Town records for 1793

AT A TOWN MEETING legally warned and held at the Town House on Monday, the 14th day of January A.D. 1793 for voting for a Representative to Congress:

The Honorable James Warren Esq. had 17 votes

The Honorable John Davis had 2 votes

At a town meeting legally warned and held at the Town House in Westport for the purpose of choosing grand jurors for the year ensuing on February 9, 1793:

Charles Devol chosen moderator of this meeting. Wesson Sowle chosen Grand juror for the year ensuing. Justice Kirby was drawn to serve as a Petit Juror to serve at the Court of General Sessions of the Peace to be holden at Taunton March Next.

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BRISTOL SS> To John Gifford Constable of the town of Westport in said County Greeting.

You are hereby required [to notify and warn the inhabitants to meet on Monday the lst of

April, 1793 at ten o’clock] on these articles I

1st At said meeting to choose town officers as by law required for the year ensuing.

2nd To choose a Committee to receive and allow or disallow all accounts that may be

brought against said town and also to settle with the town treasurer for the year past.

3rd To conclude by vote such a sum of money as may be thought proper for the support

of the poor and other necessary charges as shall arise in the town for the year ensumg.

4th At said meeting to act and do what shall be thought proper relative to hiring a school

master at the expense of the Town.

5th To receive returns of highways that shall be laid out or altered by the selectmen of said

town that they may be of Record.

6th At said meeting if thought proper to sell to John Avery Parker a part of the town

Landing on the East side of the River.

7th For the town at said meeting if thought proper, agreeable to the request of a number of

inhabitants of our said town, to purchase or procure a way from the Road, so called, leading

from the old meeting house, so called, to the Center meeting house, to a landing place to be

procured at the expense of said town, in some convenient place on the west side of the river

between Hicks Bridge and the Head of said River. [upper Drift Road]

8th At said meeting, for the freeholder and other inhabitants qualified to vote for

representatives to give in their votes for county Treasurer for the year ensuing.

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And make due return of this warrant with your doing thereon –before the said time of meeting. Given under our hands & seals at West, this 14th day of March, A.D. 1793

William Davis> Select Men of Westport Charles Devol> Bristol SS Westport 4/7/1793

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AGREEABLE to the above warrant the inhabitants of the said town of Westport met at the Town House in said town and on Monday the first day of April and proceed to business as follows.—1st William Almy chosen Moderator. 2nd William Almy chosen town clerk and sworn by Justice Davis. 3rd Capt Isaac Cory, Wesson Kirby & Henry Howland chosen Select Men 4th Upon collecting sorting and counting the votes for county treasurer: George Godfrey Esq had 44 votes. 5th William Hick chosen town treasurer for the year ensuing, and is to have two & one half per cent on all money he shall receive on and pay out of the town treasury… 6th Benjamin Brownell, Nathaniel Kirby and Wesson Tripp were chosen assessors of rates & Benjamin Brownell and Nathaniel Kirby were engaged agreeable to law. Also Wesson Tripp. 7th Capt. Sylvester Brownell, Lemuel Milk and George Lawton were chosen a committee to settle with the town treasurer for the year past and also to examine and allow accounts that shall be brought against the Town.

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[Landing lot sold to John Avery Parker] Upon the sixth article in the above warrant, Inserted upon a request of a number of the inhabitants of the town to know whether the town will sell to John Avery Parker a piece of the town Landing on the East side of the river. Voted that there be a committee of three chosen to go to the town’s landing on east side of the head of the river and view said situation and bigness of the said landing and report whether there can be a piece of said landing sold without discomoding persons who shall have occasion to use said landing. Also to report to the town whether in their opinion it is expedient for the town to sell any part thereof and if expedient to sell any part to report how big a part, and upon’what terms and report to this meeting when met by adjournment from this day. And Jonathan Peckham, Christopher Gifford & Nathaniel Kirby were chosen the Committee.

Upon the seventh article in the warrant, Inserted upon a request of a number of number of inhabitants of this town to know whether the town will purchase or procure a way from the road leading from the old meeting house, so called, to the center meeting house to a landing to be procured at the expense of said town in some convenient place on the west side of the river, between Hicks Bridge and the west side of said river. Noted that there be a committee of three to view the lands, make inquiry for their information and report [about] the state of facts, with their opinion therefore. And Philip Tripp, Stephen Cornell, Thomas Tripp were chosen the Committee. [upper Drift Road I

10th John Davis, Joseph Gifford & Samuel Willcocks were chosen Field Drivers.

11 th Nathaniel Kirby, chosen Pound Keeper [sworn)

12th Benjamin Brownell chosen Sealer of Weights and Measures [sworn]

13th Benjamin Cory and Preserved Shearman chosen Sealer of Leather [sworn]

14th Bamea Devol & George Brownell chosen cullers, of hoops and staves [swoml

15th Capt. Silvester Brownell, George Brownell, Joseph Gifford, Lemuel Sowle, Bamea Devol, Job Almy, Samuel Willcocks and John Kirby chosen overseers of the Fishery.

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16th George Brownell and Ebenezer Baker was chosen Tythingmen and sworn

17th William Willcox, Nathan Tripp, Philip Sanford, Barjona Devol, John Tibbits, Henry Tibbits, Isaiah Burden, Eseck Tabour chosen surveyors of highways and sworn. Christopher Cornell, Edmund Tripp chosen and took the affirmation. John Cornell, Arnold Wood, Charles Devol, William Records, Joseph Gifford, Job Almy chosen surveyor of Highways. 18th Benjamin Cory, George Brownell, Henry Tibbits, Prince Brownell chosen hog reeves and sworn; Christopher Cornell chosen and took the affinnation. Benjamin Gifford, George Tripp, Elihu Kirby, Edmund Tripp, Josiah Brownell, Stephen Davis, cordwainer, chosen hog reeves. Thomas Tripp, Christopher Cornell, and Benjamin Brownell chosen fence viewers and took the affirmation agreeable to law. Stephen Davis chosen surveyor of Lumber and wood sworn april 22nd. Barjona Devol chosen and sworn and Job Anthony chosen and sworn Surveyors of lumber and wood. Noted that this meeting be adjourned to Monday the thirteenth day of May at ten of the clock forenoon then to meet at this place.

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BRISTOL SS [injunction to constable to call voters to elect state officials on ist of April, 1793. They met and proceed as follows.] His Excellency, John Hancock Esq had 63 votes for governor

His Honor Samuel Adams Esq had 63 votes for Lieut. Governor

The Honorable Elisha May Esq had 68 votes>

The Honorable George Leonard Esq had 68 votes> for senators & The Honorable Holder Slocum Esq had 35 votes> counsellors for The Honorable Thomas Durfee Esq had 30 votes> Bristol County

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BRISTOL SS [Injunction from selectmen, Henry Howland, Wilson Kirby and Isaac Cory, to constable, John Gifford, to call male inhabitants being twenty one years of age and up and having a freehold estate of the annual income of three pounds or any estate of the value of sixty pounds to meet 13th of May at one o’clock to select state representative and to act on the following articles. Dated April 27, 17931 First. To act and do what shall be thought proper respecting town’s landing. Second. To act and do as the town thinks necessary in giving the selectmen directions for laying out and altering highways.

[They meet.] William Almy Esq was chosen representative and sworn. Voted that the Select Men be requested to make inquiry what land for landings is within the Town belonging to the town and that they survey it accordingly… In the article repairing highways, not acted upon….

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At a meeting April ist legally warned and continued by adjournment to 13th May—Voted to excuse Joseph Gifford and John Davis from being Field Drivers and Benjamin Brownell, Jr., Thomas Briggs chosen and sworn, also Samuel Willcocks, William Records and Arnold Wood sworn surveyors of highways. Joseph Gifford ‘ excused and William Kirby chosen Surveyor of Highways and engaged. Thomas Cornell chosen surveyor of Highways and sworn. The committee appointed to examine and allow accounts against the town reported that they had attended that service and had examined and allowed accounts to the amount of one hundred and fourteen pounds, seventeen shillings and eleven pence, as appears by their records. Voted to accept the report of the committee and the Treasurer is directed to pay the several accounts accordingly. The committee appointed to settle with the Treasurer reported that they had attended that service and that find there was in the hands of the collectors and Treasurer on the settlement last year, the sum of L 140:16:6. It further appeared that the Treasurer had received in and paid out since that time the sum of L 76:17:10. The balance then in the hands of collectors and treasurer L 63:18:8.

VOTED that the sum of one hundred and eighty pounds be raised by way of tax for the support of poor and other necessary expenses of the town and that sixty pounds of it be proportioned on those who were inhabitants of the town the last year and the remainder, L120, to be proportioned on those that now belong to the town and both sums thus proportioned to be assessed in one bill.

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VOTED that the select men be empowered to proceed according to law in having a school master and to regulate the school or schools as they think proper. VOTED and made choice of John Gifford, Constable and Collector of Rates for the year ensuing and he to [be] paid 2 per cent upon what money he shall collect and pay the several treasurers and he is to procure sufficient bondsmen for the performance of the trust and sworn accordingly. The committee appointed to view the town’s landing upon the request of John Avery Parker, reported that they had attended that service, viewed the landing and reported that in their opinion the town could sell a part of it lying in the north east comer of said landing. VOTED to accept the report of the committee and that the Town will sells to John Avery Parker a part of said Landing bounded as follows:

Beginning at the north east comer of Town landing on the east side of Head of the east branch of Acoaxet River, thence southerly in the line between the said landing and Job Anthony’s land, eighty feet then west forty feet, thence northerly to the Count Road on a line that shall be parallel to the first described line, he paying in the Treasury of the Town a sum equal to two dollars per rod for the land contained within the lines before described and the select men are hereby empowered and directed to give the said Parker a deed accordingly.

The select men presented a return of a survey of the town landing on the west side of the head of the west branch of Acoaxet River. VOTED to accept it and record it. Voted to adjourn to last Monday August next

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August 26th 1793 MET AGREEABLE TO ADJOURNMENT there being no business before the Town the meeting was dissolvewd.

AGREEABLE TO NOTICE from the Constable the Town met and did [select] a person to serve on the petty jury at the next court of Common Pleas and General Sessions of the Peace to be holden at Taunton second tuesday of September and Benjamin Brownell, Jr was drawn.

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[Selectmen call for town meeting for 9th September, 1793 at 2 o’clock to act on the following article: To choose a committee to divide the highway that formerly went through Dartmouth and is now the dividing line between Dartmouth and Westport. Wesson Kirby & Henry Howland to John Gifford, Constable, 30th August, 1793.1

AGREEABLE TO THE WARRENT the inhabitants met and voted as follows:

First that there be a committee of three to meet the committee from the Town of Dartmouth appointed for the purpose to divide the highway that is the dividing line between Dartmouth and Westport agreeable to the act for incoorporating the Town of Westport and Mr. Wesson Kirby, Henry Howland and Benjan-dn Brownell was chosen.