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 7
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There being found inconvenience in putting off the day Soe long as form'ly for paynit of Mr Glovers rate, The Towne voted and Ordered yt when the Rates belonging to ye Town yearely are made & publisht, The Deacon shall then appoynt a day wech shall Succeed quickly after for bringing in the rate for m' Glovers maynteynce: That Soe yt rate (if it have not the p'cendency yet) may be as soone paid as any other rate belonging to the Towne.
Benjamin Parsons propounding his desire to ye Town for liberty to sett his fence in ye Street agt his barne about a foot & halfe or two foote.
[II]-53.]
The form" Select Men vizt Those yt were chosen on ye 5th day of ffebruary 1666 for the yeere from thence ensueing ap- poynting a Comittee by Order made under their hands for lay- ing out a highway from ye South side of Agawam River into ye Comon &c A Coppy of their Order & of ye returne of the Comittee hereafter followeth:
The Select men consideringe ye great need that the Pro- prietors on ye West side of ye great river stand in, ffor want of a highway from ye South side of Agawam River into ye Comon for their passage to Windsor & to their meddow Lands &: severall other grannts, They doe therefore appoynt Thomas Stebbings John Dumbleton Lawrence Bliss & Row- land Thomas to lay out a highway from ye South Side. of Agawam River & Soe up the hill till they come to the comon,
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THE TOWN RECORDS.
& they are to lay out the way in ye most convenient place: And they are to bound the highway & to consider all things about ye sd way what of any mans Land it passeth through, & what work is done to ye sd way already, & they are to give their apprehensions about ye Land that the way taketh up & Soe to lay out the way & make their returne to ye Town Re- cordr yt it may be entered in the Towne booke ye Select Men appoynt to be attended out of hand:
Springfeild the 3 of ffebruary 1667: By ye Select Men George Colton Benjamin Cooley Rowland Thomas Nathan- eell Ely and Samuell Marshfeild.
The Comittees returne.
Wee Thomas Stebbins John Dumbleton Rowland Thomas & Lawrence Bliss being appoynted by the Select Men to lay out a way over Agawam River into ye Comon, thinking this way to bee the best, doe appoynt & lay out it to goe along the way as it is already, that is to Say, up the hill to Goodman Coopers, & Soe along by the North Side of his barne & Soe strait thorow his yard about a rod wide throw his yard & Soe straight along between his ditch & the brow of ye hill next to the meddow, & Soe through Samll Marshfeilds land accord- ing as the Road does lye till you come into ye Comon and up the hill on ye right hand of ye way till you come into ye comon we lay it to be two rod wide.
John Dumbleton Thomas Stebbin
Lawrence Bliss: Rowland Thomas
Recorded ffebr. 7, 1667.
ffebr 12th 1667. Att a Meeting of ye Proprietors of the ffeilds on the West side of ye Great River,
It is voted & concluded yt the gate belonging to ye ffeild thoro wch Stood above by Peter Swincks, shall for ye convein- ency of the Neighbo's there, Stand & be sett a little below Thomas Millers for ye prsent : And this being granted & concluded, for ye Conveniency of ye neighbors there, it oc- casioneth another gate to be made & sett between Lawrence Bliss & Joseph Crowfootes: for ye maynteyning whereof, the
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THE FIRST CENTURY OF SPRINGFIELD.
p'sons yt live over ye River, haveing land in the feild stand chargeable, they declaring their consent thereunto, till ye gate below Thomas Millers shalbe ordered to be remooved above yt high way where the new gate is Sett:
And further it is agreed by & between Thomas Miller & the Proprietors of ye ffeild there yt he the sd Thomas Miller shall & will make & mayteyne the water worke fence & all the fence from thence cross the street to his owne fence by the street (excepting ye gate way) wch fence he is to make soe farr into ye river as to secure the ffeild & both yt & the Land fence to make & meynteyne sufficiently from the tyme yt the ffeild is to be closed soe this next Spring till the ffeild be ordered to be layed open towards the end of the summer & he is to pre- vent all damage to the ffeild yt might come this way except such damage as shall come by ye gate being left open: he also is to take care of ye gate during that tyme to p'vent what dam- age he may: for wch paynes cost & care of his, he is to be paid the summe of ffive & Thirty shillings, every proprietor there being to pay his proportion according to his quantity of land in ye feild And Capt. Pynchon & Elizur Holyoke are to ppor- tion every mans share accordingly: & delivering the acco to Thomas Miller & a day being sett for each man to carry in his pay who ever is behind at ye day appoynted shall pay the charges of fetching it in wch Some of the pprietors shall see done: only those pprietors on this side yt River shall not be ingaged to carry ye pay over ye River to him but only to Capt Pynchons or m' Holyokes for him:
And it is further Ordered & agreed yt whosoever shall leave open & not shut yt gate by Thomas Miller when the ffeild is closed he shall pay [III-55.] to the use & behoofe of the pprieto's of land in yt ffeild. the sume of Two shillings & Six pence wch Thomas Miller is to take notice of as well as he can & to give acco of: Only what Indians are culpable yt way they are to pay Six pence a tyme to ye use of Thomas Miller wch he is to gett of them yet soe as yt he make' noe trouble or disturbance in gayning it.
Here followeth a Coppy of an Order & an aggreement of
.
9I
THE TOWN RECORDS.
the Proprietors of the ffeild in the playne comonly called Chicuppe on ye West side of ye great River
Aprill ye 20th 1667. Att a Meeting of the Proprietors of ye ffeild over the great River in Chickuppe playne for setling what some belongs to every man for his land there: It is Ordered & aggreed yt All the Proprieto's there shall & will doe their pportion of fence according to ye Number of acres of land wch they have in that ffeild: Only William Brookes his pportion of fence for his land there is determined and ag- greed to be Thirty rod agt the front of his land & one rod in the flank & no more, excepting for the water work to wch he is to doe only that pportion of water fence wych belongs to his land: And it is further Ordered & aggreed yt every mans fence shalbe at the reere of his own land (according as the first aggreement was) vizt such whose land, goes back to the fence in the reere they shall have fence wch is sett agt their own land, their pportion of fence there to range exactly wth the range of every mans lott wich they shall take care of henceforth to repaire and maynteyne the same sufficiently from yeare to yeare: & if any more fence belong to their share then is at ye breadth or end of their lotts in the reere they shall doe it in the flanks; & their pportion there being once sett out, each pprietor is to take care of the same, to repaire it sufficiently from tyme to tyme. And it is pvided that if any mans land lyeth broader in the Reere then his whole pportion []]]-56.] of fence is, what ever is more then his pportion of fence shall be done by Some other whose land doth not come up to the fence there in the reare. And further such persons whose lands doth not come to the fence in ye reere their pportion of fence shall as neere as may be, be laid right agt their own land or elce in the flanks: And it is agreed yt every mans fence in ye flank shall lye in ye Same Order as every mans land doth lye: And it is aggreed & concluded by all, That Whosoever by this aggreement shall come to have a worse fence from another man, That man who hath the bet- ter fence shall make the worse fence as good to him who now comes to take it as his better fence was to him before:
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THE FIRST CENTURY OF SPRINGFIELD.
And it is agreed for the water work or fence into the River, yt every man shall have an interest there & each pprietor is to take care of his pportion of the water fence wch shalbe done after this manner, The one half of the Proprieto's shall see to take care of doe up & repaire the water fence One yeere, & the next yeere ye other halfe of ye Proprieto's shall see to, do up, & repaire ye water fence, & Soe from yeere in a constant course: And there being at present Sixteene proprietors Tis aggreed that for this yeere John Bagg William Brookes Jona- than Taylor Thomas Noble Samuell Terry, John Lamb Rice Bedortha and Miles Morgan shall take care of the water fence to See it a sufficient fence, well done at both ends to Secure the ffeild: And for ye next yeere Robert Ashley John Scott Richard Sikes John Riley ffrancis Pepper Edmund Pringri- dayes William Hunter & Joseph Crowfoote shall take care of it, to doe all ye water fence sufficiently & well for ye ffeild from cattell of all sorts: And Soe in a Constant Course from yeere to yeere for continuance, the one half of those Proprie- tors or their successo's each other yeare to take the whole charge of all the water fence. And it is further aggreed that Samuell Marshfeild & Serjant Stebbins, who are to be paid by Serj: Morgan shalbe procured to lay out each Proprietors proportion of fence, wth what speed may bee, who are like- wise (in case of need) to judge & determine what shalbe al- lowed by any p'son to him yt hath the worse fence. [III- 57.] Also Serj. Morgan is Ordered & desired ta take care of the Speedy Setling this work, and to gett Samuell Marshfeild & Serj. Stebbings about it: And the tyme being sett for it he is to give notice to all ye Proprieto's to attend to see where their fence shall lye & to Stake it out & take charge thereof for further: All these things beinge fully aggreed & Con- sented to by all: It is further Ordered & aggreed yt this ag- greement shall by Serj. Miles Morgan be forthwith caryed to ye Record of the Town, & by him it is to be entered in to ye Town booke, there to stand upon Record & remayne as a full Settlement of & for the securing of the feild aforesaid not only for the present but for the future.
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THE TOWN RECORDS.
The Names of the Proprietors yt were p'sent at this ag- greemt are as follow: vizt: Miles Morgan, John Bagg, Wil- liam Brookes, Jonathan Taylor, Thomas Noble, John Lamb, Capt Pynchon, Samuell Terry Rice Bedortha Robert Ashley Richard Sikes, ffrancis Pepper, Edm: Pringridayes William Hunter Joseph Crowfoote, John Riley by his Deputy: Ab- sent only John Scott.
This aggreement was made on ye day above said in ye presence of, & before mee John Pynchon Asist:
Recorded ffebr ye 20th 1667. By me E. Holyoke Rec.
Att a Towne Meeting ffebr 26 1667. ffor the yeere insueing vizt 1668 There were Persons chosen & appoynted for Over- seers of the several! Companyes of Workes at the High wayes y' belong to ye said p'ticular companyes mentioned in pa: 24. 25, 26, vizt: John Harmon for ye way up the long hill over ye Mill river. George Colton for ye way to ffresh water River. Tho: Day for ye way to 16 acres. Wmn Branch for the upp" wharfe & ye way ovr ye New bridge. Richard Sikes for ye Lower wharfe. Serj. Stebbin for ye playne above End brooke. Samll Marshfeild for ye way from ye great river to Agawam falls and yt down by ye black pond. [III-58.] Thomas Miler for ye way into the woods by William Hunters, & for ye way over ye Muxy Meddow & to see it finished. for Ich end, the Inhabitants on yt side of ye River are this veere to be free from ye Countrey high way, wch tyme they are to spend1 in making a Causey over yt wett Meddow: John Bagg for ye way by Rice Bedortha & to Chickuppe playne.
And the sd persons are to call their Severall companyes to- gether when theire yeere is expired to choose other overseeres in their roomes, or elce in defect or neglect thereof they are to stand another yeere, and till they doe appoynt a Meeting of their sd Companyes to settle others: And if they be defec- tive not attending their work, they are to pay for their neglect as ye Town Order directs: And that noe p'son called by the Overseers to high way may neglect their duty, It is Ordered yt in case of defect they shalbe to all penaltyes as for Countrey. high wayes, And the Select Men are to be acquainted there- with & to deale therein accordingly:
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THE FIRST CENTURY OF SPRINGFIELD.
Joseph Crowfoote upon his Petition to ye Towne was re- leased of payment of 68 6ยช being the Townes share of a fyne for defective fences. wch he was judged to pay by the last Se- lect Men.
It is voted & Ordered yt there shalbe a way for ye Towne to ye Saw Mill: And Anthony Dorchester & Rowland Thom- as are appoynted to veiw & consider how the said way may be over ye Mill River at ye Old Mill Dan & Soe to ye Saw mill to fetch boards or otherwise, & they are to make report to ye Select Men. how they judge it may be easyest effected: And the Select Men are to Order ye making ye same as they shall judge most meet.
The Inhabitants at Skeepmuck by reason of the charge they have been at about their high wayes, are released from being required or called to ye Countrey high wayes for this veere that is now coming on:
Charles Ferry his engagemt or condition on his grant of land at Skeepnuck. wch he desired may be taken off, is left to the discretion of ye Select Men to act therein as they shall see reason for:
[III-59.]
March ye 4th 1667-8
Att a Meeting of ye Select Men they being all prsent vizt Elizur Holyoke: Leiut: Cooper John Dumbleton Miles Mor- gan & Benjamin Parsons: The said Select Men appThending yt there is a necessity of a high way for the Neighbors on ye West side of the great River into ye Comons over Agawam River. And considering likewise wt was acted by ye Select Men of ye yeere 1665 concerning a highway into those Com- ons laid out by them, but neglected to be entered or recorded in the town booke:
The p'sent Select Men doe therefore now order a high way from the flatts or Sholes or wading place in Agawam River to neere the lowest end of Goodman Leonardes little pasture vt is fenced in, at the head of ye Meddow. & there it is to cross yt little Swampe in ye Said pasture, to ye poynt of Leiut Coop- ers hill & Soe to run under the Northerly side of ye Said hill
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THE TOWN RECORDS.
Sloping up the hill, till it come to ye top of yr hill. & from thence it is to run along by the brow of ye hill to ye hollow at ye westerly end of his land & Soe into ye Comons: All wch way is to be two rod broad; And considering yt a high way thus to lye will occasion a necessity of a comon gate to be sett up at ye bottome of ye hill where ye way enters the hill. & another at the Westerly end of Leiut Coopers land where he fenceth it in: The Select men doe Order yt such gates shalbe made by the Town or Proprieto's on the West side of ye great River for whose sake the way is laid out: The charges of Ich way & gates is to be determined by the Towne. And whereas this way will take up about an acre & half of Leiut Coopers land, & be incumbrance thereunto, & about three quarters of an acre of Goodman Leonards land. & be incum- brance thereunto, And the Law requiring in such case that owners of lands shall have satisfaction (for such lands as are soe taken & improved for ye publike,) to be judged by per- sons on both sides vizt such Owners part & on ye Select Mens part: Therefore the said Owners of land vizt Leiut Cooper & Goodm: Leonard did each of them chuse An- thony Dorchester & Jonathan Burt, And ye Select Men chose Serjeant Stebbins & Thomas Bancroft, wch Said 4 p'sons did determine & aggree yt Leiut Cooper shalbe allowed 30 shil- lings for the land of his Soe taken up & ye incumbrance there- by, & yt Goodm: Leonard shall have 20 shillings for wt land of his, is & wilbe thereby taken up, & his incumbrance there- by: The said Summes of money to be paid wthin 12 months from this tyme, by them whom the Town shall determine. And to this aggreent the Select Men & the said 4 p'sons called to judg in this case did sett their hands. [III-60.]
Att a Town Meeting March: 1667-8 It being declared That there is not a sufficient pportion of Gun powder in ye Towne Stock to satisfy the Law, and Capt Pynchon haveing a barrell of powder by him wch was bought for the Towne, when it was at a dear rate, He ppounded to ye Town, That if the Towne would grannt him that house lott of ye Townes,
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THE FIRST CENTURY OF SPRINGFIELD.
wych is above Robert Ashleyes neere the round hill he would lett them have One halfe of ye Said barrell of powder wch the Towne did yeeld unto, And thereuppon granted him the said lott conteyning ffoure acres; wth this provision that if the Town did pay into him the summe of Seaven pounds in wheat within One yeere for ye said powder then the said lott is to returne into ye Townes hands:
Likewise it is by vote declared that ye high way laid out by the p'sent Select Men on the back side of Leiut Coopers hill over Agawam River shalbe the way for passing into ye Com- one that way, wch the Inhabitants on ye West Side of ye great River are to make according to ye Ord' of ye Select Men. when ye said Inhabitants shall fynd necessity thereof:
Nov: 26th 1668. At a Towne meeting in reference chiefly to Satisfying m' Glover pleadyng the inconveniency of his house, and telling us, That his Stipend will not enable him to build for his conveniency: It was voted & concluded yt ye Town will make an addition to his house, much what answer- able to the new addition yt Nathancel Ely, hath made to his house: And for carrying on of the work Capt Pynchon George Colton Nathaneel Ely & Lieut Cooper are chosen & Ordered to aggree with a workman to doc ye said work: And ye said 3 p'sons or any three of them are Ordered to See yt ye work be carryed on to effect: And what aggreement shal be made by them about the work shaibe pformed by the Towne: and the Select Men are to make a rate for payment for yt work.
Att ye Said Town meeting Serjeant Stebbin requesting of the Towne, that he may exchange his foure acres of Meddow that lye a little below Robert AAshleyes house, for soe much of the Townes meddow Lott wch adjoynes to the Northerly Side of the Said ffoure acres, that is to Say that he might have the uppermost ffoure acres out of the Townes Meddow for his sd ffoure acres: The Town did by vote leave it to ye Select Men to take a veiw of the Said lands, and to make a conclu- sion off or on wth Serjeant Stebbin as they should See cause: The Select Men veiwed those lands the Same day, & doe con-
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THE TOWN RECORDS.
ceive that the Town will be noe looser by Such exchange of lands wth Serjeant Stebbin: And therefore doe determine that his desires therein shalbe grannted: And where as the sd Serjeants meddow is ditched at both ends, he casts that into the bargayne: [III-61.]
At ye Gene'll Towne Meeting on ye first Tuesday in ffeb- ruary being ye 2e day of the Month Anno Dm 1668.
Capt Pynchon is chosen Moderator for ye Town Meeting this day.
Nathaneell Ely & Samuell Marshfeild are chosen a Comit- tee to examine the acco of ye Select Men ye yeere now last past.
Capt Pynchon Quartm' Colton Nathaneell Ely Samuel Marshfeild & Lawrence Bliss are chosen for Select Townes Men for ye yeere ensuing: Who are impowered to act as in page 5th of this Book:
Jonathan Taylor is chosen Constable for ye yeere ensueing who had his oath administered to him respecting that Office by ye Worpll Capt Pynchon.
Elizur Holyoke is chosen to be Clerke or Recorder to the Towne for ye yeere ensuing:
The Select Men above chosen are likewise for the yeere en- sueing Ordered & appoynted a Comittee for granting of lands yt lye in Comon & undisposed of accordinge as they see rea- son & necessity.
Nathaneell Ely & Samuell Marshfeild are chosen for Meas- urers of lands in this Towne for the yeere ensueing: eyther of ym to doe the work as they are thereunto called:
William Warrener & John Keepe are chosen Surveyo's for the Countrey high wayes of this Towne for the yeere en- sueing.
Likewise for Haywards for ye Severall Comon ffeilds of this Town there were chosen:
John Clarke for ye house lotts.
John Hitchcock for ye playne & 3 Corner Meddow.
Obadiah Miller for ye playne & 3 Corner Meddow.
Rivr over agt ye Towne.
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THE FIRST CENTURY OF SPRINGFIELD.
Edmund Prinridayes for ye playne called Chickuppe. And Samuell Ely for ye Long Meddow. [III-62.]
At this Gen'll Towne Meeting, The Town granted unto Abell Wright upon his request certayn lands at Worronoco, That is to Say Ten Acres on ye South side of Worronoco River & on ye Westerly side of ye little River by the fort, w-ch Ten acres is to lye up ye River above ye fence: Also Ten acres on ye North side of ye River beyond ye Cellars: And ffourteen acres of Meddowish Land up the little River, form- er grannts being first laid out: Also a house lott of Six acres.
And Whereas Serj: Stebbin hath had a grannt of lands at Worronoco. on Condition yt he goe thither to settle & dwell, he fynding yt he cannot well remoove thither & yet haveing been at much paynes & charge to pmote the good of ye place, he now requests of ye Town yt his said grannt of land there may devolve upon One of his Sons: Whereupon ye Town did vote & determnie yt One of his Sons shall have the said lands, (on ye Same Conditions yt his father had ye grannt) if the people there shall approove of him: and if they shall not approove of him then Serjantt Stebbin shall have liberty to make sale of ye said lands Soe grannted prided it be to one yt the people there shall approove of to come & dwell there:
Also there is grannted unto John Mun tenne acres of lande at Worronoco where Abell Wright hath his ten acres on ye North side of ye River & Tenne acres wth Abell Wrights 14 acres up ye little River & a home lott. This grannt & ye grannt to Abell Wright are on Condition that they goe thith- er to dwell before the next winter & yt they continue there five yeeres from yt tyme:
Also there is grannted to Thomas Noble a little peece of land at Worronoco of about an act on je side of ye hill above the Indian fort there, pvided it be noe hindrance to any high way already laid out or to be laid out & yt it be not intangled by any other grant.
The Inhabitants at Worronoco by mr James Cornish
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THE TOWN RECORDS.
Thomas Dewey & Thomas Noble makeing severall pposi- tions to this Plantation at this Town Meetinge, namely, That we would determine the bounds betwixt us & them, & settle where the line shall run betwixt us, as also that wee would appoint the Comittee or some other to Order their prudentill affaires or allow them to be a Township, that they might Or- der their owne matters, And further yt wee would deputy some [III-63.] Persons to lay out ye Six miles Square grannted them by the Gen'll Corte & by the said Corte ap- poynted to be laid out by this Towne or Some p'sons deputed by us.
This towne did take into consideration ye said p'ticulars, And being willing to pmote & further them being a Town- ship, Did in ye first place vote & determine, to allow them most of the land on the other side of Paucatuck brook by Woronoco River on ye Northerly side of ye sd River: And for setling that line betwixt us & them, George Colton Nath- aneell Ely & Rowland Thomas are chosen appoynted & im- powered to veiw & take notice of the lands thereabout, & to consider where about on ye West'ly side of Paucatuck brooke they shall conceive it is most meete the Lyne betwixt us & Them should run, that is to say from Agawam or Worronoco Riv": & Soe Northerly or Norwest'ly towards Northampton: And accordingly ye afore said Persons have power to deter- mine & to fix the bounds betwixt us & them in that quarter: And at that place where the dividing line comes to ye River it is to cross the River to the South side of the River, And from thence towards Windsor a direct South Lyne is to be the bounds betweene us & them, except it will not take in the Ledge of mountaynes for Worronoco, wch if it doe not. then it is hereby Ordered & grannted, that this Lyne on the South side of Agawam river shall run Soe much East'ly from ye South as to give them the Mountaynes. & then the ledge of Mountaynes is to be the bounds betwixt us & them: And ye said p'sons thus chosen to run the Lyne betweene Vs & Them are to make returne of their worke to this Town yt it may be entered in ye Publike Record of ye Towne.
1
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THE FIRST CENTURY OF SPRINGFIELD.
In ye next place as to allowing them to be a Township & releasing them from Vs, This Towne doth determine order & appoynt, That ye Comittee now in being, formerly chosen for granting lands & ordering matters at Worronoco, Soe as might best conduce to make them a Town of themselves vizt Capt John Pynchon Elizur Holyoke George Colton Benja- min Cooley & Nathaneel Ely shall at Some convenient tyme after this Town Meeting repaire to Woronoco & Settle all matters touching that place referring to grants & orders made by the said Comittee, wth all affaires they have taken in hand, And haveing rectifyed all things after their own best judgmt, & Sett them in as good a posture as they can, Then the afore- said Comittee wth ye Inhabitants there are to make choyce of a meete number of ye fittest [III-64.] Persons there, for ordering their Prudentiall affaires, And to choose them a Clark or Recorder Surveyors of high wayes a Constable & other needfull officers: And the Comittee haveing thus managed matters & furthered their work for a Township, the Comittee are to be discharged of their trust, And ye Inhabi- tants there are to be left to themselves to order their owne matters, or as the Honno'd Gen'll Corte shall further Order: And wee hope the Corte will see cause to Order them to be a Township & that they through the favor of God may grow up into a comfortable Society, & be a happy Neighborhood to Vs & Our ffreinds & theirs:
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