USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Lancaster > The early records of Lancaster, Massachusetts. 1643-1725 > Part 18
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13 the Town Chose Jonas Houghton Jun' Gager -- and then je meeting was adjorbed to ye second Wednesday in may next at thre of y Clock in y after none
Next follow records by Joseph Wilder, clerk of pro- prietors.
Monday February yA 2 1718/19. The Town or Propriators thereof mett at the Meeting Hous being Warned there to by a Warrant from Jus- tice Hoaghton Esqr for the Continuance of February Meeting for the Reeding of Lands the Granting of Hiwaies and the Conforming the same it being the first Monday of Feabruary being the Anual Meeting for the ends before Mensoned and first made Choyce of Joseph Wilder for a Moderator of said Meeting: and then Red som Lands in order to be Recoarded
3 They voted that all afairs or things that Consern Propriatie that any person or persons shall desjer to haue transacted att the anule Febary Meeting or any ajornment there of shall be sesonablyly brought in to the Propriators Clerk who shall post the same in a Notification in Som Pub- lick place fourteen dayes att leest before said meeting or any ajornment there of
4 They voted to Chuse a Committy to vew such Hiwayes as was then proposed for & to stake out such as should be thought Needfull & to make Report to the propriaty of there doings therein att ye ajornment of this Meeting : towit a Hiway proposed for by Joseph Wilder att ye Walnot Swamp by Ebenezer Wilder & Thomas Carter att Jonson Medow by Jeremiah Wilson att Broad Medow hill, by David Whitcomb & others from Wadaquadock Brock to the Day Rood & from John Whetcombs to Jonas Houghtons and that they also vew and state y bounds betwixt the Land which Joseph Wilder Bought of George Glazier and ye Swan Swamp Roode
5 They made Choyce of Nathanil Sawyer Ensign John White & Ebenezer Wilder to be a Comitty for ye ends aforesaid : and also to stake ont the biway from the Rolly Hill to Justice Houghtons feeld. There was then Left to Consideration a proposition of Elias Sawyer Refering to som Entervail now in his posesion which was purchased of Capt Kerly there being no Recoard to be found of it he Requests that it may be Reconed as it is bounded in said deed of Kerlies and also the proposion of Jonas Houghton for a Recompence for mesoring of the Stated Com- mons & those asisted him and then the meeting was ajorned to y" second Wednsday of May next at Kaight of ye Clock.
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MASSACHUSETTS. 1643 -1725.
!719. The copye of ye notification Lancaster April ye 29 1719 To the Proprietors of Lancaster Conformable to your Stated Rule for ye Gor- erning of your Meetings these are to inform you that besides what was left for your Consideration to y ajornment of your Last Meeting to the thirteenth of May next at 8 of yo Clock Caleb Sawyer proposes for a hiway through the Land of Danil Hutson & John Priest to his Medow: it is also desiered by severall that the owners of ye Walnot Swamp lott be indented with that the Hiway which Lyeth by the north entervail may cross the sd Lott into ye new hieway marked out by the Committy which Croseth the River neer sd Lott
JOSEPH WILDER Clerk
May the 13 1719 The Propriaters being mett upon ajorminent from the second of Feb. & first voted that the Land which Lyeth free in the Swan Swamp & is not yet Layed out be Stated & Staked out for a Hiway. as neer the Extent of the Bredth Proscribed in the Town Book for je Same as may be
2 Voted to Chuse three men as a Committy to Stake it out and then made Choyce of John Houghton Esqr Capt Ephriam Wilder & Mr Joseph Wheelock to be a Committy to Stake it out
3 They took in to Consideration the proposall of Jonas Houghton and voted to give him five shilling per day for mesoring the y Stated Common & those who asisted him three shillings per day: the whole amounting to fourtie four shillings & voted to pay them in Land att four shillings per acre
4. They Receved the Report of the Committy appointed to vew som hiewaies proposed for & to state the bounds between the Land of Joseph Wilder & the Swan Swamp Rode and first exsepted there Return of a fliway from Mordacoy to Wakapaket brook & Confermed it for a hiway as it is marked out exsepting in the Land of James Wilder & he to bage libertie if it be for his advantage to mone it more northward: the Report of the Committy was as ffolloweth
Tusday April the 25 We began at the Swan swamp and Ran a straight line from the end of Glazers Dich to a white oke Stump below Benjamin Bellows Hous which we accounted to be the Corner and Staked out the Same. And then Proseeded to vew the Hiway through the Stated Common to Wakapakit Brook, and we Judge it most Conveniant that it Run from the Entervaill up by the lott of Joseph Wilder through the land of William Divoll Edward Hartwill Ebenezer & Edinand Harrises till it Coms to the Corner of Joseph Wilders Land that he purchased of Jabaz fairbank & then Runing Round sd Corner of Joseph Wilder through the Land of John Warner & then Croses a Corner of Joseph Wilders Land to the Land of James Wilder & through that to the Land of Josiah Wheeler & through to the Land of Josiah Wheeler to the side of Gateses Land & so through a pece of Common Land to Bellowses Corner being
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ANNALS OF LANCASTER,
his West Corner & from thence Ran down betwixt the Land of Justice Houghtons Land & the Land of John Harris Crossing a little Corner of sd Houghtons Land to Wacapacit Brook :
JOHN WHITE EBENEZER WIDER a true Copy of sd Report Entered by me. JOSEPH WILDER Clerk
Lastly they voted that the Committy aforesa determine how much every man is damnified by said Hiway Runing through there Land & what Rec- ompence they shall haue per acre for what is taken from them and such persons to have liberty to Lay it out such alowance in undevided Land so soon as it is Known as Land in other devision are Layed out and then the Meeting was desolved : the Return of a hiway
Lancaster may the 15 1719 we John Wilder Jonas Houghton & Jacob Houghton being Chosen and appointed a Commity to Lay out the waies from the Randevou tree to the medows down that brook as also up the Brook to John Sawyers and from thence to ye medows at the north east Corner of the Town as it is now staked out wee haue accordingly done the same and for what Land we have taken of sd Sawyers hom place we haue alowed him two acres of Land on the west side the Brook below yk hous provided he leve Room for a Convenient hiway between [sd land] and the hill one west side.
JONAS HOUGHTON JACOB HOUGHTON this Return was exsepted and Confermed
The Rendesvous tree was in Harvard.
A COPY OF THE NOTIFICATION.
To the Proprieters of Lancaster these may informe you that the things to be Considered att your next meeting upon the first of February next are the Propozition of Johua Atherton and Joseph Hutchins for a hiway to brook medow and the medows ajasant thereto also the said Atherton Requests that y* Second devision entervaill and Conveniancy belonging to the estate of his father and also the second devision Land of William Lewes now in his posession may be put upon Record there being non as yet to be found of them the propozition also of Elias Sawyer for the like for that ye Conveniancy which his father purchesed of Capt Kerley may be Recorded according to the tenure of said deed January the 15 1719/20 JOSEPH WILDER Clerk
LANCASTER February the Ist 1719/20 att a meeting, of the proprieters first made Choyce of Jabaz ffairbank for a Moderator and then in the first place Granted a hiway to brook medow & the medows ajasant in answer to the propozition of Joshua Atherton & Joseph Hutchins towit to pinhi !! and to a medow of aaron Willard and a medow called pollopod and down
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MASSACHUSETTS. 1643-1725.
the west side of brook medow till it com to the Land of John Willard and then made Choyce of Capt Wilder Josiah White and Joseph Wilder to be a Committy to Lay it out thre Rods in wedth and make Report to the propriete
2 They Granted the Propozition of Joshua Atherton Refering to His Entervaill and the Land that was William Loweses
3 They Receved and Exsepted the Return of a Hiway att se barehill Medows of a Committy to witt John Wilder Jonas Houghton & Jacob Houghton which was as followeth Lancaster May the 150: 1719 we John Wilder Jonas Houghton & Jacob Houghton being chosen a Com- mitty to Lay out y" waies from ye Randevo tree to the Medows down that Brook as also up the Brook to John Sawyers and from thence to ye med- ows att ye North East Corner of the Town as it is now staked out and marked, Wee have accordingly don ye same : and for what Land we have taken from Joli Sawyer att his Hous place for ye benifit of sd Hiway we baue alowed to him two acres of Land on the west side ye Brook below his house provided he Leve Room for a Conveniant Hiway between said Land and the Hill on the west side of the sainc. JONAS HOUGHTON JACOB HOUGHTON
this Return was Exsepted and Confermed by a vote. and then ye meet- ing was ajorned to ye second Monday of March next :
JOSEPH WILDER Clerk
A COPY OF THE NOTIFICATION.
To the Proprieters of Lancaster these are to notifie you of what may be laied before you att the ajornment of of your February Meeting upou the second Monday of March next att eaight of the Cloock, towitt the Propozition of Hooker Osgood for a Hiway betwixt the Lott of Justice Houghton which was Hutchsons and his own and so in to ye wods and for alowance for what he has wrought in said way and also for a small slip of Land by the minesteeriall medow upon Certain Conditions as may be then offered : also the Propozition of Josiah White for a Record of the Hous Loft which he now lives upon and also Severall other peces of Land layed out to his Grandfather John White which there can be no Record found of : and that he may haue libertie to make a new Record of a pece of Land att the bare Hill according to a platt Lately taken of it: the old Record being so dark that it is not so Intellegable as he desiers Ebenezer Wilder also for the tenpound Due to him from the Town that He will take it in Land if the Proprietie se meet : also the propozition of Josiah Wheeler that a Hiway through ye Land of Sumner and Townsend might haue the marks Renewed Townsend also desiers that the hiway may be remoued in his Land for his better Convemancy; also that the hiway betwixt the Justices feeld and the Rooty hill might be marked out and layed so as might be most Conveniant Lastly the propozityon of Jonas Houghton
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ANNALS OF LANCASTER,
that he might haue a little strip of Rockey Common Land lying upon Vans hill for what is due to him for nine daies work att a Bridge over ye north River :
LANCASTER February the 27 1719/20 JOSEPH WILDER Clerk
" I'ans," i. e., Vaughans Hill, is in the north part of Bolton.
1720. A Memorial of William Tailer Esq. in Behalf of the Commit- tee appointed to lay out two Towns to the Westward of Groton, Shewing that the Committee in Surveying the Land appointed for the Town of Lancaster of a Grant of Land made by the General Assembly to the said Town, The Committee appointed to survey it stating the Course left it to be run by the said Town, and the said Town running the same upon a Point of the Compass different to what the said Committee had deter- mined and that the said return is confirmed by the General Court : That thereby a Grant of Land mad to the Town of Woburn, & another to the Town of Dorchester are pushed into the Plan designed for one of these new Towns. Which will prove prejudicial to the whole Province as well as to the said intended new Towns if not remedied.
BOSTON July 21 1720. Signed By order of the Committee Wa Tailer.
In the House of Representatives July 22 1720. This House having Information that Jonathan Prescot Samuel Jones & John Farnsworth a Committee formerly improved by this court, to view a Tract of Land pe- titioned for by the Town of Lancaster & make Return, & who did report the Bounds for a Tract of Land but only assigned the Points of the Com- pass, whereby to mark them out weh the said Town of Lancaster have since done but have not duly followed the Directions of said Committees Report :
Ordered that Cpt. Peter Rice, Cpt. Jonas Prescot, & Mr William Ward be a Committee, to run & mark out the Lines & Bounds, of that Late Grant to Lancaster, Pursuant to the directions in the Report of the said Committee, and make Report of their Doings to this Court the next Scs- sions. The surveyors and Chainmen which they shall improve to be under oath. The charge of the Committee & Survey to be born as shall be di- rected by this court. In Council read & concurred.
Consented to. SAMLL SHUTE
[Massachusetts Records.]
Whereas we the Subscribers being a Committee ordered by the Honble Court at their Session, began July 13 1720 to run the line and mark the bounds of the late Grant to Lankaster :-- Pursuant to the directions in the report made by a Comittie formerly sent forth by this Court to vew the aforesd track of land
1720 Sepr 13. Pursuant to which order we proceeded as viz : Imp: we began at a heap of stones, shewn us to be the N. West Corner by
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MASSACHUSETTS. 1643-1725.
Lankaster old bounds, thence runing a line three miles giving the allow- ance of aboute one rod in thirty, for Swagg of chaine & uneven ground, upon a N West point according to a true meridian, at the end of which line we where two hundred & thirty rods from the Kachewalunck Pond, spoken of in aforesd Comittees report as passing along by.
2My At the end of the three miles we made an angle runing a line (six miles & a hundred rods wth the allowance as aforesd) S. West crosing the North river & over some of the monosek hills untill we met with the middle branche of Nashaway river: thence making the land five miles, two hundred and eighty rods wide, and where without the tree spoken of in the report (so marked by the Indians for a S. West corner) aboute three hundred rods. Thus finding a disagreement between the lines and points given and things mentioned as bounds in ye report of ye aforest Comittee for in runing the two lines mentioned we came not hear ye pond & other bounds. bat leaving out the quantity of a Thousand five hundred & twenty three acres. and likewise taken in at the S. West corner two thousand acres irch Lankaster men claim not. Likewise considering where that re- port speaks of but two lines. He that runs by the bounds must of necessity make four or five lines all weh things makes thes bounds & ye points with their length of lines impossible to reconcile. And being directed in our ordr to have regard to y" lines & bounds mentioned in ye aforesd Comittees report : We therefore make our report as above men- tioned leaving it to this Honbe Court to determine as they in their wis- dome see cause.
Remaining in Submission. PETER RICE WILLIAM WARD
Comittee
[Massachusetts Archives, CXIII, 649-50.]
A Petition of the Inhabitants of Lancaster and Proprietors of Lands purchased of George Tahanto an Indian Saggamore &c: Shewing, that whereas the General Court did in the year 1713 make a Grant and Confir- mation of the said Lands to them as it was set forth and described in the Report of a Committee sent by the Court to View and Lay out the Same, That in the year 1720 A vote was passd for altering the Bounds of the s.did Land. In which Vote it is asserted That the people of Lancaster did not fairly and Truely, represent their Bounds and the Lines of their old Township, They are ready to prove by the affidavits of Two of the said Committee (which consisted of but three persons) That their Lines were truely and faithfully run, and therefore praying that this Court would Con- firm to them The Grant of the sd Land as made in the year 1713.
1721. In the House of Representatives Jan 15th 1721.
Whereas this Great and General Court did at a Session held at Boston the agth of May 1713 pursuant to a Report of Cpt Jonathan Prescott
13
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ANNALS OF LANCASTER,
Messrs Samuel Jones & John Farnsworth a committee appointed by their order, that a certain Tract of Land should be added and Confirmed To the Town of Lancaster, as part of that Township, not prejudicing any former Grants. The aforesaid Tract of Land beginning at the Northwest Corner of the proper bounds of Lancaster plantation (Then so Call!) and from thence to run a Line upon a Northwest point or near thereabouts. along the southwest side of mashapoag & Uncachewalunk pond extend- ing said Line three miles and from thence a Line running near upon a Southwest point crossing a River called the North River and so ranging along over Hills Called Monosuck Hills Said Line being about six miles in Length till it meets with the middle Branch of Lancaster River at or near a Little Hill where is a Tree mark' by the Indians for a corner of the sd Land being near Five miles wide at the southward and bounded partly by the River and partly by Cpt. Davenports Farm to the southwest Corner of Lancaster old Bound, and whereas two of that Committee have been lately upon the aforesaid Tract of Land & viewed the same and do declare upon oath that they are no ways apprehensive' that they were deceived, or Imposed upon by Lancaster men or misled in that matter and they marked a Tree upon the Westerly side of sd pond upon the Brink thereof as a mark to the sd Lands, and that it was their True intention that the Land at that end should be three miles in Weadth whether it should fall short or come beyond said mark It no ways appearing that that Report was Grounded on Misrepresentation of the Inhabitants or proprietors of Lan- caster but on the contrary, that they fairly shewed the committee, The Bounds and Lines of their old Township; Resolved That that Tract of Land which was confirmed to the Town of Lancaster by this Court anno 1713 and described in the return signed by the aforesaid Jonath? Prescott, Samuel Jones & John Farnsworth be and Remain to the Proprietors of Lancaster and their assigns for ever by Virtue of the aforesaid Grant any former act or Resolves of the Court to the Contrary notwithstanding.
In Council Read, & Concurrd
Consented to SAMI SHUTE
[Massachusetts Records.]
1721 June 21. In the House of Representatives: Whereas by the Resolve of the Court relating to some Lands formerly belonging to the Town of Lancaster but since taken into the New Township at Turkey Hills lying on the West side of Groton and now ordered to belong to the Proprietors of Lancaster, many persons that drew their Lots in the new Town and paid their money therefor will be Great Sufferers for that they will fall within the tract of Land, now settled upon Lancaster unless this Court make some Reparation.
Ordered That the former Committee that laid out the new Town be Impowered to lay out an Equivalent to those persons whose lot fell within that tract of Land now settled in the Proprietors of Lancaster and Report
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MASSACHUSETTS. 1643-1725.
their doings to this Court at their next Session. In Council read and concurred Consented to SAMM SHUTE
[Massachusetts Records.]
March The 14": 1720 The Propriety being Meet first voted that Elias Sawyer haue lebertie to Lay out and Enter to the Estate of William Ker- ly S' The Conveniance belonging Said Kerlys estate in the place where be now Clames it or elswhore not infrenging upon former Records: this was voted and Caried in the affermitive
2 it was put to vote whether Josiah White haue Lebertie to make a Record of his Land at the Barehill according to a plat then presented taken by Jonas Houghton Sirvaier and was Caried in ye affermitive
3 it was put to vote whether Josiah White haue Lebertic to Record his Hous Lott and Intervail Lott according to ye Grant of them and also the Second Devision of Intervaill and upland where it is now Clamed ac- cording to the Severall Devision [s] to the Estate of John White his Grand- father not enfrenging upon former Records and it was Caried in the affermitive
4 They made Choyce of Jabaz Fairbank Nathanil Sawyer and Samuell Carter to be a Committy to vew a hiway proposed for by Hooker Osgood and a hiway up to wacapacit hill and a hiway to Wonksacoxet Hill and if they find them nesesary for the benifit of the Town to mark them out and Make Report to The Propriety and also to mark out a Hiway to Whasha- com all Redy; Granted of four Rods wide and make a Returne here of that it may be put upon Record
5 They Granted Jonas Houghton S' Six or Seaven acres of Land upon the top of the Southermost Vans Hill for to Sattisfie him for nine dayes work don at the bulding of a Bridge over the North River Neer Mr Osgoods
6 They voted that Left John Houghton En> James Wilder and Josiah Wheelor to be a Committy to markout a Rode or Hiway from Marlburow Rode to four mile brook and also to moue the Hiway by Towsends if it be Conveniant and also from Justice Houghtons to Wadaquadock; and then ajorned the meeting to ye 18 of may next
May ye 18th 1720 The Proprieters being Meet att the Meeting Hous
I Herd an acount from a Committy sent out to vew som Hiwaies pe- tisoned for on the west side of the River and voted to give said Commity Power to mark out said waies and give the accounpt of them to the Propri- etrs Clark that they may be Recorded and that they also take an account of what, and how much said waies Takes of from perteculer mens Land and what they shall be alowed there for per acer in undevided Land to be Layed out to them as other Lands in the Town The Committy being Jab- az Fairbank Nathanil Sawyer & Samuell Carter; Reserveing a Saveing for agreved Persons to applye them Selves to the Propriety for Remidy Said
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ANNALS OF LANCASTER,
Wales aboue mensoned to be for the most part three Rods wide and wider where the Committy shall se it needfull which was voted and Caried in the efermitive :
2. They voted to send a Committy to vew the Hiway propounded for by Cpt Joslin at the Walnut Swamp and then made Choyce of Jabaz fair- bank Nathanil Sawyer and Samuell Carter to be the Committy ; & also to Stake out or marke the way Called the Street along by the North Inter- vails
They voted that the slip of Land left by the Committy between the 3 Land of Samuell Carter & Oliver Wilder from the hed of the Lots to the hiway that goes to Wacapacit should ly for a hiway
Samuell Carter and Danil Rugg then appecred before the Propriety and Consented and a Greed that the aboue said way Should Run down between their House Lots to the way Called the Street Takeing on Rod out of each mans Land the way to be two Rods wide & the Propriety accepted it accordingly. JOSEPH WILDER Clerk
This Record fixes the age of the road that goes up the hill a little to the north of the George Hill School-house. Samuel Carter owned the lands on the north side of this highway, his father Samuel, a minister from Woburn, having parchased two lots of Capt. Henry Kerley in x688. He lived on the site of, or perhaps in, the very old house torn down two or three years ago, known as the Captain Ephraim Carter house. Daniel Rugg lived on the south side of the road, owning the original home lot of 20 acres assigned to his father, John Rugg, in 1654.
A COPY OF THE NOTIFICATION JANUARY THE 20TH 1720/21
To the Propreters of Lancaster In observance of your order and Costom : These may Inform you that the Propozition of Capt Joslin for the Renoueval of a hiway in Quasaponacan : David Whetcomb & John Prescott for Lebertie to Servay fourty acres of Land Lying in two peces neer the hed of Rigby Brook as neer as may be where it was formerly Layed and that a new Reccord may be made thereof the old marks being most of them Lost and the Record being so dark that the bounds cannot be found thereby also of Josiah Willard and Joseph Atherton that ye Hiway to Groton may be marked out and a Rode from that to the hed of Joseph Athertons Lott; and Josiah Wheelor for a Hiway to Hog Swamp; and John Benit for Leberty to Set a fence upon the east side of the River in Quasaponacan in the Hiway upon the River Bank; and Josiah White that
----
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MASSACHUSETTS. 1643 -1725.
Ebenezer Wilder may be payed the Debt which he Clameth of the Town in Land: Is what is ofered to your Consideration upon your next anual meeting on February the sixth nex Coming
JOSEPH WILDER Clerk
I at a meeting February the sixth 1720 '21 first made Choyce of Jabaz fairbanks Moderator of Said Meeting
2 They Granted the Request of Capt Peter Joslin Refering to a hiway in Quasaponacan in the Remoueal of it from the medow side to where it might be moor Conveniant
3 they so far granted the .Propozition of David Whetcomb and John Prescott that if there bounds Cannot be found they may Lay out said fourty acres as neer where it was before as may be & make a new Record of it; it being Read before the proprete as other Lands
4 Vpon the propozition of Josiah Wilder and Joseph atherton They made Choyce of Capt Ephriam Wilder Josiah White and Joseph Wilder to marke out said waies as far as to ye Town line
5 The Propozition of Josiah Wheelor was Read but he not appeaering it was defered
6 The Propozition of John Benit was voted & pased in the negative
7 upon the Propozition of Josiah White to pay Ebenezer Wilder in Land: Jabaz fairbank entered his desent; and then ye Question was put whether the Propriety will grant Ebenezer Wilder Seventy thre acres & a half of Land for Said Debt which he Clameth as due to his father for work don for the Town in fineshing a Minesters Hous: being fourteen pounds fourteen shillings & threepence : and it was Caried in ye Efermitive. 2 it was put whether he shall haue it Layed in two or in three peces ; and the vote Caried in the Affermitive for two peces
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