USA > Vermont > Windsor County > Woodstock > The valley of the Kedron; the story of the South parish, Woodstock, Vermont > Part 3
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"Joseph Barnes, son of William Barnes, received a deed of about fifty acres from Oliver Davis. Their children were: Ira, Mary, Delia, Mason, Laura, Louisa, Philander and William. Mr. Barnes was, during the war of 1812-15, a Federalist, and had displayed over his front door the heading of his paper in large fanciful letters, The Wash- ingtonian; also on the wall of his living room, opposite to its entrance. I think he must have been conscientious in his belief, judging from the zealousness and vehemence
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Creation of Woodstock
with which he discussed the political questions of the day. He lived but a short time after the close of the war, dying with typhus fever. His children all lived to man and womanhood, except William. None of them settled in Woodstock.
"Mr. Davis early settled on the farm next south of Read- ing line, on the main road. His children, whom I knew, were Oliver, Leonard, Samuel, Mrs. Joseph Barnes, and Mrs. Noah Cady. Mr. Davis must have been a man ad- vanced in years when he came on, as all of his children were married and had families of their own at my earliest recollection. Oliver was married three or four times, I think four, his last wife being a Mrs. Holt of Sherburne, at which place he died. Leonard married Sarepta Cady, lived on the homestead some twenty or more years, then kept a public house in the village of Woodstock a few years. He died somewhat past the middle age, where I do not recollect. His widow married a Mr. Holden and lived to be 97 or 98 years old. Samuel also married a Cady girl, Sarah, and lived awhile north, I think Canada, then came back, lived on the William Barnes place, thence to Peter- boro, N. H., thence back to West Windsor, at which place he died. His widow lived a few years after his death at the homestead, then in Reading with her son-in-law, Dexter Buck, at which place she died.
"Charles White had a deed of land from the original right of William Temple, about 1790, which was deeded by Gaius Randall to Benjamin Darling, Nov. 17, 1806. Mr. Darling married Huldah Morton, by whom he had three children, Betsey Maria, Huldah Morton and Ezra. In the winter of 1820-21 Mr. Darling and family emigrated to
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The Valley of the Kedron
Pennsylvania, near the New York line. Of Mr. White but little is known, except that he was a working man, and worked much for Nathaniel Wood, jr., and that he was much addicted to fun and romance. His family consisted of a wife and seven children. The place is now owned by H. H. H. Rood and Noah Edward Wood.
"Caleb Tilden was born in Massachusetts, Nov. 13, 1745, his wife, Joanna Barker, (a sister of Hon. Josiah Barker, a member of the General Court of Massachusetts, Sept. 2, 1745) were married Oct. 1, 1770. Their children were Sarah (married and stayed in Massachusetts), Joanna, Caleb, Ruth, and Josiah, who died when young. Mr. Til- den was an anchor maker and shipsmith by trade, but when he married he bought a place in Pembroke and run a grist mill-two run of stones, no bolt. After Caleb was eleven years old, he usually tended the mill, his sisters helping to handle the bags, his father working in the place where he learned his trade, coming home Saturday to dress the mill stones. In November, 1793, Mr. Tilden bought 110 acres, on which N. E. Wood now lives, and worked one year on it, sowing seeds for apples, plums, raising some grain, potatoes, etc., building a log house and shop for use when he took his family on. During that time Caleb, now 18, carried on his small place of twelve acres, running the mill in connection. During the winter of 1795 he returned home, 'sold out,' and Ezra Wood came with a 'spike team,' (two oxen and a horse,) taking a load of wheat and other stuff to Boston market, and took his family and effects to Vermont. Mr. Tilden, as his trade would indi- cate, was an excellent forger, and could fashion almost anything of iron, but was not a very practical shoer. He
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Creation of Woodstock 1206095
and Caleb soon became experts at making nails. By work- ing in the shops when the weather was unpropitious and considerably nights, they soon had about one-third of their farm cleared, and a fine orchard of apples and plums planted, which bore abundantly for many years. Now there is but one solitary tree standing of the old orchard. Mr. Tilden, after Caleb lost his reason, cleared but little, cutting a small piece in winter, using the best timber for his fires. I had hoped to have given the prices of making nails by the thousand, shoeing and other smith work at that day, from his old book, which by the way, was kept in pounds, shillings and pence. By some fortuity it has disappeared.
"He was not ambitious, never wishing to engage in any business, public or private, except his own. He never (except compelled by dire necessity) bought a thing unless he paid in commodity or ready cash. He was a man of few words, never joining any religious denomination, but very exemplary in his conversation, in all his dealings with men and in his family, and it was remarked by one of the older inhabitants of the district, 'that he was one of the noblest works of God, an honest man.' On the 16th day of May, 1813, he worked alone mending fence. About sundown a passer saw him holding to the limb of an apple tree a few rods from his house, then fall. Jumping from his horse he started and gave the alarm, and ere he and Mrs. Tilden could get there with a pillow, he was dead. Mrs. Tilden, who was an excellent helpmeet, a willing sharer in all his trials and privations, of his joys and sorrows, survived him only a little over four years, dying at Noah Wood's, June 25, 1817.
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The Valley of the Kedron
"A man named Fowle settled on land now owned by Frank Wilder, a Mr. Reddington on land of George Spear, also a Mr. Tubbs, Webster, Bassett and Thomas in that part of the district. As they left no representatives in the district, I know but little about them except the places of their abode.
"Abiah Rice bought the land of Mr. Standish and moved on it about 1810. He was a very energetic and successful farmer, stock raising being his principal forte. His land extended from I. R. Fullerton's to Esquire Shedd's in Reading, almost two miles. In his dealings with men he claimed to be upright, punctual and exacting, the last of which he lived to perfection. Never would dispose of prop- erty unless paid in labor, commodity or hard cash-no shinplasters for him. In his family he was despotic, ruling with a rod of iron and enforcing with a birch withe, de- priving all of his children at times the privilege of his house. He was a revolutionary soldier and drew an en- sign's pension. His wife was a Sterlin, an excellent house- keeper and farm woman, who outlived him and received the pension till well into the nineties. Their children were Anna B., Irene, Sarah, and Calista, who now lives at the age of almost eighty-two years. Retiring, somewhat, from business he conveyed a part of his possessions to Josiah Page, conditioned for the support of him and wife. All went well for a while, when his elbow got crooked and he attempted to get it back, but Page, by the assistance of his father, was so far on the lead that it was thought they saved enough to buy a nice river farm. He next made a similar trade with Henry Hoadley. All went smoothly for a while. Again the waters were disturbed, but Mr. Hoad-
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Creation of Woodstock
ley, by the assistance of his friends (all were his friends) got the inside track so as to save enough, it was thought, to pay him for his time and trouble. His next trade was with David Hammond of Reading, increasing the com- pensation one or two thousand dollars each time. All for a while was placid as a silver lake, but by and by the waters were disturbed and the waves ran high, but Mr. Hammond managed his bark so as not to get swamped. In one of the gales he said: 'Anything you want, yes, rum enough, if you want it, to swim in.' He suffered with can- cer in his last years, one side of his face being almost gone. He died under Mr. Hammond's care, which was excellent. Mrs. Rice survived him and Mr. Hammond a number of years and died under the care of Mrs. Hammond, who, worn by toil and care, lived less than a year, I think, after the fulfillment of the contract."
Many more changes have taken place in that section in nearly forty years. Noah Wood was the author of the sketch and all his life he had known the whole region.
This deed dated December 3, 1783 is worthy to be re- corded in this book. "Know all men by these Presents that I Joshua Slayton of Woodstock in the County of Windsor and State of Vermont, yeoman, for the Compensation of Sixty Pounds Paid me in hand by Samuel White in this County and State, yeoman, the Present thereof I Do hereby acknowledge myself fully Satisfied and Contented and I do give grant Bargain Convey unto Said Samuel White his heirs and Assigns forever of a Sartain tract of land lying in Woodstock in the South Part formerly owned by Charles W. Apthorp of New York, now an Enemy to the United States of America, the said Peace of land is a hun-
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The Valley of the Kedron
dred acre lot Buting and Bounding Easterly on the land of Samuel Slayton Northerly of Benjam holt Bounding Westerly on the land of hoisington and Southerly on the town line to Have and to Hold the Above granted and Bargained premises with all the Appurtenances thereof to him the Said Samuel White his heirs and Assigns to their Proper Benefit and Behoof forever and I hereby engageing to warent and Defend the Said granted and Bargained Premises against all the lawfull Claims and Demands of any Person or persons what Ever Claiming from by or under me or my heirs or assigns of the original grantee or their heirs or Assigns in witness whereof I Do hereunto Set my hand and seal this thirteenth Day of September in the year of our lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty three. Signed and Sealed and Delivered in presents of us
JOEL BULLER
Witnesses JOSHUA SLAYTON
DESIRE SLAYTON
State of Vermont September 25, 1783
Personally appeared Joshua Slayton above named and acknowledged this instrument to be his free act.
JABEZ COTTLE Justice Peace"
It was a rare thing in those early days to find a woman's name connected with a deed. In 1797 Wm. Ellis sells to Sall Perry a lot, "one corner of this land begins at the Road Leading from the South Parish meeting house and finally back to that point." The rods are all given in the deed. Sall has quite a number of land transactions re-
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Creation of Woodstock
corded. Whether she was a widow or maid is not revealed. John Lathrop and his wife Betsy sell land to Beal Farns- worth on February 22, 1797. Polly Burk sells to Ebed Burk and also buys from him. She has several transactions in her name. John Blackwell sells land to Lillie Blackwell, also to Nabby Blackwell. Mary Burk sells to George Ham- mond. All these deeds are dated 1805. In 1804 Elijah Nor- ton and his wife Eliza sell their farm. Eliza was the widow of Oliver Farnsworth and this farm was her share of his property and they sell the farm.
Many of the deeds reveal the so-called social standing of those buying and selling. A couple illustrations of these distinctions are given. Moses Kimball, gentleman, sells to Ephraim Ellis, yeoman, his land in South Woodstock in 1788. Elisha Nye, gentleman, in 1797 sells a farm to An- drew Thomas, yeoman. Pride of blood and descent are a very human trait.
Another type of deed appears on our records which I have named Deeds of Affection, though most of them have a decided commercial tinge. "I Samuel Dutton for the con- sideration of love and good will and Parental affection and for the consideration of Seventy Pounds give to my son Samuel," and then follows the description of the land marked by stakes and hemlock trees. This deed is dated 1796. Where are the trees and the stakes in this year of 1940? On March 10th, 1813 Wm. McClay had this deed recorded, "In consideration of the natural Love and affec- tion which I bear unto my beloved daughter Eunice Fisher of Woodstock and for other divers good reasons and considerations, I give her the farm I now live on." The preceding year he had for the same parental affection and
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The Valley of the Kedron
other reasons, given his daughter Betsy the land which he had bought of Asa Green, and to his daughter Polly under the same terms he gave the land he had bought of Wm. Judwin lying north of the highway leading through his farm. He gave land to his son David but alas, son David had to pay for it.
GROUTS GREAT TRACT
Swan Dana in the first edition of his Woodstock history has many interesting facts which were omitted in the sec- ond edition. These items about the first settlers on the Grout Tract need to be preserved. Only five names of those pioneers exist here at the present time.
What is known now as the Fletcher School was the center of the first purchases. The others radiate from there as spokes from a wheel. In 1773, Sylvanus and Joseph Cottle made their first purchase. Later it was discovered that part of Joseph's land was in the Apthorp tract, but the diffi- culty was adjusted. Warren Cottle bought two lots in the same neighborhood, one east of Joseph, one west of Syl- vanus. This one was soon bought by Frank Brewer. Then John Cottle appeared and bought north of Joseph and Edward Cottle bought north of John. Jabez appears and buys a large tract east of Joseph, extending nearly to the town line. Jabez sold the south end of this lot to Ephraim Allen in 1786. It already had a house on it and the north part he sold to John Mack in 1791. John Hammond bought land north of Mack in 1779. Eleazer Parker bought his farm in 1780. This is the Wilbur Perkins homestead. Nathan Avery in 1789 bought just north of the Parker farm, along the east line of the town and extending to the
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Creation of Woodstock
Elisha Lord farm which was on the road to the east going over the arched stone bridge. Just north of Joseph Cottle's farm, Asahel Hoisington settled. He bought this land of his brother Joab, who lived where the Savings Bank stands, in 1771 and settled here in 1772. This is the Bagley farm west of the Fletcher School. In 1803, it was known as Lot No. 6. Asahel sold out to Salmon Hoisington in 1803 and moved away. Elijah Perry bought land just east of this farm for his son James in 1787 and additional land adjoining in 1792. Then in 1782, Nehemiah Mack bought land north- west of the Perry farms and in 1786, he bought twenty acres and the house of Nathan Avery and lived just north of the Eleazer Parkers many years. In 1782, Elisha Ransom bought Mack's land lying east of John Hammond's and north of Jabez Cottle's. North of this Ransom farm, Na- thaniel Pool who was a blacksmith, bought a farm in 1778 and lived here till 1796 when he sold to Micah Holmes. These farms were on the hill road which comes out by the Paul Kendall place. Ransom continued to buy land in this section. James Cobb in 1777, bought a farm west of the Pool place but never lived there and a year later, the records described it "as the land of the late Seth Cobb." It lay north of Elijah Perry whose farm was on the hill road coming out by the tomb. Amasa Delano lived west of the Perry farm on lot No. 2, having settled on it in 1773. This is the farm owned by Mrs. A. B. Greene. Delano lived there several years and then moved to lot No. 6, range three of the Apthorp tract. He finally deeded this farm to his son Jabez in 1792 and moved to Windsor.
Ichabod Perry bought in 1777 the farm north of the Delano farm "on what is called Meeting-House Hill." Ben-
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The Valley of the Kedron
jamin Mack bought land west of the Perry farm in 1794. He bought his land of Amasa Powers. Stephen Paddock settled west of Mack in 1794 and just south of Stephen. Wm. Paddock made a purchase in 1780. His land was bounded on the south by that of Boardman and on the west by Hunt and McClay. Bear in mind that the Pad- docks and Mack lived on that road going west just south of Mrs. Temple's home. Going south over the Boardman tract, we come again to the Cottles. Just north of the Frank Brewer farm was land owned by James Park of Claremont, New Hampshire, who bought it in 1794. Wm. McClay, the Scot, lived north of this farm. We are now on the north side of Fletcher Hill. William bought this land of Elisha Hunt in 1779. Hunt had bought it in 1776 when it was described as "one lot of land No. 18 in the original draught of lots in said town." In 1784, McClay bought more land to the north, Asa Green lived just west of McClay, Linn Dexter owned land south of them and Samuel Warren was living south of that in 1787. Philip Hammond owned a small tract east of Warren while south of Warren was the farm of Elijah Royce which was bounded by the Apthorp tract. The deed says that the southwest corner of his land began about twelve and one half rods westwardly of a bridge on the road leading from Samuel Field's to Sylvanus Cottle's." He received his deed from Grout in 1786. This Royce land was where the so- called Townshends Corners are located. Noah Crooker bought the land west of the Royce place in 1795. (This is the Dr. Doubleday home.) Winslow Phelps settled in 1794 on the lot north of Crooker. Abel Pain was at the south- west corner of Green's land. Winslow Stetson owned a
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Creation of Woodstock
gore between Winslow Phelps and Benjamin Wood and another strip between them was owned by Robert Hill, a Scotchman. Hill bought his land in 1790, lying mostly on the east side of the road from Nathan Russ to the south. This land bordered on the Apthorp tract. He also owned land south of Stetson and west of Phelps.
Benjamin Wood's land extended to the north line of the Grout Tract and adjoined Thomas Root, Hill, Green and others. The northwest corner of the great tract was sold in 1790 to Thomas Barrows. This land extended easterly on the north line of the tract eighty-four rods to the high- way and then southerly by the highway down to the land of Consider Lucas, then to the west line of the tract. Consider Lucas lived south of the Barrows' farm. It joined the Apthorp tract on the west. Lucas bought his land of Thomas Root in 1790, Robert Waterman bought just south of Lucas in 1790. In 1791, Samuel Barrows and Ves- pasian Hoisington who owned adjoining farms, sold to Wood who became the owner of a big farm. This descrip- tion covers nearly all of the original purchases in the Grout Tract. South of this lay the Apthorp Tract of some seven thousand acres, all of which was confiscated land. Here settled the Kendalls, Ralphs, Slaytons, Woods; also Lake, Standish, Stow, Field, Anthony and others. (These others are always so disappointing when we want their names.) The whole District of 17, nearly all of 18 and a large por- tion of 16 lies within this tract. This is a free transcrip- tion of the Dana story of the Grout Tract.
Since we still have sequestered lands for pious and public uses, it may be of some interest to read one of the leases by which a person secures the use of such land. All the
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The Valley of the Kedron
people mentioned in this lease lived on Slayton hill in South Woodstock. Note the word indenture. The Inden- ture given here was made February the 15th, 1839. "By and between the Society for the Gospel in foreign parts, a corporation established at London in that part of Great Britain and Ireland called England by their Agent and Attorney, John A. Pratt of Woodstock, in the County of Windsor and the State of Vermont, of the first part and Amos Ralph of Woodstock in the County of Windsor and State aforesaid of the second part, witnesseth :- That the said party of the first part for and in consideration of the Rents, Covenants and Agrements hereinafter mentioned and reserved on the part of the said party of the second part to be done and performed, hath granted demised, leased and to farm, let unto the said party of the second part, his Heirs, Executors, Administrators and Assigns, a certain tract or farm of land situate, lying and being in Hartland aforesaid and described as follows, to wit :- Be- ginning in the Westerly line of the Propagation lot so called at the North West corner of the lot of land this day leased to Jacob Holt, Amos Ralph and James Slayton then north 33 East on the West line of said propagation lot one hun- dred and seventeen rods to land leased to Henry Rood then South 55 East seventy eight rods then South 19 East twenty nine rods then South 29 West twenty four rods to the North East corner of the aforesaid lot leased to Holt Ralph and Slayton, then North 69, West one hundred six rods to the place of Beginning Containing Sixty five acres but be the same more or less. To have and to hold the above Demised Premises with all the privileges and appur- tenances thereof and thereunto belonging to him the said
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Creation of Woodstock
party of the second part, his Heirs, Executors, Adminis- trators and Assigns from the first day of February 1839 so long as wood grows and water runs, yielding and paying therefor yearly and every year during said term unto said party of the first part or to their lawful agent in the town of Woodstock on the first day of February annually the yearly rent or sum of eighteen Dollars and ninety cents, and the said party of the Second part doth for himself, his Heirs, Executors, Administrators and Assigns hereby covenant to and with said party of the first part, their Successors and Assigns, to pay to said party of the first part or their Assigns the yearly rent aforesaid on the first day of February annually as aforesaid and that he will well and truly perform and fulfill all and every the Covenants contained in these presents, on his part to be done, kept and performed to the true intent and meaning of the same. And the said party of the first doth hereby covenant to and with the said party of the Second part that he his Heirs and Assigns, well and truly paying the rent afore- said and observing performing and fulfilling the Cove- nants herein before mentioned on his and their part to be observed and performed shall and lawfully may have hold and occupy the said Demised premises with the appur- tenances thereof without any let, hindrance suit trouble ejection claim or demand whatsoever of the party of the first part.
And it is hereby further declared to be the true intent and meaning of these presents and of the parties aforesaid that in case the said yearly rent aforesaid, hereby reserved, or any part thereof shall be behind and remain unpaid for the space of ten days, after the same shall become due,
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The Valley of the Kedron
that then, and from thence forth it shall and may be lawful for the said party of the first part, by their Agent or Attor- ney, unto and upon the said Demised premises and any part thereof in the name of the whole to re-enter and the same to have again, repossess and enjoy as in their first and former Estate, and him the said party of the second part or any other person or persons holding from, by, or under him, to expel, remove and turn out, any thing in these presents to the contrary not withstanding.
In witness whereof, the said John Pratt Agent and Attor- ney for the said party of the first part hath hereunto set his hand and seal, and the said party of the second part hath set his hand and seal, the day and the year first above written Signed, Sealed and Delivered in presence of
JOHN A. PRATT AMOS RALPH JACOB HOLT JAMES C. SLAYTON
State of Vermont Windsor County S S
Woodstock February 15th 1839 Personally Appeared
Amos Ralph and John A. Pratt and acknowledged this instrument by them signed, to be their free act and deed
Before JAMES C. SLAYTON Justice Peace"
TAXES
Owning property involves taxation. A Woodstock town meeting in 1788, voted to raise a tax of two pence on the pound of all property on the Grand List. This tax to be
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Creation of Woodstock
paid in wheat at 5 shillings, Rye at 4 shillings, corn at three shillings per bushel of schooling. In 1789 they voted a tax of one penny on the pound in wheat at 5 shillings a bushel to defray the town debts.
At a meeting in 1797 of the County representatives "a tax was laid on all the polls in the County to finish paying for the Gaol in Woodstock and the town clerks shall collect and return them."
Then as now town and county taxes were regarded as troublesome things, but a greater burden was in store for the property owners. The session of the Legislature which met at Windsor, in the year 1797 voted on the 10th of No- vember a tax of one cent on each acre of land "Except the Sequestered lands which are devoted to public, pious and Charitable uses," the town Clerks and Treasurers were ordered to make the collections on or before the first day of June 1798, in hard money, or the lands will be sold to pay the tax and meet the costs. This document was signed by James Fletcher, Collector, South Woodstock.
Some of the men paid the tax, others did not but let their possessions be put up at public auction and then they proceeded to bid them in at the tax rate of the one cent per acre. They also had to pay the costs of the sale which was the interesting sum of twenty five cents. Ephraim Brewster paid for his 303 acres, 328 cents. Wins- low Phelps, Elisha Rice, Israel Houghton, Ebenezer Dike, Elisha Field, Stephen Farnsworth, John Cottle, Benjamin Wood and Asahel Doubleday did the same. Dr. Stephen Drew bought Elisha Taylor's land. Elisha Perkins bought Wm. Perkins land. John Knox bought the land of his father Timothy Knox, Stephen Paddock bought Jonas Fletcher's
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