USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Westford > History of the town of Westford, in the county of Middlesex, Massachusetts, 1659-1883 > Part 7
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"Copy of a subscription for a meeting house bell. £27-9-0. Nath! Boynton Town Clerk.
" Westford February 19, 1762.
" We the subscribers do promise to pay into the Town Treasury of sd Westford in twelve months from the date hereof the sums of money set against Each of our Names in part to purchase a good meeting house Bell for the use of sd Town, Provided that the Inhabitants of sd Westford do at their anaual meeting in March Next vote to Raise the Re- mainder of the money for such a bell as the Town shall think Proper and Convenant for sd Town ; and on conditions as aforesaid we bind ourselves and our heirs to pay the money set against Each of our Names as aforesd as witness our hands :
&
S.
d.
Samuel Chamberlin
0
12
0
Jonas Prescott
2
8
0
James Pollard
2
8
0
John Abbott
1
4
0
Nath1 Boynton
1
4
0
Benjamin Carver .
1
4
0
Joshua Fletcher
1
4
0
Zechariah Hildreth
1
4
0
Joseph Boynton .
1
4
0
Timothy Underwood David Dutton
1
4 12
0
Phinehas Hildreth
0
18
0
Ephraim Hildreth Jun.
1
4
0
0
0
76
HISTORY OF WESTFORD.
£
S.
d.
Ebenr Stone .
0
18
0
1
4
0
1
7
0
Benjamin Fletcher James Dutton
0
12
0
Moses Burge
1
4
0
Timothy Prescott
0
12
0
Jonathan Spaulding
0
12
0
William Spaulding
0
12
0
Asa Bixby
0
12
0
Pelatiah Wright
0
12
0
Thomas Smith Jun.
0
12
0
" Westford April ye 2 : 1763.
" The above is a True copy of the subscription for a meet- ing house bell for sd Westford which I have Recd into my office in order to Receive the money.
" JOSEPH BOYNTON, Town Treasurer.
" Westford Dec" 1763, the above Named subscribers have all paid the money into the Treasury which they sub- scribed."
" Westford June 14 1763.
" To Lieut. Joseph Boynton, Town Treasurer. You the sd Treasurer are ordered to pay Capt. Jonas Prescott, Capt. Samuel Fletcher & Dear John Abbott as a Committee chosen by sd Westford to provide a meeting house Bell for sd Town or to the major Part of sd Committee the sum of £27-9-o which is the sum total of what is subscribed in sd Westford towards Purchasing sd bell. Also, you the sd Treasurer are ordered to pay out of the Treasury to the sd Committee or to the major part of them the sum of £27- II-o in order to enable them (with the sum subscribed above mentioned) to purchase a good bell for sd Westford.
By order of the Selectmen.
NATH BOYNTON, Town Clerk."
" December 5, 1763. Pay to Capt. Jonas Prescott £3- 4s for cash that he paid towards Purchasing the meeting house bell over and above what was ordered and for his Journey to boston to Receive sd bell."
Amos Hildreth Thomas Comings . Jabez Keep
0
18
0
1
4
0
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INCORPORATION TO BEGINNING OF REVOLUTIONARY WAR.
" December 19, 1763. Pay to Ephraim Hildreth Jun" the sum of 12s for bringing the meeting house bell from Boston."
The land on which the belfry stood was conveyed to the town by the following deed :
" Whereas The Town of Westford hath lately Builded a New Building in the Middle of sd Town known by the Name.of a Bellfree (so called) and as it now standeth on the Land of Ebenezer Stone and is now used for the Hanging and Ringing the Meeting House Bell that belongeth to the sd Town of Westford.
" Now Know Ye that I Ebenezer Stone of Westford in the County of Middlesex, Trader, in consideration of the Love and Good Will I bare on my mind to sd Town of Westford, Have given granted Bargained and sold and do by these presents give grant bargain and sell and Freely and Fully and absolutely convey and confirm unto the sd Town of Westford, the land on which the sd Bellfree above mentioned Now Standeth so long as the Town of Westford shall see cause to use and improve the same piece of land for a Bell- free to Ring Westford meeting house bell on; and if the Town of Westford aforesd shall cease to use and improve the sd peice of land for the purpose afore mentioned, then this conveyance to be nul and void. Otherwise so long as sd peice of land is improved by sd Town of Westford for the purpose above mentioned this conveyance shall Remain in full Force and vartue as witness my hand and seal this Twenty Third Day of May A. D. 1764 in the Fourth year of his Majesties Reign.
EBENE STONE [L. S. ]
Signed sealed and delivered in presents of us
JONAS PRESCOTT SAMUEL FLETCHER BENJAMIN CARVER THOMAS KIDDER OLIVER BATES."
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HISTORY OF WESTFORD.
This deed is to be found in Volume II., page nine- teen, of the Town Records. Inasmuch as the clerk did not sign it as if recorded by him, it is probably the original draft and the signatures are genuine autographs.
The dimensions of the belfry are not given except that the bell was to " hang fifteen feet high," and it was to " be as wide as the Commtee think proper." It is evident, how- ever, that it was not a mere skeleton of frame-work, but a building framed, boarded, clapboarded, plastered, painted and glazed.
The coming of the first bell ever brought to town was an event of some significance to the people. Its glad peals were to call them to the house of God, and its solemn tolling was to announce the passing of many a soul from earth to heaven.
The records show the sums paid for work and materials : Asahel Wyman found the irons; Phinehas Hildreth, laid the underpinning ; Capt. Jabez Keep furnished " 15 hun- dred of bords "; Benjamin Carver, a white pine tree ; Abner Kent, " an iron plate for the axeltree "; Ebenezer Stone, " nails and other things"; Joseph Boynton, "clabords"; James Dutton, " 477 feet of bords "; Thomas Comings, Jr., " slit work and plank "; Timothy Underwood, timber, and widow Thankful Chase, "one crooked beam." Joseph Dutton, Jr., was paid "for 4 days' works "; Capt. Samuel Fletcher, "for work Nails and other service"; Dea. John Abbot, Zechariah Hildreth, Amos Hildreth, and Oliver Adams, of Chelmsford, " for work "; Capt. Jonas Prescott, " for work planck & slitwork"; Henry Wright, Jr., " for twenty eight days' work;" and Nathaniel Boynton, "the sum of £14-10, for work & stuf & Painting and glaz- ing and plastering,"-the largest item of the account.
The bell was bought in the autumn of 1763, but prob- ably it was not put in position until some time in the spring of 1764. The belfry was " southwesterly of the meeting house." The meeting-house of that day stood much nearer the Common than the present one does, and the site of the
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INCORPORATION TO BEGINNING OF REVOLUTIONARY WAR.
belfry was near the corner of the lot on which the Academy stands.
The First Bell-Ringer. "Westford February 22, 1765, Pay to Ebenezer Stone the sum of £ for ringing the meeting house bell the year past."
Mr. Stone was doubtless appointed as soon as the bell was ready for use, and he was therefore the first to make it ring out over the hills and valleys of Tadmuck.
Gloves. " April 4, 1763. Lieut. Joseph Boynton, Pay to Mr. Ebenezer Stone £1-1-4 for nine pair of Gloves that he provided for ye funeral of Mrs. Boynton."
Copying Records. "September 30, 1765. Voted to transcribe the Record of Births and Deaths all out of the old Book into the new Book bought for that use in order as they ought to be. Voted and chose John Abbot and Mr. Nathaniel Boynton a committee for that service to transcribe the Births and Deaths above mentioned."
Deeds of Charity. " January 6, 1766. Pay John Abbot the sum of 8s. for a great coat Jacoat and Briches which he found for William Bowen by the Selectmen's order-sd Bowen being under such low circumstances that he was like to suffer with cold, he being so naked that he was like to freeze with cold and the Selectmen thought it a Deed of Charity to Relieve him at his Desire."
" February 10, 1766. Pay Dea. Henry Wright the sum of £ I for milk Butter and Cheese and six yards of all wool Cloath for womans gounds and making them up for John Blodget's wife and girl."
Singing. " May 21, 1767, voted and granted the third, fourth & fifth seats in the Frunt gallery to those Persons that have been taking pains to learn to sing Ruleable in the Congregation and to aney others that shall be disposed to learn to sing by Rule.".
80
HISTORY OF WESTFORD.
This vote indicates that some attention began to be paid to the science of music. Generally the psalm or hymn had been " deaconed off," that is, read one line at a time by the deacon, and so caught up and sung by the congregation.
Civil Action. "September 1, 1767. Voted Not to pay Doctor Jeremiah Robbinson's Acct as set forth in the write. Voted to Defend the Action commenced against sd Westford by Jeremiah Robinson. Voted that Mr. Thomas Kidder and Nath! Boynton shall be a Committee to Defend the action commencª against sd Westford by Doctor Jeremiah Robinson."
This was a suit to recover fees for doctoring some of the town's poor. Dr. Robinson came from Marblehead and removed from Westford to Littleton.
Mending the Bell. "November 20, 1767. Pay to Nath1 Boynton the sum of 13s-4d for a Journey to Hanover for instructions for mending the Town bell."
There was a foundry established in Hanover quite early and to that probably he went for his instructions.
The Early Burying-Grounds. " There are burial- grounds where, as Tennyson beautifully says : ' The stone- cut epitaph remains after the vanished voice and speaks to men.' And what tales do they not tell us? Every name we read in rugged and half-worn capitals recalls some page of romantic history, some career over which the archaeologist may linger with affectionate remembrance ; wafts legendary stories from the dim twilight of the past, and recalls tradi- tions which years may have buried amid the lumber of our recollections."
It is a fact worthy to be mentioned, that the first bury- ing-place in Westford was not near the meeting-house. It was the custom to lay out a lot around or very near the sanctuary. This was so in Concord, Chelmsford and Groton, and in nearly all the old towns. The practice is a very old one, perhaps started by the Celts in the 6th Century or
81
INCORPORATION TO BEGINNING OF REVOLUTIONARY WAR.
possibly by the Romans. St. Columba, who founded the monastery at Iona, on the west coast of Scotland, marked off a space in the chapel or oratory for the repose of the dead. Later, such a place was called "God's Acre," the term being first used, it is supposed, by the Germans. In Westford, the oldest burial-ground is a mile east of the meet- ing-house, and is not, therefore, a church-yard. Indeed, the early settlers never used the word church to designate the house of worship or the place of burial. Inasmuch as the eastern portion of the town was first settled, the spot was selected long before the precinct or town was formed. The oldest head-stone bears this inscription : " Abram Wright, died 1702." But burials may have taken place before this ; and as the records of Chelmsford give no information about it, it is perhaps impossible to fix the time when the first grave was made there.
" May 20, 1751. Voted that Capt. Fletcher, Lt. Pres- cott and Mr. Ebenezer Wright be a Com" to search out the bounds of the Burying Place and make report to the next meeting.".
" August 19, 1751. Voted that the Com" shall continue to do somewhat further about the burying places."
" March 6, 1752. Voted to continue the Former Comit- tee that was chosen to search up the bounds of the buring place and Renew the same if they may be found."
" May 18, 1752. Voted to refer the article about the buring place to the next meeting, and the Com" chosen for that service are Desired to get the assistance of some of the Elderly people of sd town to assist them in finding out the bounds of the burying Place If they may be found."
"September 25, 1752. Voted to Ad Thomas Read Esq. Mr. Josiah Burge, Ens. Samuel Fletcher, and Mr. James Pollard to the former Com" chosen to search up the bounds of the buring place, and sd Com" to go and make the bounds of the buring place where they think they ought in Justice to bee."
11
82
HISTORY OF WESTFORD.
It is implied in these votes that very little was known about it. The Committee made the following report :
" We the subscribers being a Com" to Renew the Bounds of the Buring Place Between Mr. Daniel Brooks and Mr. Josiah Brookses Land-is as followeth to wit: Begining at ye corner of the ston wall which was Sal Un- derwood's corner then Running Partly Easterly By ye Land of Mr. Daniel & Josiah Brookses Land aboute Eight Rods to a stake and stons then Running Northardly aboute three rods to a stake and stons By ye ston wall, then Running westerly aboute fifteen Roads to a stake and stons by the Highway as the fence Now stands, then Turning at ye End of ye ston wall which ye Town Built for the Burying Place Southardly aboute four Roads, Then Turning and Running Partly Easterly a Boute seven Roads to ye corner of ye ston wall where we Began.
" Dated at Westford ye 19: day of February 1753. Jos Fletcher, Jonas Prescott, Ebenezer Wright, Thos Read, Sall Fletcher, James Pollard."
" Westford February 19h 1753. We the subscribers have Renewed the Bound of the Burying Place with the Comtt within Named against our Land & do Consent to said Bounds. Daniel Brooks, Josiah Brooks, Thomas Cumings. Record [ed] by me Jos Read Town Clerk."
" May 23, 1753. Voted to Except of the old Burying Place as the Com" Bounded it out and the Transcript To Be Recorded."
" May 15, 1754. Voted and chose Ens. Sal Fletcher & James Pollard a Comtt. to make ye Town's part of ye fence Betwene Mr. Brookes Land and the Buryind Place & to make a Hors block and Set it up there and also to make a conveneant Gate & put it up for conveniance of going into the same."
Additions were soon after made to it as will be seen by the following extract :
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INCORPORATION TO BEGINNING OF REVOLUTIONARY WAR.
" May 18, 1768. Voted to Exsept of ye Comts Report Relating to ye old Burying Yard & also Returned Thanks to Mr. Thomas Cumings & Josiah Brooks for ye land they Generously gave to ye Town for an adition to ye old Bury- ing Yard. Ye Comtts Report is as follows, viz :
" Westford March ye 3, 1768. We the subscribers chosen by ye Town a Comtte to settle ye line Betwene the old Burying place & Mr. Thomas Cumings Land and also to Treat with him aboute purchasing a piece of his Land adjoyning to said Burying place for a adition to ye same- accordingly we have settled ye Line Betwene said Cumings Land and the sd Burying place & have measured of aboute 18 rods of his Land Joyning to ye southerly side of said Burying place by his Consent & bounded oute ye same by Taking a Plan of said peace of Land & on said Burying Place & have also measured of a peace of Mr. Josiah Brookes Land by his Consent for an adition to said Burying Place of aboute 30 rods of ground which we found would accomodate better than to Take a peice of either of their Lands Seperate & said Thomas Cumings and Josiah Brooks have Generasly offered to Give each of their peices of Lands bounded oute by them and ye Com" for an adition to ye Burying place to the Town forever for that use, provided the Town will exsept of the same & fence ye Burying Place & grant Liberty to said Parties to feed the same by putting into said place calves or sheep But no large Cattle or hogs that may Damnifie ye same. Ye Bounds of sd Burying Place may more fully appear by the plan of the same Taken by Mr. Ebenezer Prescott by our desire Said parties above mentioned are to have ye above mentioned improvement of but only in & by Their own Persons & also Mr. Brooks to have ye apples Growing on the same.
JONAS PRESCOTT, JOHN ABBOTT, Comtte SAMY FLETCHER,
" Westford May ye 18# 1768. We the subscribers freely consent to ye within Comt Report & freely Give ye
84
HISTORY OF WESTFORD.
Land within mentioned to the use of the Town forever with ye within Reserve
THOMAS CUMINGS, JOSIAH BROOKS.
" Voted that Mr. Josiah Brooks shall have ye Liberty of gethering ye apples that grow on ye adition made to ye old Burying yard untill the Town shall Want to Improve the Land."
North Burying-Ground. "March 5, 1753. Voted to Except of the Land on Tarkil (Tarkiln) hill for a Burying Place as itt was laid out By the Comtt."
The description is thus given :
" March ye Ist 1753. Laid out for a Buring Place a Peace of Land att a Place Called Tarkil hill Being one acer more or less Bounding near where Two Rodes meet a small pine tree marked and a heap of stons Then Runing North- erly By said Rode Thirteen Rods to a small pine Tree marked & a heap of stons about it one the west side of said Rode Then Running westerly fourteen Rods to a pine tree marked and a heap of stons then Southerly Thirteen Rods to a Black Oake tree marked & a heap of stone then one the North Side of a Roade that Leads from Thomas Wright's which was the Road Before mentioned to the first Bound.
JOSEPH FLETCHER, EBENEZER WRIGHT. Comtt "
" Westford March ye Ist 1753. We whose Names are underwritten Being owners of the Land above mentioned do freely Give it To the Town for a Burying Place for Ever if they Except it for that use.
EBENEZER WRIGHT, THOMAS WRIGHT."
" September ye 21 : 1767. Voted to fence the North Burying Yeard with Stone Wall Eight Rods squear : Pro- vided the owners or Claimers of sd land Do give a good title to the sd Town of sd land."
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INCORPORATION TO BEGINNING OF REVOLUTIONARY WAR.
Dec" ye 12th 1768. Pay to Thos Wright & Oliver Bates ye sum of £6-1-8 for making 36 rods and a half of Stone wall Round the north Burying Yard."
The West Burying-Ground. " May 15, 1761. Voted and Excepted of half an acre of Land for a burying Place Purchased by Mr. Nathan Procter of Mr. Samuel Parker as may more fully appear by Deed of Sail for sd Land from sd Parker to sd Procter & to the Town of Westford for their use Provided the Town be at no charge in Purchasing sd Land."
This vote shows that the land was a gift from Nathan Procter. Probably it was a part of the estate of Deacon Joshua Fletcher, who owned a large tract of land in the vicinity and whose daughter Sarah married Samuel Parker.
The Cowdry Estate. "May 15, 1761. Voted that the Selectmen of this town shall use Their best skill and Judg- ment to Preserve and Recover the Estate of the late John Cowdry Decesª or aney part of sd Estate that hath been or is in an unjust manner spent & spending by Anna Cowdry widow of the sd Deces! . "
Warned Out. "September-1764. Sommers Shattuck of Littleton, Abigail Blodgett of Nottingham West in New Hampshire, John Stanley of Charlestown, William Perkins of Topsfield, James Perry of Billerica, Hepsebeth Perry, wife of James Perry, of Lexington, Doctor Jeremiah Robin- son and Eunice his wife, Eunice, Winthrop, and Lydia their children from Haverhill or Marlbrough, Nowel Dodge Jun", Martha Dodge and Elizabeth Dodge of Littleton."
" March ye II, 1766. Benjamin Chamberlin and Susanna his wife, Benjamin and Susanna their children who came last from Dunstable; wid. Sarah Avery from Town- send ; Thomas Hardy and Deborah his wife, Hannah Perry and Richard Perry their grandchildren; Thomas Hardy Jun" and Lydia his wife; Joseph Bailey and Deborah his wife, Nathaniel, Elizabeth, Joseph Bailey their children all from Bradford ; and Samuel Gilson last from Groton."
86
HISTORY OF WESTFORD.
" September II, 1766. John Butterfield and Martha his wife, Benjamin, John, Abel, Henry, Kezia and Martha their children who came last from Shirley ; Thomas Nutting from Groton ; Joel Wright Perham, hannah Perham & Deliver- ance Perham from Littleton."
" March ye 2, 1767. Thomas Esterbrooks and Expe- rience his wife, Joseph and Joel Esterbrooks their sons last from Dunstable; Samuel Farwell and Mary his wife last from Groton ; Nathan Tylor last from Chelmsford ; Zechariah Fletcher and Eunice his wife, Eunice and Susannah their children who lately came from Ipswich in New Hampshire ; and Elizabeth Lawrence who lately came from the District of Pepperell."
" March 5, 1770. David Keyes and Esther his wife, Charles, David, and Esther their children all brought from Acton ; Peter Larkin lately from Boston and his wife Hannah ; Benjamin Estherbrook from Dunstable; Jacob Nutting from Groton ; Nathaniel Far & Abigail his wife and Abigail and Martha their children."
" September, 1770. Jonathan Fish and Dorothy his wife, Jonathan, Ebenezer and Lucy their children last from Mason in Newhampshire ; Joseph Barrett and Marcy his wife and Molly their daughter lately from Chelmsford; Sarah Kemp from Pepperell; Elizabeth Jones from Manchester ; Solomon Wheat from Needham ; Lydia Phelps from Groton ; Jane Corey from Littleton ; Joseph Perry from Chelmsford ; Samuel Brooks & his wife from Woburn; Azubah Nutting from Waltham ; Peter Rollins from Littleton ; David Fish & Sarah his wife from Acton; Smith Foster from Billerica ; Hannah Woods from Hampshire; Ebenezer Temple from Acton, and Mary Russell from Littleton."
" March 4, 1771. John Fletcher from Chelmsford ; Molly Perry from Dunstable; Joanna Farmer and Isacah Keyes from Chelmsford ; Thomas Beal and Molly his wife from Ipswich ; and Nancy Taggart. Also Patience Wyman from Littleton."
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INCORPORATION TO BEGINNING OF REVOLUTIONARY WAR. .
"September, 1772. Francis Goodhue & Lucy his wife and Benesla & Francis their children late from Ipswich ; Arthur Dennis and Mary his wife, Mary and Arther their children last from Ipswich ; Thankful Chase last from Putney in New York government; Anna Sartell from Groton; Thankful Bennett and Rhoda Bennett from Hollis; William Beal and Anna his wife and Obadiah Beal from Ipswich ; Oliver Barrett and Anna his wife and Anna, Ebenezer, Oliver, Joseph and Benjamin their children and Sipeo their negro from Billerica ; Benjamin Wheat and Sarah his wife and Sarah, John, and betty their children from New Ipswich ; Henry Morgan and Hannah his wife from Townsend; Wil- liam Fletcher and Sarah his wife last from Mason ; and Jack Lane and his wife, Cyrus, Mella, jesse and Ellis their children from Littleton; and wid. Elizabeth Hunt and Abijah Hunt last from Concord."
" 1774. Sarah Parker and Mary how from Littleton ; Sarah Curtis from Lyn; William Nicoles and Ruth his wife from Concord; Ebenezer Foster and Hannah his wife, Ruth William and Oliver their children from Chelmsford."
Powder and Bullets. "December ye 12: 1768. Pay to Mr. Eben" Stone ye sum of £6 for to buy one Barrill of Powder & ye Rest is to be laid oute in Bullits & Flints which he has undertaken to buy for the Town of Westford."
Remonstrance Against the Stamp Act. Scarcely had the strife between England and France for supremacy in North America come to an end, before the English Govern- ment began to impose burdens upon her colonies here which the free spirit of the people would not bear. The Stamp Act was one of a series of legislative usurpations that led to their separation from the mother country. This town, in common with many others, put upon record its emphatic protest against that Act.
" We the Freeholders and other inhabitants of the Town of Westford in town meeting assembled the Thirty-first Day
88
HISTORY OF WESTFORD.
of October A. D. 1765, Voted and chose Lt. Timothy Fletcher, Moderator ; then voted: Professing the Greatest Loyalty to our most Gracious Soverain and our Sincere Regard and Profound Reverence for the British Parliment as the most powerful and Respectable Body of men on earth, yet at the same time Being Deeply sencable of the Difficultys and Distresses to Which that agust Assembly's Late exertion of their power in and by the Stamp Act must Necessarily Expose us ; think it proper in the present critical Conjuncture of affairs to give the following instructions, viz :
" To Capt. Jonas Prescott our Representative-we trust in your Honesty and fidelity and trust [to the trust?] Re- posed in you Beleiveing you have ever served this town in the best way and manner you were capable ; and now at a time when American Subjects are every where loudly com- plaining of arbitrary and unconstitutional Tax laid on us, as we humbly apprehend, and that the town of Westford cannot any.longer Remain silent without just Imputation of inex- cusable neglect, we therefore would consider what stepts are best for us to take at this alarming time. We think it proper to let you know our sentiments and to give you our instruc- tions thereupon. We are alarmed and astonished at the Act called Stamp Act by which very greaves [grievous] and we apprehend unconstitutional tax is laid on us. We humbly apprehend by the Royal Charter granted to our forefathers that they had power of making Laws for our internal gov- erment and of leveling taxes invested in the general assembly ; and by the same Charter the inhabitants of this Province are intituled to all the Rights and Priviledges of Natural free born subjects of Great Britain. The most essencial Rights of Britan subjects are those of being Repre- sented in the same body which exercised the power of Leveling Taxes on them and having their properties Tryed by Juries. These are the common Privilidges of Mankind, and we apprehend we ware not Represented in Parlament of Great Britain when that sd act was made, and it is certain that this Act admites of our Properties being tryed. by Courts of admiltry [admiralty] without a Jury ; so at once
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