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ic 74.3 7581s 1.2 1613352
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01786 5806
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2013
http://archive.org/details/statepapersofver00verm
STATE PAPERS OF
VERMONT
V. 2
VOLUME TWO
CHARTERS GRANTED
BY THE
STATE OF VERMONT
BEING TRANSCRIPTS OF EARLY CHARTERS OF TOWNSHIPS AND SMALLER TRACTS OF LAND GRANTED BY THE STATE OF VERMONT
WITH AN APPENDIX
CONTAINING THE VERMONT CHARTER OF WOODBRIDGE, THE NEW HAMPSHIRE CHARTER OF ST. GEORGE AND LIEUT. ANDREW F. PHILLIPS GRANT AND MORTGAGE THEREOF; ALSO HISTORICAL AND BIBLIOGRAPH- ICAL NOTES RELATIVE TO VERMONT TOWNS, ORIGINALLY COMPILED IN 1895 BY HIRAM A. HUSE, STATE LIBRARIAN, CONTINUED AND BROUGHT UP TO DATE
Published by Authority By
HARRY A. BLACK SECRETARY OF STATE
-
BELLOWS FALLS P. H. GOBIE PRESS, INC. PRINTERS-BINDERS 1922
1613352
No. 259-AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE PUBLICATION OF STATE PAPERS.
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:
SECTION I. The secretary of state is hereby directed to prepare for publication the charters of all towns and gores granted by the state, such volumes or parts of the papers of the surveyor general, including the reproduction of maps thereof, and such other of the manuscript records of his office as in his judgment are of general public interest. He shall also procure and file in his office an accurate copy of the book of plans made by governor Samuel C. Crafts, showing the lotting of towns.
SEC. 2. All contracts for printing under the provisions of this act shall be approved by the commissioner of public printing.
SEC. 3. Each volume printed under the provisions of this act shall be called State Papers of Vermont and numbered consecutively after the Index to the Surveyor Generals' Papers. A copy of each of such volumes shall be furnished to each state officer, town clerk and public library, including school libraries; and one hundred copies shall be furnished to the state library for exchanges, one hundred copies to the Vermont Historical Society, and the remainder of the edition shall be disposed of by the state librarian and the funds turned into the state treasury. Such volumes shall be evidence in court and have the same force as the original documents.
SEC. 4. The auditor of accounts shall draw orders for the expense of the work herein authorized when the bills therefor have been approved by the secretary of state. The sum of two thousand dollars is hereby annually appropriated for the years 1913 and 1914 for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this act. All bills for printing shall be approved by the secretary of state and the commissioner of public printing.
SEC. 5. This act shall take effect from its passage.
Approved February 21, 1913.
Section 10 of No. 28 of the Acts of 1921, entitled "An Act to Pro- vide for Certain Special Appropriations," approved April 1, 1921.
SEC. 10. State papers. The sum of $2,000 is hereby appropriated for the year ending June 30, 1922, and a like sum for the year ending June 30, 1923, for the preparation and publication of the state papers in accordance with the provisions of No. 259 of the Acts of 1912.
INTRODUCTORY
When the "Index to Papers of the Surveyors-General of Ver- mont" was made ready for publication by the Secretary of State about five years ago, it was decided after due consideration to style it "State Papers of Vermont, Volume I" and thus to make a beginning, however modest, upon the belated task of printing the extremely interesting and valuable official papers of Vermont.
The present volume continues that purpose by setting forth the charters issued by the audacious young state, more particularly under the guidance and instigation of Ira Allen, who is entitled to the credit of having brought forward proposals which almost entirely obviated the necessity of laying taxes upon Vermont to carry on her part in the Revolutionary War, which tremendously quickened immigration into this state, immediately after that conflict, from all the adjacent, heavily- taxed states.
The recommendation that the property of "Inimical persons" commonly called "Tories," be confiscated to the use and profit of this state, which originated in young Allen's fertile brain and served to tide the infant state over a serious crisis, has become historically famous, being adopted by many other states thereafter; and the second recourse for raising funds by the sale of vacant lands, for which the same Allen was chief sponsor, loomed large in shaping his career, since that course logically called for knowledge as to what charters had already been issued by New Hampshire and the appointment of a Surveyor-General (which inevitably fell to Ira Allen) whose first duty was to map out the bounds of existing towns and thus discover the unchartered and un- charted lands remaining within the borders of the new state.
The charters issued by Vermont, framed in some measure after the style of those of Benning Wentworth, it is true, but bearing also char- acteristic evidences of the spirit of the Freemen of the State of Vermont from whom they issued, have waited almost a century and a half to find their way into print, which, considering their frequent uses for legal purposes and their fine historic association seems rather surprising. The printed page can scarcely be expected to equal in beauty the free-hand engrossing (mainly from the skillful hand of Thomas Tolman) in which the original has been recorded; however, the copy has been followed with fidelity, and reproduced without known change of matter. In form, some minor and apparently accidental variations (as, for example, in the capitalizing of the salutatory and the habendum clauses, which varies considerably in the record) have been brought to a uniform standard. The reproduction of the symbol for surveyors' degrees, though in- teresting as being almost a history showing how the final "d" of old-
iv
INTRODUCTORY
time writing by successive changes became crystallized into the modern, conventional degree-sign, (°) has not been attempted.
The editor has taken the further liberty to set out, for helpfulness and clearness, descriptions for the town bounds in a distinctive type. Several duplications of the records of charters have been found and, (when not involving any apparent purpose) these have not been redu- plicated in the present volume, since this occurred apparently through the inadvertence of the Secretary.
The publication of the New Hampshire Charters of Vermont Towns in 1895 (as Volume XXVI of State Papers of New Hampshire) and the general distribution of that volume by the assembly of Vermont has fulfilled the need of having those charters in book form. For helpfulness to the reader not familiar with this book, it may be said that, in addition to the original charters of towns issued by New Hampshire, grants to (Lieutenants) Peter Brown, Stephen Holland and James Tute may be found therein under Dover, and those to (Conductor of Stores) Andrew Faneuil Phillips and to (Captain) Robert Rogers under Readsboro and to (Captain) John Walker under Wardsboro. The charter of Smith- field may be found under Fairfield, Wenlock under Ferdinand, and Mansfield under Underhill.
The New Hampshire charter of St. George, recorded in this volume of Vermont Charters by request of inhabitants of that town, as likewise the New Hampshire grant to Lt. A. F. Phillips with assignments there- under, have been relegated to the appendix.
It must be conceded that our venerable ancestors, whatever other vices they may have developed, were not hidebound as regards trifles in the matter of spelling, for (not to specify too minutely) the names of brothers, and of the senior and the junior of the same family may be found, side by side, on these charters, yet spelled with all the variety needful to give spice to life-and pain to the proof-reader and com- positor; to the original, however, variegated though it be, we bow as authority.
It is to be borne in mind that the records of the New Hampshire town charters were originally procured by the Surveyor-General from the New Hampshire Secretary to be recorded and kept by him, but have now fallen to the custody of the Secretary of State. Hence, for many towns (See Volumes 19 and 19A) two records are found in this office. And the volume of Vermont town charters erroneously marked "No. 2" is plainly one started by Surveyor-General Allen and ends-as did his official life-about the time that the charter of Woodbridge was issued to himself, which resulted in the displacement, for one term, of worthy Thomas Chittenden from his hitherto-unbroken gubernatorial orbit, and in other well-known results politically. Reference is had to Ap- pendix A for this famous charter, and to the accompanying note, (found written on the fly-leaf of "Vol. 2") accounting for its return to the Secretary's office. The Vermont charters herewith reproduced come from two volumes filed with the Secretary of State, the one clearly
V
INTRODUCTORY
"Volume One," the other styled "Volume Three" (but perhaps not correctly so) on account of the rejected volume, from which only the Woodbridge charter is given, and that for its historical interest.
Inasmuch as "State Papers of Vermont, Volume I" was illustrated by the first known map to show the bounds of Vermont towns, (Reid, 1796), it is logical that this should be followed by the father of all Ver- mont maps (by James Whitelaw, 1796) as the frontispiece in this. The valuable Hon. Hiram A. Huse bibliography of the towns of Vermont, with particular reference to their available history of record, which first appeared in Vol. XXVI, State Papers of New Hampshire, has been con- tinued and brought up to date. Now, for the first time, a serious effort has been made to show the situation of the town lines of Vermont as amended and authorized to be altered by Acts of Assembly from their chartered limits. For a century and a half provisional Acts of Assembly have been piled up on the statute books, usually dependent upon the votes of the towns concerned to determine the result; and as no returns had been made to the state office, the determination of the present situation has proved no light task. In numerous instances extended correspondence and personal inspections of the various town records were necessary.
Within the past year a descendant has had the thoughtfulness to send to the Vermont Historical Society two books from the John W. Chandler Land Office at Peacham. For an estimate of John W. Chand- ler, who deceased in 1855, those interested may refer to the Chandler Genealogy, which quotes him as authority questioned by none for over half a century in matters of surveys and titles of land in northeastern Vermont. These books contain maps of the lottings, names of propri- etors, numbers of lots drawn by them, and extensive digests of land- titles dating from the first settlements down to 1853, and exhibit a con- scientious precision and exhaustive thoroughness and such industry as to us degenerate moderns are almost unknown. As these books cover nearly one hundred towns (mainly in Caledonia, Essex and Orleans counties) they are of considerable value, and so have been con- sidered worthy of being included (similarly to the Samuel C. Crafts plans in the former volume) under the references, and a copy has been made for the Secretary of State's Office.
There still remain quite a few Vermont towns (having, like Topsy, "just growed") without charter from either New Hampshire or Ver- mont-many under New York charter-which it is hoped to account for in a later volume. For, in the wealth of colonial papers to be found in the Secretary's files, there is abundant material to interest, instruct and inspire every Vermonter, true to the early ideals of the Green Mountain State .
Respectfully,
FRANKLIN H. DEWART.
Burlington, Vermont. July, 1922.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acton (Incorporated from Johnson's Gore)
Aikin's Gore
3
Albany (Name changed from Lutterloh)
Alburgh
4 6
Athens
8
Avery's Gores
. 9-14
Avery's Grant
13
Bakersfield
14
Barre (Name changed from Wildersburgh)
Barton
15
Belvidere
17
Benson
18
Benton's Gore
20
Berkshire
21
Bethel
23
Billymead
24
Blake's Gore
27
Braintree
28
Brighton (Name changed from Random)
Brookfield
30
Brownington
32
Brownington Gore (Granted as part of Brownington)
32
Buel's Gore (Granted as a part of Coventry)
Burke
34
Burke Tongue (Part of Burke)
34
Cabot
36
Calais
37
Caldersburgh
39
Cambridge
41
Canaan
43
Carthage, see Jay
Charleston (Name changed from Navy)
Chelsea (Name changed from Turnersburgh)
Chittenden 44
Coit's Gore, see Whitelaw, Savage & Coit's Grant
Concord
46
Coventry
47
Coventry Leg
Craftsbury (Name changed from Minden)
47
Bradleyville (Incorporated out of Pearsall's Gore)
Anderson's Gore
viii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Danville
49, 53
Derby
59
Deweysburgh, alias Dewey's Gore
60
Duncansborough 62
East Haven
64
East Montpelier (From Montpelier)
Eden
66
Elmore
67
Ely, see Vershire
69
Enosburgh Gore
71
Fair Haven
73
Fayston
74
Fletcher
76
Franklin, see Huntsburgh
Gatesborough, see Salem
Gilead, see Random .
Glover
Goshen (Including Goshen Gore No. 1, Goshen Gore No. 2) 78.
Grand Isle, see Middle Hero
Granville, see Kingston
Green & Moulton's Grant, see Whitingham Gore
Greensboro
83
Groton
85
Hamilton's Gore
87
Hancock 88 .
Hardwick
91 92
Harris Gore
Hitchcock's Gore
93
Holland
94.
Hopkinsville, alias Hopkins' Grant.
96,
Hunt Grants, see Whitingham
Huntsburgh
97
Hyde Park
99:
Irasburgh
IOI
Islands in Lake Champlain and Otter Creek, see Whitelaw, Savage
and Coit's Grant
Islands in Onion River, see Knights Gore .
Isle La Motte
IO3:
Jamaica
106.
Jay 108, 110
North Jay (Jay and Cozine Grant)
108
South Jay (Thos. Chittenden Grant)
IIO.
Johnson
III
Johnson's Gore
113
Kelly's Grant No. I (Kellyvale)
117
Jackson's Gore .
IO5
79, 81
Enosburgh
ix
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Kelly's Grants Kelly's Grant No. 2 3, see Belvidere
114-117
114
66 . 4 115
5 116
Kellyvale (Kelly's Grant No. I)
Kingston .
118
Kirby (From Hopkinsville and Burke Tongue)
Knight's Gore & Islands in Onion River
120
Knoulton's Gore, see Bakersfield
Landgrove
122
Lincoln
123
Littleton
125
Londonderry
127
Lowell (Name changed from Kellyvale)
.
Lutterloh
I28
Lyndon
129
Marshfield
I33
Marvin's Gore
134
Medway 135
Mendon, alias Parkerstown, alias Medway
Middle Hero, see Two Heroes
Minden
136
Missiskouie (Avery's Grant and Kelly's Grant, No. 5)
Monroe, see Woodbury
Montgomery
138
Montpelier
140, 141
Morgan (Name changed from Caldersburgh)
Morristown
143
Navy
145
Newark
·
Norfolk
148
Northfield
149
Norton
151
Orange
153
Parker's Gore . 154, 155
Parkerstown (Incorporated from Parker's Gore and Medway)
Pearsall's Gore
156
Philadelphia
157
Phillips' Grant, see Appendix
Pittsfield 159
Plainfield (Incorporated from St. Andrew's Gore)
Providence, see Barton
Randolph
162
Random 164
146
Newport (Name changed from Duncansborough)
North Hero, see Two Heroes ·
.
117
x
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Richford 166
Ripton I68
Rochester . 170, 172
Roxbury . 174
Royalton
175
St. Andrew's Gore, see Whitelaw, Savage and Coit's Grant 177
St. Johnsbury
Salem 180 .
Searsburgh .
181
Sheffield 183
South Hero (From Two Heroes)
185
Stannard (Goshen Gore No. I)
Starksboro
Sterling
188
Sutton (Name changed from Billymead)
Troy, see Missiskouie.
Tunbridge Gore, see Spooner's Gore
Turnersburgh
190
Vershire
195
Victory
197
Vineyard, see Isle La Motte
199
Walden
201
Walden Gore
203
Wardsboro
204
Warner's Grant
206
Warren (Including Warren Gore)
207
Washington
209
Waterford (Name changed from Littleton)
Waterville (From parts of Coit's Gore, Bakersfield and Belvidere) Westfield 211
Westford .
213*
West Haven (From Fair Haven)
Westmore (Name changed from Westford)
Wheelock
215, 217
Whitingham (Hunt Grants) 218
Whitingham Gore 219
Whitelaw, Savage and Coit's Grant & Islands in Lake Champlain and Otter Creek 221
Wildersburgh . 223
Williamsburgh, see Coit's Gore
Williamstown 225
Windham (Part of Londonderry, Mack's Leg and Anderson's Gore) Wolcott
Woodbridge (see appendix) · 227
.
Two Heroes
192
Waitsfield
186
Spooner's Gore
xi
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Woodbury
Wyllys (see Jay) .
229
APPENDIX
.
Woodbridge
235
St. George
238
Phillips' Grant and Mortgage thereof
242
Historical Notes .
249
Index of Names of Persons
377
Index of Names of Places
419
CHARTERS GRANTED
BY THE
STATE OF VERMONT
CHARTERS GRANTED
BY THE
STATE OF VERMONT
[CHARTER OF AIKIN'S GORE]
The Charter of a Small Gore of 800 acres of Land Granted Capt. Edward Aikins & Co. & Anexed to Londonderry
THE GOVERNOR, COUNCIL & GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE FREEMEN OF THE STATE OF VERMONT
L S To All People to whom these Presents shall come GREETING:
KNOW YE, that Whereas Captain Edward Aikin & his associates, (six in Number) have Petitioned for a Grant of a small Gore, or Tract of unappropriated Land in this State, situate Lying between, & bounded by the Townships of Landgrove, Jamaica, Londondary & Winhall, in order for improving & settling the Same, We have therefore thought fit for the due encouragement of their laudable designs, & for other considerations us hereunto moving, and do by these Presents, in the name & by the authority of the Freemen of the State of Vermont, give and Grant the said Tract or Gore unto him the said Edward Aikins, and to the Several Persons hereafter named his associates aforesaid vizt, Nathaniel Brown, Peter Sylvester, Peter Sylvester 2ª, William Aikin, & Nathaniel Bartlet Brown, & their respective Heirs and assigns in equal Rights or shares. Which Tract or Gore of Land is situate & discribed as follows vizt "Bounding south of Landgrove, north of Jamaca, West of Londondary, & East of Winhall, & is Supposed to Contain Eight Hundred acres, be the same more or Less; which said Tract or Gore, is also by these Presents, annexed to, & from the date hereof is & shall be considered, as a part of the Township of Londondary, & the Inhabitents that do or shall hereafter inhabit Sª Tract or gore are hereby declared to be entitled to all the priviledges & immunities that the other Inhabitents of the said Town-
4
CHARTER RECORDS
ship of Londonderry, do & ought by the Laws and Constitution of this State to exercise & enjoy-To HAVE AND TO HOLD the said granted Premises as above expressed, with all the Priviledges & appurtenences thereof in equal Shares or rights unto them the said Edward Aikin, Nathaniel Brown, Peter Sylvester, Peter Sylvester 2ª, William Aikin & Nathaniel B. Brown & to their respective Heirs and assigns forever upon the following Conditions vizt That each Proprietor of the said Tract or gore his Heirs or assigns improve and Cultivate three acres of Land, or have one Family settled on Each respective Right or share within the Term of three years next after the Conclusion of the Present War between America & Great Britain, on penalty of the Forfeiture of Each respective Right or share of Land in Tract or gore not so improved, or settled, & the same to revert to the Freemen of this State, to be by their Representatives Regranted to such persons, as shall appear to Settle & Cultivate the Same.
IN TESTIMONY, whereof we have caused the Seal of this State to be affixed in Council this 25th Day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand, Seven hundred & Eighty two, and in the sixth year of the Independence of this State
By His Excellency Command
Thos Tolman D. Secy.
THOMAS CHITTENDEN
THE CHARTER OF ALBURGH
THE GOVERNOR COUNCIL AND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE FREEMEN OF THE STATE OF VERMONT
To all People, to whom these Presents come
GREETING. Know ye that whereas the Honorable Ira Allen Esq" our worthy friend has by Petition requested a grant of a Tract of un- appropriated Lands within this State for himself & Associates, in order to settle a new plantation thereon to be erected into a Township. WE HAVE therefore thought fit for the due encouragement of this laudable design & for other valuable considerations us hereunto moving. AND Do by these presents in the Name & by the authority of the freemen of the State of Vermont, give & grant the tract of Land hereafter described & bounded unto him the said Ira Allen & to the several persons hereafter named his associates viz. Mary Varshburn, John Lamb, James Lamb, Robart Lamb, Peter Lamb, Abraham Lamb, Charles Lamb, Charles
5
ALBURGH
Davis, Richard Davis, Peter Payne, John Roll, Benjamin Dudley, Isaac Bunce, Theophilus Bentley, John Abbot, Stephen Abbot, Peter Palmer, Simeon Palmer, Job Bunce, James Frost, Ziba Peck, Aaron Sturges, Thomas Pangburn, Rodrick Bound, Philip Beard, Joseph Brady, An- drew Liscumb, John Jinkins, James Pratt, Samuel Starnes, Obadiah Barton, Noble Pearl, Patrick Hine, William Brasur, Zera Dobson, Cornelius Vanwicke Amos Petibone Peter Weatherbee Rufus Bolton David Brownson, Hebar Sargents, Thomas Varnum, Lodawick Pranty, Harris Pebody, Cyrus Grandy, Oliver Doty, Samuel Squire, Isaac Benedick, Reuben Foster, Calvin Purdy, Benjamin Braton Ralf Cham- berlin, Seth Orsburn, Phinehas Rogers, Henry Smith, Charles Randal, Reuben Reed, Zadock Clark, Andrew Morgan, Ralf Brown, Ichabod Rogers, Coonrod White Joshua Bloodgood, Martin Page, which together with the five following rights or five seventieth parts of said Tract to be reserved to the several uses in manner following, include the whole of said tract or Township viz-One right for the use of a Seminary or Col- lege, One right for the use of County Grammar Schools in Sª State, Lands to the amount of one right to be & remain for the purpose of settlement of a minister or ministers of the Gospel in said Township forever; Lands to the amount of one right for the support of the social worship of GOD, in said Township; and Lands to the amount of one right for the support of an English school or schools in said Township; Which two rights for the use of a seminary or College, & for the use of county grammar schools as aforesaid with the improvements, rents, interests, & profits arising therefrom shall be under the controul, order, direction & disposal of the General assembly of said State forever. And ye Proprietors of said Township are hereby authorized & empowered to locate said two rights justly & equitably or quantity for quality in such parts of said Township as they or their committee shall judge will least incommode the general settlement of said tract or Township. And the "1 Proprietors are further empowered to locate the Lands aforesaid amounting to three rights assigned for the settlement of a Minister or ministers; for their support, & for the use & support of english Schools in such & in so many places as they or their committee shall judge will best accommodate the inhabitants of said Township when the same shall be fully settled & improved laying the same equitably or quantity for quality. Which said Lands amounting to the three. rights last men- tioned when located as aforesaid shall together with their improvements, rights, rents, interests & profits remain unalienablely appropriated to the uses and purposes for which they are respectively assigned; & be under the charge direction & disposal of the inhabitants of said Town- ship forever; Which tract of Land hereby given & granted as aforesaid is bounded & described as follows-Viz BEGINNING in the forty fifth degree of North Latitude, being the south line of the province of Quebec & north line of Vermont, at a monument in said line on the West side of Missisque Bay, Then southerly by the lake shore to the south end of the tract of land
6
CHARTER RECORDS
commonly called the Tongue Then Northerly by the Lake Shore to a Monu- ment in the south line of the Province of Quebec & north line of Vermont aforesaid; Then East in said line to the bound began at. Then East in said line across Missisque-Bay &' on to the Land so far, that to turn south to the northerly line of Highgate, then Westerly in ye line of Highgate To Lake Champlain, Then northerly by said Lake to the province line aforesaid, will contain in the two tracts of Land included by these lines, the contents of Twenty three Thousand & forty Acres of Land. AND THAT the same be & hereby is incorporated into a Township by the name of ALBURGH. And the inhabitants that do or shall hereafter inhabit said Township, are declared to be infranchised & entitled to all the privileges & immuni- ties that the inhabitants of other Towns within this State do & ought by the Laws & constitution of this State to exercise & enjoy. To HAVE & To HOLD the said granted Premises, as above expressed with all the Privileges & appurtenances thereunto belonging and appertaining, unto them & their respective heirs and assigns forever upon the following conditions and reservations, viz. That each Proprietor in the Town- ship of ALBURGH aforesaid his heirs or assigns shall plant & cultivate Five Acres of Land & build an house at least eighteen feet square on the floor, or have one family settled on each respective right within the term of three Years next after the circumstances of the present war will admit of a settlement with safety, ON PENALTY of the forfeiture of each respective right or share of Land in said Township, not so improved and settled, & the same to revert to the freemen of this State to be by their representatives, regranted to such persons as shall appear to settle & cultivate the same. That all Pine Timber suitable for a Navy be reserved for the use and benefit of the Freemen of this State.
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