History of Amesbury - Merrill.org

HISTORY OF AMESBURY. 171
this year. It had been the gathering place of those hardy pio-
neers on each returning Sabbath for more than half a century,
and now it was given to the faithful minister, which was a very
proper disposition of it.
Mr. Wells put in a petition at the adjourned meeting for
leave to build a pew in the new meeting-house, and also in
the one to be built
copy :—
at "Jamaco," of which the following is a
e "To y
e Moderator of y
e present meeting of y inhabitants of
y e town of Almsbury, March y e 15th, 17 16: 17, to be com-
1
e
- municated to y town that if they please to grant me y
lege of a pew in y e new meeting house on y e
privi-
left hand next
y e south door seven foot in length and so wide as present va-
'cant a space in y e judgment of y e workmen or Mr. Skipper Lunt
or both of them, shall admit of for needful passage to y e ad-
joining vacant space, and an other' in y e upper meeting house,
granted to be built for place and dimentions at your own pleas-
ure, provided it may not appear to be a ridiculous mockery,
both to be built at y e charge of me my heirs or assigns. I
will in addition unto ten pounds already allowed which was left
out of rate dat. Sept. 14, 1 715, allow ten pounds more out of
y e present rates dat. Octob r 23, 1716, or y e next, and sign a
general acquittence for y e . town, a copy whereof may be seen
next underwritten, and I expect my former papers given in to
y e town and committee to be returned unto me, and this also
if voted on y e negative."
The following is a copy of the receipt, and seems sufficiently
broad to cover the whole ground, thus avoiding all further
dispute about salary :
—
" Id acquitt discharge and absolve y e inhabitants of y e town
of Almsbury considered conjunctively as y e town of all debts
dues and demands whatsoever relating to my yearly salary for
my ministerial maintainence from y e beginning of y e world unto
y e twenty ninth day of September^'in y e yeare of our Lord one
thousand seven hundred and fourteen.
As witness my hand Thomas Wells.
"Voted on y e affermitive."
Minister of Amesbury."