The history of Princeton, Worcester county, Mass. from its first settlement; with a sketch of the present religious controversy in that place. Designed for the use of the inhabitants

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974.402

GENEALOGY COL.L.ECTIOH

Preface

The history of a town, and that not a conspicuous one among its neighbors, cannot be expected to contain much of general interest. Aware of this fact, I have endeavored to keep it constantly in view, in the preparation of the accompanying hasty sketch, which now seeks the preservation of the press, without the notoriety of publication. I have aimed only to write a ^^plain, unvarnished tale," and, having nothing to amuse the stranger, have studied only to interest the inhabitants. In this, I am far from confident of success. If I have entirely failed, I can only wish my readers an abundant share of that happy disposition, of taking the will for the deed," in which, at least, I hope for security. As I have written in the hurried intervals of more pressing employments, following, in most cases, as nearly as possible, the language of the documents and persons, from whom my facts come, I have not aimed at any embellishments. That the accompanying pages should be elegant, I cannot hope ; that they may be fully intelligible, is all I expect.

Chapter I

Original divisions of the territory. Purchase of the Indians. Purchase cohfirmed by the General Court. Division of the twelve miles square of the Indian purchase. Rutland East Wing. Watertown Farms. Incorporation of the District. Situation aud Boundaries. First Settlement. Loss of Robert Keyes's daughter. Dr. Harvey. First Town Meeting. Location of Roads.

CHAPTER IL

Character of the first settlers. Of the New-England people generally. Province Lands. Petition for Incorporation as a Town. Act of Incorporation. Opposition of Town to any addition of Territory. First Representative to the General Court. Early Town Meetings.

Chapter III

Education. First Schools. Division of the town into School Districts.

. Erection of School-houses. Re-division of the town. Present Appropriations for Education. English and Classical School. Scenery. Wachusett. Little Wachusett. Pine Hill. Waters. Products. Statistics.

Chapter IV

Ecclesiastical History. Introductory remarks. First preaching in town. Organization of the Church, 1764. First Meeting-house built, 1762. Call to Mr. Goodrich, 1766. Call to Mr. Fuller, 1767. His Reply and Settlement. First Deacons chosen. Present to the Church. Troubles with Mr. Fuller. Committee's Letter. His Final Dismissal. Suit vs. Town. Verdict for Defendants.

Chapter V

Invitations to Mr. Litchfield and Mr. Hubbard to settle in the ministry. Settlement of Mr. Crafts. His Letter to the Town and their Reply. Dismission. Call to Mr. Goodrich. Erection of a new Meeting-house. Mr. RusselPs Settlement. His Letter to the Town and Dismission. Settlement and Dismission of Dr. Murdock. Troubles at the Settlement of Mr. Clarke. Separation in consequence of it. Mr. Clarke's Letter.

VIll

CONTENTS.

CHAPTKR VI.

('all of a ('oiiiiril by tlio majority of the (-liurcJi. Orf,^1nization of a Society. Invitation to Mr. Bond. Invitation and Sottloincnt of Mr. Phillips. His Letter. History of the Baptist Society, Mr. Clarke's Dismission. First proposal for a Union of the Conj^regational Societies. Settlement of Mr. Cowles. Dismission. Fartlier measures for a Union Call of a Council. The Kesnlt. Proceedings upon it. Mr. Pliillips's ^' Appeal." - - - 6&

Further proceedings for a Union." Secession of a portion of the Church. Mr. Phillips's Letter. Attempts at a Reconciliation. Proposition of the Disaffected Members. Replies. Second Proposition of the same. Reply. Vote by the Church to call a Council. Mr. Phillips's Letter. Inquiry from tjlie Disaffected Members. Reply. Result of the Council. Proceedings of the Disaffected. Settlement of Mr. Demond. Universalist Society. - 91

Political History. Revolutionary Services. Resolutions in 1773. Instructions to Representative^ 1774. Bounty to Soldiers. Imperfect Report of a Committee on Revolutionary Services. Declaration of Rights. Subse-

CIIAPTER VII.

CHAPTER VIII.

quent Political History.

CHAPTER IX.

Biographical Notices.

HISTORY OF PRINCETON.

Chapter I

Oricrinal divisions of the territory. Purchase of the Indians. Purchase confirmed by the General Court. Division of the twelve mile square of the Indian purchase. Rutland East Wing. Watertown Farms. Incorporation of the District. Situation and Boundaries. First Settlement. Loss of Robert Keyes's daughter. Dr. Harvey. First Town Meeting. Location of Roads.

Princeton, as now constituted, embraces within its territory three distinct tracts of land, formerly known as " Rutland East Wing," The Watertown Farms," and some public provincial lands contiguous thereto. The earliest account we have of either of these, is in 1686. On the 22d of December, of that year, Puagastion of Pennicook, Pompamamay of Natick, Wananapan of Wamassick, Sassawannow and Qualipunit of Natick, five Indians, who claimed the ownership of the soil, in consideration of twenty-three pounds of the then currency, gave to Henry Willard, Joseph Rowlandson, Joseph Foster, Benjamin Willard, and Cyprian Stevens, a deed of a tract of land twelve miles square, going under the general name of Naquag, and bounded as follows : The south corner butting upon Muscopauge Pond, and running north to Quanitick and to Wanchatopick, and so running upon great Watchusett, which is the north corner ; so running northwest to Wallamanumpscook, and so to Quapuanimawick, a little pond, and so to Asnaconcomick Pond, which is the northwest corner ; and so running south and so to Musshauge, a great swamp, and so to Sassakataffick which is the south corner." This deed, signed and acknowledged by the above named Indians, is recorded in the Registry of Deeds of Middlesex County, April 14th, 1714, Vol. xvi. p./511, Worcester County not having been incorporated until 173L

IIISTORV OF PRINCETON.

The [)orrK)ii of territory thus conveyed embraced what is DOW Iviitland, Oakham, Barre, Hubbardston, the greater part of Princeton, and about one half of Paxton. It comprised in all 1 60 acres. Whether this deed gave to the grantees an indisputable legal title to the soil it purported to convey, especially at this time when our legislators and courts were not noted for being peculiarly conservative of Indian rights, is doubtful. It was probably worthless. Prior occupancy, by the natives, was not recognised as creating any fee in the soil. The doctrine was, that the right of discovery vested all lands, mediately or immediately, in the Crown. As, therefore, this portion was included in the grant to the Massachusetts colony, any conveyance of it by the Indians was invalid, unless sanctioned by the Provincial legislature. And so the original purchasers seem to have regarded it. For we hear nothing of the deed subsequent to its date, until 1713, when the General Court, on petition of the sons of Simon Willard, and the other heirs of the grantees named in it, passed an order, That the lands in the Indian Deed, and according to their butts and bounds, be confirmed to the children of the said Simon Willard, deceased, or to their legal representatives, and associates, provided that within seven years time there then be sixty families settled and sufScient lands reserved for the use of a gospel ministry and schools, except what part thereof the Hon. Samuel Sewall, Esq. hath already purchased, and that this grant shall not encroach upon any former grant or grants, nor exceed the quantity of twelve miles square. The town to be called Rutland and to lye in the County of Middlesex.'' The purchase, with the exception of 1000 acres owned by Mr. Sewall, being thus conditionally confirmed, was distributed among the heirs of the original purchasers in thirty-three shares. In December, 1715, a meeting of the proprietors was held at Boston, and a vote passed to survey six miles square of the territory, for the settlement of the sixty families mentioned in the order of 1713. This portion, which was granted to settlers gratuitously, now composes the town of Rutland.

Of the remainder of the twelve miles square, one portion, known as The Northeast quarter of Rutland," was, in ] 767, erected into the town of Hubbardston ; a second portion, called Rutland District," became, in 1774, the town of Barre ; a third, styled ''Rutland West Wing," was incorporated in

HISTORY OF PRINCETON.

1762 as the town of Oakham ; a fourth part, with an equal tract from the town of Leicester, became, in 1765, the town of Paxton ; while the remaining portion on the east, originally called ''Rutland East Wing," and comprising 11,626 acres, now constitutes the southerly and greater part of Princeton. This tract, the only portion of the original purchase with which we are materially concerned, is bounded on the south by Rutland and Holden, on the west by Hubbardston, and on the north and east by the line separating it from the " Watertown Farms," and which is described in the Indian deed as running from '' Wanchatopick," (now called Rutland Pond,) to Great Watchusett." This line crosses the Boston road near the " Great Maple" at the foot of the '' Whitney hill," and running in a northwesterly direction, leaving the farms occupied by Jabez G. Read and Harlow Skinner to the north, constitutes the dividing line between those of Caleb Mirick and Samuel Hastings. After reaching the height of land near Mr. Enoch Brooks's, it again pursues a southeasterly direction and meets Hubbardston line on the land of Ezra Brooks.

The land comprised within these limits was surveyed for the proprietors, divided into farms of two hundred and thirty-seven acres each, and numbered by letters, two hundred and fifty acres, which now constitute the '' Pout-water^^ and '' Letter M" lots, being undivided. Of the proprietors the Rev. Thomas Prince, then colleague pastor of the Old South Church, Boston, and whose name is perpetuated in that of the town, was by far the most extensive, owning something like three thousand acres, most of which subsequently came into the possession of the late W. N. Boylston, Esq. The first conveyance of any portion of this territory, subsequent to the Indian purchase, in 1686, was made by a committee of the original proprietors, chosen at the above-mentioned meeting, in Boston, in 1715, and intrusted with the absolute control of the concerns of the proprietary.

The second portion of the territory, now included in the town, was the " Watertown Farms." This was a tract of about three thousand acres, granted, tradition says, by the General Court to the town of Watertown to aid in building and maintaining a bridge. I find, after diligent inquiry, no record existing of the grant, nor any act or clue, by which its dat€, or specific purpose, other than that above stated, can

HISTORY OF PRINCETON.

be ascertained. Ii dates, probably, about the year 1745, and was regarded as of little or no value. The line bounding it on the north and east, ran from the north boundary of Rutland East Wing, beginning at a stake and stones in the

pine woods" on land of Col. John Whitney, nearly due north to a stake and stones, still existing, at the corner of lands owned by Dea. Israel Howe, James Brown, and formerly by Charles Gregory, now by Daniel Parker. Thence it pursues nearly a westerly direction, crossing the county road near the milldam of James Brown, and passing a little to the south of Dea. Howe's dwelling-house, over the top of Pine hill, to the easterly side of Wachusett. Whence it pursues a crooked southerly course, on the side of the mountain, to the aforesaid line of Rutland East Wing, which it meets at a stake and stones on land of Enoch Brooks. This tract was sold by the town of Watertown to sundry proprietors. At a meeting of these, soon after the conveyance, a committee, of whom I believe Jonas Harrington, grandfather of the present Capt. Benjamin Harrington, was chairman, was chosen to survey the territory, and divide it into farms of equal value. This accounts for the inequality in extent of the lots, some containing nearly double the number of acres of others. After the completion of this survey and division, the lots were numbered and drawn by the original proprietors, some of whom settled on the farms thus obtained, while the greater portion made a second conveyance of them to settlers.

These two tracts, in all comprising about 15,000 acres, on petition of the inhabitants and proprietors, in October, 1759, were erected into a District, under the name of Prince Town, by the following act of the General Court : —

Tricesimo ' ' Tercio.

An Act for erecting the East Wing of Rutland, so called, in the County of Worcester, and sundry farms contiguous thereto, lying between Lancaster and Narraganset number two, into a separate District by the name of Prince Town.

Whereas a number of the Inhabitants and Proprietors of the East Wing of Rutland, in the County of Worcester, and the proprietors and inhabitants of sundry Farms contiguous thereto, lying between Lancaster and Narraganset No. 2, have

HISTORY OF PRINCETON.

represented to this Court many difficulties they labour under, and praying that they may be made a seperate District.

Therefore, he it enacted by the Governor, Council, and House of Representatives, That the said East Wing of Rutland^ so called, and sundry Farms lying contiguous thereto, contained within the bounds hereafter mentioned, be and hereby is erected into a distinct and seperate District by the name of Prince Town : — viz. beginning at the northwest corner of Lancaster second Precinct, being also the southwest corner of Leominster, from thence running north 54 degrees west seven hundred and sixty rods to a heap of stones upon the line of Narraganset No. 2, from thence running west thirty-five degrees south seven hundred and eighty-eight Rod to the southern corner of said Narraganset number two, then turning and running southeast fifty-six Rod to the northeast corner of said Rutland East Wing, then turning and running west thirty Degrees south eleven hundred and sixty Rod, on the northwest line of said Wing to the westerly corner of said Wing, then running south thirty-nine degrees east sixteen hundred and seventy Rod, being the dividing line of the first settlers part of Rutland, and the said Wing to the southerly corner of said East Wing, then turning and running east thirty-five degrees north eleven hundred and fifty rods on Holdin line to the corner of said East Wing, Holdin and Shrewsbury, and from thence running on the same point three hundred and ninety Rod on Shrewsbury line to the River, and from thence bounding on Lancaster second Precinct to the first mentioned bounds, and that the said District be and hereby is invested with all the Privileges, Powers, and Immunities that Towns in the Province by Law do or may enjoy, that of sending a Representative to the General Assembly only excepted.

Provided, nevertheless, and be it further enacted. That the said District shall pay their proportion of all Town, County and Province taxes already sett or granted to be raised on the Towns of Rutland and Lancaster as if this act had not been made.

And be it further enacted. That William Richardson, Esq. be and hereby is empowered to issue his warrant to some principal Inhabitant of said District requiring him to notify and warn the inhabitants of said District qualified by Law to vote in Town affairs to meet at such time and place as shall

HISTORY OF PRINCETON.

be therein set forth to choose all such officers as shall be necessary to manage the affairs of said District.

October VZtli, 1759. This Bill having been read three several times in the House of Representatives — Passed to be enacted.

S. White, Spk.

October I6th, 1759. This Bill having been read three several times in Council — Passed to be enacted.

A. Oliver, Sec'y-

October 20th, 1759. By the Governor.

I consent to the enacting of this Bill.

T. POWNALL."

The district thus incorporated, and which now constitutes the main part of Princeton, took its name from the Rev. Thomas Prince, then colleague pastor of the Old South Church, Boston, and whose only surviving daughter subsequently married the Hon. Moses Gill. It is situated forty-eight miles north of west from Boston, and about an equal distance east from the Connecticut river, being the heighth of land between the two. It is fourteen miles northwest from Worcester, and bounded as follows: On the east and northeast, 1921 rods, on Notown Gore, and Sterling, from which it is separated by Still river ; on the north and northwest, on Westminster, 1002 rods ; on the west, by Hubbardston, 1568 rods ; south by Rutland, 1714 rods, and on the east again, by Holden and Sterling, 1614 rods. It consists of a rough, mountainous, and rocky soil, well adapted to grazing, but brought into successful cultivation only by the most active and patient industry. It was originally covered with a prodigious growth of timber, many beautiful lots of which are still standing undisturbed by that inveterate forest's foe, the Yankee axe. Grass was also produced at the early settlement of the town, in great profusion, on the low and wet lands. Such, however, was the unyielding ruggedness of the soil, that the early settlers were long dependent on the neighboring towns for most of their supplies.

The first settlement on this territory was made in the year 1739, by Joshua Wilder, on the farm owned by the late Peabody Houghton. During the early part of this, or the latter

HISTORY OF PRINCETON.

part of the preceding year, Mr. Wilder removed from Lancaster to Princeton, and clearing a small spot, beside the brook, a little east of the present farm-house, erected thereon a block-house, in which his family for a long time resided : In fact I believe until the sale of the land by Mr. Wilder, in 1760. Mr. Wilder was a saddler by trade, and the son of Capt. Nathaniel Wilder of Lancaster, a man somewhat renowned in the annals of his time and town for his temerity and facetiousness. He married a daughter of Maj. John Keyes of Shrewsbury, who was also no little famous in his day and generation." During the French war, somewhere about the year 1760 or 61 , Mr. Wilder purchased a large number of cattle for the purpose of driving them to Canada, and disposing of them at a profit, to the English army. This intended speculation, however, was a total failure. On his arrival at its place of destination, with his stock, the war was so far concluded that he found no sale for it, or at least none at any adequate price. He returned, broken in property, and sold his farm to Benjamin Houghton, who owned the adjoining land, and with whom he had some litigation as to their respective boundaries. Soon after this he removed to Belchertown, then Cold-Spring, where he died in 1762. Miss Sarah Wilder, his fourth child, was the first white person born in Princeton. Her birth occurred in 1739. In 1762 she was married to Thomas Meriam of Westminster, and was the mother of the Meriams at present residing in that place. She died in 1819, at the advanced age of 80 years. The descendants of Miss Wilder recollect hearing their mother frequently speak of gathering blueberries in company with others on the Meeting-house hill, with a file of soldiers to protect them from the Indians, who seem however to have been more feared than existing. No Indians appeared here, as I can learn, after the first settlement, except those who were friendly, and had become domesticated with the whites. Certainly none ever appeared with any hostile intentions. The natives, who had become famihar with the whites, for some years subsequent to 1739, visited the -Wachusett for the purpose of obtaining medicinal roots and plants. Perhaps in the earlier part of this period an occasional band of more ferocious character might do the same.

Mr. Wilder's probably preceded all the other settlements by six or eight years. Indeed, it is doubtful whether any others vv^ere made prior to the year 1750, when Mr. Abijah

HISTORY UK PRINCETON.

Moore coiiiiiienced the farm, near the Post-Office, at present owned and occupied by Maj. Joseph A. Read. A short time after his settlement, Mr. Moore, who was quite a conspicuous character both in church and town, opened a pubhc house, which was the first ever kept within the place. The third settler was Mr. Cheever, father of the present Lieut. Cheever, on what is now known as the Cobb farm. Mr. Robert Keyes and family moved from Shrewsbury to this place in 1751, and were the fourth, and not, as is often supposed, the first family settled. They settled on a farm at the foot of Wachusett, on the extreme northern border — the same now owned by Luther Goodnow. Mr. Keyes died March 1, 1795, aged 84 years. On the 14th of April, 1755, a daughter of Mr. Keyes, about five years old, attempting to follow two of her sisters, who had gone to Wachusett pond, about a mile distant, for some sand, and having no guide but marked trees, wandered from her way, and became lost in the forest. The people for many miles round immediately collected and searched through the woods for several days, but without success. The neighboring pond was also repeatedly dragged. Nothing was however discovered of the child. The conjectures as to its fate were various, the most prevalent being that it was carried off by a straggling party of Indians on a visit to the mountain. This was made more probable by the story of two men, who went some years after this occurrence from Groton, on a trading expedition among the Indians on Canada line. They related, on their return, that they found living among the Indians a white woman, who knew nothing farther of her birth or parentage, than that she once lived near " Chusett hill,^^ This well substantiated would leave no doubt but this was the lost child of Mr. Keyes. Exclusive of this instance, and this problematical, our early settlers suffered nothing from the hostility of the natives.

The first settler in the westerly, and the fifth in any part of the town, was Oliver Davis, grandfather of the present Col. John G. Davis. Mr. Davis settled about the year 1751, on what is now called the Clark hill," and possessed both of enterprise and mechanical genius, in which respects his mantle has fallen upon his descendant, did much for the early advancement of the new settlement in the mechanical arts. He purchased a tract of land of one thousand acres, lying in Princeton and Hubbardston, and built a saw-mill on a branch of

HISTORY OF PRINCETON.

Ware river, running from Rutland. This was the first application of water power to mechanical purposes in the town, or the immediate vicinity. He also built soon afterwards a gristmill on the river, a short distance below where the Valley Village mills now stand. This was burnt, and a saw and gristmill subsequently built by him on or near the same site. He also built some of the first mills in Hubbardston. Mr. Davis had fourteen children ; of these, three enlisted in the army at the commencement of the revolutionary struggle, and one, Micah, sealed his devotion to his country's cause, by a death on the battle-field. Mr. Davis died January 25th, 1803. His descendants still retain possession of a portion of his original purchase.

In the early part of 1752, there were probably only five families permanently settled in town, and these living in the rudest and least comfortable manner known to civilized life. During this and the four following years several families settled, or rather farms were commenced, preparatory to a settlement, by the heads of them. For it was not often the custom of a new settler to burden himself with a family, until he had cleared his potato-field and corn-patch, built his block-house, and in general got wherewith to make the pot boil." Among the settlers at this time were a Mr. Norcross, on the farm now owned by Israel Everett ; Mr. Peter Goodnow, on the spot where now stands the dwelling-house of Charles Russell, Esq.; Caleb Mirick, on the farm occupied by his son ; Samuel Nichols, on the farm of Enoch Brooks ; Mr. Mede, on the farm of Ephraim Osgood ; Joseph Eveleth, on the farm of Capt. Benj. Harrington ; Samuel Hastings, on the farm now owned by his son ; James Mirick, on the farm of Col. Moses Gill ; Messrs. Gleason & Gibbs, on the spot where the Hotel now stands ; a Mr. Stratton also commenced a farm where the meeting-house is now being erected. Among the settlers in the westerly part of the town, after Mr. Davis, were Seth Savage, David Parker, Charles Parmenter, Timothy Keyes,

Thompson, and Col. Benj. Holden. In ]755, the number of families permanently settled was not more than ten or twelve* At its incorporation, in 1759, there were, as I learn from a little sketch which I found among a mass of unfiled papers in 2

HISTORY OF PRINCETON.

the town clerk's office, hastily written on the back of an old petition,^' thirty families in the district.

The first physician settled in the town, was Dr. Zachariah Harvey, who commenced, about the year 1759, the farm now owned by Dea. Ebenezer Parker. Dr. Harvey was the first district clerk, and seems to have filled most of the important offices, being, in 1761, no less than moderator of the town meetings, district clerk, chairman of the board of selectmen, first assessor, and agent to the General Court, for which latter service he received from the town llL I also find, in the warrant for a town meeting in 1762, the following gentle hint to the doctor and some of his delinquent friends, to quicken their treacherous memories, and awaken their slumbering consciences in regard to certain previous promises, which, in the frailty of human nature, all men on some occasions are liable to forget. " 5th. To see if Dr. Zachariah Harvey, and others that bid any thing as an encouragement to build the meeting-house where it now stands, will be as good as their promises and give security for the same, or if the District will act any thing thereon." No action seems to have been had upon this article. Possibly this admonition brought the doctor's conscience at once to its duty, or may be the district thought the matter not strictly of legal cognizance, and left it to be settled

in foro conscientiae." Farther than this I have been able to learn nothing of his history. The first store in town was opened at a much later period, by Wm. Richardson, Esq. a tailor by trade, but who, sinking his former profession, removed from Lancaster to Princeton, and commenced business in a store near where the village hotel now stands, in 1771 or ^72. He was town clerk for one year, in 1774. Previous to his removal to Princeton he had been commissioned as a justice of the peace, the functions of which office he continued to exercise until his death.

The first public meeting in the district, other than for relig-

* This appears to be a first copy of a petition of Jonas Beaman to the Court of Common Pleas, for liberty to sell some land in Shutesbury, belonging to Elijah VS^ilde, a ward of his. On the back of this is a short history of the town up to the time of Mr. Crafts's dismission, 1791. It is in the handwriting of Wm. Dodds, Esq. and covers a closely written foolscap page. I am indebted to it for one or two important events in the early history oi the town.

ious worship, was called in accordance with the last clause of the act of incorporation, by a warrant from the above-mentioned Wm. Richardson, then of Lancaster, directed to Dr. Harvey, as a principal inhabitant," ordering him to notify the inhabitants to assemble for the election of district officers. This meeting was held at the house of Abijah Moore, on the 24th of December, 1759. A few pages are missing from the first volume of town records, and the account of the proceedings of this meeting is consequently lost. It appears, however, from certain official documents, issued by them, that Dr. Harvey was chosen district clerk, and Messrs. Peter Goodnow, Abijah Moore, Dr. Harvey, and Joseph Gibbs, selectmen. These officers were elected only until the March following, when, as now, the regular meeting for an election was held. ; As, however, political changes were not quite as frequent then as now, no alterations were probably made in the list. The first March meeting" was held in 1760. The first, of which the proceedings are on record, was in 1761. At this meeting all the usual town officers were chosen, a list of whom is transcribed from the records for the amusement of some of the elder portion of my readers. Dr. Zachariah Harvey, Moderator. Dr. Zachariah Harvey, D. Clerk. Dr. Zachariah Harvey, Joseph Gibbs, Lieut. Abijah Moore, Timothy Moseman, Selectmen. Dr. Zachariah Harvey, Abijah Moore, Peter Goodnow, Assessors. Peter Goodnow, Treasurer. Caleb Mirick, Sadey Mason, Constables. Samuel Nichols, Joseph Rugg, Tythingmen. Paul Mathews, Stephen Brigham, Silas Whitney, Tilly Littlejohns, Timothy Keyes, Highway Surveyors. Robert Keyes, Clerk of the Market. Samuel Hastings, Amos Spring, Fence Viewers. James Mirick, Oliver Davis, Field Drivers. Robert Cowden, Edward Wilson, Deer Reeves. Amos Powers, Samuel Hastings, Hog Reeves. Abel Ray, Surveyor of Boards and Shingles. Stephen Brigham, Sealer of Leather. Peter Goodnow, Timothy Moseman, Wardens. Dr. Zachariah Harvey, Agent to the General Court. At the bottom of this list of officers is the following : — This may Certify that all the above officers, Except Timothy Keyes, were duly Sworn as the Law directs. Respecting the takeing of the paper Currency of the other Governments, and the Respective Oaths belonging to Each of their offices.

Test. Zachariah Harvey, Moderator."

It would seem also from the following protest from the records, exculpating the signers from any participation in the corruption, that there was some trouble at this meeting : —