History of Royalton, Vermont, with family genealogies, 1769-1911, Part 3

Author: Lovejoy, Mary Evelyn Wood, 1847-
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Burlington, Vt., Free press printing company
Number of Pages: 1280

USA > Vermont > Windsor County > Royalton > History of Royalton, Vermont, with family genealogies, 1769-1911 > Part 3

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A few years ago two wood ibis were shot by Mr. Clark Turner on the First Branch in Royalton. and were mounted by Mr. Lamb. These specimens are now owned by Dr. Fish.

Since the laws for the protection of game and fish have been more stringently enforced, our streams, both large and small, but especially the brooks, are becoming fairly well sup- plied with several kinds of the finny tribe, such as the trout, shiner, dace, minnow, and eel. No fish of any large size is now taken from our streams, the angler feeling well repaid for sev- eral hours of trolling, if at last he succeeds in hauling in a two- pounder. While Charles Lyman owned his saw mill, he stocked

HISTORY OF ROYALTON, VERMONT

a pond near it with fish, and that hatchery still exists, the prop- erty of Fred Fowler.

Royalton does not now boast of so large a variety of flora as in earlier years. The deplorable stripping of the hills of their heavy growth of trees suitable for timber has resulted in the disappearance of several shy specimens of flowers that do not thrive in the open. In other cases the reckless gathering of rather rare flowers has ended in the extinction of that particular variety. The trailing arbutus at one time was very abundant in the vicinity of Royalton village, but has now nearly disap- peared.

The closed gentian and the hop hornbeam tree are found on the hill road from South Royalton to Broad Brook. On this road also runs riot what is familiarly called viper's bugloss. It is not many years since it first made its appearance there, and it has spread with the rapidity of the tumble weed on the prairie, and what was at first admired as a novelty, is now called a pest. Another beautiful flower, which the farmers fight, as a rule, most industriously with small success, is the yellow and the ox-eye daisy. A field white with the rank ox-eye is a thing of beauty in the month of June, but hateful to the farmer, who knows his grass crop will be a minus quantity. The peculiar pitcher plant, quite common in some localities, is quite rare in Royalton. It is found on the Franklin Joiner farm.

The swamp beyond the hills back of the Thomas Davis farm revels in a rich growth of mosses of great variety. Lovers of the lower forms of vegetation will be amply repaid by a visit to this section of the town, and if they time their trip in the month of the crimsoning raspberry, they can also fill their pails with this luscious fruit. The raspberry and blackberry shrubs, so common thirty years ago, have largely succumbed to the ruthless scythe and the lack of moisture which has characterized some of our later seasons.

The dandelion, which is an uncontrollable pest in some western states, occasions no uneasiness here, for the love of "greens" leads the small boys and girls to gather them plenti- fully for table use in the spring. Ferns grow to luxuriant size along roadsides and in moist places. Since the law requiring roadsides to be cleared has been rigidly enforced, many of our drives have lost much of their wild beauty, which loss is not coun- terbalanced by the more frequent passing of automobiles, in the interest of which the law seems to have had its inception.

Rev. Levi Wild, who is a lover of flowers, and has given some time to the study of plant life in the town, has very kindly furnished some information regarding it which will be of inter- est to those of like mind. He says, "I suppose the Flora of

HISTORY OF ROYALTON, VERMONT

Royalton is in general like that of this section of the state, but there are some noteworthy exceptions. Among trees we have a well established colony of shellbark hickory on the 'Pinnacle' back of Royalton village. While this tree is common west of the Green Mountains, and in the Champlain region and in the south- ern Connecticut valley, it is doubtful if it is found on the east side of the state in any other place as far north as Royalton. It is doubtless not native here, but was probably introduced at an early period in the history of the town. Miss Lucy Skinner used to say that these trees came from hickory nuts brought from Connecticut and planted here by the early settlers. Among the rare trees may be mentioned the buttonwood or sycamore, which is found occasionally in the vicinity of White river.

It is noticeable that the white pine has been spreading within the past half century away from the river to the worn-out upland pastures. I know of one pasture which contained only a single pine, perhaps thirty years ago, and is now covered with a dense growth of trees almost large enough to cut for lumber. This tendency of the pine to spread should be encouraged by the farmers. One acre of timber pine is more valuable than many acres of old pasture overgrown with brakes and steeple- bush. Pine lumber commands a high price, and it is one of our most rapidly growing trees. Under favorable conditions a white pine may be expected to make a growth of about two thousand feet of lumber in three quarters of a century.

Leaving the trees and coming to other plants, we may no- tice among ferns that the walking fern has been found within a few years on the farm of Mr. John F. Shepard. It is sin- cerely to be hoped that collectors will not uproot so many speci- mens as to destroy this station; for this curious plant, while common in western Vermont, is rare on the eastern side, and botanically it is a great distinction for a town to possess it. Braun's holly fern, a somewhat rare fern of elevated situations, is also found in Royalton.

In the Rose Family I have seen a single specimen of the shrubby cinquefoil in a pasture near Broad Brook. In some towns of Vermont this is considered a pest. In the Pulse Fam- ily the blue false indigo has been found well established on the banks of White river. The smooth sumach is found near the Sharon line on the side of the river road. The fringed gentian is found in several places in Royalton. I think this is not so rare a plant as many suppose."

Among the wild fruits we may note a fair supply of butter- nuts, some thorn apple trees, the red, black, and choke cherry, the beech nut, juniper, checkerberry, sprignet, and others both dry and fleshy, edible and poisonous. Ginseng grows abund-

HISTORY OF ROYALTON, VERMONT

antly in some sections, and yields good returns to those gather- ing the root. The wild grape is rather common along roadsides, and with the clematis and woodbine adds beauty to the land- scape.

No attempt has been made to give a full list of the Flora of the town, as it would occupy too much space, but other trees should be mentioned, such as the ash, hemlock, spruce, black, white, red, and gray birch, red and black beech, basswood, elm, hornbeam, white and red oak, poplar, white and sugar maple, and quite a variety of willows. Few towns have so many old beautiful elms as has Royalton.

CHAPTER II.

ROYALTON CHARTERS.

A reference to the partition deed of the township of Roy- alton showed that the charter of the town had been granted two years before the deed was executed, and a search of the pro- prietors' records revealed the fact, that the town was not in possession of the charter. If the agent who was sent for it in 1779 did really secure a copy of it, it must have been lost.

The deed of partition with the accompanying chart of allot- ments is of more value than the charter would be. Many lots had been pitched previous to 1779, and several had been sold with boundaries described as in the chart, before the town awoke to the necessity of having a map of its lots.

A search for the charter revealed its existence in manuscript form in the office of the Secretary of State at Albany, N. Y., and on application, permission was readily and courteously granted for the examination and copying of it. As it may not be accessible in printed form among the archives of New York for years to come, if ever, and as it is a document of more than local interest, it is given in full.

"George the Third by the Grace of God of Great Britain France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith and so forth. To all to whom these Presents shall come Greeting

Whereas Our loving Subjects William Livingston, William Smith Junior, and Whitehead Hicks, in behalf of themselves and twenty seven other Persons their Associates, by their humble Petition unto our late trusty and well beloved Sir Henry Moore Baronet then our Captain General and Governor in Chief of our Province of New York, and read in our Council for our said Province, on the third day of November which was in the Year of Our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty six did set forth, among other Things, That there was a certain Tract of Land situate on the West side of Connecticut River within our said Province, which the Petitioners had discovered to be vacant and unpatented ;- bounded Easterly by a Tract of Land commonly called or known by the Name of Sharon, and Southerly by another Tract of Land commonly called or known by the Name of Bernard, and Northerly by a Tract of Land commonly called or known by the Name of Tunbridge, and to run Westerly so as to comprehend Thirty Thou- sand Acres: And therefore the Petitioners for themselves and their Associates humbly prayed that as the aforesaid Lands never were granted under our Province of New Hampshire, our said late Captain

HISTORY OF ROYALTON, VERMONT

General and Governor in Chief would be favourably pleased by our Letters Patent to grant unto them and their Associates, and to their respective heirs and Assigns forever, the aforesaid Tract of Land con- taining thirty thousand Acres: And that the same might be formed into a Township by the Name of Royalton with the usual Powers and Privileges that are granted to Townships within Our said Province: Which Petition having been referred to a Committee humbly advise and Consent that our said late Captain General and Governor in Chief should by our Letters Patent grant unto the Petitioners and their Associates and their heirs the Tract of Land aforesaid and that the same should be thereby erected into a Township by the Name of Royal- ton with the usual privileges, under the Quit Rent Provisoes Limitations and Restrictions prescribed by our Royal Instructions. And whereas the said William Livingston and Whitehead Hicks by their humble Petition in behalf of themselves and their Associates presented unto our trusty and well beloved Cadwallader Colden Esquire our Lieutenant Governor and Commander in Chief of our said Province of New York and the Territories depending thereon in America and read in our Council for our said Province on the twentieth day of October now last past, did set forth That the Petitioners and their Associates having obtained on their former Petition an order of our said late Captain General and Governor in Chief with the advice and Consent of our Council, bearing date the seventh day of November in the said Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty six, for granting to them and their heirs a certain Tract of Land on the West side of Con- necticut River containing thirty thousand Acres, had procured an actual Survey thereof at considerable Expence: That the same tho' within the Lands formerly claimed by the Province of New Hampshire, had not been granted by that Government, and remains still vacant and vested in us; And therefore the Petitioners in behalf of themselves and their Associates did humbly pray that they might have Leave when the Letters Patent should issue for said Lands to insert as Grantees therein, the Names mentioned in the Schedule or List at the Foot of the said Petition, who are all the Persons interested in the Premises, to wit, William Livingstone, William Smith junior, Whitehead Hicks, John Kelly, Susannah Livingstone, Elizabeth Livingstone, John Brevort, Elias Brevort, Thomas Hicks, John Woods, Gilbert Hicks, John W. Smith, Samuel Smith, Garret Noel, John Brown, Gerard Bancker, John Robin- son, Gilbert Ash, William Sorrall, John Dutton Crimshier, Garret Roor- back, John McKenney, Isaac Heron, Elias Nixon, Robert Hyslop, Francis Child, James Moran, Isaac Myer, John Lewis, and Samuel Boyer. On reading and due Consideration whereof, It was ordered by our said Lieutenant Governor and Commander in Chief with the Advice and Consent of our said Council, that the Names of the several Persons afore- said should be inserted as Grantees in the Letters Patent for the Lands described in the said Petition, according to the Prayer thereof. In Pursuance whereof and in Obedience to our Royal Instructions afore- said, Our Commissioners appointed for the selling out all Lands to be granted within our said Province have set out for them the said William Livingstone, William Smith junior, Whitehead Hicks, John Kelly, Susannah Livingstone, Elizabeth Livingstone, John Brevort, Elias Brevort, Thomas Hicks, John Woods, Gilbert Hicks, John W. Smith, Samuel Smith, Garrett Noel, John Brown, Gerard Bancker, John Robinson, Gilbert Ash, William Sorrall, John Dutton Crimshier, Garrett Roorback, John McKenney, Isaac Heron, Elias Nixon, Robert Hyslop, Francis Child, James Moran, Isaac Myer, John Lewis and Samuel Bower, All that certain Tract or Parcel of Land within our Province of New York situate lying and being on the West side of the Connecticut

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River in the County of Cumberland: Beginning at the Southwest Corner of a Tract of Land called and known by the Name of Sharon, being a Beech Tree with the Words The Southeast Corner of Royalton, and runs thence North sixty degrees West six hundred and twenty Chains; then North forty degrees East five hundred and thirty Chains; Then South fifty seven degrees and thirty Minutes East six hundred and eighteen Chains; and then South forty degrees West five hundred Chains, to the Beech Tree where this Tract first began containing thirty thousand Acres of Land and the usual allowance for Highways; And in setting out the said Tract of Land Our said Commissioners have had regard to the profitable and unprofitable Acres and have taken Care that the Length thereof doth not extend along the Banks of any River otherwise than is conformable to Our said Royal Instructions, as by a Certificate thereof under their hands bearing date the seventh day of this Instant Month of November, and entered on Record in our Secre- tary's Office for our said Province may more fully appear. Which said Tract of Land set out as aforesaid according to our said Royal Instruc- tions We being willing to grant to the said Petitioners and their Associates, their heirs and Assigns forever, with the several Privileges and Powers hereinafter mentioned, Know Ye that of our especial Grace certain knowledge and meer Motion, We have given granted ratified and confirmed and do by these Presents for our heirs and Successors give grant ratify and confirm unto them the said William Livingstone, William Smith junior, Whitehead Hicks, John Kelly, Susannah Living- stone, Elizabeth Livingstone, John Brevort, Elias Brevort, Thomas Hicks, John Woods, Gilbert Hicks, John W. Smith, Samuel Smith, Garrett Noel, John Brown, Gerard Bancker, John Robinson, Gilbert Ash, William Sorrall, John Dutton Crimshier, Garret Roorback, John Mckenney, Isaac Heron, Elias Nixon, Robert Hyslop, Francis Child, James Moran, Isaac Myer, John Lewis and Samuel Boyer their heirs and Assigns forever, All that the Tract or Parcel of Land aforesaid set out abutted bounded and described in Manner and form as above men- tioned, together with all and singular the Tenements Hereditaments Emoluments and Appurtenances thereunto belonging or appertaining. And also all Our Estate Right Title Interest Possession Claim and Demand whatsoever of in and to the same Lands and Premises, and every Part and Parcel thereof, and the Reversion and Reversions, Remainder and Remainders Rents Dues and Profits thereof and of every Part and Parcel thereof-Except and always reserved out of this our present Grant unto us and our heirs and successors forever, All Mines of Gold and Silver and also all White or other sorts of Pine Trees fit for Masts of the Growth of twenty four Inches Diameter and upwards at twelve Inches from the Earth for Masts for the Royal Navy of us our heirs and Successors. To have and to hold one full and equal thirtieth Part (the whole into thirty equal Parts to be divided) of the said Tract or Parcel of Land Tenements Hereditaments and Premises by these Presents granted ratified and confirmed, and every Part and Parcel thereof, with their and every of their appurtenances (except as herein before excepted) unto each of them our Grantees above men- tioned-their heirs and Assigns respectively, to their only proper and seperate Use and Behoof respectively forever as Tenants in Common and not as joint Tenants To be holden of Us our heirs and Successors in free and common Soccage as of our Manor of East Greenwich in our County of Kent within Our Kingdom of Great Britain. Yielding ren- dering and paying therefor yearly and every Year forever unto us our heirs and Successors at Our Custom House in Our City of New York unto Our or their Collector or Receiver General there for the Time being on the Feast of the Annunciation of the blessed Virgin Mary

HISTORY OF ROYALTON, VERMONT

commonly called Lady Day the Yearly Rent of Two Shillings and six- pence Sterling for each and every hundred Acres of the above granted Lands and so in Proportion for any lesser Quantity thereof saving and except for such Part of the said Lands allowed for Highways as above mentioned in Lieu and stead of all other Rents Services Dues Duties and Demands whatsoever for the hereby granted Lands and Premises or any Part thereof: And We do of our especial Grace certain knowledge and meer Motion create erect and Constitute the Tract or Parcel of Land herein granted and every Part and Parcel thereof a Township forever hereafter to be continue and remain and by the Name of Royalton forever hereafter, to be called and known And for the better and more easily carrying on and managing publick Affairs and Business of the said Township Our Royal Will and Pleasure is, And we do hereby Us Our heirs and Successors give and grant to the Inhabitants of the said Township, All the Powers Authorities Privileges and Advantages heretofore given and granted to or legally enjoyed by all any or either our other Townships within Our said Province. And we also Ordain and establish That there shall be forever hereafter in the said Township two Assessors One Treasurer two Overseers of the Highways Two Overseers of the Poor One Collector and four Constables elected and chosen out of the Inhabitants of the said Township Yearly and every Year on the first Tuesday in May at the most publick Place in the said Township by the Majority of the Free- holders thereof then and there met and assembled for that Purpose Hereby declaring that wheresoever the first Election in the said Town- ship shall be held the future Elections shall forever thereafter be held in the same Place as near as may be and giving and granting to the said Officers so chosen Power and Authority to exercise their said several and respective Officers during one whole Year from such Election and until others are legally chosen and elected in their Room and stead as fully and amply as any the like Officers have or legally may use or exercise their Offices in our said Province. And in Case any or either of the said Officers of the said Township should die or remove from the said Township before the Time of their annual Service shall be expired or refuse to act in the Offices for which they shall be respectively chosen, then Our Royal Will and Pleasure further is And we do hereby direct ordain and require the Freeholders of the said Township to meet at the Place where the Annual Election shall be held for the said Township and chuse other or others of the said Inhabitants of the said Township in the Place or stead of him or them so dying removing or refusing to Act within Forty days next after such Contingency. And to prevent any undue Election in this Case We do hereby ordain and require That upon every Vacancy in the Office of Assessors, the Treasurer, and in either of the other Offices, the Assessors of the said Township shall within ten days next after any such Vacancy first happens appoint the days for such Election and give publick Notice thereof in writing under his or their hands by affixing such Notice on the Church Door or other most publick Place in the said Township at the least Ten Days before the Day appointed for such Election. And in Default thereof We do hereby require the Officer or Officers of the said Township or the Sur- vivor of them, who in the order they are herein before mentioned shall next succeed him or them so making Default, within ten days next after such Default, to appoint the Day for such Election, and give Notice thereof as aforesaid, hereby giving and granting that such Person or Persons as shall be so chosen by the Majority of such of the Freeholders of the said Township as shall meet in Manner hereby directed, shall have hold exercise and enjoy the Office or Offices to which he or they shall be so elected and chosen from the Time of such Election until

HISTORY OF ROYALTON, VERMONT

the First Tuesday in May then next following, and until other or others be legally chosen in his or their Place and stead, as fully as the Person or Persons in whose Place he or they shall be chosen might or could have done by virtue of these Presents. And We do hereby Will and direct that this Method shall forever hereafter be used for the filling up all Vacancies that shall happen in any or either of the said Offices between the Annual Elections above directed. Provided always and upon Condition nevertheless that if Our said Grantees their heirs or Assigns or some or one of them shall not within three years next after the Date of this our present Grant settle on the said Tract of Land hereby granted so many Families as shall amount to one Family for every thousand Acres of the same Tract Or, if they our said Grantees or one of them their or one of their Heirs or Assigns shall not also within three Years to be computed as aforesaid plant and effectually cultivate at the least three Acres for every Fifty Acres of such of the hereby granted Lands as are capable of Cultivation Or if they our said Grantees or any of them their or any of their Heirs or Assigns or any other Person or Persons by their or any of their Privity Consent or Procurement shall fell cut down or otherwise destroy any of the Pine Trees by these Presents preserved to Us our Heirs or Successors or hereby intended so to be without the Royal Lycence of us our Heirs or Successors for so doing first had and obtained, that then and in any of these Cases this our present Grant and everything therein contained, shall cease and be absolutely void, and the Lands and Premises hereby granted shall revert to and vest in Us Our Heirs and Successors as if this our present Grant had not been made, anything herein before contained to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding. Provided further and upon Condition also nevertheless And we do hereby for us Our heirs and successors direct and appoint that this our present Grant shall be registered and entered on Record within six Months from the date thereof in our Secretary's Office in our City of New York in our said Province in one of the Books of Patents there remaining and that a Docquet thereof shall be also entered in our Auditor's Office there for our said Province and that in default thereof this our present Grant shall be void and of none Effect, any Thing before in these Presents contained to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding. And we do moreover of our especial Grace certain knowledge and meer Motion consent and agree, that this our present Grant being registered recorded and a Docquet thereof made as before directed and appointed, shall be good and effectual in the Law to all Intents Constructions and Purposes whatsoever, against Us our Heirs and Successors notwithstanding any misreciting misbounding mis- naming or other Imperfection or Omission of in or in any wise con- cerning the above granted or hereby mentioned or intended to be granted Lands Tenements Hereditaments and Premises or any Part thereof. In Testimony whereof We have caused these our Letters to be made Patent and the Great Seal of our said Province to be hereunto affixed

Witness Our said trusty and wellbeloved Cadwallader Colden Esquire Our Lieutenant Governor and Commander in Chief of our said Province of New York and the Territories depending thereon in America.

At Our Fort in our City of New York the thirteenth day of Novem- ber in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty nine and of our Reign the Tenth (Second Skin, Line the Nineteenth the word hereby interlined.

Clarke

HISTORY OF ROYALTON, VERMONT

In the preceding Certificate and Letters Patent recorded for William Livingstone and others page 433 line 14 the Word said: and Line 29 the Words And the Reversion and Reversions Remainder and Re- mainders Rents Issues and Profits thereof and of every part and parcel thereof; and page 435 Last Line the Word further are interlined Examined this 23d November 1769 By me

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History of Royalton, Vermont, with family genealogies, 1769-1911, Part 3

Author: Lovejoy, Mary Evelyn Wood, 1847- Publication date: 1911 Publisher: Burlington, Vt., Free press printing company Number of Pages: 1280

Author: Lovejoy, Mary Evelyn Wood, 1847-
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Burlington, Vt., Free press printing company
Number of Pages: 1280