History of Cheshire and Sullivan counties, New Hampshire, Part 87

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis
Number of Pages: 1200

USA > New Hampshire > Sullivan County > History of Cheshire and Sullivan counties, New Hampshire > Part 87
USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > History of Cheshire and Sullivan counties, New Hampshire > Part 87

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that Col. Josiah Willard present the same to ye Great and Honorable Court in behalf of the proprie- tors for Confirmation. The accompt of Sundrey per- sons for Surveying and Laying out of the Township &c., was presented to ye Proprietors for allowance, which was Read and Voted that the same be allowed and the sum of Thirty one Pounds, Ten Shillings be paid the accomptants in full discharge thereof, unan- imously voted that in consideration of the charge & expense Colonel Josiah Williard has been at in Procuring the Grant of the Township, viewing the Land &c., There be and hereby is Granted to the said Josiah Williard, his heirs and assigns forever, a parcel of Intervale Land Lying at ye upper part of ye Township above ye fort on the Great River, To- gather with such quantity of Land adjoining there- unto as the committee that shall be appointed by the Proprietors to Lay out the same shall think fit, not incommoding the settlers or Grantees, with respect to their settlements or Land for their conveniency, for that and together with so much more Land as with what shall be Layed out upon ye River as afore- said shall ammount to Three Thousand acres in the whole. To be Layed out at ye discretion of the Com- mittee that shall be appointed for that end so as not to incomode the first Lotts or Land that shall be thought proper for that purpose. Also voted that Mr. Ebenezer Alexander and William Syms, of Northfield, and Capt. Edward Hartwell, of Lunen- burg, be a committee to Lay out and measure off the Land so Granted to Col. Willard &c. Voted that the committe for Laying out of Lots be directed to Lay out fifty acres of Land on some Stream as convenient to the place called the Bow as may be most suitable for the building of a saw-mill to be disposed of by ye Com aforesaid to any person that shall so soon as may be erect a saw-mill or mills there to accom- modate the settlers on condition such person or per- sons shall keep the same mill or mills in Good repair for the space of about Ten years, and that it be left to the Committee to Give such further encouragement to forward the same as they may judge most proper.

The Comtee to take proper care that the price of Boards at such mill be not excessive, &c. Voted, That Two of ye Best places for mills, near the Great River, be resorveyed and not Layed out into Lots till ye further order of the proprietors. Robert Fysse, of Groton, came into the meeting and offª to under- take ye Buiding of a convenient Dwelling House for

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the entertainment of Travailours, about midway from Lunenburg to Northfield, and inhabit the same agree- able to ye order of Court at his own cost aud charge ; provided, he may be Intitled to ye one hundred and fifty acres of Land Granted by the General Court To such person as should so do. In consideration whereof, It is unanimously voted and agreed, That the said Fysse, his heirs & assigns, have & be Intitled to said Granted Land and benefit thereof, so far as Lyes with the proprietors; Provided, he be at the charge of Laying out the same, &c. And in con- venient Time Enter Into Sufficient Bond, to Benja- min Prescott, Esq., In Trust for, and in behalf of ye Proprietors, for performance of what he has proposed as aforesaid, viz .: Build a Convenient Dwelling House for ye entertainment of Travelers, on the Road that shall be cleared from Lunenburg to North- field, about midway on the same within Two years, and Inhabit the same for the space of seven years, &c. as expressed in the Court's order. Also, voted and agreed, that when, and so often, as a meeting of ye proprietors shall be thought necessary, the Proprie- tors Clerk at ye Disire of any five of ye Proprietors signified in writing under their hands, shall & hereby is Impowered to post up notifycations under his hand at the Towns of Northfield and Lunenburg, for the Proprietors to assemble at the Town of Lunenburg, from time to time for the future. Expressing the business and occasion of such meeting fourteen Days before the time of meeting. And that the same shall be accounted sufficient Warning for a proprietors' meeting from time to time, Till the proprietors shall otherwise order. Voted, that there be assessed upon the Proprietors & paid in To Capt Johnathan Hub- bard, hereby appointed to recieve the same, the sum of Fifty shillings by each proprietor of one full share, and in proportion by him that holds a Greater or Less Interestammounting to the sum of One Hundred and Sixty-five Pounds in the whole, by the first Day of July next, for defraying the Charges arrison and that shall arrise in Ye Propriety. To be paid accord- ing to ye votes of the Proprietors, according to said order ; and that William Syms and Deacon Ephraim Pearce be appointed and fully Impowered to collect and pay in the same accordingly. That. . . any Three of them be appointed assessors and Directed and Im- powered to make and furnish the proprietors with Lists of the assessments, and prepare the warrants to collect and pay in the same. James Porter being a

petitioner for the plantation, but his name being left out of ye Copy, and a motion being made & the Question whether the said James Porter shall be ad- mitted proprietor, It was voted in the affirmative. .

" JOSIAH WILLARD, Moderator.

" Entered and examined by

"BENJa PRESCOTT, Proprietors' Clerk."

Having thus organized and formally accepted the grant, we find the proprietors next, through their committee, promptly engaged in laying out the forty-two house-lots at "The Bow and Mirey Brook," and the twenty-seven lots at the "Great River." This work was accomplished during the summer of 1733, as on the 23d of October in this year, the Proprietors assembled at the house of Capt. Jonathan Hartwell, in Lunenburg, and after having chosen Col. Josiah Willard, moderator,-

"Voted to pay the Committee, Surveyor & Chain- man for ye laying out of yee Lotts, &c., ammounting to fifty-nine pounds, nine shillings in full for their said services.

" The Committee for Laying out of Lots in sª Plan- tation Layed before the Proprietors Plans of ye Lots Layed out, which were approved and accepted.

" A Plan of Seven Hundred and eighty-four acres, including Two small Islands in ye River Toyedout, as a part of the Three Thousand acres of Land Granted by ye Proprietors to Col. Josiah Willard, was Layed before the Proprietors."

This report is as follows :

"Oct. ye 3ª, 1733 .- Then Layed out by the Comtee appointed by ye Proprietors for that purpose 784 acres of Land, being part of the Three thousand acres granted by said Proprietors To Col. Josiah Willard, Situate and Lying in ye N. W. Corner of the Township Granted to the said Josiah Willard, Esq", and others, the said Proprietors begining at the Northwest Corner of said Township. Containing all the Land in said Grant Lying there from thence To a Red Oak Tree on ye east side of ye River against fort Dummer; Thence running east 12 dgr South 160 poles To a little Black Oak Tree; from Thence run- ning north one deg" West 225 poles To a heap of stones; Thence running east 11 degr South 80 poles ; Thence running North 12 degr East 300 poles to ye north Line of said Township; Thence Running West

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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

12 d north 357 poles to where it began. Two Small Islands in the River being Included therein, &c.

"NATHAN HEYWOOD, Surveyor.

" EBENEZER ALEXANDER

" WILLIAM SYMS

Comtee."

" EDWARD HARTWELL

The proprietors also voted,

" That there be allowed and paid To Col. Josiah Willard the sum of five pounds four shillings, and by him Repaid to ye Committe and others in full for their service in Laying out this part of the Land Granted him at ye last meeting, and that the remain- der of the Land then Granted him be Layed out at his own cost and Charge (he having consented and agreed thereto).

"Then the Proprietors present proceded to draw their Lotts, which came out and were assigned them at ye Bow and the Great River, Respectively, as en- tered in the several Lists now Taken thereof, there be- ing Twelve Lots not yet drawn . . . (though these were assigned, as the following list shows). Of these Lots at the Connecticut River, Col. Josiah Willard drew No. 28, Isaac Farnsworth No. 15, Johnathan Hubbard No. 10, Charles Wilder No. 3, John Stevens No. 2, Josiah Willard, Jr., No. 1, Stephen Farnsworth No. 11, Edward Hartwell No. 4, John Johnson No. 26, John Waiting No. 22, Edward Hartwell, Jr., No. 14, Eleazer Heywood No. 27, Elisha Chapin No. 12, Shem Chapin No. 25, William Willard No. 21, Wil- liam Lawrence No. 5, Timothy Minot No. 17, John Keen No. 13, Nathan Heywood No. 8, Joseph Kellog, Esq', No. 19, Zechariah Field No. 7, John Brown No. 6, Daniel Shattuck No. 9, Timothy Dwight No. 16, Nathaniel Dwight No. 23, Joseph Severance No. 24, Rufus Honghton No. 18. Lot No. 20 being reserved for public use. At the Bow, or Ashuelot River, Noah Dodge drew Lot No. 7, Ephraim Pearee Lot No. 18, James Jewell Lot No. 27, Moses Willard Lot No. 3, James Hosley Lot No. 17, Ephraim Wheeler Lot No. " House Lot No. 14: at ye Bow ye most southerly lot in ye east range is John Prescott's, the contents of which is 39 aeres: beginning at a certain stake set up for ye southeast corner of sd lot, and runs east 9 degr south on common land 165 rods to a stake ; then North 9 degr east on common land 44 poles; then west, 9 degr North on Lot No. 13, 124 poles to a white- oak tree; then running west 18 degr south, 18 poles to a stake; Then running south, 43 degrs west, chief- 4, William Jones Lot No. 12, Andrew Gardner Lot No. 16, Benjamin Prescott, Esq., Lot No. 40, Samuel Farnsworth Lot No. 21, Asael Hartwell Lot No. 2, Jonathan Willard Lot No. 29, Benjamin Bellows, Jr., Lot No. 23, Samuel Chandler, Jr., Lot No. 34, William Goss Lot No. 1, Silas Houghton Lot No. 33, Daniel Wright Lot No. 15, Benoni Wright Lot No. 9, Joshua Wells Lot No. 39, John Heywood Lot No. 22, Thomas Willard Lot No. 38, Francis Cogswell Lot No. 26, | ly on Lot No. 4, (That of Ephraim Wheeler, on which

Jethro Wheeler Lot No. 20, Ephraim Wetherby Lot No. 30, John Prescott Lot No. 14, Ebenezer Alexan- der Lot No. 31, William Syms Lot No. 13, Nathaniel Chamberlin Lot No. 24, Elias Alexander Lot No. 37, Joseph Alexander Lot No. 32, Joseph Alexander, Jr., Lot No. 25, John Alexander Lot No. 41, Eben- ezer Alexander, Jr., Lot No. 36, John Ellis Lot No. 8, Oliver Doolittle Lot No. 28, James Porter Lot No. 11, John Summers Lot No. 10, Daniel Brown Lot No. 19, Edmond Grandy Lot No. 35, Benoni Moore Lot No. 42, and Lots No. 5 and 6 were left for public use."

No further general action seems to have been taken by the proprietors during the late fall or winter of 1733-34 towards the settlement of their grant, yet it appears that individual pro- prietors were active in advancing their interests in the settlement, foremost of whom was Cap- tain William Syms, who had erected a house on his lot-" Lot No. 13, at ye Bow"-before the 30th of April, 1734. This lot was upon the north side of the mountain, now known as " Meeting-House Mountain," and contained thirty-five acres. It was the second house-lot laid out on " Long Hill," running east, and the first house-lot on the east at the beginning of "The 10 rod road." The southern line of the first east lot, that of John Prescott, and num- bered in the lay-out as " Lot No. 14," was, and is, the same line as now divides the pasture lands of Henry B. Robbins and Willard Jen- nings, the southwest corner of which is nearly opposite the premises now owned and occupied by Sewell Tafts. This lot contained thirty- nine acres and was forty-four perches wide. Its description is as follows :

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are now situated the mills on the east side of the Ash- uelot River at Winchester Village), 44 poles to where it began.

" NATHAN HAYWOOD, Surveyor."

The description of lot No. 13, on which Cap- tain Lyons erected this, the first house erected within the bounds of and by any of the propri- etors of the Arlington grant, is as follows :

" House Lot No. 13, at ye Bow on ye east side of ye long hill belonging to William Syms, ye Contents of which is 35 acres : beginning at a certain white- oak tree marked for ye southwest corner of ye said Lot, and running east 9 deg" south on Lot No. 14, 124 pole to a stake; Then running north 9 degr east on common land, 46 pole to a white-oak tree; Then running west 9 degr north on Lot No. 12, 124 pole to a Stake ; Then running south 7 degree West on ye ten rod road, 46 pole to where it began.

" NATHAN HAYWOOD, Surveyor."

This house was probably erected just a little north of the centre of the lot and only a few rods back from the road. The remnants of an old orchard are now standing very near where the writer remembers an old cellar to have existed when he " drove cows." But this has been within a few years obliterated, and what was then an old pasture whose surface was well covered with rocks and grew so much winter- green and hardhack, that it would hardly sup- port one sheep to the acre, is now a fine mow- ing, and the opportunity is forever lost to us to point out to our children the exact spot where the humble dwelling of Captain William Syms, the pioneer settler of Winchester, stood. But we know very near where it stood, and can picture to them the humble hut of un- hewn logs, its chimney of mud and stones, to- gether with its forest surroundings.

Sometime during the spring of 1735 the proprietors of Arlington set out on their migra- tion from Lunenburg to enter into their new possessions. The peculiar features of their journey have been quaintly and aptly described in a letter written by one of those early pio- neers of civilization to a friend who had not joined in the effort.

" The land they purchased of the Indians, and with much difficulties, traveling through unknown woods and through watery scrampes (swamps), they discover the fitness of the place; sometimes passing through the thickets, where their hands were forced to make way for their bodies' passage, and their feete clamber- ing over the crossed trees which, when they missed, they sunk into an uncertain bottome in water and wade up to the knees, tumbling sometimes higher and sometimes lower.

" Wearied with toill, they at end of this meete with a scorching plaine, yet not so plaine but that the ragged bushes scratch their legs fouly even to wear- ing their stockings to their bare skins in two or three hours ; if they be not otherwise well defended with bootes or buskins their flesh will be torne. That some being forced to pass on without further pro- 'vision, have had the bloud trickle downe at every step, and in the time of summer the Sun casts such a reflecting heats from the sweet-ferne, whose scent is very strong so that some herewith have been very. nere fainting, although very able bodies to undergo much travell, and this is not to be indured for one day but many. They rest them on the rocks where the night takes them. There short repast is some small pittance of bread if it hold out ; but as for drink they have plenty, the country being well watered in all places that yet are found out. Their further hardships is to travel sometimes they know not whither, bewildering indeed without sight of sun their compasse miscarrying in crouding through the bushes. They sadly search up and down for a known way, the Indian paths being not above one foot broad so that a man may travel many days and never see one. This intricate worke no whit daunted these resolved servants of Christ to go on with the work in hand ; But lying in the open aire while the watery clouds pour down all the night season and some times the driving snow dissolving on their backs, they keep their wet clothes warme with a continual fire till the renewed morning gave fresh opportunity of further travell. After they have thus found out the place of abode they burrow themselves in the earth for their first shelter under some hill-side casting the earth aloft upon timbers. They make a smoaky fire against the earth at the highest side and thus these poore servants of Christ provide shelter for themselves, their wives and little ones, keeping off the short showers from their lodgings, but the

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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

long rains penetrate through, to their great disturb- ance in the night season. Yet in these poore wig- wames they sing psalms and pray and praise their God, till they can provide them houses, which is not wont to be with many till the earth, by the Lord's blessing, brings forth bread to feed them, their wives and little ones, which with sore labours they attaine, every one that can lift a howe (hoe) to strike it into the earth, standing stoutly to their labours, and teare up the rootes and bushes, which the first yeare beares them a very thin crop, till the soued (sod) of the earth be rotten, and therefore they are forced to cut their bread very thin for a long season. But the Lord is pleased to provide a great store of fish in the spring time and especially alewives about the bigness of herrings; many thousands of these are used to put under their Indian corne, which are planted in hills five foote asunder and assuredly when the Lorde created this corne he had a special eye to supply these his people's wants with it; for ordinarily five or six graines doth produce six hundred.

" As for flesh, they looked not for any in those times, unless they could barter with the Indians for venison or rackoons, whose flesh is not much inferior to lambe. The toill of a new plantation being, like the labors of Hercules, never at an end. Yet are none so barber- ously bent (under the Massachusetts especially), but with a new plantation they ordinarily gather into church-fellowship, so that pastors and people suffer the inconveniences together, which is a great means to season the sore labours they undergoe, and verily the edge of their appetite is greater to spiritual duties at their first communing in time of wants than after- wards. Many in new plantations are forced to go bare-foot and bare-leg, till later days, and some in frost and snow. Yet were they then very healthy ; there lonesome conditions was very grievious to some, which was much aggravated by continual feare of the Indians' approach whose enmeties were much spoken of. Thus the poore people populate this howling des- art marching manfully on (the Lord assisting) through the greatest difficulties and sorest labours that ever any with such weakness have done."

We fix upon this date (the spring of 1735) of actual settlement, because a regularly called meeting of the proprietors was held at the house of Mr. Samuel Hunt, in Northfield, on March 25, 1735, and the notifications for

said meeting were regularly posted by the pro- prietors' clerk, Benjamin Doolittle, under date of March 3, 1735, at Lunenburg and Northfield, respectively ; whilst on July 21, 1735 the said Benjamin Doolittle, as proprietors' clerk, posted a regular notification of a mect- ing of the proprietors at Arlington and at Arlington only. This meeting was called to be and was held at the house of William Syms, on the last Tuesday (26th day) of August, 1735, and Deacon Ebenezer Alexander was chosen moderator, whilst in all previous meetings of the proprietors Colonel Josiah Willard had been elected to that office. At this meeting the proprietors

" Voted to raise the sum of one hundred pounds, ten shillings money or publiek bills of credit. To be Levied on ye proprietors of ye House Lots at ye Bow & at ye Great River in Equal proportions on each lot : for encouragement of preaching ye Gospel in ye New-Township at ye place called ye Bow, in or- der to prepare a suitable & well qualified person to settle among them agreeable to ye Courts order, & for encouragement of settling ye New-Township accord- ing to ye Courts order & ye said money to be appro- priated only & for ye use of providing such a meet person to preach ye Gospel among ye inhabitants of ye New Township aforsª & defraying ye Charges thereof & Then voted and chose ye Rev. Mr. Benjam in Doolit- tle, Deacon Ebenezer Alexander & Mr. Nathaniel Brooks assessors with full power to assess ye sª sum above granted upon ye proprietors according to ye vote abovesd, voted also & Chose Mr. Jeremiah Hall & Mr. James Jewell Collectors for ye proprietors, to gather in ye sum above granted & pay it in to ye pro- prietors Treasurer."

" Voted that Deacon Ebenezer Alexander, Mr. Nathaniel Brooks and Mr. Jeremiah Hall be a com- mittee to order ye payment of ye above granted hun- dred pounds, ten shillings out of ye Proprietors' Treasury as is found due. Voted and chose ye Rev. Mr. Andrew Gardner, Mr. Nathaniel Brooks & Joseph Alexander, To Take ye care of providing such a meet person as aforesd to supply ye pulpit until ye sd money be disbursed. Voted to make window-frames and easements, ye sash fashion for ye lower tier of windows in y" Meeting House, with ye common sort of Dia-

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mond Glass before winter, provided timber may be had suitable for sª work, & ye Mr. Nathaniel Rock- wood & William Syms be a committee to see yt ye sd work effected by ye Time aforesd & ye payment be made out of ye proprietors' Treasury, out of ye money formerly granted, ye accompts to be passed & payment ordered by ye Committee formerly appointed to pass contingent charges & Order payment of ym. (This committee consisted of Deacon Ebenezer Alexander, William Syms and Jeremiah Hall.)

" Voted that ye sixteen pounds agreed to be paid to Mr. Billings for preaching 8 Sabbaths be allowed & paid out of ye hundred pounds and ten shillings above granted."

The meeting-house had been erected during the late spring and early summer, as it was provided for by the proprietors at their meeting of March 25, 1735, when they voted,-

" Also yt ye place appointed and returned upon ye plan of ye House Lot at ye Bow by ye Committe formerly chosen (this Committe consisted of Col. Josiah Willard, Capt. Johnathan Hubbard, Joseph Kellog, Esq., and Capt. Edward Hartwell) to lay out ye House Lot, be ye place appointed & fixed upon to set ye first Meeting-house." This location was upon House Lot, No. 5, and the exact point fixed upon was on Meeting-House Hill, where the house now occupied by Martin M. Baker stands. At this meeting (March 25th), the Proprietors voted "to build a Decent house for publiek worship at ye Bow at ye place already voted to set it on, of these dimensions following, viz. : 40 feet in Length, & 32 feet in bredth & 18 feet be- tween joynts, & to inelose ye out side & finish ye roof of sª building & ye Doors, & provide boards for ye under floor, & lay ye sleepers & lay on ye boards a seasoning, & underpin ye sd building. Voted to give Col. Josiah Willard ye sum of one hundred & eighty pounds money, or bills of credit, to enable him to build ye Meeting-House at ye Bow, so far as has been already agreed upon, & voted by ye Proprietors, by ye Last day of July next ensuing. Provided yt he give sufficient bond for Security to some person in trust, yt he will perfeet ye sd work to sª building, as already voted by the Last of July aforesd. Voted and chose ye Rev. Mr. Benjin Doolittle a Trustee to & for ye use of ye Proprietors aford, with full power To Take ye bond for Security of Colonel Willard, to oblige him to perfect ye work towards ye building sª Meeting-House

as before voted, & to Prosecute sª bond in case of fail- ure." At an adjourned meeting held on the next Friday, it was voted "that ye Rev. Mr. Andrew Gardner & Deacon Ebenezer Alexander, be a committee with ye Rev. Mr. Benjamin Doolittle to see & Determine wheather Colonel Josiah Willard builds ye Meeting- House agreeable to ye vote of ye proprietors both in time and manner, and upon his fulfullment of ye sª vote to order ye delivery ofsd bond & ye payment of ye hundred & eighty pounds voted to him for sª work."

Precisely how many and who of the grantees were settled within the township at this date we are at present unable to say, though it is fair to presume that most, if not all, of those who are mentioned by name in connection with the administration of the affairs of the township had become residents. Of these were Deacon Eben- ezer Alexander, who drew lot No. 31, which is the first lot to the south and east of the old Ore Mountain road ; James Jewell, who drew Jot No. 27 on Pine Plain, which is very near the house- lot of Alvin Kempton ; Rev. Andrew Gardner, who drew lot No. 16 on. Long Hill, which was on the east side of the ten-rod road and com- prised a part of the pasture of William R. Bul- lock, to the north of the present residence of Morrison Forbush ; Joseph Alexander, who drew lot No. 32, which is now occupied in part at least by Deacon Levi Suben ; Captain William Syms, who has already been mentioned as the first actual resident of Arlington. Of others men- tioned, Colonel Joseph Willard never became a resident of the plantation which he had made such great efforts to secure and establish. He was born at Lancaster, Mass., in 1693. He early became a resident of Lunenburg, and was for many years commandant at Fort Dummer, (afterward known as the Truck-House) and he died as the record says, "on a journey from home, December 8, 1750, aged 58 years." He was described in a public journal " as a gentle- man of superior natural powers, of a pleasant, happy and agreeable temper of mind, a faithful friend, one that paid singular regard to the ministers of the gospel, a kind husband and

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History of Cheshire and Sullivan counties, New Hampshire, Part 87

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis Number of Pages: 1200

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis
Number of Pages: 1200