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BY THE SAME AUTHOR.

George E. Littlefield has for sale at his Anti-
quaria7i Bookstore, No. 67 Cornhill, Boston, the
following publications : —
AN HISTORICAL ADDRESS, Bicentennial and Centennial,
delivered July 4, 1876, at Groton, Massachusetts. Octavo,
paper covers, 86 pages. Price $1.00. Groton : 1876.
AN HISTORICAL ADDRESS delivered at Groton, Mas
sachusetts, February 20. 1880, at the dedication of three
monuments erected by the town. Octavo, paper cover,
56 pages. Price 50 cents. Groton : 1880.
GROTON IN THE WITCHCRAFT TIMES. Octavo,
paper cover, 29 pages. Price 50 cents, Groton: 1883,
TWO CHAPTERS IN THE EARLY HISTORY OF
GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS. Octavo, paper cover,
19 pages. Price 35 cents. Boston : 1882.
EPITAPHS FROM THE OLD BURYING-GROUND
IN GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS. With Notes and
an Appendix. Illustrations, Octavo, cloth, pages xix, 271.
Price $3.00. Boston : 1878.
GROTON DURING THE INDIAN WARS. Octavo,
cloth, 214 pages. Price ^2.50. Groton: 1883.
THE EARLY RECORDS OF GROTON, MASSACHU-
SETT'S, 1662-1707. With Notes. Heliotypes. Octavo,
cloth, 201 pages Price J2.00. Groton : 18S0.
GROTON HISTORICAL SERIES. Nos. I.-VIII. A
collection of Tracts relating to the history of the town.
Octavo, paper covers. Price 25 cents each. Groton :
1884-85. ALSO,
COUNT WILLIAM DE DEUX-PONTS'S CAMPAIGNS
IN AMERICA, 1780-81. Translated from the French
Manuscript, with an Introduction and Notes. Octavo,
paper cover, pages xvi, 176. Price $2.00. Boston: 1868.
HISTORY OF MEDICINE IN MASSACHUSETTS.
A Centennial Address delivered before the Massachusetts
Medical Society, at Cambridge, June 7, 1881. Octavo,
cloth, 131 pages. Price $1,00. Boston: 1881.

Groton PMntation
ToiielAer wi'tti Town Li'ne.'i exiftt/ng .MD. LSS5.

The Boundary Lines

OF

OLD GROTON.

BY

SAMUEL A. GREEN, M.D.

Remove not the ancient landmark, virhich thy fathers have set.
Prov. xxii, 28.

GROTON, MASS.
1885.

SEntbrattg
John Wilson and Son, Cambridge.

Co tt)e iWemorp

JONATHAN DANFORTH,
WHO SURVEYED THE ORIGINAL GROTON PLANTATION;
anh to tl)e MtmotQ of tfte ffiijatnmen,
WHO, THOUGH UNKNOWN TO US EVEN BY NAME, ACCOMPANIED HIM 'I'HROUGH
THE WILDERNESS DURING HIS WEARISOME LABORS,
THIS BOOK IS INSCRIBED By the Author.

CONTENTS. Page
I. Groton Plantation  9
II. Nashobah and Littleton  19
III. Groton Gore and the Provincial Line  32
IV. Westford and Harvard  45
V. Dl-nstable, Holus, and Nottingham  53
VI. Pepperell  72
VII. Shirley, Tyngsborough, and Ayer  82
INDEX  99

ILLUSTRATIONS.
Groton and Neighborhood, 1885  Frontispiece
Groton Plantation  .... 13
Groton Gore  33

THE BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD
GROTON.

GROTON PLANTATION.
Well-defined boundaries are of the highest importance to
communities as well as to individuals. In the one case they
mark the limits of political power, and in the other of landed
possession. Oftentimes such boundaries prevent strifes and
quarrels, and thus indirectly and silently promote the Chris
tian virtues. During the various stages of civilization, from
the earliest days of recorded history, they have been con
sidered absolutely essential to the existence of society ; and
in the Mosaic code of laws a curse was uttered against the
man who should remove his neighbor's landmark. The ancient
Romans personified this principle of fixed boundaries, and dei
fied him under the name of Terminus. A temple was built in
his honor, where he was worshipped by the pagans.
The various transfers of territory connected with the town
of Groton, in its corporate capacity, have a certain local inter
est, and in order to gratify it this little book is printed.
The original grant of the township was made by the General
Court on May 25, 1655, and gave to the proprietors a tract of
land eight miles square ; though during the next year this

IO BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.
was modified so that its shape varied somewhat from the first
plan. It comprised all of what is now Groton and Ayer,
nearly all of Pepperell and Shirley, more than one half of
Dunstable, a large part of Littleton, smaller parts of Harvard
and Westford, Massachusetts, and a portion of Nashua, New
Hampshire, besides a little patch of Hollis, in the same
State. The grant was taken out of the very wilderness, rela
tively far from any other town, and standing like a sentinel
on the frontiers. Lancaster, fourteen miles away, was its
nearest neighbor in the southwesterly direction on the one
side; and Andover and Haverhill, twenty and twenty-five
miles distant, more or less, in the northeasterly direction on
the other. No settlement on the north stood between it and
the settlements in Canada. Chelmsford and Billerica were
each incorporated about the same time, though a few days
later. For several years previously, however, there had been
some scattered families living at Billerica, then known as
Shawshin. When the grant was made, it was expressly stipulated that
Mr. Jonathan Danforth, of Cambridge, with such others as he
might desire, should lay it out with all convenient speed, in
order to encourage the prompt settlement of a minister ; and
furthermore that the selectmen of the town should pay a fair
amount for his services. During the next year a petition,
signed by Deane Winthrop and seven others, was presented
to the General Court, asking for certain changes in the condi
tions, and among them the privilege to employ another " artist "
in the place of Mr. Danforth, as he was overrun with business.
The petition was referred to a committee, who reported favor
ably upon it, and the request was duly granted. Formerly a
surveyor was called an artist, and in old records the word is
often found with that meaning.
Ensign Peter Noyes, of Sudbury, was then engaged by the
grantees, and he began the survey ; but his death, on Septem
ber 23, 1657, delayed the speedy accomplishment of the work.
It is known that there was some trouble in the early settlement
of the place, growing out of the question of lands, but its exact

GROTON PLANTATION. II
character is not recorded ; perhaps it was owing to the delay
which now occurred. Ensign Noyes was a noted surveyor,
but not so famous as Jonathan Danforth, whose name is often
mentioned in the General Court records, in connection with
the laying out of lands and towns, and many of whose plans
are still preserved among the Archives in the State House.
Danforth was the man wanted at first for the undertaking ;
and after Noyes's death he took charge of it, and his elder
brother, Thomas, was associated with him. The plat or plan
of the land, however, does not appear to have been completed
until April, 1668. The survey was made during the preced
ing year. At a meeting of the selectmen of the town, held on
November 23, 1667, it is recorded that a rate should be levied
in order to pay " the Artest and the men that attended him
and his diet for himself and his horse, and for two sheets of
parchment, for him to make two platts for the towne, and for
Transportation of his pay all which amounts to about twenty
pounds and to pay severall other town debts that appear to us
to be due."
It was of Danforth that the poet sang : —
He rode tVie circuit, chain'd great towns and farms
To good behavior ; and, by well-marked stations.
He fixed their bounds for many generations.
His art ne'er fail'd him, though the loadstone fail'd,
When oft by mines and streams it was assail'd.
All this is charming, but there 's something higher,
Gave him the lustre which we most admire.
This poetical tribute to his character is taken from a poem
written at the time of his death, and appears in Farmer and
Moore's " Collections " (ii. 65). The allusion in the last line
is to his piety.
A little further on in the records a charge of five shillings
is made "ffor two sheats of Parchment." These entries seem to
show that two plans were made, — perhaps one for the town
and the other for the Colony ; but neither copy is now to be
found. An allusion is made to one of them in a petition, pre
sented to the General Court on February 10, 1717, by John

12 BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.
Shepley and John Ames. It is there stated that "the said
Plat th6 something defaced is with the Petitioner ; " and
furthermore "That in the year 1713 M' Samuel Danforth
Surveyor & Son of the aforesaid Jonathan Danforth, at the
desire of the said Town of Groton did run the Lines & make
an Implatment of the said Township laid out as before & found
it agreeable to the former. W^ last Plat the Petitioners do
herewith exhibit, And pray that this Hon"^ Court would allow
& confirm the same as the Township of Groton."
Plans were needed by the public authorities, to show offi
cially what lands had already been appropriated. Sometimes
one grant would overlap or conflict with another, and thus
create confusion. The grant of five hundred acres lying within
the limits of Groton Plantation, and made to Major Simon
Willard in the spring of 1657, was given under a misappre
hension. The General Court had no official knowledge that
this tract had previously been taken up, as at that time no
plan of the original plantation had been returned to that body,
or even made. Years afterward the mistake was recognized
by the authorities, and an equivalent of land allowed to the
proprietors for their loss. At a very early period in the his
tory of the Colony, there was an order regulating the laying
out of grants, so that places fit for townships should not be
spoiled for that purpose, but the order was frequently violated.
All the early surveys of public grants were very liberal,
and purposely included more territory than was given by the
General Court. Land was cheap, and did not belong to private
individuals. Sometimes an excess was taken to make up "for
rocks and waste land," and this was permitted by the authori
ties. Danforth's survey was no exception, and gave the pro
prietors ample measurements. Over and above this fact, the
difficulty of defining lines of boundary with precision is never
wholly overcome, unless it is done by landmarks successively
visible from one another. Surveys dependent on the compass
are always subject to many sources of inaccuracy, such as the
loss of magnetic virtue in the poles of the needle ; blunting of
the centre-pin ; unsuspected local attractions ; oversight or

GROTON PLANTATION. 13
mistake as to the secular variation, and variability from the
influence of the sun, known as the diurnal variation, to say
nothing of the elements of uncertainty connected with the
chain. Error from the diurnal variation may amount, in the
distance of a mile, to twenty feet or more of lateral deviation.
Under these circumstances it is neither fair nor just to subject
the work of the early surveyors to the test of modern methods.
While the original plan of Groton has been lost or destroyed,
it is fortunate that many years ago a copy was made, which is
still preserved. In June, 1826, the Honorable James Prescott
was in the possession of the original, which Caleb Butler,
Esq., at that time transcribed into one of the town record-
books. Even with this clew a special search has been made
for the missing document, but without success. If it is ever
found it will be by chance, where it is the least looked for.
There is no reason to doubt the accuracy of the outlines or
the faithfulness of the copy. The relative distances between
the streams emptying into the Nashua River, however, are not
very exact ; and in the illustration placed opposite, for the
sake of clearness I have added their names, as well as the
name of Forge Pond, formerly called Stony Brook Pond.
Accompanying the copy is a description of the survey,
which, in connection with the drawing, gives a good idea of
the general shape of the township. Probably in the original
these two writings were on the same sheet. In the transcript
Mr. Butler has modernized the language and made the punc
tuation conform to present usage. In the illustration I
have followed strictly the outlines of the plan, as well as the
course of the rivers, but I have omitted some details, such as
the distances and directions which are given along the mar
gins. These facts appear in the description, and perhaps
were taken from it by the copyist. I have also omitted the
acreage of the grant, which is grossly inaccurate.
Whereas the Plantation of Groton, containing by grant the pro
portion of eight iniles Square, was begun to be laid out by Ensign
Noyes, and he dying before he had finished his work, it is now
finished, whose limits and bounds are as followeth.

14 BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.
It began on the east side of Nashua River a little below Nissitis
set hills at the short turning of the River bounded by a pine tree
marked with G. and so running two miles in a direct line to buck-
meadow which p'tai'ns to Boston Farms, and so is bounded by Bos
ton Farms, Billerica land and Edward Cowell's farm until you come
to Massapoag Pond, which is full of small islands ; from thence it
is bounded by the aforesaid Pond until you come to Chelmsford
line, after that it is bounded by Chelmsford and Nashoboh lines
until you come to the most southerly corner of this Plantation, and
from thence it runs West-North-West five miles and a half and
sixty four poles, which again reacheth to Nashua River, then the
former west-north-west line is continued one mile on the west side
of the river, and then it runs one third of a point easterly of north
& by east nine miles and one quarter, from thence it runneth four
miles due east, which closeth the work to the river again to the
first pine below Nissitisset hills, where we began : it is bounded by
the Farms and plantations as aforesaid and by the wilderness else
where ; all which fines are run and very sufficiently bounded by
marked trees & pillars of stones : the figure or manner of the lying
of it is more fully demonstrated by this plot taken of the same.
By Jonathan Danforth,
April 1668. .Surveyor.
The Nissitissett Hills are conspicuous elevations in the
northeast quarter of the town of Pepperell, standing on the
west side of the Nashua River, perhaps half a mile distant
from it; and just below them the river takes a decided bend
to the westward. The largest of these hills is situated near
the village of East Pepperell, and to this day is known in the
neighborhood as the Nissitissett ; while north of it are two
other hills, which extend to the present State line, and form
prominent landmarks when seen from the east side of the river.
These bearings give very nearly the position of "a pine
tree marked with G," from which Danforth started in making
his survey. It was undoubtedly very near to the present
State line, and probably just north of it. From the pine-tree
the boundary ran northeasterly two miles in a straight line
to Buck Meadow, which is a well-known locality, still bearing
the same name. From this boundary the description gives

GROTON PLANTATION. IS
neither distance nor direction to the next angle, but the plan
shows it very well. Apparently the course was about a mile
and a half in the southeasterly direction. It is difficult now
to understand why the original grant was laid out along its
northern border in so irregular a manner, but perhaps it was
owing to the character of the soil or the topography of the
country. A carefully constructed map of the region, based on these
facts, includes within its limits the present Lovewell's Pond,
which is an excellent guide in tracing this boundary running
in a southeasterly direction. The pond lies so near the line
that I thought it might be possible still to identify it in part
by some modern mark, such as a fence, road, or stone wall ;
and I determined to reconnoitre the district. On reaching
the neighborhood one hot afternoon in August, 1884, I found,
much to my gratification, a road, little more than a cart-path,
and substantially straight, running along a natural ridge for
half a mile, coinciding with this line. The ridge is a marked
feature of the region, and would naturally have been taken
by Danforth as a boundary. The road is a very old one,
and known in the vicinity as the Ridge Road. While near
one end of it, I met a young man, of whom I inquired the
name of the meadow, just in front of us, when he at once
replied : " It hain't got no name, but the folks 'round here call
it Buck Meadow." This bit of information was confirmed by
several persons living in the neighborhood. The whole of
the triangle made by Danforth's two courses, with the pres
ent State line as a base, comes now within the territory of
Nashua, New Hampshire.
The lands known as "Boston Farms, Billerica land, and
Edward Cowell's farm," were all granted by the General
Court after the incorporation of Groton, but before the date
of the survey, which will account for their appearance in the
description. It was undoubtedly Danforth's intention to make the eastern
boundary of Groton correspond in part with the western boun
dary of Chelmsford, though the territory of the last-named

l6 BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.
town never extended to Massapoag Pond. At the time of the
survey there was a tract of unappropriated land between the
pond and the northern boundary of Chelmsford, which after
ward was included within the township of Dunstable, but now
is in Tyngsborough. Danforth's line was continued through
Forge Pond, and then made to follow the boundary of Nash
obah, an Indian grant, which subsequently was included in
Littleton. It passed on, nearly a mile further, in a straight
course, until the southeast corner of Groton Plantation was
reached. This corner is now represented by an angle in the
boundary between Boxborough and Harvard, perhaps two
hundreds rods south of the Littleton line. Here a prominent
ridge, belonging to the Oak Hill range, comes to an end ; and
Danforth, in his survey, was not slow to use as a landmark
such a conspicuous feature in the topography of the country.
From this place the line turned and ran " West-North- West
five miles and a half and sixty-four poles," where it crossed
the Nashua River, and then continued another mile, on the
west side of the river, to the southwest corner of the plan
tation. This point is known to-day as " Groton Old Corner,"
and the stone post marking the boundary is lettered on the
top: — GROTON &
STOW LEG
old CORNER
The post stands in the woods very near the Leominster
road, about a mile from Shirley Village. From here the line
ran in a northeasterly direction for nine miles, to a place
where the northwest corner of the township was reached.
The stone post marking the spot comes now very near the
boundary of Addison Wood's farm in Pepperell, and is still
called " Groton Old Corner." From this point the line ran
due east for four miles to the pine-tree on the banks of the
Nashua River, whence Danforth started to make the survey.
It undoubtedly crossed the river a short distance north of the
present State line, and passed through the southeast corner
of the present town of Hollis.

GROTON PLANTATION. 17
The description of the original grant of Dunstable has
been twice printed, but with so many inaccuracies and inter
polations that I am constrained to print it again for the third
time. The original copy, in the handwriting of Jonathan
Danforth, surveyor, is found on the first page of the earliest
book of Dunstable town records, now in the possession of the
city of Nashua. The leaf on which it is written is much
torn and worn near the front edge. Of the first line about
three quarters of an inch is gone, and near the middle of the
edge probably an inch and a quarter is also gone. Without
attempting to supply the missing letters or words, I have
placed brackets thus [ J to indicate them, which in some
lines are very evident. The following copy was made by me
with much care on June 5, 1885, and it is here given line for
line with the original : —
THE NEW PLANTATION GRANTE
APON MERIMACK REUER
It Lieth on both sids merimack Riuer on the n[ ]
Riuer it is bounded by Chelmsford on the south by [ J _
partly by Cuntry land the Line runing from the boun[ ]
du north Ten mile untill you Come to Souhegon Riuer [ ]
Called dram Cup hill to a great Pine ny to y° said Riuer: a[ J
of Charlstown Scoole farm bounded by Souhegon Riuer
North and on the east Sid merrimacke : It begins at a great che[ ]
corner of
which was supposed to be near the northern M' Brintons land
A
and from thence it Runs sou south east six miles to a Pine [ J
with : F : standinge within sight of Beauer Broke
It Runs two degres west from the ife^ south four mile and ouer [ ]
which Reached to the to the te=^ths south side of henery [ ]
ffarme at Jeremies Hill then from y"= South-East angell of [ ]
it runs two degres and a quarter westward of the south [ ]
of the long Pond which lieth at y° head of Edward Co[ ]
And thus it is Bounded by the said Pond and the head of th [ ]
Takeinge in Captaine Scarlets farme to that bou[ J
All which is sofficiantly Bounded and described [ ]
danforth Suruayer : 3"^: 1674: 3

l8 BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.
The map of Old Dunstable, between pages 12 and 13 in
Fox's History of that town, is very incorrect, so far as it re
lates to the boundaries of Groton. The Squannacook River
is put down as the Nissitissett, and this mistake may have
tended to confuse the author's ideas. The southern boun
dary of Dunstable was by no means a straight line, but was
made to conform in part to the northern boundary of Groton,
which was somewhat angular. Groton was incorporated on
May 25, 1655, and Dunstable on October 15, 1673, and no
part of it came within the limits of this town. The eastern
boundary of Groton originally ran northerly through Massa
poag Pond, and continued into the present limits of Nashua,
New Hampshire.

II.

NASHOBAH AND LITTLETON.

On the southeast of Groton, and adjoining it, was a small
township granted, in the spring of 1654, by the General Court
to the Nashobah Indians, who had been converted to Chris
tianity under the instruction of the Apostle Eliot and others.
They were few in numbers, comprising perhaps ten families,
or about fifty persons. During Philip's War this settlement
was entirely deserted by the Indians, thus affording a good
opportunity, which was not lost, for the English tO' encroach
on the reservation. These intruders lived in the neighboring
towns, but mostly in Groton. Some of them took possession
with no show of right, while others went through the formality
of buying the land from the Indians ; though such sales did
not, as was supposed at the time, bring the territory under
the jurisdiction of the towns where the purchasers severally
lived. It is evident from the records that these encroachments
gave rise to controversy. The following entry, under date
of June 20, 1682, is found in the Middlesex Court Records
(iv. 38) at East Cambridge, and shows that a committee was
appointed at that time to re-establish the boundary lines of
Nashobah : —
Cap' Thomas Hinchman, L' Joseph Wheeler, & L' Jn° flynt
surveyo', or any two of them are nominated & impowred a Coin-
ittee to rune the ancient bounds of Nashoboh Plantaccon, & remark
the lines, as it was returned to the genall Court by said m' flynt at

20 BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.

the charge of the Indians, giveing notice to the select men of Grot-
ton of time & place of meeting, w'" is referred to m' flint, to ap-
poynt, & to make return to next Coun Court at Caml5r in order to
a finall settlem'
Again, under date of October 3, 1682 (" 3. 8. 1682."), it is
entered that — -
The return of the coinittee referring to the bounds of Nashobey
next to Grotton, was p"'sented to this Court and is on file.
Approued The " return " is as follows : —
We Whose names are under written being appointed by y" Hono"*
County Court June : 20* 1682. To ruii the Ancient bounds of
Nashobey, haue accordingly run the said bounds, and find that the
town of Groton by theire Second laying out of theire bounds have
taken into theire bounds as we Judge neer halfe Indian Plantation
Severall of the Select men and other inhabitants of Groton being
then with us Did See theire Erro' therein, & Do decline that laying
out So far as they haue Invaded the right of y"' Indians.
Also we find y' the Norwest Corner of Nashobey is run into y"
first bounds of Groton to y° Quantity of 350 acres according as
Groton men did then Show us theire Said line, which they Say was
made before Nashobey was laid out, and which bounds they Do
Challenge as theire Right. The Indians also haue Declared them
Selves willing to forego that Prouided they may haue it made up
upon theire West Line. And we Judge it may be there added to
theire Conveniance.
Joseph Wheeler
John Flint
2 : Octob' : 1682.
Exhibited in Court 3 : 8 : 82 :
& approved T D : R.
A true Coppy of y^ originall on file w* y'= Records of County
Court for Middx. Ex" p' Sam" : Phipps Cle
[Massachusetts Archives, cxii. 331.]
Among the Groton men who had bought land of the
Nashobah Indians were Peleg Lawrence and Robert Robbins.

NASHOBAH AND LITTLETON. 21
Their names appear, with a diagram of the land, on a plan
of Nashobah made in the year 1686, and found among the
Massachusetts Archives, in the first volume (page 125) of
"Ancient Plans Grants &c." Lawrence and Robbins un
doubtedly supposed that the purchase of this land brought it
within the jurisdiction of Groton. Lawrence died in the
year 1692 ; and some years later the town made an effort
to obtain from his heirs their title to this tract, as well as
from Robbins his title. It is recorded that the town, at a
meeting held on June 8, 1702, —
did note that they would giue Peleg larraness Eairs three acers of
madow whare thay ust to Improue and tenn acers of upland neare
that madow upon the Conditions following that the aboue sd Peleg
larrances heirs do deliuer up that Indian titelle which thay now
haue to the town
At the same meeting the town voted that —
thay would giue to robart robins Sener three acers of madow where
he uste to Improue : and ten acers of upland near his madow upon
the Conditions forlowing that he aboue sd Robart Robbins doth
deliuer : up that Indian titels which he now hath : to the town.
It appears from the records that no other business was
done at this meeting, except the consideration of matters
growing out of the Nashobah land. It was voted to have an
artist lay out the meadow at " Nashobah line," as it was
called, as well as the land which the town had granted to
Walter and Daniel Powers, probably in the same neighbor
hood ; and also that 'Captain Jonas Prescott be authorized to
engage an artist at an expense not exceeding six shillings a
day. Settlers from the adjacent towns were now making grad
ual encroachments on the abandoned territory, and among
them Groton was well represented. All the documents of
this period relating to the subject show an increased interest
in these lands, which were too valuable to remain idle for a
long time. The following petition, undoubtedly, makes a
correct representation of the case : —

22 BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.
To his Excellency Joseph Dudley Esqr Captain Gen" & Gov-
ernour in Chief in & over her Majesties Province of the Mas
sachusets Bay &c : togeither with the honourable Council, &
Representatives in Great and Gen" Court Assembled at Cambridge
October 14* 1702.
The Petition of the Inhabitants of Stow humbly sheweth.
That Whereas the honourable Court did pleas formerly to grant
vnto vs the Inhabitants of Stow a certain Tract of Land to make a
Village or Township of, environed w* Concord, Sudbury, Marlbury?
Lancaster, Groton, & Nashoby : And Whereas the said Nashoby
being a Tract of Land of four miles square, the which for a long
time hath been and still is desert'd and left by the Indians none
being now resident there, and those of them who lay claim to it
being desireous to sell said Land ; and some English challenging it
to be theirs by virtue of Purchase ; and besides the Town of Groton
in particular, hath of late extended their Town lyne into it, takeing
away a considerable part of it ; and Especially of Meadow (as wee
are Well informed) Wherefore wee above all of Neighbour Towns,
stand in the greatest need of Enlargement ; having but a pent up
smale Tract of Land and very little Meadow.
Whence we humbly Pray the great & Genl' Court, that if said
Nashoby may be sold by the Indians wee may have allowance to
buy, or if it be allready, or may be sold to any other Person or Per
sons, that in the whole of it, it be layed as an Addition to vs the
smale Town of Stow, it lying for no other Town but vs for nighness
& adjacency, togeither with the great need wee stand of it, & the no
want of either or any of the above named Towns. Shall it Pleas
the great & Gen!' Court to grant this o' Petition, wee shall be much
more able to defray Publick Charges, both Civil, & Ecclesiasticall,
to settle o": Minister amongst vs in order to of Injoyment of the Gos
pel in the fullness of it. Whence hopeing & beheving that the Pe
tition of the Poor, & needy will be granted. Which shall forever
oblidge yoT Petition" to Pray &c : Tho : Steevens. Cler :
Stow. October 12* 1702. In the Towns behalfe
[Massachusetts Archives, cxiii. 330.]
This petition was granted on October 21, 1702, on the part
of the House of Representatives, but negatived in the Council,
on October 24.

NASHOBAH AND LITTLETON. 23
During this period the territory of Nashobah was the subject
of considerable dispute among the neighboring towns, and
slowly disappearing by their encroachments. Under these
circumstances an effort was made to incorporate a township
from this tract and to establish its boundaries. The following
petition makes a fair statement of the case, though the signa
tures to it are not autographs : —
To His Excel7 Joseph Dudley Esq : Cap' Generall & Govf in
Chief in and over Her Maj''f' Province of Mass'f Bay in New-Eng
land, Together with y' Hon'^J^ the Council, & Representatives in
Gen" Court Assembled on the 30"" of May, In the Tenth Year of
Her Maj^f Reign Annoq Domi 1711, — The Humble Petition of
us the Subscribers Inhabitants of Concord, Chelmsford, Lancaster
& Stow &c within the County of Midd" in the Province Afores'?
Most Humbly Sheweth
That there is a Considerable Tract of Land Lying vacant and
Unimproved Between the Towns of Chelmsford, Lancaster & Stow
& Groton, as s"* Groton was Survey'd & Lay'd out by Mr. Noyce, &
the Plantation Call'd Concord Village, which is Commonly known
by the Name of Nashoba, in the County of Midd^ Afores"? & Sun
dry Persons having Made Entrys thereupon without Orderly Appli
cation to the Government, and as we are Inform'd, & have reason
to believe, diverse others are designing so to do.
We Yo' Hum"^ Petitioners being desirous to Prevent the Incon
veniences that may arise from all Irregular Intrusions into any
vacant Lands, and also In a Regular manner to Settle a Township
on the Land afores"? by which the frontier on that Side will be more
Clos'd & Strengthened & Lands that are at Present in no wise bene-
ficiall or Profitable to the Publick might be rendred Servicable for
the Contributing to the Publlick Charge, Most Humbly Address
Ourselves to your Exqr : And this Honourable Court.
Praying that your Petitioners may have a Grant of Such Lands
Scituate as Afores^ for the Ends & Purposes afores'! And that a
Committee may be appointed by this Hon'"f Court to View, Survey
and Set out to Yof Petitioners the s"! Lands, that so Yo.r s'? Peti
tioners may be enabled to Settle thereupon with Such others as
shall joyn them In an orderly and regular manner : Also Praying
that Such Powers and Priviledges may be given and conferred upon

24 BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.
the same as are granted to other Towns, And Yo' Petitioners shall
be Most ready to attend Such Directions, with respect to Such Part
of the s"? Tract as has been formerly reserv'd for the Indians, but
for a Long time has been wholly Left, & is now altogether unim-
prov'd by them. And all other things which this Hon'^'^ Court in
their Wisdom & justice Shall See meet to appoint forthe Regulation
of such Plantation or Town.
And Yof Hum'-;' Petitioners as in Duty Bound Shall Ever Pray &c.
Gershom Procter Josiah Whitcomb
Sam'! Procter John Buttrick
John Procter Will"f Powers
Joseph Fletcher Jonathan Hubburd
John Miles W"' Keen
John Parlin John Heald
Robert Robins John Bateman
John Darby JohnlHeywood
John Barker Thomas Wheeler
Sam! Stratton Sam"! HartweU, junf
Hezekiah Fletcher Sam'.' Jones
John Miriam
[Endorsed] In the House of Representatives
June 6 : 1 71 1. Read & Coruitted.
7 . . . Read, &
Ordered that Jon? Tyng Esqf Thomf Howe Esqf & Mf John
Sternes be a Comittee to view the Lands mentioned in the Petition,
& Represent the Lines, or Bounds of the severall adjacent Towns
bounding on the s" Lands and to have Speciall Regard to the Land
granted to the Indians, & to make report of the quantity, & circum
stances thereof.
Sent up for Concurrence. John Burril Speaker
In Council June 7. 1 711, Read and Concurr'd. ISA : Addington, Secry,
[Massachusetts Archives, cxiii. 602, 603.]
The committee to whom was referred this subject made a
report during the next autumn ; but no action in regard to it

NASHOBAH AND LITTLETON. 25
appears to have been taken by the General Court until two
years later.
The report of the Coinitty of the Hon'"'" Court vpon the petition
of Concord Chelmsford Lancaster & Stow for a grant of part of
Nashobe lands
Persuant to the directions giuen by this Hon''.'" Court bareng Date
the 30"^ of May 1711 The Comity Reports as foloweth that is to
say &ce
That on the second day of October 17 n the s'' coinitty went vpon
the premises with an Artis and veved [viewed] and servaied the
Land mentined in the Peticion and find that the most southerly
line of the plantation of Nashobe is bounded partly on Concord &
partly on Stow and this line contains by Estimation vpon the servey
a bought three miles & 50 polle The Westerly line Runs partly on,
Stow & partly on land claimed by Groton and containes four miles
and 20 poll extending to a place called Brown hill. The North line
Runs a long curtain lands claimed by Groton and contains three.
miles, the Easterle line Runs partly on Chelmsford, and partly on
a farm cald Powersis farm in Concord ; this line contains a bought
f ouer miles and seventy fine poll
The lands a boue mentined wer sheved to vs for Nashobe Plan
tation and ther were ancient marks in the severall lines fairly
marked. And s'' coihite find vpon the servey that Groton hath Run
into Nashobe (as it was sheved to vs) so as to take out nere one
half s'' plantation and the bigest part of the medows, it appeers to
vs to Agree well with the report of M"" John Flint & M' Joseph
Wheler who were a Commetty imployed by the County Court in
midlesexs to Run the bounds of said plantation (June y"= 20''' 82)
The plat will demonstrate how the plantation lyeth & how Groton
coms in vpon it: as allso the quaintete which is a bought 7840
acres And said Coinite are of the opinnion that ther may [be] a town
ship in that place it lying so remote from most of the neighboreng
Towns, provided this Court shall se reson to continew the bounds
as we do judg thay have been made at the first laieng out And that
ther be sum addition from Concord & Chelmsford which we are
redy to think will be complyd with by s'' Towns
And s*^ Comite do find a bought 15 famelys setled in s'' planta
tion of Nashobe (5) in Groton claim and ten in the remainder (and
4

26 BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.

3 famelys which are allredy setled on the powerses farm : were
convenient to joyn W s"* plantation and are a bought Eaight mille
to any meting-house) Also ther are a bought Eaight famelys in
Chelmsford which are allredy setled neer Nashobe line & six or
seven miles from thir own meeting house Jonathan Tyng
Thomas How
John Stearns
In the House of Representatives
Nov? 2 : 1 71 1. Read
Oct? 23, 1713- In Council
Read and accepted ; And the Indians native Proprietors of the
s* Planta"" Being removed by death Except two or Three families
only remaining Its Declared and Directed That the said Lands of
Nashoba be preserved for a Township.
And Whereas it appears That Groton Concord and Stow by sev
eral of their Inhabitants have Encroached and Setled upon the said
Lands ; This Court sees not reason to remove them to their Dam
age ; but will allow them to be and remain with other Inhabitants
that may be admitted into the Town to be there Setled ; And that
they have full Liberty when their Names and Number are deter
mined to purchase of the few Indians there remaining for the Estab
lishment of a Township accordingly.
Saving convenient Allotments and portions of Land to the re
maining Indian Inhabitants for their Setling and Planting.
1st Addington Secry.
In the House of Representatives
Octof 23'? 1 7 13. Read
[Massachusetts Archives, cxiii. 600,]
The inhabitants of Groton had now become alarmed at the
situation of affairs, fearing that the new town would take away
some of their land. Through neglect the plan of the original
grant, drawn up in the year 1668, had never been returned to
the General Court for confirmation, as was customary in such
cases ; and this fact also excited further apprehension. It
was not confirmed finally until February 10, 17 17, several
years after the incorporation of Nashobah.

NASHOBAH AND LITTLETON. 27
In the General Court Records (ix. 263) in the State Library,
under the date of June 18, 1713, it is entered: —
Upon reading a Petition of the Inhabitants of the Town of
Groton, Praying that the Return & Plat of the Surveyor of their
Township impowered by the General Court may be Accepted for
the Settlement & Ascertaining the Bounds of their Township, Ap
prehending they are likely to be prejudiced by a Survey lately taken
of the Grant of Nashoba ;
Voted a Concurrence with the Order pass'd thereon in the House
of Represent"^ That the Petitioners serve the Proprietors of Nash
oba Lands with a copy of this Petition, That they may Shew Cause,
if any they have on the second Fryday of the Session of this Court
in the Fall of the Year, Why the Prayer therof may not be granted,
& the Bounds of Groton settled according to the ancient Plat of said
Town herewith exhibited.
There are two sets of General Court Records, — one in the
State Library, and the other in the office of the Secretary of
State, — sometimes varying slightly in phraseology ; and I
have quoted from the one or the other, as seemed best for my
purpose, at the same time noting which one was used.
It is evident from the records that the Nashobah lands gave
rise to much controversy. Many petitions were presented to
the General Court, and many claims made, growing out of this
territory. The following entry is found in the General Court
Records (ix. 369) in the State Library, under the date of No
vember 2, 1714 : —
The following Order pass'd by the Represent'." Read & Con-
cur'dj viz.
Upon Consideration of the many Petitions & Claims relating to
the Land called Nashoba Land ; Ordered that the said Nashoba
Land be made a Township, with the Addition of such adjoining
Lands of the Neighbouring Towns, whose Owners shall petition for
that End, & that this Court should think fit to grant. That the said
Nashoba Lands having been long since purchased of the Indians
by M' Bulkley & Henchman one Half, the other Half by Whetcomb
& Powers, That the said purchase be confirmed to the children of
the said Bulkley, Whetcomb & Powers, & Cpt. Robert Meers as

28 .BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.
Assignee to Mf Henchman according to their respective Propor
tions ; Reserving to the Inhabitants, who have settled within those
Bounds, their Settlements with Divisions of Lands, in proportion to
the Grantees, & such as shall be hereafter admitted ; the said
Occupants or present Inhabitants paying in Proportion as others
shall pay for their Allotments ; . Provided the said Plantation
shall 'be settled with Thirty five Families & an orthodox Minister
in three years time. And that Five hundred Acres of Land be
reserved and laid out for the Benefit of any of the Descendants
of the Indian Proprietors of the said Plantation, that may be sur
viving ; A Proportion thereof to be for Sarah Doublet alias Sarah
Indian j . The Rev. Mf John Leveret & Spencer Phips Esq' to
be Trustees for the said Indians to take Care of the said reserved
Lands for their Use. And it is further Ordered that Cpt. Hope-
still Brown, Mf Timothy Wily & Mf Joseph Burnap of Reading
be a Committee to lay out the said Five hundred Acres of Land
reserved for the Indians, & to run the Line between Groton &
Nashoba, at the Charge of both Parties & make Report to this
Court, And that however the Line may divide the Land with regard
to the Township, yet the Proprietors on either side may be con
tinued in the Possession of their Improvements, paying as afore
said ; And that no Persons legal Right or Property in the said
Lands shall [be] hereby taken away or infringed.
Consented to J Dudley
The report of this committee is entered in the same volume
of General Court Records (ix. 395, 396) in which appears the
order for their appointment. The date of October 20, men
tioned in it, refers to the beginning of the session of the
Legislature, which had been continued by several prorogations
to that day.
The following Report of the Committee for Running the Line be
tween Groton & Nashoba Accepted by Representee^ Read & Con-
cur'd ; Viz.
We the Subscribers appointed a Committee by the General Court
to run the Line between Groton & Nashoba & to lay out Five hun
dred Acres of Land in said Nashoba to the the [sic] Descendants
of the Indians ; Pursuant to said Order of Court, bearing Date

NASHOBAH AND LITTLETON. 29
Octob' 20"' [November 2?] 1714, We the Subscribers return as
follows ;
That on the 30'!' of November last, we met on the Premises, &
heard the Information of the Inhabitants of Groton, Nashoba &
others of the Neighbouring Towns, referring to the Line that has
been between Groton & Nashoba &: seen several Records, out of
Groton Town Book, Sz considered other Writings, that belong to
Groton & Nashoba, & We have considered all, & We have run the
Line (Which we account is the old Line between Groton & Nash
oba ;) We began next Chelmsford Line, at a Heap of Stones, where.
We were informed, that there had been a great Pine Tree, the
Northeast Corner of Nashoba, and run Westerly by many old mark'd
Trees, to a Pine Tree standing on the Southerly End of Brown Hill
mark'd N and those marked Trees had been many times marked or
renewed, tho they do not stand in a direct or strait Line to said
Pine Tree on said Brown Hill ; And then from said Brown Hill we
turned a little to the East of the South, & run to a white Oak being
an old Mark, & so from said Oak to a Pitch Pine by a Meadow,
being an other old Mark ; & the same Line extended to a white Oak
near the North east Corner of Stow : And this is all, as we were in
formed, that Groton & Nashoba joins together : Notwithstanding
the Committees Opinion is, that Groton Men be continued in their
honest Rights, tho they fall within the Bounds of Nashoba ; And
We have laid out to the Descendants of the Indians Five hundred
Acres at the South east Corner of the Plantation of Nashoba ; East
side, Three hundred Poles long. West side three hundred Poles,
South & North ends. Two hundred & eighty Poles broad ; A large
white Oak marked at the North west Corner, & many Line Trees
we marked at the West side & North End, & it takes in Part of two
Ponds. Dated Decemf 14. 17 14. Hopestill Brown
Timothy Wily
Joseph Burnap
Consented to J Dudley.
The incorporation of Nashobah on November 2, 1714, set
tled many of the disputes connected with the lands ; but on
December 3 of the next year, the name was changed frora
Nashobah to Littleton. As already stated, the plan of the

30 BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.
original Groton grant had never been returned by the proprie
tors to the General Court for confirmation ; and this neglect
had acted to their prejudice. After Littleton had been set
off, the town of Groton undertook to repair the injury and
make up the loss. John Shepley and John Ames were ap
pointed agents to bring about the necessary confirmation by
the General Court. It is an interesting fact to know that in
their petition (General Court Records, x. 216, February 11,
171 7, in the office of the Secretary of State) they speak of
having in their possession at that time the original plan of the
town, made by Danforth in the year 1668, though it was
somewhat defaced. In the language of the Records, it was
said to be " with the Petitioner," which expression in the
singular number may have been intentional, referring to John
Shepley, probably the older one, as certainly the more influen
tial, of the two agents. This plan was also exhibited before
the General Court on June 18, 1713, according to the Records
(ix. 263) of that date.
The case, as presented by the agents, was as follows : —
A petition of John Sheply & John Ames Agents for the Town of
Groton Shewing that the General Assembly of the Province did in
the year 1655, Grant unto Mf Dean Winthrop & his Associates a
Tract of Land of Eight miles quare for a Plantation to be called
by the name of Groton, that Thomf & Jonathan Danforth did in
the year 1668, lay out the said Grant, but the Plat thereof through
Neglect was not returned to the Court for Confirmation that the
said Plat tho something defaced is with the Petitioner, That in the
Year 1713 Mf Samuel Danforth Surveyour & Son ofthe abovesaid
Jonathan Danforth, at the desire of the said Town of Groton did
run the Lines & make an Implatment of the said Township laid
out as before & found it agreeable to the former. W!" last Plat the
Petitioners do herewith exhibit. And pray that this Hon''!= Court
would allow & confirm the same as the Township of Groton
In the House of Represent^ Feb. 10. 1717. Read, Read a second
time. And Ordered that the Prayer of the Petition be so far granted
that the Plat herewith exhibited (Altho not exacdy conformable to
the Original Grant of Eight Miles quare) be accounted, accepted &
Confirmed as the Bounds of the Township of Groton in all parts.

NASHOBAH AND LITTLETON. 3 1
Except where the said Township bounds on the Township of Little
ton, Where the Bounds shall be & remain between the Towns as
already stated & settled by this Court, And that this Order shall
not be understood or interpreted to alter or infringe the Right &
Title which any Inhabitant or Inhabitants of either of the said
Towns have or ought to have to Lands in either of the said
Townships In Council, Read & Concur'd,
Consented to Sam"-^ Shute
[General Court Records (x. 216), February 11, 1717, in the office of the
Secretary of State.]

III.

GROTON GORE AND THE PROVINCIAL LINE.

The proprietors of Groton felt sore at the loss of their terri
tory along the Nashobah line in the year 1714, though it
would seem without reason. They had neglected to have the
plan of their grant confirmed by the proper authorities at
the proper time; and no one was to blame for this oversight
but themselves. In the autumn of 1734 they represented to
the General Court that in the laying out of the original plan
tation no allowance had been made for prior grants in the
same territory, and that in settling the line with Littleton
they had lost more than four thousand acres of land ; and in
consideration of these facts they petitioned for an unappro
priated gore of land lying between Dunstable and Townsend.
The necessary steps for bringing the matter before the
General Court at this time were taken at a town meeting,
held on July 25, 1734. It was then stated that the town had
lost more than twenty-seven hundred and eighty-eight acres
by the encroachment of Littleton line ; and that two farms
had been laid out within the plantation before it was granted
to the proprietors. Under these circumstances Benjamin
Prescott was authorized to present the petition to the General
Court, setting forth the true state of the case and all the facts
connected with it. The two farms alluded to were Major
Simon Willard's, situated at Nonacoicus, or Coicus, now within

r

'\

\

! Hoiind/irv bf

\ [

T o \|yv PM !
\
GROTON GORE AND THE PROVINCIAL LINE. 33
the limits of Ayer, and Ralph Reed's, in the neighborhood of
the Ridges ; so Mr. Butler told me several years before his
death, giving Judge James Prescott as his authority, and I
carefully wrote it down at the time. The statement is con
firmed by the report of a committee on the petition of Josiah
Sartell, made to the House of Representatives, on June 13,
1 77 1. Willard's farm, however, was not laid out before the
original plantation was granted, but in the spring of 1657,
two years after the grant. At that time Danforth had not
made his plan of the plantation, which fact may have given
rise to the misapprehension. Ralph Reed was one of the
original proprietors of the town, and owned a fifteen-acre
right ; but I do not find that any land was granted him by
the General Court. Major Willard's farm comprised five hun
dred acres, according to the grant, but probably it was surveyed
with the looseness and liberality of that period. Its shape can
. still be traced, in part, by the irregular boundary of the town
of Ayer, along the western half of its southern border.
It has been incorrectly supposed, and more than once so
stated in print, that the gore of land petitioned for by Benja
min Prescott lay in the territory now belonging to Pepperell ;
but this is a mistake. The only unappropriated land between
Dunstable and Townsend, as asked for in the petition, lay in
the angle made by the western boundary of Dunstable and
the northern boundary of Townsend ; and here it was granted.
A reference to the accompanying map will show its situation;
and furthermore it will throw a little light on Mr. Ithamar
Bard Sawtelle's remark, in his History (page 50), that the
town of Townsend had no northeast corner until the year
1 74 1, when the new Provincial line was run. Before this time
there had been some dispute in regard to the northeast corner,
which was by no means well defined. At that period Dun
stable was a very large township, and included within its
territory several modern towns, lying mostly in New Hamp
shire. The manuscript records of the General Court define
very clearly the lines of the Gore, and leave no doubt in regard
to it. It lay within the present towns of Mason, Brookline,
S

34 BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.

Wilton, Milford, and Greenville, New Hampshire. Benjamin
Prescott was at the time a member of the General Court, and
the most influential man in town. His petition was presented
to the House of Representatives on November 28, 1734, and
referred to a committee, which made a report thereon a fort
night later. They are as follows : —
A Petition of Benjamin Prescot, Esq ; Representative of the Town
of Groton, and in behalf of the Proprietors of the said Town, shew
ing that the General Court in May 1655, in answer to the Petition of
Mr. Dean Winthrop and others, were pleased to grant the Petition
ers a tract of Land of the contents of eight miles square, the Plan
tation to be called Groton, that in taking a Plat of the said tract
there was no allowance made for prior Grants &c. by means whereof
and in settling the Line with Littleton Anno 1715, or thereabouts,
the said Town of Groton falls short more than four thousand acres
of the Original Grant, praying that the said Proprietors may obtain
a Grant of what remains undisposed of of a Gore of Land lying be
tween Dunstable and Townshend, or an equivalent elsewhere of the
Province Land. Read and Ordered, That Col. Chandler, Capt.
Blanchard, Capt. Hobson, Major Epes, and Mr. Hale, be a Com
mittee to take this Petition under consideration, and report what
may be proper for the Court to do in answer thereto.
[Journal o£ the House of Representatives (page 94), November 28, 1734.]
Col. Chandler from the Committee appointed the 28M. ult. to
consider the Petition of Benjainin Prescot, Esq ; in behalf of the
Proprietors of Groton, made report, which was read and accepted,
and in answer to this Petition, Voted, That a Grant of ten thousand
eight hundred acres of the Lands lying in the Gore between Dun
stable and Totvnshend, be and hereby is made to the Proprietors of
the Town of Groton, as an equivalent for what was taken from them
by Littleton and Coyachus or Willard's Parm (being about two acres
and a half for one) and is in full satisfaction thereof, and that the
said Proprietors be and hereby are allowed and impowred by a
Surveyor and Chain-men on Oath to survey and lay out the said
ten thousand eight hundred acres in the said Gore, and return a
Plat thereof to this Court within twelve months for confirmation to
them their heirs and assigns respectively. Sent up for Concurrence.
[Journal o£ the House of Representatives (page 119), December 12, 1734.]

GROTON GORE AND THE PROVINCIAL LINE. 35
The proprietors of Groton had a year's time allowed them,
in which they could lay out the grant, but they appear to have
taken fifteen months for the purpose. The record of the
grant is as follows : —
A Memorial of Benj'' Prescott Esq : Represent" of the Town of
Groton in behalf of the Proprietors there, praying that the Votes
of the House on his Memorial & a plat of Ten Thousand Eight
hundred Acres of Land, lately Granted to the said Proprietors, as
Entred in the House the 25 of March last, may be Revived and
Granted, The bounds of which Tract of Land as Mentioned on the
said Plat are as follows vizf ; begining at the North West Corner of
Dunstable at Dram Cup hill by Sohegan River and Runing South
in Dunstable line last Perambulated and Run by a Com""" of the
General Court, two Thousand one hundred & fifty two poles to
Townshend line, there making an angle, and Runing West 31 1-2
Deg. North on Townshend line & province Land Two Thousand
and Fifty Six poles to a Pillar of Stones then turning and Runing
by Province Land 31 1-2 deg North two Thousand & forty Eight
poles to Dunstable Corner first mentioned
In the House of Represents Read & Ordered that the prayer of
the Memorial be Granted, and further that the within Plat as Re
formed and Altered by Jonas Houghton Survey' be and hereby is
accepted and the Lands therein Delineated and Described (Except
ing the said One Thousand Acres belonging to Cambridge School
Farm and therein included) be and hereby are Confirmed to the
Proprietors of the Town of Groton their heirs and Assignes Respec-
tivly forever. According to their Several Interests ; Provided the
same do not interfere with any former Grant of this Court nor Ex
ceeds the Quantity of Eleven thousand and Eight hundred Acres
and the Committee for the Town of Ipswich are Allowed and Im
powred to lay out such quantity of Land on their West line as is
Equivalent to what is taken off their East line as aforesaid, and Re
turn a plat thereof to this Court within twelve Months for confirma
tion. In Council Read & Concurr'd. Consented to J Belcher
And in Answer to the said Memorial of Benj* Prescott Esq'
In the House of Representf Ordered that the prayer of the
Memorial be Granted and the Com'^^ for the new Township Granted

36 BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.
to some of the Inhabitants of Ipswich are hereby Allowed to lay
out an Equivalent on the West line of the said New Township
Accordingly In Council Read & Concurr'd Consented to J Belcher
[General Court Records (xvi. 334), June 15, 1736, in the office of the Secre
tary of State.]
This grant, now made to the proprietors of Groton, inter
fered with the territory previously given in April, 1735, to
certain inhabitants of Ipswich ; but the mistake was soon
rectified, as appears by the following : —
¦ Voted, That one thousand seven hundred Acres of the unappro
priated Lands of the Province be and hereby is given and granted
to the Proprietors or Grantees of the Township lately granted to
sixty Inhabitants of the Town of Ipswich, as an Equivalent for
about that quantity being taken off their Plat by the Proprietors of
the Common Lands of Groton, and that the Ipswich Grantees be
allowed to lay out the same on the Northern or Westerly Line of
the said new Township or on both sides. Sent up for Concurrence.
[Journal of the House of Representatives (page 108), January 12, 1736.]
The record of the grant clearly marks the boundaries of
Groton Gore, and by it they can easily be identified. Dram
Cup Hill, near Souhegan River, the old northwest corner of
Dunstable, is in the present town of Milford, New Hamp
shire. From that hill the line ran south for six or seven miles,
following the western boundary of Dunstable, until it came to
the old Townsend line ; then it turned and ran northwesterly
six miles or more, when turning again it made for the original
starting-place at Dunstable northwest corner. These lines
enclosed a triangidar district which became known as Groton
Gore ; in fact, the word gore means a lot of land of triangular
shape. This territory is now entirely within the State of
New Hampshire, lying mostly in Mason, but partly m Brook
line, Wilton, Milford, and Greenville. It touches in no place
the tract, hitherto erroneously supposed to comprise the Gore.

GROTON GORE AND THE PROVINCIAL LINE. 37
It was destined, however, to remain only a few years in the
possession of the proprietors ; but during this short period it
was used by them for pasturing cattle. Mr. John Boynton
Hill, in his History of the Town of Mason, New Hampshire,
says : —
Under this grant, the inhabitants of Groton took possession of,
and occupied the territory. It was their custom to cut the hay
upon the meadows, and stack it, and early in the spring to send up
their young cattle to be fed upon the hay, under the care of Boad,
the negro slave. They would cause the woods to be fired, as it was
called, that is, burnt over in the spring ; after which fresh and suc
culent herbage springing up, furnished good store of the finest feed,
upon which the cattle would thrive and fatten through the season.
Boad's camp was upon the east side of the meadow, near the
residence of the late Joel Ames. (Page 26.)
In connection with the loss of the gore, a brief statement
of the boundary question between Massachusetts and New
Hampshire is here given.
During many years the dividing line between these two
Provinces was the subject of controversy. The cause of dis
pute dated back to the time when the original grant was made
to the Colony of Massachusetts Bay. The charter was drawn
up in England at a period when little was known in regard to
the interior bf this country ; and the boundary lines, necessa
rily, were somewhat indefinite. The Merrimack River was
an important factor in fixing the limits of the grant, as the
northern boundary of Massachusetts was to be a line three
miles north of any and every part of it. At the date of the
charter, the general direction of the river was not known, but
it was incorrectly assumed to be easterly and westerly. As a
matter of fact, the course of the Merrimack is southerly, for
a long distance from where it is formed by the union of the
Winnepesaukee and the Pemigewasset Rivers, and then it
turns and runs twenty-five or thirty miles in a northeasterly
direction to its mouth ; and this deflexion in the current caused
the dispute. The difference between the actual and the sup-

38 BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.

posed direction was a matter of little practical importance so
long as the neighboring territory remained unsettled, or so
long as the two Provinces were essentially under one govern
ment ; but as the population increased it became an exciting
and vexatious question. Towns were chartered by Massachu
setts in territory claimed by New Hampshire, and this action
led to bitter feeling and provoking legislation. Massachusetts
contended for the land " nominated in the bond," which would
carry the line fifty miles northward into the very heart of New
Hampshire ; and on the other hand that Province strenuously
opposed this view of the case, and claimed that the line should
run, east and west, three miles north of the mouth of the
river. At one time, a royal commission was appointed to con
sider the subject, but their labors produced no satisfactory
result. At last the matter was carried to England for a deci
sion, which was rendered by the king on March 5, 1739-40.
His judgment was final, and in favor of New Hampshire. It
gave that Province not only all the territory in dispute, but a
strip of land fourteen miles in width, lying along her south
ern border, mostly west of the Merrimack, which she had
never claimed. This strip was the tract of land between the
line running east and west, three miles north of the southern
most trend of the river, and a similar line three miles north
of its mouth. By the decision twenty-eight townships were
taken from Massachusetts and transferred to New Hampshire.
The settlement of this disputed question was undoubtedly a
public benefit, although it caused, at the time, a great deal of
hard feeling. In establishing the new boundary, Pawtucket
Falls, situated now in the city of Lowell, and near the most
southern portion of the river's course, was taken as the start
ing-place ; and the line which now separates the two States
was run west, three miles north of this point. It was surveyed
officially in the spring of i74i,with reference to the settlement
of this dispute.
The new boundary passed through the original Groton
Plantation, cutting off" a triangular portion of its territory,
now within the limits of Nashua, and a very small corner of

GROTON GORE AND THE PROVINCIAL LINE. 39
Hollis, and went to the southward of Groton Gore, leaving
that tract of land wholly in New Hampshire.
On June 3, 1771, thirty years after the Gore had been
lost by the running of the Provincial line, the proprietors of
the town held a meeting, and appointed Lieutenant Josiah
Sawtell, Colonel John Bulkley, and Lieutenant Nathaniel Par
ker a committee to petition the General Court for a grant of
land to make up for this loss. They presented the matter to
that body on June 7, and the following entry in the records
gives the result : —
The Committee on the Petition of Josiah Sartel, and others,
reported. Read and accepted, and Whereas it appears to this Court, Thai
the Proprietors aforesaid, had a Grant made to them by the General
Court in April 1735, of Ten Thousand, Eight Hundred Acres of
Land, in Consideration of Land taken from said Groton by Littleton,
Major Willard and Read's Farms being prior Grants, and for their
extraordinary Stiffering in the former Indian Wars ; and in June
1736 said Grant wets confirmed to said Proprietors, since which Time,
the said Proprietors have been entirely dispossessed of said Land by the
running of the Line between this Province and New-Hampshire :
And whereas it appears there has been no Co?npensation made to the
said Proprietors of Groton, for the Lands lost as aforesaid, excepting
Three Thousand Acres granted in November last, to James Prescot,
William Prescot, and Oliver Prescot for their Proportion thereof.
Therefore Resolved, That in Lieu thereof, there be granted to the
Proprietors of Groton, their Heirs and Assigns forever. Seven Thou
sand and Eight Hundred Acres of the unappropriated Lands belong
ing to this Province, in the Western Part of the Province, to be
layed out adjoining to some former Grant, and that they return a
Plan thereof, taken by a Surveyor and Chainmen under Oath into
the Secretary's Office, within twelve Months for Confirmation.
Sent up for Concurrence.
[Journal ofthe House of Representatives (page 44), June 13, 1771,]
These conditions, as recommended by the report of the
committee, appear to have been fulfilled, and a grant was
accordingly made. It lay on the eastern border of Berkshire

40 BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.
County, just south of the central part, and was described as
follows : —
The Committee on a Plan of a Tract of Land granted to the
Proprietors of Groton, reported.
Read and accepted, and Resolved, That the Plan hereunto an
nexed, containing three Thousand nine Hundred and sixty Acres of
Province Land, laid out in Part to satisfy a Grant made by the
Great and General Court at their Sessions in June 177 1, to the
Proprietors of Groton, in Lieu of Land they lost by the late run
ning of the New-Hampshire Line, as mention'd in their Petition,
laid out in the County of Berkshire, and is bounded as followeth,
viz. Beginning at a Burch Tree and Stones laid round it the South
west Corner of Tyringham-Equivaletit Lands standing on the East
Branch of Farmington River ; then North eighteen Degrees East in
the West Line of said Equivalent five Hundred and sixty-one Rods
to a small Beach Tree and Stones laid round it, which Tree is the
Southeast Corner of a Grant of Land called Woolcufs Grant ; then
running West eighteen Degrees North in the South Line of said
Grant two Hundred and forty Rods to a Beach Tree marked I. W.
and Stones laid round it, which is the Southwest Corner of said
Grant ; then running North eighteen Degrees East in the West Line
of said Grant four Hundred Rods to a Heap of Stones which is the
Northwest Corner of said Grant ; then running East eighteen De
grees South two Hundred and forty Rods in the North Line. of said
Grant to a large Hemlock Tree and Stones laid round it, which is
the Northeast Corner of said Grant ; it is also the Northwest Cor
ner of said Equivalent, and the Southwest Corner of a Grant called
Taylor's Grant ; then running North eighteen Degrees East one
Hundred and sixty Rods in the West Line of said Taylor's Grant to
the Northwest Corner of the same ; then running East nine Degrees
South in the Line of said Taylor's Grant eight Hundred Rods to a
Stake and Stones standing in the West Line of Blanford, marked
W. T. then running North eighteen Degrees East in said Blanford
West Line five Hundred and thirty Rods to a Beach Tree and
Stones laid round it which is the Northwest Corner of said Blanford;
then running East ten Degrees South forty-two Rods in the North
Line of said Blanford to a Stake and Stones which is the Southwest
Corner of Merryfeld; then running North ten Degrees East in said
Merryfield West Line three Hundred and three Rods to a Heap of

GROTON GORE AND THE PROVINCIAL LINE. 41
Stones the Southeast Corner of Becket ; then running West two De
grees South in said Becket South Line four Hundred and twenty-six
Rods to the Northeast Corner of a Grant of Land called Belcher's
Grant ; then running South in the East Line of said Belcher's Grant
two Hundred and sixteen Rods to a small Maple Tree marked
T. R, which is the Northwest Corner of a Grant of Land called
Rand's Grant ; then running East in the North Line of said Rand's
Grant two Hundred and fifty Rods to a Hemlock Pole and Stones
laid round it, which is the Northeast Corner of said Rand's Grant ;
then running South in the East Line of said Rand's Grant three
Hundred and thirty-one Rods to a Hemlock Tree marked and
Stones laid round it, which is the Southeast Corner of said Rand's
Grant ; then running West in the South Line of said Rand's Grant
two Hundred and fifty Rods to a Beach Pole marked T. R. the
Southwest Corner of said Rand's Grant ; then running North in the
West Line of said Rand's Grant eighty-three Rods to the Southeast
Corner of said Belcher's Grant ; then running West bounding North
three Hundred and forty-eight on said Belcher's Grant and four
Hundred and fifty-three Rods on a Grant called Chandler's Grant,
then running North on the West Line of said Chandler's Grant four
Hundred and sixty to said Becket's South Line ; then running West
in said Becket South Line twenty Rods to a Stake and Stones the
North West Corner of additional Lands belonging to the Four
Housatonick Townships ; then running South two Degrees West
one Thousand four Hundred and eighty-eight Rods in the East
Line of said additional Lands to the Place where the said East Line
crosses said Farmington River ; then Southerly or down Stream
three Hundred and thirty Rods to the first Bounds, bounding West
erly on said River, be accepted, and is hereby accepted and con
firmed unto the Proprietors of Groton aforesaid, their Heirs and
Assigns forever. Provided the same doth not exceed the Quantity
aforementioned, nor interfere with any former Grant.
Sent up for Concurrence.
[Journal ofthe House of Representatives (pages 182, 183), April 24, 1772.]
I am unable to say how or when this territory was disposed
of by the proprietors. Seven or eight years before this time,
James, William, and Oliver Prescott, acting for themselves as
extensive owners, had petitioned the General Court for a tract
6

42 BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.
of land to make up their own losses. They were the sons of
the Honorable Benjamin Prescott, through whose influence
and agency the original Groton Gore was granted, and they
were also the largest proprietors of the town. The following
extracts from the Journal of the House relate to their appli
cation : —
A Petition of James Prescot, and others. Children and Heirs of
Benjamin Prescot, late of Groton, Esq ; deceased, praying a Grant
of the unappropriated Lands of this Province, in consideration of
sundry Tracts which they have lost by the late running of the Line
between this Government and New-Hampshire.
Read and committed to Col. Clap, Col. Nichols, Col. Williams
of Roxbury, Col. Buckminster, and Mr. Lancaster, to consider and
Report. [Journal of the House of Representatives (page 187), January 12, 1764,]
On February 3, 1764, this petition was put over to the May
session, though I do not find that it came up then for consid
eration. It does not appear again for some years.
A Petition of James Prescot, Esq; and others, praying that a
Grant of Land may be made them in Lieu of a former Grant, which
falls within the New-Hampshire Line.
[Journal ofthe House of Representatives (page 129), November 2, 1770.]
This petition was referred to a committee consisting of Dr.
Samuel Holten, of Danvers, Colonel Joseph Gerrish, of New
bury, and Mr. Joshua Bigelow, of Worcester.
The Committee on the Petition of James Prescot, Esqj and
others, reported.
Read and accepted, and Resolved, That in Lieu of Lands men
tioned in the Petition, there be granted to the Petitioners, their
Heirs and Assigns, Four Thousand Four Hundred Acres of the un
appropriated Lands belonging to the Province, to be laid out in the
Westerly Part thereof, adjoining to some former Grants, provided
they can find the same; or Five Thousand Eight Hundred and
Eighty Acres of the unappropriated Lands lying on the Easterly

GROTON GORE AND THE PROVINCIAL LINE. 43
side of Saco River ; it being their Proportion in said Grant : And
return a Plan thereof taken by a Surveyor and Chainmen under
Oath, into the Secretary's Office within Twelve Months.
Sent up for Concurrence.
[Journal of the House of Representatives (page 156), November 14, 1770.]
The Committee appointed to consider the Plan of two Tracts of
Land granted to James Prescot, Esq ; and others, reported.
Read and accepted. Resolved, That both the above Plans, the
one containing Four Thousand one Hundred and thirty Acres, the
other containing two Hundred and seventy Acres, delineated and
described as is set forth by the Surveyor in the Description thereof
hereunto annexed, be accepted, and hereby is confirmed to James
Prescot, Esq ; and others named in their Petition, and to their Heirs
and Assigns in Lieu of and full Satisfaction for Four Thousand
four Hundred Acres of Land lost by the late running of the Line
between this Province and New-Hampshire, as mention'd in a Grant
made by both Houses of the Assembly, A. D. 1765, but not con
sented to by the Governor. Provided both said Plans together do
not exceed the Quantity of Four Thousand four Hundred Acres,
nor interfere with any former Grant. Sent up for Concurrence.
[Journal of the House of Representatives (pages 73, 74), June 22, 1771,]
It is evident from these reports that the Prescott brothers
took the forty-four hundred acres in the westerly part of the
Province, rather than the fifty-eight hundred and eighty acres
on the easterly side of the Saco River, though I have been un
able to identify, beyond a doubt, the tract of land thus granted.
Perhaps the smaller parcel was the one mentioned in the
Memorial of the One Hundredth Anniversary of the Incorpo
ration of Middlefield, Massachusetts, August 15, 1883. The
town is situated on the westerly border of Hampshire County,
forming a jog into Berkshire, and was made up in part
of Prescott's grant. A map is given in the " Memorial " vol
ume (page 16) which shows that the grant was originally in
Berkshire County, very near the tract of land given to the
proprietors of Groton.

44 BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.
Professor Edward Payson Smith, of Worcester, delivered an
historical address on the occasion of the anniversary, and he
says : —
Prescott's Grant, the nucleus of the town, appears as a large
quadrilateral, containing more than a thousand acres in the north
and west part of the town. Who the Prescott was to whom the
grant was made is not known, further than that he must have been
some one who had rendered military or other services to the State.
That he was the Prescott who commanded at Bunker Hill is, indeed,
possible ; but, as the grant was probably made before the Revolu
tionary War, that supposition seems hardly tenable. (Page 15.)

IV.

WESTFORD AND HARVARD.
In the early autumn the original plantation had suffered
further dismemberment, when a slice of its territory was given
to Westford. It was a long and narrow tract of land, trian
gular in shape, with its base resting on Stony Brook Pond,
now known as Forge Pond, and coming to a point near Mill
stone Hill, where the boundary lines of Groton, Westford,
and Tyngsborough intersect. The Reverend Edwin Ruth-
ven Hodgman, in his History of Westford, says : —
Probably there was no computation of the area of this triangle
at any time. Only four men are named as the owners of it, but
they, it is supposed, held titles to only a portion, and the remainder
was wild, or "common," land. (Page 25.)
In the Journal of the House of Representatives (page 9),
September 10, 1730, there is recorded, in connection with this
transfer of territory, —
A Petition of Jonas Prescot, Ebenezer Prescot, Abner Kent, and
Ebenezer Townsend, Inhabitants of the Town of Groton, praying,
That they and their Estates, contained in the following Boundaries,
viz. beginning at the Northwesterly Corner of Stony Brook Pond,
from thence extending to the Northwesterly Corner of Westford,
commonly called Tyn^s Corner, and so bound Southerly by said
Pond, may be set off to the Town of Westford, for Reasons men
tioned. Read and Ordered, That the Petitioners within named,

46 BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.

with their Estates, according to the Bounds before recited, be and
hereby are to all Intents and Purposes set off from the Town of
Groton, and annexed to the said Town of Westford.
Sent up for Concurrence.
This order received the concurrence of the Council, and
was signed by the Governor, on the same day that it passed
the House.
During this period the town of Harvard was incorporated.
It was made up from portions of Groton, Lancaster, and Stow,
and the engrossed Act signed by the Governor, on June 29,
1732. The petition for the township was presented to the
General Court nearly two years before the date of incorpora
tion. In the Journal of the House of Representatives (pages
84, 85), October 9, 1730, it is recorded : —
A Petition of Jonas Houghton, Simon Stone, Jonathan Whitney,
and Thomas Wheeler, on behalf of themselves, and on behalf and
at the desire of sundry of the Inhabitants on the extream parts of
the Towns of Lancaster, Groton and Stow, named in the Schedule
thereunto annexed ; praying. That a Tract of Land (with the Inhab
itants thereon, particularly described and bounded in said Petition)
belonging to the Towns above-mentioned, may be incorporated and
erected into a distinct Township, agreeable to said Bounds, for
Reasons mentioned. Read, together with the said Schedule, and
Ordered, That the Petitioners serve the Towns of Lancaster, Groton
and Stow with Copies of the Petition, that they may shew Cause
(if any they have) on the first Thursday of the next Session, why
the Prayer thereof may not be granted. Sent up for Concurrence.
Further on, in the same Journal (page 136), December 29,
1730, it is also recorded : —
The Petition of Jonas Houghton, Simon Stone, and others, pray
ing as entred the gth. of October last. Read again, together with
the Answers of the Towns of Lancaster, Groton and Stow, and
Ordered, That Maj. Brattle and Mr. Samuel Chandler, with such as
the Honourable Board shall appoint, be a Committee, (at the
Charge of the Petitioners) to repair to the Land Petitioned for to

WESTFORD AND HARVARD, 47
be a Township, that they carefully view and consider the Situation
and Circumstances of the Petitioners, and Report their Opinion
what may be proper for this Court to do in Answer thereto, at their
next Session. Sent up for Concurrence.
Ebenezer Burrel Esq ; brought down from the Honourable Board,
the Report of the Committee appointed by this Court the 30th of
December last, to take under Consideration the Petition of Jonas
Houghton and others, in behalf of themselves and sundry of the
Inhabitants of the Eastern part of the Towns of Lancaster, Groton
and Stow, praying that they may be erected into a separate Town
ship. Likewise a Petition of Jacob Houghton and others, of the
North-easterly part of the Town of Lancaster, praying the like. As
also a Petition of sundry of the Inhabitants of the South-west part
of the North-east Quarter of the Township of Lancaster, praying
they may be continued as they are. Pass'd in Council, viz. In
Council, June 21, 1731. Read, and Ordered, That this Report be
accepted. Sent down for Concurrence. Read and Concurred.
[Journal of the House of Representatives (page 52), June 22, 1731.]
The original copy of the petition for Harvard is now lost ;
but in the first volume (page 53) of "Ancient Plans Grants
&c." among the Massachusetts Archives, there is a rough plan
of the town, with a list of the petitioners, which may be the
" Schedule " referred to in the extract from the printed Jour
nal. It appears from this document that, in forming the new
town, forty-eight hundred and thirty acres of land were taken
from the territory of Groton ; and with the tract were nine
families, including six by the name of Farnsworth. This region
comprised the district known, even now, as the Old Mill,
where Jonas Prescott had, as early as the year 1667, a mill
for grinding and sawing. The heads of these families were
Jonathan Farnsworth, Eleazer Robbins, Simon Stone, Jr., Jona
than Farnsworth, Jr., Jeremiah Farnsworth, Eleazer Davis,
Ephraim Farnsworth, Reuben Farnsworth, and Daniel Farns
worth, who had petitioned the General Court to be set oflf
from Groton. On this plan of Harvard the names of John

48 BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.
Burk, John Burk, Jr., and John Davis, appear in opposition to
Houghton's petition. Statistics also are given relating to
Lancaster and Stow.
Eleazer Davis, one of the petitioners, was in the famous
Lovewell's Fight, on May 8, 1725, at Pequawket, now within
the limits of Fryeburg, Maine. In the Journal of the House
of Representatives (page 42), June 15, 1738, is entered: —
A Petition of Eleazer Davis of Harvard in the County of Wor
cester, praying the Consideration of the Court on Account of his Suf
ferings and Services, particularly the Wounds and Smart received
in the Fight under the Command of the late Capt. Lovewell, against
the Indian Enemy at Pigwacket.
Read and Ordered, That John Russell, and Robert Hale, Esqrs ;
Mr. Moodey, and Mr. Terry, be a Committee to consider the said
Petition, and report what may be proper to be done thereon.
On the following day Mr. Russell, the chairman of the
Committee, reported an order that —
The Sum of four Pounds per Annum of the new tenor Bills, be
granted and allowed to be paid out of the publick Treasury for the
space of five Years to the Petitioner Eleazer Davis, to commence
from the first Day of this Instant June, by way of Stipend or Pen
sion, on Account of the Wounds and Smart received as within
mentioned. Sent up for concurrence.
Another paper relating to the town of Harvard is the fol
lowing memorial, which is, without doubt, substantially the
same as the original petition, now lost : —
To his Excellency Jonathan Belcher Esqf Cap' General and Gov-
ernour in Chief The Hon''!^ The Council and the Honourable House
of Representatives of His Majestys Province of the Massachusetts
Bay in New England in General Court Assembled by Adjournment
Decembf 16 1730
The Memorial of Jonas Haughton Simon Stone Jonathan Whit
ney and Thomas Wheeler Humbly Sheweth
That upon their Petition to this Great and Honourable Court in
October last [the 9th] praying that a Certain Tract of Land belong-

WESTFORD AND HARVARD. 49
ing to Lancaster Stow and Groton with the Inhabitants thereon may
be Erected into a Distinct and Seperate Township (and for Reasons
therein Assigned) your Excellency and Honours were pleased to
Order that the petitioners Serve The Towns of Lancaster Groton
and Stow with a Copy of their said Petition that they may shew
Cause if any they have on the first Thursday of the next Sessions
why the prayers thereof may not be granted
And for as much as this great and Hon"^!^ Court now Sitts by Ad
journment and the next Session may be very Remote And your
Memorialists have attended the Order of this Hon'^!° Court in serv
ing the said Several Towns with Copys of the said Petition And the
partys are now attending and Desirous the hearing thereon may be
brought forward y'' former order of this Hon' Court notwithstanding
They therefore most humbly pray your Excellency & Honours
woulc^ be pleased to Cause the hearing to be had this present Ses
sion and that a Certain day may be assigned for the same as your
Excellency & Honours in your great wisdom & Justice shall see
meet. And your Memorialists as in Duty bound Shall Ever pray
Jonas Houghton
Simon Stoon Juner
Jonathan Whitney
Thomas Wheler
In the House of Rep"™^ Dec' 17 1730 Read and in Answer to
this Petition Ordered That the Pet'.^ give Notice to the Towns of
Lancaster Groton and Stow or their Agents that they give in their
Answer on the twenty ninth Instf why the Prayer of the Petition
within referred to may not be granted
Sent up for Concurrence J Quincy Sp''.'
In Council Dec. 18, 1730; Read and Concur'd J Willard Secry
[Massachusetts Archives, cxiv. 6-8.]
In the Journal of the House of Representatives (page 45)
June 29, 1732, the following entry is made : —
A Bill Entitled An Act for erecting a new Town within the County
of Worcester by the Name of Harvard. 7

so BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.
By this Act the town was incorporated, and so named in
honor of the founder of Harvard College, probably at the sug
gestion of Jonathan Belcher, Governor of the Province at that
time, and a graduate of the college. The engrossed Act on
parchment is still preserved in the office of the Secretary of
State, and the following is a copy. It will be noticed, how
ever, that the name of the town is left blank, except in the
title, where it was written by Secretary Willard. It was not
unusual in this kind of legislation at that period to leave the
name of a town blank in the Act of Incorporation, when it
passed the General Court ; and subsequently it was filled in
by the Governor, or at his order : —
Anno Regni Regis Georgii Secundi Quinto & Sexto ^
An Act for erecting a New Town within the county of Worcester,
by the name of Harvard
Whereas the Inhabitants of the extream parts of the Towns of
Lancaster Groton and Stow have laboured under much difficulty
and inconvenience by reason of their remoteness from the places of
publick Worship in the Towns to which they respectively belong, &
have supported the Cost and Charge of preaching among them for
several years past without any Consideration from their Towns, and
have addressed this Court for Relief, & that they may be set off a
distinct township by themselves
Be it therefore Enacted by His Excellency the Governour, Coun
cil and Representatives in General Court assembled & by the au
thority of the same that the Lands in the extream parts of the
Towns of Lancaster Groton and Stow as the same are hereafter
bounded and described be and hereby are Set off, & Constituted a
seperate & distinct Township by the name of Harvard vizf begin
ing at the Southerly End of the Causeway, near the House of Sam
uel Wilson in Lancaster and from thence running North West and
by West till the line meets with Lancaster [Nashua] River, & from
said Cause Way running South East & by East to Lancaster East
bounds then running Northerly in the East Bounds of Lancaster till
it comes to Beaver Brook, then bounding on said Brook till it comes
to Littleton Bounds, and then running on said Littleton fine near to
the Northwest corner thereof vizt. so far as that a West North West

WESTFORD AND HARVARD. 51
Line shall leave the dwelling house of James Stone in Groton six
perch to the Northward, and continuing the same Course to Lan
caster River aforesaid, excepting Coyacus ffarm or so much thereof
as shall fall within the bounds above said ; and to bound West on
said River and that the Inhabitants of the said lands as before
bounded and described be and hereby are vested with all the powers
privileges and Immunities which the Inhabitants of any Town in this
province are or by Law ought to be vested with
provided that the ffreeholders and other Inhabitants of the said
Town Settle a learned and Orthodox Minister among them within
the space of two years and also erect an House for the publick
Worship of God
and Be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid that the
aforesaid Town of be and hereby is Declared to be
within the County of Worcester, Any Law Usage or Custom to
the contrary notwithstanding
1732 June 20'!' This Bill having been read three several times in
the House of Representatives passed to be Enacted
1732 June 2i=? J Quincy Sp""
1732 June 29 This Bill having been read three several Times in
Cotmcil passed to be Enacted J Willard Secry
By His Excellency the Govern'
June 29, 1732 I consent to the Enacting of this Bill J Belcher
The next dismemberment of the Groton grant took place in
the winter of 1738-39, when a parcel of land was set off to
Littleton. I do not find a copy of the petition for this change,
but from Mr. Sartell's communication it seems to have re
ceived the qualified assent of the town : —
To his Excellency Jonathan Belcher Esq' Captain General &
Governour in Chief &c the Honorable Council and House of Rep
resentatives in General Court assembled at Boston Jan'>' i, 1738.
May it please your Excellency and the Honorable Court
Whereas there is Petition offered to your Excellency and the
Honorable Court by several of the Inhabitants of the Town of Gro
ton praying to be annexed to the Town of Littleton &c

52 BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.
The Subscriber as Representative of said Town of Groton and
in Behalf of said Town doth hereby manifest the Willingness of the
Inhabitants of Groton in general that the petitioners should be an
nexed to the said Town of Littleton with the Lands that belong to
them Lying within the Line Petitioned for, but there being a Con
siderable Quantity of Proprietors Lands and other particular per
sons Lying within the Line that is Petitioned for by the said
Petitioners. The Subscriber in Behalf of said Town of Groton &
the Proprietors and others would humbly pray your Excellency and
the Honorable Court that that part of their Petition may be rejected
if in your Wisdom you shall think it proper and that they be sett off
with the lands only that belong to them Lying within the Line Pe
titioned for as aforesaid, and the Subscriber in Behalf of the Town
of Groton &c will as in Duty Bound ever pray &c
Nathaniel Sartell
[Massachusetts Archives, cxiv, 300,]
John Jeffries, Esq ; brought down the Petition of Peter Lawrence
and others of Groton, praying to be annexed to Littleton, as entred
the i2th ult. Pass'd in Council, viz. In Council January t^h 1738.
Read again, together with the Answer of Nathanael Sartell, Esq •
Representative for the Town of Groton, which being considered. Or
dered, That the Prayer of the Petition be so far granted as that the
Petitioners with their Famihes & Estates within the Bounds men
tioned in the Petition be and hereby are set off from the Town
of Groton, and are annexed to and accounted as part of the Town
of Littleton, there to do Duty and receive Priviledge accordingly.
Sent down for Concurrence. Read and concur'd.
[Journal ofthe House of Representatives (page 86), January 4, 1738,]

V.

DUNSTABLE, HOLLIS, AND NOTTINGHAM.

I.

In the autumn of 1738, many of the settlers living in the
northerly part of Groton, now within the limits of Pepperell,
and in the westerly part of Dunstable, now Hollis, New Hamp
shire, were desirous to be set off in a new township. Their
petition for this object was also signed by a considerable num
ber of non-resident proprietors, and duly presented to the
General Court. The reasons given by them for the change
are found in the following documents : —

To His Excellency Jon^ Belcher Esqf Captain General and Gov
ernour in Chief &c The Hon''!'^ the Council and House of Rep""^^ in
General Court Assembled at Boston November the 29'^ 1738
The Petition of the Subscribers Inhabitants and Proprietors of
the Towns of Dunstable and Groton.
Humbly Sheweth
That your Petitioners are Situated on the Westerly side Dun
stable Township and the Northerly side Groton Township those in
the Township of Dunstable in General their houses are nine or ten
miles from Dunstable Meeting house and those in the Township of
Groton none but what lives at least on or near Six miles from Gro
ton Meeting house by which means your petitioners are deprived of
the benefit of preaching, the greatest part of the year, nor is it pos
sible at any season of the year for their familys in General to get to

54 BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.
Meeting under which Disadvantages your pef? has this Several
years Laboured, excepting the Winter Seasons for this two winters
past, which they have at their Own Cost and Charge hired preaching
amongst themselves which Disadvantages has very much prevented
peoples Settling land there.
That there is a Tract of good land well Situated for a Township
of the Contents of about Six miles and an half Square bounded thus,
beginning at Dunstable Line by Nashaway River So running by the
Westerly side said River Southerly One mile in Groton Land, then
running Westerly a Paralel Line with Groton North Line, till it
comes to Townsend Line and then turning and running north to
Grotton Northwest Corner, and from Grotton Northwest Corner by
Townsend line and by the line of Groton New Grant till it comes to
be five miles and an half to the Northward of Groton North Line
from thence due east. Seven miles, from thence South to Nashua
River and So by Nashua River Southwesterly to Grotton line the
first mentioned bounds, which described Lands can by no means be
prejudicial either to the Town of Dunstable or Groton (if not com
ing within Six miles or thereabouts of either of their Meeting houses
at the nearest place) to be taken off from them and Erected into a
Seperate Township.
That there is already Settled in the bounds of the aforedescribed
Tract near forty familys and many more ready to come on were it
not for the difficulties and hardships aforesf of getting to Meeting.
These with many other disadvantages We find very troublesome
to Us, Our living so remote from the Towns We respectively
belong to.
Wherefore your Petitioners most humbly pray Your Excellency
and Honours would take the premisses into your Consideration and
make an Act for the Erecting the aforesaid Lands into a Seperate
and distinct Township with the powers priviledges and Immunities
of a distinct and Seperate Township under such restrictions and
Limitations, as you in your Great Wisdom shall see meet.
And Whereas it will be a great benefit and Advantage to the
Non resident proprietors owning Lands there by Increasing the
Value of their Lands or rendering easy Settleing the same. Your
Pet'? also pray that they maybe at their proportionable part accord
ing to their respective Interest in Lands there, for the building a
Meeting house and Settling a Minister, and so much towards Con
stant preaching as in your wisdom shall be thought proper.

DUNSTABLE, HOLLIS, AND NOTTINGHAM. 55
Settlers on the afores? Lands
Obadiah Parker Peter Wheeler
Josiah Blood Robert Colburn
Jerahmal Cumings David Vering
Ebenf Pearce Philip Woolerick
Wiir Colburn Nath! Blood
Stephen Harris William Adams
Thof Dinsmoor Joseph Taylor
Peter Pawer Moses Procter
Abr'f Taylor Jun' Will'" Shattuck
Benj'' Farley Thof Navins
Henry Barton Non Resident Proprietors
Samuel Browne Sam' Baldwin
W Browne Daniel Remant
Joseph Blanchard John Mal ven
John Fowle Junf Jon? Malven
Nath Saltonstall James Cumings
Joseph Eaton Isaac Farwell
Joseph Lemmon Eben' Procter
Jeremiah Baldwin
In the House of Representatives Decf 12'." 1738. Read and
Ordered that the Petitioners Serve the Towns of Grotton and Dun
stable with Coppys of the petition In Council January 4'!" 1 738
Read again and Ordered that the further Consideration of this
Petition be referred to the first tuesday of the next May Session
and that James Minot and John Hobson Esq'.' with Such as the
Honourable Board shall joine be a Committee at the Charge of the
Petitioners to repair to the Lands petitioned for to be Erected into
a Township first giving Seasonable notice as well to the petitioners
as to the Inhabitants and Non Resident Proprietors of Lands with
in the s'' Towns of Dunstable and Groton of the time of their going
by Causing the same to be publish'd in the Boston Gazette, that
they carefully View the s? Lands as well as the other parts of the
s^ Towns, so farr as n^y be desired by the Partys or thought proper,
that the Petitioners and all others Concerned be fully heard in their
pleas and Allegations for, as well as against the prayer of the Peti-

56 BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.
tion ; and that upon Mature Consideration on the whole the Com
mittee then report what in their Opinion may be proper for the
Court to do in Answer there to Sent up for Concurrence. J Quincy Sp",'
In Council Jan'^ 9'? 1738
Read and Concurred and Thomas Berry Esqf is joined in the
Affair Simon Frost Dep'.>' Sec'.^
Consented to J. Belcher
A true Copy Examf per Simon Frost, Dep'' Sec'.^
In the House of Rep"""' June 7'!" 1739
Read and Concurred J Quincy SpV
[Massachusetts Archives, cxiv. 268-271.]
The Committee Appointed on the Petition of the Inhabitants and
Proprietors situated on the Westerly side of Dunstable and Nor
therly side of Groton, Having after Notifying all parties. Repaired
to the Lands, Petitioned to be Erected into a Township, Carefully
Viewed the same. Find a very Good Tract of Land in Dunstable
Westward of Nashaway River between s** River and Souhegan River
Extending from Groton New Grant and Townsend Line Six Miles
East, lying in a very Commodious Form for a Township, and on
said Lands there now is about Twenty Families, and many more
settling, that none of the Inhabitants live nearer to a Meeting House
then Seven miles and if they go to their own Town have to pass
over a ferry the greatest part of the Year. We also Find in Groton
a sufficient Quantity of Land accommodable for settlement, and a
considerable Number of Inhabitants thereon, that in Some Short
Time when they are well Agreed may be Erected into a Distinct
Parish ; And that it will be very inconvenient to Erect a Township
in the Form prayed for or to Break in upon Either Town. The
Committee are of Opinion that the Petitioners in Dunstable are
under such Circumstances as necessitates them to Ask Relief
which will be fully Obtained by their being made Township, which
if this Hon'".'" Court should Judge necessary to be done ; The Com
mittee are Further of Opinion that it Will be greatly for the Good
and Interest of the Township that the Non, Resident Proprietors,
have Liberty of Voting with the Inhabitants as to the Building and
Placing a Meeting House and that the Lands be Equally Taxed,

DUNSTABLE, HOLLIS, AND NOTTINGHAM. 57
towards said House And that for the Support of the Gosple Minis
try among them the Lands of the Non Resident Proprietors be
Taxed at Two pence per Acre for the Space of Five Years.
All which is Humbly Submitted in the Name & by Order of the
Committee Thomas Berry
In Council July 7 1739
Read and ordered that the further Consideration of this Report
be referred to the next Sitting, and that the Petitioners be in the
meantime freed from paying anything toward the support of the
ministry in the Towns to which they respectively belong
Sent down for Concurrence

In the House of Rep"'" June 7 : 1739
Read and Concurred

J Willard Sec7

J Quincy Sp'^'
Consented to J Belcher
In Council Decemf 27, 1739.
Read again and Ordered that this Report be so far accepted as
that the Lands mentioned and described therein, with the Inhabi
tants there be erected into a Separate & distinct precinct, and the
Said Inhabitants are hereby vested with all Such Powers & Privi
ledges that any other Precinct in this Province have or by Law ought
to enjoy and they are also impowered to assess & levy a Tax of
Two pence per Acre per Annum for the Space of Five years on all
the unimproved Lands belonging to the non resident Proprietors
to be applied for the Support of the Ministry according to the Said
Report. Sent down for Concurrence Simon Frost Dep'' Sec',"
In the House of Rep'"=' Dec 28. 1739
Read and Concur'd. J Quincy Sp"?
Janu? I : Consented to, J Belcher
[Massachusetts Archives, cxiv. 272, 273,]
While this petition was before the General Court, another
one was presented praying for a new township to be made up
from the same towns, but including a larger portion of Groton
8

S8 BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.
than was asked for in the first petition. This application met
with bitter opposition on the part of both places, but it may
have hastened the final action on the first petition. It re
sulted in setting off a precinct from Dunstable, under the
name of the West Parish, which is now known as Hollis, New
Hampshire. Some of the papers relating to the second peti
tion are as follows : —
To His Excellency Jonathan Belcher Esquire Captain General
and Governor in Chief in and over His Majesty's Province of the
Massachusetts Bay in New England, the Honourable the Council
and House of Representatives of said Province, in General Court
Assembled Dec. I2'^ 1739.
The Petition of Richard Warner and Others, Inhabitants of the
Towns of Groton and Dunstable.
Most Humbly Sheweth
That Your Petitioners dwell very far from the place of Public
Worship in either of the said Towns, Many of them Eight Miles
distant, some more, and none less than four miles. Whereby Your
Petitioners are put to great difficulties in Travelling on the Lords
Days, with our Families.
Your Petitioners therefore Humbly Pray Your Excellency and
Honours to take their circumstances into your Wise and Compas
sionate Consideration, And that a part of the Town of Groton,
Beginning at the fine between Groton and Dunstable where it
crosses Lancaster [Nashua] River, and so up the said River until
it comes to a Place called and Known by the name of Joseph
Blood's Ford Way on said River, thence a West Point 'till it comes
to Townshend line &c. With such a part and so much of the Town
of Dunstable as this Honourable Court in their great Wisdom shall
think proper, with the Inhabitants Thereon, may be Erected into
a separate and distinct Township, that so they may attend the Pub
lic Worship of God with more ease than at present they can, by
reason of the great distance they live from the Places thereof as
aforesaid. And Your Petitioners, as in Duty bound, shall ever Pray &c.
Richard Warner Isaac Williams
Benjamin Swallow Ebenezer Gilson
William Allin Ebenezer Peirce
Samuel Fisk William Blood

DUNSTABLE, HOLLIS, AND NOTTINGHAM. 59
John Green Jeremiah Lawrence
Josiah Tucker Stephen Eames
Zachariah Lawrence Junf
" [Inhabitants of Groton] "
Enoch Hunt Josiah Blood
Eleazer Flegg Samuel Parker
Samuel Cumings Samuel Farle
William Blanchard William Adams
Gideon Howe Philip Wolrich
" [Inhabitants of Dunstable] "
In the House of Repr'" Dec 12"' 1739
Read and Sent up. J Quincy Sp'"
[Massachusetts Archives, cxiv. 274, 275.]
Province of the Massachusetts Bay
To His Excellency The Governour The Hon'''^ Council & House of
Rep"""' in Generall Court Assembled Decf 1739
The Answer of y' Subscribers agents for the Town of Groton to
y' Petition of Richard Warner & others praying that part of Said
Town with part of Dunstable may be Erected into a Distinct &
Seperate Township.
May it please your Excellency & Hon''
The Town of Groton Duely Assembled and Taking into Con
sideration y^ Reasonableness of said Petition have Voted their
Willingness, That fhe prayer of y^ Petition be Granted as per their
Vote herewith humbly presented appears, with this alteration
namely That they Include the River (viz' Nashua River) over w'*"
is a Bridge, built Intirely to accommodate said Petitioners hereto
fore, & your Respondents therefore apprehend it is but Just &
Reasonable the same should for the future be by them maintain'd
if they are Set of from us.
Your Respondents Pursuant to y° Vote Aforesaid, humbly move
to your Excellency & Hon" That no more of Dunstable be Laid
to Groton Then Groton have voted of, for one Great Reason that
Induced Sundry of y' Inhabitants of Groton to come into Said
Vote was This Namely They owning a very Considerable part of
the Lands Voted to be set of as afores'^ were willing to Condesent
to y' Desires of their Neighbours apprehending that a meeting
House being Erected on or near y'= Groton Lands & a minister set-

6o BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.
tied it would Raise their Lands in Valine but should a considerable
part of Dunstable be set of more then of Groton it must of course
draw the Meeting House farther from y° Groton Inhabitants w"''
would be very hurtfull both to the people petitioners & those that
will be Non Resident proprietors if the Township is made.
Wherefore they pray That Said New Township may be Incorpor
ated Agreeable to Groton Vote viz' Made Equally out of both
Towns & as in Duty bound Shall Ever pray
Nat^'-^ Sartell
William Lawrence
[Massachusetts Archives, cxiv. 278, 279.]
At A Legall town Meeting of the Inhabitants & free holders of
the town of Groton assembled December yf 24'?" 1739 Voted &
Chose Capf William Lawrance Madderator for said meeting &c :
In Answer to the Petion of Richard Warnor & others Voted
that the land with the Inhabitance mentioned in said Petion In
cluding the Riuer from Dunstable Line to of ford way Called and
Known by y.' Name of Joseph Bloods ford way : be Set of from the
town of Groton to Joyn with sum of the westerdly Part of the town
of Dunstable to make a Distinct and Sepprate town Ship Prouided
that their be no : More taken from Dunstable then from Groton in
making of Said new town. Also Voted that Nathaniel Sawtell
Esqf and Cap' William Lawrance be Agiants In the affair or Either
of them to wait upon the Great and Generial Cort : to Vse their
Best in Deauer to set off the Land as a fores'! so that the one half
of yf said New town may be made out of Groton and no : more.
Abstract Examined & Compaird of the town book of Record for
Groton ? Jona! Sheple Town Clark
Groton Decern';' 24'f A : D : 1739
[Massachusetts Archives, cxiv. 281.]
Province of y° Mass"' Bay
To His Excellency Jonathan Belcher Esq' Governour &c To The
Hon'? His Majesty's Council] & House of Representatives in
Gen" Court Assembled December 1739
Whereas some few of the Inhabitants of Groton & Dunstable
have Joyned in their Petition to this Hon^ Court to be erected with
Certain Lands into a Township as f their Petition entered the
1 21' Curr. which prayer if granted will very much Effect y? Quiet &
Interest of the Inhabitants on the northerly part of Groton

DUNSTABLE, HOLLIS, AND NOTTINGHAM. 6l
Wherefore the Subscribers most Humbly begg leave To Remon
strate to y°' Excellency & Hon',' the great & Numerous Damages
that wee and many Others Shall Sustain if their Petition should
be granted and would Humbly Shew
That the Contents of Groton is abf forty Thousand Acres Good
Land Sufficient & happily Situated for Two Townships, and have
on or near Two Hundred & Sixty Familys Setled there with Large
Accomodations for many more
That the land pray'd for Out of Groton Could it be Spared is in
a very Incoifiodious place, & will render a Division of the remain
ing part of the town Impracticable & no ways Shorten the travel of
the remotest Inhabit","
That it will leave the town from the northeast and to the South
west end at least fourteen miles and no possibillity for those ends
to be Accomodated at any Other place w'='' will render the Difficul
ties we have long Laboured under without Remidy
That part of the lands Petitioned for (will when This Hon''. Court
shall see meet to Divide us) be in & near the Middle of one of yf
Townships And Altho the number of thirteen persons is there Sett forth to
Petition, it is wrong and Delusive Severall of them gave no Con
sent to any Such thing And to compleat their Guile have entered
the names of four persons who has no Interest in that part of the
town viz Swallow Tucker Ames & Green
That there is near Double the number On the Lands Petit? for
and Setled amongst them who Declare Against their Proceedings,
& here Signifie the Same
That many of us now are at Least Seven miles from Our meeting
And the Only Encouragement to Settle there was the undeniable
Accomodations to make An Other town without w''^ We Should by
no means have undertaken
That if this their Pet" Should Succed — Our hopes must Perish
— thay by no means benifitted — & we put to all the Hardships
Immaginable. That the whole tract of Land thay pray may be Taken Out of
groton Contains about Six or Seven Thousand Acres, (the Quan
tity and Situation may be Seen on yf plan herewith [)] And but Ab^
four Or five hundred Acres thereof Owned by the Peti'f and but very
Small Improvements On that. Under all wf Circumstances wee
Humbly conceive it unreasonable for them to desire thus to Harrase
and perplex us. Nor is it by Any means for the Accoinodation of

62 BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.
Dunstable thus to Joyn who have land of their Own Sufficient and
none to Spare without prejudicing their begun Settlement Where
fore we most Humbly pray Y".' Excellency & Hon'f to coiripassionate
Our Circumstances and that thay may not be set off and as in Duty
bound &c Benj? Parker John Shattuck
John Woods Seth Phillips
Josiah Sartell John Scott
Samuel Shattuck iu Samuel Wright
Joseph Spoaldeng Juner Benj? Robines
James Larwance John Swallow
Jonathan Shattuck Isaac Woods
Nath'.' Parker William Spoalding
James Shattuck Enoch larwance
John Chambrlen Jonathan Woods
Jacob Lakin John Blood
John Cumings Wiliam Cumings
Thomas Fisk James Green
Henery Jefes Nathaniel Lawrence iu
Isaac Lakin Joseph Blood
David Shattuck
[Massachusetts Archives, cxiv. 282-284.]
Wee the Sub? Inhab'f of y' Town of Dunstable & Resident in that
part of it Called Nissitisitt Do hereby authorize and Fully Impower
Abraham Taylor Junf and Peter Pawer to Represent to Gen',' Court
our unwillingness that any Part of Dunstable should [be] sett off to
Groton to make a Township or Parish and to Shew forth our Ear-
ness Desire that a Township be maide intirely out out [sic] off Dun
stable Land, Extending Six mils North from Groton Line which
will Bring the[m] on the Line on y" Brake of Land and Just In
clude the Present Seders : or otherwise As y' Hon',' Commitee Re
ported and Agreeable to the tenour thereoff as The Hon"" Court
shall see meet and as in Duty bound &c
Tho! Dinsmore, (And 20 others.)
Dunstable Decef y'= 21'' 1739
These may sertifie to y= Hon',"* Court that there is Nomber of
Eleven more y' has not signed this Nor y= Petetion of Richard Wor-
ner & others, that is now setled and About to setle
[Massachusetts Archives, cxiv. 277,]

DUNSTABLE, HOLLIS, AND NOTTINGHAM. 63
At a very early period the Nashua River was sometimes
called the Penacook and at other times the Groton River. In
Thomas Noyes's survey of the grant of Major Simon Willard's
farm in the autumn of 1659, the land is described as "lying
and being for the most part on the east side of Groaten Riuer."
And, again, at the session beginning on September 6, 1676,
the approval of the General Court was given to Jonathan Dan
forth's survey of lands laid out to William Hauthorne, " lying
in the wilderness ; on the North of Groaten Riuer at a place
called by the Indians Wistequassuck," now within the limits
of Townsend. At a later period it was more frequently re
ferred to as the Lancaster River ; but the use of the present
name, in the preceding papers, is the earliest instance that I
have found among the Archives. Jonathan Danforth called it
the Nashua River in his description of the survey of Groton,
printed on page 14 of this book, and probably, also, in the
first line of his description of Dunstable, printed on page 17,
where the word is now almost wholly worn away. It is very
likely that the river bore different names at different places
along its course even at the same time.

II.
The running of the Provincial line in 1741 cut off a large
part of Dunstable, and left it on the New Hampshire side of
the boundary. It separated even the meeting-house and the
burying-ground from that portion of the town still remaining
in Massachusetts, and this fact added not a little to the deep
animosity felt by the inhabitants when the disputed question
was settled. It is no exaggeration to say that, throughout the
old township, the feelings and sympathies of the inhabitants
on both sides of the line were entirely with Massachusetts. A
short time before this period the town of Nottingham had been
incorporated by the General Court, and its territory taken
from Dunstable. It comprised all the lands of that town
lying on the easterly side of the Merrimack River ; and the

64 BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.
difficulty of attending public worship led to the division.
When the Provincial line was established, it affected Notting
ham, like many other towns, most unfavorably. It divided its
territory, and left a tract of land in Massachusetts too small for
a separate township, but by its associations and traditions be
longing to Dunstable. This tract is to-day that part of Tyngs
borough lying east of the river. The larger part of the town,
by the new line, came under the jurisdiction of New Hamp
shire ; but, as there was another town of Nottingham in the
eastern quarter of that Province, the name was subsequently
changed by an Act of Legislature, on July 5, 1746, to Notting
ham West; and still later this was again changed on July i,
1830, to Hudson.
The question of a new meeting-house was now agitating the
inhabitants of Dunstable. Their former building was in an
other Province, where different laws prevailed respecting the
qualifications and settlement of ministers. It was clearly evi
dent that another structure must be built, and the customary
dispute of small communities arose in regard to its site. Some
persons favored one locality, and others another ; some wanted
the centre of territory, and others the centre of population.
Akin to this subject I give the words of the Reverend Joseph
Emerson, of Pepperell, — as quoted by Mr. Butler, in his His
tory of Groton (page 306), — taken from a sermon delivered on
March 8, 1770, at the dedication of the second meeting-house
in Pepperell : " It hath been observed that some of the hottest
contentions in this land hath been about settling of ministers
and building meeting-houses ; and what is the reason ? The
devil is a great enemy to settling ministers and building meet
ing-houses ; wherefore he sets on his own children to work
and make difficulties, and to the utmost of his power stirs up
the corruptions of the children of God in some way to oppose
or obstruct so good a work." This explanation was considered
highly satisfactory, as the hand of the Evil One was always
seen in such disputes.
During this period of local excitement an effort was made
to annex Nottingham to Dunstable, and at the same time

DUNSTABLE, HOLLIS, AND NOTTINGHAM. 65
Joint Grass to Dunstable. Joint Grass was a district in the
northeastern part of Groton, settled by a few families, and
named from a brook running through the neighborhood, which,
in its turn, was so called from a peculiar kind of grass growing
on its banks. It is evident from the documents that the ques
tions of annexation and the site of the meeting-house were
closely connected. The petition in favor of annexation was
granted by the General Court on certain conditions, which
were not fulfilled, and consequently the attempt fell to the
ground. Some of the papers relating to it are as follows :
A Petition of sundry Inhabitants of the most northerly Part of
the first Parish in Groton, praying that they may be set off from said
Groton to Dunstable, for the Reasons mentioned.
Read and Ordered, That the Petitioners serve the Towns of Gro
ton and Dunstable with Copies of this Petition, that they shew Cause,
if any they have, on the first Friday of the next Sitting of this Court,
why the Prayer thereof should not be granted. Sent up for Concurrence.
[Journal of the House of Representatives (page 264), March 11, 1746.]
Francis Foxcroft, Esq ; brought down the Petition of the north
erly Part of Groton, as entred the nth of March last, and refer'd.
Pass'd in Council, viz. In Council May 29th 1747. Read again,
together with the Answers of the Towns of Groton and Dunstable,
and Ordered, That Joseph Wilder and John Quincy, Esqrs ; together
with such as the honourable House shall join, be a Committee to
take under Consideration this Petition, together with the other
Petitions and Papers referring to the Affair'within mentioned, and
report what they judge proper for this Court to do thereon.
Sent down for Concurrence.
Read and concur'd, and Major Jones, Mr. Fox, and Col. Gerrish,
are joined in the Affair.
[Journal of the House of Representatives (page 11), May 29, 1747,]
John Hill, Esq ; brought down the Petition of the Inhabitants of
Groton and Nottingham, with the Report of a Committee of both
Houses thereon. Signed Joseph Wilder, per Order.
9

66 BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.
Pass'd in Council, viz. In Council June sth 1747. The within
Report was read and accepted, and Ordered, That the Petition of
John Swallow and others. Inhabitants of the northerly Part of Gro
ton be so far granted, as that the Petitioners, with their Estates pe-
tition'd for, be set off from Groton, and annexed to the Town of
Dunstable, agreable to Groton Town Vote of the i8th of May last ;
and that the Petition of the Inhabitants of Nottingham be granted,
and that that Part of Nottingham left to the Province, with the In
habitants theron, be annexed to said Dunstable, and that they thus
Incorporated, do Duty and receive Priviledges as other Towns within
this Province do or by Law ought to enjoy.
And it is further Ordered, That the House for publick Worship
be placed two Hundred and forty eight Rods distant from Mr. John
Tyng's North-East Corner, to run from said Corner North fifty two
Degrees West, or as near that Place as the Land will admit of.
Sent down for Concurrence.
Read and concur'd with the Amendment, viz. instead of those
Words, . . . And it is further Ordered, That the House for publick
Worship be . . . insert the following Words . . . Provided that with
in one Year a House for the publick Worship of GOD be erected, and
Sent up for Concurrence.
[Journal of the House of Representatives (page 26), June 6, 1747,]
To his Excellency William Shirley Esquire Captain General and
Governour in Chief in and over his Majestys Province of the Massa
chusetts Bay in New England The Hon'"= the Council and Hon'''^
House of Representatives of the said Province in General Court
Assembled at Boston the 31',' of May 1749.
The petition of the Inhabitants of the Town of Dunstable in the
Province of the Massachusetts Bay
Most Humbly Shew
That in the Year 1747, that part of Nottingham which lyes within
this Government and part of the Town of Groton Called Joint Grass
preferred two petitions to this Great and Hon'='= Court praying that
they might be Annexed to the Town of Dunstable which petitions
Your Excellency and Honours were pleased to Grant upon Condi
tions that a meeting house for the Publick Worship of God should
be built two hundred and forty Eight Rods 52 degf West of the

DUNSTABLE, HOLLIS, AND NOTTINGHAM. 6y
~ "'""  ' '-¦-' — ^  w '¦ 
North from North East Corner of Mf John Tyngs land But the In
habitants of the Town Apprehending Your Excellency and Honours
were not fully Acquainted with the Inconveniencys that would At
tend placeing the Meeting House there Soon after Convened in
Publick Town Meeting Legally Called to Conclude upon a place
for fixing said Meeting house where it would best Accommodate all
the Inhabitants at which meeting proposals were made by some of
the Inhabitants to take the Advice and Assistance of three men of
other Towns which proposal was Accepted by the Town and they
Accordingly made Choice of The Hon''!" James Minot Esqf Majf
Lawrence and M' Brewer and then Adjourned the Meeting.
That the said Gentlemen mett at the Towns Request and Deter
mined upon a place for fixing the said Meeting house which was ap
proved of by the Town and they Accordingly Voted to Raise the sum
of one hundred pounds towards Defreying the Charge of Building
the said House But Upon Reviewing the Spot pitched upon as afore
said many of the Inhabitants Apprehended it was more to the south
ward than the Committee Intended it should be And thereupon a
Meeting was Called on the Twenty Sixth day of May last when the
Town voted to Build the meeting house on the East side of the
Road that leads from Capf Cummings's to M' Simon Tompsons
where some part of the Timber now lyes being about Forty Rods
Northward of Isaac Colburns house which they Apprehended to be
the Spot of Ground the Committee Intended to fix upon.
And for as much as the place Last Voted by the Town to Build
their meeting house upon will best Accommodate all the Inhabi
tants, Your pef' therefore most humbly pray Your Excellency and Hon
ours would be pleased to Confirm the said Vote of the Town of the
26'^ day of May last and order the meeting house for the Publick
Worship of God to be Erected on the peice of Ground aforemen
tioned And in duty bound they will ever pray &c
Simon tompson 1 Com'" for the
Eben"^ Parkhurst J Town of Dunstable
[Massachusetts Archives, cxv. 507, 508,]
The Committee appointed on the Petition of a Committee for the
Town of Dunstable, reported according to Order.

68 BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.
Read and accepted, and thereupon the following Order pass'd,
viz. In as much as the House for the publick Worship of GOD in
Dunstable was not erected within the Line limitted in the Order of this
Court of June 6th 1747, the Inhabitants of Groton and Nottingham
have lost the Benefit of Incorporation with the Town of Dunstable :
Therefore Voted, That a Meeting House for the publick Worship of GOD
be erected as soon as may be on the East Side of the Road that
leads from Capt. Cummins to Simon Thompson's, where the Timber
for such a House now lies, agreable to a Vote of the said Town of
Dunstable on the 26th of May last; and that the said Inhabitants
of Groton and Nottingham be and continue to be set off and annexed
to the Town of Dunstable, to do Duty and receive Priviledge there,
their Neglect of Compliance with the said Order of June 6th 1747,
notwithstanding, unless the major Part of the Inhabitants and rate
able Estate belonging to said Groton and Nottingham respectively,
shall on or before the first Day of September next in writing under
their Hands, transmit to the Secretary's Office their Desire not to
continue so incorporated with the town of Dunstable as aforesaid ;
provided also. That in Case the said Inhabitants of Groton and
Nottingham shall signify such their Desire in Manner and Time
as aforesaid, they be nevertheless subjected to pay and discharge
their Proportion of all Publick Town or Ministerial Rates or Taxes
hitherto granted or regularly laid on them ; excepting the last Sum
granted for building a Meeting House. And that the present
Town Officers stand and execute their Offices respectively until the
Anniversary Town-Meeting at Dunstable in March next.
Sent up for Concurrence.
[Journal of the House of Representatives (pages 46, 47), June 26, 1749,]
Whereas the Great & Generall Court of the the [sic] Province of
the Massachusetts Bay in June Last, On the Petitions of Dunstable
& Nottingham has Ordered that the Inhabitants of Groton and Not
tingham, Which by Order of the s? Court the 6'!" of June 1747 Were
On Certain Conditions Annexed to %^ Dunstable & (Which Condi
tions not being Complyed with) be Annexed to s? Dunstable to do
duty & Receive priviledge there their neglect of Complyance not
withstanding. Unless the major part of the Inhabitants and ratable
Estate belonging to the s? Groton & Nottingham respectively Shall

DUNSTABLE, HOLLIS, AND NOTTINGHAM. 69
on or before the first day of September next in Writing under their
hands Transmitt to the Secretarys Office their desire not to Con
tinue so Incorporated With the town of Dunstable as afores? Now
therefore Wee the Subscribers Inhabitants of Groton & Nottingham
Sett of as afores? do hereby Signifie Our desire not to Continue so
Incorporated with the town of Dunstable as afores? but to be
Sett at Liberty As tho that Order of Court had not ben passed
Dated the lo"" day of July 1749
Inhabitants of Groton
Timothy Read Samuel Comings
Joseph fletcher Benjamin Robbins
John Swallow Joseph Spalding inner
Inhabitants of Nottingham
Samuell Gould iohn Collans
Robert Fletcher Zacheus Spaulding
Joseph perriaham Daken [Deacon ?] (And ten others.)
[Massachusetts Archives, cxv. 515.]
A manuscript plan of Dunstable, made by Joseph Blanch
ard in the autumn of 1748, and accompanying these papers
among the Archives (cxv. 516), is of considerable interest to
the local antiquary.
In the course of a few years most of the Groton signers
reconsidered the matter, and changed their minds. It ap
pears from the following communication that the question
of the site of the meeting-house had some influence in the
matter : —
Groton, May 10, 1753. We have concluded to Joine with Dun
stable in settling the gospell and all other affairs hart & hand in
case Dunstable woud meet us in erecting a meting house in center
of Lands or center of Travel.
Joseph Spaulding Jr.
John Swallow.
Timothy Read.
Samuel Cumings.
Joseph Parkhurst.
[Nason's History of Dunstable, page 85,]

70 BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.
The desired result of annexation was now brought about,
and in this way Joint Grass became a part and parcel of
Dunstable. The following extracts give further particulars
in regard to it: —
A Petition of a Committee in Behalf of the Inhabitants of Dun
stable, within this Province, shewing, that that Part of Dunstable by
the late running of the Line is small, and the Land much broken,
unable to support the Ministry, and other necessary Charges ; that
there is a small Part of Groton contiguous, and well situated to be
united to them in the same Incorporation, lying to the West and
Northwest of them ; that in the Year 1744, the Inhabitants there
requested them that they might be incorporated with them, which
was conceeded to by the Town of Groton; that in Consequence
of this, upon Application to this Court, they were annexed to the
Town of Dunstable with the following Proviso, viz. "That within
one Year from that Time a House for the publick Worship of
GOD should be erected at a certain Place therein mentioned : ''
Which Place was esteemed by all Parties both in Groton & Not
tingham, so incommodious, that it was not complied withal ; that on
a further Application to this Court to alter the Place, Liberty
was given to the Inhabitants of Groton and Nottingham, to with
draw, whereby they are deprived of that contiguous and necessary
Assistance which they expected : Now as the Reasons hold good
in every Respect for their Incorporation with them, they humbly
pray that the said Inhabitants of Groton by the same Bounds as
in the former Order stated, may be rean nexed to them, for the
Reasons mentioned.
Read and Ordered, That the Petitioners serve the Inhabitants of
Groton therein refer'd to, as also the Clerk of the Town of Groton,
with Copies of this Petition, that so the said Inhabitants, as also
the Town of Groton, shew Cause, if any they have, on the first
Tuesday of the next May Session, why the Prayer thereof should
not be granted. Sent up for Concurrence.
[Journal ofthe House of Representatives (pages 138, 139), April 4, 1753,]
John Hill, Esq ; brought down the Petidon of a Committee of
the Town of Dunstable, as entred the 4th of April last, and re
fer'd. Pass'd in Council, viz. In Council June sth 1753. Read

DUNSTABLE, HOLLIS, AND NOTTINGHAM. 71
again, together with the Answer of the Inhabitants of that Part
of Groton commonly called Joint-Grass, and likewise William
Lawrence, Esq ; being heard in Behalf of the Town of Groton, and
the Matter being fully considered. Ordered, That the Prayer of
the Petition be so far granted, as that Joseph Fletcher, Joseph
Spaulding, Samuel Comings, Benjamin Robbins, Timothy Read,
John Swallow, Joseph Parkhurst, and Ebenezer Parkhurst, Jun.
with their Families and Estates, and other Lands petitioned for, be
set off from the Town of Groton, and annexed to the town of Ditn-
stable, agreable to the Vote of the Town of Groton on the i8th of
May 1747, to receive Priviledge and do Duty there, provided that
Timothy Read, Constable for the Town of Groton, and Collector of
the said Parish in said Town the last Year, and Joseph Fletcher,
Constable for the said Town this present Year, finish their Collec
tion of the Taxes committed or to be committed to them respec
tively ; and also that the said Inhabitants pay their Proportion of
the Taxes that are already due or shall be due to the said Town of
Groton for the present Year, for which they may be taxed by the
Assessors of Groton, as tho' this Order had not past : provided
also that the Meeting-House for the publick Worship of GOD
in Dunstable be erected agreable to the Vote of Dunstable relating
thereto in May 1753. Sent down for Concurrence.
Read and concur'd.
[Journal of the House of Representatives (page 21), June 7, I753,]i
The part of Nottingham mentioned in these petitions was
not joined to Dunstable until the next year. On June 14,
1754, an order passed the House of Representatives, annex
ing " a very small Part of Nottingham now lying in this
Province, unable to be made into a District, but very commo
dious for Dunstable," — according to the printed Journal ;
and on the same day it received the assent of the Governor
and Council.

VI.
PEPPERELL.
The west parish of Groton was set off as a precinct on
November 26, 1742. It comprised that part of the town
lying on the west side of the Nashua River, north of the
road from Groton to Townsend. Its incorporation as a
parish or precinct allowed the inhabitants to manage their
own ecclesiastical affairs, while in all other matters they
continued to act with the parent town. Its partial separa
tion gave them the benefit of a settled minister in their
neighborhood, which in those days was considered of great
importance. It is an interesting fact to note that in early times the
main reason given in the petitions for dividing towns was the
long distance to the meeting-house, by which the inhabitants
were prevented from hearing the stated preaching of the
gospel. The petitioners for the change first asked for a township,
which was not granted ; but subsequently they changed their
request to a precinct instead, which was duly allowed. The
papers relating to the matter are as follows : —
Province of The Massechuetts Bay in New England.
To His Excellency Wf Shirley, Esqf Goveiner in & over y"
Same And To The Hon'f his Majestis Council & House of Repre-
sentetives in Gen'f Court Assembled June 1742 :
The Petition of Sundry Inhabitants & Resendant in the North
erly Part of Groton Humbly Sheweth that the Town of Groton is

PEPPERELL. 73

at Least ten miles in Length North & South & seven miles in
wedth East & West And that in Runing two miles Due North
from the Present Meeting House & from thence to Run Due East
to Dunstable West Line. And from the Ende of the S? two miles
to Run West till it Comes to the Cuntry Rode that is Laide out to
Townshend & so on S? Rode till it Comes to Townshend East
Line then tur[n]ing & Runing Northly to Nestiquaset Corner
which is for Groton & Townshend then tur[n]ing & Runing
Easterly on Dunstable South Line & So on Dunstable Line till it
comes to the Line first mentioned, Which Land Lyeth about Seven
miles in Length & four miles & a Quarter in Wedth.
And Thare is Now Setled in those Lines here after mentioned
is about the Number of Seventy families all Redy And may
[many ?] more ready to Settle there and as soon as scat off to the
Petitioners & those families Settled in y" Lines afore s"! Would
make A Good township & the Remaining Part of Groton Left in a
regular forme And by reason of the great Distance your Peti
tioners are from the Present Meeting House are put to very Great
Disadvantages in Attending the Public Worship of God many of
Whom are Oblidged to travel Seven or Eight miles & that the
Remaining Part of Groton Consisting of such good land & y" In
habitants so Numerous that thay Can by no means be Hurt Should
your Petitioners & those families Settled in y" Lines afore s? Be
Erected to a Seprate & Distinct Township ; That the in Contest
able situation & accomodation on the s'J Lands was y' one great
reason of your Petitioners Setling thare & Had Not those Prospects
been so Clear to us We should by no means have under taken
The Hardship We have already & must go Throu.
Wherefore Your Petitioners Would farther Shew that Part of
y° Land here Prayed for all Redy Voted of by the S'' town to be a
Presinct & that the most of them that are in that Lines have Sub
scribed with us to be a Dest[i]ncte Township Wherefore Your
Petitioners Humbly Pray your Honnors to Grante us our Desire
according to This our Request as we in Duty Bound ShaU Ever
Pray &c Joseph Spaulding iur William Blood
Zachariah Lawrance Nathaniel Parker
William Allen Enoch Lawarnce
Jeremiah Lawrance Samuel Right

74 BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.
James larwance Isacc laken
Josiah Tucker Isacc Williams
Sam" fisk John Swallow
Solomon blood Joseph Swallow
John Woods Benjf Robins
Josiah Sartell Nathan Fisk
benj? Swallow John Chamberlin
Elies Ellat Jacob Lakin
Richard Worner Seth Phillips
Ebenezer Gillson John Cumings
Ebenezer Parce Benj" Parker
James Blood iu Gersham Hobart
Joseph Spaulding Joseph Lawrance
Phiniahas Parker iur John Spaulding
Joseph Warner Isaac Woods
Phineahas Chambrlin
In the House of Rep'"=' June. lo. 1742
Read and Ordered that the Pet" serve the r^own of Groton with
a Copy of this Pet" that they shew cause if any they have on the
first fryday of the next session of this Court why the Prayer thereof
should not be granted Sent up for concurrence T Cushing Spkr

In Council June 15. 1742 ;
Read & Non Concur'd
[Massachusetts Archives, cxiv, 779, 780,]

J Willard Secry

To his Excellency William Shirley Esqf Captain General and
Governour in Cheiff in and over his Majesties Province of yf Mas
sachusetts Bay in New England : To yf Honourable his Majesties
Council and House of Representatives in General Court Assembled
on yf Twenty sixth Day of May. A: D. 1742.
The Petition of us the Subscribers to your Excellency and
Honours Humbley Sheweth that we are Proprietors and Inhabitants
of yf Land Lying on y= Westerly Side Lancester River (so called)
[now known as the Nashua River] in yf North west corner of yf
Township of Groton : & Such of us as are Inhabitants thereon Live
very Remote from y" Publick worship of God in s? Town and at

PEPPERELL. 75
many Times and Season of yf year are Put to Great Difficulty to
attend yf same : And the Lands Bounded as Followeth (viz)
Southerly on Townshend Rode : Westerly on Townshend Line :
Northerly on Dunstable West Precinct, & old Town : and Easterly
on said River as it now Runs to yf First mentioned Bounds, being
of yf Contents of about Four Miles Square of Good Land, well
Scituated for a Precint: And the Town of Groton hath been
Petitioned to Set of yf Lands bounded as afores? to be a Distinct
and Seperate Precint and at a Town Meeting of y," Inhabitants of
s? Town of Groton Assembled on yf Twenty Fifth Day of May
Last Past The Town voted y'' Prayer of yf s? Petition and that
yf Lands before Described should be a Separate Precinct and that
yf Inhabitants thereon and Such others as hereafter Shall Settle
on s? Lands should have y? Powers and Priviledges that other Pre
cincts in s? Province have or Do Enjoy : as pf a Coppy from
Groton Town Book herewith Exhibited may Appear &c : For the
Reasons mentioned we the Subscribers as afores? Humbley Prayes
your Excellency and Honours to Set off y" s? Lands bounded as
afores? to be a Distinct and Sepperate Precinct and Invest y? In
habitants thereon (Containing about yf N? of Forty Famelies) and
Such others as Shall hereafter Settle on s? Lands with Such
Powers & Priviledges as other Precincts in s? Province have &c or
Grant to your Petitioners Such other Releaf in yf Premises as your
Excellency and Honours in your Great Wisdom Shall think Fit :
and your Petitioners as in Duty bound Shall Ever pray 8?c.
Benj Swallow Moses Woods
W"" Spalden Zachery Lawrence Jun'
Isaac Williams Jeremiah Lawrence
Ebenezer Gilson John Mozier
Elias Ellit Josiah Tucker
Samuel Shattuck iu Wf" Allen
James Shattuck John Shadd
David Shattuck Jam? Green
David Blood John Kemp
Jonathan Woods Nehemiah Jewett
John Blood inner Eleazar Green
Josiah Parker Jonathan Shattuck
Jacob Ames Jonathan Shattuck Jun'
Jonas Varnum

^6 BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.
In the House of Rep'"" Novf 26. 1742
In Answer to the within Petition ordered that that Part of the
Town of Groton Lying on the Westerly Side of Lancaster River
within the following bounds viz' bounding Easterly on said River
Southerly on Townsend Road so called Westerly on Townsend line
and Northerly on Dunstable West Precinct with the Inhabitants
thereon be and hereby are set off a distinct and seperate precinct
and Vested with the powers & previledges which other Precincts do
or by Law ought to enjoy always provided that the Inhabitants
Dwelling on the Lands abovementioned be subject to pay their Just
part and proportions of all ministeriall Rates and Taxes in the Town
of Groton already Granted or Assessed
Sent up for Concurrence T Cushing Spk'
In Council Novf 26 1742 Read and Concurr'd J Willard Secry
Consented to, W Shirley.
[Massachusetts Archives, cxiv, 768, 769.]
When the Provincial line was run between Massachusetts
and New Hampshire;, in the spring of 1741, it left a gore of
land, previously belonging to the west parish of Dunstable,
lying north of the territory of Groton and contiguous to it. It
formed a narrow strip, perhaps three hundred rods in width at
the western end, running easterly for nearly four miles and
tapering off to a point a short distance west of the Nashua
River, by which stream it was entirely separated from Dun
stable. Shaped like a thin wedge, it lay along the border of
the Province, and belonged geographically to the west pre
cinct or parish of Groton. Under these circumstances the
west or second parish petitioned the General Court to have
it annexed to their jurisdiction, which request was granted.
William Prescott, one of the committee appointed to take
charge of the matter, nearly a quarter of a century later was
the commander of the American forces at the Battle of Bun
ker Hill, It has been incorrectly stated by writers that this
triangular parcel of land was the gore ceded, in the summer

PEPPERELL. "jy
of 1736, to the proprietors of Groton, on the petition of Ben
jamin Prescott. The documents relating to this matter are
as follows : —
To his Honnor Spencer Phipes Esq' Cap' Geniorl and Commander
In Cheat in and ouer his majists prouince of the Massachusets Bay
in New england and to The Hon''."^ his majestys Councel and House
of Representatiues In Geniral Courte assambled at Boston The 26
of December 1751
The Petition of Peleg Lawrance Jarimah Lawrance and wiliiam
Prescott a Cum"." for the Second Parish In Groton in The County of
Middle sikes
Humbly Shew That Theare is a strip of Land of about fiue or six
hundred acors Lys ajoyning To The Town of Groton which be Longs
To the town of Dunstable the said strip of land Lys near fouer mill
in Length and bounds on the North Line of the said second Parrish
in Groton and on the South Side of Newhampsher Line which
Peeace by Runing the sd Line of Newhampsher was Intierly Cut off
from the town of Dunstable from Receueing any Priuelidge their for
it Lys not Less then aboute Eight mill from the Senter of the town
of Dunstable and but about two mill and a half from the meeting
house in the said second Parish in Groton so that they that settel
on the sd Strip of Land may be much beter acommadated to be
Joyned to ye town of Groton and to the sd second Parish than Euer
thay Can any other way in this Prouince and the town of Dunstable
being well sencable thare of haue at thare town meeting on the 19
Day of December Currant voted of the sd Strip of Land allso James
Colburn who now Lines on sd Strip Land from the town of Dunsta
ble to be annexed to the town of Groton and to the sd second Parish
in sd town and the second Parish haue aCordingly voted to Recue
the same all which may appear by the vote of sd Dunstable and
said Parish which will be of Grate advandge to the owners of the
sd strip of Land and a benefit to the said second Parish in Groton
so that your Petitioners Humbly Pray that the sd strip of Land may
be annexed to the said second Parish in Groton so far as Groton
Nor west corner to do Duty and Recue Priulidge theare and your
petionrs In Duty bound shall Euer Pray
Peleg Lawrence
Will" Prescott
Jeremiah Lawrence

78 BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.
Dunstable December 24 1751
this may Certifye the Grate and Genirol Courte that I Liue on
the slip of Land within mendoned and it tis my Desier that the
prayer of this Petition be Granted James Colburn
In the House of Rep'"" Jan"' 4. 1752
Voted that the prayer of the Petition be so farr granted that the
said strip of Land prayed for, that is the Jurisdiction of it be An-
nex'd to the Town of Groton & to y° Second Precinct in said Town
& to doe dutys there & to recieve Priviledges from them.
Sent up for Concurrence T. Hubbard Spkf
In Council Jan'' 6. 1752 Read & Concur'd J Willard Secry.
Consented to, S Phips
[Massachusetts Archives, cxvi. 162, 163.]
At this period the Crown authorities were jealous of the
growth of the popular party in the House of Representatives,
and for that reason they frowned on every attempt to increase
the number of its members. This fact had some connection
with the tendency, which began to crop out during Governor
Shirley's administration, to form districts instead of towns,
thereby withholding their representation.
The west parish of Groton was made a district on April 12,
1753, the day the Act was signed by the Governor, which was
a second step toward its final and complete separation. It
then took the name of Pepperrell, and was vested with still
broader political powers. It was so called after Sir William
Pepperrell, who had successfully commanded the New England
troops against Louisburg ; and the name was suggested, doubt
less, by the Reverend Joseph Emerson, the first settled minis
ter of the parish. He had accompanied that famous expedition
in the capacity of chaplain, only the year before he had re
ceived a call for his settlement, and his associations with the
commander were fresh in his memory. It will be noticed that
the Act for incorporating the district leaves the name blank.

PEPPERELL. 79
which was customary in this kind of legislation at that period ;
and the Governor, perhaps with the advice of his Council, was
in the habit subsequently of filling out the name.
Pepperell — for one " r " has been dropped from the name ' —
had now all the privileges of a town, except the right to choose
a representative to the General Court, and this political con
nection with Groton was kept up until the beginning of the
Revolution. In the session of the General Court which met
at Watertown on July 19, 1775, Pepperell was represented by
a member, and in this way acquired the privileges of a town
without any special act of incorporation. Other similar dis
tricts were likewise represented, in accordance with the pre
cept calling that body together, and thus they obtained
municipal rights without the usual formality. The precedent
seems to have been set by the First Provincial Congress
of Massachusetts, which met in the autumn of 1774, and was
made up of delegates from the districts as well as from the
towns. It was a revolutionary step taken outside of the law.
On March 23, 1786, this anomalous condition of affairs was
settled by an Act of the Legislature, which declared all dis
tricts incorporated before January i, 1777, to be towns for all
intents and purposes.
The Act for the incorporation of the district of Pepperell is
as follows : —
Anno Regni Regis Georgij Secundi vicesimo Sexto
An Act for Erecting the second Precinct in the Town of Groton
into a seperate District
Be it enacted by the Leiuf Govf Council and House of Repre
sentatives That the second Precinct in Groton bounding Southerly on the
old Country Road leading to Townshend, Westerly on Townshend
Line Northerly on the Line last run by the Governm' of New Hamp
shire as the Boundary betwixt that Province and this Easterly to the
1 It was near the end of the last century that the practice began of writing
the name of the town with one " r," though it was many years before the custom
became general.

8o BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.
middle of the River, called Lancaster [Nashua] River, from where
the said Boundary Line crosses said River, so up the middle of yf
said River to where the Bridge did stand, called Kemps Bridge, to
the Road first mentioned, be & hereby is erected into a seperate Dis
trict by the Name of and that the said District be
and hereby is invested with all the Priviledges Powers and Immu
nities that Towns in this Province by Law do or may enjoy, that of
sending a Representative to the generall Assembly only excepted,
and that the Inhabitants of said District shall have full power &
Right from Time to time to joyn with the s? Town of Groton in the
choice of Representative or Representatives, in which Choice they
shall enjoy all the Priviledges which by Law they would have been
entitled to, if this Act had not been made. And that the said Dis
trict shall from Time to time pay their proportionable part of the
Expence of such Representative or Representatives According to
their respective proportions of yf Province Tax.
And that the s? Town of Groton as often as they shall call a
Meeting for the Choice of a Representative shall give seasonable
Notice to the Clerk of said District for the Time being, of the Time
and place of holding such Meeting, to the End that aid Districts
may join them therein, and the Clerk of said District shall set up in
some publick place in s? District a Notification thereof accordingly
or otherwise give Seasonable Notice, as the District shall determine.
Provided Nevertheless and be it further enacted That the said
District shall pay their proportion : of all Town County and Prov
ince Taxes already set on or granted to be raised by s? Town as if
this Act had not been made, and also be at one half the charge in
building and repairing the Two Bridges on Lancaster River afore
said in sf District.
Provided also and be it further Enacted That no poor Persons
residing in said District and Who have been Warn'd by the Select
men of said Groton to depart s? Town shall be understood as hereby
exempted from any Process they would have been exposed to if this
Act had not been made.
And be it further enacted that W" Lawrence^ Esq' Be and here
by is impowered to issue his Warrant directed to some principal
Inhabitant in s? District requiring him to notify the Inhabitants of
said District to meet at such Time & place as he shall appoint to
1 This name apparently inserted after the original draft was made.

PEPPERELL. 81
choose all such Officers as by Law they are Impowered to Choose
for conducting the Affairs of s'^ District.
In the House of Rep"'" April 5, 1753
Read three several times and pass'd to be Engross'd
Sent up for Concurrence T. Hubbard Spk^
In Council April 5 1753 AM
Read a first and Second Time and pass'd a Concurrence
Tho? Clarke Dp'f Secry
[Massachusetts Archives, cxvi. 360-362.]

vn.
SHIRLEY, TYNGSBOROUGH, AND AYER.
About this time it was proposed to form a new township
from Groton, Lancaster, and Harvard, including a small parcel
of land known as Stow Leg, a strip of territory perhaps two
hundred rods in width and two miles in length, lying west of
the Nashua River. This "Leg" had belonged originally to
Stow, but had become wholly detached from that town by the
incorporation of Harvard. The proposed township covered
nearly the same territory as that now occupied by Shirley.
The attempt, however, does not appear to have been success
ful. The following covenant, signed by certain inhabitants of
the towns interested in the movement, is on file, and with
it a rough plan of the neighborhood ; but I find no other
allusion to the matter either in petitions or records : —
We the Subscribers being Inhabitants of the Extream Parts
of Groton Lancaster and Harvard as allso the Proprietors of the
Land belonging to the Town of Stow (which Land is Scituate Lying
and being Betwen the Towns above said Namely Groton Lancaster
and Harvard) Do Covenant and Promise to and with Each other
And We Do Hereby of our own Free Will and Motion In the
Exercise of Love and Charity Towards one another with Mutual
Consent in the strongest Manner Binding our Selves the Subscrib
ers each and every of us Conjointly one to another (for the Gosples
Sake) Firmly Covenantng and Promising to and with Each other

SHIRLEY, TYNGSBOROUGH, AND AYER. 83
that we will as Speedely as may be with Conveniency Petition the
Several Towns to which we Respectively belong and Likewise the
Great and General Court That we may be Erected or Incorporated
into a Destinct and seperate Township of our Selves with those
Lands within the Bounds and Limits Here after Discribed viz
Beginning at the River called Lancaster [Nashua] River at the
turning of Sd River Below the Brige called John Whits Brige &
Runing Northerly to Hell Pond and on Still to the Line Betwixt
Harvard and Groton Including John Farwell then to Coyecus
Brook Leaveing the Mills and Down Said Brook to the River and
down Said River to the Rye ford way then Runing Westerly to
the Northerly End of Horse Pond & so on to Luningburg Line
Including Robert Henry & Daniel Page and then Runing South
erly Extendig Beyound Luningburg So far Into Lancaster as that
Running Easterly the Place on which Relph Kindal formerly Lived
Shall be Included and so on Running Easterly to the Turn in the
River first mentioned
Moreover we Do Covenant Promise and Engage Truly and
Faithfuly that we will Consent to and Justifie any Petition that Shall
be Prefered in our names and behalf to our Respective Towns and
to the Great & General Court for the Ends and Purposes above
Mentioned Furthermore we Do Covenant Promise and Engage as above
that we will advance money for and Pay all Such Reasonable and
necessary Charges that may arise in the Prosecuting and Obtaining
our Said Petitions and that we will Each and Every of us Respec
tively Endever to Promote and Maintain Peace Unity Concord and
Good Agreement amoungst our Selves as Becometh Christians
And now haveing thus Covenanted as above Said We Do Each
and Every one of us who have Hereunto Subscribed Protest and
Declare that Every Article and Parigraph and Thing Containd in
the above Writen Shall be Absolutely and Unacceptionably Bind
ing in Manner and form as above Declared and Shall So Continue
upon and Against Each and Every one of us untill we are Erected
or Incorporated Into a Township as above said or that Provedance
Shall Remove us by Death or Otherways any thing to the Conterary
Notwithstanding Witness our Hands the Eighth Day of December one Thousand
Seven Hundred and Fourty Seven and in the Twentieth Year Of
His Majesties Reign Georg the Secund King &c

84

BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.

Harvard

Richard hall
Jon" Bigelow
Joseph Hutchins
Simeon Farnworth
Timothy hall
Phenihas Farnsworth
Samuel Hazen
Joseph Preist
Samll flood
John pearce
Charles Richards
Daniel Page

Henry Haskell
John Nicholls
Thomas Wright
William Willard
Joshua Johnson
Daniel Wiflard
Joseph Priest

Groton

Lancaster

Amos Russll His
Johnathan — Read
mark
Jonathan Read iu
Abijah Willard

John Longleyjn'
Abijah Willard
Manasser Divoll
John Osgood
Abijah Frost
John Peirce hous rite

William Farmer
Joseph Bond
Henry Willard
Benjamin Willard
Jacob Houghton
Corp Elias Sawyer
his
Amos Am Atherton

Stow
John Houghton Ju
John Sampson
Joseph Brown
[Massachusetts Archives, cxv. 220-222,]

Hannah Brown
Samuel Randal
Benjamin Samson

HeU Pond, mentioned in this covenant, is situated in the
northwest part of Harvard, and so called "from its amazing
depth," says the Reverend Peter Whitney, in the History of
Worcester County (page 158).
The following petition refers to an unsuccessful attempt
made during this period to form a second precinct within the
township. The petitioners lived in that part of Groton which
afterward became the district of Shirley : —

SHIRLEY, TYNGSBOROUGH, AND AYER.

85

To the Inhabitants of the Town of Groton assembled in Town
meeting on the first Day of March 1747
The petition of us the Subscribers being all Inhabitants of the
Town of Groton a fore sd humbly Shueth that your petitioners all
Live in the Extreem parts of the Town and by that means we are
Incapacatated to attend the publick worship constantly Either our
selves or famelies and and [sic] being Sensable that our being set
off in order for a presinct will be of Great Seruis to us we Desire
that we may be set of by the bounds following Viz begining at the
mouth of Squa[n]ikook Riuer and so Run vp sd Riuer till it Comes
to Townshend Line and then by Townshend and Lunenburgh Lines
till it Cometh to Groton South west Cornor and so by the South
Line of Said Town vntill It Cometh to Lancaster [Nashua] Riuer
and then Down sd Riuer till it cometh to haruard Cornor and Then
about a mile on haruard North Line then Turn North and Run to
the wast brook in Coicors [Nonacoicus] farm whear peeple Generally
pass ouer and from thence to The mouth of Squanikook Riuer whear
we first began and your petetioners as bound in Duty Shall Ever
pray &c
January th 26 1747

John Whitney
John Williams
Dauid Gould
John Kelcey
Phinehas hurt
Joseph Wilson
Tho' Laughton
James Patterson
Jonathan Gould
Robert henry
John Williams Jr
William farneth
Jonas Longley
Aimer farwell
Isaac holdin
Jerathmel power
Philemon holdin,
Stephen holdin Ju

William Simonds
William Preston
William Williams
henery farwell
Josiah farwell
his
John z Russell
marl^
James Park
his
Jacob X Williams
marlc his
Danell x Page
mark his
Joseph X Dodge
mark
moses bennett Jun
Caleb bardit
Francis harris
Caleb holdin
hezekiah Sawtell Jr

86 BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.
The aboue petetion being Red at the annauarsory meeting in
Groton on march th i 1747 and the prayer thear of Granted Except
the Land on the Easterly Side Lancaster Riuer
and Recorded '^
Tho^ Tarbell
Town Clerk
[Town Records, iv, 57,]
A year or two later another attempt was made to divide
the town, but it did not succeed. The lines of the proposed
township included nearly the same territory as the present
ones of Shirley. The following references to the scheme are
found, under their respective dates, in the Journal of the
House of Representatives : —
A Petition of sundry Inhabitants of Groton and Lunenburg, pray
ing they may be erected into a distinct and seperate Township or
Precinct, agreable to the Plan therewith exhibited, for the Reasons
mentioned. Read and Ordered, That the Petitioners serve the Town of Lunen
burg, and the first Parish in Groton, with Copies of this Petition, that
they shew Cause, if any they have, on the 29th of December next, if
the Court be then Sitting, if not on the first Friday of the next Sit
ting of this Court, why the Prayer thereof should not be granted.
Sent up for Concurrence.
[Journal of the House of Representatives (page 100), November 30, 1749,]
Samuel Watts, Esq ; brought down the Petition of sundry Inhab
itants of Lunenburg and Groton, as entred the 30th of November last,
and refer'd. Pass'd in Council, wz. In Council December 29th 1749.
Read again, with the Answer of the Town of Lunenburg, and Or
dered, That the Consideration of this Petition be refer'd to the
second Wednesday of the next Sitting of this Court. Sent down for
Concurrence. With a Petition from sundry Inhabitants of Lunenburg, praying
to be set off from said Town of Leominster. Pass'd in Council, viz
In CoMucil December 29th 1749. Read and Ordered, That the Peti
tioners serve the Town of Lunenburg, with a Copy of this Petition,
that they shew Cause, if any they have, on the second Wednesday

SHIRLEY, TYNGSBOROUGH, AND AYER. 87
of the next Sitting of this Court, why the Prayer thereof should not
be granted. Sent up for Concurrence.
[Journal ofthe House of Representatives (page 142), December 29, 1749,]
John Chandler, Esq ; brought down the Petitions of John Whit-
my, and others of the westerly Part of Groton, and the easterly Part
of the Town of Lunenburgh, and Edward HartweU, Esq ; and others
of said Town, Pass'd in Council, viz. In Council April 4th 1750.
Ordered, That Samuel Watts, James Minot, and John Otis, Esqrs ;
with such as the honourable House shall join, be a Committee to
consider the Petitions above-mentioned, and the several Answers
thereto, hear the Parties, and report what they judge proper for the
Court to do thereon. Sent down for Concurrence.
Read and concur'd, and Mr. Rice, Capt. Livermore, Col. Richards,
and Mr. Daniel Pierce, are joined in the Affair.
[Joumal ofthe House of Representatives (page 214), April 5, 1750,]
Joseph Wilder, Esq,, brought down the Report of a Committee
of both Houses, on the Petition of John Whitney, and others, as
entred the 3o"'- of November last, and refer'd. Signed James Minott,
per Order.
Pass'd in Council, viz. In Council June 21, 1750. Read and
Voted, That this Report be not accepted, and that the Petition of
John Whitney and others therein refer'd to, be accordingly dismiss'd,
and that the Petitioners pay the Charge of the Committee.
Sent down for Concurrence. Read and concur'd.
[Journal of the House of Representatives (page 41), June 22, 1750,]
A Petition of sundry Inhabitants of the westerly Part of Groton,
and the easterly Part of Lunenburg, praying that their Memorial and
Report thereon, which was dismiss'd the 22"^ of June last, may be
revived and reconsidered, for the Reasons mentioned.
Read and Ordered, That Mr. Turner, Mr. Tyng, and Major Jones
with such as the honourable Board shall join, be a Committee to
take this Petition under Consideration, and report what they judge
proper to be done thereon. Sent up for Concurrence.
[Journal ofthe House of Representatives (pages 76, 77), October 3, 1750.]

88 BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.
—  .   1
John Greenleafe, Esq. ; brought down the Petition of sundry In
habitants of Groton and Lunenburg, as entred the 3d Currant, and
referr'd. Pass'd in Council, viz. In Council October 3d 1750.
Read and nonconcur'd, and Ordered, That this Petition be dismiss'd.
Sent down for Concurrence.
Read and nonconcur'd, and Ordered, That the Petitioner serve
the Town of Lunenburg with a Copy of this Petition, that they shew
Cause, if any they have, on the second Wednesday of the next Sit
ting of this Court, why the Prayer thereof should not be granted.
Sent up for Concurrence.
[Journal ofthe House of Representatives (page 93), October 9, 1750.]
A Memorial of John Whitney and others of the Southwesterly
Part of Groton, praying that their Petition exhibited in November
1749, may be revived, and the Papers prefer'd at that Time again
considered, for the Reasons mentioned.
Read and Ordered, That the Petition lie on the Table.
[Journal ofthe House of Representatives (page 64), October 9, 1751,]
Ordered, That the Petition of John Whitney and others of the
Southwesterly Part of Groton, lie upon the Table.
[Journal ofthe House of Representatives (page 81), January 3, 1752.]
The Memorial of John Whitney and others, as entred October 9th
1 75 1, Inhabitants of the Southwesterly Part of Groton and the East-
wardly Part of Lunenberg, setting forth that in November 1749, they
preferred a Petition to this Court, praying to be set off from the
Towns to which they belong, and made into a distant [distinct?]
and seperate Town and Parish, for the Reasons therein mentioned ;
praying that the aforesaid Memorial and Petition, with the Report
of the said Committee thereon, and all the Papers thereto belonging,
may be revived, and again taken into consideration.
Read again, and the Question was put. Whether the Prayer ofthe
Petition should be so far granted, as that the petition and Papers accom
panying it should be revived 2 It pass'd in the Negative.
And Voted, That the Memorial be dismiss'd.
[Journal ofthe House of Representatives (page 92), January g, 1752.]
The discussion in regard to the division of the town resulted
in setting off the district of Shirley, on January 5, 1753, three

SHIRLEY, TYNGSBOROUGH, AND AYER. 89

months before the district of Pepperell was formed. In the
Act of Incorporation the name was left blank, — as it was pre
viously in the case of Harvard, and soon afterward in that of
Pepperell, — and " Shirley " was filled in at the time of its en
grossment. It was so named after Wifliam Shirley, the Gov
ernor of the Province at that period. It never was incorporated
specifically as a town, but became one by a general Act of the
Legislature, passed on March 23, 1786. It was represented,
while a district, in the session of the General Court which met
at Watertown on July 19, 1775, as well as in the First Pro
vincial Congress of Massachusetts, and thus tacitly acquired
the powers and privileges of a town, which were afterward
confirmed by the Act just mentioned.
The enactment for establishing the district of Shirley is as
follows : —
Anno Regni Regis Georgii Secundi Vicesimo Sexto.
An Act for dividing the Town of Groton and making a District
by the Name of
Whereas the Inhabitants of the Southwestwardly part of the
Town of Groton by Reason of the Difficulties they labour under
being remote from the place of the publick worship of God have ad
dressed this Court to be Sett off a Separate District whereunto the
Inhabitants of Said Town have Manifested their Consent
Be it therefore enacted by the Lieutenant Governour Council and
House of Representatives that the Southwestwardly part of the
Town of Groton Comprehended within the following boundaries viz
begining at the the [sic] mouth of Squanacook River where it runs
into Lancaster [Nashua] River from thence up Said Lancaster River
till it Comes to Land belonging to the Township of Stow thence
Westwardly bounding Southwardly to said Stow Land till it comes
to the Southwest Corner of the Townsjiip of Groton thence North
wardly bounding westwardly to Luningburgh and Townsend to
Squanacook River afores'' thence down said River and Joyning
thereto to the mouth thereof being the first bound  Be and
hereby is Sett off from the said Town of Groton and Erected into a
Separate and Distinct District by the name of and
that the Inhabitants thereof be and hereby are Vested with all the
powers priviledges and Imrnunities which the Inhabitants of any

90 BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON,
Town within this Province do or by law ought to Enjoy Excepting
only the Priviledge of choosing a Representative to represent them
in the Great & General Court, in choosing of whom the Inhabitants
of Said District Shall Joyn with the Inhabitants of the Town of Gro
ton, as heretofore has been Usual, & also in paying said Represen
tative Provided nevertheless the Said District Shall pay their propor
tionable part of all such Town County Parish and Province Charges
as are already Assessed upon the Town of Groton in like manner
as though this Act had never been made.
And Be it further Enacted that M' Jn? Whitney be and hereby is
impowred to Issue his Warrant directed to Some principal Inhab
itant in s'' District requireing Him to Notifie & warn the Inhabitants
of s? District qualified by law to vote in Town affairs to meet at
Such Time & place as shall be therein Set forth to Choose all such
officers as Shall be Necessary to manage the affairs of s"* District
In the House of Rep'"" June 4, 1752
Read three several times and pass'd to be Engross'd
Sent up for concurrence T. Hubbard Spk'
In Council Novf 28, 1752 Read a first Time 29 a second Time
and pass'd a Concurrence Tho? Clarke Dp''' SeSfy.
[Massachusetts Archives, cxvi. 293, 294,]
This Act did not take effect until January 5, 1753, when it
was signed by the Governor.
By an Act of the General Court, passed February 25, 1793,
a large parcel of territory was taken from Groton and annexed
to Dunstable. This change produced a very irregular boun
dary between the two towns, and made, according to Butler's
History of Groton (page 66), more than eighty angles in the
line, causing much inconvenience. The following copy from
the " Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts " gives the
names of the families thus transferred : —
An Act to set off Caleb Woods, and others, from Groton, and to
annex them to Dunstable.
IDE it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives, in General
-^-^ Court assembled, and by the authority of the same. That Caleb
Woods, Silas Blood, Amaziah Swallow, Nathaniel Cummings, Eben-

SHIRLEY, TYNGSBOROUGH, AND AYER. 91
ezer Procter, Silas Blood, jun. Silas Marshall, Levi Parker, Amos
Woods, Isaac Lawrence, Peter Blood, Caleb Blood, jun. Henry Blood,
Caleb Woods, jun. and Silas Marshall, jun. together with their fami
lies and estates, and also the estates of Doctor Jonas Marshall, the
heirs of Captain Solomon Woods, deceased, and Joseph Parkhurst,
which they now own in said Groton, be, and they are hereby set off
from the town of Groton, in the county of Middlesex, and annexed
to Dunstable, in said county, and shall hereafter be considered a
part of the same, there to do duty and receive privileges, as the
other inhabitants of said Dunstable. Provided nevertheless, That the
persons above-mentioned shall pay all taxes that have been legally
assessed on them by said Groton, in the same manner as if this Act
had never been passed.
[This Act passed February 25, 1793.]
The zigzag line caused by this Act was somewhat modified
by the two following ones, passed at different times a few
years later. I think that the very irregular boundary between
the two towns, with its eighty-six angles, as mentioned by
Mr. Butler, was produced by the subsequent annexations to
Dunstable.

An Act to set of Nathaniel Lawrence with his Estate, from the Town
of Groton, and annex them to the Town of Dunstable.
TDE it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives, in General
¦*—' Court assembled, and by the authority ofthe same, That Nathaniel
Lawrerue of Groton, in the county of Middlesex, together with his
estate, which he now owns in that town, be, and hereby is set off
from said town of Groton, and annexed to the town of Dunstable,
in the same county ; and shall hereafter be considered as part of
the same ; there to do duty and receive privileges as other inhab
itants of said town of Dunstable: Provided nevertheless. That the
said Nathaniel Lawrence shall be holden to pay all taxes that have
been legally assessed on him by said town of Groton, in the same
manner as if this Act had not been passed.
[This Act passed January 26, 1796.]

92 BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.
An act to set off Willard Robbins with his estate from the town of
Groton, in the county of Middlesex, and to annex the same to the
town of Dunstable, in the same county.
Sec. I. JDEitenactedby the Senate and House of Representatives,
¦*-^ in General Court assembled, and by the authority of
the same. That Willard Robbins, of Groton, in the county of Mid
dlesex, with his estate, be, and hereby is set off from said town
of Groton, and annexed to the town of Dunstable, in said county,
there to do duty and receive privileges in the same manner as other
inhabitants of the said town of Dunstable.
Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the said WiUard Robbins
shall be holden to pay and discharge all legal assessments and
taxes, that have been assessed upon him by said town of Groton
prior to the passing this act.
[This act passed June i8, 1803.]
The boundary between the two towns now remained un
changed until February 15, 1820, when another Act was
passed by the Legislature making a further surrender of ter
ritory. It took a considerable parcel of land and gave it to
Dunstable, thereby straightening and simplifying the juris
dictional line, which at this time formed but five angles. By
these several annexations from Groton, the township of Dun
stable has acquired more than one half of its present territory.
In the autumn of 1794 a plan of Groton, Pepperell, and
Shirley was made by Dr. Oliver Prescott, Jr., which gives a
few interesting facts. The following notes are taken from
the copy now in the office of the Secretary of State, of which
there is a duphcate in the possession of the town. It will be
seen that Dr. Prescott refers to the land set off by the Act of
February 25, 1793 : —
This Plan contains the Bounds of three Towns, viz. Groton, Pep
perrell & Shirley, — all which, together with whatsoever is delineated
on said Plan, was taken by an actual Survey, agreeably to a resolve
ofthe General Court, passed June 26, 1794, & under the Inspection
of the Selectmen & Committee's from the respective towns, ap
pointed for that purpose in the month of Septf 1794.
By Oliver Prescott, Juf Surveyor.

SHIRLEY, TYNGSBOROUGH, AND AYER. 93
The reputed distance of Groton from Cambridge [the shire-town]
is Thirty two Miles, & from Boston Thirty five miles ; The River
Nashua is from 8 to lo rods in width. The River Squannacoock
4 or 5 rods in width. In Groton are twenty natural Ponds, six of
which are delineated on the Plan, by actual Survey. Several of the
other Ponds are in size, nearly equal to those on the plan, & may
in the whole contain about two Thousand Acres. There are no
Mines in said Town, except one of Iron Ore, nearly exhausted.
Every other Matter directed to be delineated, described or speci-
fyed, may be found on the Plan.
Sam'-'- Lawrence \
Zach" Fitch > Committee.
Oliver Prescott Juf )
The reputed distance of Pepperrell from Cambridge is thirty
seven miles ; from Boston forty Miles.
The River Nissitisset is about four Rods in width.
The reputed distance of Shirley from Cambridge is thirty five
Miles ; & from Boston thirty Eight Miles.
Catacoonamug & Mulpus Brook's are from one to two Rods in
width. The Plan contains every thing relative to the two last men
tioned Towns necessary to be described. Oliver Prescott, Juf
What is enclosed in this Blue line, contains about the quantity of
Land set off from Groton to Dunstable, by Act of the General
Court, passed February 25, 1793. As by said Act, the petitioners
and their Farms were set off, without specifying particular bounds.
Accuracy cannot be obtained, with respect to this Line, without very
great expence and Trouble.
At the time Prescott's plan was made, a narrow strip of
territory of unequal width, lying between Groton and Tyngs
borough, was the subject of some controversy. The parcel of
land contained not more than fifteen or twenty acres, and was
claimed by both towns. On the plan it is enclosed by itself,
and marked " Disputed Line." The question remained open
during some years ; and in the warrant for the town-meeting
in May, 1801, the following article was inserted, which seems
to have covered the matter in dispute : —

94 BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.
To choose a Committee, and give them ample power to settle and
agree with the Towns of Tingsborough and Dunstable upon such
regular & lasting meets and bounds as may prevent future misun
derstanding respecting jurisdiction, and not interfere with, or weaken
any proprietary or individual claim upon the soil, or any part thereof :
or act on this article as the Town may think proper.
At the May meeting this article was considered, and a com
mittee appointed, consisting of Oliver Prescott, Jr., Esq.,
Honorable Timothy Bigelow, and James Brazer, Esq. They
appear to have acted with a similar committee on the part of
the town of Tyngsborough, and made a joint report, bearing
date October 21, 1801, which was accepted by the town of
Groton on March 2, 1802.
The following extract is taken from it : —
Accordingly on the twenty-ninth day of September last, pursuant
to due notice and previous agreement we did run, perambulate and
renew said dividing line between said towns of Groton and Tings
borough and agreed the regular and lasting meets and bounds on
said line hereafter described, viz., beginning at a pillar of Stones,
the antient corner of Groton, Dunstable and Westford thence the
line runs northerly about four hundred and fifty rods to a stake and
stones on the easterly side of a place called dead hole, thence about
one hundred and four rods to the mouth of Cow pond brook where
it now empties into Massabog pond at a stake and stones, thence
to the nearest corner of Dunstable and Tingsborough, the above
line is the whole extent where said Towns adjoin each other.
Oliver Prescott Juf \ Committee
Timothy Bigelow >- of
James Brazer ) Groton.
Jon* Bancroft \ Committee
Josiah Danforth >- of
John Woodward ) Tingsborough.
[Town Records, v. 516.]
It seems probable that a very small parcel of territory be
longing to the original Groton Plantation was in this way
acquired by Tyngsborough ; but how much, it is not easy to

SHIRLEY, TYNGSBOROUGH, AND AYER. 95

say. Danforth's survey was not sufficiently exact to make its
courses and directions agree with the present boundaries of
the neighboring towns.
By an Act passed February 6, 1798, a considerable portion
of territory lying on the easterly side of the Nashua River, in
the southwest corner of Groton, was annexed to Shirley.
This tract continued to form a part of Shirley until the incor
poration of Ayer, on February 14, 1871, when its political
condition was again changed, and its government transferred
to the new town. The Act authorizing the annexation is as
follows, — and I give it entire in order to show the loose way
of describing boundary lines during the latter part of the last
century : —
An Act to set off certain Lands from the town of Groton, and annex
the same to the town of Shirley.
Sect. i. JD-^ H enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
¦'—^ lives, in General Court assembled, and by the author
ity of the same. That a tract of Land at the south western extremity
of the town of Groton, bounded by a line beginning at a large white
oak stump, on the southeast side of Nashua River, being the north
west corner of the town of Harvard; thence running southeasterly
on Harvard line, as the town bounds direct, till it comes to the
stump of a pine tree lately fallen down, an antient bound mark in
said town line ; thence northerly to a heap of stones by the road
leading to Harvard at Simon Daby's southerly corner, thence north
easterly on said Simon Daby's line to a pine tree marked, thence
northerly to a heap of stones on a ledge of rocks ; thence northerly
on said Simon Daby's line to a heap of stones on a large rock ;
thence northwesterly still on said Simon Daby's line to a stake and
stones in the roots of a pine tree, fallen down, in a valley, said
Simon Daby's northeast corner and Samuel Chase's southerly cor
ner, thence northerly on said Samuel Chase's line, to the road
leading to Abil Morse's mill, at a heap of stones on the north east
erly side of said road, thence northeasterly on said Samuel Chase's
line by said road to a heap of stones, thence northeasterly on said
Chase's line, to a stake and stones at the end of a ditch at a
brook ; thence down said brook to Nashua River, thence up said

96 BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.
river, to the bounds first mentioned, together with the inhabitants
thereof, be, and they are hereby set off from the town of Groton
and annexed to the town of Shirley, there to do duty and receive
privileges in the same manner as other lands and inhabitants ofthe
said town of Shirley.
Sect. 2. Provided nevertheless, and be it further enacted, That the
said tract of land and the inhabitants thereof shall be liable to be
taxed by the town of Groton, their full proportion in a tax to the
amount of the debts now due from said town of Groton, in the same
manner as if this act had not been passed : Provided such tax be
made and assessed within one year from the time of passing this
act ; and shall also be liable to pay their proportion of all state
taxes that may be assessed on the town of Groton until a new valu
ation be taken. [This Act passed February 6, 1798.]
All the changes of territorial jurisdiction thus far noted
have been in one direction, — from Groton to the surrounding
towns ; but now the tide turns, and for a wonder she receives,
by legislative enactment, on February 3, 1803, a small parcel
of land just large enough for a potato-patch. The annexation
came from Pepperell, and the amount received was four acres
and twenty rods in extent. The following is a copy : —
An act to set off a certain parcel of land from the town of Pepperell,
in the county of Middlesex, and to annex the same to the town of
Groton, in the same county.
DE it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives, in General
-^-^ Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, That a certain
tract of land, bounded, beginning at the end of a wall by the road
leading by Zachariah Fitch's, in said Groton ; thence running east
erly, by land of Jonas Fitch, to the Nashua River, (so called;)
thence up said river to said road, near the bridge over the same
river ; thence, bounding by the same road, to the bounds first men
tioned, containing four acres and twenty rods, be, and hereby is set
off from said town of Pepperell and annexed to said town of Groton
forever. [This act passed Feb, 3, 1803.]

SHIRLEY, TYNGSBOROUGH, AND AYER. 97

The Worcester and Nashua Railroad was first opened for
regular business through the township of Groton on December
1 8, 1848. It ran at that time a distance of eight miles through
its territory, keeping on the east side of the Nashua River,
which for a considerable part of the way was the dividing line
between Groton and Pepperell. The railroad station for the
people of Pepperell was on the Groton side of the river, and
in the course of a few years a village sprang up in the
neighborhood. All the interests and sympathies of this little
settlement were with Pepperell ; and under these circum
stances the Legislature, on May 18, 1857, passed an Act of
annexation, by which it became in reality what it was in sen
timent, — a part and parcel of that town. The first section of
the Act is as follows : —

An act to set off a part of the Town of Groton, and annex the same
to the Town of Pepperell.
Be it enacted, &>c., as follows :
Section i. All that part of the town of Groton, in the county of
Middlesex, with the inhabitants thereon, lying north of the following
described line, is hereby set off from the town of Groton, and an
nexed to the town of Pepperell, to wit: Beginning at the boundary
between said town of Groton and the town of Dunstable, at a stone
monument in the wall on land of Elbridge Chapman and land of
Joseph Sanderson, and running south, eighty-six degrees west, about
six hundred and sixty rods, to a stone monument at the corner of
land called the "Job Shattuck Farm," and land of James Hobart,
near the Nashua River and Worcester and Nashua Railroad ; thence
in same line to the centre of Nashua River and the boundary of
said town of Pepperell : provided, however, that for the purpose of
electing a representative to the general court, the said territory
shall continue to be a part of the town of Groton, until a new ap
portionment for representatives is made ; and the inhabitants
resident therein shall be entitled to vote in the choice of such rep
resentatives, and shall be eligible to the office of representative in
the town of Groton, in the same manner as if this act had not been
passed. 13

98 BOUNDARY LINES OF OLD GROTON.
The latest legislation connected with the dismemberment
of the original grant — and perhaps the last for many years to
come^ — is the Act of February 14, 1871, by which the town
of Ayer was incorporated. This enactment took from Groton
a large section of territory lying near its southern borders, and
from Shirley all that part of the town on the easterly side of
the Nashua River which was annexed to it from Groton on
February 6, 1798.
Thus has the old Groton Plantation, during a period of more
than two centuries, been hewed and hacked down to less than
one half of its original dimensions. Formerly it contained
40,960 acres, while now the amount of taxable land within the
town is 19,850 acres. It has furnished, substantially, the en
tire territory of Pepperell, Shirley, and Ayer, more than one
half of Dunstable, and has contributed more or less to form
five other towns, — namely. Harvard, Littleton, and West
ford, in Massachusetts, besides Nashua and Hollis, in New
Hampshire. The present shape of the town is very irregular,
and all the original boundary lines have been changed except
where they touch Townsend and Tyngsborough. An ex
amination of the map opposite to the titlepage of this book
will show these changes more clearly than any verbal or
written description.

INDEX.

Adams, William, 55, 59.
Addington, Isaac, 24, 26.
Allen, William, (Allin) 58; 73, 75.
Ames, Jacob, 75.
Ames, John, 12, 30.
Andover, Mass., 10.
Apostle Eliot, 19.
Atherton, Amos, 84.
Ayer, Mass., 10, 33; incorporation of,
95. 98.

Baldwin, Jeremiah, 55,
Baldwin, Samuel, 55,
Bancroft, Jonathan, 94,
Barker, John, 24,
Bartlit, Caleb, 85,
Barton, Henry, 55,
Bateman, John, 24.
Beaver Brook, mention of, in Dunstable
land grant, 17; mention of, in Har
vard Incorporation Act, 50,
Becket, Mass., 41.
Belcher, Jonathan, Governor of Massa
chusetts, 35, 48, 49, si, 53, 56, 57, 58,
60.
Belcher's Grant, 41,
Bennett, Moses, Jr,, 85,
Berry, Thomas, 57,
Bigelow, Jonathan, 84.
Bigelow, J'oshua, 42,
Bigelow, Hon, Timothy, 94,
Billerica, Mass,, 10, 14, 15.

Blanchard, Capt,, 34,
Blanchard, Joseph, 55, 69.
Blanchard, William, 59.
Blanford, Mass., 40.
Blood, Caleb, Jr., 91,
Blood, David, 75,
Blood, Henry, 91.
Blood, James, Jr., 74.
Blood, John, 62.
Blood, John, Jr., 75.
Blood, Joseph, 62,
Blood, Josiah, 55, 59,
Blood, Nathaniel, 55,
Blood, Peter, gi.
Blood, Silas, 90,
Blood, Silas, Jr,, 91,
Blood, Solomon, 74,
Blood, William, 58, 73.
Bond, Joseph, 84.
Boston Farms, 14, 15,
Boundaries, of Old Groton, 9 ; impor
tance of, to communities and indi
viduals, 9 ; principle of, as embodied
in the Mosaic Code of laws, 9; prin
ciple of, personified and deified by
ancient Romans, 9,
Boxborough, Mass,, 16,
Brattle, Major William, 46,
Brazer, James, 94.
Brewer, Mr., 67,
Brookline, N, H., 33, 36.
Brown Hill, 25, 29.
Brown, Hannah, 84.

lOO

INDEX.

Brown, Capt. Hopestill, 28, 29.
Brown, Joseph, 84.
Browne, Samuel, 55.
Browne, W., 55.
Buck Meadow, 14, 15.
Buckminster, Col. Joseph, 42,
Bulkeley, Col, John, 39.
Burk, John, 48,
Burk, John, Jr., 48.
Burnap, Joseph, 28, 29,
Burrell, Ebenezer, 47,
Burrell, John, 24,
Burt, Phinehas, 85,
Butler, Caleb, 13, 33 ; his History of
Groton quoted, 64 ; cited, 90, 91,
Buttrick, John, 24,

Chamberlin, John, 62, 74,
Chambrlin, Phineahas, 74,
Chandler, Col, John, 34, 87,
Chandler, Samuel, 46,
Chandler's Grant, 41,
Chapman, Elbridge, 97,
Charlestown School Farm, mention of,
in Dunstable land grant, 17.
Chase, Samuel, 95,
Chelmsford, Mass., 10, 14, 15, 17 ; joint
petition of, to General Court regard
ing Nashobah territory, 23, 25,
Clap, Col, Thomas, 42.
Clarke, Thomas, 81, go,
Colburn, Isaac, 67,
Colburn, James, 77, 78,
Colburn, Robert, 55,
Colburn, William, 55.
Collans, John, 6g.
Concord, Mass,, 22 ; joint petition of, to
General Court regarding Nashobah
territory, 23, 25,
Cowell, Edward, 14, 15,
Coyachus, 34,
Coyecus Brook, 83.
Cumings, James, 55,
Cumings, Jerahmal, 55,
Cumings, John, 62, 74,
Cumings, Samuel, 59, (Comings) 69,
71-
Cumings, William, 62,
Cummings, Capt,, 67, (Cummins) 68,
Cummings, Nathaniel, 90,
Cushing, Thomas, 74, 76,

Dabey, Simon, 95,
Danforth, Jonathan, 30; first appoint
ment by General Court as surveyor
of Groton, 10; his resignation and
second appointment to same duties,
10, 11; poetical tribute to his char
acter, II.
Danforth, Josiah, 94.
Danforth, Samuel, 12, 30,
Darby, John, 24,
Davis, Eleazer, 47 ; a survivor of Love
well's Fight at Pequawket, 48 ; pen
sion granted to, 48,
Davis, John, 48,
Dinsmoor, Thos,, 55, (Dinsmore) 62,
Divoll, Manasser, 84,
Dodge, Joseph, 85,
Doublet, Sarah, alias Sarah Indian, 28,
Dram Cup Hill, mention of, in Dun
stable land grant, 17, 35, 36,
Dudley, Joseph, 22, 23, 28, 29,
Dunstable, Mass., 10, 16, 32, 34; origi
nal grant of, 17 ; inaccuracies of early
map of, 18 ; incorporation of, 18 ;
West Parish of, 58; division of, by
Provincial Line, 63 ; partial annexa
tion of, to Nottingham, 63 ; location
of meeting-house at, and excitement
attendant thereon, 64-68 ; attempted
annexation of part of Nottingham
and the Joint Grass district to, 64-
69; final success thereof, 70, 71;
partial annexation to Pepperell, 76,
77; partial annexation of Groton
land to, and establishment of boun
dary line with that town, 90-92.

Eames, Stephen, 59, (Ames) 6t,
East Pepperell, Mass., 14.
Eaton, Joseph, 55,
Ellat, Elies, 74, (Elias Ellit) 75,
Emerson, Rev, Joseph, cited, 64, 78,
Epes, Major Daniel, 34,

Farle, Samuel, 59,
Farley, Benjamin, 55,
Farmer, William, 84,
Farmer & Moore's " Collections," ex
tract from, 1 1 .

INDEX.

IOI

Farmington River, 40, 41 .
Farneth, William, 85,
Farnsworth, Daniel, 47,
Farnsworth, Ephraim, 47,
Farnsworth, Jeremiah, 47,
Farnsworth, Jonathan, Jr., 47,
Farnsworth, Phenihas, 84,
Farnsworth, Reuben, 47.
Farnworth, Simeon, 84.
Farwell, Aimer, 85,
Farwell, Henery, 85.
Farwell, Isaac, 55.
Farwell, John, 83,
Farwell, Josiah, 85,
Fisk, Nathan, 74,
Fisk, Samuel, 58, 74.
Fisk, Thomas, 62,
Fitch, Jonas, 96,
Fitch, Zachariah, 93, 96,
Flegg, Eleazer, 59,
Fletcher, Hezekiah, 24.
Fletcher, Joseph, 24, 69, 71,
Fletcher, Robert, 69.
Flint, Lieut. John, 19, 20, (Flynt) 25.
Flood, Samuel, 84.
Forge Pond, 13, 16, 45,
Fowle, John, Jr,, 55.
Fox, Mr. Jabez, 65.
Foxcroft, Francis, 65.
Frost, Abijah, 84,
Frost, Simon, 56, 57,
Fryeburg, Me,, 48,

General Court, grants land for town
ship of Groton, 9 ; its selection of
surveyors for laying out Groton town
ship, 10, 11; petitions submitted to,
regarding disputed Nashobah terri
tory, 19, 22, 23, 25, 27 ; confirmation
of original Groton land grant by, 26,
30; final re-establishment of Nasho
bah as township by, 27,
Getrish, Col, Joseph, 42, 65,
Gilson, Ebenezer, 58, 74, 75.
Gould, David, 85,
Gould, Jonathan, 85,
(Jould, Samuel, 69.
Green, Eleazer, 75,
Green, James, 62, 75.
Green, John, 59, 61,

Greenleaf, John, 88,
Greenville, N, H., 34, 36.
Groton, early boundary lines of, 9- 18 ;
original grant of township, 9, 10 ;
surveyors appointed by General
Court for laying out township of, lo,
1 1 ; making of its survey and troubles
incidental thereto, 10, 11; plans of
its survey, 11, 12, 13; plan of early
township as now existing, 13, 14 ;
incorporation of, 18 ; encroachments
of, on abandoned Nashobah territory,
21, 22; confirmation of original land
grant of, by General Court, 26, 30 ;
its loss from the Nashobah settle
ment of boundaries, 32 ; application
for grant of Groton Gore, 32 ; Gen
eral Court Record of grant of Gore,
35> 36 ; boundaries of Gore, 36 ; sub
sequent loss of Gore by decision
regarding Provincial Line, 38, 39;
equivalent grant of land to, with
description thereof, 39-41; partial
annexation of territory to Westford,
45 ; partial annexation of territory to
Littleton, 51 ; petitions for and
against further dismemberment of,
in favor of Hollis, 53 - 62 ; attempted
annexation of Joint Grass district of,
to Dunstable, 65-69; final success
thereof, 70 ; petitions for establish
ment of West Parish as separate
precinct of, 72-76; final establish
ment of West Parish as separate dis
trict and town, 78-81 ; petitions for
further division of, in favor of Shir-
- ley, 82-88 ; partial annexation of, to
Dunstable, and establishment of
boundary line with that town, go-92 ;
Prescott's plan of, 92-94; unsuc
cessful land dispute with Tyngs
borough, 93, 94 ; further annexation
of land to Shirley, 95, 96 ; acquisi
tion of Pepperell land by, 96 ; open
ing of Worcester & Nashua R. R.,
and consequent loss of land by par
tial annexation to Pepperell, 97 ;
further dismemberment of, with in
corporation of Ayer, 98 ; comparison
between the early and present terri
tory of, g8.
Groton Old Corner, 16.

I02

INDEX.

Hale, Mr. Robert, 34, 48.
Hall, Richard, 84.
Hall, Timothy, 84.
Harris, Francis, 85.
Harris, Stephen, 55.
Hartewell, Samuel, Jr., 24.
HartweU, Edward, 87.
Harvard, Mass., 10 ; incorporation and
make-up of, with first petition there
for, 46; early plan of, as now existing,
47 ; final petition for incorporation,
48 ; Act of Incorijoration of, 50, 51 ;
petition for division of, in favor of
Shirley, 82-88.
Haskell, Henry, 84.
Hauthorne, William, 63.
Haverhill, Mass., ro, 16,
Hazen, Samuel, 84,
Heald, John, 24.
Hell Pond, 83, 84.
Henchman, Mr,, 27,
Henry, Robert, 83, 85,
Heywood, John, 24,
Hill, John, 65, 70,
HiU, John Boynton, cited, 37,
Hinchman, Capt, Thomas, 19,
Hobart, Gershom, 74,
Hobart, James, 97.
Hobson, Capt. John, 34, 55.
Hodgman, Rev, Edwin Rutherford, his
History of Westford quoted, 45,
Holdin, Caleb, 85,
Holdin, Isaac, 85.
Holdin, Philemon, 85,
Holdin, Stephen, Jr., 85,
Hollis, N, H., 10, 16, 58,
Holten, Dr, Samuel, 42,
Horse Pond, 83.
Houghton, Jacob, 47, 84,
Houghton, John, Jr., 84.
Houghton, Jonas, 35, 46, 47, (Haugh
ton) 48; 49.
Housatonick townships, 41,
Howe, Gideon, 59,
Howe, Thomas, 24, (How) 26,
Hubbard, Thomas, 78, 81, 90,
Hubburd, Jonathan, 24,
Hunt, Enoch, 59.
Hutchins, Joseph, 84.
Ipswich, Mass., 35, 36 ; grant of land
to, 36.

Jefes, Henery, 62,
Jeffries, John, 52.
Jeremies Hill, mention of, in Dunstable
land grant, 17.
Jewett, Nehemiah, 75,
Johnson, Joshua, 84,
Joint Grass, 65,
Jones, Maj, John, 65, 87.
Jones, Samuel, 24,
Keen, Wm,, 24.
Kelcey, John, 85,
Kemp, John, 75.
Kent, Abner, 45.
Kindal, Relph, 83.
Lakin, Isaac, 62, 74.
Lakin, Jacob, 62, 74,
Lancaster, Mr. Thomas, 42.
Lancaster, Mass., 10, 22, 47 ; joint pe
tition to General Court regarding
Nashobah territory, 23, 25 ; petition
for division of, in favor of Shirley,
82-88.
Larwance, Enoch, 62, (Lawarnce) 73,
Larwance, James, 62, 74,
Laughton, Thomas, 85,
Laurance, Joseph, 74,
Lawrence, Isaac, 91,
Lawrence, Jeremiah, 59, (Lawrance)
73 ; 75, (Jarimah Lawrance) 77.
Lawrence, Maj, William, 67,
Lawrence, Nathaniel, 91.
Lawrence, Nathaniel, Jr,, 62,
Lawrence, Peleg, 20, 21, (Lawrance) 77,
Lawrence, Peter, 52.
Lawrence, Samuel, 93,
Lawrence, William, 60, 71,
Lawrence, Zachariah, Jr., 59, (Law
rance) 73, (Zachery) 75.
Lemmon, Joseph, 55,
Leominster, Mass., 16, 86,
Leveret, Rev. John, 28,
Littleton, Mass,, 10, 16 (see Nashobah),
Livermore, Capt. Samuel, 87.
Longley, John, Jr., 84.
Longley, Jonas, 85.
Lovewell, Capt, John, 48,
Lovewell's Pond, 15,
Lunenberg, Mass,, 86, 87, 88, (Luning
burgh) 89,

INDEX,

103

Malven, John, 55,
Malven, Jonathan, 55,
Marshall, Dr. Jonas, 91.
Marshall, Silas, gi,
Marshall, Silas, Jr,, 91.
Mason, N, H., 33, 36.
Massachusetts Archives, extract from,
22, 23, 25, 49, 52, 56, 57, 59, 60, 62,
67. 69, 74. 76, 78, 81, 84, 90,
Massachusetts House of Representa
tives, extract from Journal of, 34, 36,
39. 41. 42, 43. 45. 46, 47, 49, 52, 65,
66, 68, 70, 71, 86, 87, 88,
Massapoag Pond, 14, 16, 18,
Meers, Capt, Robt,, 27.
Merrimack River, mention of, in Dun
stable land grant, 17; 37,
Merryfield, Mass,, 40.
Middlefield, Mass., Memorial of Hun
dredth Anniversary cited, 43,
Miles, John, 24,
Milford, N, H,, 34, 36. •
Millstone Hill, 45.
Minot, James, 55, 67, 87,
Miriam, John, 24.
Moodey, Mr, Samuel, 48,
Morse, Abel, 95,
Mosaic Code of laws, its embodiment
of the .principle of fixed boundaries, 9
Mozier, John, 75,

Nashobah, 14, 16; township grant to
Indians, 19 ; subsequent abandon
ment of, 19; early controversies re
garding territory of, 19, 21, 22, 23, 27 ;
re-establishment of boundary lines of,
19, 29 ; various petitions to General
Court regarding territory of, 19, 22,
23, 25, 27 ; township, re-establishment
of, 26, 27 ; reservation by General
Court in favor of descendants of early
Indian proprietors of, 28, 29 ; incor
poration of, 29 ; change of name to
Littleton, 29,
Nashua, N, H,, 10, 15, 18,
Nashua River, 13, 14, i6, 54, 56, 95;
early names for, 63,
Nason's History of Dunstable cited, 69.
Navins, Thomas, 55.
Nicholls, John, 84,
Nickols, Col. Ebenezer, 42,

Nissitissett Hills, 14, iS,
Nonacoicus, 32, 85, (Coyachus) 34,
Nottingham, incorporation and territory
of, 63 ; division of, by Provincial
Line, and change of name of N, H,
part, 63; attempted partial annexa
tion of, to Dunstable, 64, 65, 66, 68,
6g,
Noyes, Ensign Peter, begins survey of
Groton, 10 ; his death, 10,

Oak Hills, 16,
Osgood, John, 84,
Otis, John, 87,

Page, Daniel, 83, 84, 85,
Park, James, 85.
Parker, Benjamin, 62, 74.
Parker, Josiah, 75,
Parker, Levi, gi.
Parker, Lieut. Nathaniel, 3g, 61, 73.
Parker, Obadiah, 55.
Parker, Phiniahas, Jr,, 74,
Parker, Samuel, 5g,
Parkhurst, Ebenezer, 67, 71,
Parkhurst, Joseph, 69, 71, gi,
Parlin, John, 24,
Pattorson, James, 85,
Pawer, Peter, 55, 62.
Pawtucket Falls, Mass., 38.
Pearce, Ebenezer, 55, (Peirce) 58,
(Parce) 74,
Pearce, John, 84,
Pemigewasset River, 37,
Pepperell, Mass., 10, 14; extract from
dedication sermon at second meeting
house in, 64 ; incorporation and nam
ing of, 78-81 ; early limitations of
the town privileges of, 79 ; Prescott's
plan of, g2-g4; loss of small tract of
territory annexed to Groton, 96 ; an.
nexation of Groton land to, 97.
Pepperrell, Sir William, 78.
Pequawket, Lovewell's Fight at, 48.
Perham, Joseph, (Perriaham) 69.
PhiUips, Seth, 62, 74.
Phips, Spencer, 28, (Phipes) 77 ; 78,
Pierce, Daniel, 87,
Power, Jerathmel, 85,
Powers, Daniel, 21.

I04

INDEX.

Powers, Walter, 21,
Powers, WiUiam, 24,
Preist, Joseph, 84,
Prescott, Hon. Benj., 32, 42, 77,
Prescott, Ebenezer, 45,
Prescott, Hon, James, 13, 33,
Prescott, James, (Prescot) 39 ; 41, 42,
Prescott, Capt, Jonas, 21, (Prescot) 45 ;
47-
Prescott, Oliver, 39 ; joint petition for
land grant, 41, 42,
Prescott, Dr, Oliver, Jr,, 94; plan of
Groton, Pepperell, and Shirley by, 92,
93-
Prescott, WiUiam, 39, 76 ; joint petition
for land grant, 41, 42, 77,
Preston, WiUiam, 85,
Priest, Joseph, 84,
Procter, Ebenezer, 55, gi.
Procter, Gershom, 24,
Procter, John, 24,
Procter, Moses, 55,
Procter, Samuel, 24,
Provincial Line, 32, 33 ; the subject of
dispute, 37, 38; definite settlement
of, and consequent loss of territory to
Groton, 38, 39,

Quincy, J., Speaker of House of Rep
resentatives, 49, SI, 56, S7. 59, 65,

Randal, Samuel, 84,
Rand's Grant, 41,
Read, Jonathan, 84,
Read, Jonathan, Jr,, 84.
Read, Timothy, 69, 71.
Reed, Ralph, 33, ( Read) 39.
Remant, Daniel, 55,
Rice, Mr, Phineas, 87,
Richards, Charles, 84,
Richards, Col, Joseph, 87,
Ridge Road, 15.
Right, Samuel, (Wright) 73.
Robbins, Benjamin, 62, 69, 71, (Robins)
74-
Robbins, Eleazer, 47.
Robbins, Robert, 20, 21, (Robins) 24,
Robbins, Willard, 92,
Russell, John, 48, 85,
Russll, Amos, 84,

Saco River, 43,
Saltonstall, Nathaniel, 55.
Sampson, Benjamin, 84,
Sampson, John, 84,
Sanderson, Joseph, 97,
SarteU, Josiah, 33, (Sawtell) 39; 62, 74,
Sartell, Nathaniel, 51, 52, 60,
Sawtell, Hezekiah, Jr,, 85,
Sawtelle, Ithamar Bard, cited, 33,
Sawyer, Corp, Elias, 84.
Scott, John, 62.
Shadd, John, 75.
Shattuck, David, 62, 75,
Shattuck, James, 62, 75,
Shattuck, John, 62,
Shattuck, Jonathan, 62, 75,
Shattuck, Jonathan, Jr,, 62, 75,
Shattuck, Samuel, Jr., 62, 75.
Shattuck, William, 55.
Sheple, Jona., Groton Town Clerk, 60.
Shepley, John, 12, 30,
Shirley, Mass,, i«, 16 ; attempts at for
mation of precinct from Groton, Lan
caster, and Harvard lands, 82-88;
Act of Incorporation of, 89, 90 ; Pres
cott's plan of, 92 - 94 ; annexation of
Groton land to, 95, g6,
Shirley, William, Governor of Massa
chusetts, 66, 72, 74, 76, 8g,
Shute, Samuel, 31,
Simonds, William, 85,
Smith, Prof, Edward Payson, quoted, 44,
Souhegan River, mention of, in Dun
stable land grant, 17; (Sohegan) 35,
36, 56.
Spaulding, John, 74.
Spaulding, Joseph, Jr., (Spoaldeng) 62 ;
(Spalding) 69; 71,73, 74.
Spaulding, Zacheus, 69.
Spoalding, William, 62, (Spalden) 75.
Squannacook River, 18, 85, 89.
Stearns, John, (Sternes) 24; 25.
Stevens, Thomas, 22.
Stone, James, 51.
Stone, Simon, 46,
Stone, Simon, Jr., 47, 48, (Stoon) 49.
Stony Brook Pond, 13, 45.
Stow Leg, 16, 82.
Stow, Mass., petition to General Court
regarding the Nashobah territory,
22-25.
Stratton, Samuel, 24.

INDEX,

lOS

Sudbury, Mass., 22.
Swallow, Amaziah, 90.
SwaUow, Benjamin, 58, 61, 74, 75,
Swallow, John, 62, 65, 69, 71, 74.
Swallow, Joseph, 74.

Tarbell, Thomas, 86.
Taylor, Abraham, Jr., 55, 62.
Taylor's Grant, 40.
Taylor, Joseph, 55.
Terminus, Roman personification of
the principle of fixed boundaries, 9.
Terry, Mr. Ebenezer, 48.
Tompson, Simon, 67, (Thompson) 68,
Townsend, Mass,, 32, (Townshend) 34,
Townsend, Ebenezer, 45.
Tucker, Josiah, 59, 61, 74, 75,
Turner, Mr, Israel, 87,
Tyng, Jonathan, 24, 26,
Tyng, John, 66, 67, 87,
Tyng's Corner, 45,
Tyngsborough, Mass., 16, 45 ; acquisi
tion of land fi-om Nottingham, 64 ;
land dispute with and acquisition of
land from Groton, 93, 94.

Varnum, Jonas, 75,
Vering, David, 55,

Warner, Joseph, 74,
Warner, Richard, 58, 59, 62, 74.
Watertown, Mass., Session of General
Court at, 8g.
Watts, Samuel, 86, 87.
Westford, Mass., 10 ; acquisition of
Groton territory, 45.
Wheeler, Lieut, Joseph, ig, 20, (Whel
er) 25,
Wheeler, Peter, 55,

Wheeler, Thomas, 24, 46, 48, (Wheler)
49-
Whit, John, 83,
Whitcomb, Josiah, 24,
Whitney, John, 85, 87, 88, go,
Whitney, Jonathan, 46, 48, 4g,
Whitney, Rev, Peter, his History of
Worcester County cited, 84,
Wilder, Joseph, 65, 87,
WUlard, Abijah, 84,
Willard, Benjamin, 84,
Willard, Daniel, 84,
Willard, Henry, 84,
WiUard, J., 4g, 50, 51, 57, 74, 76, 78.
WUlard, Major Simon, 12, 32, 39, 63.
Wniard, William, 84,
WiUiams, Col, Elijah, 42.
Williams, Isaac, 58, 74, 75.
Williams, Jacob, 85,
Williams, John, 85,
Williams, John, Jr , 85.
Williams, WUliam, 85.
WUson, Joseph, 85.
Wilson, Samuel, 50.
Wilton, N. H., 34, 36.
Wily, Timothy, 28, 29.
Winnepesaukee River, 37.
Winthrop, Deane, 10, 3c, 34,
Wistequassuck, 63,
Wood, Addison, 16.
Woods, Amos, 91,
Woods, Caleb, 90,
Woods, Caleb, Jr,, 91,
Woods, Isaac, 62, 74,
Wood.s, John, 62, 74.
Woods, Jonathan, 62, 75.
Woods, Moses, 75,
Woods, Solomon, 91,
Woodward, John, 94,
Woolcut's Grant, 40,
Woolerick, Philip, 55, (Wolrich) 59,
Wright, Samuel, 62, (Right) 73,
Wright, Thomas, 84.

14

YALE UNIVERSITY

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