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History of Amesbury - Merrill.org

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288 HISTORY OF AMESBURY.<br />

gress in the year 1774 Did form a Company <strong>of</strong> Mallitia in that<br />

part <strong>of</strong> <strong>Amesbury</strong> called the pond hills to come so far east as<br />

that Brook called the Great Swamp Brook and Did appoint<br />

<strong>of</strong>ficers in said Company and actually march several times for<br />

the relief <strong>of</strong> the State when attacked and as your Company has<br />

been omitted in the Notification to meet and appoint your <strong>of</strong>fi-<br />

cers—this Day we Desire that you would meet at some convenient<br />

place to morrow to appoint <strong>of</strong>ficers according to the New<br />

Mallitia Law.<br />

<strong>Amesbury</strong> April 25th 1781<br />

Capt. John Currier.<br />

Obadiah Colby,<br />

Orlando Sargent,<br />

Wm. H. Ballard,<br />

~\ Selectmen<br />

^<br />

i<br />

Marcheant Cleaves. J Committee."<br />

So the Company <strong>org</strong>anized by Capt. Currier as minute men<br />

in 1774 or 5 is yet to be preserved, and it ought to be for its<br />

prompt defence <strong>of</strong> the " State when attacked."<br />

1782.<br />

At the annual meeting it was " voted to put in a ferry boat<br />

at <strong>Amesbury</strong> Ferry and to agree with some person to tend it."<br />

A committee was chosen to purchase a boat and procure a<br />

person to tend it and report to the town. William Hudson Bal-<br />

lard was engaged to furnish boat and tend the ferry for a rea-<br />

sonable compensation.<br />

At a. later meeting a committee was chosen to collect all<br />

the papers relating to the original grant and lay them before<br />

learned Counsel to see if the ferry belonged to the town. This<br />

ferry has occasioned a good deal <strong>of</strong> trouble ; it was in law for<br />

many years previous to 1766, and now the question comes up<br />

again for settlement. The original grant was rather indefinite,<br />

some <strong>of</strong> the " inhabitants" petitioning and not the town authorities.<br />

Under these circumstances the obstinate Capt. Hook<br />

being appointed to tend it, refused to give it up, contending<br />

that the town had nothing to do with it.<br />

The grant left it with "y e County Court to appoint both y e<br />

person y { is to keep it and also to appoint the price." And now

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