History of Amesbury - Merrill.org

286 HISTORY OF AMESBURY.
"At the same meeting voted that a number of the inhabit-
ants of the town may have liberty to build a School house where
Doctor Ordway's Bake house formerly stood on their own cost
for the benefit of the town."
An effort was made at this meeting to find out the indebted-
ness of the town, the whole expenditure since the beginning of
the war and a proper account taken of their depreciated value.
Capt. William Bayley, Enoch Rogers and Mr. Samuel Ordway
were chosen a committee for that purpose.
May 1 6th. A meeting was held and a committee chosen "to
look over the Selectmen's account for the year 1780 for their
services and make report to the town at the next meeting;"
and also a committee was chosen "to look over Josiah Sar-
gent's account for boarding the School Master and also on
account of his being rated for Jacob Hoyt after he was twenty-
one years old and make report at next meeting." This seems
to have been an age of investigation, somewhat resembling the
present.
At the state election April 2d, the whole number of votes
cast for governor was thirteen and for senators ten.
June 28th. A meeting was held to take measures to hire
the three men called for to serve in Rhode Island for five
months, and a committee was chosen to procure the men at
the town's cost. The selectmen were instructed to assess the
sum of nine hundred and twenty-four pounds in hard money.
July 10th. Another meeting was held and further measures
taken to obtain the men, and the selectmen were authorized to
borrow the money. Deacon John Hoyt and Ezra Jewell were
chosen to purchase the beef called for, and then the meeting
was adjourned to the 17th inst.
July 17th. "Voted to allow Mr. Jewell the 630 dollars that
was counterfeited of the money that was sent to pay for the
beef," and the meeting was adjourned to August 2d.
Aug. 2d. At this meeting it was "Voted that the Constables
be ordered to collect immediately the one half the town rate
committed to them in hard money."
"Voted, also, the Committee appointed to purchase the beef