History of Amesbury - Merrill.org

HISTORY OF AMESBURY. 121
acre lot on the river, of Robert Fitts, which was bounded
easterly by his own land. In 1663 he sold his thirty-acre lot
at Cobler's brook, which butted southerly on the Haverhill
road, to Morris Tucker. In 1664 he bought a twenty-acre lot
of John Hoyt, on the river, lying between the original lots of
William Holdred (now his) and Joseph Parker's. He was an
extensive land holder, and a very quiet, industrious and valua-
ble member of the company. Whether the present Hunting-
ton house at Pleasant Valley was built and occupied by him is
a matter of doubt as his son John was married in 1665 and
very likely built this house. This theory is strengthened by the
remains of an old cellar a few rods away, but on the same
original lot.
As most of the time
1690.
Indian wars were harassing the colony,
it became necessary to keep armed bodies of men to guard
against surprise, and the towns were obliged to contribute men
for that purpose, unless so situated as to make it unsafe for
them to spare any part of their people, in which case they were
denominated "frontier towns," and excused from contributing
to the common safety. Amesbury being thus situated chose a
committee consisting of " Mr Wells and y e Militia and y e Selectmen
or y e mager part of them two draw up a petition to pre-
sent to y e Court that we may be accounted a frountere towne
and for severall other p r ticklers that they shall think needfull to
petision for."
It is probable that this petition was granted, as it was well
known that Amesbury had suffered severely from Indian raids.
Edward Cottle, one of the first eighteen, moved to Dukes
county on account of being burnt out by the Indians. His
house was burnt once by accident and once during an incur-
sion of the Indians into the western part of the town. Cottle
lived at Jamaco, as it was then called, and one of the landings
near his premises was named for him. Others at "Jamaco"
had their houses plundered about this time. John Hoyt men-
tions in a petition to the General Court about having his house
plundered by Indians.
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