Town records of 1824
Posted on July 23, 2003 by Greg Stone
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January 1, 1824: Pursuant to the within warrant I have summoned and notified the inhabitants of said Town of Westport qualified as therein expressed, to assemble at the time and place for the purposes within mentioned, by posting up one notice at the Town House, one at F. Brownell Store, one at Isaac Cory’s store, one at Peckham & Howland’s Store, on the twenty third day of December last. Nicholas Little, Constable of Westport
AT A LEGAL MEETING [held January 10, 1824 to act on foregoing warrant]
Frederick Brownell chosen moderator
A motion was made for the meeting to be adjourned to the first monday in April next; on taking a vote, the majority voted against it.
VOTED that district No. 6 be divided into two school districts and that the wall that stands in the line between Joseph Tripp land and land that formerly belong to Christopher Gifford be the line between the two districts & that it be a straight line with that wall westerly to the shore or west river and easterly to the shore or east river. The south district is No. 6 and the north No. 19.
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TO NICHOLAS LITTLE, CONSTABLE, GREETING. [warrant for special meeting on April 5, 1824 to vote for state officials]
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AT A LEGAL MEETING [held April 5, 1824 pursuant to foregoing warrant]
VOTES for the following persons were given in, sorted, counted, record and declaration thereof made as by the Constitution is directed, viz.
For Governor, Samuel Lathrop had 263 votes; William Eustis had 59.
For Lt. Governor, Richard Sullivan had 264 votes; Marcus Morton had 58.
For Senators: Sylvester Brownell had 262 votes; Thomas Rotch had 263 votes; Oliver Starkweather had 263 votes; James L. Hodges had 59; James Mason had 59; Solomon Pratt had 59.
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TO NICHOLAS LITTLE, CONSTABLE, GREETING. [warrant for annual town meeting to be held
April 5, A.D. 1824; typical articles entirely]
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AT A LEGAL MEETING [held April 5,1824 according to above warrant]
Nathan C. Brownell chosen moderator
Frederick Brownell chosen Town Clerk and Treasurer
Daniel Wing, Frederick Brownell & Jonathan Davis chosen Selectmen
Barney Hicks, William White, Jr., and Abraham Kirby chosen Committee on Accounts
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Pound Keeper: Isaiah Kirby
Surveyors of Lumber: Abner B. Gifford, Frederick Brownell, Stephen Howland, John
Anthony, David M. Brownell, Micah Dean., Jethro Howland, PerTy Wilcox
Tythingmen: Tillinghast Almy, Micah Dean, Cornelius White, Wing Howland, Benjamin
Sowle, John Gifford, Thomas Winslow, Ephraim Tompson, William Brownell, Zacheus Gifford,
Peleg Gifford, George Gifford, David Sanford, Francis Tripp, Gilbert Macomber
Surveyors of Highways: Jireh Brownell, Joshua Potter, Gershom. Wordell, George Wood,
Stephen Cornell, Jr., Ebenezer Baker, Richard Lawton, Samuel Wordell, Jeremiah Devol, Sr., Isaac
Macomber, Green Allen, Canaan G. Dyer, Sylvester Brownell, George C. Brownell, David
Sanford, Edward Manchester, Noah Kirby, George White, Adam Gifford, Ezekiel Brownell,
Nathan C. Brownell, John Anthony, John Potter, Phillip Tripp, Jamor Allen, Samuel Allen, John
Macomber, William Gifford, Richard Gifford
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$1000. VOTED that the sum of one thousand. dollars be raised for repairing highways and
town ways….
Adam Gifford, John Anthony, Jonathan Peckham chosen Overseers of Landing at the
Head of East River
Fence Viewers: Abraham Cornell, Peleg Manchester, Nathan C. Brownell, Wilbur Gifford,
Adam Gifford, George Gifford, Jonathan Davis, John Potter, Edmund Tripp, Jonathan Records. Cullers of Hoops & Staves: Jethro Howland, Micah Dean, John Howland, Jr., Stephen
Howland
Cullers of Fish: Jethro Howland, Gideon Davis
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Charles Porter had 133 votes for County Treasurer, Allen Presbry had 50 and Apollos
Tobey had 40.
Isaac Howland, Abner Brownell & Abraham Kirby were chosen a committee to look a
farm suitable to support the paupers on. VOTED that said committee purchase a farm for the Town if they can find one which they, together with the Selectmen, shall think will be to the interest of the Town to purchase for that purpose.
VOTED to adjourn this meeting to the second Monday in May next….
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MAY 10, 1824: AGREEABLE TO ADJOURNMENT from the first Monday in April the inhabitants of Westport met accordingly. The following Town Officers were chosen:
Field Drivers: Stephen Cornell, Jr., Wilbur Gifford, George Kirby, Russell Gifford, John Milk, Abner Lawton, Pardon Gifford, Charles Little, Elijah Blossom, Nathaniel Tripp Jr., Silas Pettey, Abraham Davis, Simeon Craw, William G. Sowle
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Hog Reeves: Ephraim Macomber, John Anthony, Wilbur Gifford, Pardon Gifford, Wing Howland, Charles Baker, Phillip Davis, Jonathan Gifford, Elijah Blossom, Wanton Macomber, Samuel Wilcox, Barney Hicks, Gideon Davis, Abner Wilcox, William Tripp, Arnold Wood
Overseers of Fishery: Gideon Davis, Pardon Allen, Perry Brightman, David Wing, Perry Hazard
Charles Shepard Gifford chosen Constable and Collector of Taxes for the year ensuing … and to have 99 cents on a hundred dollars for all the money he shall collect for the taxes of 1824…
The Committee on Accounts allowed the sum of $1882.14
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VOTED to accept their report and to direct the Treasurer to pay the accounts …. They also made a settlement with the Treasurer who had received for the Town $1525.58 and paid out $1517-77, leaving balance of $7.81. They also reported that there was last year a ballance against the Town of $164.27 and there was one the present year of $284.73.
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VOTED that Peleg Sisson Esq. be paid seventy two dollars nineteen cents out of the Town Treasury & the Treasurer is hereby ordered to pay it & charge it to the Town.
$200. VOTED that the sum of two hundred dollars be raised by way of tax for the support of schools and that if the Town should be complained of within the year for not having schools agreeable to law that the expence if there should be any made against the Town be paid out of aforesaid two hundred dollars.
$2900. VOTED that the sum of twenty nine hundred dollars be raised … for the support of the poor, for extinguishing the debts against the Town, and other incidental charges….
VOTED to adjourn this meeting to the last Saturday in August next. Recorded by Frederick Brownell, Town Clerk
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TO TOWN CLERK: This will inform you that the subscribers, Assessors of said Town, have determined that the property of Jeremiah Brownell & Ehjha Gidley, both of Dartmouth, shall be taxed in school district No. 5 and you will record the same, agreeable to law.
TO NICHOLAS LITTLE, CONSTABLE, GREETING. [warrant for special town meeting on May 10, 1824 to select representatives to General Court]
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AT A LEGAL MEETING [held May 10, 1824 pursuant to foregoing warrant] it was voted there and then that this Town send no representative.
TO CHARLES S. GIFFORD, CONSTABLE, GREETING. [warrant for special town meeting August 23, 18241
1. to choose moderator; 2. to know the Town’s mind in regard to an action commenced against the Town by Peleg Chase for wo~k done on the highway and also to choose an agent for that, and for other purposes if thought necessary and expedient….
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AT A LEGAL MEETING [held August 23,1824 pursuant to foregoing warrant]
Abner Brownell chosen moderator
VOTED that the Town Treasurer pay Peleg Chase his account of $6.50 and costs of prosecution.
AT A LEGAL MEETING [held at house of Frederick Brownell on October 8,1824 to draw jurors] George Allen drawn Grand juror and Reuben Wait & Nicholas Little drawn traverse jurors for SJC in Taunton
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TO CHARLES S. GIFFORD, CONSTABLE, GREETING. [warrant for special meeting on November 1, 1824 to vote for congressional representative from Bristol District]
AT A LEGAL MEETING [held November 1, 18241
Francis Baylies had 39 votes; James L. Hodges had 7 votes, which were sorted, counted, record and declaration thereof made agreeable to law.
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TO CHARLES S. GIFFORD, CONSTABLE, GREETING. [warrant for special meeting on November 1, 1824 to vote for electors for President & Vice President of U.S.]
AT A LEGAL MEETING [held November 1, 1824 to vote for electors] At-Larl-ge: William Baylies had 25 votes; William Reed had 25 votes; William Gray had 11 votes; Levi Lincoln had 11 votes;
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Suffolk District: Samuel Hubbard had 25 and Thomas L. Winthrop had 11 votes Essex South: William Sutton had 25 and Nathaniel Silsbee had 11 votes Essex North: David How had 25 and Joseph Kittredge had 11 votes Middlesex: Edmund Foster had 25 and Augustus Tower had 11 votes Worcester South: Daniel Thurber had 25 and Jonathan Davis had 11 votes Worcester North: Strong had 25 and Edmund Cushing had 11 votes Franklin: Samuel Porter had 25 and Oliver Smith had 11 votes Ham]2den: Timothy Horton had 25 and Enos Foot had 11 votes Berkshire: William Walker had 36 votes
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Norfolk: Benjamin Reynolds had 25 and John Endicott had 11 votes Elymouth Benjamin Hobart had 25 votres and Thomas Weston had 11 votes Bristol John William had 25 votes and Cornelius Grinnel had 11 votes