USA > Rhode Island > Providence County > Providence > The early records of the town of Providence, Vol. XVIII, 1600s > Part 4
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[June 6, 1785.] At a Town Meeting of the Freemen of the Town of Providence legally warned and assembled at the State House on the 6th Day of June A. D. 1785.
Resolved That the Committee appointed to Revise the Boundaries of the Streets &c. in the Northward Part of the Town be Empowered
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to Exchange Land with those who have made Encroachments on the Burying Place for other Land or to agree for Pecuniary Compensation. [ Town Meeting Records No. 7, pages 34 $ 39.]
[July 29, 1785.] At a Town Meeting of the Freeman of the Town of Providence legally warned and holden on the 29th Day of July A. D. 1785.
Whereas it will be greatly to the Advantage of the Publick to Widen the Road or Highway leading down the Burying Place Hill towards Boston near North Providence Line and to lay out the Road further Eastward as thereby the Steepness of the Hill may be avoided and the Road be made more Straight It is therefore Voted That the same Com- mittee who have lately Revised the Road in the Northerly part of the Town be and they hereby are appointed to make Application to the Town Council of North Providence Requesting them to Widen or lay out said Highway further Eastward accordingly so as to make the same as commodious as possible and that the said Committee be Empowered to Negociate and Transact any Matters which may be necessary for accomplishing the aforesaid Business. [Town Meeting Records No. 7. page 40.]
[July 29, 1785.] Whereas the honorable Jabez Bowen Esq. Mr Moses Brown and John Jenckes Esq. and Ebenezer Thompson Esq. the Committee who were appointed to Revise Benefit Street and ascer- tain and Establish proper Boundaries : to ascertain the Width and Boundaries of the street or Highway where it parts with that leading over Mill Bridge to Herrendens Lane to ascertain the Boundaries of the Burying Place &c having gone through that Business this Day pre- sented their Report of their Proceedings therein with a Plat of the Burying Ground wherein is Decyphered the road and allies over Round and across the same &c as on File and the said Report having Now been Read in open town Meeting and Maturely and Duly Considered
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It is thereupon Voted and Resolved that the said Report be Received. [ Town Meeting Records No. 7, page 42.]
[October, 1785.] An Act for the Removal of the Remains and Monuments in certain Burying Lots, and for the Sale or Exchange of those Lots, under the Direction of the Town Council of the Town of Providence.
Whereas the first Settlers of the Town of Providence were in the Practice of burying the Dead in small yards in their own Lots, before the present large public Ground was laid out for that Purpose ; but from the general Disapprobation of continuing to bury in such Lots, they have been for many years disused : And whereas, by the Increase of the said Town, divers Streets and Lanes have been laid out with which some of those Burying Lots interfere ; and by Reason of their being left by Will, or reserved in Deeds for the purpose of Burying- Lots, they may continue for a long Time an Interruption And as in some Instances Doubts arise in Respect to the Right of those Decend- ants who have kept up the said Burying-Lots, to remove the Remains and Monuments to the common Burying-Ground, or into other Lots. Be it therefore Enacted by this General Assembly, and by the Authority thereof it is hereby Enacted, That it shall and may be lawful for the Town Council of the Town of Providence to make Inspection into the several private Burying Lots in the said Town, and such as they shall judge most for the public's Benefit to have removed, that they signify the same to the Person or Persons who hold the said Lots in Possession, or have been at the Expence of keeping up the Monuments and advise whether the same be exchanged for the same Quantity of Land in another Place, to remain under the same Tenure and Government as the other, and the Monuments and Remains to be removed therein ; or . otherwise that they be removed to the common Burying-Place belong- ing to the said Town, as the said Town Council shall think most proper, at the expence of those who hold the said Lots ; and that the Proceedings
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therein according to the Advice and Direction of the said Town Council, shall be good and valid to all Intents and Purposes. [Acts of General Assembly, October Session, 1785, page 21.]
[June 18, 1787.] At a Town Meeting of the Freemen of the Town of Providence legally warned and held at the State House on Monday the Eighteenth Day of June A. D. 1787.
Resolved That the Committee to prevent Encroachments on the Streets &c be directed to inform the Persons who have encroached on the Common at the North End of the Town that they will be prose- cuted unless they remove their Fences off the said Common as soon as they have harvested what is now growing thereon. [Town Meeting Records No. 7, pages 111 & 113.]
August 25, 1789.] At a Town Meeting of the Freemen of the Town of Providence legally assembled at the State House in said Town on Tuesday the 25th Day of August A. D. 1789.
Resolved That Messrs John Brown, Aaron Mason and Jeremiah Olney be and they are hereby appointed a Committee to view the Burying Ground at the North End of the Town to enquire in what Manner the Town holds the same and whether any Encroachments are made thereon :
That they cause the said Burying Ground to be laid out in a proper Manner and platted : That they estimate what Part of the same it will be necessary to sell in order to enclose the Remainder with a Fence and also ascertain what sort of Fence it will be most suitable and ad- vantageous for the Town to make and that they make Report at the next Meeting. [Town Meeting Records No. 7, page 155.]
October 19, 1789.] At a Town Meeting of the Freemen of the Town of Providence legally assembled by Virtue of an Act of Assembly on Monday the Nineteenth Day of October A. D. 1789.
Resolved That the Committee appointed on the 25th of August last
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for viewing the Burying Ground &c be and they are hereby Continued and that they make Report at the Adjournment of this Meeting. [ Town Meeting Records No. 7, page 161.]
[April 6, 1791.] At a Town Council held in & for the Town of Providence on the 6th day of April A. D. 1791 at the State House
Whereas Sufficient Bond has been given to the Town Treasurer to Indemnify & save harmless the Town of Providence from any Advance of Money, Cost, Charge, Expence or Damage that may Accrue or Arise by Reason of this Council immediately laying out opening & making passable a Road at the North Entrance of the Town
It is Thereupon Resolved That Messrs. Christopher Sheldon John Dor- rance & Zephaniah Brown be & they are hereby appointed a Committee to lay out a. Road or highway at the North Entrance of the Town. That they begin at the north west Corner of the House where Amasa Gray now lives & thence Run on a straight Line to the Corner of the Wall, Fifteen and an half feet West from the North west Corner of Jeremiah Dexters House, That They lay the said Road or Highway Fifty feet wide on the West side of the aforesaid Line That the said Committee proceed to survey bound & mark out said Highway. That they agree with the Owners of the Land for the Damages they shall sustain by Reason of such Highway passing through their Land. That They Cause an Exact Draught or Plan thereof to be made & make Return thereof & of their whole Doings in. Writing under their Hand & Seals to this Council as soon as may be & that James Arnold Esq. be Requested as a Justice of the peace & the Town Serjeant be directed to Attend the said Committee. [Town Council Records No. 6, page 155.]
[April 11, 1791.] At a Town Council held in & for the Town of Providence on the 11th day of April 1791.
Resolved That Col. Zephaniah Andrews & Col. Amos Atwell be & they are hereby appointed of the Commitee appointed on the 6th
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Instant for laying out the Road at the north Entrance of the Town in the Room of Messrs Christopher Sheldon & Zephaniah Brown who have declined And that said Committee proceed on the Business of their appointment agreeably to the said Resolution of the 6th Inst. [Town Council Records No. 6, page 156.]
[May 14, 1791.] Whereas the Council met in Pursuance of their adjournment to take into Consideration the Report of the Committee appointed on the 6th & 11th days of April last to lay out a Road or Highway at the north Entrance of the Town which Report is in the words following to wit, We the subscribers being appointed by the Honble Town Council of Providence on the 11th day of April last a Committee to lay out a Highway at the north End of said Providence on the west side of a strait Line from the North west Corner of the House where Amasa Gray now dwells to the stone wall of Jeremiah Dexters being 153 feet west of his dwelling House do Report that We have preceeded on the Business According to the orders of Council & present this as a plat of the same.
Providence May 9th 1791.
Zephaniah Andrews. L. S.
Jnº Dorrance. L. S.
Amos Atwell. I. S.
Here follows the assessment of damages and allowances to the various abuttors.
It is further Resolved that the same be Accepted. [Town Council Records No. 6, page 160.]
[August 30, 1791.] At a Town Meeting of the Freemen of the Town of Providence legally warned and assembled at the State House on Tuesday the 30th Day of August A. D. 1791.
Resolved That in Case the Town of North Providence will lay out a Road straight or nearly so from Mr Jeremiah Dexter's this Town will support and maintain hereafter the same as far Northward as the Law
1
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now requires this Town to support said Road Northward in its present travelling Rout : And that Mr Samuel Thurber Junr be appointed. to Communicate this Resolution to the Town Council of North Providence and request their Concurrence and Assistance in laying out and making the said Road passable. [Town Meeting Records No. j. pages 216 3. 220.]
[October 1, 1791.] At a Town Council held in North Providence in the county of Providence &c. October Ist A. D. 1791 agreeable to the appointment of September 5th A. D. 1791. The Committee therein named attended by Caleb Jenks as Justice of the Peace & Jona- than Pike as Town Sergeant on Wednesday the 21st day of September inst repaired to the lands through which the proposed alteration was requested to be made & carefully considered the situation & circum- stances thereof & having previously notified all persons concerned in this business had an oppurtunity of hearing the sentiments of those immediately concerned in both towns respecting the place where and how far into North Providence the road ought to be straightened & laid and also concerning the width of the same. The Committee after duly deliberating on the subject & weighing to the best of our judg- ment the public & private interest do report that the road from the dividing line between the two towns ought to be straight or very nearly so as far northward as the widow Marcy Dexters garden the south east corner thereof : and accordingly we have laid the same; the Committee as to the width of this road are clearly of opinion that it ought to be fifty feet wide ; but in making up our judgment on this matter we have a reference to the new road lately laid out by the town of Providence which is fifty wide and it is the opinion of the Committee that the road farthur north which is only a continuation of this need not of necessity be any wider : but as the Committee considers this road to be the greatest avenue from the other states into this & by far the most popular one of any in the state and considering further the singular
[ 2]
4
on of this state in relation to the adjoining ones & the whole
re of opinion that more than fifty feet would be necessary for a high -
4 1 so circumstanced. The Committee on examining th air commissions End :: tomeiginate from ne refer to a former vote of this Council of this "own & also to a vote vi & petition from the town of Promdence in which mettraon :: as desired that the road be laid straight of nearly so inm Mr Jeremiah Dexters northward & in the said former wote of Coundi it s agreed to lay out the said road from the dividing line between the two : s. The committee therefore suppose they will be within their om- mission if they begin their first line at the intersection of the east line de the sand new road & the diding line between the two towns running east ward from Mr Jeremey Dexters from thence straight to the south end of said Dexters wall which is fifteen feet six inches westward from the birtheast oormer of his house : thence northwand with the said wall ho the north end thereof : from thence north 20 degrees east one hun- Bred irty eight rods & eight tenths to a certain point which the Commit- tee agrees shall be fifty feet east ward from the said southeast corner of the gorden aforesaid & so situated that the sail Sity feet shall be perpen- Soder to the said line from the north end of said Denters wall The Committee have agreed with Mr Jeremiah Dexter for the land taken Yom raro toraccomodate this road & do agree that he shall have eight pounds lawful stimer money & also to have his fenice now on the west wi the east line he said road mowed & set ba the said cast line & made as gol and durable fence as it now is: and in case any of the stuff whether huis posts or stones shall be either broken damaged or lost in muning w remaking said fence or in first making the said r ad passable then in That case the fencing is to be replaced and the fence marie brood without ppense to Mr Dexter Mr Edward Smith as guardian to Joseph Dex- for declined making any bargain respecting sal Dexters lawI taken for whis road & therefore the matter is referred tothe Honorable Council UD MAutd the committee also submit this report of their doings.
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In witness whereof we the said committee have set or hands & seals this 28th day of Sept. A. D. 1791.
Caleb Jenks. Thomas Olney Jr. Jeremiah Sayles.
This council taking all matters into consideration respecting the report of Caleb Jencks Esq. Mr Jeremiah Sayles & Capt Thomas Olney Jr. of straightening the road between Providence & North Providence after hearing the parties concerning the premises &c. do accept said report & adjudge the damage done to Joseph Dexter estate by means of altering said road to be eight pounds eight shillings lawful silver money which together with the eight pounds the said committee agreed to give Mr Jeremiah Dexter for the damage done his estate & also the expense of moving all fences agreeable to the report of said committee which is to be understood that all the fence & wall on the said Joseph Dexters land on said road be moved in the same manner as is expressed in the report of said Committee respecting that of Jeremiah Dexter. Therefore it is voted that whenever the aforesaid sums are respectively paid to Jeremiah Dexter & Edward Smith guardian to the said Joseph Dexter said road shall be opened & continued forever thereafter upon its being made passable agreeable to a former vote of this Council of the 21st of February A. D. 1791. Voted that the clerk of this Council transmit a copy of said report together with this vote to the clerk of the town council of Providence as soon as may be.
N. B. Mr Edward Smith did not Act as one of the council being guardian to the said Joseph Dexter ; all which is ordered to be recorded with the report of said committee.
Witness Ezekiel Whipple Council Clerk.
Providence October 26th A. D. 1791.
Whereas the Honorable Town Council of North Providence have straightened the road leading out of the town of Providence towards
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Pawtucket so as to take some of the farm belonging to Joseph Dexter for the use of said road which said land so taken has been by said Council valued at eight pounds four shillings lawful money I Edward Smith of said North Providence guardian to the person & estate of said Joseph Dexter do hereby acknowledge to have received for the use of said Joseph the said sum of eight pounds four shillings in good silver lawful money of Samuel Thurber Jun! of Providence as agent for John Brown Esq! & others who subscribed the same.
Signed in presence of Benjamin Wheaton Jacob Winslow
have signed two receipts of the same tenor & dates one of which is to be lodged in the Town Clerks office in Providence the other in the Town Clerks office in North Providence
Edward Smith.
N. B. The above receipt was laid before the Council & they ordered the same to be recorded. Pr Ezekiel Whipple Council Clerk.
[North Providence Town Council Records No. 2, page 7.]
[June 1, 1795.] At a Town Meeting of the Freemen of the Town of Providence legally assembled at the State House in said Town on the first Monday of June A. D. 1795 being the first Day of the Month.
Resolved that Amos Atwell John Brown and John Smith be and they are hereby appointed a Committee to enquire into and ascertain the Terms upon which a Strip of Land One hundred feet in Depth being part of the North Buring Ground adjoining Westerly on the New Road leading from the North End of this Town holding that Depth and extending parallel with that Road can be exchang'd for an equal Number of Feet of Land lying on the West Side of said Burying
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Ground and that said Committee make Report as soon as may be. [ Town Meeting Records No. 7, pages 336 8. 344.]
[August 25, 1795.] Report. We the subscribers being appointed by the Freemen of the Town of Providence in Town Meeting assembled, a Committee to enquire into and report the terms on which a Strip of Land one hundred feet wide being part of the North Burying Ground adjoining the new Road leading from the North End of this Town and on the west side of the same can be exchanged for other lands lying on the west side of said Burying Ground do report That it is our Opinion an Exchange somewhat similar to that mentioned will be of great utility to this Town that to layout a street fifty feet wide from the North End of said Burying Ground to the south end of the same on a straight line and nearly parallel with the said new road so as to leave a Strip of land between the two streets one hundred and forty feet wide the whole length of the same for the purpose of house lots etc. will be extremely convenient and greatly accomodate that Part of the Town ; that the said strip of Land is not commodious for burying Ground the same being mostly very uneven.
That the Land adjoining the Burying Ground on the West is made more suitable for the purpose of a Burying place and we are informed may be purchased to good advantage, but have not conferred with the owners for the purpose.
Within the said strip is a piece of land adjoining Mr Aaron Masons land about 252 feet long and about 75 feet wide at the south End and at the North End extends from one street to the other which we recom- mend may be sold the said Mason for £25 as the same can be of little use to any other person. We also recommend that the town petition the Honorable General Assembly for a grant or an act of the same for the purpose of selling & purchasing the Lands as aforesaid, which we humbly submit etc.
Amos Atwell John Smith John Brown.
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And the said Report being duly considered it is thereupon resolved that the same be received and that the aforenamed Committee together with Moses Brown be authorized and requested to layout the street as the same is therein delineated to cause a plat thereof to be taken and to furnish the Deputies from this Town therewith for the purpose of assist- ing them in an application to the Hon. General Assembly as recom- mended in said report. [Town Meeting Records No. 7, page 353.]
[October, 1795.] Whereas the inhabitants of the Town of Provi- dence preferred a petition and represented unto this assembly that in June Town Meeting A. D. 1795 a Committee was raised for the pur- pose of enquiring into and reporting the terms on which a strip of land One Hundred feet in width being part of the North Burying Ground could be exchanged for other land lying on the West side of the said Burying Ground and in pursuance of their appointment the said Committee made report as follows :
We the Subscribers etc. *
And whereas the aforesaid Petitioners further represented that at the same August Meeting said Report was received and the following vote passed thereon to wit :-- "And the said report being duly consid- ered it is thereupon resolved that the same be received and that the aforenamed committee with Moses Brown be authorized and requested to lay out the street as the same is therein delineated to cause a plat thereof to be taken and to furnish the Deputies from the Town there- with for the purpose of assisting them in an application to the Honorable General Assembly as recommended in said report "
And whereas the said petitioners did thereupon pray this assembly that they may be empowered to lay out the said street agreeably to the plat with the said petition presented and also to make Sale of that part of the said Burying Ground, or to exchange the same in conformity to the aforesaid Report and that they may also be empowered to erect a suit- able fence around the whole of the land now appropriated, or that may hereafter be appropriated to the purposes of a Burying Ground.
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On due consideration whereof It is voted and Resolved that the Prayer of the Petitioner in the aforecited petition contained be and the same is hereby granted. [Acts of General Assembly, October Session, 1795, page 5.]
[June 6, 1796.] At a Town Meeting of the Freemen of the Town of Providence legally warned and assembled at the Town House on the first Monday of June A. D. 1796 being the sixth Day of the Month.
Voted that the Treasurer of this Town execute a Deed to Aaron Mason of a strip of Land adjoining the North Burying Ground in Pur- suance of an authority granted to this Town by an Act of the General Assembly at their October Session A. D. 1795 and that he take in Payment the sum of twenty five pounds by Way of Discount out of the Monies to be paid by the Town to Moses Brown for the Lands to be purchased of him agreeably to the aforesaid Act of Assembly.
Voted that the Treasurer receive a Deed of Moses Brown of the eight Acres of Land mentioned in the Act aforesaid for the Uses to which the Lands there were originally appropriated at the Rate of thirty Dollars per Acre and after deducting the twenty five pounds aforesaid give his Note on Interest to the said Moses Brown for the Balance. [Town Meeting Records No. 7, pages 367 8. 373.]
[June 21, 1796.] Moses Brown to Town of Providence-$240. Warranty. A certain lot of land containing eight acres more or less lying in said Town adjoining westerly on Moshassuch River four rods and on my other land, northerly on Benj" Cozzens land, easterly on the Town's burying Ground and southerly on my other land.
Beginning at a stone in the ground at the S. E. corner and runs West 5° So. 18-% poles to a stone in the ground thence N. 13 1/2 E. 23720 poles to another stone, thence N 39 W 346% poles to the River along which four rods to Cozzen's and my corner, thence along our line E. 10 So. to the line of the aforesaid Burying Ground, thence S. 7º W 38-9% rods to a Barberry bush with a stone in it, thence S. 6 E. 19} rods to
River.
· SEOY &
spoy - BEM 08 N
₦ 39 W 34.2.
N 7E 38 2 rods
8 Acres
- 2
8 Acres
₦ 13 E 23 %
spos 261 M 9 N
₦ 2 ₩ 13 ..
C
$8SW 182 reds
S.
A Plat
of a piece of land purchased of MOSES BROWN by the TOWN OF PROVIDENCE for an addition to the Burial Ground Surveyed & platted by Dan' Anthony 26th 5 me 1796.
Copied from Book of St Plats No. 3 p.33 City Clerks office
C
Plat C opposite page 33.
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the first bound ; to be understood according to agreement that all the fence standing on the line is to be moved and belonging to the grantor. 1. [Decd Book 24, page 266.]
[June 23, 1796.] Town of Providence to Aaron Mason $83.333- Warranty
One certain lot of land situated lying and being in the northerly part of said Providence on the westwardly side of the new street or highway leading out of town, bounded and described as follows, to wit, beginning at a point on said new street parallel with the north east corner of Obadiah Mason's shop, thence running northwardly bounding eastwardly on said new street sixty feet, thence turning and running westwardly at right angles with said street one hundred and forty feet to the castermost line of a fifty feet street, bounding northwardly on the Town's land, thence turning and running southwardly bounding westwardly on said fifty feet street to a point opposite to and twelve feet west of the north west corner of a dwelling house built by Comfort Eddy on the Burying Ground, thence turning and running easterly to the south west corner of land sold by the grantee to his son Obadiah Mason, thence bounding southerly on said Obadiah Mason's land to the first mentioned point. [Deed Book No. 24, page 259.]
[April 19, 1797.] At a Town Meeting of the Freemen of the Town of Providence assembled according to Law at the Town House in said Town on the nineteeth Day of April A. D. 1797.
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