History of Amesbury - Merrill.org

HISTORY OF AMESBURY. 277
corn per week for supporting Widow Hookley." "Isaac Rogers
a bushel of corn per week for supporting Lydia Ordway."
June 25th. A town meeting was held to take measures to
raise ten men now called for, and the committee was "to pro-
cure the men on the towns cost on the most reasonable terms
they can. Also to replace the guards under General Heath
when called for on the towns cost, the Committee not to have
any pay for their own time and expense."
"And Mr Ephraim Weed appeared in said meeting and
entered his decent against said vote." Whether Capt. Weed
was opposed to raising men or not paying the committee for
their services does not appear, but at a subsequent meeting we
shall find him opposing the whole proceedings.
Tuly 13th. A town meeting was held to take measures to
clear the town from a presentment at the Salem court. " Isaac
Merrill Esq and Capt William Bayley were chosen a committee
to appear at the Salem court in behalf of the town on account
of their being presented for not having a Grammar school."
This was a most singular affair and, probably, the work of
some evil-minded person, for the town had provided schools in
both parishes. Samuel Brooks kept school three months ending
March 6th in the East parish and Thomas Clark in the West
parish, and there can be but little doubt of their ability to teach
the required branches. It cost the town for the committee's
services ^14, n s., 9 d. However, there was a master in town
whose qualifications no one was able to gainsay, and on the
8th of September he was employed to open a school in which
all legal branches could be taught. Jacob Merrill, the new
master, was said to have been an excellent Latin and Greek
scholar.
A town meeting was held July 30th to raise men to fill the
call just made, and a committee was chosen "to procure the
men on the towns cost."
Ephraim Weed again appeared in the town meeting " and
entered his decent against the whole proceedings of said meet-
ing." The cause of this solitary opposition on the part of Mr.
Weed is singular and cannot be explained. Until this instance