Town records 1799

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AT A MEETING [held January 17, 1799 to select congressional representative] Stephen Bullock had 8 votes, being the whole number given in

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AT A MEETING [held April 1, 1799 to select persons for Court of General Session and Common Pleas] Roger White drawn to be Grand juror at General Sessions; Abial Macomber 2 and Joshua Devol drawn to be petit jurors at Common Pleas

AT A MEETING [held April 1, 1799 to choose congressional representative] Stephen Bullock Esq had 104 votes.

AT A MEETING [held April 1, 1799 to choose state officers] Increase Sumner receive 51 votes for governor; Moses Gill 51 voates for Lt. Governor; Elisha May had 79 votes, Samuel Tobey 3 votes, and William Almy 79 votes for Senators & Counsellors.

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WARRANT To John Gifford, Constable [Selectmen’s Injunction to call Town Meeting for April 1, 17991

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AGREEABLE TO THE FOREGOING WARRANT, the inhabitants of the town of Westport met at the town house in said town on Monday the 1st day of April A.D. 1799, and proceeded to act on the business mentioned in said warrant as follows:

William Almy was chosen moderator; was chosen town clerk; was chosen town treasurer; Abner Brownell, Roger White & Silvester Brownell chosen Select Men; John Gifford chosen constable and collector of rates and to have 2 % and proper bonding; Silvester Brownell, Abner Brownell & Humphrey Howland chosen assessors of rates; Nathaniel Kirby chosen pound keeper; Robert Barker, Christopher Cornell, Thomas Comell, Thomas Tripp, Benjamin Brownell, Benjamin Brownell 2, Silvester Brownell, Peris Richmond, Benjamin Boomer, George White, chosen fench viewers; Benjamin Brownell 2, Henry Tibbits, Samuel Willcocks Jr, Eseck Taber, Ephraim Gifford, Abraham Cornell & Joseph Gifford, chosen field drivers; Thomas Davis, Barjona Devol, John Anthony chosen surveyors of lumber, shingles & clapboards; Daniel Tripp, Barjona Devol, George Brownell, cooper, John Anthony & Peleg Potter chosen corders & measurers of wood; Barjona Devol & George Brownell chosen cullers of hoops & staves, Preserved Sherman and Thomas Briggs chosen sealers of leather; Daniel Tripp & George Brownell, cooper & Christopher Cornell chosen cullers of dry fish.

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Silvester Brownell, Humphrey Macomber, Benjamin Cory, Benjamin Brownell 1, Edmond Tripp, Abner Potter, Silvanus White, John Mosher, Robert Barker, Abraham Cornell, William Sisson, George Lawton, Barjona Devol, Charles Petty, Jonathan Peckham, Gershom Woodle & John Davis chosen surveyors of highways; George Lawton, Lemuel Milk & John Mosher chosen a committee of accounts and to settle with the treasurer and to report at next meeting.

Upon collecting, sorting and counting the votes for county treasurer, there were 78 for Samuel Crocket and 7 for Benjamin Williams.

Voted to adjourn to the second monday of May next.

AT A TOWN MEETING [held Monday, May 13,1799, to select state representative] Wflharn Almy received 12 votes, the whole number given in, and was chosen.

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AT A TOWN MEETING [held May 13, 1799 as continuation of adjourned April 1 meeting]

Voted that for the amending and repairing the highways the sum of $700 be assessed on the polls and rateable estates, real & personal of this towns residents and non residents

Voted that fifty eight cents be allowed for the day’s work of a man or pair of oxen on the said ways if done before the first day of July next and fifty cents for each day’s work for a man or pair of oxen if done after said day. Voted that twenty cents be allowed for use of a cart or plow.

The committee to examine accounts reported they found total of $1179.92 allowable. Said committee also exan-dned treasurer’s accounts who had received in past year $1214-74 and paid out $1199.76, leaving balance of $14.97.

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The committee reported a balance left from last year between assessments and accounts of $34-30; this year’s assessments were $915.00, totalling $949.30. Expenses were $1192.92, leaving town owing $243.62; but collectors had sums of $120.88 and $505.45 in their possession. Voted to accept committee report and directed treasurer to pay accounts

Voted to raise by tax to support the poor & other charges $1000.

Voted the treasurer may issue execution against the collector for any sum he is deficient, ff any, at the expiration of the year.

Voted that the providing for and supporting the poor be by venduing unless in instances where the Select Men shall think it best to agree otherwise, having regard to their comfortable support & maintenance.

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Voted that the Select Men be directed to hire a town school master the year ensuing agreeable to law, and that the districting the town and the time & manner of keeping the school be left to the discretion of the Select Men.

Daniel Boomer & Wanton Macomber chosen tythingmen; Robert Barker, William Macomber, cordwainer, Eseck Taber, Benjamin Boomer, Job Milk chosen hog reeves; Silvester Brownell, George Brownell, cooper, Joseph Gifford, Lemuel Sowle, Job Almy, Samuel Willcox & John Kirby chosen overseers of fishing; voted that Humphrey Macomber be excused from serving as surveyor of highways and that Christopher Cornell be chosen in his sted; Abraham Cornell & Joseph Gifford sworn field drivers; Christopher Cornell chosen culler of fish.

Voted upon the eighth article in the warrant that it is not the mind of this town to allow interest upon town orders.

Voted to adjourn this meeting to friday the 7th day of May … Met accordingly

Voted that the Select Men be directed to complain to the grand jury of those that do not settle with the Select Men for the improvement of the town’s landing as tillage or highways.

Voted to adjourn this meeting to the second monday of July next at 2 o’clock

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AT A TOWN MEETING [held June 6, 1799 to vote for congressional representative] Stephen Bullock Esq received eleven votes…

AT A TOWN MEETING [held on ? Sept, 1799 to choose petit juror for common pleas and sessions of the peace] Henry Tibbits was drawn.

AT A TOWN MEETING [held October 6, 1799 to chose grand juror for supreme court and petit juror for same] job Milk was drawn as grand juror & Christopher Cornell for petit.

AT A TOWN MEETING [held December 2,1799 to choose petit juror for common pleas] Peter Macomber was drawn

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AT A TOWN MEETING [held December 2. 1799]

Voted that William Almy Esq, the representative of this town to the General Court of this Commonwealth be requested to use his influence at the said court to have part of the dividing line, between the towns of Dartmouth and Westport, altered, and that the part of, the highway, which is the dividing line, as Resurveyed and altered, by the Select Men of Dartmouth, in the year 1785, be made the dividing line between said towns, and that the said towns of Dartmouth and Westport, be directed to divide and keep in repair the same in the same way and manner they were directred to do the highway, was made the dividing line between said towns, in the Act for Incorporating said town of Westport.

Voted that the treasurer of this town be directed to notify Thomas Woodle that unless he pay into the hands of the treasurer, the surn agreed upon for him to give, for a certain highway and the interest thereof, on or before the 25th day of December 1st the treasurer is directed not to give him a deed after that time.