History of Amesbury - Merrill.org

HISTORY OF AMESBURY. 1 93
October 4th, " Philip Rowell for mending y e parsnedg fence
in 1730, 2 s. ; and for nails and fitting y e school house, 2 s.
and for a desk or table in y e school house, 5 s. 000. 09, 00."
The Rev. Mr. Wingate's large fire-place seemed to require a
great deal of wood in the course of the year, according to the
assessors' orders, which are as follows :
"Ordered to Wm. Moulton, for ten cord of wood to Mr.
Wingett, 005. 05. 00. Ordered to Jonathan Kelly, for ten cord
of wood to Mr. Wingett, 005 05 00. Ordered to Joseph
Currier, for ten cord of wood to Mr. Wingett, 005 05 00."
This was in March, 1732, really, and probably was a year's
supply.
Mr. Thompson was employed as "school master" this year
by the town.
John Foot, jr., sold to the West parish, April 8th, 210 rods of
land, being 40 rods long, for a training field and parish uses
of passing and repassing, to lay common forever. The consid-
eration was ;£n 16 s. It is yet common near the cemetery,
and constitutes a considerable portion of the open space in that
vicinity. An old deed from John Foot, and his son John,
jr., to Rev. Pain Wingate, dated a few years subsequent to the
above, refers to this training field in bounding the purchase,
and calls it one and one-half acres. The description of Mr.
Wingate's purchase is as follows : " by Nathaniel Merrill, Timo-
thy Colby, Widow Margaret Challis ; west by one and a half
acres purchased for a training field and partly on parish land
where the meeting-house stands, and partly on land bought for
a burying place behind s d meeting house." This fixes very
—
nearly the location of the first meeting-house.
1732.
Mr. Thompson was again chosen school-master, provided his
wages were not raised.
The ferry which has occasioned so much feeling and trouble
is not yet recovered from Capt. Hook. September 4th a meet-
ing was held, and by a vote of fifty-seven to twenty it was a
thud time voted to obtain it out of his hands. By what right
or authority he held the ferry does not appear.
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