USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Wenham > Wenham town records 1683-1696 > Part 5
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John Gott & Caleb Kemball Chosen Survey's of fences for the westwardley part of the towne for ye yeare En- suing
Samuel Kellum & Zacheus Goldsmith Chosen Survey's of fences for the Eastward end of the towne.
Benja Edwards Chosen to Continue in ye office of Sealer of Leather for the year Ensuing -
Joseph Fiske & John Batcheler Jun" Chosen Haywards for the west end of the towne -
Charles Gott Jun" & Robert Symonds Chosen Hay- wards for the other part of the towne -
Thomas Patch propounding to the Towne to make an Exchange of about half an Accr of land with the Towne The Towne makes Choyce of John Edwards Sent: John Bare & Samuel Kellum a Comittey to goe upon the place & to vew the sd. land & make report of it to the towne att there next meeting -
* Att the Generall Towne meeting the 3ª of March 1695/6
Joseph Herrick John Coy Joseph Fiske John Browne & Peter Tompson are accepted as towne Inhabitants & to have towne priveledges.
The Towne meeting is adjourned to the next Fryday being the sixth day of this Instant March at twelve of ye Clock to meet at the meeting hous.
Town Clerk
Surveyors
Commissr for Assessmt
Fence viewers
Sealer of Leather
Haywards
Exchange of land --- Thos. Patch
(*page 109)
Jos. Herrick &c. admitted
Adjournment
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WENHAM TOWN RECORDS
Att the adjournment of the Generall Towne meeting on the 6th day of March 1695/6 -
Timber on the Common
Voated that it shall not be lawfull for any person or persons in our towne that shall Carrey any Timber either pine oake or hemlock to any sawmill in our towne or out of the towne from of of the towne Comon to pay the sawyer for sawing in said timber or the produce of it on the penaltie of five shillings by the hundred for all such timber which he shall so dispose of to the use of the towne to be levied by the Constable by warrant from the Select men -
Exchange with Thos. Patch
The Towne makes Choyce of Captt Thomas Fiske Lt Wm Fiske & Ensigne Fairefield to be a Comittey to goe upon the place & to vew the land wich Sergent Thomas Patch propounds to Exchange with the Towne for land near Wm Knoultons hous and in case the said Comittey shall find it Just & needful they are fully Impowred, to make & Compleat the said Exchange
Exchange with John Dodge Jr. for a highway
Voated that the Select men or the Major part of them are appointed a Comittey to goe upon the place & vew the land which the Select men did formerley Exchang with John Dodge Jun" for a high way & to settle the bounds of the two acc's of swamp which he said Dodge was to have in Exchange & also the thre acc's of land in flaggey meadow plain if there be so much there & leave a Conveniant highway & to make a full settlement of the same -
Treasurer
Captt Thomas Fiske Chosen Towne Treashure" for the yeare Ensuing -
Tithing-men
Voated that the Tythingmen that ware Chosen last year are Chosen for Tything men for the year Ensuing -
Bounds
Jos. Herrick
Voated that the Select men or the Major part of them are appointed & fully Impowred to settle the lyne betwene Joseph Herricks land & the Comon-and also to settle the bounds between the successors of Trustler as to his farme of a hundred acc's & the townes Comon land -
Trustler farm (*page 110)
Timber on the Common
* Voated that whereas the Towne hath made an order to prohibitt our Inhabitants from falling any Timber either pine oake or hemlock upon our Towne Comon for ther owne nessisary use in the Towne without leave first
129
WENHAM TOWN RECORDS
obtained of the Select men att ther meeting & Entered in the towne Booke setting forth for what use the Timber trees are ---
It is also further ordered & Voated that the Select men are to give leave without parshallitey to every Comonor in our towne to Cutt for ther owne perticuler use in the Towne such & so much timber on the Comon as shall be rationally needful, with what Equitey & Jus- tice may bee and the Select men are to give notice of ther meeting to attend that service four times in the yeare att the most sutable seasons
And further it is ordered that in case any person after he hath obtained leave to gitt any timber on said Comon shall dispose of it to other person or persons so that it be directly or indirectly caried or disposed of out of the towne he shall pay the fine & forfiture for so doing as if he had cutt or carried it out of towne without leave -
Voated that in prosecuting of all the orders Relating to the preserving the towns wood & timber from being disorderley used in the towne or carried out of the towne whosoever shall Enforme & produce Evidence against any that either have or heare- after shall disorderley take any wood or timber on the townes Comon shall for there care & pains have the one half of the fine or forfiture due to the said towne by the breach of the said order only it is intended that those who have already or in time past fallen timber upon the townes Comon for ther owne perticuler use in the towne although without leave from the Select men shall not be prosecuted for the same
Sergt Patch John Bare John Coy and Samuel Kellum Chosen for the Eastwardley part of the towne & Willm Fairefield Samuel Kemball John Pirkins Ephraim Kem- ball Joseph Herrick & Joseph Fiske for the westwardley and Northwardley part of the towne to Inspect the Comon to see that the above said ordrs be duly attended and not transgressed.
* Voated that in persuance of an order of our towne to prevent our timber pine or other timber cutt without leave on the townes Comon from being
(*page 111)
130
WENHAM TOWN RECORDS
Carried out of towne & is yet remaining in the towne in Loggs it is ordered that it shall be seazed by the Con- stable by warrant from the Select men as the townes tim- ber and to be for the use of the towne in generall unless the Claymer of said timber can rationally make it Appear to the Select men that they did cutt said timber for there owne perticuler use in our towne and not to dispose of out of the towne, and in case he so rationally make it appear to be for his own use as aforesª the said Select men shall Enter said timber as if he had obtained leave to fall the same-
Att a meeting of the Select men March : the 6th 1695/6
Libertey granted to L' Fiske to gitt six pine trees for board & shingle & two hemlock trees for Planke -
To Samuel Fiske Taylor libertey to gitt six trees for board & pine timber anuf to make three thousand of shingle -
To Thomas Kellum libertey to gitt pine timber anuff to make seven hundred of boards -
Att a meeting of the Select men Aprill the 13th 1696 -
Manchester perambulation
Then it was agreed that the lyne should be perambulated & the bounds renewed between our towne & Manchester on the 22th of May next Ensuing if fair weather if not the next faire day & to meet at the hous of John Coy in Wenham: about ten a Clock in ye fore noone: & a note was sent to give them notice of it.
Topsfield perambulation
Then agreed to perambulate the lyne and renew the bounds between our Towne & Topsfield on the 25th day of May next Ensuing & to meet att the Northwardley end of Wenham Causway about nine a Clock in the fore noon on said day if fair weather if not ye next fair day -
and Lt Fiske John Pirkins & Thomas Kemball Wm Fair- field or so many of them as shall Appear at the time aforesaid are appointed for sª service.
Liberty to cut trees on the Common
131
WENHAM TOWN RECORDS
* Att a meeting of the Select men March : 23th 1695/6
Then a List was made on the poles and Estates in & belonging to Wenham amounting to the Sum of four pounds, fourteen shillings money :- £4.14.0
Constable Joseph Herricks part two pounds Eleven shillings & 1ª £2.11.1
Constable John Dennises part two pounds two shillings & 1ª "2. 2.1
£4.13.2
which sums each of said Constables ware to pay in to the Treashurer: and which sums with Tenn pounds al- lowed to our towne by the General Court as an abatement is in full of our townes proportion to the one third part of our two former lists Taken August ye 30th 1695 & sent in to the Treashurer : and which said one third part we ware to asses upon the poles and Estates in & belong- ing to Wenham according to the Treashurers Warrant Dated March: 12th 1695/6-
Topsfield ye 28th of Aprill 1696 -
In answer to an Appointment by the Gentlemen of Wenham to Topsfield to renew the bounds between Wen- ham & Topsfield wee have Appointed Leiut Thomas Baker and Captt John How and Thomas Towne to meet the Gentlemen of Wenham on the 25th of May next Ensuing if fair if not the next fair day & to meet at the north- westwardley end of Wenham Causway at nine of the Clock in the forenoone according to Appointment
Ephraim Dorman by order & in the name of the Select men of Topsfield-
We whose names are under written being Appointed by our severall townes Topfield & Wenham to renew the bounds betwene us have accordingly attended the service this 25th day of May 1696 as followeth we renewed the bound near Joseph Porters meadow by laying stones to the heap of stones before made from thence to a plump of maples near Charles Gotts meadow by the brook
(*page 112)
Rate
Topsfield perambulation
132
WENHAM TOWN RECORDS
marked & stones laid to it which we also renewed from thence as the brooke runs to Bakers swamp and so as Pigdens bounds are to Beverly Ditch by the Island & as. the ditch runs to the River:
Thomas Baker William Fiske Thomas Towne Thomas Kemball
(*page 113) Wildman's Neck &c.
* Att a Towne meeting of the freholders and Inhabi- tants of Wenham May the 26th 1696-
Voated that the Towne will purchas that percell of upland & swampey meadow Called Wild mans Neck & Rootses meadow to be layd & added to the rest of the Townes Comon being now in Jos: Fowlers hands-
Cartway from the Meet& house to the Neck
Voated that ther shall be a Conveniant Cartway laid out from the meeting hous to the Neck by Goodman Ab- beys house through the land of Joseph Fowler and Zacheas Goldsmith: which they purchased of the Execu- tor's of Mr Thomas Smith late of Boston deceased, and the said way to be laid wher it has for maney yeares gon : except that the said way can be layd wher it may be more convenient for our inhabitants: & less damage to the proprietors it is not to be understood to be an open way : but only a Conveniant Cart way for our inhabitants to pas two & froe through gates
Voated that ther shall be a Comittey Chosen to act in the townes behalf in perfecting the purchase with Joseph Fowler of the land cald Wild mans neck & Rootses mea- dow for the towne which said Fowler bought of Good- man Woodward and also to take an account of the Towne Treashurer & Select men and such as have had any of the Townes mony comitted to them and what money is found of the townes in any mans hands to be Improved towards the purchasing of sª land of Joseph Fowler so far as it will goe & what that falls short of the purchase the Select men are impowered to make a Rate upon the Inhabitants for the Remainder to be Comitted to the Constables to be Collected & paid in money with all conveniant speed & Improved for the accomplishing said purchase and if
Wildman's Neck
133
WENHAM TOWN RECORDS
ther be any small strips of Comon land that ley within any perticuler persons land that the Publique is not bene- fitted by the said Comittey have power to take a Survey of the same & make report of it to the towne -
Ensign Fairfield Sergt Thomas Patch & Samuel Kem- ball are Chosen for the Comittey & Impowered to act in the Townes behalfe in the perticulers before mentioned.
Att a meeting of the Select men May 27 1696 -
John Newman Sergt Patch Rich Dodg Sen" John Ed- wards Sen" Sam" Kellum John Coy & Natha11 Walderne or any two of them or so many of them as shall appeare are deseird & appointed to goe on Perambulation on ye lyne [&] renew the bounds betwene our towne & Man- chester [on] ye 28th of this Instant May - * Att a meeting of the Select men of Manchester
May: 28th 1696 -
Captt John Sibley Mr Thomas West & Abraham Mars- ters are appointed to meet with Wenham men this day at ye hous of John Coy in Wenham to goe on Perambula- tion on the lyne & to renew the bounds betwene Wenham & Manchest" according as they have bin formerley stated & setled - -
Robart Leach 7 The Marke of Select Isaac # Whithare men
Wee whose names are hear unto subscribed being ap- pointed by the Select men of our townes of Wenham & Manchester to perambulate the lyne and renew the bounds betwene our said townes we have accordingley being mett together this
28th Day of May 1696
renewed the great white oake tre marked with a W. & M. & sett about with stones & also a small black oake tre standing upon a small Knoule & a clump of four maples standing in the swamp where of two ware marked & we renewed them & we should have renewed the hem- lock tree standing on the brow of a hill & the pine stump
Manchester perambulation
(*page 114)
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WENHAM TOWN RECORDS
near Ipswich lyne but by reason of the wett ness of of the swamps we could not come att them but we do owne them as bounds betwene our townes & in witness wher of we have hereunto sett our hands the day abovesaid-
John Newman
John Coy Nath11 Woldren
1
John Siblee Thomas West
Abraham Masters
Sam1 Kellum
for Manchester
for Wenham
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