1858, '59. Edward W. Bardwell, 1860.
John B. Pratt, 1860 to 1865, '67. Moses H. Buffum, 1885. to '70.
James B. Campbell, 1863.
Benjamin W. Childs, Jr., 1864.
James M. Sanford, 1865, '66, '71, '81, '82.
Jotham Fitts, 1865, '66, '68, '69, '71, '72, '74, '75.
Hosea B. Grover, 1866, '80.
George W. Olney, 1867. Charles A. Angell, 1868.
Charles A. Rallion, 1869, '70. John D. Hudson, 1870, '71, '81. Russell A. Davis, 1872.
Selectmen Assessors, 1873.
James Taylor, 1874. Dennis S. B. Gates, 1874, '75.
George H. Baker, 1875.
Jonathan P. Dana, 1876, '77.
Moses H. Buffum, 1876, '78, '79, '81.
Dana L. Ballard, 1876.
Willis M. Wellington, 1877 to 1879, '82, '83, '89.
Abel M. Chaffee, 1877.
A. Burrill Yeomans, 1878, '79.
Charles I. Rawson, 1880.
Denny S. Putnam, 1880.
Amasa M. Stowe, 1882.
Richard L. Dodge, 1883, '84.
Edward T. Hallowell, 1883, '84, '85, '90.
Alvin R. Bowdish, 1884. John D. Hudson, 1885.
Edward S. Pease, 1886.
Albert W. Cargel, 1886, '88, 89. John W. Robinson, 1886, '87. William E. Pease, 1887, '88. James Conlin, 1887, '88, '90. Alfred M. Chaffee, 1889, '90.
School Committee.
The first School Committee chosen in Oxford was in 1809, prior to which date the selectmen and the ministers of the town had the oversight of the schools. The Committees chosen by the town were called "Committees of Inspection," to distinguish them from " Prudential" committees, which were chosen by each district to hire teachers and manage financial affairs.
Amos Shumway, Jr., 1809. Jeremiah Kingsbury, 1809, '10, '12.
Peter Butler, 1809, '10, '12, '13, '20.
Jonathan Davis, 1810 to 1815. William T. Fisk, 1811, '16, '17. Abijah Davis, 1811. Abisha Learned, 1813 to 1816, '18, '20, '22, '25, '26, '28, '29.
279
CIVIL OFFICERS,
Delano Pierce, 1814, '15, '18, '19, '22, '26, '27, '29 to '32.
Bela Tiffany, 1816, '19.
Stephen Davis, 1817, '18, '22, '26, '28 to '32. Richard Moore, 1817.
Jonathan Davis, Jr., 1819, '28, '30, '31.
Samuel Harris, 1820, '21. Andrew W. Porter, 1821.
Learned Davis, 1821.
Stephen Learned, 1823, '24.
Wilson Olney, 1823, '32.
Charles G. Prentiss, 1823, '24, '26 to '28.
Ira Barton, 1824 to 1826, '29, '33. Richard Stone, 1827, '28, '30 to '32, '34.
John Mellish, 1827, '30. Moses Stone, 1827.
Ebenezer Newhall, 1828 to 1832.
John Slater, 1828, '29.
Lyman Maynard, 1829 to 1832. Alexander De Witt, 1832.
Loren Robbins, 1833 to 1835.
Seth Chandler, 1833, '34.
Stephen Barton, Jr., 1833 to 1835. Samuel C. Paine, 1833, '34, 43. Orlando Chester, 1835.
Addison Knight, 1835, '36.
David Holman, 1835 to 1839, '43. Josiah S. Prentice, 1835, '36, '39. Horatio Bardwell, 1837, '38, '40 to '51, '55 to '57, '61. Benjamin Paine, 1837.
Jonathan P. Dana, 1837, '38, '48, '52 to '57, '61 to '69, '71 to '78. Peter C. Bacon, 1839.
Luman Boyden, 1840.
A. Smith Lyon, 1840 to 1842, '44 to '46. William B. Stone, 1841. Freeman Nutting, 1842. Jeremiah D. Moore, 1844. Alfred Barnes, 1845, '46. Amos Walton, 1847. R. M. Byram, 1847.
Albert Huntington, 1848: Isaac N. Hobart, 1849 to 1851. J. S. J. Gridley, 1849. Albert A. Cook, 1850, '51. Jonathan Nichols, 1852, '53. Reuel S. Davis, 1852.
Albert Tyler, 1853, '54, '82 to '84, '87.
Joseph Hodges, Jr., 1854.
Lewis M. Learned, 1855, '56, '58 to '60.
Albert Lackey, 1857 to 1860, '67 to '69.
John B. Pratt, 1858.
Nelson Bartholomew, 1859 to 1861. Nathaniel Eddy, 1859, '61 to '64, '67, '68.
James C. Mills, 1860 to 1862, '68 to '70.
William Newton, 1862 to 1864. Joseph Smith, 1863 to 1865.
Samuel J. Austin, 1865 to 1867.
William H. Harding, 1865.
Edwin Bartlett, 1866 to 1868.
Daniel E. Chapin, 1867. Walter L. Rosebrook, 1867.
Theophilus W. Wilmarth, 1867. Lyman A. Wetherell, 1867, '68. Cyrus Kidder, 1867, '68.
George Hodges, 1867 to 1869.
Isaac B. Hartwell, 1867 to 1869, '74 to '76.
E. Harris Howland, 1869 to 1871. Daniel Wait, 1870. Martha E. Stone, 1870.
James W. Lathrop, 1871 to 1873.
William W. Wilson, 1871.
Fred. A. Olney, 1872.
William Newton, 1872.
Thomas E. Babb, 1873 to 1876.
Samuel C. Willis, Jr., 1873, '79. Oliver Ayer, 1876 to 1879.
George H. Dodge, 1877, '80 to' 82, '90.
William F. Lhoyd, 1878 to 1883. Byron Stone, 1880, '81. H. H. Beaman, 1881.
1
280
HISTORY OF OXFORD.
James O. Copp, 1882, '83.
Thomas J. Maxwell, 1883.
Sarah A. E. Joslin, 1883.
William B. Cushman, 1884, '88. John E. Kimball, 1885. Albert W. Cargel, 1886, '89.
Constables.
The Constable was formerly one of the most important of the town officials. He was sworn to carefully intend the preservation of the peace, to execute all warrants sent by lawful authority, to faithfully attend to all directions and orders of the court, to collect and levy all such fines, distresses, rates, assessments and sums of money as he should have warrants for, to serve all writs, executions and distresses faithfully, making due return thereof, "without any sinister respects of favor or displeasure."
Thomas Hunkins, 1713.
Jeremiah Shumway, N., 1739.
Benjamin Nealand, 1714.
William Davis, s.
Benoni Twichell, 1715.
Jonas Pratt, N., 1740.
Abraham Skinner, 1716.
Samuel Davis, Jr., s.
Isaac Larned, 1717.
Abial Lamb, Jr., N., 1741.
Israel Town, 1718.
Richard Moore, Jr., s.
Jonathan Town, 1719.
Obadiah McIntire, N., 1742.
Daniel Chamberlain, 1720.
John Willson, s.
Thomas Gleason, 1721.
William Hudson, N., 1743.
Abial Lamb, 1722.
Isaac Larned, s.
Ebenezer Humphrey, 1723.
John Town, N., 1745.
Joseph Wiley, 1724.
Timothy Harris, s.
Samuel Baker, 1725.
John Wiley, N., 1746.
Richard Gleason, 1726.
Edward Davis, s.
Jacob Comins, 1727.
Josiah Learned, N., 1747.
Joseph Rocket, 1728.
Theodore Kingsbury, s. .
Oliver Shumway, 1729.
Ebenezer Eddy, N., 1748. .
Elijah Moore, 1730.
Thomas Davis, s.
Samuel Eddy, 1731.
Samuel Ward, N., 1749.
John Eddy, 1732.
John Nichols, s.
Jonathan Pratt, Jr., 1733.1
Joseph Pratt, N., 1750.
Samuel Town, N., 1734.
James Hovey, s.
Collins Moore, s.
Jedediah Barton, N., 1751.
Moses Gleason, N., 1735.
John Larned, s.
Philip Amidown, s.
Nathaniel Blood, w .?
Caleb Barton, N., 1736.
Phinehas Ward, N., 1752.
Jacob Willson, s.
Daniel Davis, s. Ebenezer McIntire, w.
Caleb Barton, N., 1737.
Josiah Kingsbury, s.
Ebenezer Eddy, N., 1753.
Daniel Hovey, N., 1738. John Mayo, s.
Elisha Davis, s.
John Dresser, w.
1 After this date a constable was chosen for each part of the town, north and south.
2 This year, and until 1755, when Charlton was
set off, a constable for the west part of the town was chosen.
281
CIVIL OFFICERS.
Jacob Fellows, N., 1754. Jonas Coller, s.
Samuel Streeter, w.
Jonathan Cutler, N., 1755. Ephraim Ballard, s.
Alexander Nichols, N., 1756.
Ephraim Ballard, s.
Alexander Nichols, N., 1757.
Isaac Larned, s.
John Town, Jr., N., 1758.
William Campbell, s.
Ebenezer Davis, N., 1759.
Ebenezer Coburn, s.
Joseph Hudson, N., 1760. Amos Shumway, s.
Moses Town, N., 1761.
Thomas Town, s.
Joshua Merriam, N., 1762. John Davis, s.
Ebenezer Eddy, N., 1763.
Jeremiah Kingsbury, s.
Joseph Phillips, Jr., N., 1764.
John Dalrymple, s.
Samuel Eddy, N., 1765. Jeremiah Shumway, s.
Daniel Hovey, N., 1766.
John Willson, Jr., s.
Isaac Putnam, N., 1767.
John Dana, s. Asa Conant, N., 1768.
Daniel Gleason, s.
Israel Phillips, N., 1769.
John Dana, s.
Daniel Phillips, N., 1770.
Abijah Harris, s. Jonathan Pratt, Jr., N., 1771.
Ebenezer Humphrey, s.
Elias Pratt, N., 1772.
Ephraim Ballard, s. Jesse Stone, N., 1773.
Benjamin Hudson, s. John Ballard, N., 1774. John Mayo, s.
Samuel Learned, N., 1775.
Samuel Davis, Jr., s.
Andrew Patch, N., 1776. 37
Joseph Hurd, s. Andrew Patch, N., 1777. Joseph Kingsbury, s. Joshua Turner, N., 1778. Joseph Hurd, s. Sylvanus Town, N., 1779. Levi Davis, s.
Andrew Patch, N., 1781.
Ebenezer Davis, Jr., s.
William Hudson, N., 1782.
Richard Coburn, s.
Reuben Lamb, N., 1783.
Ephraim Russell, s.
Anthony Sigourney, N., 1784.
Josiah Wolcott, s.
John Pratt was chosen, Wolcott having been excused.
David Stone, N., 1785.
Jacob Larned, s.
Joshua Turner, N., 1787.
Jeremiah Kingsbury, s.
Sylvanus Town, N., 1788 to 1790.
Samuel Campbell, s.
Gideon Hovey, N., 1791. Sylvanus Town, s.
Sylvanus Town, 1792.
Jonathan Davis, 1794.
Jonas Eddy, N., 1795.
Jonathan Harris, s. John Merriam, N., 1796.
John Larned, Jr., s.
Sylvanus Town, N., 1797.
Jonathan Harris, s.
Jonathan Harris, 1798, 1801.
John Merriam, N., 1799.
John Mayo, s.
John Mayo, 1800, 1801.
Jonathan Harris, 1802.
William Lamson, collector, 1802. Archibald Campbell, collector, 1803.
Archibald Campbell, constable and collector, 1804.
William Moore, constable and col- lector, 1805, 1806. Timothy Lamson, constable, 1807.
282
HISTORY OF OXFORD.
Amos Shumway, Jr., collector. John Pratt, Jr., constable and collector, 1808, 1809.
Rufus Larned, 1810.
Archibald Campbell, 1811. John Mayo, collector.
Charles Town, constable and col- lector, 1812 to 1816.
Samuel Kingsbury, Jr., 1817 to 1819.
Jonas Larned, 1820, '23 to '32, '36. Alexander C. Thurston, 1821, '22, '33 to '35, '37, '38, '41, '42.
Alexander C. Thurston, consta- ble, 1839.
Samuel Aldrich, collector, 1839. Nahum Sibley, 1840.
Samuel Smith, 1843 to 1845, '52. Timothy Aldrich, 1846.
Sumner Putnam, 1847.
Washburn Lumbard, 1848.
Josiah S. Prentice, 1849 to 1851. Samuel Aldrich, 1853, '54.
Dennis S. B. Gates, 1855.
Otis Learned, 1856.
Orrin W. Chaffee, 1857, '58, '60 to '66, '82 to '86.
Lovell H. Cleveland, 1859.
Charles A. Angell, collector, 1867, '68, '70 to '73, '78, '79.
James M. Sanford, collector, 1869. James B. Campbell, collector, 1874 to 1876.
Benjamin F. White, collector, 1880.
Alvan R. Bowdish, collector, 1881. Erastus W. Whiting, collector, 1887, '88, '89.
George S. Eddy, collector, 1890.
CHAPTER XII.
OUT-LYING LANDS.
GRAND PROPRIETORS' LOTS. GRANTS IN SOUTH GORE AND VICINITY. NORTH GORE LANDS.
"Grand Proprietors' Lots." The territory of the original grant lying west of Oxford village, embracing 30,000 acres, and now constituting parts of Dudley, Charlton and Southbridge, was, as before stated, equally divided between the five original grantees, and styled "The Grand Proprietors' Lots." Of the southernmost 6,000 acres, Dudley's, the larger portion was in Dec., 1731, set off to form the town of Dudley, the western portion being now a part of Southbridge. In his will Mr. Dudley gave to his daughters, viz. : Rebecca, wife of Samuel Sewall, Jr. ; Anne, wife of Adam Winthrop ; Katherine, wife of Hon. William Dummer, and Mary, wife of- Wainwright, each 1,000 acres of land out of his 6,000 acres at Oxford, and to his nephew, Daniel Allen, and niece, Ann Hilton, who married Ebenezer Pierpont, each 500 acres of the same. His son Paul being residuary legatee inherited the remaining 1,000 acres. Through these children and their heirs the lands were sold to settlers.1
The second 6,000-acre lot, Blackwell's, was sold by his heirs, Frances, his widow, and John Blackwell, merchant, both of Bethnal Green, Stepney, England, 25 April, 1720, to Peter Papillon of Boston, mariner.2 Papillon had four daughters, Elizabeth, who married first John Wolcott, and second, John Higginson, both of Salem ; Katha- rine, who married 4 July, 1734, George Gibbs, and died before 4 July, 1749 ; Martha, who married first, Richard Williams of Boston
1 On 23 March, 1736, Samuel Sewall and wife Rebecca petitioned the General Court for leave to sell a part of a lot of 500 acres in Dudley for the purpose of improving the remainder. From this petition we learn that in Dec., 1725, the Court had given permission to the Dudley heirs to sell one-half of their estate " in order to bring forward the settlement of the Township of Dudley." This action was necessary because said property was devised to the heirs of Dud- ley's children. [House Journal, III., 246.]
A deed executed 20 Oct., 1729, was signed by William Dudley as attorney for Paul Dudley, Samuel Sewall, Jr., and Rebecca, his wife, William Dummer of Newbury, and Katherine, his wife, Mary Wainwright, widow, Josiah Willard, guardian of children of Daniel Allen, deceased, and Ebenezer Pierpont and Ann, his wife, " devisees of the will of Joseph Dudley."
2 On 18 June, 1723, £100 was ordered by the State authorities to be paid to Peter Papillon, captain of the ship " Flying horse," to be distributed to seamen who enlisted under him to pursue the pirate [Low] off the coast 9 June, 1722. [Gen. Court Rec.] He returned from his cruise 28 June, not having found the foe but brought in a brigantine which had been in his possession. In 1729 Papillon was styled " merchant." Savage supposed him to have been son of Peter, a Hugue- not, who came as early as 1679.
In order to correct an error in Ammidown's His. Col., II., 580, it is proper to state that, ac- cording to the records, the only land owned by him in this region was this 6,000-acre tract, with the 2,000 acres called the " little lot," originally a part of Cox's 6,000 acres, all conveyed by Black- well's heirs.
284
HISTORY OF OXFORD.
[rem. ab. 1741 to Oxford, where he d.], and second, John Ballard of Boston ; and Mary, who married William Thomas of Plymouth, in 1739 styled mariner, and later physician.
After the decease of Papillon these lands, excepting several small lots previously sold by him, were divided among these four daughters. John Wolcott was administrator of his estate, and Isaac Larned, Rev. John Campbell and Col. Ebenezer Learned were chosen to make a division. John Wolcott received the southeast 500-acre lot [with other tracts further west], which 500 acres he and Higginson, the second husband of Elizabeth, sold chiefly to John Larned and Josiah Kingsbury. Richard Williams' portion embraced, besides a tract west in Charlton, the 500-acre lot at the east end, adjoining Wolcott's on the north, being the lot formerly occupied by Gibbs, on which he had built a house, then going to ruin. Here Williams is supposed to have built a new house in which he resided until his decease. Nearly the whole of this tract was sold by Williams' executor to Ebenezer Coburn.
In 1732 Moses Marcy of Woodstock bought of Papillon the water- power and land contiguous, at what is now Southbridge centre, which he improved. The balance of the Papillon tract was sold in lots to suit purchasers by his heirs before mentioned.
The third 6,000 acres, Stoughton's, who was unmarried, was in 1704 divided among four heirs, as follows : To William Taylor one- fourth ; to John Nelson and his wife Elizabeth one-fourth ; to Rev. John Danforth and Elizabeth, his wife, one-fourth ; and to Thomas Cooper and his wife Mehetable one-fourth.1 On 5 Dec., 1717, John Nelson and wife Elizabeth sold one-third of 6,000 acres to Samuel Brown of Salem, and from a deed dated 29 March, 1768, Blaney to Brown, we learn that Brown purchased also on 28 June, 1718, of William Cooper another third part of the estate, making 4,000 acres which he owned. In 1734 land of Samuel Brown was sold for taxes. We find no records of conveyances from him. At the time of the Revolution William Brown owned a large portion of this tract, and being a loyalist it was confiscated to the State. Lemuel Kallock of Wrentham was appointed by the General Court to learn the extent of Brown's interests and to give deeds of division of lands. Joseph Blaney of Salem, whose wife, Abigail, may have been daughter of Samuel Brown, was also a large owner. Nathaniel Dowse of Salem in 1752 became owner of several hundred acres which descended from the Danforth share. In 1771 the heirs of William Taylor and Mather Byles and wife Rebecca sold more than 1,000 acres to Samuel Dan- forth of Cambridge, Elizabeth Williams of Roxbury, Elijah Dunbar of Stoughton, and Hannah, wife of Rev. John Searl, of Stoneham.
1 The persons representing the Stoughton in- terest who signed in 1713 the deed to Oxford village settlers were William Taylor, Peter Sar-
gent and wife Mehetable [Cooper having died and Mehetable m. Sargent ?], John Danforth and wife, and John Nelson and wife.
285
OUT-LYING LANDS.
On 23 May, 1782, the then owners of the 6,000 acres made a divis- ion as follows : A line running east and west was drawn through the tract, Lemuel Kallock (representing the State), and Joseph Blaney received the part lying north of said line, and Samuel Danforth of Boston, physician, Elizabeth Danforth of Boston, Elijah Dunbar of Stoughton and Joseph Dowse of Salem that lying south thereof.1
In 1784 John Fessenden, Caleb Amidown and Jonathan Warner, a committee to sell confiscated estates in Worcester County, represented to the Supreme Court that there were in Oxford and Charlton 3,000 acres of unimproved lands, of which " two-thirds belonged to William Brown of Salem, conspirator, now the property of the Common- wealth, and one-third to Joseph Blaney, all common and undivided," and asked for a division, which was granted. Dec. 4, 1784, a divis- ion was agreed upon, Blaney being then of Windham, Me. In 1785 a large part of his share was sold on execution. Thus the Brown lands, which had lain long unimproved, were brought into market. On 12 April, 1785, eight 100-acre lots, excepting 60 acres previously disposed of, were sold by the committee to Ebenezer Davis for £835. Jacob Davis was purchaser of several lots, and many deeds appear on the records of parts of "Brown Lands" sold by the State's com- mittee. That part of the 6,000 acres lying south of the dividing line was distributed by Danforth and Dunbar to purchasers for settlement.
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