USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Springfield > The first century of the history of Springfield; the official records from 1636 to 1736, with an historical review and biographical mention of the founders, Volume II > Part 10
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*The Town Recorder, Elizur Holyoke, died February 6th, before completing the record, his work ending with the name of Jonathan Burt. The remainder of the record of the meeting is in the hand of John Pynchon.
127
THE TOWN RECORDS.
by a Comittee, as speedyly as may: At ye Towne charge: The Comittee to be George Colton, Rowland Thomas Henry Chapin & Jº Dorchester:
Ordered That Ensigne Cooly & Saml Marshfeild be added to ye Comittee for ye meeting house affaires some of ym be- ing Dead: These are a Supply & wth ye rest remaining, to treat wth John Allys, And (in regard of ye Townes Poverty by reason of ye warr) If he will Stay for his pay Then to get him to Raise ye Meeting house as soone as may be: [III-89.]
Janu 3ª 1676. At A Towne Meeting called by ye Select men, among other things to Consider further about Building ye House for ye ministry &c: It being a Legall & full Meeting
Whereas at ye Towne Meeting Aug: 24th 1676 The Towne then Passed a vote, for Building of a House for M' Glover, or for ye Ministry, wch having bin neglected hitherto, The Towne now taking ye same into further Consideration, Doe by a unanimous vote Declare their minds to be, That ye Howse to be Built, it Shall be for ye Ministry, & shall from time to time, be continued for ye use of ye Ministry, & not Stated upon any p'ticular p'son, otherwise then as He shall Continue Minister & Preacher of ye word of God & dispen- cer of ye holy things thereoff, to ye People of this Church & Towne of Springfeild:
It is further unanimously agreed & voted. That ye Howse aforementioned to be Built for ve Ministry, shall be forth with Gon in hand wth, & Built & fynished as soone as may be, ac- cording to ye Dimensions concluded on, at ye Last Towne Meeting in August. And by that Committee then appointed: (except yt Rowland Thomas upon his earnest desire is hereby discharged & Ensigne Benja Cooly. is chosen in his Roome: & ye Towne doe now add one more to be of ye sd Com- ittee viz Joseph Leanord to make them five in all, any Three of ye sd Comittee having Power hereby Granted ym; to act in all respects for Completing of ye aforesd Howse, & ye Select men are to take care from time to time for ye making & Col- lecting of Such Rates on ye Inhabitants as ye above men-
128
THE FIRST CENTURY OF SPRINGFIELD.
tioned Comittee shall need for ye Carying on of the worke & Building aforesd to effect:
At ye same Meeting: It is declared by vote, That ye Com- ittee for ye Meeting Howse are to take care off. & carry on ye whole worke, even ye Inside worke, & making of ye Seates, untill all be fynished, ve sd Comittee now in being or any Three of ym being to order & Manage ye whole Compleating of the Meeting House, wthin as well as wthout: according to their best discretion, for ye advantage & good of ye Towne:
Mr. John Holyoke is Nominated for Clerke of ye Writts To be ppounded to ye County Court for allowance to yt Office.
Voted That ye Comittee of Militia of This Towne, Doe Joine wth ye Select men, in pfecting & setling ye acco's about Disbursm's for ye Garrison soldiers dyet &c & Regulating those paym's & all matters in disposing of ye Country Rates allowed to paym's of or charge & They are also with ye Select men to Regulate ye charge about Garrisoning of ye Mill last Summer, the best they can according as it was then voted:
Granted to James Steevenson Thirty acres of upland & swamp over ye great River about ye Reere of Eliakim Coolys Land Sowwest from it, Provided he settle & Continue in this Towne at least full five yeares & make Impvement of ve land: [III-90.]
[In the handwriting of John Holyoke.]
At the Geull Town Meeting, febr: 6th 1676. The Wor- shipful major Pynchon is chosen Moderator for this Meet- ing & al other Town meetings the yeer ensuing.
Quarter Mastr Colton Jnº Dumbleton Benjamin Parsons Henry Chapin. Jnº Dorchester are chosen Select men for or- dering of all ye prudential affaires of the Town for ye yeer en- sting, to act according to Instructions & directions for y.c Select men as in page 5th of this Booke.
John Holyoke is chosen Clark or Recorder for ye Town for ye yeer ensuing.
Samnel Marshfeild is Chosen Measurer for Land yt is to be laid out or measured.
129
THE TOWN RECORDS.
Reice Bedortha is chosen Constable for ye yeer ensuing & sworn.
Nathaneel Pritchard & Joseph Ashley are Chosen Sur- veiours of ye high wayes, for ye yeer Ensuing, & Jnº Petty for ye high wayes on ye West side of ye River.
At this meeting yr were Haywards Chosen for ye Comon feilds: viz: Goodman Clark for ye Homlots on ye East side ye River, & for ye Long Meddow Ephraim Colton, & for ye West side of ye River, Henry Rogers, & James Stevenson es- pecially for Agawam & for Chickuppe Plaine Samuel Be- dortha:
It is ordered that Ephraim Coltons yard or any other suf- ficient yard be pound for Long meddowe & over ye River, in defects of a pound, any sufficient yard is to serve for a pound.
It is ordered yt ye Select men shal rectify ye street fence by taking care for ye preventing of encroachments, & for ye making it straight, as yt it may be most accomodable for ye defence of The Towne.
Vpon serious Considerations for ye Inhabitants Living more Compact, Major Pynchon and Quart' Mast' Colton Serjt Morgan, & Jnº Hitchcock are appointed a Comittee to treat about contrive & order ye laying out an highway throw ye Homlots for ye more convenient Buildings & safe dwell- ings, provided they gain ye Consent of ye Proprietors of ye same Lots.
Whereas ye Comittee of ye New meeting house impowered by ye Town for ye disposing four Acres of land on ye North side of ye round hil, to Tho: Stebbin Senior & to Tho: Steb- bin Junior for Land to set ye New meeting house on, they do now report to ye town, that the said Stebbin Senior & Steb- bin Junior having clearly and absolutely granted five rods Square to set ye New meeting house on, & having added a rod more in breadth to the way that Leads up to ye New house now ye sd Comittee do report, that they have granted ye sd four Acres to ye sd Stebbin Senior & Stebbin Junior, & by the town to them, and it is provided that in fencing this ground that Thomas Stebbin is to fence no more fence then
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THE FIRST CENTURY OF SPRINGFIELD.
he fenced formerly, the town being to do ye rest of ye fence about ye New Meeting house. And it being further consid- ered about ye townes Land where ye old meeting house yet stands, How Easily by exchange with Thomas Stebbin, it may ly altogether up to ye New meeting house Land afore- said, to ye accomodating & conveniency of ye Town & Thomas Stebbin also; which being propounded to ye said Stebbin, He ye said Stebbin agreed to grant & give up his land between ye old meeting house & ye New meeting House unto ye town; The Town also agreed to give up to Thomas Stebbin ye land, which lies next Him, Two Rod in breadth where it fronts on ye street Easterly; The Town reserving to themselves four [III -- 91.] Rod broad, at ye Front or high way or street, Eastward, & from thence to run back westward thorow ye said Stebbin his Land up to ye New meeting house land aforesaid a little aslant northward into the sd Steb- bin his land, so as to range strait with ye out side or north side of ye second stud beyond or to ye northward of ye East door of ye New meeting house, where by this four rod broad of ye townes land, where it fronts on ye street Eastward wil & is to gain a little more in breadth, by its running up to ye New meeting house a little aslant into Tho: Stebbin his land as aforesaid, so yt the breadth of it toward ye westward end next ye new meeting house wil be ful four rod & an half there, & something better. This aforesd, that is to say, that part of the land afore mentioned and which was Thomas Stebbin his land he doth now give up & grant & confirm it to ye Town; And yt part of it ye land aforesaid viz: two Rods broad at ye Easterly end onely as aforesaid, which was the Townes land, they doe grant & Confirme to ye said Tho: Stebbin, & moreover in ful satisfaction to ye sd Stebbin they do give & grant to Him out of ye Town land in ye training feild one rod & half of ground next to ye said Stebbin his lot in ye reer of it, al yt breadth of his lot, at ye westerly end, which wth allowance aforesaid next ye street is accepted by ye said Stebbin as satisfaction for ye said land which he hath hereby given up to ye town.
I3I
THE TOWN RECORDS.
At this general meeting of ye Town several persons had grants of land made to them, for which se page 185.
May ye 2ª: 1677: At a Town Meeting. It was at this meeting determined by a Clear & ful vote to send a man from among or selves to Boston to ye General Corte to move in to get a settlement of or accounts. It was likewise voted that ye Man should be our Deputy for the general Court, as also that the account with reference to our expences at ye fals fight be brought in to & taken Care of by Japhet Chapin and John Hitchcock who are to take Care so to get it in, soe as that the Deputy may carry it with Him to ye Genll Court.
Further ye admitance & entertainment of Wm Maddison as a Schoolmaster was voted, he being to take three pence for those he teaches onely to read English, & four pence P week for those he teaches both to read & write, as also four pence . P weeke for those he teaches only to write, & the Parents or persons are to allow [III-92.] noe more; But the Town for this yeer as an Encouragment to him in this worke do agree & promise to allow him ye Rent of the Towne land in Chickuppi
It is also granted to m' Daniel Denton to have 40 Acres of land over Agawam River, below Leiut Cooper his Med- dow neer Southfeild bounds, provided he continue five yeers in the Town.
Further also Goodm: Lamb, Serjeant Morgan Joseph Crowfoot John Clarke Senior, Charles Ferry with such oth- ers as they shal take in with them have ye liberty of fishing for this yeere from ye falls in Chickuppi River where the wade- ing place is, down to ye mouth of that River, provided they enter not upon any mans Lands or proprietyes there, pro- vided also they supply Such Neighbors as shal desire to have fish of them: & their Salmon they may not sel for more then sixpence apeice there, or at ye town More then eight pence, and shad fish they may not sel for more then halfe pence apeice there, or more then a penny at the Town; & in Case they barrel up for market, they are to allow to the Town twelve pence P Barrel for al that shal be transported:
I32
THE FIRST CENTURY OF SPRINGFIELD.
At a legal Town meeting: June 18th 1677.
Whereas yr hath been serious Considerations & Essays of accomodating or Reverend Teacher m' Glover, in Reference to his Contentful abiding & ministry amongst us, & accord- ingly yr hath been Care taken to build an house for ye min- istry, but in as much as yr hath been some dissatisfactions with respect to ye place wr ye House should be set : The Town, desiring ye worke may be speedily carryed on to effect, do yrfore now Conclude & vote, yt ye Select men & ye Commit- tee for ye House shal have ful power to order ye whole affaire of setting up ye House, & shal rest satisfyed wth y' Conclusion of ye premises, provided they doe not set up ye House any where but on Land or Homlot that m' Glover possesses, wthout yr new application to ye Town:
July 13th: 1677: At a Legal Town meeting:
For as much as our Reverend Teacher m' Glover hath man- ifested himself dissatisfied wth ye form" vote of ye Town setling yr house they are about, for ye ministry, & not providing an house & for himself; We therefore out of or Special Respect to ye ordinances of or Lord Jesus, greatly desiring that the same may be Carried on amongst us according to Gospel order, haveing also a special care for ye accommodating of in' Glover, for his contentful continuing with us in this great worke, (we aiming at a final contentment) we do therefore vote & Conclude to Give or Reverend Teacher mit Glover this house, that ye whole Carpenters worke, according as it is in- dented with them to finish it, we say for of parts we give this house upon the like termes as ye former house & lands were given. (Se p. 45.) This thus concluded & voted; onely such & such dissenting do declare for ye former vote, yt ye house be for ye ministry, disallowing of any alteration of ye former vote. These Names are [III-93.] as followes: George Colton, Benjamin Cooley, Samll Marshfeild, Thomas Stebbin Senior, Henry Chapin. Rolland Thomas, Nathaneel Pritchard, John Clarke, Samuel Terry, Victory Sikes, John Dorchester, James Dorchester, Isaac Colton, Ephraim Col- ton, Obadiah Cooley Samuel Blisse Senior, Joseph Stebbin,
I33
THE TOWN RECORDS.
Luke Hitchcock, John Bag, Samuel Bal, Samuel Blisse Ju- nior, Nathaneel Blisse.
It is further voted that ye formentioned house be set on mª Glovers Lot. It is further voted that the Select men for ye last yeer shal take care for getting in what is yet behind of mr Glovers Rates.
August 21th: 1677. At a Town meeting warned by ye Con- stable: Goodman Marshfeild is Chosen Comission' to joyn wyth ye Select men in making ye Country Rate:
John Harmon is Chosen Constable: And tooke his oath accordingly.
At a Town meeting, Aug: 27, 1677, called to consider & conclude something about ye House for ye ministry, & con- cerning m' Glover or Reverend Teacher his Accomodation; warning for this Town meeting, haveing been given at form- er Town meeting Last week; & this being a General & ful Town meeting, It was concluded & fully agreed as followeth:
Whereas this Town had bought Land & a house of mr George Moxon for ye ministry, & so stated & setled it then; which yet out of yr good affection to m' Glover our present Teacher, & for his contentful abode with us in dispensing ye word of God to us, they have since given to Him ye said mr Glover, he continuing in this Town Preaching the word of God to us as long as he lives:
Now forasmuch as it appeares, That ye Town could not give away that said Houseing & land fro ye ministry, Al of it be- ing stated & setled to yt use & appropriated to ye Church for ever, that is to say to ye Maintainance of such as should preach & teach ye word of God to this Town & Church of Springfeild from tyme to tyme for ever, & so not capable of being any particular persons propriety, Longer then he should be a Preacher of the word of God here:
This Town Now taking notice thereof, & being desirous yet not wthstanding That or Reverend Teacher m' Glover be not provided for, Doe for his better accomodation & Encour- agment (Although the Houseing be al burnt down & wholy Consumed) vote & Conclude, (as ye building on the [III-
I3-4
THE FIRST CENTURY OF SPRINGFIELD.
94.] land, Soe That in' Glover shal have & enjoy ye said house now built & building wth al the land belonging to it, as long as he shal continue in Springfeild Preaching ye word of God to Vs: It being after his decease or discontinuance to Preach the word of God to us in this place then to go to or to be im- proved for such as shal succeed in the ministry: And More- over (the land being now reassumed to its first & primitive use, & not accounted or Reckoned in' Glovers propriety oth- erwise then for use while he Continues of Minister) in way of Satisfaction, & ful compensation to m' Glover or Teacher was agreed & concluded to give M' Glover o' Teacher one hundred pounds, In Case he do spend his dayes in the minis- try of ye word of God to us in Springfeild, & not remove away from this place; This one hundred pounds being over & above his yeerly stipend, which stipend, as it was at first stat- ed eighty pounds p Annum, so we shal allow it him stil, not- withstanding or great Ruines & low estate, & charges in buildings, and hereafter, as God shal blesse us, we shal en- deavor to increase it to Mr Glover or Teacher. The one hun- dred pounds which we have now voted to give m' Glover, seing ye land goes from Him, we are ready to give security to Him for ye paying it to his Posterity, in Case he shal fulfil his Ministry in this place.
It is voted & agreed upon by ye Inhabitants of this Town, for ye prevention of al trouble to ye Minister of the Town & al Complaints from Him in getting in his Rates, that the Dea- con or Deacons shal cal for & requisite ye paying of ye Min- isters Rates, & in Case of Mens Neglect, & his or their Com- plaintes to ye select men, It is ordered that the Select men themselves shal take care that ye Ministers whole stipend be brought in unto him, according to Each mans Proportion, & In Case of ye neglects to require & recover it of ye particular Delinquents herein, that they shal pay it to the Minister them- selves.
Also it is voted & agreed that the present Select men shal se to ye paying in of this last yeeres rates, & so that the Se- lect men of ye next veer shal se to ye paying in of ye Next
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THE TOWN RECORDS.
rates, which wil be made by ye present Select Men. & so in a Constant Course from yeer to yeer.
It is further voted, yt ve present select men, do take Care to get in al the Arreares of al m' Glovers Rates.
Jonathan Ashley haveing moved to ye Town to Change his part of boggy meddow for ye boggy meddow of ye Towns wich is six acres) ye Inhabitants comit this affair to ye discre- tion of ye Select Men:
April 1678. Rolland Thomas Joseph Bedurtha & Jnº Dorchester being appointed for Perambulation of the bounds between Springfeild & Southfeild & between Springfeild & Westfeild did with divers men of both these Townes go out for the Attendance of that worke.
[III-95.]
At the General Town Meeting, ffebruary 5th 1677. The Worshipful Major Pynchon was chosen Moderator for this Meeting & for al other the Town meetings of this yeer in this Town.
Samuel Marshfeild & Jnº Holyoke are chosen Comittee to examine the accounts of the precedent Select men & to bal- lance al Accounts.
Samuel Marshfeild & Japhet Chapin John Hitchcocke Nathaneel Burt, & John Holyoke are chosen Select men in ye 5th pa. of this booke.
John Holyoke is chosen Recorder for the Town for the yeer ensuing:
Joseph Leonard is chosen Constable for the yeer ensuing & Sworn:
Samuel Marshfeild is Chosen measurer for ye Town, for ye following yeer.
James Warrener and Luke Hitchcocke are chosen survei- ors of the high wayes for the East side of the River for this yeer.
Haywards for the Comon feilds at this meeting chosen were, viz: Jnº Barber Junior for the feilds on the West side of the River opposite to the Town, as also for Agawam & Sam- uel Bal & Jnº Clarke Senior for the homelots on the Townside,
I36
THE FIRST CENTURY OF SPRINGFIELD.
& Ephraim Colton is chosen by the Select men Hayward for Longmedow.
Voted & concluded at this meeting that something should be done for the fortification of the new meeting house: voted also concluded that there should be a Comittee chosen to pro- portion out mens parts.
Here followes the Names of such as do promise worke or pay for ye fortifying the new meeting house. The Wppful Major Pynchon 5 rod of Stuff to place Japhet Chapin I rodd of stuffe to place, Jnº Hitchcock one rod of stuffe to place: Jnº Holyoke I rod
Jnº Dorchester I rod stuff
James Dorchester I rod stuff
James Warrener and David Lumbard I rod compleat
Jonath Burt I rod stuff
Benj. Parsons I rod stuffe Tho: Mirick I rod stuffe
Increase Sikes and Victory Sikes I rod stuffe to place Nath Pritchard and Jnº Harmon I rod stuffe to pl.
Tho: Day and Tho: Cooper I rod stuffe
Jnº Lamb and David Morgan I rod stuffe [III-96.]
Joseph Stebbein and Samll Ball I rod stuffe to place
al wych stuffe is to be logs: ten foot & 1-2 in length: & be- tween 10 & 12 inches in breadth.
d
Quart'm' Colton S
IO 00
Jnº Dumbleton 04 00 Reice Bodurtha 04 00 Jnº Barber Sen" 02 06
Jnº Petty 048 in Indian C. Joseph Leonard 02$ 6d: Jnº Riley: 1-2 bu: of Indian C.
Henry Chapin: I day Carting
Luke Hitchcocke: I day Carting
Samll Marshfeild 4 dayes workes Philip Mattoon: I day worke
I37
THE TOWN RECORDS.
Serjt Morgan 2 dayes workes Ben: Knowlton I day worke Richd Waite I day worke
Aprill roth 1678: At a meeting of the Inhabitants, where in they were desired to stay after Lecture.
It was voted & Concluded to give m' Daniel Denton twen- ty pounds salary for his encouragment in the worke of a Schoolmaster for the present yeer he continuing in that worke ye terme of an whole yeer or in case It should so fall out yt m' Denton attend not that worke the winter season, then the vote of the Inhabitants was to give him twelve poundes, & to allow him time to plant & dress two Acres of Indian Corn, in case he cannot provide it to be done for him for his money. In this worke ye Parents & masters of such as send yr children or servants, being to allow to ye Towne according to ys manner of their allowance to the Schoolmaster the yeer past.
July 17: 1678. At a Town meeting, it being a ful meeting.
It was ppounded, yr being some scruple made concerning the Select mens Acts, because the Major part of ym are not freemen according to order, whether the Town would not rectify ye same: And while it was under Consideration Natlı- aneel Burt did desire a discharge or releasmt from being ac- counted as a Select man: It being then also declared that his Brother Jonathan Burt (a Freeman) In the first voting, when the votes were told had the same Number of votes that Nathll Burt had, though after at a 2ª vote Nath: Burt had a casting vote, yet now considering he is willing & desirous to be re- leased the Town do Grant it him & by a Clear & ful vote do make choice of & appoint Jonathan Burt to be the Select man in his Room, who was formerly voted for as is afore expressed, That so the acts of the Select men, the Major part of ym be- ing freemen according to of Law, may without any Scruple be accounted valid: Hereby also the Town doth allow of & Confirme the past acts of those Select men, which they acted for the Town [III-97.]
I38
THE FIRST CENTURY OF SPRINGFIELD.
August 14th, 1678. At a Town meeting, wherein the In- habitants were desired to stay after Lecture.
At this meeting Benj: Parsons was Chosen a Comission" to joyne with ye Select men in taking a List of al male persons Ratable with ve estimation of al Estates, & to make a returne hereof to other Comissioners of other Towns chosen for ye like worke.
October 9th 1678. At a Town meeting being warned by the Select Men.
At this Meeting It was voted & agreed that the watch house to ye New meeting house should be, or serve instead of a schoole house, until such time as the Town shal see Cause to order otherwise.
It was further voted & concluded that Japhet Chapin Jnº Hitchcocke & Nathll Foot, wth other of ye Inhabitants of this Town, as they shal se Cause to asociate wth ym shal have lib- erty granted them to make use of ye Towns Timber for ye building of a Saw mil at Schonungonuck Fals, as also to Im- prove ye Saw mil when builded, provided, they come not 011 ye Town side of a straight Line drawn from the Head of Hog pen dingle to dirty Gutter, & that they transport not yt worke without the Towns Licence, & yt they sel not their boards above 45 p Cewt & yt Slit worke not above a price answerable to boards 48 p Cwt:
January 6th: 1678. At a Town meeting Being a Legal Town meeting:
It was voted & Concluded, at this meeting. that the form- er ordr (in page 78) for the raysing a Leavie or rate for the collecting of the purchase-moneys expended for the pur- chased Lands of this Town shal be truly & fully attended.
It was further voted & agreed that al proprietyes that have not payed purchase moneyes shal now in their respective Tracts, or for the respective grants be accounted as ratable proprietys or Proprieto's for the payments of these purchase moneys, As also that Quart'm' Colton & Rolland shal be add- ed as a Comittee to join wth the selectmen to act according to the precedent order, viz: to determine & make a rate for the sd purchase moneys:
I39
THE TOWN RECORDS.
It was further voted & Concluded that al Grants or pro- prietys, that shal hereafter be granted to any persons with in any of these Tracts, shalbe lyable to pay moneys as purchase moneys for their grants, according as the prsent proprietors pay for theirs proprietys, which moneys shalbe for the Townes use in defraying Towne charges.
It was again voted & concluded that al such persons as have any proprietys with in any of these Tracts purchased, shal bring in an account thereof to Such persons as the Town have deputed to determine & make a rate on these purchased lands to get in the purchase moneys, by the 15th of this In- stant, or shal pay 4ª p acre for such next neglects or loose these Lands.
[III-98.]
It was further voted & consented to that ye Lands on the East side of the great River upon which part of these purchase money is to be raised, shal run from the reer of the Wood Lots six miles Square. As also that ye Lands on the west side of ye great River, below Agawam on uch other part of the purchase moneys is to be raised, shal run westward or in- to ye woods four miles, & Southward or downward two miles.
At the General Town Meeting: Febr: 4th: 1678. The Worshipful Major John Pynchon is chosen Moderator for this Meeting & for al other the Town meetings following:
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