USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Brookline > History of Brookline, formerly Raby, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire : with tables of family records and genealogies > Part 4
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But, fortunately, an old deed of the home farm of the late Leonidas Pierce in South Brookline describes the farm's east boundary line as
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF BROOKLINE
being identical with the old north boundary line of Townsend, Mass. This farm's east boundary is at the, present time not only marked by bounds set in the ground, but its course in a southeasterly direction is indicated by a trodden trail which, until within a few years past, was well defined; and which, even now, can be traced to the state line. This trail, during his residence of many years on the farm, was always known and spoken of by Mr. Pierce and his family as the "Old Dunstable Line"; and over it, during the forties, they were accustomed to see, nearly every morning, Capt. Samuel Brooks come riding down on horseback from his home on Townsend hill to the sawmill on Wallace brook which he built in the thirties, and which still bears his name.
It is apparent, therefore, that by beginning at any point in the eastern boundary line of the Leonidas Pierce farm, and, reversing the course of the old North boundary line of Townsend, running east thirty-one and one-half degrees south, the point at which the latter line crossed the present south boundary line of Brookline, and consequently its course across the town, may be established, at least, approximately.
Having made the experiment, we find that the old north boundary line of Townsend crossed the present south boundary line of Brookline at a point in the same located about one and one-fourth miles west of the town's southeast corner, and continuing on in its designated course across the town, crossed its west boundary line at a point in the same located about one mile north of its southwest corner; passing in its course about one-fourth of a mile to the south of Little Muscatanipus hill, and skirting the base of Big Muscatanipus hill on its southwesterly side; where, on the farm of Samuel A. W. Ball, there is standing at the present time a stone wall which is mentioned in old deeds of the farm as being located on the old north boundary line of Townsend.
Bearing upon, and corroborative of the fore-going, relative to the location in this town of the old north boundary line of Townsend, Mass., the writer submits the following statement of admitted facts, and the results obtained from computations founded upon them.
By the survey made by Jonathan Danforth in 1668 of Groton Plan- tation, its territory lying west of the Nashua river and south of old Dun- stable, was bounded on the north by a line extending west from the river and four miles in length. At the west end of this line the northeast corner of Townsend was afterwards located; and from it the old north boundary line of Townsend commenced to run; its course being west, thirty-one and one-half degrees north; a course which would take it through the south and southwesterly part of Brookline's present territory.
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF BROOKLINE
When the Province line was established in 1741, its course on the west side of the Nashua river began at a point substantially identical with that at which the said north boundary of Groton Plantation began, and ran north eighty (80) degrees west.
When Hollis was incorporated in 1746, its charter described its south boundary line as running on the Province line-"North Eighty Degrees West Six miles and ninety six rods from the Nashua river." Its west boundary line, which was identical with the west boundary line of old Dunstable, began at the west end of the south boundary line and ran due north to the southwest corner of Munson; a length of four miles and one hundred and forty rods.
Again, when Brookline was incorporated in 1769, its south boundary line as described in its charter was exactly three miles in length. Of the three miles two represented the width of the strip of land taken for the new township from the west side of Hollis, and one mile the width of the Mile Slip; which was also taken; and which was supposed to be a mile wide, more or less. It was probably more; for the present measurement of the town's south boundary line is three miles and eighty-five rods.
By using the foregoing data, and, beginning at its old northeast cor- ner, laying out the course of Townsend's old north boundary line, it will be found to enter Brookline at practically the same point and to pursue practically the same course across its territory as is indicated in the re- sults obtained from the first employed of the foregoing two methods.
The Triangular Tract.
The triangular tract of land was bounded as follows: On the south by a line beginning at a point in the Province (State) line about one mile and one hundred and ten rods west of Brookline's southeast corner and running west by the Province or State line one mile and two hun- dred and ninety-five rods to the southeast corner of Mason; thence turning and running north by the east boundary line of Mason about one mile. Thence turning and running east thirty-one and one-half degrees south by the old north boundary line of Townsend, Mass., to the place of beginning.
The southwest corner of old Dunstable was located in the north boundary line of this tract of land at a point where the same was inter- sected by Dunstable's west boundary line.
After the triangular tract of land was set off from Massachusetts into New Hampshire by the establishment of the Province line in 1741,
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF BROOKLINE
it remained as unincorporated land until the incorporation of Hollis in 1746; when a small part of its east end was included within the charter limit of that town. The remaining portion remained as unincorporated territory until it was taken to form a part of Brookline at its incorporation in 1769.
The present dwelling house and sawmill of Perley L. Pierce in Southı Brookline, the old Samuel Brooks sawmill, the dwelling houses of the late Leonidas Pierce and of the late Henry T. Pierce are all located upon territory which was formerly included within the bounds of the triangular tract of land.
The Groton Gore.
Among the many grants of lands within the limits of the Province of New Hampshire which the Province of Massachusetts had issued prior to 1741 was one made in 1734; by the terms of which, in response to a petition by the inhabitants of Groton, Mass., the latter town became the owner of a large tract of land located west of, and adjoining to, Old Dunstable.
This grant was made to Groton as a compensation for the loss by it of the "Nashoba land," so called; a tract of four thousand acres located on its cast and southeast borders to which it had set up a claim of title as being a part of its original territory. But which claim, after being for many years a subject of dispute between Groton and other claimants, was finally settled by the disputed territory's being incorporated with certain other lands as Littleton, Mass. The grant received its name of Gore from the fact that it was located in the gore of land between the west boundary line of Old Dunstable and the old north boundary line of Townsend, Mass.
Groton Gore contained ten thousand and eight hundred acres. The House Journal of the General Court of Massachusetts, under date of Nov. 28, 1734, on page 94, gives its bounds as follows :
"Beginning at the North West corner of Dunstable* at Dram-Cup hill by Souhegan river and running South in Dunstable line last Peram- bulated and run by a committee of the General Court, two thousand one hundred and fifty two poles to Townsend line, there making an angle and running West 3112 Degrees North on Townsend line and Province land Two Thousand and Fifty Six poles to a pillar of Stones then turning
* This corner is at the present time marked by a stone monument, erected by the Milford Histori- cal and Genealogical Society, with appropriate exercises, August 21, 1895.
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF BROOKLINE
and Running by Province Land 3112 Degrees North two Thousand and forty eight poles to corner first mentioned."
But the Massachusetts Court Records of June 15, 1736, at which date the Grant was confirmed, describes each of its boundary lines as being considerably shorter than they were described as being in the fore- going excerpt from the House Journal.
But in each of said descriptions, however, the Gore's east boundary line is described as "Beginning at Dram-Cup hill and running south in Dunstable line as last perambulated to Townsend line"; and as at this late day the question as to which of said descriptions gives the correct length of the Gore's east boundary line is one of comparatively little importance, in the map of early Brookline accompanying this chapter the "Gore" is plotted in accordance with the measurements as given in the said Massachusetts' Court Records of Nov. 28, 1734.
From the foregoing it appears that the Groton Gore was in the shape of a scalene triangle; the west point of which was located in the west part of Mason, now Greenville. That it was bounded on the east by the west boundary line of old Dunstable, on the south by the old north boundary line of Townsend, Mass., and on the north by a line beginning at its said west point in Mason and running by Province land (now Mason and Wilton), north 3112 degrees east, to Dram-Cup hill.
Apart from its being a matter of general historical interest, the Gro- ton Gore, because of the fact that it included within its area nearly or quite all of that part of the Mile Slip which was subsequently incor- porated in and now forms a part of Brookline, is of especial interest to Brookline folk. Yet, fifty years ago, the town's oldest inhabitants then living had little, save traditional, knowledge of it, or of its location. Nor, in the latter respect, were those who had then written histories of the towns in this vicinity much better informed. One of them, at least, having located the Groton Gore in the northwest part of the present town of Pepperell, Mass .*
By the establishment of the Province line in 1741, the Gore became a part of New Hampshire; and Groton people had to surrender their rights in it. During the years of its existence, the Gore does not appear to have had any permanent settlers. Dr. Samuel Green in his "Boundary Lines of Groton, Mass.," says it was used by Groton people for pasturing their cattle. So says also John B. Hill in his History of Mason. Mr. Hill says, further, that the only settlement was a camp near a place later settled and occupied by Joel Annis. It is very probable that for many
* Butler's History of Groton, Mass., Foot-note, page 59.
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF BROOKLINE
years after Groton had been dispossessed of the Gore, its people con- tinued to pasture their cattle in that part of it which subsequently be- came a part of Brookline. For the descendants of Samuel Russell, who still own and occupy the farm on the northwest side of Big Muscatanipus hill upon which he settled in 1750, have a family tradition that at that time the meadows on Campbell's brook to the north of the farm were still in use for cattle grazing.
PETITION FOR NEW TOWNSHIPS IN 1738 AND 1739.
During the years 1738 and 1739, the General Court of Massachusetts was called upon to consider three distinct and separate petitions for the incorporation of new townships out of lands to be taken from Dunstable and Groton, Mass., jointly, or from Dunstable alone. Because of the fact that in each of these petitions a part of the land proposed to be taken was afterwards included in Brookline's territory, and more especially be- cause of the fact that some of the signers of each of them were, either then or shortly afterwards, settlers within the town's present limits, it seems proper to give at this point a brief history of each of these petitions.
The first petition,-the original of which, as well as the originals of the other two, is on file in the Secretary of State's office in Boston-was dated Nov. 29, 1738. It was addressed "To the Governor, the Council and the General Court," and was styled-"Petition of the Inhabitants of Dunstable and Groton For a Town Charter."
After a preamble in which it set forth the disadvantages accruing to the subscribers by reason of their living at such distances from their respective meeting houses as to prevent their families from attending divine worship, generally, for any portion of the year-"By which means your Petitioners are deprived of the benefit of preaching the greater part of the year"-the petition proceeded as follows :-
"There is a Tract of good land well situated for a Township of the contents of about six miles and a half square, bounded thus, beginning at Dunstable Line by Nashaway River, so running by the Westerly side of said River, southerly one mile in Groton land; then running Westerly, a parallel Line with Groton North Line till it comes to Townsend Line; then turning and running north to Groton North-West Corner; and from Groton North-West Corner by Townsend Line and by the Line of Groton New Grant* till it comes to be five miles and a half to the North Ward of Groton North Line; from thence due east seven miles; from thence South
* Groton Gore.
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF BROOKLINE
to Nashua River and so by Nashua River South-westerly to Groton Line, the first mentioned bound. Which described Lands can by no means be prejudicial to the Town of Dunstable or Groton; (it not coming within six miles or thereabouts of either of their Meeting Houses at the nearest place ) to be taken off from them and erected into a separate Township."
"That there is already settled in the bounds of the afore described Tract, near Forty Families, and many more ready to come on were it not for the difficulties and hardships aforesaid of getting to Meeting. These with many other Disadvantages we find very troublesome to us, our living so remote from the Towns we respectively belong to."
The petition concluded with the following prayer: "That the Afore- said Lands may be erected into a separate and distinct township"; and also "That the non-resident proprietors in the said Lands, by reason of the great benefit which they would receive from the increased value of their lands and the easier settling of the same, should be made to pay their proportional part for the building of a meeting house and settling a minister," etc.
The names of those signing this petition were as follows :-
Settlers on the Aforesaid Lands.
Obadiah Parker
Peter Powers
Philip Woolerich
Josiah Blood
Abram Taylor, Jun. Nath'l Blood
Jerahmael Cummings
Benj Farley
William Adams
Eben'r Pearce
Henry Barton
Joseph Taylor,
William Colburn
Peter Wheeler
Moses Proctor
Stephen Harris
Robert Colburn
Will'm Shattuck
Thomas Densmore
David Nevins
Thos Nevins.
Non-Resident Proprietors.
Samuel Brown
Joseph Eaton
John Malvin
W. Brown
Joseph Lemmon
Jona'. Malvin
Joseph Blanchard
Jeremiah Baldwin
James Cummings
John Fowle, Jun.
Sam'l Baldwin
Isaac Farwell
Nath'l Saltonstall
Daniel Ramant
Eben'r Proctor
In Council Jan. 4, 1739, this petition was read and considered; and was finally referred for further consideration to the next May session. At the same time a committee was appointed to consider the same and
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF BROOKLINE
report-"What in their opinion might be proper for the Court to do in answer thereto." It does not appear that the committee ever reported. If the foregoing petition had been granted, the new township would have included all that part of Brookline's present territory lying between its south boundary line and a line parallel to and about three miles north of the same. Yet of the twenty-one "settlers" who signed it, although the majority of them were then living in the west part of Old Dunstable, not one of them then resided in Brookline's present territory. Of the number of non-resident signers, however, Jonathan Melvin and Samuel Brown were afterwards residents here; Melvin coming here in 1739, and Samuel Brown a few years later.
The Second Petition for a New Township.
While the first petition was still pending in the General Court, certain inhabitants of the north part of Groton who were dissatisfied because the new township for which it asked did not include so large a part of Groton as they desired, united with certain of the inhabitants of the west part of Dunstable in presenting to the General Court a second petition for the formation of a new township.
This second petition was dated Dec. 12, 1739. Its preamble, except for its brevity, was similar to that of the first petition. Its description of the proposed new township was as follows:
"Beginning at the Line between Groton and Dunstable, where it crosses Lancaster (Nashua) River, and so up said River until it comes to a place called and known by the name of Joseph Blood's Ford Way on said River-thence a West Point till it comes to Townsend Line, etc., with such a part and so much of the town of Dunstable, as this Honor- able Court in their great Wisdom shall think proper, with the inhabitants thereof, may be Erected into a separate and distinct Township, that they may attend the Public worship of God with more Ease than at present they can by reason of the great distance they live from the places thereof as aforesaid."
Signers-Residents in Groton.
Richard Warner
Benjamin Swallow William Allen Isaac Williams
Ebenezer Gilson
Josiah Tucker
Ebenezer Pierce
Zachariah Lawrence,Jr William Blood
Samuel Fisk
John Green
Jeremiah Lawrence
Stephen Eames.
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF BROOKLINE
Residents in Dunstable.
Enoch Hunt,
William Blanchard, Samuel Parker,
Eleazer Flagg,
Gideon Honey, Samuel Farley,
Samuel Cummings,
Josialı Blood,
William Adams,
Phillip Woolerich.
Of those whose signatures are attached to the second petition, Samuel Farley was the only one then living within the present limits of Brookline. Of the Groton signers of the petition, Josiah Tucker was the father of Swallow Tucker, who settled here several years prior to the town's incor- poration in 1769, and Ebenezer Gilson, who came here from Groton before the Revolution.
The Third Petition for a New Township.
Notwithstanding the fact that so many of the settlers in the west part of old Dunstable signed either one or the other, or both, of the fore- going petitions for the formation of a new township, it is apparent that the majority were opposed to, or at least, dissatisfied with each and all of them. For while the majority favored the formation of the proposed new township, they desired that it be formed wholly out of Dunstable territory; and with that end in view, they presented to the General Court of Massachusetts a third petition-or, as it is sometimes styled-re- monstrance.
This third petition was dated Dec. 21, 1739; and was in terms as follows:
"We, the Sub'rs Inhab'ts of ye Town of Dunstable and resident in that part of it called Nissitissit, Do hereby Authorize and fully Empower Abraham Taylor, Jun. and Peter Powers to represent to the General Court our unwillingness that any part of Dunstable should be sett to Groton to make a Township or Parish and to shew fourth our Earnest Desire that a Township be made entirely out of Dunstable Land, Ex- tending Six Miles North from Groton Line which will bring them on the Line on ye Brake of Land and just include the present settlement; or otherwise as ye Honorable Committee Reported, and Agreeable to the tenour thereof, as the Honorable Court shall see meet, and as in Duty bound, &c.,
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF BROOKLINE
Thomas Dinsmore, James Whiting,
Peter Wheeler,
Jeramael Cummings,
James McDaniels,
David Nevins,
Joseph Whitcomb,
Randal McDaniels,
Thomas Nevins,
Jonathan Melvin, Joseph McDaniels,
Nathaniel Blood,
William Adams,
William Colburn,
William Shattuck,
William Wilson,
Robert Colburn,
Joshua Wright,
Moses Proctor,
Stephen Harris,
Henry Barton.
The General Court referred this petition to a committee, which subsequently reported as follows:
Report of the Committee.
"The committee appointed on the petition of the inhabitants and proprietors situated on the westerly side of Dunstable and northerly side of Groton, after notifying all parties, having repaired to the lands peti- tioned to be erected into a township and carefully viewed the same, find a very good tract of land in Dunstable, west of Nashaway river, between said river and Souhegan river, extending from Groton New Grant " (Gro- ton Gore)" and Townsend line six miles east lying in a very commodious form for a township, and on said lands there is now about twenty families and many more settling. That none of the inhabitants live nearer to a meeting house than seven miles, and if they go to their town have to pass over a ferry the greater part of the year.
We also find in Groton a sufficient quantity of land accommodable for settlement, and a considerable number of Inhabitants thereon, that in some short time, when they are well agreed, may be erected into a Precinct or Parish, and that it will be very inconvenient to erect a town- ship in the form prayed for. The committee are of opinion that the Petitioners in Dunstable are under such circumstances as necessitates them to ask relief which will be fully obtained by their being made a township.
The committee are further of the opinion that it will be greatly for the good and interest of the township that the non-resident proprietors have liberty of voting with the inhabitants as to the Building and Placing a meeting house and that the lands be equally taxed, and that for the support of the Gospel ministry among them the lands of the non-resident Proprietors be taxed at two pence per acre for the space of five years.
All of which is humbly submitted in behalf of the committee."
(Signed) THOMAS PERRY.
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF BROOKLINE
This report was read in the Council Dec. 27, 1739; and was so far accepted that it was ordered-"That the lands mentioned and described therein with the inhabitants there be erected into a separate and distinct Precinct and the said inhabitants are hereby vested with all such powers and privileges as any other Precinct in this Province have or by law ought to have or enjoy. And they are also empowered to assess and lay a tax of two pence per acre per annum for the space of five years on all the unimproved land belonging to the non-resident proprietors to be applied to the support of the ministry according to said Report."
Dec. 28, 1739, the House of Representatives concurred in the fore- going order. And thus, as the result of this and the two prior petitions, the west part of old Dunstable was-"Erected into a separate and distinct Precinct."
The West Parish of Dunstable.
This Precinct of Old Dunstable, which during its existence was known as West Dunstable, enjoyed the rights and privileges as set forth under the act of its establishment by the General Court on the 28th day of December, 1739, until its incorporation as a new township under the name of Hollis, April 3, 1746.
It was bounded on the north, west, and south by the boundary lines of old Dunstable, and on the east by the Nashua river and a line extend- ing northerly therefrom to the Souhegan river; and included within its bounds all of the land which, with the exception of the south part of the Mile Slip, at the present time is included within the limits of Brookline and Hollis respectively.
But although the settlers in that part of West Dunstable which now constitutes Brookline were citizens of the Precinct, and as such, entitled to the enjoyment of all its privileges and immunities, they were few in number; and there is little or no evidence that they, or any one of them, so far as taking an active part in the management of its affairs was concerned, were ever particularly interested in its fortunes.
The Province Line of 1741.
The original charters of the Provinces of New Hampshire and Massa- chusetts were, of course, granted by the King of England. In the matter of boundary lines, their descriptions were very indefinite; for the king's counsellors had very indefinite knowledge of the country wherein they were granted.
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF BROOKLINE
When the charter of Massachusetts was granted in 1629, the coun- sellors fixed its north boundary line as being three miles north of, and parallel to, the Merrimack river; the course of which was then supposed to be west and east. Afterwards it was discovered that the river's longer course was north and south. This discovery was the beginning of a dis- pute between the two Provinces over the question of the location of the boundary line between them, which continued for a period of twelve or fifteen years.
The dispute was finally ended by the King; who, in 1739-40, issued a decree establishing the boundary line. The line thus established by the King was surveyed and located by Richard Hazzen in 1740-41. Hence it is known as the Province Line of 1741. By the establishment of the Province Line, Townsend, Mass., lost all of the territory which it had previously claimed in New Hampshire, a small part of which was the said triangular tract now in Brookline. But, at the same time, its loss was in some measure compensated for by the fact that it gained new territory at its northeast corner by coming into possession of lands which the running of the line transferred from New Hampshire into Massachusetts; the land thus transferred being that part of old Dunstable which was located south of the new line. It was in shape a scalene triangle. Its northern boundary line began at the point in Brookline where the Province line was intersected by the old north boundary line of Townsend, and extended easterly on said Province line about two miles. It was bounded on the south by Groton Plantation and Townsend.
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