USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Groton > The early records of Groton, Massachusetts. 1662-1707 > Part 10
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123
GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS.
at a town meting legelly warned Jun eighte 1702 the town did uote that thay would giue Peleg larraness Eairs three acers of madow whare thay ust to Improue and tenn acers of upland neare that madow upon the Conditions following that the aboue sd Peleg larrances heirs do deliuer up that Indian titelle which thay now have to the town
JAMES BLANCHARD Clarke
at a town leaglly warned Jun : eight 1702 the town : did uot that thay would giue to robart robins Sener three acers of madow where he uste to Improue : and ten acers of upland near his madow upon the Conditions forlowing that he aboue sd Robart Robbins doth deliuer : up that Indian titels which he now hath : to the town
JAMES BLANCHARD town Clarke
Groton december : II : 1702 at a town meteing legally warndid the town did note : that ya would giue Mr hubart our minister for the year 1703 Seuenty pound one quarter part in mony and the other three quarters In prouition : and ten pound In wood at feiue Shilling per Cord : the wood to be all payed In by the last of Jneu- ary or fiue Shilling In pay In the leue of one cord of woode
JAMES BLANCHARD town Clark
At the same meting the town did uot that ya would rais Mr hub- berts rate for yi year 170[3] seuen shillings upon the head and the remainder by the Cuntry Inuoyce JAMES BLANCHARD Clark
March : 1th: 1703 at a town meting legely warned chosen : for constable : for the year 1703 chosen for constable thomas Chamber- lin for the second constable John Perham for the year 1703 : for town clack for this year James blanchard
for select men for the year 1703 : Samuell Parker James Nuting James Blanchard for tiding men Joseph gilson Benjmen farn- worth Samuell Wood Zechriah Satell
for Suruaiers of the high ways for the year 1703 John lagely Joseph farwell Joseph Perham Eleazer green
for fences uciwers thomas Williams and John hoar
JAMES BLANCHARD Clarke
At a town meting legielly warned April 21: the town did uot that : Insign farnworth should be the Commisinor. to tak the Inuoyce : with the select men.
at the same meting the town : did chuse Eliazer parker to discorce
124
EARLY RECORDS OF
John Applin of Watertown : to see If he will come : up to groton and keep scole to tech children and youth to reed and right and to know his terms and bring his term to the Select men : who are Im- powered by the town : to agree with sd man : for one year 1703 JAMES BLANCHARD Clark
May 17 1703 at a town metting legelly warned the town did by uot declare that thay would pay deacon larrance the mony that the deacon demande for saruing the : town as ane represintiue In the year 1693
the town did note and declare that thay would borrow the mony of thomas Williams for four month and pay for the use of it one
shilling JAMES BLANCHARD Clark
for seating of the meting house capt parker capt Prescott Insign farnworth leuten laken Samuell Woods Sener
The following items appear on a loose leaf, and refer to two children of John and Hannah (Aldis) Farnsworth.
John farns desessed 19 Saptam 1703
Rachall farnswor born 8 desembur 1704
Groton December 20: 1703 At a town meting legelly warned the town did uote and declare that thay giue Mr hubart for the first half of the year 1703 thirty too pound one quarter part mony the time begining the tenth of december tell the tenth of June next in- sewing JAMES BLANCHARD Clarke
thomas williams decents from the aboue writen uote nathaniell woods obadiah Satell decent from this uote
Eliazer parker decents from ye uote
groton Janeuary 25 at a town meting legenly the town did note : that thay would rais a town rate for the paying of capt prescott and other town charge the sume to be raised : IS [Left unfinished.]
This fragment is in the handwriting of James Blanchard, who died a very few days after it was written.
Thomas Tarbell, the thirteenth town clerk, was the son of Thomas and Hannah Tarbell, and was born at Groton, July 6, 1667. Ile held the office during the years 1704 and 1705.
125
GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS.
His handwriting was fair, but his spelling execrable. He was the father of the three children carried into captivity by the Indians, June 20, 1707. His death took place January 24, 1717.
grotton march 8 1704 at a legul town meteng the town did yot that thay wull met for the futer to chus town ofesurs the fust tus- day of march anuelly THOMAS TARBELL Clark
groton march y 8 1704 Thomas tarbell town clark Thomas williams gran gure : Joseph gelcun cunstable Ephrem pers cun- stable selectmen Samuell parker Joseph laken Thomas tarbell tithen men John Shaduck Joseph Larrance Samuell Screptur se Nathanell woods Sauayars hy ways Jonathan laken & John daues Jonathan farnsworth thomas chamburlen sworn fans yuers Jona- than boyden william laken Samuell Screptur iu Ephrem felbreck sworn
grotton march 8 1704 the town ded declar by yot that thay do imploy capt prascot to go down to the genaral cort to Indeuer to g[et] an an abatmant of our cuntary rats
THOMAS TARBELL toron clarke
Nouember 21 1704 at a town metting legaly warned the town did chused leftan lawra and John Ston to go to mr clark and mr estarbrucks for furthar aduic concarn mr hobart and to prosed from that acording to thar disscracun for the good of the town
THOMAS TARBELL clarke
at a town meting legully woorned the town did chus Joseph laken and thomas tarbell to luck ouer mr hoburds rats and to racun with thos that ar behind to clear the old arrars 21 nouember 1704
THOMAS TARBELL clark
at a town metting legally warned the town ded chus left lawranc & thomas tarbell to go to the genarall cort to cary in a petecun for to Indeuer for to get an abatmant of our tax and so what may be dun concarning our minestur this is to be dun by the charg of the town this 19 of desember 1704
atast THOMAS TARBELL Clarke
at a town metting legally warned 22 ganawari 1704 5 the town deed then uot that thay woold geue mr hobart for the time past 20 pounds on quartar part mony THOMAS TARBELL Clark
126
EARLY RECORDS OF
at a town metting legally warned the town deed chus leftten law- ranc & thomas tarbell to agree with summ menistur to cum & prech with us if any can be found 22 Janauary 1704 5 THOMAS TARBELL Clark
A at a town meting legally wared march 9 1705 simun ston is chose to sarue for the Insuing yer for the graniuri
THOMAS TARBELL clark
the nams of town oficurs for the yere 1705 thomas tarbell clark Nathanil woods & elezer green sworn as cunstables for the yere 1705 cap prascot John ston & thomas tarbell as select men for the yere 1705 sworn sworn samuell shad & danill cady Jonathan boyd baniemen farnswor as suruayers of hyway for this yere 1705 Samuell Parkar & Samuell Woods as fans yuars for this yere as fens yaars 1705 sworn Obadiah sawtel & John shattuck tithenmen John huchins & John Sheply as hog cunstables for thes yere 1705 THOMAS TARBELL clark
At a town metting legalli warned the town did declar by uot that thay wold haue thomas tarbell go to the gouernur & colinol ting for to petescun relef for chamburlens mell by on or 2 men And the said thomas chamburlen bars the charg thar of
THOMAS TARBELL clark
At a town meting legalli warned the town did declar by uot & lat all the commun madow In our town to William Whetne for sexs shellings moni the Insuing yere 9 of march 1705 2 THOMAS TARBELL Clark
at a town meting legali warned t 9 of march 1705 the town did grant to thomas chamburlen 2 accurs of land on the sutherdly sid of the pond by his hous mor or las in two parts & the said [Ch]am- burlen to alow a hy way of 3 [po]ll wid from the hy way to his own mel In the most conueniant plas and to mak and maintain a breg at his own cos ouer the buck . . . mel pond
[THOMAS] TARBEL Clark
Groton May ye 8 1705 then capt prascot was chosen to sarue as a rapresentetife for the yer Insuing THOMAS TARBELL Clarck
the 8 of May 1705 the town did chus a comete to take an acompt of the town charges that is du to pur teckeurlur men & for the select men to Rais a rat upon pols & estals acording to the cuntary euoys (the comety is) sarg nathanell lawranc Samuell Parker & Joseph gilson THOMAS TARBELL Clarck
127
GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS.
At a town metting legally warned this IS of June 1705 the town did declar by uoite that thay do desiar mr Odle to continu with us for sum longer time as we can agre with him for
THOMAS TARBELL Clarck
Att a town meting legulli warned this 18 of Jun 1705 : the town did chus left lawranc John Ston & Thomas tarbell to dlisscors with Mr Odle: & to agre with him for sum farthar time :
THOMAS TARBALL Clarke
groton iun the 25 1705 the selectmen this day haue apoyntted the hy way from beuer brooke madows along the rod now improued to the fordway at spactecull brook throu elezer lawrances land whar the way now gos & is staked out coming out behind the sd lawrances hous & so contennuing to the towns common in the most conueniant plasce for the banifit of the in habitants | of fore pol wid & if the aboue sd elezer lawranc deziers to haue this way oltured he finding a conueniant way aboue his feld or by his hous to the sattesfacteun of the select men it shall be alowed
Jonas Prescot John ston select men
Atast THOMAS TARBEL dark
groton Jun the 25 1705 the select men haue this day apoynted A hy way going out out of the hyway by that gos from goodman Pages hous by brood madow begening at Danel cades cornur throu John Longlys land 3 pol wid to to the madow & throu the madow two poll wid cuming into the hy way that cums throu obadiah satals land John Longly geues this land & madow thes way is to be capt with gats or bars THOMAS TARBELL Clarke
The following entry appears to be the rough draft of the one that comes immediately after it.
the town did uoat this day that thay would giue to Mr Jon Odly in ordr to satiment to be the towns minister & the churches ofissur the sam of 60 pound for his sallarey this yere & one 100 p to prouid him salf a place to satl on
At a town meting legally warned the town did declar by uote this thurd day of July 1705 that they would giue to Mr John odly in ordur to satlment to be the towns minister & the churches ofissur the sum of 60 pounds for his sallarey this yeere & on 100 pounds to prouid him salf a plase to satel on THOMAS TARBELL Clarke
12S
EARLY RECORDS OF
Joseph Lakin, the fourteenth town clerk, was the son of Ensign John and Mary Lakin, and was born at Groton, April 14, 1670. He held the office during 1706 and 1707, when this volume ends, and many subsequent years. His handwriting was intolerably bad, and his spelling as incorrect as that of his predecessor. He died April 1, 1747.
Groton march the 5 = 170% at a towne meting legally warned to chuse town officers as followeth to wit Joseph lakin Towne Clark Jonathan Page constabel and Jonas Prascot iuner constabel for the year insuing for selact men Joseph lakin Samuell parkar nathaniel Woods Simin Ston Robart Robin and for saruavars thomas cham- brlin Samuell Shattuck hazackiah whitcom Samuell Barrand | fanc uewers thomas woods John Sheple | and John longly town seallar of waits and masurs and Joseph lawrance thomas tarbel tithingmen
JOSEPH LAKIN Town Clark
Groton march the 5 = 1705-6 At a towne meting leagaly worned to chuse offisors for the year insuing' thay did by uote chuse John huchin garan query man and for a commity to lay out land Joseph lakin Samuell parkar Robert Robin of this town
At a town meting leagly warned in Aprell the 9 1706 this town did by uot ass you may see on the other side of this Leafe and all so did uot that they would giue mr Bradstret one hondred pounds mor as money to satell him selfe in this towne our minister during life JOSEPH LAKIN Town Clark for Groton
The following entry contains the paragraph referred to, as "on the other side of this Leafe."
Groton At a town meting legally warned this Aprell the 9. 1706 the town ded By uot giue Mr bradstret thre scoar pounds thirty pounds in money and thirty pounds ass money in priuison ass foloeth indon corne 2 shilings one bushil and ry 3 shilings one bushil and Wheat 4 shilings and Porke 2 Pance a Pound and Beef ox beefe 3 hapenc a pound and i fard[ing] a bound for cowbeefe for Peeas 3 shilin .. . bushil
Groton April this 9 day 1706 at a Town meting legaly worned the towne did by uot chuse the selact men for a comity to lay out
129
GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS.
the hi ways betwen insin farnsworth and Eben farnsworth and so along betwen indin hill medow and Satwels Patchis and so the most conuenint place in to the contery rode four pooll wide and this Rood on the couth sid of half moon madow
JOSEPH LAKIN dark
and at the same meting thay did all so chose Insin farnsworth Simon Stone Joseph lakin to discorse mr bradstret ass the town consaroin his satelmant with us this year
JOSEPH LAKIN dark
Groton may the 8 1706 At a town Meting legaly woned thay ded by uot declare thay would and doe desire that Thomas Cham- berill mill may bee up helde by a solgar or solgars for the good of the town by a patition to the cort or athoratie
JOSEPH LAKIN town clark
Groton May the aight day 1706 At a town meting legally worned for to see consarning M' brodstreets settlement the town ded by uot declare that thay would make a good house of 38 foot long and 18 foot wide and a leantow of a foot wide all the langht of the house and thay will finish it comfortably this house to be of 14 foot beetwen iants
JOSEPH LAKIN Clarck
and the same meting ded all so by uot declare thay would buld a good letell barne for a mr brodsteret
At the same meting tay haue chose a comitie to under take [Left unfinished.]
Groton May the 8 = 1706 At a towne meting legaly worned the town chose a commity to uew that hiway by nathanill woodsis house and so alttar and turne that way if thay see acauson the men chosen are
Simon Ston
Samuill Parkar are the comety chosen to turne
Robart robin that hiway if thay see cause
Joseph lakin
attast JOSEPH LAKIN town Clarck
Groton May the aight 1706 At a town meting legally worned to chuse a repreasantiue the fre hooldars and othar inhabitants quala- fied acording to law did by the maior uote couse Simin Stone for this year 1706 a represantetiue JOSEPH LAKIN town clark
130
EARLY RECORDS OF
Groton May the aight 1706 at the same meting the towne did by uot chuse a comity to lat out M' brodstreets hous and barne and to by a place for the minister to build
the men chose for the same
Thomas tarbol
Joseph lakin a comity for 1706
Danil Cady
this towne
Samuell Parkar
Nathanil Wods
JOSEPH LAKIN Clark
Groton June the 20 = 1706 at a town meting leagely worned they did by uot make this way that was arst in Jun the 25 = 175 now maid uoid
Groton June the 20 day 1706 at a town meting leagaly warned the toown did declear by uot that thay would cleare and pay with and to m' Brodstret this halfe year JOSEPH LAKIN Clarck
Groton June the 20 day 1706 At a town meting legaly worned the towne did declear by uote that thay woud pay the one halfe of the purch of that place which We are about to by of Captin Parker
JOSEPH LAKIN Town Clarcke
Groton June the 20 day 1706 at a town meting leguly worned thay did declar by uot that Captin Prascot shall haue what is his dew from the town to him JOSEPH LAKIN Town clarck
Groton June the 20 1706 at a town meting legaly worned the town did agre with Zachariah Sawtell and Sargant lawrne for 12 thousand of marchiantabel brick and 3 thousand of samman brick the iz thousand at 18 shilins par thousand and the 3 thousand at half prise
Groton June ye 20 1706 at a towne meting legaly warned this towne did by uot giu to Jonathan Kamp that contribuchan money which n' Bradstrat hath now in hand JOSEPH LAKIN dark
Groton August the 22 day 1706 at a town meting leagaly worned to see what way to raise the ministers Rate then thay did declair by thare uote that thay would haue it fiue shilins upon the head and the rast upon the eastats JOSEPH LAKIN Town Clarck
I31
GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS.
Groton January the S day 1709 the highway near Nathanill WVoosis hous whear he now dweleth is allowed and turned marked & layd out Betwext Samuill Parkars land and nathanill Woodses land away as the marks direct first on the north a black oke and on the south a white oke marked near said Woodses wall and then four poll wide as the marks direct betwixt said parkar and said wood . . . runing into the highway to brown lof plain .. commity and select men
attest JOSEPH LAKIN town clark
A LIST
OF THE TOWN CLERKS OF GROTON,
FROM 1662 TO 1707;
WITH THEIR TERMS OF SERVICE.
THE years are given according to the new style of reckon- ing. The town was attacked by the Indians in the spring of 1676, and abandoned by the inhabitants until March, 1678. Jonathan Morse, William Longley, Jr., and James Blanchard died while holding office, - Longley being killed by the In- dians July 27, 1694. Joseph Lakin, the last one named in this list, continued to serve as town clerk during many years after 1707.
My RICHARD SAWTELL . 1662-1664.
JAMES FISK
1665.
WILLIAM LONGLEY
1666, 1667.
JOHN PAGE 1668. . RICHARD BLOOD 1669. .
JOHN MORSE 1670-1676.
JAMES PARKER
1678, 1679.
JOHN MORSE . .
1680, 16SI.
JONATHAN MORSE 16S2-1686.
JOSIAH PARKER .
1686-1691.
JONAS PRESCOTT
. 1692.
WILLIAM LONGLEY, JR. 1693, 1694.
JAMES BLANCHARD 1695.
JONAS PRESCOTT 1696.
JAMES BLANCHARD 1697-1704. THOMAS TARBELL 1704, 1705.
JOSEPH LAKIN 1706, 1707.
EARLY LAND-GRANTS
OF
GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS.
T' "HE Colonial governments of Massachusetts and Plym- outh, as well as the Provincial government of Massachu- setts, granted from time to time to certain persons tracts of land suitable for townships. These persons, called proprietors, frequently had an equal number of shares, but sometimes one proprietor would have more than another, and they called their shares by such names and styles as they pleased. In Groton, these were called " acre-rights ;" but sometimes, as in Bridge- water, they were called "purchase-rights," and at other times, as in Nantucket, "cow-commons," or "sheep-commons." These proprietors organized as a corporation, chose a mod- erator, clerk, and all needful committees, at their meetings, and, pursuant to the vote of the majority, allotted the lands to individuals of the corporation or proprietary, as occasion required, in proportion to their respective shares. In the course of time, the lands of the proprietary were all distrib- uted, as appears by their records, which, for the most part, have been preserved. These records are of two kinds : first, those of the votes of the corporation, and secondly, those of the location of grants to individuals of the corporation, which last records are analogous to the Registry of Deeds. The landed history of the old towns in New England is full of interest, and to these records we must recur to obtain the early portion of such history.
The township of Groton was equal to eight miles square, or sixty-four square miles, - equivalent to 40,960 acres, and the
134
EARLY RECORDS OF
whole number of "acre-rights " belonging to the original pro- prietors was 827, owned by 51 persons. According to this calculation, in a general division of the property at the outset, the owner of a single "acre-right " would have been entitled to nearly fifty acres of land, and the larger proprietors to a similar proportion. The division of land, however, was not made all at once, but at several different times, and the amount set off to each one was determined somewhat by its value. Considerable land was sold at the start in order to raise money to build in part a meeting-house, and to defray certain other public expenses ; and, even after this was done, many thousand acres still remained unsold. This undivided land was generally called the "town's common " or " town's commons," or the " common land." The proprietors of the town probably never received from their "acre-rights"-or stock, as we should call it - any dividends in money. Their profits came from the division of lands ; and the current expenses of the corporation were met by the income from the sales. The first division was made, doubtless, as early as the year 1661, when a Committee, appointed by the General Court, October, 1659, to consider certain difficulties that had arisen in connec- tion with the settlement of the town, made a report recom- mending : ---
" I That the old planters & theire Assignes whose names are John Tincker Rich : Smith. Wm Martyn. Ri : blood Rob: Blood & Jnº Lakin that they reteine & keepe as theire propriety, (of such lands as they now clajme an Interest in) each of them only twenty acres of meadow twenty acres for the house lott tenn acres Intervale land & tenn acres of other vplands & that the same be sett out by a comittee so as may not vnequally prejudice such as are or may be theire Neighbors
" 2 That the neere lands & meadows, be so deuided as may ac- comodate at least sixty familjes & for that end That the first diuis- sion of lands be made in manner following viz such as haue one hundred & fifty pounds estate shall be allowed equal wth old planters aboue & that none exceed & y' none haue lesse than tenn acres for theire house lott & fiue acres of meadow two & a halfe acres of Intervale & two & a halfe of other lands for planting lotts
135
GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS.
in theire first divission & that none be admitted to haue graunts of lotts there but on Conditions following " . . .- General Court Records, IV. 371.
The selection of land by the early settlers was governed largely by circumstances not now clearly understood. A man's lands were widely scattered, and he might want a cer- tain piece because it joined his neighbor's, or for some other simple reason. At times the division was made by lot, which fact furnishes the origin and explanation of the American use of the word lot, as applied to a portion of land measured off, or appropriated to any particular purpose. It is recorded in the Groton town records, November 30, 1663, that
"Its agreed that when all men hav their full allowan of medow The residue shall be devided to the p'sent inhabitants by lot ac- cording to every mans proportion "
It should be borne in mind that the first settlers of the town did not attach the same signification to the word meadow which now belongs to it in New-England, where it means low, swampy land, without regard to the mowing. They called by the name meadow all grass-land that was annually mown for hay, and especially that by the side of a river or a brook, and this meaning of the word was the common one in England, whence they brought their language. They sometimes spoke of a swamp, meaning by it what we call a bog, but much of this kind of land has since been reclaimed, and is known with us as meadow. As a matter of fact it happened that the lands which could be mown for the fodder were low lands, and it would require perhaps less than a generation to transfer the meaning of mowing lands to the low lands, which were about the only ones that could be mown in the early days of the colony. This explanation will make clear the following vote of the town, passed February 18, 1680: -
" At the same meeting it was agreed vpon and voted that M' Hubberd should haue all the comon which was capable to mak medow in swan pond medow vp to the vpland for seauen acre and a halfe for to mak vp his fifteen acres of medow "
136
EARLY RECORDS OF
Many words in common use in early times have changed their meaning, and others have dropped out of the language. Spong, spang, or spung - different forms of the same word, found several times in these grants - is a case in point. In its struggle for existence, it has not survived, because it was not needed. James Roberts's land-grant speaks of "two par- cells or spongs ; " William Elluee's, of " the northermost spang of Buck medow," and John Page's of "severall spongs or an- gles." It was a local word in England, used in Suffolk, and meant " an irregular, narrow, projecting part of a field, whether
planted or in grass." (Moor's " Suffolk Words," London, 1823.) Another obsolete word found in these grants is " hole," of which the signification is not so clear. The record of Joseph Parker's land speaks of an acre lying "In a hole neare the Angle medow ;" and that of Cornelius Church's, of a tract of "land containing two holle or three of swampy medow ;" and Timothy Allen's grant mentions three acres at " Skull holl." J. C. Atkinson, in his " Glossary of the Cleve- land Dialect," - a dialect spoken in a district of Northumber- land, England, gives " Holl ; a deep narrow depression in the surface of the land or place, of no great longitudinal extent." The preposition through is spelled thorow in these records, showing its old pronunciation and its kinship to thorough. In the early records of the town, " angle " and " squadron " were used to denote districts, and these words are other instances of the natural changes in the language. At a meeting of the selectmen, held December 27, 1669, it was agreed upon that
"every man work proportionabley according to his estat and that the wayes are to be mended in the seuerall anggells of the towne "
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