History of Amesbury - Merrill.org

298 HISTORY OF AMESBURY.
" Voted to give William Barnard six shillings a week to keep
negro Fanny before she is sick and 1 1 s., 6 d. per week for 4
weeks after she is brought a bed."
A movement was made in 1784 towards opening a road
along the river side from Eliphalet Martin's, through Pleasant
valley on to Clapboard landing. This road would seem indis-
pensible to us at the present day, but not so to many people
a century ago. It was strongly opposed by the town, and, to
defeat the measure, a town meeting was held June 26th, when
it was "Voted that the town will show cause why the prayer
of the petition should not be granted."
It was thought to be a very expensive undertaking, as well
as difficult to make a road along those precipitous banks, over
creeks and marshes for several miles, and a majority were deter-
mined to stop the proceedings.
A committee was chosen, consisting of Nehemiah Davis.
Capt. John Barnard, Enoch Rogers, Capt. Matthias Hoyt and
Isaac Merrill, Esq., to report at an adjourned meeting the rea-
sons why the road should not be laid out.
The report, which contained but few sound reasons against
the road, was made and accepted. The first reason against its
being built was the inability of the town on account of the
large town debt. This was the best and only reason offered by
the committee which could have weight.
Second :
That
it would do more hurt than good to land-
holders in that vicinity, as they now have as good privileges as
the town in general, having a road at one end of their lots and
a i-iver at the other end, with three cross-roads within the
length of the proposed road.
Third :
The
plea that it was needed to encourage ship build-
ing was fallacious, for there was no need of more ship-yards or
carpenters, as one-half the ship-yards were idle at present.
That, a plan which had been made of the old road from Hav-
hill showed that this road was but thirty-three rods nearer and.
also, that the main road was a mile nearer than this one ; that
both of said roads were open and in good repair.
Fourth :
That
the way will require many expensive bridges