USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Taunton > Quarter millinnial celebration of the city of Taunton, Massachusetts, Tuesday and Wednesday, June 4 and 5, 1889 > Part 29
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"June the first 1709 At a Legall Town meeting warned and held at Taunton publick meeting house it was first Voted to chuse a Moderator and the person chosen by Vote was Lieut James Leonard.
2. It was put to vote whether the Town would chuse a committee of five men to give Reasons in behalf of the Town, to the Generall Court, why the petitions of the north and south purchasers should not be granted,
3. it was voted that the Town shall chuse five men to make Return to the Generall Court and give their Reasons why, the prayers of the north and south purchasers should not be granted, and the persons then chosen for the committe were Lieut James Leonard, Thomas Harvey Ensign phillip King: Ensign Thomas Gilbert and Jonathan paddleford. A true coppy Transcribed By me John Wilbore Town Clerk.
There was evidently some sharp work going on here, for on the 4th of June, 1709, the Selectmen sent this word to the General Court :
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QUARTER MILLENNIAL CELEBRATION.
To ye honored Generall Cort
we whose names are under written Knowing it to be our duty to be faith- full unto ye Care and trust commited to us by ye towne of Taunton and Knowing yt Capt Jarat Talbut of our taunton south purchase and others of his neighbours had petitioned ye Great and Generall Cort to grant them a township or a presint and hearing yt ye Cort had sent us a notifi- cation to make answer why their prayers should not be granted I James Leonard desiered sd Talbut to let us ye selectmen have ye notification yt ye Cort had sent to us which was on ye 30th day of may: 1709 and sd Tal- but said yt we should have it if we would pay for it and on ye first day of June 1709 I said Thomas Harvey desired sd Talbut to give us ye sd noti- fication and sd Talbut said he had given a copye of sd notification to John Spur on of our select men as witnes our hands this 4th day of Jun in yeare of Christ 1709.
. James Leonard Į two of ye Thomas harvey § selectmen.
This Committee, above chosen June Ist, immediately sent in this remonstrance.
To his Excly Joseph Dudley Esqr. Captn Generall & Governour in chief in and over her majesties province of ye Massachusetts bay &c and to ye hononred Councill and Representatives convened in General Court.
Whereas a petition has been presented to this great and General Court by some of Taunton south purchase and some of the Inhabitants of The East side The Great River opposite to sd purchase, to be joyned to gether either in a township or precinct, Separate from the old Town- ship or other parts of sd town, and upon Reading and Considering sd petition This Great and general Court ordered that the Select Men of Taunton bee served with a coppy of sd petition as we hear, that they might be heard If they had any thing to say, why ye prayr of sd petition- ers should not be granted, the Select Men warnd a town meeting to Con- sider of the matter (as also concerning ye north purchase petition) and the Town met togather and petitioners: but fell into such a heat of spirit by such a Striving by the petitioners to break our Town to pesis: The day was spent in Confusion and the meeting dismist and nothing done: and the selectmen warnd another town meeting to be on ye 22nd day of february 1708-9 and the town and petitioners mett to gather, the select men desird of Capt. Talbut to se the petition That they and the Town might Consider it and doo what was proper to be done about it but Captn. Talbut Utterly Refused to show it To them or to Lett them see it, so that we the subscribers cannot tell what is properly petitioned for, and are therefore Rendered incapable of making any objections or to manifest onr unwillingness to have it granted, having nothing but com- mon talk to consider of, which grieves ns and puts us to a stand what to
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APPENDIX.
do, now may it pleas this Great and honord Court, If we offer any thing as objections to ye granting sd petition, it cannot be certain for we know not certain what they petition for: If our neibours would be a Township, we humbly conceive that cannot be without the Towns willingness, for Townships are to continue as they are by our Charters and Laws, and If it be a precinct that our , neighbours would have according as is talked about, it is not possible to answer the end they propose to themselves and it will certainly put such a charge on the midle part of the Town who live upon small Lots that they will not be able to beare it, but must we fear Dismis our setled minister and quit our houses and smal Lots and move into the out parts of the Town too Or Leave the Town quite, all that we can say farther is untill we are farther acquainted with the sd . petetition is earnestly to pray This great and General court, that the mat- ter may wholly sease, or at Least be suspended that the matter may be farther considered In our Town, and If it may fairly and in a christian way be Debated among us which we humbly conceive may stop a great Deal of Trouble and Contention among us, and we are humbly of opinion that ye true state of the matter cannot be known by what is offored, but If there be any farther proceedings about it, we pray a Commite of Re- mote persons be chosen to vew what is Desired and hear what may be said and make Report to this great and generall court att ye Charge of those that Trouble us. The Select men not agreeing in making answer to this honrd Court they warnd another Town metting June 1st 1709 and ye Town and petitioners mett Together to chuse a commite and the Town made a choyce of us the subscribers to act and make answer to this honrd Court and so pray that God almighty Direct in this and all the weighty affairs before in this time of Difficulty we subscribe your honord humble servants
Dated June 5th 1709.
James Leonarrd - Commitey
Phillip King Thomas Harvey Thomas GilBert Jonathan padelford
Some of the Southern residents however did not concur in the foregoing petition, but sent in this remonstrance, which indi- cates a need of a school master quite as much as of a minister.
To his Exelencey the governor Capt. giniaril In and over his maiestes province of the masachusetts bay in New Ingland: and heeir maeistes Councel and to his honnourable house of Representatives sitting at bos- ton febuarey 24th 1708 may it pleas this great and general Court to here the humble petishion of us whose names are under writon being the in- habetence of the south purchas that belongeth to Taunton: We under
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stand some of our neighbours of sd south purchase have proposed a petishio to gether with some of the East side of Taunton great River whose hands are to sd petishion for township or presink we pray that no such thing may be for these Resens folowing 1. We are but fu in number 2. The most of us young beginirs having great laings out to to subdue the wildrnes and to build houses to dwell in. 3. the great- ness of Rates by Reson of wars and long continuing and no appearance of peace and that we cannot expect peace so long as every mans hand is against his neighbour 4 we are informed our neighbours of the south purchas have made artickles of agrement that they will build the meeting house upon their one Cost and Charge and be at the Charge of setting an atardoxe minister and half charge of ferebots tofere over sd River which will be several hundreds of pouns lost; it will be Runus to us and them if any such thing be: 5ly the defilcy of feren over the River by Reson of eise often fresing and thain that it is so un serting that some of Those most Knoing the River Latly fell threw the ise and were in great Danger of Drowining: 6ly great Diffilcy by Reson of the waters exces of swiftnes up the River and some times down some tides with wind very dangrous pasing acros some times by great floods Runing so swift down sd River dangrous pasing over: 7ly We ar not willing to leve our Reverend Mr. Samuel danfoth who is and will be we hope untill death our faithfull menester of Jesus Christ: therefore In par- ticklar we pray that we may not be Removed from under his faithfull ministrey: 8ly we pray as childrin to their father that you would not sufer aney such thing to be because we are not able to bare it by Reson of our in ability: the litle bee when neley swarmed is destitute of honey ; 9ly We wer not In formed of sd petishion untill we were Informed by sd generall court: and that we dooe owne one quarter part of sd south purchas as our one freehold: hoping in your clemency yours to pray for.
nicolas morey eleazer Walker
James Walker sen. elezabeth emerson James Walker John Ward Nathan Walker
The General Court feeling much perplexed at this variety of views in the persons most interested, resolved to send a committee to examine and report upon the subject, in these words :
Upon the Hearing of the several Petitions of the Inhabitants of the North & South Purchases in Taunton, to be made separate Precincts for the Settling & Support of the Ministry in the respective Places.
Resolved that Nathaniel Thomas, Nathaniel Byfield and James War- ren Esqrs, be a Committee to repair to Taunton, & View the said several
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Purchases, & Upon Consideration of all Circumstances, to sett off proper Precinets to encourage the good Ends desired by the Petitioners, and to advise & Direct to the most suitable Places for the Raising of their Meet- ing Houses, and to make their Report to the next Session of this Court for Confirmation, Nathaniel Thomas Esqr. to appoint the Time; The Charges of the said Committee to be born by the said Precincts.
Wch Resolve being sent down to the Representves Was Concur'd by that House- And is Consented to, J. Dudley.
(Date of meeting, June 8, 1709.)
This Committee reported as follows :
" Pursuant to an Order of the Great & Genll Court dated June ye 5th 1709 to us Directed to Repaire to Taunton & vew the severall Tracts of land which the Inhabitants of the North & South Purchases in Taun- ton have Petioned to be made separate precincts for the settling & suport of the Ministry in the said Respective Places.
And We the subscribers haveing vewed the said severall Tracts & Heard the allegations of the opposite Partys thereto upon Consideration of all Circumstances have set the bounds of the severall precincts as fol- loweth
That is to say That the bounds of the North Precinct according to their Petition) shall begin at the Line between the two old Colonys of the Massachusetts & Plimouth in the line of the bounds between Taun- ton North Purchase & Attlebury & from thence Southward to Rehoboths Northeast Corner & from thence Eastward on the said No. Purchase line to Taunton bounds, & thence Eastward to the Mouth of the brook Called burts brook leaving out Capt. Hodgess land at Birts brook & Extending from the Mouth of Burts brook to the bridge made over the Mill River near Wm. Witherells & from thence North Eastward to the North Purchase line & from the North Purchase line the road that leads from said brig towards Norton to be the bounds till it come to the line Betwen the said late Colonys which line to be the bounds to Attle- bury bounds aforesd.
And that the Meeting house for the said North Precinct shall be sett on the Northward side of the way that leads over Rumford River at Crosmans Way at the Place where the way Crosseth it that leads from John Hodges's to the Beech Island.
And the bounds of the Precinct of the South Purchase aforesd shall (according to their Petion) be the Line between Tanton Town old Bounds & the said South Purchase & from the Mouth of three Mile River to the Maple Tree att assemitt River at the Road of freeTown land. And that the Meeting house for the said South Precinet shall be set on the West side of the way near Capt. Jerard Talbutts house according as the Peti- tionrs have agreed.
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In testimony whereof We have hereunto set our hands
NATHANIEL THOMAS.
N. BYFIELD,
16th Sept., 1709 In Council.
JAMES WARREN.
Read and accepted. Jsa. Addington. Secry.
Sent down for concurrence
Sept. 16 1709. Read
In the House of Representatives.
Sept. 19 1709. Read & Concurred with the Proviso annex'd John Clark Speaker.
Diepredict
Agreed to the Provisio In Council Jsa. Addington Secry.
Provided that the East End of the North Purchase shall have halfe the said Purchase, as their Precint; when they are able to maintain a Minister, & this Court judge them so.
But soon this South precinct was anxious to become a separate town and petitioned for that purpose, on which this action was taken by the House of Representatives.
" Upon reading a petition of Cpt. Jared Talbot Agent for & in the Name & Behalf of the Inhabts of the South Precinct in Taunton, Pray- ing to have their Bounds circumscribed & ascertained & to be made a Township of them selves;
Ordered That the Petitioner Cause the Select Men of Taunton to be served with a Copy of this Petition to notify them that they attend a Hearing of the Prayer of the Petition before this Court on Friday the tenth of November next, if they continue to sit so long, If they have any Thing to object thereto, Otherwise on the first Tuesday of the next Ses- sion.
Concurred by the Representatives :- Consented to, J. Dudley.
(Date of meeting, October 27th 1710.
If any opposition was made to the creation of a new town it was not successful, and in 1712, an order was passed as follows:
Upon Reading a Petition of Cpt. Jared Talbot Agent for the South Precinct in Taunton, Praying in the name & Behalfe of the Inhabitants of the said Precinct that they may be made a Town, as prayed for in a former Petition.
Ordered that the Prayer of the Petition be granted for a Township The Town to be named Dighton, There having been a Hearing betwixt the Petitioners & the Agents for the Town of Taunton before this Court in aformer Session some Time since. and that upon the application of
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the Select Men of Taunton or of Dighton, the former Committee assigned to survey & propose a Line for the Precinct be desired & impowered to perfect fully describe & ascertain the Line throughout, & Report the same to this Court, Not including any Land, but what is property within the Township of Taunton, Saving the Determining the Charge of the Building & Repairing of Bridges upon a Hearing at any Time before this Court, as also a Proportion of all Arrearages of Town Charges ac cruing whilst Taunton Township remained entire before division, and that a Platt of this Township be presented:
Concurred by the Representatives :- Consented to, J. Dudley. (Date of meeting, May 30, 1712.)
The town of Dighton was thus somewhat irregularly created, but in 1744 a confirmatory act was passed, defining the bounds as follows :
AN ACT FOR ASCERTAINING THE BOUNDS OF THE TOWN OF DIGHTON; AND FOR THE CONFIRMATION OF THEIR POWERS AND PRIVILEGES. [3 Prov. Sts., p. 215. ]
WHEREAS in the year one thousand seven hundred and twelve thie South Precinct in Taunton was erected into a township by the name of Dighton, but the bounds thereof were not fully ascertained and by rea- ' son thereof of late there have some disputes arisen, and application hatlı been made to this court to ascertain the bounds,-
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GOVERNOUR, COUNCIL AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
(Sect. 1.) That the bounds of the said town of Dighton shall be as follows; viz. : beginning at a lieap of stones by a rock near the water side on the westerly side of Broad Cove and from thence running Westerly to a heap of stones near Bristol old path; and from thence westerly to a heap of stones near two miles from said Broad Cove and then running northerly about two miles to a stump of an ash tree; thence west and by north, to Rehoboth ancient line, to a stake and stones about it, being the north corner of the town of Swanzey, and the southwest corner of the said town of Dighton; thence northerly on a straight line to a marked tree commonly called the "Horseslioe;" thence easterly by marked trees down to the Three Mile River, so called; then with said River to Taunton Great River; then down Taunton Great River till it comes to the bounds first mentioned, together with Assonet(t) Neck, so far northerly as to come to the northerly bound of the land that was Mr. Edward Shove's; and that the land included within the bounds afore- said shall always hereafter be deemed a township by the name of Digli-
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ton as aforesaid; and that the inhabitants thereof be invested with the powers, privileges, and immunities that the inhabitants of any of the towns within this province by law are or ought to be invested with. any law, order or custom to the contrary notwithstanding.
(Sect. 2.) And all former acts and proceedings of the inhabitants of the said town of Dighton are hereby declared to all intents and purposes as valid, and of as full effect as if the said town had by an act of this court been incorporated and vested with the powers and privileges of a township at the time of their being taken off from Taunton, or sep(c)- (a)rated as aforesaid.
PROVIDED ALWAYS, -
(SECTION 3.) That property shall not be affected by this act, any construction thereof, or of any part thereof, to the contrary notwith- standing. Passed January 8, 1744.
APPENDIX Z.
[Page 53.]
The following is the act creating the town of Raynham.
Province Laws. 1730-31. Ch. 14 .- An act for dividing the town of Taunton, and erecting a new town there by the name of Raynham.
Whereas the town of Taunton, within the connty of Bristol, consists of a great number of inhabitants, and the northeasterly part thereof is competently filled with inhabitants, who have addressed this court to be set off a district and sep(a) (e)rate township,-
Be it therefore enacted by His Excellency the Governour, Council and Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same,
(Sect .. 1.) That the north-easterly part of Taunton, as hereafter bounded and described, be and hereby is set off and constituted a sep(a) (e)rate township, by the name of Raynham; the bounds of the said town- ship to be as followeth; viz., on the east by Bridg(e)water line; on the south by Taunton Great River, including all the land of Lieutenant Eben- ezer Robinson on the south-easterly or south side of s(ai)d river (except that p(ie)ei)ce of land by his saw mill, near the furnace, which is in Mid- dleborough precinct) : thence down said river to the bounds between the land of Thomas Dean and Nathaniel Williams, at the place called Shallow Water; thence on a straight line to the east end of Prospect Hill, at the going over of the way: including within said new township all the land of Zephaniah Leonard, and that which was formerly Capt, James Leonard's,
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APPENDIX.
which joineth to and is on the west side of said line,-which is to pay his proportion of all publiek charges to said new township,-and excluding the land of Nathaniel Williams, joining to and on the east side of said line,-which is to pay his proportion of publick charges to the town of Taunton; thence to run northerly by said way to the great cedar swamp at the going in of the great-island way; thence to cross said island, and run straight to Easton line, at the nearest place; thence to run casterly by s(ai)d Easton line, until it comes to Bridg(e)water line, first men- tioned : and that the inhabitants of the said lands, as before described. are hereby accordingly endowed and vested with all powers, privileges, imunnit(ie)(y)s and advantages which other towns in this province by law have and enjoy : provided, that the inhabitants of the said town of Raynham do, within the space of three years from the publication of this act, procure and settle a learned, orthodox minister, of good conver- sation and make provision for his comfortable and honourable support, aud likewise provide a school master to instruct their youth to read and write.
Provided, also,-
And be it further enacted,
(Seet. 2.) That the said inhabitants of the s(ai)d town of Raynham pay their respective proportions of all taxes and town rates that are al- ready levied or assessed upon the town of Taunton, for charges hitherto arisen within said town; and that that part of the land belonging to John King aud Phillip King, within the bounds herein described, that ha(th) (ve) been heretofore exempted from paying public charges to the town of Taunton, be also in like manner exempted from paying auy charges towards this new township.
(Passed April 2; published April 5, 1731.
APPENDIX AA.
(Page 53.)
The act creating the town of Berkley reads thus :
An act for dividing the towns of Taunton and Dighton, and erecting a new town there by the name of Berkeley.
Whereas the southerly part of Taunton, and the north part of Dighton, on the east side of the Great River, is competently fill' (e)d with inhabitants who labour under difficulties by reason of their remoteness from the places of publick meetings in the said towns, and have there-
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QUARTER MILLENNIAL CELEBRATION.
upon made their application to this court, that they may be set off a distinct and sep(a)(e)rate township. and be vested with all the powers and priv- ileges that other towns in this province are vested witlı,-
Be it therefore enacted by His Excellency the Governor, Council and Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same,
(Sect. 1.) That the southerly part of Taunton, and the northerly part of Dighton, on the east side of the Great River, as hereafter bounded and described, be and hereby are set(t) off, constituted and erected into .a sep(a) (e)rate and distinct township, by the name of Berkeley.
(Sect. 2.) The bounds of the said township being as follows; viz., beginning at the great river at a forked white oak tree, at the landing place between the land of Abraham Tisdal(e) and Micah Pratt, and from thence to extend on a streight line to a dam, known by the name of Lit- tle Meadow Dam(m); from thence to a rock with a heap of stones on it, in the said Little Meadow: from thence to extend on a streight line, until it intersects the line of the precinct, which includes part of Taun- ton and part of Middleborough, opposite to the dwelling house of John Williams'; from thence to extend on said precinct line to the maple tree, which is the corner bounds of Middleborough, Freetown, Dighton and Tannton; and from thence, bounded by Freetown, till it comes to a little knapp or hillock of upland, being the bounds between Dighton, Free- town, and Assonet Neck; and then bounded by the land of Mr. Edward Shove, till it comes to Taunton river, and then bounded by said river, till it comes to the first mentioned bounds.
(Sect. 3.) And that the inhabitants thereof be and hereby are vested and endowed with equal powers, privileges and immunities that the inhabitants of any of the other towns within this province are, or by law ought to be vested with.
Only
(Sect. 4.) It is to be understood that John Spurr, Nicholas Stevens, John Tisdale, Abraham Tisdale, Israel Tisdale and Ebenezer Pitts, and their families and estates, are not to be included in said township, and are to belong to the towns of Taunton and Dighton, as formerly.
(Sect. 5.) And the inhabitants of the town of Berkeley are hereby required, within the space of two years from the publication of this act, to procure and settle a learned, orthodox minister of good conversation, and make provision for his comfortable and honourable support,,and also errect and finish a suitable and convenient house for the publick worship of God, in said town.
Provided also,
(Sect. 6.) That the inhabitants, included within this township, that heretofore belonged to Taunton, shall from time to time, pay towards
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APPENDIX.
the repair of Ware Bridge in proportion with the remaining part of Taunton, according to their assessment in the last province tax, and also their proportion of the rates and taxes already made in Taunton; and that that part of this new township which belong'd to Dighton, pay their proportion with the said town of Dighton of the arrears of their out- standing rates already made, and of the debts due from the said town of Dighton, and also their proportion of the charge for the maintenance of the present poor of the town of Dighton.
(Passed and published April 18, 1735. Prov. Laws. 1734-5. Ch. 19.)
APPENDIX BB.
[Page 54.]
The history of the settlement of New Taunton is fully dis- closed in a copy of the records of the Proprietors, which has been obtained in full from the records of the town of Westmin- ster, Vermont, and are given below. "Rumford on Merrimac," mentioned hereafter, is well known to be Concord, N. H., and the "Great Falls" is now called Bellows Falls. Twenty-eight town - ships were laid out between the Connecticut and the Merrimack rivers. One on the west bank of the Connecticut, was on its sur- vey called "Township Number One," and being granted to a number of persons from Taunton, Norton and. Easton, in Mas- sachusetts, and from Ashford and Killingly, in Connecticut, who had petitioned for the same, was named "New Taunton," as most of the petitioners were from this town. The first meeting of the proprietors was Jan. 14, 1736, (O. S.), and on the 26th Sept., 1737, (O. S.,) only nine months later, the allotment of shares took place, and proposals were issued for building a saw mill and grist mill. On the 5th of March, 1740, the true northern boundary , line of Massachusetts was established, and New Taunton was found to be not within the jurisdiction of this Commonwealth.
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