Town records 1798

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WARRANT To Thomas Wodle, constable, greetings [injunction to call town meeting for Monday, April 2,1798, from select men Wesson Kirby, Roger White & Abner Brownell, issued Mar 13, 1798 to consider the following articles, viz.] 1. to choose town officers 2. to give in their votes for country treasurer 3. To receive returns of highways, copied from the old records, and also the returns and alteration of highways, made by the select men in the year past, and to conclude which and how many of them, shall be recorded in the town’s books.

4. To conclude what method by which highways shall be repaired and amended.

5. To conclude in what way the poor shall be supported

6. To consider by what method a school master shall be hired

7. To choose a committee to allow or disallow accounts and to settle with the treasurer

8. To conclude what sum of money is necessary for settling arrearages, due from said

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town, and the necessary expense that may accrue, the year ensuing. 9. To appoint an agent to look up the town stock [of powder and balls], already provided, and to deposit it altogether in some safe and suitable place, under his inspection, also to look up the weights and measures belonging to said town, and to be authorized to collect and pay into the treasury all debts and ballances of what kind soever that is due to said town, that is not committed to the constable to collect. 10. To do what shall appear requisite in regard to calling those to an account who have trespassed by cutting wood or timber on the highway or town ways or infringed upon the rights and privileges of said town, in any other way.

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AT A TOWN MEETING [held April 2,17981 1. William Almy chosen moderator 2. William Almy chosen town clerk 3. Abner Brownell, Roger White and Job Milk chosen select men 4. William Almy chosen treasurer and to have 1 1/4% 5. Christopher Comell, Gideon Tallman & Humphrey Howland chosen assessors 6. George Lawton, John Mosher and Lemuel Milk chosen a committee to examine accounts 7. Nathaniel Kirby chosen pound keeper 8. Christopher Comell, Thomas Comell, Thomas Tripp, Benjamin Brownell, Benjamin Brownell 2, Silvester Brownell, Peris Richmond & Abner Wilcox chosen fence viewers 9. Benjamin Browne 2, Abraham Comell, Joseph Gifford, Henry Tibbits, Stephen Davis, carpenter, Eseck Taber & Williams Allen chosen field drivers 10. Stephen Davis, carpenter, BarJona Devol & John Anthony chosen surveyors of lumber 11. Barjona Devol, Stephen Davis, carpenter, John Anthony, Daniel Tripp & Peleg Potter chosen corders & measurers of wood 12. Barjona Devol and George Brownell, cooper, chosen cullers of hoops & staves 13. Preserved Sherman and Thomas Briggs chosen sealers of leather 14. Daniel Tripp 2, George Brownell, cooper & Christopher Comell chosen cullers of dry fish 15. Wanton Macomber & William Wood 2 chosen tything men 16. Benjamin Brownell, Sr chosen sealer of weights & measures 17. Wesson Sowle, Eseck Taber, Henry Tibbits, John Comell, William Macomber, Jr. & Wesson Tripp chosen hog reeves

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18. Silvester Brownell, Humphrey Macomber, Benjamin Cory, Lemuel Sowle, Benjamin Brownell, Sr, Wesson Kirby, Abner Potter, Justice Kirby, John Mosher, Govet Comell, Thomas Comell, William Sisson, George Lawton, BarJona Devol, John Tibbits, Joshua Pettis, Edward Boomer & Henry Tibbits, chosen surveyors of highways. 19. Voted that for the amending the highways and town ways within the town of Westport for the year ensuing the sume of $700 to be assessed …….. 20. Voted that fifty cents, be allowed for a day’s work for a man or a pair of oxen on the highways, and the seventeen cents be allowed for a cart or a plow one day. 21. Apollas Leonard Esq had 22 votes for county treasurer. 99. William Almy chosen agent to look up the town stock [of powder and balls] already

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provided and to deposit it together in some safe and suitable place, under his inspection, also to look up the weights and measures belonging to said town and authorized to collect and pay in all debts and ballances of what kind soever that is due to said town 23. Voted that the Select Men be required to call all those to an account who have trespassed by cutting wood or timber on the highways or town ways, or infringed upon the rights and privileges of said town in any other way. 24. Voted to adjourn this meeting to Monday, the 14th day of May, at ten o’clock.

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AT A MEETING [to select state representatives, held April 2,17981 Increase Sumner had 27 votes for Governor, Moses Gill had 27 votes for Lt. Governor, Elisha May had 29 voates and Seth Smith, Jr. had 29 votes for counsellors and Senators.

AT A MEETING [to choosen jurors, held April 2,1798] Lemuel Sowle was drawn Grand Juror and Benjamin Brownell was drawn Petit Juror.

AT A MEETING [to choose state representative, held May 14,1798) William Almy Esq had 6 votes.

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AT A MEETING [continuation of adjourned town meeting, held May 14,17981

Voted that the resurvey of the highway that goes south on the west side of the river from the highway that goes to Hick’s Bridge down to the south side of John Davis’s land, done by the Select Men August 8, 1797, and presented by them to this meeting, be accepted by the town, and that it be lodged in the town clerk’s office, as part of the records of this town.

Voted that the return of the resurvey, of the way, on the east side of the river, from Elizah Gifford’s land northward, done by the Select Men August 12, 1797 and presented by them to this meeting, be accepted by the town, and that it be lodged, in the town’s clerk’s office as part of the records of this town.

Voted that a resurvey of the way from Abial Macomber Homested farm, northerly to Abial Davis’s, done by the Select Men September 1, 1797, and presented by the Selct Men to this meeting, be accepted by the town, and that it be lodged in the town clerk’s office, as part of the records of this town.

Voted, that this return of an open highway laid out by the Select Men on the 12 th day of May 1798 by Job Milks to Henry Howland and the County Road and presented by them to this meeting, be accepted by the town and that it be lodged in the town clerk’s office, as part of the records of this town.

Voted that the return of the Ways, within the town of Westpaort, copied from the records of the Town of Dartmouth, by Abner Brownell who was appointed by the town of Westport a committee for that purpose, and presented by him to this meeting, be lodged with the town clerk for the use of this town.

Voted to accept the list of jury men presented to the town by the Select Men, and that one fourth be selected for the Box for the Supreme Court, which was done & accepted by the town, and they were put into the Boxes accordingly.

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The committee appointed to allow accounts found accounts totalling $803-61. Voted to accept the report of the cornmittee of account and that the treasurer be directed to pay the accounts allowed. The committee also reported accounts of town treasurer and founded he had received $836.95 and paid out $835.28, leaving $1.67 in favor of town. A year ago the town owed $21-33 and now owes $803.61, totalling $1,824.94; assessed to pay these is $859.24. The collector of taxes now holds $899-68.

Voted the Select Men should hire a town school master and deten-nine the times and manner of keeping the school.

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Voted that there be raised by way of tax, on the polls and estates of the inhabitants of the town of Westport, for supporting the poor and other charges of said town for the year ensuing the sum of eight hundred dollars, etc. etc.

Voted that John Gifford be constable and collector of taxes for the town of Westport for the year ensuing, and that he be paid two% on the money he shall collect with bonding, etc.

Voted that the providing for and supporting the poor be left to the discretion of the Select Men, to vendue or otherways as they shall think for the interest of the town, having regard to the comfortable support of the poor.

Job Almy and Nathaniel Kirby chosen field drivers

Job Almy chosen hog reeve

Silvester Brownell, George Brownell, cooper, Joseph Gifford, Lemuel Sowle, Job Almy, Samuel Willcox, and John Kirby chosen a committee to oversee the fishery.

Daniel Tripp sworn corder and measurer of wood and culler of dry fish.

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AT A TOWN MEETING [held Sept, 1798 to select petit juror for Court of Common Pleas) John Wait was drawn.

AT A TOWN MEETING [held ? to select grand & petit jurors for Supreme Judicial Court] Capt Isaac Cory was drawn to serve as a Grand juror & Nathaniel Kirby, blacksmith, as a petit Juror.

AT A TOWN MEETING [held November 5, 1798 to select petit juror for Court of Common Pleas] Wesson Potter was drawn.

AT A MEETING [held November 5, 1798 to select congressional representative] Stephen Bullock had 7 votes and Laban Wheaton had 1 vote.