wm^ 7^ Oft>CCJ i^lBRARY OF CONGRESS. Chap..__S'l:L She/f :-S..6:7 g UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. .5Pm 'rn^^^Z'^- ^*3w -- n:^'^^.. m^ ^ >:%^^4-f^l^: ^ m^'t EARLY LAND-GRANTS OF Groton. Massachusetts. '^ei^^'^*^ AN ACCOUNT OF THE EARLY LAND-GRANTS OF Groton. Massachusetts, BY SAMUEL A. GREEN, M.D. GROTON: 1879. "N^TJ V^j ' University Press: John Wilson and Son, Cambridge. TO THE MEMORY m)t (fl^atls Settlers of Srotoit, WHO WENT INTO THE WILDERNESS, AND, BRAVING UNKNOWN DANGERS AND HARDSHIPS, MADE THEIR HOMES AND LAID THE FOUNDATION OF THE TOWN, TN/S ACCOUNT OF THEIR LAND-GRANTS IS INSCRIBED By the author. EARLY LAND-GRANTS GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS. 'nr^HE Colonial governments of Massachusetts and Plym- -*- outh, as well as the Provincial government of Massachu- setts, granted from time to time to certain persons tracts of land suitable for townships. These persons, called proprietors, frequently had an equal number of shares, but sometimes one proprietor would have more than another, and they called their shares by such names and styles as they pleased. In Groton, these were called " acre-rights " ; but, sometimes, as in Bridge- water, they were called "purchase-rights," and, at other times, as in Nantucket, " cows-commons," or " sheep-commons." These proprietors organized as a corporation, chose a mod- erator, clerk, and all needful committees, at their meetings, and, pursuant to the vote of the majority, allotted the lands to individuals of the corporation or proprietary, as occasion required, in proportion to their respective shares. In the course of time, the lands of the proprietary were all distrib- uted, as appears by their records, which, for the most part, have been preserved. These records are of two kinds : first, those of the votes of the corporation, and, secondly, those of the location of grants to individuals of the corporation, which last records are analogous to the Registry of Deeds. The landed history of the old towns in New England is full of EARLY LAND-GRANTS OF interest, and to these records we must recur to obtain the early portion of such history. The township of Groton was equal to eight miles square, or sixty-four square miles, — equivalent to 40,960 acres, and the whole number of "acre-rights" belonging to the origi- nal proprietors was 827, owned by 51 persons. According to this calculation, in a general division of the property at the outset, the owner of a single " acre-right " would have been entitled to nearly fifty acres of land, and the larger proprie- tors to a similar proportion. The division of land, however, was not made all at once, but at several different times, and the amount set off to each one was determined somewhat by its value. Considerable land was sold at the start in order to raise money, to build in part a meeting-house, and to defray cer- tain other public expenses ; and, even after this was done, many thousand acres still remained unsold. This undivided land was generally called the " town's common " or " town's com- mons," or the " common land." The proprietors of the town probably never received from their " acre-rights " — or stock, as we should call it — any dividends in money. Their profits came from the division of lands ; and the current expenses of the corporation were met by the income from the sales. The first division was made, doubtless, as early as the year 1661, when a Committee, appointed by the General Court, October, 1659, to consider certain difficulties that had arisen in connection with the settlement of the town, made a report recommend- ing : — " I That the old planters & theire Assignes whose names are John Tincker Rich Smith W" Martyn Ri : Blood Rob' Blood & Jn° Lakin that they reteine & keepe as theire propriety (of such lands as they now clajme an Interest in) each of them only twenty acres of meadow twenty acres for the house lott tenn acres Intervale land & tenn acres of other vplands & that the same be sett out by a comittee so as may not vnequally prejudice such as are or may be theire Neighbors " 2 That the neere lands & meadows be so deuided as may accom- odate at least sixty familjes & for that end That the first diuision of lands be made in manner followinsr viz such as haue one hundred & GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS. fifty pounds estate shall be allowed equall w''' old planters aboue & that none exceed & y' none haue lesse than tenn acres for theire house lott & fiue acres of meadow two & a halfe acres of Inters-ale & two & a halfe of other lands for planting lotts in theire first divission & that none be admitted to haue graunts of lotts there but on Con- ditions following " . . . The selection of land by the early settlers was governed largely by circumstances not now clearly understood. A man's lands were widely scattered, and he might want a cer- tain piece because it joined his neighbor's, or for some other simple reason. At times, the division was made by lot, which fact furnishes the origin and explanation of the American use of the word lot, as applied to a portion of land measured off, or appropriated to any particular purpose. It is recorded in the Groton town-records, November, 1663, — the exact date being torn off, — that " Its agreed that when all men hav their full allowan of medow The residue shall be devided to the p''sent inhabitants by lot acord- ing to every mans proportion " It should be borne in mind that the first settlers of the town did not attach the same signification to the word meadozv which now belongs to it in New England, where it means low, swampy land, without regard to the mowing. They called by the name meadow all grass-land that was annually mown for hay, and especially that by the side of a river or a brook, and this meaning of the word was the common one in England, whence they brought their language. They sometimes spoke of a swamp, meaning by it what we call a bog, but much of this kind of land has since been reclaimed, and is known with us as meadow. As a matter of fact it happened that the lands which could be mown for the fodder were low lands, and it would require perhaps less than a generation to transfer the meaning of mowing lands to the low lands, which were about the only ones that could be mown in the early days of the colony. This explanation will make clear the following vote of the town, passed February 18, 1680: — EARLY LAND-GRANTS OF " At the same meeting it was agreed vpon and voted that M"' Hub- bard should haue all the comon which was Capable to mak medow in Swan pond medow vp to the vpland for seauen acre and a halfe for to mak vp his fifteen acres of medow " Many words in common use in early times have changed their meaning, and others have dropped out of the language. Spong, spang, or spung — different forms of the same word, found several times in these grants — ^ is a case in point. In its struggle for existence, it has not survived, because it was not needed. James Roberts's land-grant speaks of " two parcells or spongs" ; William Elluee's, of " the northermost spung of Buck medow," and John Page's, of "severall spongs or angles." It was a local word in England, used in Suffolk, and meant " an irregular, narrow, projecting part of a field, whether planted or in grass." (Moor's " Suffolk Words," London, 1823,) Another obsolete word found in these grants is "hole," of which the signification is not so clear. The record of Joseph Parker's land speaks of an acre lying "In a hole neare the Angle medow"; and that of Cornelius Church's, of a tract of "land containing two holle or three of swampy medow" ; and Timothy Allen's grant mentions three acres at " Skull holl." J. C. Atkinson, in his "Glossary of the Cleve- land Dialect," — a dialect spoken in a district of Northumber- land, England, gives " Holl ; a deep narrow depression in the surface of the land or place, of no great longitudinal extent." The preposition tJiroiigh is spelled tJioroiv in these records, showing its old pronunciation and its kinship to thoroiigJi. In the early records of the town, "angle" and "squadron" were used to denote districts, and these words are other instances of the natural changes in the language. At a meet- ing of the selectmen, held December 27, 1669, it was agreed upon that " euery man work proportionably according to his estat and that the wayes are to be mended in the seuerall anggells of the towne " and again at a meeting, held January 18, 1671, it was " agreed vpon by the select men for the diuiding of their seuerall GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS. sqvadrons and for the calling out of their men to work that is within their seuerall sqvadrons as is exprest in their seuerall papers " Both of these words are found in the records during many years, in connection with the schools, meaning what is now known by districts. There was a second division of land made at a very early date. In the record of Sergeant James Parker's lands, there is a reference to three acres in Plain Meadow " that was laid out to James Knop in the second division," This tract of meadow is mentioned in Knop's or Knap's grant, which is dated "6"' 5'" 1666," and, perhaps, refers to the division author- ized by the town, October 8, 1665. At a town meeting held in Groton, December 24, 1662, it was voted that " all the lands that are or here after shall be granted shall be recorded with these expressions following, viz : To such a one or such a one &c : Ten or : Twenty Acars so & so bounded be it estemed more or lesse " In November of the next year, — the exact date being torn off, — it was voted that " every man of this Town shall bring a note of all his lands or their lands Bounded & abutted vnto y® Town-Clark being subscribed by two that helpt to lay them out and then the said dark shall record them in the Town Book and giue to each [one] a Transcript of his land acording to the Towns record which shall be vieued by the Select m[en] both originall & coppy and if y " originall Town Record & y- Transcript be found to agree then each mans Transcript shall be subscribed by the Town Clark " In accordance with these votes, the grants of land were recorded in the book, which contained also the public acts of the town. This practice was kept up during a period of twenty years, when it became somewhat inconvenient. About this time, it was customary for the town to choose a com- mittee to instruct the selectmen in the management of public affairs, and one of the "instructions" for the year 16S2 was that lO EARLY LAND-GRANTS OF " the salack men are to tak spashal care that thare bee a town book & a sofishant man chosen to racord our lands as may stand acording to law " In compliance with this recommendation, John Morse, who had been the town clerk during ten years, was chosen as the " sofishant man." He was probably the fittest person in town for the position, as he wrote a good hand and was familiar with the duties of the office, having previously recorded in the town book most of the land-grants. He began the work in the autumn of 1683, and in the course of a few months had copied into the new book from the old one all the grants as they stood at that time. After the transcript was completed, the new book was used for the subsequent grants until it was full, when the record was continued in other volumes. In the year 1664, a controversy sprung up between the town and John Lawrence, about some land. In itself, it was of little moment ; but, in its consequences, it affected the whole town. The question was referred to an arbitrating committee, which decided against Lawrence, who, of course, was dissatisfied with the result. The matter afterward came up at a town meeting, September 21, 1665, and in substance was reconsidered. It was then voted that — " John la\\a'anc sen! shall quietly posese and Inioye a passelle of land in controuersey and allredey within his ffenc and a Joyning to his house lotte contining too acors mor or lesse bounded west and south by the hye way and north and east by his own land & granted to him as a grantiuety " At the same meeting, it was " also granted that eury Inhabetant shall haue the like priuledg proposonally " Some additional action was taken in this matter, October 8, 1665, when it was " voated by the towne y' in Considration of a grattiaty formerly granted to eury Inhabitante anserable to John lauranc sen his grante y*" 21 of the seaventh mo"' 65 y' eury man shall haue liberty to take GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS. II vp 6 accors to a twentey accor house lote, and in case it Joine to his house eury man shall take vp P'posonabl ther vnto respectng such as haue eyther the holle or any part thereof alredey, but if mor remote eury Inhabitant shall haue libert[y] to take vp too for one " Other instances of gratuities — or accommodations, as they are sometimes called — are found in the records. A brook and a highway, in the neighborhood of some of them, have taken their names from the word, and to this day are known, under its contracted form, as " 'Tuity Brook," and "'Tuity Road." Sometimes land was given in order to induce settlers to come and abide in the town. At a meeting, held probably in April, 1669, it was "by vote granted to Robert parish . . . [Park]er and timothy Couper that th[ey shall be] and now ar free Comoners for [vv]ood and timber and for there owne cat [tie] as other men of this towne haue paying to all towne Charges according to their proportion " A free commoner was one who had a right to use the com- mon or undivided lands, free of charge. At the same meeting " the towne did solemnie determine to take in no more but a tay- lear and a smith an Considering the great Charg that hath bine vpon the present inhabitants the do now by vote declare that by way of grant or gift directlie or indirectlie as a towne and the townes mind herein declared by vote the second of June 1669. onely a smith and no other " Immediately afterward, ten of the proprietors gave twenty acres of land to Robert Parish, which was not done '' as a towne act but out of everie mans owne petikuler Right pro- vided hee Come and settell amongst vs a townes man and not other wayes " At a town meeting held January 8, 1680, there were granted " to Thomas Beall of linn tanner ten acres of land by the town prouided he come and Hue among them and be not alienating nor selling it " 12 EARLY LAND-GRANTS OF The following extracts from "The Indian Roll" show — to say nothing of the town clerk's spelling — what was done fre- quently at the early town meetings. Under date of December ii, 1682, — " it was uotyd and a gred upon that tha that was chosin too sell land for the finishin the metin hous was too sell no mor at the same Metin it was agred upon and uotid that the land that is called by the name of Thomis Willimsis land sholld be sowld and John Pag Samiuell Woods were chosin too sell this Land " And again, it is recorded : — "at a gennirall Toown meeting 25d 4 m 1683 A gred upon and uotyd that the Toown wooU sell land for too pay thar present deews and the Comity shall sell no land within too mill of the metin hous and the Comity shall sell no land undr twenty ackr & eck- sept it be furst brought too the Toown at a ginarull Toown meting and if the Town doo determined too sell such land the Comity may Deed it laguUy The in habitenc of this Toown have liberty too by land att a uallow- abll Prise of the Comity so noe land shall be soald undr Twell penc A nacker Captyn Parker Leftenint Lackins Sargon Knop was chosin a Comity too sell this land " The law authorized the proprietors of lands lying in com- mon to dispose of or divide them ; but it was not until March 25, 1 71 3, that an act was passed, prescribing the mode of call- ing a meeting of such proprietors for this purpose. Under the provision of this statute, a meeting of the proprietors of Gro- ton was called, March 4, 1717; and, from that time, separate records were kept. Before the passage of the act, there was no distinction between the inhabitants of the town and the proprietors. At a meeting held September 5, 1721, by adjournment from April 28, a division of the common land was made, allowing two acres to each acre-right, of which one-half was to be laid out on the east side of the Nashua River, and the other on the west side. Another division was voted, January 17, 1726-7, GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS. giving the same proportion of land to the owners ; and subse- quent divisions followed, on February 9, 1741 ; November 14, 1748, and a final one on February 4, 1760. After this last division, the proprietors continued to hold meetings at varying intervals, until November, 28, 1829, when they confirmed the sale of land made March 21, 1828, to Phinehas Nutting. This was the last tract of common land belonging to the original grant, and contained about six acres and a half. It was situ- ated somewhere between Cady Pond and Brown Loaf, and fetched sixteen dollars. The association known as the Proprietors of Groton is now dissolved, and the meeting on November 28, 1829, is the last one that ever will be held. The following list of names of the original proprietors is found on a loose leaf of " The Indian Roll." It appears to be in the handwriting of the person who made the records for James Parker, in the year 1678, when he was town clerk. These records are brief, and not dated ; they are signed with his name, but not with his autograph signature. The figures indicate the number of acre-rights owned by each individual : The furst Grant of euery man in this town Cap' James Parker 050 Willam Marting 20 Sargunt Lacken 20 Lef Willam Lacken 20 Robard Blood 20 Richard Blood 60 James Blood 20 Joseph Blood 10 Thimothey Alen 20 John Page 20 Willam Longely sener 30 John Longly 10 Sam Danes 20 Mat farnneth sener 20 Thomas Tarball sener 20 Richard Satall 20 14 EARLY LAND-GRANTS OF James fiske 20 John Lawranc 20 M^ Willard 20 Richard holding 18 Simon Stone 18 John Nutting 17 James Knop 15 John Clarey 15 Ralph Read 15 Elas baran IS Joseph Parker 20 John Mors 12 Nathanell Lawranc 10 Danell Pearce 10 Willam green 14 Samuell Wods II Thomas Boyeden 07 John Baran 07 James Robson 07 Ben garfell 10 Christophor hall 10 Joseph Morse 05 Willam Elue 05 Jonathan Satall 05 Jonathan Crisp 68 Joshua Whitney 08 Jacob Onge 06 Thomas TarbuU Juner 06 Joseph lawranc 05 John Paresh 05 Joseph gilson 09 Water Seiner 09 Thomas Willams 05 Just holding 07 Zachariah SatuU 10 These persons were the earliest settlers of Groton, and probably lived in the town until its destruction by the In- dians. Many of them have lineal descendants still within the GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS. 15 original township. Among those no longer represented in this neighborhood are Allen, Barron, Boyden, Clary, Crisp, EUuee, Fiske, Garfield, Knop, Martin, Onge, and Parish. Knop's Pond and Martin's Pond, however, perpetuate two of these names. Cady Pond alone preserves the name of another old settler, though Cady himself was not one of the original pro- prietors. It is thought that the surname of Elluee no longer exists in New England. In this word the u had the force of a V, and the name was pronounced as if written Elvy. Perhaps it has passed into another form. The surname Onge is also believed to have died out in New England. The following land-grants are copied from the earliest vol- ume of town records, and comprise a few not found in the pro- prietors' records. The volume is in bad condition, and some of the pages are missing. These grants, with a few trifling exceptions, were made before the town was burned by the In- dians ; and the entries of them in the town book are now on loose and detached leaves. Considerable interest and value belong to them, as they indicate the sites of the house- lots where the earliest settlers lived, which, in some cases, can be identified. The names of certain hills, meadows, and ponds, familiar to us as household words, are mentioned, showing that they were given in the earliest days of the town. Among them are the names of Gibbet Hill and Brown Loaf, Broad Meadow and Half-Moon Meadow, Martin's Pond and Badda- cook Pond, and others equally well known. Many places, then called by names which are now forgotten, can be recog- nized from the description of them. Cow Pond, Massapoag Pond, Sandy Pond, and Spectacle Pond, all were named at a very early period in the town's history. Nonacoicus was an Indian name, given to a place in the south part of the town, now included in Aycr. It is a little singular that Squannacook, also an Indian word, is not found in these records ; it was in use, however, as early as the year 1683. I am unable to identify Pine Hill, or Barralock Hill mentioned in Samuel Woods's grant. Indian Hill, or Hills, as the expres- sion frequently is, was probably the range of hills, beginning l6 EARLY LAND-GRANTS OF near James's Brook, a mile south of the village, and running in an easterly direction, on the south side of the " Great Road " to Boston. Massapoag Brook, Cow-pond Brook, James's Brook, Sandy Brook, Hawtree Brook, and Unquetenorset Brook are familiar to the present generation. The meadows are more numerous, but not many of them have kept their designations; though, perhaps, a few are still known by the old names, in their imrnediate neighborhood. Among them are the follow- ing : Accident, Angle, Brook, Buck, Burnt, Cow-pond, East, Flaggy, Flax, Ferney, Little Half-Moon, Lodge, Long, Maple, Pine, Plain, Pretty, Providence, Quosoponagon, Reedy, Rock, Round, Sallo (perhaps sallow, a species of willow), Seda (Cedar), Sledge, South, Spang, Spot, Spruce, Swamp, and Weavers. Angle Meadow and Plain Meadow were situated in the northerly part of Groton, and Burnt Meadow in the vicinity of Cow Pond. Cold Spring was " on y" Left hand of the high way that goe to Reedy medow," — which meadow, also in the northern part of the town, still keeps its old name. Flaggy Meadow was near Brown Loaf, and Rock Meadow in the neighborhood of Snake Hill. Quosoponagon Meadow was " on the other sid of the Riuer," perhaps toward Squan- nacook, and Buck Meadow in the eastern part of the town. Among these entries, no allusion is made to woodland, for the reason, doubtless, that wood was so cheap and common. The " general field," frequently mentioned in these grants, refers to land owned in severalty by a number of persons who turned it into one field, for reasons of mutual advantage. The terms " sergents field" and " Sargeants field medow," also mentioned, I do not fully understand ; perhaps they refer to Sergeant Parker's field. These grants are arranged, for the most part, chronologi- cally ; but in some instances, they are not dated. In these cases, the name of the town clerk who recorded them is given, with his term of service ; and the date can be approximated near enough for practical purposes. In printing them, the capitalization and punctuation have been made to conform to modern usage ; but the spelhng remains unchanged. GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS. 1/ EARLY LAND-GRANTS. A Record of the sevcrall Propriators of Groton, their Names and Lands, wJiicJi hath been orderly ^sented to the Toivne Clark. Revised & aproved by the Selectmen, acording to an Order of Toivne bearing date Novem. 30, 1663. THE LANDS OF WALTER SKINER. 1. His Vplands. To his house lot with som adition therevnto, twenty & eight acres by estimation, more or lesse, bounded on the north with the vpland of Timothy Allen, and on the west with Timothy Allen, and on all other poynts with the hie-way and town's comon. 2. Three acres & a halfe by estimation, more or lesse, bounded south-west with the hie-way, north-west w* Joseph Parker, north-east with comon land, south-east with Timothy Allen and Walter Skiner. 3. His Aledow. In fflaggy Medow, six acres by estimation, more or lesse, bounded on the north with y" medow of James Parker, and all other poynts on comon land. 4. In Broade Medow, two acres by estimation, more or lesse, bounded north with the land of John Nutin, east with the lands of James Parker, south with the lands of John Baron & Benjamine Garfield, west with the towne comon. 5. One acre of medow, more or lesse, lying in two parsells, bound- ed west with the pond, & all other poynts with the town's comon. 6. In Maple Medow, two acres by estimation, bounded south- west with the medow of Samuell Woods, north-west with the medow of Joshua Whitny, and all other poynts on y^ towne comon. Jan. 21, 1663. Revised, aproved, & confirmed (according to order of towne) by the Selectmen. EARLY LAND-GRANTS OF This Indenture wittnesseth that Water Skinner hath sold, giuen, granted, and exchanged, his six acres [of] meadow, more or lesse, lying in Flaggy Meadow, bounded on the north by the medow of James Parker, and on all points w* y'^ town's vplands, to and with Samuell Woods, his heirs and executors and administrators, for euer. And also, this Indenture wittnesseth that the sd Samuell Woods hath sold, alienated, giuen, granted, and exchanged, to and with the aboue- sd Water Skinner, his three acres of meadow, more or lesse, lying in Vncattenorset Meadow, bounded west southwardly with Richard Blood's, and on all other points with the town's vpland and riuer ; and with three acres, more or lesse, lying in Mapple Meadow, bounded south west with the meadow of Just. Holdin, and on [all ] other points with the town's vplands and Wa[lter] Skinner's owne meadow ; for him, the sd Walter Skinner and his heirs, executors, and administra- tors, for euer. For the true pformance, the pties abouesd haue entere ... set to their hands, 27* 2'"° 1666. his marke Water (/) [Skinner], his . . . Samuell [Woods]. [I]n the psence of vs, Wifefe LONGLEY, Nathanil Lawrance. THE LANDS OF CHRISTOPHER HALLE. 1. His Vplands. And ffirst, his hous-lot, with that w*" adjoyns to it, thirty acres, more or lesse, bounded north w' y" lands of Jonathan Crisp, south w* y'^ lands of Daniell Metup, east with the hie-way, west with the town's comon. 2. In the Generall Field, three acres & a halfe, more or less, bounded north with the -land of AUexander Rouse, southerly with y^ lands of James Blud, westerly w' y*" river, esterly w' y*" hie way. 2. His Medow. And ffirst, in Broade Medow, two acres, more or lesse, bounded northerly with the medow of Benjamine Garfield, southerly with the medow of Joseph Parker, esterly with the land of James Parker, westerly w' y" town's comon. GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS. 19 2. In Pine Medow, two acres, more or lesse, bounded southerly with the medow of Benjamine Garfield, northerly w"* the medow of John & Nathaniell Lawranc, or one of them, easterly and westerly with the town's comon. 3. In fferny Medow, one acre, more or lesse, bounded westerly with y"" medow of Jacob Onge, esterly with the medow of Daniell Metup, and on all other poynts with the towne comon. 4. In fflaggy Medow, three acres, more or less, bounded esterly w' James Parker, westerly with Jonathan Crisp, northerly with y^ medow of James Parker, and southerly with the town's comon. 5. In Reedy Medow, two acres, more or lesse, bounded west with the medow of John Lakin, esterly with the medow of John Baron, northerly with the town's swamp and vpland, southerly w"" the hieway. 6. Two acres of medow, more or lesse, bounded esterly with y^ medow of Jacob Onge, & on all other poynts w' the town's comon. Decem. 2, 1664. Revised, aproved, & confirmed, by the Select- men, acording to order of towne. One pcell of thirteen and a halfe acres of vpland, bounded with [th]ree lines, i on the south, the 2 north east, and the third nor[th we]st. And also, this waiting wittnesseth that Christopher [Ha]ll hath laid downe for common land, fine acres & a quarter ... in the Gen- erall Feild, it being his owne pportion, and an . . . quarter that the sd Hall bought of Elexander [Rouse] . . . act and deed deliuered into the Towne Clerk hands. THE LANDS OF CHRISTOPHER HALL. 1. Mcdows. In fferny Medow, one acre, more or lesse, bounded westerly with the medow of Christopher Hall, and on all other poynts with the town's vi)lands. 2. In Spot Medow, one acre, more or lesse, bounded on all poynts with the town's vpland, and the nearest medow to it is John Clary's, his Cow-pond Medow, which psell of medow is alienated by Joseph Morsse for two acres in fflagy Medow which was somtimes the sd Christopher Hall's, as is specifified in the record of the sd Joseph Morsse, vnto which alienation the wiues of them both doe giue their consent to the giuing vp their thirds. 20 EARLY LAND-GRANTS OF THE LANDS OF DANIELL METUP. 1. His Vplands. And ffirst, his houslot, twenty acres, with an addition, more or lesse, bounded southerly with the land of Benjamine Garfield, northerly with the land of Christopher Halle, esterly with the hie-way, northerly w' y" town's comon. ^, . . f 2. In the Generall Field, one acre and three roode, This IS I more or J bounded westerly with the riuer, esterly with the hie-way, lesse as j southerly with the land of James ffisk, northerly with y" the rest. (^ comon. 2. His Medowcs. And ffirst, in Broade Medow, one acre, more or less, bounded southerly with the medow of Benjamine Garfield, northerly with the medow of John Baron, westerly with the town's comon. 2. In Pine Medow, two acres, more or lesse, bounded north esterly with y° medow of Ralph Reede, southerly with y^ medow of Benjamine Garfield, east & west with the town's comon. 3. In fferny Medow, one acre, more or lesse, bounded westerly with the medow of Christopher Halle, & on all other poynts with the town's vpland. 4. In Spot Medow, one acre, more or lesse, bounded on all poynts with the town's vpland, and the nearest medow to it is John Clary, his Cow-pond Medow. 5. One acre of medow, more or lesse, bounded north esterly w' y" land of John Mos, south west with the town's swamp, & on all other poynts with the town's vpland. December 2, 1664. Revised, aproved, & confirmed by the Select men, acording to order of y" towne. A further grant vnto these aforsaid lands as a gratuity only, the aforsaid lands lying in the Generall Feild, being laid downe as common land for the town's vse, and then the grant is foure acres and three quarters, bounded on all poynts with common lands. THE LANDS OF JOSEPH PARKER. His Vplands. And fifirst, his hous-lot with som additions there vnto, forty & eight acres, more or lesse, bounded north on the land of Tames Roberts, & on all other poynts w' y^ hie-wayes. GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS. 21 2. Eleven acres, more or lesse, of vpland & swamp, bounded southerly on the land of James Roberts, west northerly on the land of William Longly, & on all other poynts with the town's comon. 3. In the Generall Field, six acres, more or lesse, bounded west- northerly with the land of James Knop, westerly with the lands of John Mos, & on all other poynts w' y^ hie-wayes. 4. ffourteene acres, more or lesse, bounded north on y'^ land of James Parker, south & west w' y"^ land of William Longly, «Sz: on all other poynts w' y*" town's comon. [This last paragraph is erased in the original.] 2. His Medozves. And ffirst, in Broade Medow, six acres, more or lesse, bounded southerly with the medow of John Page, north with the medow of Christopher Halle, east with the medow of James Parker, west w' y*" town's vpland. 2. In Browne-Loafe Hill Medow, eight acres, more or lesse, bound- ed north easterly with y^ brooke, & on all other poynts w' y*" town's vpland. 3. At Vnquetenorset Brooke, lyeing on both sides of it, two acres, more or lesse, bounded north westerly with the medow of Joseph Gilson, & on all other poynts w' y"^ town's vpland. 4. Lieing on Vnquetenorset Brooke, one acre, more or lesse, bounded south-easterly w' y'^ medow of William Longly, & on all other poynts w' y^ town's vpland. 5. Lieing on Vnquetenorset Brooke, four acres, more or less, bound- ed south-easterly w' y" lands of William Longly, & northwesterly & on all other poynts with the town's vpland. 6. Two acres of medow in Swamp Medow, more or lesse, lying in two parcels near together, bounded on all poynts with the towne's comon. 7. In Angle Medow, one acre, more or lesse, bounded westerly with the medow of James Parker, & on all other poynts with the towne's vpland. 8. In a hole neare the Angle Medow, one acre, more or lesse, bounded on all poynts w' y" town's vpland ; and was given him over & aboue with respect to the badnes of his other medow. 9. In Swamp Medow, four acres, more or less, [bounded] east with y^ medow of William Lakin, & [on all other] poynts with the town's vpland. 10. In Prety Medow, four acres, more or lesse, bounded westerly 22 EARLY LAND-GRANTS OF w' y^ medow of John Lakin, easterly w' y*" medow of James Parker, & on all other p . . . II. Of vpland, fourteen . . . \^ much torn.'] 13. One acre of medow, more or lesse, [bounded] south with the medow of James Parker, west with the medow [of] Benjamine Garfield, [and] on all other poynts with the town's vpland. December 2, 1664. Revised, aproved, and confirmed by y^ Select- men, according to order of towne. THE LANDS OF JOHN PAGE. 1. His Vplands. And ffirst, his houslot, twenty acres, more or lesse, bounded east with the hieway, west with the town's comon, north with the land of Joseph Blud, south with the land of Nathaniell Laranc. 2. Twenty acres, more or lesse, bounded east with the land of John Page, west with the town's comon, north with Joseph Blud his land, south w' y^ land of Nathaniell Laranc. 3. Seaven acres, more or lesse, bounded east with the land of Richard Blud, west with the hieway, north with the land of James Parker, south with the land of Nathaniell Laranc. 4. ffifteene acres, more or lesse, bounded west with the river, east with the land of Samuell Davis, & on all other poynts with the town's comon. 5; r I . ffour acres, more or lesse, bounded south west w' y^ land of -J Nathaniell Laranc, and vpon all other poynts with the river. ^ ^ 2. ffour acres, more or lesse, bounded north east with y*" land of Nathaniell Laranc, south west w' y*" land of John Longly, & on all other poynts w' y" river. 2. His Medoives. And ffirst, in Broade Medow, four acres and a halfe, more or lesse, bounded east with y'' medow of Timothy Allen «& the medow belonging to the mmestry, west with the town's comon, north w' y" medow of . . . Parker, south with the medow of Richard B[lood.] 2. In Rock Medow, six acres, more or less, bounded north with the medow of Thomas Boyden, south with the medow of John Barron, east & west with the town's comon. O GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS. 3. In South Brooke Medow, three acres and a halfe, more or lesse, lying on both sides of the bi'ooke, bounded south with the medow of Richard Holden, & vpon all other poynts with the town's comon & Long-medow way. 4. Lying vpon both sides of Sandy Brooke and vpon both sides of the Major's brooke, eight acres, more or lesse, bounded east with the medow of James Knop & Ellis Baron, south with the medow of William Longly, west with Major Willard's line, & vpon all other poynts with the town's comon. 5. At Vnquetenorset four acres, more or lesse, lying in several) spongs or angles, bounded north w' y" medow of James Blud, and vpon all other poynts with y* town's comon. [/« the tnargin.'\ This psell of medow at Vnquetenorset alinated to William Lakin. Decern. 2, 1664. Revised, aproved, & confirmed by the Select men, acording to order of towne ; provided y' if the towne shall see good to view his acomodation of medowes, & shall finde that his medowes be not equivolent . . , medowes. Then ... to make it equiv . . . But if his medowes be found much be [low] eyther for quantyty or quallyty, then the overplus is by agrement to be desposed of by the towne, provided allso, that Nathaniell Laranc haue his acre & halfe (w*" is involued with in the eight acres at Sandy Pond & the Major's brook) made as good for its part as any acre & halfe John Page hath or shall haue with in the foresaid eight acres. As John Page hath promised before the Select men. Decem. 2, 1664. December 27, 1664. It was this daye votted and granted y' John Peage shall haue al his medow confirmed to him acording as it was layd out by the Survayers, and y' he shall from this day forth, peacably inioye it without desturbance, not with standing any former ordr to the contrarye. James Fiske, in the name of the towne. THE LANDS OF JOHN PAGE. His Vplands. Twenty acres, more or lesse, lyeing at Sandy Brook, bounded with Major Willard's corner tree, south with his owne medow, and on all other poynts with the town's coiiions, only their is a highway of ten polle wid goe in thorow it to mill, and at the brook two poll wid. 24 EARLY LAND-GRANTS OF 2. For Medoiv. One acre and a halfe, that is at Sandy Brook, involued in John Pag's medow, which was to Nathaniel! Lorance, and is now layd out to Johri Page. 2. At Cowpond Medov/, layd out to John Page, fine acres, mor or lesse, bounded northeast with Thomas Tarbull, Senior, south west with Nicolas Cady, south east with the broke, and on all other poynts with y" town's coiiion. 3. To John Page one acre and a halfe, mor or less, on the east sid of the broke, bounded south with Jonathan Morsse, and on all other poynts with the town's coiiion. 4. One acre and a halfe, mor or lesse, lyeingnear Simon Stone's medow in two patches, bounded round with the town's common, each patch by it selfe. Revised, compared, and confirmed by the Select men, according to the order of the towne. J[oHN Morse], Clark, Janevary 3, 1669. THE LANDS OF JOHN PAGE. Medows. Six acres, mor or lesse, in Broad Medow, bounded south west with Ralph Reed, and south east with Jonathan Sawtell, north east of the medow of John Page and John Morse, and on all other poynts with the town's common, which medow John Pag had of Ellis Barron for sixe acres which was his in Rock Medow. One acre and a half, more or lesse, bounded north and south with the riuer, west with his own land, and east with the common, which acre and half lye pt vpon the necke. Reuised, compared, and confirmed by the Select men, according to the order of the towne. John Morse, Clark, Febr. 24, 1670. THE LANDS OF THOMAS TARBOLE, SENIOR. I. His Vplands. And fBrst, his hous-lot, twenty acres, more or lesse, bounded north w' the land of Richard Sawtell, south & south east with the land of Jams Knop, west with Broade Medow, east with the hie way. GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS. 2$ 2. Ten acres of swamp, more or lesse, bounded north with the swamp of Richard Sawtell, south east with the swamp of Jams Knop & Ellis Baron, south with the hie way, north east w' y" medow of James ffisk. 3. Thirty acres of vpland, more or lesse, bounded north with the land of Thomas Boydon, Richard Holden, & the town's comon^ west with the land of Justinian Holden, south w' James his brooke, and east with the hie-way. 4. In the Generall Field, seaven acres, more or lesse, bounded west with the lands of John Mos, east w' y" land of William Lakin, south with comon land, north with the hieway. I/is Medow. And ffirst, in Broade Medow, fiue acres, more or lesse, bounded north with the medow of William Longly, & on all other poynts with vpland, and vp to the town's hye way. 2. In Littell Halfe-mone, two acres, & more or lesse, bounded east with the Medow of Daniell Pierce, west with the medow of Ellis Baron, & north & south with vpland. 3. In Littell Halfe-moone, two acres, more or lesse, bounded north east with the medow of Richard Holden, & on all other poynts with swamp & the town's vp-land. 4. Lying vpon the South Brooke by y*^ pond, nine acres, more or lesse, bounded south-west with the medow of Ellis Baron, & on all other poynts with the town's vp-land. 5. In Long-Medow, two acres, more or lesse, bounded east with the medow of William Longly, west with the medow of James Knop, north & south with the town's upland. 6. In South Medow, three acres and a halfe, more or lesse, bounded north with the medow of Justinian Holden, south w' y* medow of Joseph Blud, west with the medow of William Longly, & east with the town's vpland. Decem. 2, 1664. Revised, aproved, & confirmed by the Select- men, according to order [of the] towne, provided y' if the nine a[cres] . . . South Brook is to be twenty ... as is reported . . . Thomas Tarbole doth consent, that if the towne make it vp nine acres of moable medow, they may dispose of the remainder. December 27, 1664. It was this daye voated and granted, and is herby declared, y' Thomas Tarbole shall hencforth quiately posese and inioy all his medow acording as it was layd out by the suruayers, not withstanding any former agremente to the contrarey. James Fiske, in the name of the town. 26 EARLY LAND-GRANTS OF THE LANDS OF THOMAS TARBALL, SENIOR. 1. Medow. Thre acres, more or lesse, lyeing at Cow Pond Brook, bounded south with John Page, and on all other poynts with the town's vplands, which medow he had by way of exchang with John Prestcoat. 2. Vpland. Seaventeene acres, mor or lesse, bounded south east sid of Sandy Pond, and on all other poynts with the town's comons. These two last psells of land are annuUe, and to be accounted noe record. THE LANDS OF THOMAS TARBALL, SENIOR. 1. Medow. Three acres and a halfe, mor or lesse, lyeing at Cowpond Brook, bounded south with John Page, and on all other poynts with the town's vplands ; which medow he had by way of exchang with John Prescoat for three acres and a half in South Medow. 2. Vplands. Seauenteene acres, more or lesse, lyeing vp on the south east sid of Sandy Pond, bounded northeast with the way that goe to Long Medow, and on all other poynts with the town's coinon. Neare Sandy Pond, seauenteene acres, mor or lesse, bounded on the north east corner with the high way, and on all other poynts with the towne's common. Vplaiid. Nine acres, more or lesse, bounded with the lands of Nathaniell Lawrance westnortherly, and westsoutherly with the land of Nicolas Cady, and on all other poynts with the town's coinons ; which nine acres hee haue of Serg. James Parker, by way of exchang for the sixe acres that was Simon Stone's in the Generall Feild, and four pound more which is to be payd in building betwixt this and May day next. THE LANDS OF JONATHAN CRISP. 1. His Vplands. And iftrst, his houslot, twenty & eight acres, (with an addityon therevnto,) more or lesse, bounded south with the land of Christopher Halle, north with the town's comon & the GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS. 27 land belonging to the minestry, east with the hie-way, west with the town's comon. 2. In the Generall Field, three acres, more or lesse, bounded east & west with y" hie-vvayes, south w' y^ land of James Parker, north w' y^ land of Samuell Davis. 2. His Medow. And fiirst, in fflaggy Medow, fiue acres, more or lesse, bounded south with y*" medow of James Parker, east with the medow of Christopher Halle, & on all other poynts w' y^ town's comon. 2. At Massabogue Brooke, three acres, more or lesse, lying on both sides of the brooke, bounded north with the medow of James Parker, & on all other poynts with the town's comon. 3. In Angle Medow, two acres, more or lesse, bounded south- easterly with y'^ medow of Ralph Reede, north with the medow of • James fiisk, east & west with the town's comon. Desember 27, 1664. Compeared and aproued by the Select men, in the nam and with the consente of the towne. THE LANDS OF SERGEANT JAMES PARKER. 1. His Vplands. And fifirst, his hous-lot with that which ad- joyns to it, fifty acres, more or lesse, bounded southward with the land that belongs to the minestry, esterly and northerly with the Create Half-moone Medow and with Broade Medow, westerly by John Nutting's vpland, northerly and on all other poynts with the hie-way. 2. fforty & six acres, more or lesse, bounded west with the vpland of William Lakin, south east with the land belonging to y^ minestry, north with the land of Joseph Parker, and on all other poynts with the town's comon. 3. Sixteene acres, more or lesse, bounded south east with the vp- land of James ffisk, south west with the vpland of Jacob Onge, north west with the vpland of Samuell Woods & William Greene & James Parker, & on all other poynts on comon land. 4. Eleven acres, more or lesse, bounded north east with the land of William Greene, south east with the vplands of Jacob Onge, & on all other poynts w"" the comon. 5. ffiue acres, more or lesse, bounded southerly with y*^ vplands of John Nuttin, & on all other poynts w' y'' hie way. 28 EARLY LAND-GRANTS OF 6. Two acres of swamp, more or lesse, bounded north with the land of WiUiam Lakin, south west with the land of Thomas Williams, & on all other poynts with the towne comon. 7. In the Generall Field, seaven acres, more or lesse, bounded esterly with the with the [s/c] land of Jonathan Crisp, west with the lands of James Roberts, & on all other poynts with the hie wayes, 8. Ten acres, more or lesse, bounded with the land of John Lakin, west with the land of Joseph Blud, & on all other poynts with the hie wayes. 9. One acre of swamp, more or lesse, bounded north west with the medow of John Laranc & with the swamp of Joseph Laranc, & on all other poynts with the town's swamp & vpland. 10. ffiue acres of swamp & vpland, more or lesse, bounded east with the lands of James Parker, north-westerly with the medow of John Laranc, south with the vpland of Jacob Onge, east with the swamp of William Greene, & on all other poynts with the town's vpland. 2. His Medowes. And fifirst, in the Create Halfe-moone Medow, medow & swamp fifteene acres, more or lesse, bounded north east with the medow belonging to y'^ minestry, & with the medow of William Lakin, north with the medow of Joseph Cilson, Timothy Allen, & the minestry, south easterly vpon the medow of John Larance & the town's vpland, & on all other poynts vpon the vpland of James Parker. 2. In Broade Medow, fiue acres, more or lesse, bounded north- erly with the medow of John Nuttin, westerly with the medow of Benjamine Garfield, Christopher Halle, Joseph Parker, John Page, & James Parker, on the west and south with the medow belong- ing to the minestry, east with the vpland of James Parker. 3. One acre & a halfe in Broade Medow, bounded on the north with y" medow of Joseph Parker, on the south with the medow of John Page, on the east w' y" medow of James Parker, & on the west with the town's vpland. This also is an acre by estimation, more or lesse,- & a halfe should haue been said as in the premises. 4. Six acres, more or lesse, lying in Massaboge Medow, bounded on the north west with the medow of Jonathan Crisp, southerly by the river, & on all other poynts w' y" town's vpland. [5.] In fflaggy Medow, three acres, more or lesse, bounded GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS. 29 southerly with y*" medow of Walter Skinner, northerly with the medow of Jonathan Crisp, & on all other poynts w' y" town's vpland. 6. In Angle Medow, ffiue acres, more or lesse, bounded esterly with the medow of Joseph Parker, south westerly with the medow of John Straton, & on all other poynts with the town's vp-land. 7. In the Create fflaggy Medow, fovver acres, more or lesse, bounded westerly with the medow of Christopher Halle, north west with the medow of James Parker, & all other poynts with the town's vpland. 8. In Spang Medow, fiue acres, more or lesse, bounded on the east with the medow of Thomas Tarbole, Senio"", north east with the land of Timothy Allen and with Vnqete-norset Brook, on the east & north west & on all other poynts with the town's vp-land. 9. In the Burnt Medowes, lying in three parcells, in the one parcell, seauen acres, more or lesse, bounded north w' y'' medow of Richard Sawtell, & on all other poynts with y" town's vpland. The second parcell is fiue acres, more or lesse, bounded on the west with y*" medow of Richard Sawtell, & on all other . . . 10. Twelue acres of vpland, more or lesse, bounded on the south west with the lands of John Laranc, Senio"', & on all other poynts with the town's comon. This lieth on the north-east end of Gibbet Hill. 11. In Create fflaggy Medow, three acres, more or lesse, bounded southerly with the medow of Christopher Halle, south-east w' y® medow of James Parker, & on all other poynts w' y^ town's vpland. 12. In Angle Medow, four acres, more or lesse, bounded with y^ medow of Jonathan Crisp southerly, and on all other poynts with the town's vpland. 13. In Maple Medow, two acres, more or lesse, bounded south- erly with the medow of Justinian Holdin, northerly w' the medow of Walter Skinner, & on all other poynts w' the town's vpland. 14. At Vnquetenorset Brooke, lying on both sides of it, two acres, more or lesse, bounded with the medow of Joshua Whitney south easterly, & on all other poynts with the town's vpland. 15. In Prety Medow, four acres, more or lesse, bounded west & north with the medow of Joseph Parker, & on all other poynts with y'' town's vpland. 30 EARLY LAND-GRANTS OF i6. In Spang Medow, four acres, more or lesse, bounded east y* medow of John Nuttin, north with the medow of ElHs Baron, west with the medow of James Parker, & on all other poynts with the town's vpland, Reuised, aproued, & confirmed by y^ Select men, acording to order of towne. [In the handwriting of Richard Sawtell, Town Clerk, 1662-1665. The last four sections have been crossed out, by drawing lines through them.] THE LANDS OF JAMES PARKER. 1. ffirst, his vpland. Eighteene acres, more or lesse, lying on the north side of Browne Loafe Hill, bounded on all points with the town's commons. Two and twenty acres, more or [sic\ lying at Baddicock, bounded partly by the lands of Samuell Woods, west- wardly & on all other points with the town's common. Seauen- teen acres, more or lesse, lying on the east side of the pond called Goodman Martin's Pond, bounded on all other points with the town's common. 2. Nine acres, more or less, bounded with the lands of Nathan- iell Lawrenc west northerly, west southwardly with the lands of John Clary, & on all other points with the town's commons. I. His Meadow, ffirst, two acres, more or lesse, in Plaine Med- ow, bounded northwest by the meadow of William Martin, south east with the meadow of John Stratton, & on all other points with the town's vplands. Three acres, more or lesse, of meadow & vpland, lying on the south side of John Lawrence, his house lot, bounded by the swampe and vpland of Nathaniell Lawrence, westerly [sojuthwardly by the swamp and vpland of James Parker, [eas]terly by the swamp of Sain Woods, & on all other [points] with the town's common. [Revjised, alowed, & confirmed by the Select [men] accord- ing to the order of the towne. 6'^ 5"', 1666. THE LANDS OF SERGENT JAMES PARKER. I. Of Vpland. Fifteene acres, mor or lesse, lyeing in two psells, one psell bounded north and east with Nathaniell Lawrance, and on all other poynts on the town's common, the other psell bounded south GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS. 31 with the lands of Nathaniell Lawrance, and on all other poynts with the land of James Parker and the town's common. I. In Medow. In Prouidence Medow, three acres, mor or lesse, bounded north with the land and medow of Nathaniell Lawrance, south with the land of Samvell Woods, east by the town's common, west with James Parker. 2^1 Two acres, more or lesse, bounded west with Samvell Woods, and on all other poynts with the town's vplands. 3'?' Three acres, mor or lesse, lyeing on both sids of Brown Loafe Brooke, bounded north with M'. Samvell Willard, west with Pelleg LaAvrance, and on all other poynts with the town's vpland. Revised, compared, and confirmed by the Select men, according to the order of the towne. John Morse, Clark, Novem. 25, i6[7o]. THE LANDS OF SERG. JA;MES PARk[er]. 1. All the coiiion land that lye on the west and north west sid of Gibbet Hill, be it more or lesse, bounded southerly with that peice that was the widow Lawrance's, and ptly with the town's land that lye by the side of Nathaniell Lawrance's houslot, and northerly by the high way that leadeth from the bridge into Badacock Woods, west northerly by the high way that goe from the bridge ouer to Serg. William Lakin's, and on all other poynts with the land of the sd Serg. James Parker's. 2. Ten acres, more or lesse, that was the widdow Lawrance's land, bounded southerly with the land of Natha[niel] Lawrance and Robert Parish, easterly with the hye way that run from Parish's land and thorow Nath. Lawrance's vp to Joseph Lawrance's land, and on all other poynts by the land of Sergent Parker. 3'.^ Twelue acres, more or lesse, lyeing on the northeast sid of Gib- bet Hill, bounded southerly with the land of Nathaniell Lawrance, and easterly with the land of Nathaniell Lawrance's, westerly with his owne land, and on all other poynts with the town's hye way, and near the pond. Revised, compared, and confirmed by the sselect men, according to the order of the towne. John Morsse, Clark, Jan vary 18, 16 71. 32 EARLY LAND-GRANTS OF THE LANDS OF SERGENT JAMES PARKER. 1. His Medows. In Plaine Medow, three acres, more or lesse, that was laid out to James Knop in the second division, east with William Martin, west with the medow of James Parker, and on all other poynts with the town's vplands. 2. In Round Medow, two acres, more or lesse, bounded southeast with John Nutten, northerly with William Greene, and on all other poynts with the town's vplands. 3. Two acres and a halfe, more or lesse, in a medow called fflaxe Medow, bounded on all poynts with the town's vplands. 4. In Little Bucke Medow, halfe an acre, mor or lesse, bounded northeast with the medow of Simon Stone, and on all other poynts with the town's vplands. 5. In Buck Medow Spang, two acres, more or lesse, bounded west with Joseph Parker, east with Nathaniell Blood, and north and south with the town's vplands. 6. In New. Angle Medow, one acre, more or lesse, bounded south with WiUiam Longly, and on all other poynts with the countrey's vplands and medows. 7. In Reedy Medow, one acre, mor or lesse, bounded east with Rich'' Blood, west with William Elvee, and on all other poynts with the town's swamp and vplands. 8. In Great Halfe-moone Medow, two acres, mor or lesse, layd out to Joseph Gilson in his first division, bounded west by Timothy Allen, northeast with the smithe's medow, south with the medow of James Parker, William Lakin, and the town's vplands, north with the vplands of James Parker. 9. In Great Half-moone Medow, two acres, mor or lesse, layd out to the ministry in his first division, bounded east with the medow of Timothy Allen, and on all other poynts with his own medows and vplands. 10. One acre, more or lesse, at Weauer's Medow, bounded north- west with Joseph Parker, and on all other poynts with the town's vp- lands ; which acre James Parker had of Joseph Morsse for that in Great ffiagy Medow. Revised, compared, and confirmed by the Select men, accor[ding] to the order of the towne. John Morse, Clark, Janev. . . . GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS. 33 A bargain and exchang of lands between Sergent James Parker and Joseph Morse. Three acres of medow, more or lesse, in fflagy Medow, bounded west southerly with Christopher Hall and Jonathans Crisp's medowes and the town's vplands, east and north with the medowes of James Parker, and on all other poynts with the town's vplands ; the which medow Joseph Morse had of the s*^ James Parker by way of exchang and purchase, for which parsell of medow the aforsaid Joseph Morse is to pa . . . like charges hence forward. Revised, compared, and con[firmed] by the Select men, acording [to] order of the towne. . [In the handwriting of John Morse, Town Clerk, 1669-1676, 1679-1681.] THE LANDS OF RALPH REEDE. 1. His Vplands. And ffirst, his hous lot with som addition, twenty & one acres, more or lesse, bounded south & east with the hie-way, north with y'' land of Daniell Pierce, west on the town's comon land. 2. Thirteene acres, more or lesse, bounded west on James his brooke, north with the land of Daniell Pierce, east & south with the town's comon land. 2. His Medoivs. And fhrst, in Broade Medow, three acres, more or lesse, bounded south with the medow of Daniell Pierce, north with the medow of Ellis Baron, east w^'' y" vpland of Richard Saw- tell, west with the town's comon. 2. In Pine Medow, six acres, more or lesse, bounded southwest w"" the medow of Daniell Metup, north-east w' y^ medow of James Knop & Ellis Baron, one or both of them, west with the town's comon. 3. In Long Medow, two acres, more or lesse, bounded east on Comon Medow, west w' y*" medow of Richard Hold in, north & south with y*" town's comon. 4. In y" Little Halfe-moone Medow, two acres & a halfe, more or lesse, bounded north with the medow of Ellis Baron, east W Richard Holdin, south & west with comon land. 5. In the Cow-pond Medow, one acre & a halfe, more or lesse, bounded with the medow of James Knop, & the town's vpland. 34 EARLY LAND-GRANTS OF 6. In Angle Medow, three acres, more or lesse, bounded north easterly with y^ medow of John Stratton, west southerly with the medow of Jonathan Crisp, & all other poynts with the town's vpland. More Vplands. Ten acres, more or lesse, bounded east north- erly with the lands of Samuell Davis, northwesterly with John Page his land, & on all other poynts w* y" town's comon. 2. Seaven acres, more or lesse, bounded northerly with the land of John Mos, easterly with the lands of Daniell Pierce, Richard Holdin, & Ralph Reede, and vpon all other poynts with the town's comon. 3. In the Generall Field, fine acres, more or lesse, bounded east with the lands of Thomas Tarbole, Junio'', west with the land of Jacob Onge, south with James his brooke, north with y^ hie-way. [In the handwriting of Richard Sawtell, Town Clerk, 1662-1665.] THE LANDS OF JAMES ROBERTS. And firsts his Medowes. And first, in Spring Medow, fine acres, more or lesse, bounded on all poynts with the town's vpland. 2. In Seda Medow, two acres, more or lesse, bounded on all poynts w' y^ town's vpland, 3. In Sallo Medow, one acre & a halfe, more or lesse, lying in two parcells or spongs near, bounded on all poynts w' y"" town's vpland. 4. In Sargeant's Field Medow, one acre, more or lesse, bounded easterly w' y'^ medow of Allexander Rouse, & on all other poynts w' y^ town's vpland. 2. Secondly^ his Vplajid. And first, his house-lot w' som adition there vnto, twenty & four acres, more or lesse, bounded north & south w' y" land of Joseph Parker, & on all other poynts with the town's comon. In the Generall Field, two acres & a halfe, more or lesse, bounded westerly with the land of James Parker, easterly w' the land of Jonathan Crisp, & on all other poynts with the hiewayes. [In the handwriting of Richard Sawtell, Town Clerk, 1662-1665.] GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS. 35 THE LANDS OF JAMES FISK. 1. His Vplands. And ffirst, his house lot, with som addition there vnto, thirty and two acres & halfe, more or lesse, bounded north esterly with the land of Samuell Woods, esterly with the land of Joseph Laranc, & on all other poynts with the town's comon and the hie-way. 2. Seaven acres & a halfe, more or lesse, bounded south west- erly with the land of Richard Sawtell, south est with the land of James fifisk, & vpon all other poynts with y^ land of Richard Sawtell and the hie-waies. 3. Nineteene acres, more or lesse, bounded north with the land of James Parker, south west with the land of Joshua Whitny & Jacob Onge, & on all other poynts with the town's comon. 4. In the Generall Field, seaven acres, more or lesse, bounded south with land of John Lawranc, north with the land of Daniell Metup, west with the river, east with the hie way. 2. His Medowes. And ffirst, his Home Medow, eight acres, more or lesse, bounded south esterly with the vpland of John Clary & the hie way, south west with the land of Ellis Baron, Thomas Tarbole, Senio"", and Richard Sawtell, & againe south east and south west vpon the land of Richard Sawtell, & vpon all other poynts with the vpland of James ffisk and the hie way. 2. In Cow-pond Medow, seaven acres, more or lesse, bounded south west with the medow of John Lawranc, Senio'', north east with the medow of John Clary, & vpon all other poynts with the river & town's vpland. 3. In East Medow, fiue acres, more or lesse, bounded with John Clary his medow, & on the town's vpland. 4. ffower acres, more or lesse, bounded south-westerly with the medow of Jonathan Crisp, north with the medow of Joseph Parker, & on all other poynts with the town's vpland. This medow is alienated for the 2 acres specified in the new book at Burnt Medow. 5. One acre of swamp, more or lesse, bounded south easterly with the vpland of Joh . . . south westerly with the swamp of Ellis Baron, north westerly with the medow of James fifisk, north esterly with the hiewav. 36 EARLY LAND-GRANTS OF The lands of James ffisk. Some of these pcells being altered & some aditions before confirmed and transcribed into another page, by which these aboue are not to. be accorded as any record : ffurst, his house lot with the addition there vnto, two acres and a halfe, more or lesse, bounded north [vvestjerly with the land of Saiii Woods, easterly with [j"zV] of Nathaniel! Lawrance & on the lands of John Clary, south eastwardly and on the south west with the countrey hy way. [2.] Eleauen acres and a halfe, more or lesse, bounded south west- ward with with [^/V] the lands of Richard Sawtill, and south west with his owne meadow and vpon all other points with the lands of Richard Sawtill and thehy way waies. 3. Thirty eight acres, more or lesse, bounded .south west with the lands of Joshua Whittney & Jacob Onge, north with the hy way, & on all other points with the town's comon. 1. His Meadozvs. ffirst, his Home Meadow, eight acres, more or lesse, bounded south easterly with the vpland of John Clary, south the hie way, south west with the lands of Ellis Barron, Thomas Tarbell, Senior, & Richard Sawtill, & againe south west with the lands of Richard Sawtill, north with his owne vpland and the country hie way lying northeast. 2. In the Cow Pond Meadow, seauen acres, bounded south- wardly with the meadow of John Lawrence, Senior, northeast with the meadow of John Clary, & on all other points with the brook and town's commons. 3. In the East Meadow, fine acres, more or less, bounded with the meadow of John Clary and on the vplands. [4.] In Burnt Meadow, two acres, more or lesse, one of which bounded eastwardly with the meadow of Richard Sawtill, & on all other points with the town's lands ; the other acre bounded south- west with the meadow of Thomas Tarball, Junior, & on all other points with the town's vpland. 5. One acre of swamp land, more or lesse, bounded eastwardly with the land of John Clary, southwestwardly with the lands of Ellis Barron, north easterly with the hie way, & adioyning to his owne meadow northerly. Reuised and alowed and confirmed by the Selectmen, according to the order of the towne, 6*'* 5'"", 1666. GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS. 37 THE MEDOW OF JAMES FISKE. Fiue acres, more or lesse, bounded easterdly with the brok, by Nicolas Cady, and on all other poynts with the town's vplands ; and on the west side of the brok, a litle psell of medow lyeing by it self vndeuided, of about an acre half of it. James ffiske's this . . . with the consent of . . . [One line torn and illegible.] THE LANDS OF JAMES FISK. 1. At Jebite Hill, sixe acres of vpland and swamp, more or lesse, bounded west and south with the town's hye-way, east with the lands of Jacob Ong, and north with the lands of William Longley, Senior. 2. Towards the mill, fifteen acres, more or lesse, bounded north west with the land of Daniell Pearsse, south east with the lands of Ellis Barron, westerly by the hye way, and easterly with the town's comon. 3. Vpon Brownloafe Playne, foure acres, more or lesse, bounded easterly with the hye way that goe vnder Brownloaf Hill, southeast- erly with the lands of Cap'. Parker and the hye way that goe from Thomas Boydon, and west with his owne lands. 4. A skirt of land of one acre, more or lesse, lyeing on the south west side of his own Cowpond Medow, and bounded on the east with his own medow, and on all other poynts with the town's comon. 5. Thirty one acres, more or lesse, lyeing of the south side of Way Pond, neare to Simon Stone's medow, bounded south east p'ly with the lands of Simon Stone and ptly with the lands of John Page, northwest taking in a corner of medow lyeing by Kichard Sawtell's patches, and on all other poynts by the town's coiuon. 6. One acre, more or less, lyeing on the east side of the swamp of Thomas Tarball, Seni., bounded southeasterly with Ellis Bar- ron, north westerly with Richard Sawtell, south with the swamp of Thomas Tarball, the line running from the bound tree that stand by the line of Ellis Barron that stand close by the swamp to the corner tree that stand by the line of Richard Sawtell next the swamp, also east with his owne medow ; which acer of land he had of the sd EARLY LAND-GRANTS OF Thomas Tarball by way of exchange for three acres of land in the last diuision. Which acre of land, I, the sd Thomas Tarball, do alienate and bequeath to the aboue sd James Fisk, Seni., to his heires and assigns foreuer. In witness wheirof I haue set to my hand. [These last two sections have been crossed out.] THE LANDS OF JAMES KNAPP. I. Upland, ffirst, to his house adioning, lo acres, more or lesse, bounded east with y"^ hy way, west with the end of Broad Meadow, south with Ellis Barron, and north with Thomas Tarball, Senior. [2.] Thirty acres and one, more or less, bounded [with] the hyway, south with Ellis, north east with John Clary & Ellis Barron, & againe noth westerly with Ellis & Thomas Tarball, Senl. 3. ffiue acres, more or lesse, bounded with John Mosse west, north, & north west with towne land, north east & east with the hy way, south with Ellis Barron. 4. ffiue acres, more or lesse, in the Generall Feild, being the thirteenth lot, bounded north with the high way, east with Joseph Parker, south with John Mosse, west with Richard Blood. Meadow, ffirst, in Litle Halfe Moone, two acres & a halfe, more or lesse, bounded north with the a hy way, east with Richard Sawtill, south with the swampe & pond, west with Daniell Pearse. [2.] Three acres & a halfe, more or lesse, lying in Pine Meadow, bounded west with Samuell Dauis, & on all other points with the town's vplands. 3. ffour acres, more or lesse, in Brooke Meadow, bounded on both sides the brooke to Sandy Pond, & on all other pointes with the towne vpland and swampe. 4. In Long Meadow, two acres, more or lesse, bounded east with Thomas Tarball, Senior, & on all other points with the town's vpland. 5. Three acres, more or lesse, lying in Cow Pond Meadow, bounded south with the pond, and on all other points with common land. GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS. 39 6. Three acres, more or lesse, lying in Plaine Meadow, bounded east with WiiUam Martin, west with James Parker, north & south with the vplands. Alow a priuate way to Ellis Barron, or his [heirs] euer, to driue cart or cattail to his swamp [in t]he convenientest place ouer the brooke by [his] house ; and Ellis & his heires is to make and main [tain] , . . wne bars or gates to that way for their owne. Revised, alowed, & confirmed by the Select men, according [to the] order of the to wne, 6"" 5"", 1666. THE LANDS OF JAMES KNOP. Medow. I. Two acres, mor or lesse, lyeing vpon both sids of Swane Brok, bounded south with Stony Brook Pond, and north with James Parker and coinon medow, and on all other poynts with the town's vplands, swamp, and medow. 2. Near to Round Medow, lyeing in the spungs^ three acres, mor or lesse, bounded south with William Greene, and on all other poynts with the town's vpland ; which three acres I received of James Parker by way of exchang, for which he had of mee in Plaine Medow, and this Plain Medow here exprest is that exprest in page 20. Revised, compared, and confirmed by the Select men, according to the order of the towne. John Morse, Clark, June 3, 1669. THE LANDS OF ELLIS BARRON. Vplands. ffirst, his house lott ordoying to his house . . . acres, more or lesse, bounded east with the high way, south with lands of Daniell Pearse, west Broad Meadow end & the high way, north with James Knapp. 2. Tenne acres of swamp land, more or lesse, bounded west southwardly with the lands of James Knapp, south eastwardly with the lands of James Knapp, northeast with the lands of John Clary, northwest vpon the meadow of James fiisk, and vpon the swampe of Thomas Tarball, Seni. 3. Twenty acres, more or lesse, bounded west with the hyway 40 EARLY LAND-GRANTS OF vpon James Brook, south with the lands of Daniell Pearse, and on both sides of the hyway that runs along to John Barrons his house, part east & pt south west with the lands of John Barron, north east with the lands of John Clary, & north with the lands of James Knapp. 4. ffiue acres, more or lesse, bounded with the lands of John Mosse, north with the lands of James Knapp, east with the hyway, & south with the lands of Samuell Dauis. 1. Meadoiv. ffirst, two acres in Litle Halfe Moone, more or lesse, bounded east with the meadow of Thomas Tarball, Seni, south with Daniell Pearse, and on all other points with the vp- land. 2. Six acres of meadow, more or lesse, lying in Rock Meadow, bounded north with the meadow of Thomas Boyden, south with the meadow of John Barron, east and west with the vpland. 3. Spruce Meadow, one acre, more or lesse, bounded south with Sandy Brooke, and on all other points with the vpland. 4. One acre, more or less, lying in South Meadow, bounded east with the meadow of Richard Holdin, and on all other points with the vpland. 5. Two acres, more or lesse, lying in Long Meadow, bounded east with the meadow of Richard Holdin, & w^est with the meadow of William Longley, and north and south with the vplands. 6. One halfe acre, more or lesse, lying in two pcells, bounded eastwardly with the meadow of Thomas Tarball, Senior, westwardly toward the swamp, and on all other points with vplands. THE LANDS OF [eLLIS BARROn]. I. Three acres, ni[ore or less] . . . meadow, bounded south . . . James Parker, east with ... of John Nutting, west with . . . Brooke, and north with the mea[dow of Timothy] Allen, 10^ 8", 1665. The towne granted to Ellis Barron three psells of meadow, con- taining two acres, more or lesse, lying on the south of the Indian Hills, bounded on all points with the town's vpland or common. Reuised, compared, alowed, confirmed, and that by the Select- men, according to the order of the towne, 6"' 5"', 1666. GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS. 41 [THE LANDS OF] DANIELL PEARSE. [i.] . . . with the addition of ffifteene [acres, more or le]ss, bounded eastwardly with the hy[eway, north]wardly with the lands of Ellis Barron, west[\vardly] with the lands of James Knapp & Ellis Barron, [and] on both sides the hy way that leads to Thomas Boyden & southwardly with the lands of Samuell Dauis. 2. Eleauen acres, more or lesse, bounded westwardly with the hyway, south with the lands of Samuell Dauis, north with the lands of Ellis Barron, and east with the town's common. 3. fiiue acres, more or lesse, bounded west with the lands of Samuell Dauis, east & south with the lands of Samuel! Dauis, & north with Ellis Barron. 4. The iland lying within the meadow called Litle Halfe Moone Meadow, bounded east with the pond, and on all other points with the sd meadow. Aleadoivs. fifirst, foure acres, more or less, lying in Broad Mead- ow, bounded southward with the lands of William Longley, north- ward with the meadow of Samuell Dauis, east & west with the vplands. 2. Two acres and a halfe, more or lesse, lying in Halfe Moone Meadow, bounded east with the meadow of James Knapp, west with the meadow of Tho. Tarball;^ Senl., north with the hyway, south with his owne iland. 3. Three acres and a halfe, more or lesse, lying in South Mead- ow, bounded south east with Just. Holdin, northwest with the meadow of Matthias ffarnworth, & on all other points with the town's vplands. 4. Two acres, more or lesse, lying vpon Cowpond Brooke, bounded south with Samuell Dauis his meadow, north with the meadow of Thomas Williams, east and west with the vplands. Reuised, approued, and confirmed by the Select men, according to the order of the towne. Wife Longley, 6'" 5"", 1666. THE LANDS OF SAMUELL WOODS. His Vplands. fiirst, his hous lott, nine acres, more or lesse, bounded southerly with the lands of James ffisk, northerly with 42 EARLY LAND-GRANTS OF the lands of Wilt Greene, & easterly & westerly with the town's and country high wayes. 2^1 Eight acres, more or lesse, bounded easterly with the high way, westerly with Broad Meadow, notherly with the lands of Will Greene, southerly east with the town's common. 3'?' Thirteene acres & a halfe, more or lesse, bounded with the lands of Will Greene, east with the highway, southwardly with the vpland of James Parker Sc with the meadow of John Lawrence, notherly with the town's common. 4'^^ Vpon Barralock Hill, thirteen acres, more or lesse, bounded easterly with the land of Will Greene, southwardly with Litle fflaggy Meadow, & on all other points with the town's common. His Afeadows. ffirst, in Broad Meadow, three acres, more or lesse, bounded north with Will Greene lands, and southerly with the meadow of Richard Holdin, westerly with the meadow of James Blood, Nathaniell Lawrence, & John Morsse, or one of them, easterly with the vpland [and the] woods. [Here follows a third of a page, much torn.] [In the handwriting of William Longley^, Town Clerk, 1666-1667.] THE LANDS OF NICOLAS CADY. I. His Vplands. About his house, fifty one acre, more or lesse, lyeing on both sids the countrey high way, the one parsell on the northeast of the highway, bounded north with James ffiske, and east with James Parker, and on all other poynts with the highway ; the other part, on the other sid of the high way, bounded west with swamp of James ffiske, and south west with Ellis Barron, James Knop and John Barron, and on all other poynts with the town's cofnon. 1. His Medows. Fine acres, mor or lesse, adjoyning with his lot at hom, westerly and south easterly with Jacob Onge, and on all other poynts with the town's coiiion. 2. Fine acres at Badacock, mor or lesse, lyeing on both sids the brok, bounded southwest with James ffisk, and on all other poynts with the town's comon. 3. At the Cow Pond, fiue acres, mor or less, bounded south west with James ffisk, south east with the Cow Pond Brook, north- GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS. 43 east with John Page, and on all other poynts with the town's vp- lands. 4. Two acres, mor or lesse, lyeing on both sids Litle Massapog Brook, south with the litle pond and Richard Holden, northeast with Boston farmes, and on all other poynts with the town's vplands. 5. One acre, mor or lesse, vpon the town's line joyning with Cowell's farnie, east with the towne line, north with Ellis Barron, and on all other poynts with the town's coiuon. Revised, compared, and confirmed by the Select men, according to the order of the towne. John Morsse, 3 of the 11"' month, 1669. THE MEDOW OF NICOLAS CADY, Fine acres, more or less, bounded by the town's vpland on both sides of the brok from the falls to the foord way, and aboue the foord way vpward on the east sid of the brook to the pond, and on the west sid of the broke a litle parsell of madow lying by it self vn- devided, about an acre in quantity, half of it to Nicolus Cady's. This record is entred with the consent of both the proprietors, Aprill 26, 1672. THE LANDS OF WILLIAM ELLUEE. I. His Vplands. Twenty fine acres, mor or lesse, to his house at home, bounded south with Jonathan Sawtell, west with Richd Holden, east with the highway, and on all other poynts with the town's vplands. 1. His Medows. In Plaine Medow, three acres, mor or lesse, bounded west and northerly with James Parker, and on all other poynts with the town's vplands. 2. In Reedy Medow, two acres, mor or lesse, lyeing in two psells, bounded on the west sid with the swamp at Reedy Medow, and bounded round with the town swamp and vplands. 3. In old Angle Medow, one acre, mor or lesse, bounded south west with Samvel Kempe, and north east with Samvell Dauis, and on all other poynts with the town's cofTion. 44 EARLY LAND-GRANTS OF 4. One acre, mor or lesse, in the northermost spung of Buck Medow cooue [cove ?], west with Nathaniell Blood, east with the town's lin, and on all other poynts with the town's vplands. Reuised, compared, and confirmed by the Select men, according to the order of the town. John Morsse, Clark, Janev. 10, 1669. THE LANDS OF JONATHAN MORSE. 1. His Vplands. His house lot, twenty foure acres, more or lesse, bounded north with the lands of Joseph Morse, east with the countrey highway, south with Thomas Tarball, west with the town's vplands. 2. Sixteene acres, more or lesse, bounded east southerly with Christopher Hall, north westerly with Joseph Parker, and on all other poynts with the town's comons. 1. His Medows. In Broad Medow, two acres, mor or lesse, bounded northerly with Joseph Morse, Walter Skiner, and John Barron, easterly with James Parker, southerly with Joseph Parker and westerly with the town's vplands. 2. In Pine Medow, foure acres, mor or lesse, bounded north with Joseph Morse, south with Christopher Hall, west and east with the town's common. 3. In Plaine Medow, foure acres, mor or lesse, bounded east with Thomas Williams, and on all other poynts with the town's vplands. 4. In Pretty Medow, two acres, mor or lesse, bounded southerly with Joseph Parker, and north west with the smithe's medow, and on all other poynts with the town's vplands. 5. In Cowpond Medow, two acres, mor or lesse, bounded north with John Page, north west with the brook, and on all other poynts with the town's common. Revised, compared, and confirmed by the Select men, according to the order of the towne, Janev. 10, i66g. John Morsse, Clarke. Vpland. Twenty sixe acres three quarters, mor or lesse, vpon the Pine Playne, bounded northerly with his owne lands, eastward GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS. 45 with the lands of Christopher Hall, west with the lands of Jerimy Morsse, south with the town's comon. 2, Vpon Indian Hill, three acres and a quarter, more or lesse, bounded west with John Page, north with Thomas Boydon, easterly with the land of Matthias ffarnworth, and southerly with the ends of the other lotes, the countrey hye way runing thorow. Reuised, compared, and confirmed by the Select men, according to the order of the towne, Decern. 3, 1673. John Morse. THE LANDS OF ZACHERY SAWTELL. His Vplands. His houslot, with the additions, fifty acres, more or lesse, bounded south with the lands of Jonathan Crispe, partly west with the lands of Joseph Morsse, and on all other poynts with the towne's hieway and common. 1. His Medows. In Rock Medow, foure acres, more or lesse, bounded south with the medow of Nathaniell Lawrance, north with John Barron, east and west the towne's vplands. 2. In Halfe Moon Medow, two acre and a halfe, more or lesse, bounded westerly with the medow of Enosh Lawrance, easterly with the hye way that goe ouer to the iland, southerly by the iland, and northerly by the towne's vplands. 3. Neare the hawtrees, two acres, more or less, bounded round with the swamp and town vplands. 4. In Pretty Medow, two acres and a halfe, more or lesse, bounded east by the medow of Jonathan Morsse, and on all other poynts by the towne's vplands. Reuised, compared, and confirmed by the Sellect men, according to the order of the towne. John Morsse, No. 18, 1670. THE LANDS OF ABRAHAM PARKER, LIVING NOW AT CHELMSFORD. , I. Vplands, sold to William Sanderson. Twenty acres, more or lesse, bounded south westerly by the land of Joseph Gilson, north easterly by the land "of John Lakin, west northerly by the land of James Blood, and easterly by the towne high way. 46 EARLY LAND-GRANTS OF 2, Afedow. Seaven acres, more or lesse, in Preety Medow, bounded west northerly by the land of John Lakin, east south- erly by the land of Joseph Parker, and on all other poynts by the town's vplands. Revised^ compared, and confirmed by the Select men, according to the order of the towne. John Morse, Clark, Novem. 25, 1670. [This entry has been crossed out.] THE LANDS OF JOSEPH LAWRANCE. His Vplands. First, twenty one acre, mor or lesse, bounded south west with the land of James Parker, and on all other poynts on the town's common. /// Medow. Three acres, mor or lesse, lyeing in Halfe Moone Medow, bounded south by the medow of James Parker, west by the medow of Timothy Allen, east by the smith's medow, north by the vpland. 2'J' In Hawtree Brook, fiue acres, more or lesse, lyeing on both sides the brook, bounded south by the medow of James Parker and the high way, east by the medow of John Nutten, north by the town's vpland, and on all other poynts by the brook, and the town's common. Reuised, compared, and confirmed by the Select men, according to the order of the towne. John Morsse, Clark, 26 of Nouem, 1670. THE LANDS OF JOHN MORSSE. 1. His Vplands. Twelue acres, more or lesse, tohis ho[use] lot, bounded north with with \jic\ William Longley, east and south with James Knop and the higeweay, south with Samvell Davis, and west with the countrey high way. 2. Twenty acres, more or lesse, bounded south and west with Samvell Davis, and north with William Longley, and east with the countrey high way. GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS. 47 3. Ten acres, mor or lesse, lyeing at James Brook, bounded southeast with the way that goe to James Brook, north with the high way that goe to the Generall Feild, and Samvell Davis and James Knop, west with Richd Holden, and on all other poynts withe the town's coiuon. 1. His Medows. In Pine Medow, nine acres, mor or lesse, bounded east with John Barron, and on all other poynts with the town's common. 2. At Massabog, two acres and a half, mor or less, bounded east with Christopher Hall and Jackob Onge, west with Joseph Morsse, and on all other poynts with the town's vplands. 3. In Broad Medow, one acre and a quarter, bounded northerly with James Blood, east vvith Samvell Woods and Richard Holden, south with John Page, and on all other poynts with the town's vpland. Reuissed, compared, and confirmed by the Select men, according to the town's order. John Morsse, Clark, No. 26, 1670. THE LANDS OF JUSTINIAN HOLDEN, PURCHASE OF JOHN LONGLEY, LYING IN TWO PEICES. 1. Vplands. Ten acres, mor or lesse, lying vp on the west side of the hieway, bounded north with James his brook, and eastward with the hye way, and on all other poynts with the town's cofnon. 2. Two acres and a halfe, mor or lesse, lyeing vpon the east sid of the hye way, bounded west with the hye way, and east with Matthias ffarnworth, and on all other poynts with the tow'n's common. I. His Medows. Fine acres, mor or lesse, lyeing in South Medow, bounded southeast with John Prestcode, northwest with Daniell Pearse, south west with William Longley, north east with the vpland. Revised, compared, and confirmed by the Select men, according to the order of the towne. John Morsse, Clark, Febr. 17, 1670. 48 EARLY LAND-GRANTS OF THE LANDS OF SIMON STONE. 1. Vplands. Fifty acres, more or lesse, bounded north east with Ralph Reed, part westerly with Matthias ffarnworth, and on all other poynts with the town's common. 2. Sixe acres, mor or less, bounded northwest with Matthias ffarnworth, and southeast with Rock Medow, and on all other poynts with the town's common. 3. In the Generall Field, sixe acres and a halfe, more or less, bounded west with the riuer, north with the high way, south with James his brook, east with Jonathan Morsse. \_The following is interlined!] This aboue six acors and ^ alnated to Captin Parke for other land. 1. His Medows. Eight acres, mor or lesse, at Long Pond, bounded south with Long Pond, and on all other poynts with the town's common. 2. Six acres, mor or lesse, lyeing neare Halfe Pinehill, bounded on all poynts with the town's common. 3. Foure acres, mor or lesse, lyeing of both sids the mill brook, bounded east with Joseph Blood, west with Matthias Farnworth, north and south with vpland. 4. Three acres and a halfe, mor or lesse, lyeing in two spungs near to Vnquetenorset Medow, bounded east with William Longley, and on all other poynts with the towne's common. 5. Three acres and a halfe, lyeing in Litle Buck Medow, bound- ed east with the towne's line, southwest with James Parker, and on all other poynts with the towne's common. Reuised, compared, and confirmed by the Select men, according to the order of the towne. John Morsse, Clark, Febr. 17, 1670. THE LANDS OF TIMOTHY ALLEN. I. Vplands. First, to his houslot, with an addition, forty acres, more or lesse, bounded south with the lands of Walter Skinner, west with y*" land of Timothy Cooper, north with the land of Joseph Gilson, and east with the town's coiiion, swamp, and hye way. GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS. 49 2. Thirty eight acres, more or lesse, vpon Chestnut Hill, bound- ed north with the lands of Mr. Samuell Willard, easterly with the hye way neare to Christopher Hall's medow and coiiion, south and west with the lands of Serg. James Parker. I. Medcnvs. At Vnquetenorset, ten acres, mor or lesse, bound- ed north with the medow of Joseph Parker, southeast with the medow of Joseph Gilson, and on all other poynts with the towne's vjDlands. 2'y Three acres, more or lesse, at Skull Holl, on both sides the riuer, bounded round with the town's vpland. 3'?' In Sledge Medow, two acres and a half, mor or lesse, bound- ed north with the medow of William Martin, and on all other poynts with the town's vplands. 4'?' At Massabog, four acres, mor or lesse, bounded on the east with the medow of William Greene, and on all other poynts with the town's vpland. 5'^ Two acres and a halfe, at Halfe Moone Medow, mor or lesse, bounded north with the medow of Joseph Gilson, east with Sergent James Parker, south with the medow that was Mr. Samvell Willard's, north west with the town's vplands. 6'^ Two acres and a halfe, more or lesse, in Broad Medow, bounded north with the medow of Mr. Samvell Willard, west with John Pag, south with Richard Blood, east with y" town's vplands. Reuissed, compared, and confirmed by the Sellect men, according to the order of the tovvne. John Morsse, No. 11, 167 1. THE LANDS OF WILLIAM MARTIN. I. His Vplands. First, to his hous lot adjoyning, sixty acres, more or lesse, bounded north by the land of Serg''. William Lakin, east with the coiilon land, and south with coinon land neare the pond, and also westerly turning by his owne medow till it com to the hyeway that goe down to Halfe Moon Medow, and west and pt northerly with the hye way that goe to Ser. William Lakin's from the meeting house. r. Medowes. Eleauen acres, more or lesse, lyeing Halfe Moone Medow, bounded south with the town's land neare the pond, 4 50 EARLY LAND-GRANTS OF westerly witn the towne's land, and on all other poynts with his own lands. 2'?' ffiue acres, more or lesse, in Half Moon Medow, bounded on the east with the medow of Nathaniell Blood, west with Ser. Lakin, north and south with the towne's vplands. 3'?' ffour acres, more or lesse, in Plain Medow, bounded west with the medow of Ser. James Parker, east with Joseph Gilson, north and south with the town's vpland. [77«> section is erased, and the following is interlined.^ This rec- ord is defaced with the consent of both partyes. 4'?' ffiue acres, more or lesse, in Sledg Medow, bounded on a corner towards the west with the medow of Timothy Allen, and on all other poynts with the town's vplands. Wheiras his vpland is sayd to be sixty, it is seuventy two. Revissed, compared, and confirmed by the Select men, according to the order of the towne. John Morss, No. ii, 167 i. 1. In Quasoponagone Medow, on the other sid of the riuer, sixe acres, more or lesse, bounded south with Joshua Whitney, and on all other poynts with the towne's swamp and vplands. 2. In Accident Medow, one acre, more or lesse, bounded north with Thomas Tarball, Junior, south with Joshua Whitney, and on all other poynts with the towne's vplands. 3. One acre, lyeing in a spong of medow, caled Lodge Medow, bounded round with the towne's commons, which foure acres in Playne Medow is alienated to Sergent James Parker, for foure acres of this, which was somtime sd Serg. James Parker's, on the other side of the riuer, which foure acres is speciffied in the town book and in his transcript. Revissed, compared, and conffirmed by the Sellect men, according to the order of the town. John Morsse, Febr. 26, 1672. THE LANDS OF THOMAS TARBALL, JUN'. I. His houselot, twenty foure acres, more or lesse (the first diuision), bounded south with the town's hye way, north with GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS. 51 the lands of Jonathan Morsse, east with Lanchester hye way. In the second diuision he taking in the hye way betwixt Joseph Blood and himself, he doe alow a hye way for the towne of the same bredth in the most convenient place thorow his owne land. 2. Eleauen acres, more or lesse, bounded west Lanchester hye way, south with the hye way to Broad Medow, east and north with the lands of Joseph Parker. 1. Medows. In Burnt Medow, ten acres, mor or lesse, bounded west, north west, and north with the brook and the pond, and with the medowes of Richard Sawtell, east and northerly with the medowes of James ffisk, and on all other poynts with the town's vplands. 2. In Quosoponagon Medow, on the other side of the riuer, three quarters of an acre, more or lesse, bounded north with James ffisk, and on all other poynts with the town's vplands. 3. In Accident Medow, halfe an acre, more or lesse, bounded northwest with the medow of Zachary Sawtell, south with Captaine Parker, and on all other poynts with the town's vplands. Reuised, compared, and confirmed by the Sellect men, according to the order of the towne, Decem. 3, 73. John Morsse, Clarke. THE LANDS OF JOSEPH MORSSE. Medow. In fiflaggy Medow, two acres of medow, more or lesse, bounded southwest with the town's common, and southeast and northeast with the medow of the sd Joseph Morsse, and north west with the medow of Christopher Hall, which psell of medow is alienated by Christopher Hall for one acre in fferney Medow, and one acre in Spot Medow, which was somtimes the medow of the sd Joseph Morsse, as is specified in the record of the sd Christopher Hall's, vnto the which alienation the wiues of them both giue their consent to the giuing vp their thirds. 1. Neare the fordway. Vpon the Pine Plaine, twenty seauen acres, more or lesse, bounded southeast by Jerimy Morsse, west- erly by Richard Blood and Joseph Parker, northeast with the town's comon. 2. Nine acres, more or lesse, bounded by Joseph Parker westerly, and south west by Jonathan Morsse, northeast a hye way 52 EARLY LAND-GRANTS OF running thorow it by Jerimy Morsse's of two polle wide, and on all other poynts by the town's comon. Reuised, compared, and confirmed by the Sellect men, according to the order of the towne, Decern. 9, 73. John Morsse. THE LANDS OF JACOB ONGE, BOTH VPLAND AND MEADOW. Thirty acres of vpland, more or lesse, envoluing his owne medow next to Nicolas Cady within it, bounded eastsouthwardly with the lands of Joshua Whitney, westerly with the lands of Nicolas Cady and pond, south with the countrey hyeway, and northerly with the hye way that goe to Brownloafe Playne. Reuissed, compared, and confirmed by the Select men, according to the order of the towne. John Morsse, Clark, December 11, 1674. A small persell of land, measured out to Jacob Ong, of about 24 polle, by a commitee chusen by the town, to wit, Corporall Cady, Ensigne Lawrance, and Joshua Whitney ; which land is bounded southerly by Joshua Whitney and Samuelt Woods, and on all other poynts by the town's hye way. THE LANDS OF MATTHIAS FARNSWORTH. 1. Vplands. His houselot, ninty acres, more or lesse, lyeing on • both sids the mill hye way, bounded on the north with the sidhill by James his brook, westerly partly with Justin Holden and partly with comon land, south east with the mill hye way. The other part of his land, on the east sid of the mill hyeway, bounded with lands of Simon Stone on the north and east, and on all other poynts with the towne's coixion. 2. Sixe acres and a halfe, more or lesse, lyeing on Indian Hill, bounded west with the lands of Jonathan Morsse, and with the lands of John Cooper partly on the east and comon land, the coun- trey hyeway runing thorow, north with Thomas Boyden, south with the ends of the other lots. GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS. 53 3. Eighteene acres, more or lesse, bounded west with the mill roade, southeasterly with the lands of Daniell Pearsse, and on all other poynts with the towne's coition. 4. Seauenty one acre, more or lesse, lyeing on the other side of the mill road, bounded east with the mill road, west and soutli- erly with the medowes of the mill brook, and on all other poynts with the towne's coinon. 1. His Medowes. In South Medow, fourteen acres, more or lesse, bounded southeast with the medow of William Longley, Sen., southeast with the medow of Daniell Pearse, and on all other povnts with the town's coition. 2. Sixe acres, more or lesse, neare the mille, bounded southeast with the medow of Simon Stone, southwest with Jonas Prescot, buting on the southeast with theire owne vpland, and on the north east with the medow of William Longley, Sen., and on all other poynts with the town's coition. 3. Fiue acres and a halfe, more or lesse, neare the mille, bounded south east with their owne vpland, south west with Jonas Prescot, east with the medow of Richard Blood, and on all other poynts with the town's coinon. 4. At Half Moone Medow, two acres and a halfe, more or lesse, runing vp to John Barron, butting vp on the pond, bounded south- east with the land of Benjamin Crispe, and on all other poynts with the town's comon. Reuised, compared, and confirmed by the Sellect men, according to the order of the towne. John Morsse, Clark, Decem. 13, 1674. The record of y"^ landes granted to Mf Gershom Hubard, at a ginrall town meeting, June 29, 1678, viz. : All the common land that lye neare the place wheir the old meeting house stood, Dunstable hye way runing thorow it, and the hye way runing into the captain's land, wheir it may be judged most convenient by them that are to lay it out. 2^1 That peice of swamp and vpland that lye betwene Timothy Allen, Joseph Gilson, the hy way leading to the hawtree, and Leift. Lakin's, and John Parish. 54 EARLY LAND-GRANTS OF 3'.'' Three hundred acres taken out of the comon land in one or two places, wheir it is most convenient for him. 4'.^ Fifteene acres of medow, seaven acres giuen by particuler men/ the other to be made vp by the rest of the towne according to their proportion. 5'?' That he is to haue out of the comon, equall priuiledg of wood, timber, and comonage, with the rest of the inhabitants of the town according as he haue mad. Morouer he is to haue the house that he now liueth in, with all the fornamed priuiledges, performing the conditions as followeth, viz. : If he accept of y^ call and come to settle among us, to be y^ towne's minister, & the churche's officer, then y- aboue mentioned pticulars to be his, and his forever. This condition was consented to be written by y" major part of y^ Select men, evidenced by severall witnesses, to be y'^ voat of y^ towne at y" time aboue mentioned. THE LANDS OF MR. SAMUELL WILLARD, WHICH IS LAYD OUT TO HIM IN THE TOWNE OF GROTTEN. 1. His houslot, fourteene acres, more or lesse, lyeing on both sids the hyeway, leading from the meeting house to the bay, sixe acres of it on the west sid of the hye way, and bounded on the north with the lands of Cap'. Parker, on the west ptly with the medow of M'. Samuell Willard, and ptly with the medow of Jn°. Cooper, on the south with a hye way that leadeth down to Broad Medow, and on the east with the hye way leading to y" bay. 2. On the other sid of the same hye way, eight acres, mor or lesse, beeing bounded north and east with the lands of Josiah Parker, south with a hye way that lead downe to Ensigne Lawrance's, west with the hye way goeing to the bay. 3. One hundred and twenty acres lyeing in a place coinonly called Vnquetenorset AVoods, beeing bounded north westerly with a hyeway that goe to Dunstable, east-northerly with the land of Cap'. James Parker, southeasterly with the towne coinon and of Zachry Sawtell's medow, south westerly by the lands of Timothy Allen, west northerly with the lands of Cap*. James Parker. GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS. 55 4. At the south east end of Brownloaf Hill, seaven acres, more or lesse, bounded west northerly with the lands of Cap', James Parker, and on all other poynts with the town's coiuon lands. 5. At Indian Hill, sixe acres, more or lesse, bounded on the north with the lands of Nicolas Cady, easterly with the lands of Justin Holden, on the south with a hye way coming by Jn". Barron, goeing toward the bay, westerly by the lands of Joseph Parker, Sen. 6. On the other sid Nashawag Riuer, one hundred and twenty acres, lyeing on both sids a litle brok, riming out of it into Nasha- wag Riuer between two ford wayes, the one called Jn". Page's, and the other I'homas Tarbull, Jun'''s ford way, this lyeing about a quarter of a mille from the riuer. The first corner tre is a double black oak at the north east corner sufficiently marked and double marked with a great S. and W., inward to his owne land, bounded round with the town's coiTion, marked at the corners with S. W., and at seuerall trees with a great W., and sufficiently marked with runing markes. 7. Twelue acres of entervaill, more or lesse, on the other sid of Nashawag Riuer, bounded north with the lands of Cap'. James Parker, east with the riuer, south with the lands of William Eluee, west with town's coition. 1. His Medows. In Broad Medow, fine acres, more or lesse, bounded north with the medow of Cap'. Parker, on the east by his owne house lot, on the south with the medow of Jn°. Cooper, on the west with the medow of Jn°. Page. 2. In Brown Loafe Medow, eight acres, more or lesse, beeing bounded south westerly by the brook that run thorow the medow, his medow lyeing all on that sid the brok, bounded on all other poynts by the town's vpland. 3. On the same brok, downe the brok, three acres, mor or lesse, lyeing on both sids the brok, lyeing in two or three persels, bounded easterly by the lands of Nicolas Cady, and on all other poynts by the town's vplands. 4. In Litle Flagy Medow, foure acres, mor or lesse, beeing bounded south with the medow of Cap'. Parker and Samuell Dauis, and on all other poynts with the town's coition. 5. On the south sid of a hill, called Horse Hill, neare Masabeg Pond, two acres, mor or lesse, bounded round with the town's coition, 56 EARLY LAND-GRANTS OF with the head of a litle brok that run out of it into Masabog Pond. 6. In Hawtree Medow, four acres, more or lesse, beeing bounded west northerly with the medow of Jn". Nuting, on the east southerly with the medow of Robert Blood, and on all other poynts with the town's vplands. In Mapell Medow, two acres, mor or less, bounded westerly with the medow of Joseph Parker, Seni., easterly with the town's vpland. Reuised, compared, and confirmed by the Select men, according to the order of the town, September 29, 1680. John Morsse, Clark. THE LANDS OF JOHN FARNWORTH. 1. Vplands. Four acres of Justin Holden, bounded northward with the lands of Mathias ffarnworth, eastward with the Mill Road, and on all other poynts with the town's hyeway and coiiion. 2. Two acres of swamp, bounded westward with the medow of Matthias ffarnworth, on the south sid of Halfe Moon Swamp, and on all other poynts with the town's coiiion. 3. Foure acres, more or less, lying in two persells, two acres, a pece of swamp land, lyeing betwixt the pond at John Page's saw- mill and the bridg that goe to Nonicoyacus, bounded round by the town's cofTion land. Reuissed, compared, and confirmed by the Select men, according to the order of the town. John Morss, Clark, Decem. 9"', 1680. THE LANDS OF CORNELIUS CHURCH. Vplands. Ten acres, more or lesse, adioyning to Spedtecle Pond, neare the pond of Pelleg Lawrance's, on the east of a ridge parting them, which land containing two hoUe or three of swampy medow, as is described by the markes, as they are marked by the sides of the ridges, which ridges are comon land, Spedteckle Pond being on the south, and the ridges the bounds on all other sids. [In the handwriting of John Morse, Town Clerk, 1669-1676, 1679-16S1.] GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS. $7 THE LANDS OF SAMUELL CHURCH. Vpland that lye bounded by the highway that goe to Jonathan Morsse, and bye the hye way that goe into Pine Woods, and by the, buriall place. [In the handwriting of John Morse, Town Clerk, 1669-1676, 1679-1681.] THE LANDS OF JOHN COLLES. Vpland. Ten acres of vpland, more or lesse, bounded with the lands of Jonathan Crispe and Zachery Sawtell on the east, with the lands of Zachery Sawtell and Joseph Morsse on the north, south with coiuon land, and west with the riuer, hauing a priuat hyeway runing thorow it to the ford way. [In the handwriting of John Morse, Town Clerk, 1669-1676, 1679-1681.] A persell of land, of ten acres, mor or less, granted by the town to Nicolos Hutchin. 1. One acre, mor or lesse, lyeing betwixt South Medow and South' Brook, bounded round by the town's coiuon. 2. Two acres, mor or lesse, lyeing on the northeast sid of the hyeway, lyeing vpon a swamp that runs to South Brook, bounded round by the town's coiTion. 3. Sixe acres, mor or lesse, lyeing southeast of Sandy Pond, bounded round with the town's coiTion. [In the handwriting of John Morse, Town Clerk, 1669-1676, 1679-16S1.] THE LANDS OF PELLEG LAWRANCE. 1. Ten acres, more or lesse, lyeing on the north side of Sped- teckle Pond, bounded on all poynts by the towne's coiuon. 2. Ten acres, more or lesse, lyeing by the Cowpond Medow, bounded east by the lands of Nathaniell Lawrance, and on all other poynts by the town's coiuon. 58 EARLY LAND-GRANTS. 3. Foure acres and 3 quarters, more or lesse, vpon which his house stoode, formerly layd to Thomas Boyden, bounded southward by the countrey hyeway, westward by the lands of Matthias ffarn- warth, Sen., northard by Ferney Medow, eastward by the hyeway. 4. Sixe acres, more or lesse, vpon the Cowpond place, bounded on all poynts by the town's coiiion. 5. Thre acres, more or lesse, by the Cowpond Medow, bound- ed westerly by the lands of Samuell Holden, partly by the lands of Ensign Lawrance, and on all other poynts by the town's coinon. [In the handwriting of John Morse, Town Clerk, 1669-1676, 1679-16S1.I THE LANDS OF ALEXANDER ROUSS?:. 1. Vpland. Eight acres, more or lesse, lyeing betweene the path that goe to Sergent Field Medow, and the path that goe to Richard Blood's, bounded round by the towne's coinon. 2. A swamp, containing two acres, more or lesse, bounded round by the town's common, lyeing betweene the uper end of the gift, John Lakin's Sledge and Reedy Medow. [In the handwriting of John Morse, Town Clerk, 1669-1676, 1679-16S1.] I NDEX. NAMES OF PERSONS HOLDING LAND-GRANTS. Page Timothy Allen . . . 48 Ellis Barron .... 39 Nicholas Cady .... 42 Cornelius Church . . 56 Samuel Church . . . 57 John Colles 57 Jonathan Crisp . . . 26 William Elluee . . . 43 John Farnsworth . . . 56 Matthias Farnsworth . 52 James Fiske 35 Christopher Hall . . 18 Gershom Hobart . . . 53 Justinian Holden . . . 47 Nicholas Hutchins . . SI James Knapp 38 Joseph Lawrence . . . 46 Peleg Lawrence . . . SI William Martin . . . 49 Daniel Metup . . . 20 Page John Morse . . . . 46 Jonathan Morse 44 Joseph Morse . 5' Jacob Onge . . 52 John Page . . 22 Abraham Parker . 45 James Parker . 27 Joseph Parker . 20. Daniel Pearse . 41 Ralph Reed . . 33 James Roberts . 34 Alexander Rouse • 58 Zachary Sawtell • 45 Walter Skinneji 17 Simon Stone . . 48 Thomas Tarbej^l 24 Thomas Tarbell, _ R. 50 Samuel Willard 54 Samuel Woods . 41 '4Ti-''Z ''%. mi/A 5^^^' ^^,- '< tS^'Jv> f-f/MA, //-■■-^^ ?'# >^^^ *"~-^^ -^ >^^ v^-Y\-^'^- 1? ^.^^^^V^ "'■■^i*'^ JJ^.. .-^i>bP^e«:f -•'-' -:ai LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 014 078 543 A