History of Amesbury - Merrill.org

HISTORY OF AMESBURY. 2 35
Mr. Hoyt was a ship-builder and had many years previous
built the house ( about 1736) now occupied by his descendant,
Mr. Enoch Hoyt, at the Ferry. This is one of the oldest
houses in town.
Sixty pounds were raised for the repairing of highways and
one hundred and thirty pounds for town expenses.
After making provision for several of the poor, it was "voted
that the Selectmen have the care of the Widow Mattes and to
dispose of her in sickness and in health at the cheapest rate."
No doubt sometimes the poor fell into selfish hands and
received rough treatment.
Widow Timothy Colby offended the town by some means,
and it was "voted that Mr. Barnabus Bradbury, Lieut. John
Hoyt and John Sawyer be a Comm" to go to y e widow of
Timothy Colby, now wife of Isaac Colby, and notefye her to
take of that house that stands on y e Landing place called Cot-
tells Landing emedately or to show her strength in order for a
trial in y e law and make report of their and her proceedings at
the May meeting."
The bounds of the Ferry road were rectified as follows
"Commencing at the corner at land formerly owned by John
Bartlett ( recently owned by the late Joseph Bartlett ) and
thence southerly to the land of Aquila Worthen, thence to a
stone by Obadiah Colby's land, thence to an elm tree near the
north-west corner of a shop belonging to the heirs of Joseph
Bartlett, thence to a stone eight feet southerly of Stephen Bart-
lett's shop, thence to the south-easterly corner of Jacob Bag-
ley's barn, thence to a stone two rods and six feet from the
house built by James Herbert, thence to a stone one rod and
a half from Gideon Lowell's house, thence to a stone where
was the easterly corner of a log house, and thence from where
the block house was to a stone two rods and two feet from the
south-east corner of Timothy Currier's house, and from there to
the river."
The "Log House" mentioned in 17 19 was gone, but its loca-
tion was not forgotten.
Samuel George bought an hour-glass for the East parish pul-
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