History of Amesbury - Merrill.org

HISTORY OF AMESBURY. 1 39
Town meetings upon legall warning given them at a reasonable
time of y e day and for their non appearance shall pay as a fine
two shillings a day to be disposed of for the youse of the
towne." The fine was about the same as the pay for a day's
work, so that nothing was gained by staying away.
Persons were prohibited from cutting timber on the common
at the pond plain, joining the road from the burying ground to
Tappan Emery's, under penalty of two shillings per tree.
Thomas Fowler and Thomas Stevens were chosen to take
care of this common land, with the privilege of planting part of
it, and were to set "apletrees" upon it for the town's use and
were, also, allowed the fallen wood for their "payns."
A town valuation was taken this year for the commissioners
at Salem.
Deborah, widow of John Weed, sen., died April 20th.
1696.
Mr. Wells was chosen "to be a school Master for y e Town
of Amesbury for this year insuing" and "Left Sargent Left Bar-
nard and Orlando Bagley" were to adjust the terms.
The vote of 1687, allowing 20 shillings for killing a "woulf,"
was this year repealed.
The Indians were again on the war-path, and Sergt. John
Hoyt, son of John Hoyt, sen., and a Mr. Peters were killed
by them while in Andover, on the road to Haverhill, August
7th. He had held various offices in town : was constable, lot-
layer, committee to return the bounds of land, etc.
His experience as constable was not of a very pleasant nature
owing to some arrears of taxes which he had collected but not
paid over. In short, he was a defaulter on a small scale and,
in consequence, found himself in Salem jail, from which he had
no means of escape, unless the General Court thought proper
to release him. Accordingly he sent the following petition to
the General Court :
—
" To the Hon ble their Maj ties Great and Generall Court of the
Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England, now sitting
in Boston by adjourn ment March 6th 1694-5.
"The Petition of John Hoite, one of the late Constables of
Amesbury now a prison r in Salem Goal,