History of Royalton, Vermont, with family genealogies, 1769-1911, Part 5

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 5

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Calvin

Joseph

James Hibbard 37

John Hibbard 18

John Billings

Comfort Sever 12

Joseph Fish

Zebulon Lyon

Stevens ~

william Downer

Minister's

Medad

Nath

James Hibbard

John Hibbard 19

Parkhurst

rit

Garner Rix 26

Luther Skinner

Daniel

Tuller

Benjamin Day

Robert Havens

John Willex

John Gillet

Josiah

Nathan Fish

Samuel Clapp

Isaac N Morgan

John House

Daniel Havens

Jeremiah Trescope

Robert /Handy

william Joiner

Adan Durkee

Elias Stevens

Israël Walter william Blackmer

E Simon Shepard

John wilcoy

John Hibbard Jn Benjamin Day Jr.

Robert Havens Elias Stevens

Ebenezer

Parkhurst

Israel Weller

Samuel to Clapp

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John Gillet

Josiah wheeler

Elias Curtis

John

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Joel Marshl

Jedediah Hide

Adam Durkee

John Hibbard

Jeremich Trescott

Joel Marsh

Jedediah Hide

William Jones

Zebulon Lyon

Benjamin Day

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Elisha Kent JF.

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Reuben Parkhurst

Joseph Havens

Samuel Benedict

John Billings

Benjamin Parkhume

Reuben En Parkhe-it

Joel March

John Wilco

William Blackme

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North 60° West 620 Chains

LARGE

CHART OF PARTITION AND ORIGINAL PITCHES.

ALLOTMENT

North 40° East 530 Chains

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Elisha Kent

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Benton

Elias Steve

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Martin Tullar

John Safford

Garner Rix

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Joel Marsh

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Simen Shepard

Joseph Fish

David Fi

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Elias Stevens

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Daniel

Joseph Fish

EbenyTer Church 3

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Isaac

Kent 45

Comfort 40 Sever

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David Brewster 30

Daniel whyetter Gilbert

Ebenezer Ebenezer Dewey Dewey 4 12

Town School

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Jo. Parkhur N Morgan 31

Parkhurst

Jeremiah Treseget

Simon She pard

John HibbardJ Hibbarder. 36

Billings

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Joseph Parkhurst

Elias Stevens

Tille Parkhurst

Calvin Parkhurst

Kimball

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Stevens

David Fish

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David Brewster

Simon Shepard

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John Stevens

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Ebenezer Dewey

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John

HISTORY OF ROYALTON, VERMONT

list is nearly, if not absolutely correct. Isaac Morgan seems to have relinquished his 8 acres in 1 L., and to have taken the same number of acres in 31 D., as later he holds 58 acres there.

Some of these grantees remained here but a short time, and sold out for a mere song in most instances, and moved on to a newer portion of the state. It is a credit to Royalton, that, compared with many other towns, a larger number of her grant- ees chose to make their homes here, than was usual, even though they are found among the original grantees of other towns west and north.

Four adjourned meetings followed the meeting of June 28, at the last of which they adjourned to Lieut. Fish's "for half an ower," and finally were able to act. The busy woodman and farmer was more interested apparently in re-habilitating his home and in providing for the winter, than in the doings of the proprietors, especially, as their meeting had to deal with charter fees, which most of them were in no condition to pay. This meeting was held Oct. 4, 1781, and the record of the meeting and of the subsequent one held on the 21st is given.

"1st Voted that all the proprietors that want sufferers in Royalton will pay their Charter feas within three weeks from this Day to their Ajint who shall be Chosen hereafter with the Rest of the Sufferers Giving their Obligations so that Our Ajint may Perceed to the Governor and take out sd Charter of Royalton

2nd Voted and Maid Choice of Elias Stevens Ajint to Perceed and take of sd Charter

3rd Voted to Raise a tax of one Dollar on Each proprietors Right in Royalton.

4th Chose Elias Stevens Collector for sd Tax

5th Voted to Ajurn this Meeting till the 21 Day of this Instant at Lut Parkhurst at 9 Clok in the Morning"

"Oct 21st 1781

Met According Ajurnment

1 Voted that all the proprietors will pay their Charter feas to their Ajint by the first Day of December

2nd Voted that David Fish shall (have) as much Land as a Committee shall say to Make him good in Lew of his Drafted Lot as twas Drafted on to a pitch Lot sd Fish is to have the Liberty to pitch before the Committee shall say how mutch he shall have

3rd Chose Leut Durkee Lut Cal. Parkhurst Mr. Rix A committee to say how mutch Land Mr fish shall have in Lew of his Drafted Lot and that the Committee shall make a pitch of two hundred acres on the Throop Right as twas mist in the Draft

4th Voted All proprietors that had their Lots Mist in the Draft shall have the Liberty to Pitch their lots in the undivided Land

5th Voted to Ajurn this Meeting till the first Monday of Decm Next at Lut Lions at 9 of the Clok in the morning

Elias Stevens prs Clark"

Two adjourned meetings follow before Jan. 28, 1782. They met on that date, and considered the expenses of the agent sent to the governor for the charter.

HISTORY OF ROYALTON, VERMONT

"A Return of the Ajint in Giting the Charter the Cost of the Charter and his Expenses is £7.5.10 in State money and £3.2.0 in hard money 1st Voted to that the Ajint shall have the one Dollar tax that was Raised Oct Last for his Expenses and the Cost of the Charter

2 Voted to Chose a Committee to say what the Ajint shall have for his Services in Giting the Charter

Chose Benj Parkhurst Mr. Day Capt Jo Parkhurst a Committee to the Report of the Committee for the Ajints service is that the Ajint shall have six pounds Old way for his services in giting the Charter 3 Voted and Except the Report of the Committee

4th Voted to Chose a committee to treat with the Ajint Conserning the Charter fes he Received whether he Received of those men that had Bought their Land and got Deed, or Not

Chose Benj Parkhurst John Hibbard Daniel Gilbert A committee to tree (t) with the Ajint and Make Report to the Next Meeting

5 Voted to put a warning for a proprietors Meeting into the Publick prints acording to Law

Chose Esq Sever to put a warning into the publick Paper

6th Voted that the Perdential Committee shall take a deed of Mr Kent of thirty acres of Land ajind to Lut Benton whitch is called the Min- isters Lot in Behalf of sd proprietors

7th Voted that Elias Stevens Shall take a Bond for a Deed of Esq Joel Marsh for a Right of Land in Royalton as his Name was put into the Charter in Lew of Esq throop Name in Behalf of sd proprietors

7th Voted that if Tilley Parkhurst will Pay Elias Stevens Six Pounds Old way and Esq Jacobs five Pounds Old way that the Proprietors will wait on him till Nex fall for the Rest

8th (Voted) to Ajurn this Meeting till the Last thursday in March Next at Capt Jos Parkhurst at Ten of the Clok in the morning

Elias Stevens Pros Clark"

Mr. Tilly Parkhurst evidently found it difficult to raise the twenty pounds that he was to pay for the choice of a lot. He had the whole undivided land to choose from, and he chose to make his pitch of 100 acres in the west side of 31 T. P. He lived on the extreme eastern border of the town, and this pitch was on the extreme western border. The probabilities are that Mr. Parkhurst did not pay his twenty pounds, for on June 18, 1783, the committee for the proprietors, Comfort Sever, Calvin Parkhurst, and John Hibbard, for twenty-five pounds, deed the whole of 31 T. P. to Joshua Hutchins.

It was inevitable that there should be some controversy over the right to hold land, especially in case of non-residents. The proprietors at their next meeting, Mar. 27, 1782, took the following action: "Voted that if Any Parson or proprietor that owns Any Land in the After division and will go and Con- tinue Settlement thereon shall hold what Land he owns toGather in sd Divition."

The proprietors next gave their attention to the pitching of the five public rights, an account of which is given in connec- tion with the history of the public lands.

After each proprietor had pitched his three one-hundred- acre rights, there still remained undivided land. This amounted

HISTORY OF ROYALTON, VERMONT

to enough to give each about thirty-three acres more, provided his land did not exceed in actual measurement, or fall short of, the 300 acres belonging to his right. A few availed themselves of this extra division, called "after divisions," and made a further pitch, but oftener, some one would buy up two or more of these "after-division" rights, and adding his own, pitch the whole in one lot of 100 or more acres. William Downer made such a pitch, June 14, 1782, in II Large Allotment, west side, on the rights of Medad Benton, Robert Havens, and Daniel Havens. In some cases the necessary amount of land for a one-hundred-acre lot was made out by getting the right to the land that was cut off by the new survey. One or two men who supposed they had settled in Royalton, woke up one morning after the survey and found they were citizens of Sharon, as their houses were over the border. It was this change in bound- ary that gave Sharon the birthplace of Joseph Smith, the Mor- mon. Elias Stevens was frequently employed to make pitches of the sort just mentioned, and he has to his record no less than eighteen pitches based on missed drafts, after-divisions, and land cut off by town lines.

David Fish at first had a free hand in making his pitch, for it is recorded that on Sept. 15, 1782, he pitched "two 200 acres in Lots No 22 & No 13 Town plot as he had had one lot missed in the draft and a Committee wast to say how much of sd Lots he shall have." What the committee said is not re- corded, but in a schedule of original holdings made in 1807, he did not hold 13 T. P.

Some dissension arose in Royalton and other towns over the action of the proprietors, and in the case of Royalton, she was practically an independent republic of microscopic dimensions, until the charter was issued by the Governor of Vermont. There might be some question as to the legality of the proceedings of the proprietors, especially as the earlier records had been de- stroyed. Accordingly, we find recorded on page 23 of the Pro- prietors Book the following :

"State of Vermont Royalton May 4th 1783

Whereas Application has bin maide to me By more than one Six- teenth part of the proprietors of the Township of Royalton in the County of Windsor to warn a proprietors meeting These are to warn all the proprietors to meet at Dweling house of Lut Zebulon Lions in sd Royal- ton on the 19th Day of August Next at Ten of the Clok in the morning then and their to Act on the Following Articles viz 1st to Chose a Moderator 2nd to Chose a Clark 3 to Chose a pros Tresure 4 a Col- lector 5 a Perdential Committ 6 to see whether the proprietors will Astablish the former Vots and perseeding of sd Proprietors and to Transact Any Other Bizness proper to be Done on sd Day

Comfort Sever Jus Pease

the Above is a true Coppy of the Original

Elias Stevens Pr Clark"

HISTORY OF ROYALTON, VERMONT

"Royalton August 19th 1783 Met Acording to warning

1st Chose Calvin Parkhurst Moderator

2 Chose Elias Stevens Props Clark

3 Chose Esq Sever Tresure

4th Chose Benj Parkhurst Collector

5 Chose Esq Sever John Hibbard & Calvin Parkhurst A Per- dential Committee

6th Voted to ratify and Stablish all proprietors Meeting and Votes and Persedings of the Proprietors of Royalton that was transacted from the 5th Day of June 1781 to the 27 Day of March 1782 whitch sd meet- ings and Votes are Recorded in this Book Before

7th Voted that those proprietors that have Bin and Maid Pitches of their Afterdivitions and hant Maid Settlements on sd Land accord- ing to a Vote pased March last that they Shall have three Months from this Date provided they will Build A house and Chop three Acres on Each hundred acres that is Now pitch sd pitch is to Stand good Other- wise sd pitch is to be Void and of no Effect

8th Voted that. Each proprietor will Give five acres of Land out of Each hundred acres for the use of Publick hiways in sd Royalton

9th Voted for the futur to warn proprietors meeting by Order of the perdential Committee to the proprietors Clark Directing him to put up A warning in writing at Least six Day before sd Meeting in some publick place in sd Town

10th Voted to Ajurn this meeting till the 1st Tusday of Decr Next at Lut Lions at one of the Clok Afternoon

Elias Stevens pr Clark"

The town had zealous officers, who looked carefully after its permanent interests, and did not allow for any length of time a mere adventurer or speculator to profit by holdings within its limits. An examination of the record of pitches shows that some were pitched twice, probably because the original owner failed to meet his obligations. Nathaniel Alger of Kil- lingly, Conn., bought in 1783 a lot, 33 Dutch Allotment, of Amos Ames. Mr. Ames was not an original grantee, and no pitch of his is recorded. He sold the land on the strength of having the after-divisions of Benjamin Day, Benj. Day, Jr., and Alfred Day. Alfred Day was not a grantee, nor is any record found of his having been allowed to share in the after-divisions, which does not prove that he did not have this right. The proprietors took action May 3, 1784, voting that Mr. Alger should have the lot, provided he bought enough after-divisions to cover it, within one year. Whether he conformed to this requirement or not, he sold the lot the next July to Ebenezer Woodward, who was probably the first occupant of it, though not making an original pitch.

In a few instances, where it seemed difficult to lay dividing lines through the thick forests, or for some other reason, two or more pitched lots in common, and sold in common, or later made a division. The case of Daniel Rix, John Safford, John Kimball, Johnson Safford, and Garner Rix has been noted before.

HISTORY OF ROYALTON, VERMONT

They made a division of their land in 1789, but, unfortunately, the allotments of only two are recorded, and in consequence there is more confusion regarding the land owned by these men, than in that of almost any others. In a tax table of 1807 the land assigned to each does not agree in every case with deeds given later. The five men just named employed Reuben Spald- ing of Sharon and John Kimball of Royalton to survey their lots.

Other matters requiring the attention of the proprietors were "the New Lines Run by the Survare General," the charter fees, and the building of a bridge across White river, but to avoid repetition, the reader is referred to the topics of Bound- aries, Charters, and Bridges.

Pitches continued to be made from time to time until 1801. The last two were made by Elias Stevens. One was made on June 1, 1799, of fifty acres in N. W. 28 Large Allotment, to offset the land cut off by Sharon line from Nos. 4 and 5 Dutch Allotment. The other was a pitch made by Mr. Stevens for Ebenezer Dewey, of twenty-five acres, an after-division, in M. 17 Large Allotment. With two men as keen as Elias Stevens and Zebulon Lyon on the watch for vacant land, it is safe to say, when they had ceased to make pitches, there was no more undivided land to come into their hoppers. If this be true, then all the land had been taken within thirty years from the time the first settler built his log cabin in the New York town of Royalton. In Sharon, Solomon Downer made a pitch as late as Mar. 18, 1831, and other pitches were made still later, in 1855 and 1881. Possibly, some enterprising person may find that there is still vacant land in Windsor county, and that he does not need to go West in search of it.

The Governor and Council, Nov. 5, 1800, concurred in a bill passed by the Assembly at Middlebury, which was entitled, "An act authorizing the Proprietors and Landowners of the town of Royalton to establish the division of lands heretofore made." This bill was the result of the action taken by the town at a special meeting, Sept. 2, 1800, when it was voted by the town "to apply to the General Assembly of the State of Ver- mont at their next session for an act impowering the Proprie- tors & Land owners of sd Royalton to establish the Proprietors Proceedings & Divisions of Land heretofore made in sd Town according to the corners & Lines they now hold too." Jacob Smith was chosen as agent to attend to this matter. The pro- prietors and the town acted together in warning a meeting, and their records are identical.

HISTORY OF ROYALTON, VERMONT

"Royalton June 25th 1801

Proprietors and Land owners met agreeable to Warning

Chose Jacob Smith moderator

Voted to Chose a committee of seven to examine the proprietors record and pint out the ways and meens by whitch the proprietors and Landholders may cary the Act of the General Assembly past Last session inabling them to ratify the vote of the proprietors and Land owners of Royalton into effect

Chose Abel Stevens Jacob Smith Elias Stevens John Billings Ben- jamin Bozworth william Watterman and Isaac Skinner for the Above Committee

Voted to Ajurn this meeting to the Second thursday of August next at ten o'Clok in the forenoon at this place (the meeting house) Elias Stevens Proprietors Clark"

"Royalton August 13th 1801

Proprietors and Land owners met acording to Ajurnment

Voted to ratify establish and confirm the proprietors Votes per- ceedings in the town of Royalton and County of Windsor hereto (fore) made relitive to the Divition of Land in said town into Severilty except 9th vote of a meeting held on the 5th of June 1781 voting that the widdow Sarah Rude shall have a part of a rite of Land &c whitch votes are recorded in the proprietors book in said town of Royalton

Likewise voted to ratify establish and Confirm the proprietors perceedings in the town of Royalton and the Divitions and Pitches of Land heretofore maid in said town by said proprietors acording to the Corners and Lines by whitch the Land in the town of Royalton are now and have heretofore ben held whitch corners and Lines ware maid and run by Thomas Vallentine for William Livingston Goldsbrow Banyar Whitehead Hicks William Smith and John Kelley reference to said Corners and Lines being had provided no pitch whitch has been maid to supply the wantage land in any right or Lot Land, except where a Lot is cut Short by Town Lines, shall be considered as astablished or in any way affected by this vote

Voted to Dissolve this meeting

Attest Elias Stevens Proprietors Clark"

By this enactment of the General Assembly, and the action of the proprietors and land owners of the town thereon, all question of the legality of bounds and holdings was settled, and the land from that time on was held in severalty. There was no further work for the proprietors, and their records ceased. There is no evidence of any meeting of the proprietors between March 16, 1786, and the meeting just noted. The business of the town for the intervening years had really been in the hands of all the voters.

CHAPTER IV.

THE CONTEST OVER THE NEW HAMPSHIRE GRANTS.

To understand clearly the situation in Royalton during the early years of its settlement, it is necessary to review some of the conditions that obtained in the New Hampshire Grants, so- called, prior to 1771 and continuing to the end of the controversy over the disputed territory. As excellent gazetteers and his- tories containing a full treatment of the troubles leading to the Revolution, and of the controversy over the ownership of the Grants are accessible to almost every one, only so much of the history of this period will be given as is needful for a proper connection of events, and an understanding of the actions and temper of the early settlers. It is the aim of this work to give as much space as possible to local history, which thus far has not been preserved in permanent form.

At the time of the French and Indian War Vermont was an unbroken wilderness, through which troops passed and re- passed on their way to and from Canada. The Indians had used it as a battle ground rather than as an abiding place. The hostile French and Indians on its borders had thus far rendered it too exposed to be an object of settlement to the British. After the conquest of Canada by the English conditions changed, and men who had been needed as soldiers were now ready again for service with the ax and the plough. No doubt many of those who had tramped along the banks of our beautiful streams saw the possibilities of development, and very much as Connecticut was settled by emigrants from Massachusetts, who made its acquaintance on the war path, so what is now Vermont had thrown its spell over those sturdy, enterprising men, who helped to win Canada for England.

Soon after New Hampshire was separated from Massachu- setts, and Benning Wentworth was appointed Governor in 1741, he began to look with covetous eyes upon the rich lands west of the Connecticut river, and had visions of wealth that might be his by land grants, in each of which a goodly section should be reserved for himself. He was not long in finding a basis for making a claim to the land, namely, that as New Hampshire had

HISTORY OF ROYALTON, VERMONT

been a part of Massachusetts, her claim westward extended as far as that of the mother state. By the charter of Massachu- setts, she was to own the territory westward until she came to the jurisdiction of some other colony.

It was just here that there was a loophole for conflicting claims, New York and Massachusetts claiming jurisdiction over the same territory, and finally settling the matter between them- selves. Gov. Clinton of New York notified Governor Wentworth that New York claimed the land to the Connecticut river, but was politely informed by Gov. Wentworth that he had already chartered Bennington, which was in the disputed territory. The two referred the matter to England, but as it required some time to get a return from the King, Gov. Wentworth improved the interval in making more grants. The King in Council on July 20, 1764, declared the west bank of the Connecticut river to be the dividing line between the two colonies. Then the contro- versy waxed warm. The settlers in towns chartered by New Hampshire ejected the New York farmers from their lands, and the New York sheriffs busied themselves in arresting the New Hampshire grantees, and no end of the difficulty seemed in view. New York, however, wishing to restore quiet, and acknowledging the claims of New Hampshire grantees who had improved their land in good faith, decided in 1765, May 22, that occupants of land who had settled before that date should retain possession of their land.

This might have ended the difficulty, if patentees of New Hampshire had all settled on their land, but many had not, and held it merely for speculation. Such land was re-granted by New York, and this led to further trouble. On July 24, 1767, the King in Council ordered New York to make no more grants of land patented by New Hampshire. Disorders continued, and settlers were divided in their sentiments. A large number of the inhabitants of Cumberland and Gloucester counties on Nov. 1, 1770, petitioned the King, complaining of the riotous obstruc- tion of the courts of law by the government and people of New Hampshire. New Hampshire followed suit the following year, petitioning the King for the annexation of the Grants to that province. The dispute continued, and troubles increased.

On September 30, 1771, the year when the first settler came to Royalton, the Council of New York issued an order for the arrest of Ethan Allen, Remember Baker, and other "rioters." New York had found great difficulty in deciding disputed claims, and so required the New Hampshire grantees to appear, prove their claims, and take out new patents, paying new fees therefor. It was complained by these grantees that the fees for granting a township were $2000 or over, while the Governor of New

HISTORY OF ROYALTON, VERMONT

Hampshire charged only $100, but they seemed not to take into consideration the fact, that Gov. Wentworth reserved 500 acres for himself in each township granted. Gov. Moore of New York, June 9, 1767, in a letter to Lord Shelburne defending himself from charges brought against him, declares that town fees have been only from twenty to forty pounds. Many got confirmations of their patents from New York. Gov. Wentworth himself applied for a confirmation of 5000 acres in Rockingham.

Bennington was a hotbed of discord. It favored New Hamp- shire, as was natural, being the first town on the Grants pat- ented by that state. The temper of the people of that section was well expressed by Ethan Allen, who, says Benjamin Buck, when he read the governor's name to the New York proclamation in 1771, laying claim to all land as far east as the Connecticut river, broke out, "So your name is Tryon, tri on and be Damn." The riot at Bennington and other disturbances led the govern- ment of New York to apply to Gen. Haldimand and, later, to Gen. Gage, to furnish troops to aid in keeping the peace. They both demurred. Gen. Haldimand on Sep. 1, 1773, replied, "The idea that a few lawless vagabonds, can prevail in such a Governt as that of New York, as to oblige its Govr to have recourse to the Regular Troops to suppress them, appears to me to carry with it such reflection of weakness as I am afraid would be at- tended with bad consequences."

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History of Royalton, Vermont, with family genealogies, 1769-1911, Part 5

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