USA > Vermont > Windham County > Whitingham > Green leaves from Whitingham, Vermont: a history of the town > Part 5
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TUESDAY OCTOBER 22, 1782.
R ESOLVED, That there be and is hereby granted and con- firmed to Messrs. Samuel Wells, Jonathan Hunt and Arad Hunt three thousand acres of land lying in Whitingham with the usual allowance for highways in such proportion as they heretofore claimed the same under a grant from the late government of New York, for such fees as the Governor and Council shall judge reason- able, upon this condition, that the said grantees convey to each settler now actually dwelling on said land one hundred acres to be laid in such form as the Committee hereinafter named shall direct, and to include the improvements made by such settler within four- teen days after such settler shall have paid or secured to be paid to the said grantees to the satisfaction of said Committee such sum or sums of money as said Committee shall judge just.
Provided, That the said grantees shall not be holden to convey as aforesaid except as to such settler who shall pay or secure the payment as aforesaid within one month after such Committee shall have determined the price to be paid by them and notice thereof given to them respectively-said land hereby granted bounded as follows viz : Beginning at the northwest corner of a tract of land granted by the late government of New York to Lieut. Thomas Etherington and runs thence north 80° west 178 chains, thence south 10° west 177 chains, then south 80° east 178 chains, and then north 10° east 177 chains to place of beginning, and further Re- solved that Colº Zadock Granger and Capt Whitmore of Marlbo- rough and Luke Knowlton Esq. of New Fane or such other person or persons as the parties shall mutually agree on shall be a Com- mittee for the purpose aforesaid.
OTHER PETITIONS.
Between Sunday, September 28, and Wednesday, October 8, 1783, three petitions were made and dated 10
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at Whitingham, praying that the General Assembly might grant the petitioners a tract of land containing from three to six thousand acres.
One person who signed the first petition signed the second, four who signed the first signed the third, and three who signed the second signed the third.
It is evident that some kind of excitement prevail- ed in town when these efforts were being made to obtain land, and that there were three sides to the struggle for territory, which resulted in a total failure, none of these petitions being granted.
TO THE Honorable the General Assembly of the State of Vermont.
THE PETITION of the Subscribers Settlers of the Town of Whiting- ham, County of Windham, Humbly Shews that your petitioners Did petition your Honors in a petition Dated Sept. 22, 1778 Setting forth our request for a tract of land to be Granted to us lying in sd Whitingham Granted formerly by New York since the Prohibition to Col. Fitch and his associates & sent it by our Representative, But have Received no answer we would at this time Renew our Request for the sd land containing about six Thousand acres, Bounded east on the East line of sd Whitingham, North on land formerly claimed by Capt. Walker and one Norbury, by two York pattents and west on --- - and south on Col. Whiting Grant, and a Grant formerly made to Lieut. Gambell, York pattents.
Your petitioners Some of us Removed here Near or quite ten years ago taking Encouragement to Cultivate the land, then a wild wilderness thinking the land to be Ungranted to any person Expect- ing for ourselves (at least) the privilege of a Settling Lot, and it appears Easy for your Honors to Conceive that we have undergone a Great Deal of Hardship & toil in Making and Repairing Roads and bridges in this Remote part of the State, which may be in time and is Even Now an advantage to the public and an Encourage-
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ment to Others to settle here to the Benefit of the State provided a title to the Soil can be obtained.
Your Honors will (we trust) with a single Reflection feel for us under our present Discouragements when we inform that some that have been here in order to settle have Returned for want of a title of the land, and some of us that have undergone such Hardships are almost Ready to follow them, Especially considering that as the matter Now Stands we cannot be accommodated for a place of public Worship, nor even a place to School our Children for the want of a title to the land.
We Do Humbly pray that the said Land may be Sold or Granted to us by the Authority of this State for a Reasonable price, Refer- ence being had to the Great Hardships your petitioners have un- dergone as above mentioned. The Granting the Just and Reason- able Request of Your petitioners must Greatly Redound to the Honor of this State, advance the Settlement of that part of sd Tract of land which Remains unsettled, And Do Justice to your Petition- ers. Whitingham, Sept. 29, 1783.
LEONARD PIKE, NATHAN GREEN, ELIJAH PIKE,
LEVI SHUMWAY, JAMES REED, AMOS GREEN,
BILLE CLARK, JESSA GRAVES, JONA. THOMPSON,
JOSHUA COLEMAN, NATHANIEL STREETER, JOHN MARKS,
JOHN RUGG, FITCH LAMPHIRE, JOSEPH DOUBLEDAY,
JONATHAN SHOMWAY, JOHN NELSON.
TO THE Honorable General Assembly of the State of Vermont now sitting in Westminster. The petition of Amasa Shumway and others, Humbly Sheweth,
THAT Your petitioners since the year 1772 have entered upon and settled a Tract of Land in the Township of Whitingham, Con- taining about 3,000 acres, bounded as follows, viz East on Halifax Town Line, South on the South Line of Whitingham,-West on Lieut. Gambell's New York Patent ; (since granted by this State to Amos Green, and others) North by lands claimed by Col Fitch by Virtue of a New York Patent : which above described Tract was granted by the Government of New York to Col. Whiting after the
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prohibition of the British King in Council in the year 1764 ; which Lands your Petitioners consider as reverting to this State, from the illegality of the Grant in the first instance, as well as from the Non- fulfilment of the Conditions on the part of the said Whiting.
That since the Settlement as aforesaid, the claim of said Whiting, by Virtue of his said York Grant, has been renewed ; which if suf- fered to take Place, will deprive your petitioners of the Means of Supporting their Families, and divest them of the Hard earned Re- ward of their past Labours and Sufferings.
Wherefore your petitioners pray your Honorable body for a rea- sonable Consideration, reference being had to the great expense they have been at and the hardships they have undergone in culti- vating and settling a wilderness making Roads building bridges &c, and thereby encourage and enable them still farther to promote the Settlement of the State and their own happiness by providing for a preached Gospel and the education of their rising posterity ; both which blessings in their present situation they are destitute of-and your petitioners as they are in duty bound will ever pray.
Whitingham October 2, 1783.
AMASA SHUMWAY, ELIPHALET GUSTIN JR., CHANDLER LAMPHIRE,
ELIPHALET GUSTIN, JAMES MALLETT, ELEAZER GLEASON,
BENAJAH LAMPHIRE, LEVI SHUMWAY, BENJA. CRITTENDEN,
JONATHAN EDGCOMB.
TO THE HONORABLE The General Assembly of the State of Vermont.
THE Petition of the subscribers settlers of the Town of Whi- tingham County of Windham humbly petition your Honors for a tract of land lying in Whitingham formerly granted to Col. Whiting by New York since the prohibition Sd tract containing about four thousand acres Bounded East on the East line of sª Whitingham North on land formerly granted to Col. Fitch by New York and South on Massachusetts Bay West on land granted by the General Assembly to Molton and Green and Company Your petitioners some of us have lived a number of years taking incorgement to cultivate the land then a wild wilderness thinking the land free for
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granting expecting for ourselves att least a settling lot and it ap- pears easy for your Honors to concieve that we have undergone a great deal of hardship & toil in making roads and bridges in this remote part of the State which may be in time and is even now an advantage to the public and an encouragement to others to settle here to the benefit of the State provided a title to the soil can be obtained. Your Honors will we trust with a single reflection feel for us that have undergone such hardships are almost ready to quit our settlements especially when considering that as the matter now stands we cannot be accommodated for a place of public worship nor even a place to school our children for the want of a title to the land.
We do humbly pray that the said land may be sold or granted to us by the authority of this State for a reasonable price reference being had to the great hardships your petitieners have undergone as above mentioned the granting the just and reasonable request 1 of your petitioners must greatly redound to the honor of this State advance the settlement of that part of sd tract of land which re- mains unsettled and do justice to your petitioners.
Whitingham October 7, 1783.
JONATHAN THOMPSON, BENJ. CRITTENDEN, JAMES READ,
ELIPHALET GUSTIN, DANIEL WILCOX, AMOS GREEN,
BENJAMIM LAMPEE, LIEUT. WILLIAMS, JESSE GRAVES,
AMASA SHUMWAY, JAMES MACMULET, SAMUEL THOMPSON,
NATHAN COBB, JOHN MACK.
SUPPLEMENTARY GRANT.
This grant was made in such a way as to render its location doubtful, unless the three lots were more clearly defined than was customary in those days.
But notwithstanding the representations of the petitioners in relation to their perils, there seemed to be an increasing demand for a chance to extend the limits of civilization, erect churches and schools, the
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great need of which was made apparent by the style in which the public business was transacted.
L.S. - - THE GOVERNOR, COUNCIL AND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF VERMONT.
To all people to whom these presents shall come, GREETING :
K NOW YE THAT whereas Jonathan Hunt and Arad Hunt Esquires, our worthy friends, have by petition requested and obtained a grant of land within this State, for the purpose of settle- ment. We have therefore thought fit for the due encouragement or their laudable designs and in consequence of their faithful per- formance of the conditions of the grant of land aforesaid and do by these presents in the name and by the authority of the freemen of the state of Vermont, give and grant unto the aforesaid Jonathan Hunt and Arad Hunt their heirs and assigns forever the Lots or Pieces of land hereafter bounded and described as follows, viz :
Three lots in the Township of Whitingham being a part of three thousand acres of land granted to Captain John Walker a reduced officer, said lots containing one hundred and ninety six acres in each lot and are numbered two three and five as expressed in a certain indenture of release made to the said Jonathan Hunt and Arad Hunt by Samuel Wells and is contained in a grant made by the Legislature of this State to Messrs. Samuel Wells and the afore- said Jonathan and Arad Hunt on the 22d day of October 1782 of three thousand acres of land in the aforesaid Whitingham, the aforesaid three lots of land containing in the whole six hundred acres or thereabouts, reserving to the use of the Public the usual allowance for highways. To have and to hold the aforesaid Lots and Pieces of land as above described, with all the privileges ap- purtenances belonging thereunto the above said Jonathan Hunt and Arad Hunt and each of their respective heirs and assigns forever, their doing and performing the settlement and duty required by Law on other Grants made by this State.
IN TESTIMONY whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of this State to be affixed this 25th day of October 1787.
TMOMAS CHITTENDEN.
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Such a large number of petitions to the Assembly in a single week, coming from a sparcely populated section of the State, urging the claims of the peti- tioners with so much native shrewdness, was clearly indicative of advancing prosperity.
OFFICIAL RESTRICTION.
The people of Whitingham at this time, as a rule, were law abiding, so far as they had any law to abide by. But habits of intoxication sometimes required a check from some official source, in cases where the law could not be appealed to with satisfactory results.
In 1787, the Selectmen of Whitingham adopted a method unique in its conception and salutary in its application. The number of cases treated by this humiliating process is unknown, but one specimen has been preserved and may be found among the town records, recorded by Amos Green who was then Town Clerk. The Selectmen who issued this sug- gestive hint were Samuel Day, Daniel Wilcox and Isaac Lyman. It has no parallel in municipal dictum, and is as follows:
Where as the Mismanagement and Bad conduct of Calvin Fuller of Whitingham in times Past has apparently Brought him self into such Difficulty that his Family may feel the fatal effects of it in many Instances, Perticularly afor their Daly support, which to Pre- vent we, the subscribers, Do agreeable to Law hereby take Inspec- tion of Sª Fuller's futer affairs under our Emediate Care, and hereby Notify the Publick that we act as Overseers on S' Fuller's futer affairs, and warn all that is or may be concerned with Sª Fuller to Govern themselves accordingly. Whitingham, June 30, 1787.
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Money was so near an unknown quantity among the farmers that the town made provision in 1786 for the payment of town taxes in products of the farm.
Voted, That the town tax be paid in wheat at 4s. per bushel, Rey at 3s., Corn at 2 and 6, Oats at 1 and 6, Flax at 8d. per pound, sugar at 5 d. per pound.
BURIAL GROUNDS.
The early burial places of Whitingham were estab- lished by private enterprise as necessity seemed to require. The first burials were in the northwest and and northeast corners of the town, in private lots, with no monument or sculptured stone to mark the places where rest the first settlers.
The Roberts burial place is located in the northeast corner of the town and is one of the oldest known. There is no record of its conveyance for burial pur- poses, and it was probably used as a private yard at first but more recently it has been used as a public ground This lot is about 8 rods long by 6 wide and contains numerous graves, most of which are marked only by field stones.
The earliest date found here is that of John B. Angell who died August 9, 1802, but this is by no means the oldest grave. Burials were undoubtedly made here previous to 1780.
Near the Davis Bridge over Deerfield River, are several graves marked by field stones only; and on the "upper flat" just east from the river and near the
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Nehemiah Blanchard place, are like indications of a private burial place. These burials were some of the earliest in town, about which history and tradi- tion are both equally silent.
Near Rider Pond is a burial place called the Fuller Burying Ground. It was a family lot, not now in use.
A mile westerly from Jacksonville is a spot which has been reserved by conveyance as a burial place, where John S. Gallup buried several children. This is fenced and cared for.
In the northwest corner of the town is a family lot known as the Jewell Burying Ground. It contains only a few graves, but they are well cared for.
About one mile southerly from Jacksonville, near the highway, is a lot one rod square where Joshua Coleman, Ruth Coleman his wife, Joseph Coleman and two children were buried. This lot is fenced and reserved by conveyance.
It was more than twenty years after the town was chartered before any well defined effort was made to secure land and establish a burial place by authority, and then the diversity of opinion was such among the inhabitants as to cause a delay of twelve years more before the town had control of a place to bury its dead; the land then was a gratuity from Jona- than Carley, a soldier of the Revolution, the only consideration expressed in the deed being his good will. This yard was II rods long and 4 wide, it be- ing located in the southwesterly part of the town
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near the Newell place. Burials here have been quite extensive, but more than half the graves are marked only by field stones, bearing no inscription. Here the donor and several of his family rest, undisturbed by the hurrying footsteps of avaricious men.
March Ist, 1784, the town "Voted that Daniel Wilcox, Thomas Blodgett and James Roberts, be a Committee to look out some suitable places for Bu- rying yard in said Town." In 1790, an attempt was made to secure a burial place, and the town "Voted to 'Except' the land for a burying Place of Calvin Munn and fence the same with Posts and boards spiked on." Nothing was done about the fence du- ring the year, but on the 7th of March, 1791, the town "Voted that Capt. Wilcox, Nathan Green and Major Lyman, be a Committee to 'serch' for a more con- venient place to bury the dead than the one now im- proved for that purpose." The Munn lot was here undoubtedly referred to and disapproved.
These earnest efforts to secure burial places about this time may seem strange to some, but it must be remembered that necessity, present or approaching, develops its own remedy and teaches to all mankind the solemn fact that "coming events cast their shad- ows before." In this case there seems to have been ample cause for unusual activity in providing suitable and convenient burial places, when we come to know- that in 1793 one fourth of all the children in town died with scarlet fever.
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This occurred before the gift of Mr. Carley, which was brought about in part by a vote of the town to "fence the burying ground, on condition that the owners would deed the land to the town."
Whether this committee ever found a place where they were willing to be buried does not appear, but 2 I years later the town secured the lot half a mile north of where the first church stood, it being con- veyed to the town by Amos Green. This yard was much used before the town had control of it, and as it contains only half an acre, but few have been buried there for many years. The deed covered not only the burial lot but the old common, and was dated at Whitingham, May 25, 1812, as follows:
THAT I Amos Green of S. Brimfield in the County of Hampshire and State of Massachusetts, for and in consideration of the sum of Twenty Dollars received to my full satisfaction of the Selectmen and inhabitants of the town of Whitingham in the County of Wind- ham and State of Vermont, do freely give, grant bargain, sell, alien, release, convey and forever quitclaim all my right, title, interest or demand in or unto a certain piece of land situate in said Whiting- ham, Containing four acres, and is the same tract on which the Meetining House in said town now stands, bounded and described as follows, Viz : Beginning at a stake & stones standing on the east side of the highway near the southwest corner of the Garden of Ja- bez Foster, Thence running east ten degrees south forty rods to a stake and stones, Thence south 10 degrees west 16 rods to a stake and stones, thence west 10 degrees north forty rods to a heap of stones, thence north 10 degrees east to the place of beginning, be- ing 16 rods. And also one other piece of land containing half an acre laid out for burying ground adjoining the highway that leads by the dwelling house of Caleb Murdock, and is bounded west on said highway, and north and east on said Murdock land.
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To glave and to hold the above bargained & granted premises, with all the privileges and appurtenances thereunto belonging to them the said Selectmen and their successors in office and the said inhabitants as aforesaid for the purpose of a Common and Burying Yard, I hereby engaging for myself my heirs and assigns forever to warrant secure and defend the aforesaid premises against the law- ful claims and demands of any person or persons whomsoever, claiming by, from, or under me.
Un Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 25th day of May, A. D. 1812.
IN PRESENCE OF JABEZ FOSTER, NATHAN GREEN.
AMOS GREEN. L. S.
State of Vermont. May 25th, 1812. Then personally appeared WINDHAM COUNTY, ss. Amos Green signer and sealer of the within instrument, and acknowledged the same to be his free act and deed. BEFORE ME Jabez Foster, Justice of the Peace.
JULY 8, 1812. Then the foregoing deed was recorded in the town records of Whitingham. By me, Jabez Foster, Town Clerk.
On the 5th of April, 1808, David Cutting convey- ed to the town 14 acre of land in the southeast part of the town, the same to be used as a burial place.
This lot was enlarged May 13, 1833, when David Cutting and Levi Lamb conveyed to the town 3 I square rods for its enlargement. This lot is in gen- eral use and known as the Cutting Burying Ground. Some of the early burials were made at this place.
About the year 1810, a tract of land containing nearly half an acre, part of the same being in Whi- tingham and part in Readesborough, was, by agree- ment between Lemuel Blanchard of Readesborough and Mr. Olds of Whitingham, set apart for burial
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purposes. It is located in the southwest part of the town and not now used.
The first person buried here was Lemuel Blan- chard, who died June 9, 1811, aged 62 years, and the last was Mrs. Fanny Shippee Shumway, who died May 13, 1880, aged 56 years. This spot is known as the Battles Burying Ground, it being near where Benjamin Battles lived.
October 1, 1825, Nathan Green Jr. conveyed by deed to Rufus Carley, David Hosley Jr., Benjamin Reed, Nathan Green, Edmund Bemis, Hezekiah Murdock and Alfred Green, one acre of land to be used as a common burying ground. This lot is situ- ated near the south end of Sadawga Pond.
Near the geographical center of the town, north- easterly from the pond and easterly from the village of Sadawga, is a burial place which was deeded to Whitingham, May 21, 1832, by John Kingsbury in consideration of $10. December 27th, 1873, the town purchased of Norris D. Tainter 35 rods on the east side of this lot. When the new part was laid out and improved it became one of the finest and best arranged burial places in town. This lot is near the north end of the pond and within half a mile of the village, and known as the Sadawga Burying ground.
The Jacksonville Burying Ground lies easterly from the village, and occupies a commanding posi- tion. It was conveyed by Billy Johnson to John R. Stacy, Samuel Hosley, Samuel Brown Jr., Parley
:
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Starr Jr., Martin Brown, Laban J. Childs, Adin T. Childs, Daniel D. Wilcox, Putnam H. Pierce, Jonas Brown, Elias Stone, Willard Foster, Joseph Corkins Moses Morley, Newton Smead, F. & J. Sprague, and J. W. Brown, March 15, 1842, and is 80 rods square. It was to be forever used as a burial ground, free to all, it being managed by an incorporated company, which secures a more uniform method in laying out and improving the grounds.
A retrospective glance at the history of the burial grounds of Whitingham will show how little thought was bestowed upon them in early times. The dig- ging of a single grave in some unfrequented field was equivalent to establishing a cemetery for a cen- tury to come; and I am inclined to the opinion that every one of the 16 above alluded to was first used without the sanction of public authority.
It is a deplorable fact that many of those who en- dured the hardships incident to the first settlement of the town, struggling against opposition to their untiring efforts to advance its interests in the scale of civilization and give it honorable rank among the growing municipalities of the State, have gone down to their graves, forgotten by succeeding generations, without memorial or inscription to tell the story of their lives, or point to the places where they were tenderly laid in the obliterating sleep of death.
The cold, gray stones, so carefully arranged by affectionate hands, only suggest the unsatisfactory
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presumption, "Here lies," and the pall of departed generations lingers between the living and the dead, like the shadow of remorseless oblivion.
The records relating to burials in this town are quite incomplete, both in the town clerk's office and by way of inscription upon stones and monuments in the several burial places. Many prominent and well known citizens of Whitingham repose in unmarked graves, beyond the reach of history or tradition.
The following inscriptions may be found in the yard north of the common :-
Nancy, daughter of Jesse & Deborough Hull. Died Sept. 25, 1784, aged 2 ds.
In memory of Mrs. Sally Lyman & infant, Wife & Son to Maj. Isaac Lyman, they died Aug8 22,nd 1791. After a short but distressing illness, in Ye 28th year of her age. Her agreable disposi- tion and ingageing behaviour rendered her Parrentaily Dear to her family, her Friends and the Publick.
As you are so once was we As we are so you must be.
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