USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Dudley > Town records of Dudley, Massachusetts, 1732-1754 > Part 23
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To Either of the Constables of the Town of Dudley in to County of Worcester Greeting you are hereby Directed forth with to warn and Notify the freeholders and other In- habetants of Dudley aforesaid qualifyed to vote for a Repre- sentative to meet at our meeting house in said Town of Dudley on monday the 3rd Day of July next at four o clock in the after noon then and there to act upon the following ar- ticals (viz)
first to Elect and Depute a person to Represent us in a Great and General Court or assembly to be convened held and kept for the service of this coloney at the meeting house in watertown upon wednesday the 19th Day of July next and so During their Sessions till the Day preceding the last wed- nesday of may next if Necessary
2ndly to choose a moderator for the Remainder of said meeting
3"dly to Dismiss our Committee of Corespondance and to choose a new Committee
here of fail not and make Due Return of this warrant with your Doings there on at or before the said third Day of July Next Dated at Dudley aforesaid this 26th Day of June anno Domini 1775
by order of the Selectmen
July ye 3rd 1775
Edward Davis Town Clerk In obediance to this warrant I have
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165
Dudley Town Records, 1775.
warned the Inhabitants of this Town by seting up this warrant · at the sign poste in Dudley
John Curtis J' Constable of Dudley
At a meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Dudley legually warned and Regularly assembld at our meeting house on monday ye 3rd of July 1775
first voted major Wm Larned our Representative
2ndly voted major Wm Larned moderator for the Remainder of this meeting
3rdly voted to Dismiss our Committee of Corespondance
4thly voted Capt John Curtis Edward Davis Jacob Warren Elisha Corbin and Capt Win Carter a Committee of Cores- pondance for our Town
5thly voted to adjorn this meeting without Day
To the Inhabitants of the Town of Dudley agreeable to the adjournment of our last Town meeting you are hereby Noti- fyed to meet at our meeting house in said Town on monday the 25th Day of September Instant at 4 oclock in the after- noon Then and there to act upon the following articals viz first to choose a moderator for said meeting
2ndly to vote som Instructions to our Representatives Rela- tive to his nomanating to the council a Justice of the peace or any other officer that may be needed by our Town that is to be appointed by said Council
Dated at Dudley the 15th Day of Septem" anno Domini 1775 by order of the Selectmen
Edward Davis Town Clerk
Dudley Septem' ye 25th 1775 by order of the Selectmen I have Notifyed the Inhabitants of the Town of Dudley to meet at time and place within mentioned by seting up a Noti-
166
Dudley Town Records, 1775-6.
fycation at the Signe post by our meeting house as usual Edward Davis Town Clerk
At a meeting of the Inhabetants of the Town of Dudley Regularly assembled at our meeting house on monday the 25th Day of September 1775
first voted Capt Curtis moderator for said meeting
2ndly voted to Instruct our Representative not to Nominate any person as a Justice of the peace for our Town at present . adjourned said meeting without Day
agreeable to the adjornment of our last Town meeting and Notice given the Town meet at our meeting house on Tuesday the 5th Day of December 1775 to vote som instructions to our Representative Capt Curtis being moderator
first voted to instruct our Representative to use his influ- ance in our general assembly that they joyn with the other three New England assembly in Remonstrating and Petition- ing the Honourable Contenantal Congress on account of the late Establishment of the Continantal army in that they have raised the wages of the officers and not given no more encour- agement to the Soldery (which heas caused such general un- easiness in said New England) and
secondly that the said Congress would look into the proscadings of the Commissary General and Regulate and alter all matters as shall be for the peace and interests of the Contenant
3rdly voted to adjorn this meeting without Day
march ye 5th 1776 the votes in Dudley for a County Reg- ister was 47 and all for m' William young of Worcester
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167
Dudley Town Records, 1776.
Worcester ss To either of the Constables of the Town of Dudley in the County of Worcester Greeting :
. you are hereby Directed forthwith to warn and Notify the freeholders and other Inhabitants of the Town of Dudley qualifyed to vote in Town affairs to meet at our meeting house in said Town on monday the 4th Day of march next at nine o clock in the fore noon then and there to act upon the following articals (viz)
first to choose a moderator for said meeting
2ndly to choose Town officers for the Insuing year as the Law Directs
3rdly to see if the Town will let their swine run at large this year
4thly to act Relitive to our highways and highway money as the Town sees fitt
5thly to see if the Town will accept of the Road laid out by the selectmen from mr Eleazer Jacksons into the Road that leads from Robinsons mills to our meeting house
6thly to choose a county Treasurer and a Regester of Deeds for our county
7thly to choose a Committee of Corespondance Inspection and Safety for our Town for the Insuing year
Sthly to hear and act upon any petition or petitions that shall be laid before the Town as they see fitt ;
hereof fail not and make Due Return of this warrant with your Doings thereon unto the selectmen at or before said Day Dated at Dudley afore said this 15th Day of February anno : Domini 1776
William Larned ) John Curtis Selectmen Joseph Vinton of Dudley
Edward Davis
Worcester ss march ye 4th 1776 In obediance to this warrant I have warned the freeholders and other Inhabitants of the Town of Dudley to meet at the time and place appointed by setting up a warrant at the signe post in Dudley
John Curtis Constable of Dudley
168
Dudley Town Records, 1776.
at a meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Dudley Regulerly assembled at our meeting house in Dudley on mon- day the fourth Day of march 1776
first voted and Chose major W" Larned moderator for said meeting
2ndly voted to have five selectmen this year
3ªªly voted Esq' Jidah Marcy first selectman
4thly voted Capt John Curtis second selectman
5thly voted m' Joseph Vinton third selectman
6thly voted Edward Davis fourth selectman
7thly voted Cap* Wm Carter fifth selectman
Sthly
voted Edward Davis Town Clerk
9thly voted Esq' Jed marcy Town Treasurer
Iothly voted to have three assessors this year
IIthly voted Joseph Sabin Jun' first assessor
12thly voted Edward Davis second assessor
13thly voted Timothy Foster Jun' third assessor
14thly voted Samuel Kidder west end constable
15thly voted Lt David Keith east end constable
16thly voted Samuel Emes & Ralph Vinto wardians
voted Moses Jewell & Mark Dodge tything men
I8thly voted Capt John Curtis culler of shingles and clap-
boards
Igthly voted Andrew Brown Cornet Jonat : Day Lemuel
Corbin Ebenezer Amidon John Bacon John Vinton &
Moses Jewell surveyors of highways
20'hly voted that the surveyors be collectors of the highway rates
218]y voted Capt Wm Carter sealer of weights and measurs
22ndly voted Asa Curtis scaler of leather
23rdly voted John Delrymbell & Ebenezer White fence viewers
24thly voted John Bacon Deer Rieve
25thly voted to let our swine run at large this year
26thly voted Jesse Sabin Benjamin Edmunds & John Thompson Hog Reives
169
Dudley Town Records, 1775.
27thly voted to add fio to our last years grant of highway money the whole to be assessed this year
28thily voted to have the same worked out at 2 / 6 per Day from the first of may to the first of October
29thìly voted to accept of that Road from mr Eleazer Jack- sons over westerly into the Road that leads from Robinsons mills to our meeting house
30thly voted Archabald Jewell Jacob Warren Cornet Jonat Day Capt Nath" Healy and Lemuel Corbin a Committee of Corespondance Inspection & Safety for our Town this year
31stly voted and granted Timothy Foster Jun" petition for 7 / paid for sawing planks for the Bridge near Lt Fosters
32ndly voted not to grant Ens Jeffords petition
33"dly voted not to act on the petition Relitive to Coburns pue at present
the above officers have taken their oaths
A Road laid out by the selectmen of Dudley November ye 218 1775 begining by the Road leading from Oxford to Killingley by the line between Eleazor Jacksons and Eliakim Robinsons said Road to be two Rods wide and one Rod on said Eliakim land by the other road and comes into the line between Robinson & Jacksons in about 12 Rods from where it begins by said Road and then by said Robinsons line on Jacksons land to his Norwest corner then to a stake and stones two Rods south of Joseph Carpenters souwest Corner then to a Chesnut trec in a stoney hollow then to a white oak stadle by land of the Heirs of Nathaniel Davis Deceased then to a black burch tree in a stoney run then to a white oak tree two Rods south of William Wakefield south line of his land then to a Chesnut stadle by the Road leading from Robinsons mills to our meeting house in major W" Larned land by said Wake- fields land two rods as aforesaid Said Road is on Jacksons
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170
Dudley Town Records, 1775-6.
Robinsons said Heirs & major Wm Larneds land and leads westerly and was accepted by the Town march ye 4th 1776 Jedidiah Marcy r
Wm Larned
Selectmen
John Curtis of Dudley
Jos : Vinton
Edward Davis
- Worcester ss to Either of the Constables of the Town of Dudley in the County of Worcester Greeting you are here- by Directed forthwith to warn & Notify the freeholders and other Inhabitants of the Town of Dudley aforesaid qualifyed to vote in Town affairs to meet at our meeting house in said Town on monday the 27th Day of may Instant at two of the clock in the after noon then and there to act upon the fol- lowing articals (viz)
first to Choose a moderator for said meeting
2ndly to grant money for schooling for the present year
3rdly to Choose a School Committee to provide schooling this year in our Town
4thly to give our Representative instructions agrecable to the directions of the General Court Reletive to Independants
5thly to hear and act upon any petition or petitions that shall be laid before the Town as they see fitt
and make Due Return of this warrant with your Doings there on at or before said Day ; Dated at Dudley aforesaid the 13th Day of may anno : Domini 1776
by order of the Selectmen
Edward Davis Town Clerk
To the Inhabitants of the Town of Dudley quallifyed to vote for a Representative you are alike required to meet at time and place above mentioned in order to choose a Repre- sentative to serve for and Represent us at Great and General
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171
Dudley Town Records, 1776.
Court to be convened & held at the meeting House in Water- town on wednesday the .29th Day of this Instant may and in their several sessions the Insuing year
Dudley may ye ISth 1776
by order of the Selectmen
Edward Davis Town Clerk
Dudley may ye 27th Day 1776 In obediance to this war- rant I have warned all the Frecholders and other Inhabetants of the Town of Dudley to appear at time and place within mentioned by setting up this warrant at the sign post in said Town
pr me David Keith Constable
At a meeting of the frecholders and other Inhabetants of the Town of Dudley Regularly assembled at our meeting house in said Town on monday the 27th Day of may anno : Domini 1776
first voted and Chose major William Larned our Repre- sentative
2ndly voted Jedidiah marcy Esq' modorator for the Re- mainder of this meeting
3rdly voted 50 pounds for schooling this year
4thly voted Philipp Newell Jacob Chamberlain Lemuel Corbin John Vinton Samuel Palmer John Brackatt & Samuel Waldron as a School Committee to provide schooling in our Town the year insuing
5thly voted to Instruct our Representative agreeable to the Directions of the General Court Reletive to Independants
6thly voted not to abate D' Sam" Waldrons minister Rates for the year 1775
zthly voted to Jedidiah marcy Esq' that pue in our meeting house thats between Vintons & Conants pues on the same footing the other pues are granted to others he paying four pounds Lawful money for said pue and Building of it for the
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172
Dudley Town Records, 1776. :
Benefit of William Coburn & famaly to be paid to the Town Marcy has paid the above four pounds to the Town by Necessares found for Coburn and famaly
In Congress July 4th 1776
A Declaration by the Representatives of the United States of America in General Congress Assembled
When in the Course of human Events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political Bands which have Connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the Earth the separate and equal station to which the Laws Nature and Natures God entitle them a deacent Respect to the opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation
We hold these Truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalianable Rights that among these are Life Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness that to secure these Rights governments are instatuted among men deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed that when- ever any Form of government becomes distructive of these ends it is the Right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new governments laying its Foundation on such princeples and organising its powers in such Form as to them shall seem moste likely to affect their safety and Happiness. Prudence indeed will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transent Causes ; and ac- cordingly all Experiance hath shewn that Mankind are more disposed to suffer while Evils are sufferable then to Right themselves by abolishing the Forms to which they are ac- customed. But when a long Train of abuses and usurpations persuing invariably the same object evinces a Design to reduce them under absolute Despotism it is their Right it is their Duty to throw off such government and to provide new guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance
173
Dudley Town Records, 1776.
of these Coloneys and such is now the Necessaty which constrains them to alter their formor systems of government. The History of the present King of Great-Brittain is a History of repeated injurys and usurpation all having in direct Object the Establishment of an absolute Tyrant over these States : To prove this let facts be submitted to a canded World.
He has refused his assent to Laws the moste wholsome and Necessary for the publick good
He has forbidden his governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance unless suspended in their operation untill his assent should be obtained ; and when so suspended he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accomodation of large Destricts of people unless those would relinquish the Right of Representation in the Legislature a Right inestimable to them and formidable to Tirants only.
He has called together Legislative Bodys at places unusual uncomfortable and distant from the Depository of their publick Records for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compli- ance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative houses repeatedly for op- posing with manly Firmuess his Invasions on the Rights of the people.
lle has refused for a long time after such Desolutions to cause others to be elected : Whereby the Legislative powers incapable of annihilation have returned to the people at large for their Exercise the State remaining in the mean time ex- posed to all the Dangers of Invasion from without and con- vulsions within.
IIe has endeavoured to prevent the population of those States ; for that Purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturaliza- tion of Foreigners ; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither and raising the conditions of new appropria- tions of Lands
He has obstructed the administration of Justice by refusing his assent to Laws for establishing judiciary powers.
Ile has made Judges dependant on his Will alone for the
174
Dudley Town Records, 1776.
tenure of their offices and the amount and payment of their salaries
He has erected a multitude of new offices and sent hither swarms of officers to harrass our people and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us in Times of peace standing armies without the consent of our Legislature.
He has affected to render the military independant of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our Constitution and unacknowledged by our Laws giving his assent to their acts of pretended Legislation
For quartering large Bodies of armed Troops among us ;
For protecting them by a mock Trial from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these States :
for cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world
For imposing taxes on us without our consent
For depriving us in many cases of the Benefit of Trial by * July
For transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretended offences
For abolishing the free system of English Laws in a neigh- boring province establishing therein an arbitrary government and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an Example and fit Instrument for Introdusing the same absolute Rule into these Colonies
For taking away our Charters abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments
For suspending our own Legislatures and Declareing them- selves invested with power to legislative for us in all cases whatsoever
IIe has abdicated government here by declaring us out of his protection and waging war against us
lIe has plundored our seas ravished our coasts burnt our Towns and destroyed the Lives of our people
*Jury doubtless meant .- ED,
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175
Dudley Town Records, 1776.
He is at this Time transporting large armies of foreign mercenareis to compleat the works of Death Desolation and Tyrany alredy begun with cercomstances of crualty and perfedy scarcely parelled in the most barbarous ages and totally un- worthey the Head of a sivilized Nation
He has constrained our Fellow citizens taken captive on the high seas to bare armes against their Country ; to become the Executionors of their Friends and Brethren or to fall them- selves by their Hands
He has excited Domistic Insurrections amongst us and has . endeavoured to bring on the Inhabitants of our Frontiers the merceles Indian savages whose known Rule of warfare is an undistinguished Distruction of all ages sexes and conditions
In every stage of the oppressions we have petitioned for Redress in the moste Humble terms : Our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated Injurys ; A prince whose carractor is thus marked be every act which may define a Tirant is unfit to be the Ruler of a free people ;
Nor have we been wanting in attention to our British Bretheren. We have warned from Time to Time of .attemps by their Legislature to extend and unwarrantable Jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the cercomstances of our Emigration and settlement here. We have appealled to their native Justice and magnanimety and we have conjured them by the Ties of our common Kindred to disavow these usurpations which would inevitable interrup our connections and corespondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of Justice and of consanguinity. We must therefore acquiesce in the Necessary which Demands our separation and hold them as we hold the rest of mankind Enemies in war; in peace Friends :
We therefore the Representatives of the United States of Amarica in General Congress assembled appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the Rectitude of our Inten- tions do in the name and by the authorety of the good people of these Coloneys Solomly publish and Declare That these united Coloneys are and of Right ought to be free and Inde-
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176
Dudley Town Records, 1776.
pendant States that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown and that all poletical Connexion between them and the State of great Brittain is and ought to totaly disolved and that as free and Independant States they have full power to levey war conclude peace contract alliances establish commerce and to do all other acts and things which Inde- pendant States may of Right do. And for the support of this Declaration with a firm Reliance on the protection of Divine providance we mutually pledge to each other our Lives our * Fortunes and our Sacred Honor.
- Signed by order and in behalf of the Congress
John Hancock President
Attest
Charles Thompson Secretary
In council July 17th 1776. Ordored that the Declaration of Independance be printed and a Copy sent to the ministers of each parish of every denomination within this State and that they severally be required to read the same to their re- spective Congregations as soon as divine service is ended in the afternoon on the first Lords Day after they shall have re- ceived it and after such publication thereof to deliver the said Declaration to the Clerks of their several Destricts who are hereby required to record the same in their Respective Town or Destrict Books there to remain as a perpetual memorial thereof
In the name and by order of the Council
R. Darby Jun. President
A true Copy attest
John Avery Dep : Sec'y
Salem massachusetts Bay printed by E. Russell by order of Authoroty
A true Copy of the original Declaration and order of Council Attest
Edward Davis Town Clerk
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177
Dudley Town Records, 1776-77.
December ye 2nd 1777 the Widow mary Hibberd late wife of Samuel Hibberd of Dudley Deceased made applyca- tion to the selectmen of Dudley for some Reliefe for her famaly being in a poor and Distressed circomstanc and the selectmen took what Little Estate the said Deceased Died Siezed of into their costaday and let her have the use of the housol stuff for the binefit of the famaly and the rest sold for their support the whole of the Estate being worth about 20£
Decem' 13th 1779 the selectmen lent to the above said Widow Hibberd what there was left of the houshold stuff of the above estate ; During the pleasure of the Town
Worcester ss To Either of the Constables of the Town of Dudley in said County Greeting In the Name of the government and people of the State of massachusetts Bay you or either of you are hereby Directed forthwith to warne all the male Inhabitants (Except Indians and Negroes) of our that are Twenty one years of age or upwards to meet at our meet- ing house in said Dudley on monday the 30th Day of September Iustant at one of the clock in the after noon then and there to act upon the following articals viz
first to choose a moderator for said meeting
2ndly to act upon the Resolve of the House of Represen- tatives (of the 17th Instant) Reletive to a Constitution and forme of government for this State as the Town shall see fitt
3rdly to vote for a Regester of Deeds and a Treasurer for the County of Worcester aforesaid
and make Due Return of this warrant with your Doings thereon unto the selectmen at or before the said Day Dated at Dudley aforesaid this 27th Day of September anno Domini 1776
John Curtis - Selectmen
Edward Davis
William Carter - of Dudley
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178
Dudley Town Records, 1776-77
Dudley September ye 30th 1776 In obediance to this within warrant I have warned the Inhabitants of this Town by setting up this warrant at the sign poste in said Town David Keith Constable
At a meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Dudley Regularly assembled at our meeting house in said Town on Monday the 30th Day of September 1776
first Voted and chose Jedidiah marcy Esq' moderator for sª meeting
2ndly Voted to adjorn the second artical in the warrant to Tuesday the Sth Day of october next at four of the clock in the after noon to which time after acting on the third artical in the warrant this meeting was adjorned.
Agreeable to adjornment met and first voted and chose m' Joseph Upham moderator P: T for said meeting
2ndly the vote was asked whether the Town would consent to have this present Court come into a Constetution and forme of government for our State and it passed in the Negetive unanamusly
3rd Voted as reasons for not consenting as aforesaid that the town looked upon it that this State had not an equal Representation
Worcester ss To Either of the Constables of the Town of Dudley in the County of Worcester Greeting In the Name of the government and people of the Massachusetts Bay you are hereby Directed forthwith to warne or Notify the frecholder and other Inhabitants of the Town of Dudley quallifyed to vote in Town affairs to meet at our meeting house in Dudley on monday the third Day of march next at Nine o clock in the forenoon then and there to act upon the following articals (viz)
SEAL
179
Dudley Town Records, 1777.
first to chuse a moderator for said meeting
2ndly to chuse Town officers for the Insuing year as the Law Directs
3rdly to see if the Town will let their swine run at larg this year
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