USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Oxford > History of the town of Oxford, Massachusetts with genealogies and notes on persons and estates > Part 5
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In 1693 a representative to General Court was chosen, Daniel Allen, as previously noted, and his name appears as from Oxford in the official list, at the beginning of the session, 31 May of that year.2
In this act the place took upon itself legally the functions of a town, and the seating of its representative as a member of the Court was a recognition by that body of the validity of its action, and of the existence de facto of the town of Oxford.
1 Good authority in the office of Secretary of State says :- "Old towns in Massachusetts were made towns not by regular acts of Incorpora- tion. A few words stating a place to be a town, or giving it a name conferred all the privileges of a town; even the naming of a place seems in
some instances to have been equivalent to an act of Incorporation." In Gen. Court Rec., VII., 344, Jan., 1703; IX., 129, Oct., 1711, and IX., 305, Feb., 1714, Oxford is called a town.
2 Col. Rec., VI., 278.
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CHAPTER III.
PROPRIETORS' RECORDS. DEED OF THE VILLAGE. HOME LOTS. DIVISIONS OF LAND. TRAINING FIELD. CHANGES IN TOWN LINES. DUDLEY SET OFF. MANCHAUG FARM. CHARLTON SET OFF. WARD SET OFF. SOUTH GORE ADDED. WEBSTER SET OFF. NORTH GORE ADDED. INDIANS. GAR- RISON HOUSES. RELICS. INCIDENTS. COLLICUMP. SLAVES. COLONIAL
MONEY. EARLY LEVIES. PUBLIC FUNDS. LAND BANK.
Proprietors' Records. These records are, complete, but have little interest excepting as they show the location of the home lots of the settlers. They refer largely to the later distributions of the out- lands, giving briefly descriptions and bounds of the five several divisions by lot, the last of which was in 1749.1
Deed of the Village .-
TO ALL PEOPLE UNTO WHOME THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME. Joseph Dudley of Roxbury ... William Taylor of Dorchester ... Peter Sergeant of Boston, Esq and Mehetabell his wif, John Danforth of Dorchester, and Elizabeth his wife, John Nelson of Boston, Esq. and Elizabethi his wife, as they the said William Taylor, Peter Sergeant, John Nelson and John Danforth are the heirs and Executors of the Hon. William Stoughton Late of Dorchester, Esq. Dec'd. Send Greeting .- Whereas the Generall Court of the Colony of Massachusetts Bay in the year One Thousand six hundred and Eighty-Two, Granted to the said Joseph Dudley, William Stoughton Major Robert Tompson and their Associates a Certain Tract of Land Scituate in the Nipmug Country of Eight miles Square for a Township etc. as may be seen by the records of the said Generall Court, Pursuant whereunto and for the uses aforesaid the said Joseph Dudley, William Stoughton and their Associates in the Year One Thousand Six hundred and Eighty & brought over Thirty French Protestant families into this Country and Settled them upon the Easternmost part or end of the said Tract of land and severed and granted and Sett apart Twelve Thousand Acres for a village Called Oxford for the said Families and bounded it as by a Platt upon record will more fully appear Butt forasmuch as the said French families have many years since wholly left and Deserted their Settlements in the said village and the said Lands as well by their deserting the Same and refusing to return upon publick proclamations made for that end as by the Voluntary Surrender of the most of them are now reinvested in restored to and become the Estate and at the Disposition of the Original proprietors . . . for the ends aforesaid-And Whereas there are sundry good families of her Majesty's Subjects within this province who offer themselves to go and Resettle the said Village . . . Now Know Ye that the said [grantors] . . . have freely . .. and do give grant and Confirme unto Samuel Hagbourne John Town, Daniell Eliott, Abiel Lamb, Joseph Chamberlin Benjamin Nealand, Benoni Twitchell Joseph Rockett, Benjamin Chamberlin, Joshua Whitney, Thomas Hunkins Joseph Chamberlin Jr, Oliver Coller, Daniell Pearson Abram Skinner Ebenezer Chamberlin, James Coller, Isaac Learned Ebenezer Learned,
1 The descriptions are so imperfect that to town would be exceedingly difficult, if not produce a complete plan of the lands of the impossible.
1
EBENEZER LEARNED.
2 DANIEL ELIOTT.
3 DANIEL ELIOTT, JR.
4 ISRAEL TOWN.
5 JOHN TOWN.
6 JAMES COLLER.
7 EPHRAIM & JONATHAN TOWN.,
8 JOSHUA CHANDLER.
9 BENONI TWITCHELL.
10 JOSEPH ROCKETT.
11 NATH'L CHAMBERLAIN.
12 OLIVER COLLER.
13 BENJ. CHAMBERLAIN.
14 THOMAS GLEASON.
15 EDMUND TAYLOR.
16 SAMUEL HAGBURN.
17 EBENEZER HUMPHREY.
18 JONA. TILLOTSON.
19 EBEN'R CHAMBERLAIN.
20 ISAAC LARNED.
21 JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN.
22 JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN, JR.
23 THOMAS HUNKINS.
5
C.
26 DANIEL PEARSON.
27 JOSHUA WHITNEY.
28 WILLIAM HUDSON.
29 ABRAHAM SKINNER.
30 JOHN CHANDLER, JR.
A MINISTERS' LOT.
1.
Elliott's Mill Brook
2.
30
28
Town's Pond
3
4
24 BENJ. NEALAND.
Bernon Land,
25 ABIAL LAMB.
6
7
8
8
A
Meadow
MINISTERN' LOS MEETING-HOUSE LOT.
Augul
B
10
E.
D
11
12
1
13.
14
27 .
15
16
25.
1
1
25
17
24.
18
24.
18
Bernon Line
CENTRAL PART OXFORD
Village West Line.
18
18
Fo
23
21
19,
19
20
22
IN 1714 Showing the Home Lots G of the Thirty English Settlers.
..
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E BURYING-GROUND.
GREAT HOUSE.
F G OLD FORT.
Sutton Road.
1
Lane
Quáboag 29
26.
PLAN OF THE
Mill Brook.
Maanexit River
Po
33
PROPRIETORS AND LOTS.
Thomas Leason [Gleason] Ebenezer Humphrey, Jona. Tilloson, Edmund Taylor Ephraim Town, Israel Town William Hudson, Daniell Eliott Jr. Nathaniel Chamberlin John Chandler Jun, Joshua Chandler, and others their associates, so as their number amount thirty families at least All That Part of the said Tract of land . . . known by the name of Oxford, Excepting and reserving [that part purchased by Gabriel Bernon] . . . To have and to hold the same . . . Provided that if any of the . . . Grantees . . . shall ... neglect to settle upon and improve the said Land . . by the space of two years ... or shall leave and Desert the Same & not return to their respective Habitations . . . then [said lands should be forfeited and given to others who should be willing to] " settle and Inhabit them."
In Witness whereof the partys above named to these presents have here- unto . . . Set their hands and Seals the Eighth day of July . . . A. D. 1713.1
Proprietors and Lots. The accompanying plan shows the relative location of the home lots of the settlers. These were sur- veyed and laid out under the direction of John Town, Benjamin Chamberlin, Abial Lamb and Benoni Twitchel, committee, by John Chandler, Jr., of Woodstock, then about 21 years of age, and by order of the original proprietors "approved and established " to the settlers by John Chandler, sen. So far as appears each settler chose his own location of a home lot.
EBENEZER LEARNED. No. 1 : undoubtedly chosen with reference to the water power, " at or neare a place called ye uper falls," now the lower privilege at North Oxford, H. 2 130 ; embracing 44} acres, the overplus being meadow below the falls. This quantity was allowed, perhaps, in consideration of the rough nature of the tract, it being in the narrow gorge of the river. House now standing.
DANIEL ELIOTT. No. 2 : mill lot, H. 135 ; 40 acres with 3 acres allowance for Worcester road through it.
DANIEL ELIOTT, Jr. No. 3 : on Town's Plain, east of 8-rod way ; now John A. Taft. H. 139.
ISRAEL TOWN. No. 4 : next south of preceding, opposite Town's Pond ; now Mary Myrick. H. 141.
JOHN TOWN. No. 5 : next south; now Joseph Stevens, H. 176 ; house a little northwest of present one ; old well now to be seen.
JAMES COLLER. No. 6 : east of North common, fronting on 8-rod way; now James B. Campbell, H. 180.
EPHRAIM and JONATHAN TOWN. No. 7: west of North common, bounding north on Town's Pond ; late Jasper Brown, H. 178.
JOSHUA CHANDLER. No. 8: minor son of John Chandler-Peter Shumway settled on his rights : east side of 8-rod way, south of N. common, now Ithiel T. Johnson, H. 185 ; house on site of present one.
BENONI TWITCHEL. No. 9 : west of 8-rod way, between the north and south commons ; exact location unknown.
JOSEPH ROCKETT. No. 10: at the head of the present common,
1 Suffolk Co. Reg., XXVII., 174.
2 The letter " H," followed by a number, occurs many times in this volume. It refers to resi-
dences as numbered and described in a subse- quent chapter under the head, "Older Home- steads."
6
34
HISTORY OF OXFORD.
east of 8-rod way as first laid out, H. 189 ; house near the site of George Miller's present residence.
NATHANIEL CHAMBERLAIN. No. 11 : west of 8-rod way, from the common south to Sigourney street ; H. 240; house on site of present Mrs. Hyde's.
OLIVER COLLER. No. 12 : adjoining Rockett on the south, at the northeast corner of 8-rod and Sutton roads ; now Sigourney's ; 53} rods on Main street, 120 rods on Sutton road ; H. 192; house near the corner.
BENJAMIN CHAMBERLAIN. No. 13: west of 8-rod way adjoining Nathaniel Chamberlain on the south; 65 rods on Main street from Sigourney street to Quaboag Lane at the Benjamin Paine place ; called 40 but in fact nearer 50 acres ; H. 235.
THOMAS GLEASON. No. 14 : southeast corner of Main and Sutton streets, nominally 53} rods (in fact more) on Main street ; H. 194; house on site of present brick house.
EDMUND TAYLOR. No. 15 : assigned to John Chamberlain ; west of 8-rod way, from Quaboag Lane south. No record of transfer has been found. It was early in possession of Richard Moore; later most of it was included in the Abijah Davis farm ; H. 220.
SAMUEL HAGBURN. No. 16: east of 8-rod way, embracing the Israel Sibley homestead ; H. 205 ; house in rear of Sibley house.
EBENEZER HUMPHREY. No. 17 : east of 8-rod way, south end of the Plain, 53} rods in front, extending east over the brook, including part of the present Humphrey farm ; H. 36, also 208 and 209 ; house on site of present one, east end of the lot.
JONATHAN TILLOTTSON. No. 18 : south end of the Plain in three lots ; first, adjoining Humphrey on the south, including the old mill, 52 acres ; second, near the first, but on the west side of the 8-rod way ; third, east of 8-rod way south from the first, near the railroad arch bridge ; H. 37; house near the mill.
EBENEZER CHAMBERLAIN. No. 19 : west of 8-rod way below mill brook, the northwest bound being near the brook, including 22 acres on Johnson's Plain ; has not been for many years a homestead. January, 1717, Richard Moore was by vote allowed to represent con- ditionally the rights of Chamberlain, his son-in-law. The land came early into Moore's possession.
ISAAC LARNED. No. 20: on Johnson's Plain, now Fred. L. Snow's ; H. 64 ; perhaps originally a Huguenot homestead, joining Ebenezer Chamberlain on the south ; house on the site of the present one.
JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN. No. 21 : on Bondet Hill ; H. 38. "May 13, 1713, surveyed for Joseph Chamberlain Sen. Round the great house, 40 acres . . . four acres and one rood being allowed for a highway," by John Chandler, Jr., Surveyor. " Approued and estab- lished pr order of the original proprietors prouided he pay for the
35
PROPRIETORS' MEETINGS.
bettering of his Lott by former Improvement and building pr JOHN CHANDLER who made such an agreement at the begining." 1
JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN, Jr. No. 22 : southwest side of Bondet Hill, in part adjoining his father; now Clark's; H. 39 ; house at site of present one.
1136834
THOMAS HUNKINS. No. 23 : near No. 22, now McCabe ; H. 42. Two years later Hunkins had changed homesteads with Daniel Pear- son for No. 26. In Jan., 1717, Jeremiah Morse bought of Pearson No. 23, having been voted an inhabitant.2
BENJAMIN NEALAND. No. 24: not now a homestead ; east of the Humphrey place, No. 17, extending north to the meadows. He had also 8 acres west of 8-rod way near south end of the Plain.
ABIAL LAMB. No. 25 : adjoining Nealand on the north, extending to Sutton road ; described as beginning at the northwest corner near Gleason's lot at the highway running on said way 64 perch, then southward 23 perch to an ash tree, from thence 64 perch to Nealand's lot as was agreed to be bounded by said Lamb and Nealand. This lot contained 32 acres. Eight acres more were set off to him on the west side the 8-rod way near the south end of the Plain, north of Nealand's eight acres. William H. Harrington's present estate was included in Lamb's lot.
DANIEL PEARSON. No. 26 : east of Lamb and Nealand, bounding 160 rods on their lots, and south on the road to the fort ; now George R. Larned ; H. 34 ; house on site of present one.
JOSHUA WHITNEY. No. 27: on Sutton road, east of Pearson, bounding east on Bernon land ; now John E. Kimball ; H. 26.
WILLIAM HUDSON. No. 28 : on Long Hill northeast of N. common ; H. 168 ; now owned by his descendants ; house part of present one.
ABRAHAM SKINNER. No. 29 : at the "lower falls " near Augutte- back Pond, now Howarth's ; H. 83.
JOHN CHANDLER, Jr. No. 30: on the stream northeast of the Eliott mill ; now Asa H. Pope ; H. 132. Daniel Eliott took up this lot after selling his mill lot to his son Ebenezer.
MINISTER'S LOT. A : east of the 8-rod way one-fourth of a mile northeast of the South common-long known as the Hall place ; H. 187 ; house on site of the present one.
MEETING-HOUSE LOT. B: north of the burying ground, fronting east on 8-rod way; H. 244; held by the town as a meeting-house lot until 1752.
Proprietors' Meetings. At a meeting 13 Sept., 1713, " Uoted that peter Shumway shal com in as an inhabatent into Oxford upon the rites of Joshua Candler." 3
1 Much interest attaches to this lot. Accord- ing to the date it was the first surveyed in town, and was probably considered the most desira- ble on account of the improvements includ- ing the "Great House." The highway named was the " Woodstock great trail." A cellar- hole now to be seen marks the spot of the house,
which the late John Mayo, living near, said was once a tavern. 2 See Morse.
3 Joshua Chandler was brother of Jolin, Jr., of Woodstock, surveyor, who was also a proprietor. He was at this time 17 years of age and came in as did John, Jr., probably to fill the required number of 30 settlers.
.
36
HISTORY OF OXFORD.
1714-16
On Jan. 25, 1714, Edmund Taylor relinquished his rights in favor of Benjamin Chamberlain, who took them for his son John. "Uoted that the inhabitance of the town Should cary thaer bouends In to the town Clarke to be Recorded of every house lote." "Uoted that Ebbeneazur lannard should have liberty to tacke up an house lote in Som place whear it may be, previed [provided] it mite not be a dameag to any othre parcion, to be by waye of Exchng of his lote alredeay tacken up." No change appears to have been made. " Uoted that Jonathan Town should be an inhabitant upon a part of Ephraim Town's rights."
On 2 Mar., 1714, Ebenezer Eliott, son of Daniel, was voted in as an inhabitant, he having taken the lot previously his father's, on which was the mill. He soon admitted his brother James as partner. Also voted, that the 40-acre lot called Wesson's (the only mention we find of this name, perhaps Samuel of Framingham,) should be set apart for a minister's lot. It was also voted to make a first division of land to every freeholder "containing the sum of 60 acres in one tract to every lot man " to be laid out " as soon as the meadows are laid out." On Sept. 19 a committee was chosen "to employ Capten Chandler or some other Survayer to lay out our Village lines according to deed," and to notify " Mr. Gabrel Barnon to com and Joyn with us in settling dividen lins."
Meadows. Oct. 15. Voted that those who have no meadow in their home lots shall have four acres laid out convenient to them, first. Nov. 30. "John Town, Benieman Chamberlin Sener, benony twichell " chosen to lay out the meadow. Also voted that "Mr twichell shall take care that the woode and timber " on the minister's lot be kept until improved. The lots were drawn for meadow at this meeting. Voted " that the committy shall begin to lay out meddow att East End of the great meddow, from thence to the meddow on Ellets mill brook, from thence to the croth of the Revier [crotch of the river near Kidder's] so down strame the Rivier: to the line, from thence to bundits meddow."
Jan. 18, 1715. Daniel Eliott having assigned his home lot to his son Ebenezer, was by vote settled on the 30th lot, originally that of John Chandler, Jr. At this meeting lots were drawn for the 60-acre division of lands before ordered to be laid out, a committee was also ordered to complete the laying out of the 30 house lots, and then proceed to lay out the 60-acre divisions.
Jonathan Tillottson protested against any alienation or division of lands or meadows whatsoever until the 30 house lots were laid out.
Sept. 21, widow Hannah Cooper was accepted as an inhabitant on the rights of Joshua Whitney, who had removed to Mendon.
Feb. 28, 1716, a meeting was held by virtue of a warrant from " Mr Justice Chandler for ye orderly dividing and disposing the Lands within ye" town, to confirm such lands as had already been laid out, to
37
PROPRIETORS' MEETINGS.
prevent the waste of timber, and to choose a Proprietors' Clerk. Isaac Larned was chosen clerk and all former divisions of land confirmed.
Dec. 25, 1716, chose Capt. Richard Moore, Ebenezer Learned and Ephraim Town a committee "to see yt the Bounds of our Village are Completed and put upon the County Records."
Jan. 25, 1717, Capt. Richard Moore voted "an associat" on the rights of Samuel Hagbourn, also that Joseph Danna come in upon the half right bought of Oliver Coller, also that Jeremiah Morse be received "in ye Room of Daniel Pearson," and that John Chamber- lin be received upon the rights of Edmund Taylor. Mar. 19, a two- rod road between Israel Town and Daniel Elliot recognized.
Mar. 6, 1718, " Uoted that their be Twenty acers of Land Laid out to the Ministers Lot, and forty Acres more . . . for the in Cor- agement of a minister." Also that there should be no more cedar timber, neither for shingles, clapboards nor rails carried out of town from that time forward, under a forfeiture of 20s. a thousand. Also " voted by the desire of Lieut [John] Town" that David Town, be an associate, on the half right bought of Oliver Coller.
Cedar Swamp. April 7, voted to lay out every house lot a second division of 60 acres in a lot ... to be drawn for, also to lay out the cedar swamp, each proprietor an equal proportion. Also that a committee proceed to lay out another division of 50-acre lots.
Dec. 12, 1720, lots were drawn for the second 60-acre division and also for the 50-acre division.
Jan. 2, 1721, it was voted to lay out a 12-acre division, and the draft for the same was then made. Feb. 27, lots in the cedar swamp were drawn. This was the great swamp so called, in what is now Auburn, " begining at or neare ye North End of ye great Swamp next Wossester Corner."
Mar. 19, 1723, chose Capt. Richard Moore, Ens. Ebenezer Learned and Benoni Twichell a committee to "measure all ye undivided land in oxford village : and to lay it out into Thirty lots as Equaly as they can as to quantety and qualety, so as to draw for them after they are laid out."
Apr. 8, 1728. This committee not having performed this difficult service was dismissed, and Benoni Twichell, Dea. John Town and Isaac Learned were chosen instead.
Mar. 5, 1733. This division was as yet not completed, and Capt. Richard Moore was added to the committee and authority given to open highways in undivided lands when necessary.
Feb. 13, 1734. A committee was chosen to take care of the undi- vided lands to see that strip and waste was not made, or wood and timber cut and carried off, and that the laying out be completed in six months.
Sept. 21, 1741. The 12-acre division had not been completed. John Town, one of the committee, having deceased, his son Jonathan
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HISTORY OF OXFORD.
1745-52
was chosen in his place. Nov. 17, a return of the 12-acre division was made in part and accepted.
In Jan., 1745, this work was still uncompleted, and even the 12- acre division was not entirely finished. At that date Israel Town and Elijah Moore were added to the former committee to complete the 12-acre lots, and likewise to apportion the remaining part of undi- vided lands. Aug. 30, 1748, there being several small pieces of land " not lying convenient to divide" it was voted they might be sold to defray expenses of committees in making previous divisions. Accord- ing to a tradition, which seems to be confirmed by the records, the affairs of the propriety at this time were in a very confused and unsettled condition, from which no one in the town was competent, or if able, was disposed to extricate them, except Mr. Campbell the minister. The 12-acre distribution had been made, but, lying chiefly upon the eastern and western borders of the town were lots, mostly woodland, of various sizes and values, which remained to be equitably divided among the 30 householders. It is said Mr. Campbell took the matter in hand only after much solicitation. June 19, 1749, a meeting was held of which he was the moderator, at which votes were passed confirming certain lands to certain persons, "notwithstanding all former votes," -choosing a committee to perambulate lines with the proprietors of " Gabriel Bernon's Farm (so called) and to settle and establish the same,"-and accepting of and drawing for the fifth and last division of lands.
The list of proprietors at this time is of value as showing the changes made during the first 35 years of the town's history.
Proprietors in 1749. [Those in italics were new.] William Hudson, Col. Ebenezer Learned, Timothy Harris, John Eddy, Collins Moore, Isaac Larned, Jonas Pratt, Ebenezer Humphrey, Capt. Elijah Moore, John Town [Jr. ], William Eddy, John Groo, John Campbell, Jacob Cummins, Joseph Pratt, Dea. Jonathan Town, Ens. Israel Town, Peter Shumway, Abial Lamb, Jr., Benoni Twichell's heirs. Whole number 20, of whom six only were in the first division.1
Training field. At a meeting 15 Dec., 1751, a decisive vote was passed on the subject of a "Training field," a necessity of the day. It was laid out adjoining the burying-ground on the east, and "fronted on the Eight-rod way near the old meeting house," and two acres had been voted for the purpose 4 Sept., 1749. At this meeting, however, it was "voted and determined " unanimously that one acre should be and is set off for this purpose. The record describes it as "to be set off fronting on the eight rod way and joining on Samuel Manning's north line, said acre to always lye open and common." In 1752 the proprietors voted to confirm the sale of the lot on which the old meeting-house stood to Jabez Holden, and to appro- priate money to pay expenses of committees and Mr. Campbell " for his time and trouble in recording their acts and votes " in the past.
1 Several of these by purchase owned more than one share, hence the reduced number.
THOMPSON.
1
COX.
STOUGHTON.
VILLAGE
BLACKWELL.
DUDLEY.
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2
D
S
L
K.
POND
CHARLTON
3
POND
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CHANGES IN TOWN LINES.
Meetings for the adjustment of various questions of possessions, compensations for roads, settlement of lines, deficiencies in measure- ments, and minor differences between adjoining owners were held up to 21 Mar., 1763. A meeting of the " Proprietors of the fifth or last division" of land in the Village for the purpose of correcting errors and supplying omissions in the records and also to ascertain the location of the west line of the village was held Dec., 1773, and sub- sequent meetings for similar purposes were continued in 1774. There was no recorded action thereafter.
Changes in Town lines. In the plot of the present town the southern and a very small portion of the eastern lines only are identi- cal with the original outlines.
Dudley set off. The first alteration was made in Dec., 1731, when the town of Dudley was incorporated, and Mr. Dudley's 6,000 acres, excepting "Paul Dudley's farm" of 1,000 acres at the eastern extremity thereof, were set off to the new town, as shown by the lower dotted line in diagram 1.1 [See Plans.]
Kingsburys annexed. On 8 Dec., 1731, on petition of Isaac Larned, the farms of Josiah and Theodore Kingsbury, and adjoining land of the petitioner, lying east of Woodstock road, were annexed to Oxford, as shown in diagram 2, letter K, thus extending its southern limits to the great pond.2
Manchaug farm. The next change was when "Dudley's Man- chaug farm" of 1,000 acres was added on the east, as shown in dia- gram 2, letter D. This was the tract granted for services in purchas- ing land of the Indians, as previously noted. It was surveyed by John Gore, with a similar grant to William Stoughton designated by dotted lines, and confirmed to them in one plot, 4 June, 1685, at what was called " Manchauge, " being at the southeast corner of Oxford and adjoining it on the east.3 These lands lay in common until 1712. Josiah Chapin and John Chandler on 23 May, " viewed and measured " the same and made a division, report- ing that they found the length and breadth thereof to conform to
1 This farm of 1,000 acres, remaining in Oxford, was long known as " Dudley entailed " land. The Calvin Aldrich farm-H. 57,-William Hurd- H. 60,-and Jacob Shumway - H. 61,- and also valuable meadows on the river, now part of the Ezekiel Davis farm-H. 53,-were taken from it. An important suit at law, involving the title to these lands, was brought about 1821 to gain pos- session by Mr. Williams, one of the Dudley heirs, vs. Jason Phipps of Thompson. William Pink- ney of Maryland was counsel for Williams, and Phipps retained Daniel Webster. The trial was in Feb., 1822, and the case was strongly con- tested; decision for the defendants. Pinkney died a day or two after the trial.
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