USA > Vermont > Rutland County > Pittsford > History of the town of Pittsford, Vt., with biographical sketches and family records > Part 19
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58
Voted to adjourn this proprietors meeting untill the first
238
HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
Monday of May next at the house of Lieut. Omsted at ten o'clock forenoon.
Attest, JAMES EWINGS, Clerk. NEHEMIAH HOPKINS, Moderator.
PITTSFORD May ye 3, 1784.
Then met upon said Monday at the time and place according to adjournment and opened the meeting and adjourned the meeting to Esq. Fassetts the same day at three o'clock after- noon.
Attest, NEHEMIAH HOPKINS, Moderator. JAMES EWINGS, Clerk.
PITTSFORD May ye 3, 1784.
Then met according to adjournment and opened the meet- ing and proceeded to business.
Voted to except the Committee's report in their settlement with Esq. Jonathan Fassett on account of the pitch of land sold by the proprietors at Vendue and find due to said proprie- tors £1-2s-2d York Money.
Voted to chose a committe of three men to examine Col. Doolittle's account against the proprietors and make their report at the next meeting, viz .: John Roads Esq. J. Fassett and Deacon Harwood.
Voted to choose a committee of three to settle with the Collector and Treasurer on the two penny land tax, viz., Esq. Drury, Esq. Fassett and Deacon Harwood and make their report at the next meeting.
Voted that the Proprietors have untill the next adjourned meeting to get their land surveyed, not interfering on former surveys.
Voted to adjourn the meeting untill the first Monday of July next at one o'clock afternoon at the house of Moses Omsted.
NEHEMIAH HOPKINS, Moderator. JAMES EWINGS, P. C. .
239
PROPRIETORS' RECORDS.
PITTSFORD July ye 5, 1784.
Then met at time and place according to adjournment and opened said meeting and adjourned until the first Monday of October next at one o'clock afternoon at Lieut. Omsted's.
At. NEHEMIAH HOPKINS, M. JAMES EWINGS P. C.
PITTSFORD October ye 4th 1784.
Then met at the time and place according to adjournment, and opened the meeting and voted that Capt. Cooley has the whole of the two-penny Land tax ;* and find in the two Bridges over the Gulleys and the other Bridges fifteen hundred feet to be built.
Voted that the meeting be adjourned to the first Monday of April next at two o'clock in the afternoon at the house of Lieut. Omsted.
PITTSFORD, April ye 4, 1785.
Then met at the time and place and proceeded to business. Chose Ebenezer Drury, Esq., Moderator.
Voted that there be a Committee of five men to lay out the Town Plot and also to lay out all the other Public Lands in said town.
Chose James Ewings, John Barnes, Capt. Cooley, Lieut. Omsted and William Cox the above committee.
Voted that the former committee chosen, see that the Town Plot be cleared of men and people and also all the other public lands in said town by order of the Proprietors.
Voted that James Ewings, Deputy Sheriff, serve as an officer to warn the present Inhabitants now residing on the Public Lands which men are cutting and culling the timber on said land and also making improvements on said Public Lands which is a detriment to said Proprietors, and contrary to Charter.
* It will be recollected that the two-penny land tax was raised for the building of bridges.
240
HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
Voted that James Ewings, Capt. Cooley and Esq. Fassett be as a committee in order to examine Col. Ephraim Doolittle's account for running the town lines and make their report at the next meeting and also examine all other accounts exhibited.
Voted that James Ewings, Proprietors' Collector, receive notes from the present Inhabitants for their proportion of the seven shillings tax and that they settle by the first day of May next, or their not complying with the above proposal so much of their lands will be sold to pay the above said tax, payable by the first day of September next.
Voted that the acre lots be laid out by the next adjourned meeting and that the Proprietors draw for their lots according to charter.
Voted that this Proprietors Meeting be adjourned untill the first Tuesday in September next at one o'clock in the after- noon, at the house of Lieut. Omsted.
Attest, EBENEZER DRURY, Moderator, JAMES EWINGS, P. Clerk.
PITTSFORD Sept. 7, 1785.
Then met at the time and place according to adjournment the Proprietors meeting fifteen minutes unto the Meeting House .*
PITTSFORD, SEPT. 6, 1785.
Met according to adjournment and proceeded to business, firstly voted and chose Doct. Easmon and Joseph Crary as a committee to draw the acre lots in the Town Plot.
Excepted the report of the Committee concerning the account of Col. Doolittle and ordered the report to be recorded.
Voted to except a survey of ten acres of land, left in the Town Plot, for part of the second division of the school lot.
Voted to except the Committes doings in laying out the Town Plot.
* This was the log meeting house which stood about where the Baptist meeting house now stands.
241
PROPRIETORS' RECORDS.
Voted to give Esq. Jonathan Fassett eight dollars for the Plan of the Town of Pittsford, drawn by Esq. Tolman on Parchment .*
Voted to pay Capt. Joseph Crary £2-14s. L. M., for work laying out the Town Plot.
Excepted John Barnes Account £1- 6s- 6d Excepted John Rhoads Account 0-10 -6 Excepted James Ewings Account 11-8-0 Excepted Esq. Drury's Account. 0-5-0 Excepted Capt. Cooley's Account 0-5-0
Excepted Lieut. Omsted's Account 1-2-10 Excepted Caleb Hendee's Account 1-12-0 Excepted Capt. Fassett's Account 0-6-0
Voted that Cap. Cooley and James Ewings be as a com- mittee to regulate the Proprietors and record the doings regular on the Book.
Voted to send to the Assembly to get a special act to sell so much of the divided lands of the Proprietors as to pay the seven shillings tax.
Voted to adjourn this meeting untill the first Monday of January next at two o'clock afternoon on said day at this place.
Attest, NEHEMIAH HOPKINS, M. JAMES EWINGS, Clerk.
MONDAY January 1786.
Met at the time and place according to adjournment, and adjourned this meeting untill the 14th day of March next at the Meeting House at two o'clock afternoon on said day.
Attest, JAMES EWINGS, P. C. NEHEMIAH HOPKINS, M.
* This plan on parchment is still in the archives of the town, and though some- what defaced is still of great value in locating the original lots. It is entitled " A Plan of the town of Pittsford taken from Baldwin's original draught of said town- ship by T. Tolman and A. Fassett." The original draught is dated 1783. The Plan in this volume is a copy.
17
242
HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
PITTSFORD March 14 1786.
Met at time and place according to adjournment and adjourned the meeting untill the first Tuesday of May next at nine o'clock A. M.
Attest, JAMES EWINGS, P. C. NEHEMIAH HOPKINS.
PITTSFORD May 2, 1786.
Met at the time and place and opened the meeting and made choice of Capt. Benjamin Cooley Proprietors Clerk.
Voted to except Capt. Crary's account for surveying Public Land in the month of October, 1785, it being 18 shillings.
Voted to except John Barnes' account for measuring land for the Publick with Capt. Crary it being 15 shillings.
Voted that the new Clerk report Emediately to James Ewings and request all the writings that belong to the Pro- prietors of Pittsford.
Voted to adjourn said meeting to the first Tuesday in September next at one of the clock in the afternoon said meet- ing to be held at the Baptist Meeting House.
NEHEMIAH HOPKINS. BENJAMIN COOLEY, P. C.
September 5, 1786.
Then the Proprietors met at time and place and opened the meeting that stood adjourned to this day.
Voted Ebenezer Drury, Capt. Benjamin Cooley be a com- mittee to assist Mr. Ewings, Collector, in posting the delinquents lands on the seven shillings tax.
Voted that Esq. Jonathan Fassett and Capt. Benjamin Cooley and James Ewings be a committe to examine all accounts against the Proprietors and report at the next adjourned meeting and all accounts exhibited to said Com- mittee before said adjourned meeting to be foreclosed.
243
PROPRIETORS' RECORDS.
Voted to adjourn sd meeting to the second Tuesday of March next 4 o'clock afternoon to the Baptist Meeting House. NEHEMIAH HOPKINS, Modr. BENJAMIN COOLEY, P. C.
March ye 13, 1787.
Then the Proprietors met according to adjournment and opened said meeting and voted to adjourn said meeting one fortnite from this day at one o'clock at this place.
NEHEMIAH HOPKINS, Mdr. BENJAMIN COOLEY, P. Clerk.
March 27, 1787.
Then the Proprietors met at time and place according to adjournment, and opened said meeting and voted to adjourn said meeting to the first Monday in May next, at one o'clock afternoon at the Log Meeting House.
NEHEMIAH HOPKINS, Modr. BENJAMIN COOLEY, P. C.
PITTSFORD May 7th 1787.
Then the Proprietors met at the time and place according to the adjournment and opened said meeting.
Voted that James Ewings record all surveys brought to him for record when he was Proprietors Clerk except that lot that was given to Mr. Harwood by the town.
Voted that the cost of laying out the acre lots and Publick lots be paid out of the acre lots by tax.
Voted to lay out the forth Division.
Voted that the Proprietors have untill the first of October next to lay out the Publick Lands.
Voted to adjourn said meeting to the first Tuesday of Sep- tember next at this place at two o'clock afternoon.
NEHEMIAH HOPKINS, Modr. BENJAMIN COOLEY, Clerk.
244
HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
PITTSFORD, Sept. 4th, 1787.
The Proprietors of Pittsford met at the time and place, and opened said meeting according to adjournment, and adjourned said meeting to the first Monday in October next at one o'clock afternoon at the Log Meeting House.
BENJAMIN COOLEY, Proprietors Clerk. NEHEMIAH HOPKINS, Moderator.
PITTSFORD Oct. 1, 1787.
The Proprietors' meeting opened and proceeded to business.
First, Voted that James Ewings collector advertise the acre lots in said town, to be sold to pay the cost of surveying out said lots as soon as the law directs.
Voted to adjourn this meeting untill the second Tuesday of March next at two o'clock afternoon on said day at this meet- ing house in Pittsford.
Attest, NEHEMIAH HOPKINS, Moderator. JAMES EWINGS, Clerk Pro. tem.
PITTSFORD, March 11th 1788.
Then the Proprietors met at the time and place according to adjournment and opened said meeting, and adjourned said meeting to Nathan Websters at four o'clock on said day.
Voted to call the acre lots the fourth division.
Voted to adjourn said meetings to the first Tuesday in September next at four o'clock afternoon to be holden at the meeting house.
NEHEMIAH HOPKINS, Moderator. BENJAMIN COOLEY, Clerk.
PITTSFORD September ye 2, 1788.
Then met at the time and place according to adjournment and opened said meeting and voted to adjourn said meeting to
245
TOWN-PLOT LOTS.
the second Tuesday in November 1789, at 2 of the clock in the afternoon to be holden at the house of Nathan Webster.
NEHEMIAH HOPKINS, Moderator. BENJAMIN COOLEY, Clerk.
PITTSFORD, November 10th 1789.
Then met at time and place according to adjournment and opened said meeting and voted to ajourn said meeting to the second Tuesday in November in the year 1790, two of the clock in the afternoon to be holden at the house of Nathan Webster.
NEHEMIAH HOPKINS, Moderator. BENJAMIN COOLEY, Town Clerk."
These are the only existing records of meetings held by the Proprietors during the last ten years, and it will be seen that at many of them no important business was transacted, but they were merely meetings and adjournments. Up to 1771, the meetings of the Proprietors had doubtless been held either in Massachusetts or Bennington, Vermont, and the records of the proceedings of those meetings had been kept by different clerks, and had become somewhat scattered and confused. The Proprietors deemed it a matter of considerable importance, as truly they might, to have these records collected and system- atically arranged or "regulated." And that the committee charged with this duty, made some little effort to accomplish the work assigned them, the records conclusively show, but for some reason, to us unknown, it was very imperfectly done.
The Town-Plot Lots were surveyed in 1785, in conformity to the vote of the Proprietors, and these acre lots were laid out on either side of the north-and-south road, thirty-four on the east side, and an equal number on the west, and extending from a point forty rods and seven feet north of the north line of the Baptist Burying Ground, to the south line of the Con-
246
HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
gregational Meeting House Lot, or to about the middle of the house lot now owned by "J. A. Randall. On the east side of the road the north line of Willard Randall's lot is the south line of the Meeting House Lot.
In this Plot four acres were laid out for the Congregational Meeting-House Lot; two acres and ten rods for the Baptist Meeting-House Lot, and two acres for the North Burying Ground.
The whole Town Plot consisted of a little more than eighty- six acres, but only about seventy-six acres were included in the foregoing lots, consequently there remained in the easterly part of the Plot ten acres of common-land which, according to the vote of the Proprietors, was reckoned a part of the second division of the school lot.
A Plan of the Town Plot with the original papers relating to it, is in the Town Clerk's Office, the filing of which is as follows :
" Field Book Town Plot May 10, 1785. JOSEPH CRARY, Surveyor."
All these papers have been neatly recorded in the Proprie- tors' Book by the present town clerk, Samuel H. Kellogg.
But the most exciting events of the last decade do not appear upon the Proprietors' records, and for an account of these we shall have to go to other sources of information. The history of those events has never been fully written, and it is very difficult at this late day to appreciate in their entireness the motives which influenced the candid and patriotic men of that period, to adopt measures which to us, with our present light upon the subject, appear rash and unreasonable. During the war the people of Vermont had made great efforts to aid in the common cause-the defence of American liberty-and at the same time to maintain their independence. These efforts
247
THE INSURRECTION.
had required the expenditure of large sums of money, and to meet the demands of taxation a large proportion of them had contracted debts, which upon the return of peace, they were expecting to liquidate with no great strain upon their resources. But the close of the war, instead of ushering in a season of financial prosperity, as had been anticipated, was followed by a ruinous depreciation in the value of the currency and all other kinds of property ; specie was flowing out of the country in exchange for foreign merchandise, and as the result of these facts the debtor portion of the people found it impossible to meet their obligations, and were completely at the mercy of their creditors. So wide-spread was the dissatisfaction, and so loud the complaint of suffering, that in August, 1786, Gov. Chittenden prepared and published an address to the citizens of the State, counseling mutual forbearance and kindness, the cultivation of the necessaries for clothing and food, particularly wool and flax, industry, economy, and the non-importation of foreign products, and suggesting a hope of some alleviation of their suffering by the action of the next Legislature. In October the Legislature assembled at the Court House in Rutland, and it was soon found that the members of the House of Repre- sentatives shared in the general feeling of discontent, and were ready for the adoption of almost any measures, however absurd, provided thay held out the prospect of even temporary relief. " A law was passed authorizing a defaulting debtor to tender on execution the same articles which would have been good in the life of the contract; and another was passed enabling debt- ors to pay creditors in other States in specific articles, according to the laws of those respective States. A large party were clam- orous for a State Bank of paper money and a general tender act, a law which would enable a debtor to pay a debt in what- ever articles he chose. Some three or four able and conservative members of the Legislature, with Nathaniel Chipman, then in Rutland, held a private consultation in regard to the financial
248
HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
condition of the State and the means of mitigating the existing evils ; and being fully convinced that the measures proposed by a large majority of the members, would aggravate rather than mitigate these evils, they hit upon a plan to prevent the passage of laws which, it seemed to them; would be pernicious. This plan contemplated the postponement of the whole subject until the heat and excitement of the time had passed away ; and in order to effect this object they agreed upon the follow- ing resolution, viz. :
"Resolved, That the people assemble in their respective towns on the first of January 1787, at the usual place of hold- ing freemen's meetings, and there express by yeas or nays their approval or disapproval of emitting a small bank of paper money on loan or otherwise, of continuing the existing tender acts, and of a general tender act; the yeas and nays on these subjects to be transmitted to the Speaker of the Assembly to be a guide to the Legislature at their next session."
This resolution, 'on being" introduced into the House, met with vehement opposition ; but the argument that the people were the best judges of the remedies they needed prevailed, and the resolution was passed the 31st of October. After the Legislature had adjourned several reckless and unscrupulous men who were determined to avoid the payment of their debts, became quite active in denouncing the action of the Legisla- ture ; and by misrepresentation and every artifice in their power, they attempted to stir up the people to resist the execu- tion of the laws. Among the most conspicuous of these restless spirits was Col. Thomas Lee of Rutland who had served as Captain in Col. Warner's regiment in the Revolutionary war, and was a man well calculated to take the lead in such a rebel- lious enterprise.
On Tuesday, the 21st of November, the County Court was to commence its usual session. The Court consisted of Chief- Justice Increase Moseley, of Clarendon ; Assistant Judges
249
THE INSURRECTION.
Samuel Mattocks and Ebenezer Marvin, of Tinmouth, and William Ward, of Poultney; Clerk, Rev. Obadiah Noble, of Tinmouth ; State's Attorney, Darius Chipman, of Rutland ; Sheriff, Jonathan Bell of Rutland. It was known that a por- tion of the suits pending at this Court had been instituted for the recovery of debts, and as the General Assembly had omitted such legislation in reference to these debts as the debtor portion of the community demanded, they resolved to prevent the holding of the Court and thereby to arrest, for the time being, all judicial proceedings. The excitement upon this subject ran so high, that on the morning of the 21st of Novem- ber, as the Judges came into Rutland, they found a crowd of men and boys, armed with clubs, thronging the streets, collect- ing about the Court House and protesting against the holding of the Court. The Court, however, was opened, but without proceeding to the business before it, adjourned to two o'clock P. M. Soon after the adjournment a number of men waited upon the Judges and presented to them a petition, requesting them to adjourn the Court without transacting any business. The Judges replied that in the afternoon, after the docket had been called and the business of the day attended to, the petition should be taken into consideration. Immediately after the Court was opened in the afternoon, Col. Lee, at the head of about one hundred men, rushed into the Court room and, in a boisterous and insolent manner, threatened the Court for not granting their request. The Court, for the time, being powerless against the mob, was by order of the Judges adjourned to nine o'clock the next morning. This . being in exact opposition to the request of the mob, as expressed in their petition, they became greatly exasperated and a few of their number rushed to a neighboring house, where they pro- cured a supply of fire-arms, and returning, distributed them among their comrades, who immediately surrounded the Court House, guarded every avenue and held the Court and all in
250
HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
attendance thereon, prisoners. By thus making an exhibition of their power they were hoping to intimidate the Court and gain the object of their request. But in this they mistook ; the Court was not thus to be overawed ; and after being held about two hours, they were permitted to depart and return to their lodgings. Here the committee of the Regulators-as the mob styled themselves-again presented their petition to which the Judges formally replied as follows : "The Judges of the County Court, in and for the County of Rutland, having taken under their consideration the petition of a number of the inhabitants of said County, in which it is requested that this Court adjourn without doing any business ; the Court find on examination of the docket, that a large number of cases are in suit, in which the plaintiffs and defendants are mutually agreed to come to a decisive trial this session, and some other matters of such importance to the peace, dignity and interest of the good people of this County are depending, that the Court can- not, agreeable to the tenor of their oaths and the general good of this County, comply with the aforesaid requisition; notwith- standing this Court would not wish to try any causes at this term, but such as, in the opinion of the Court, are necessary to preserve the peace, happiness, interest and dignity of this County in particular, and the Constitution and State of Ver- mont in general." Failing thus far to obtain their object, the Regulators determined to accomplish by force what they could not do by petition nor threats. A part of their number, well armed, took possession of the Court House, with the design of holding it and preventing the sitting of the Court the next day, and expresses were sent out into the neighboring towns for reinforcements. In the evening the Sheriff sent orders to Col. Isaac Clark of Castleton, Col. Pearl of Pawlet, and Lieut .- Col. Spafford of Tinmouth to raise the militia of the county and come without delay, supplied with fire-arms and three days' provisions, to assist him in sustaining the Court. These orders
251
THE INSURRECTION.
were promptly responded to, and by nine o'clock Wednesday morning, Cols. Clark and Pearl arrived with so formidable a force that the Regulators, intimidated, quit the Court House and offered no further resistance to the Court.
During the day the militia came in from every quarter. Companies from Tinmouth, Hubbardton, Castleton and Poult- ney, well armed and officered, placed themselves under the command of Col. Clark as senior officer. In the meantime the Regulators had not been idle, but by misrepresenting the answer of the Judges to their petition, and by circulating false reports, they stirred up a feeling of indignation towards the Court, so that during the day they received considerable rein- forcements, coming chiefly from Pittsford and West Rutland, with a few from Chittenden, Ira and Clarendon.
After all their efforts at drumming up recruits, they were not in sufficient force to think of contending successfully with the militia, but they kept up their demonstrations during the day, marching through the streets, confronting the militia, dis- cussing the nature of their grievances and demanding the adoption of such measures as, in their opinion, would afford them relief. Foremost in raising the recruits from Pittsford was Jonathan Fassett, though Col. Benjamin Cooley, in consid- eration of his long military experience, was placed in command. This company joined Lee early in the day, and was with him in the most of his noisy demonstrations ; but at night Col. Cooley with about fifty men retired to the house of Et. Ros- well Post about a mile north of the Court House on the Pittsford road. Just at night several of the more prominent of the rioters remaining in the village were arrested, though Col. Lee escaped. The militia were quartered at Gove's tavern and other houses in that vicinity. Sentries were placed in the streets, and none were allowed to pass without giving the countersign. About midnight orders were received to arrest Col. Cooley and his company. Col. Clark called for volunteers. Sixteen horse- 1
252
HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
men under the command of Capt. Noah Lee of Castleton, and a party of infantry offered their services and were soon on the march. On arriving at the brook a little south of Post's, they took a circuitous route and surrounded the house. So quickly and noiselessly was this movement made that Col. Cooley and his party had no knowledge of the approach of the militia till called upon to surrender. On being thus suddenly aroused, they seized their guns and prepared for resistance ; but after the exchange of a few shots and some blows, they saw the hope- lessness of further resistance and surrendered. A few escaped, and these only by leaping out of a window, and taking advant- age of the darkness of the night. Nehemiah Hopkins, Jr., of Pittsford, a member of the mob, received a shot which shat- tered his right arm from the elbow to the wrist. Amputation was successfully performed the following day by Drs. Ezekiel Porter* and Daniel Reed of Rutland. The prisoners were conducted back to the village and lodged in jail. Thursday morning, the Regulators having disappeared from the streets, and the excitement somewhat subsided, the Court was opened, the prisoners arraigned and their trials commenced. Some were discharged without trial ; five were acquitted ; twenty- onet plead guilty and were fined, some 9s. and some 10s. and costs ; and fourteen on trial were found guilty, and were fined from £3 to £25 with costs, and were required to give bonds varying from £20 to £150, with sureties for their good behavior for one year.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.