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History of Amesbury - Merrill.org

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HISTORY OF AMESBURY. 32 I<br />

There was some trouble this year about parish taxes. The<br />

Episcopalians wished to pay for the support <strong>of</strong> Mr. Bass, at<br />

Newburyport, and the Baptists protested against paying for the<br />

support <strong>of</strong> preaching which they did not believe in. The East<br />

parish voted a committee to inquire into the matter. The law<br />

requiring all to support the regular church was fast becoming<br />

unpopular and destined to fall before public opinion.<br />

April 3d. Orlando Sargent, Esq. died. He had taken a very<br />

prominent part in town affairs, especially during the critical<br />

times <strong>of</strong> the revolution. His first appearance as a town <strong>of</strong>ficer<br />

was in 1762, when he was chosen Warden, and from this date<br />

he was repeatedly chosen to fill various positions. He was one<br />

<strong>of</strong> the committee to build the pound in 1772, and held the<br />

<strong>of</strong>fice <strong>of</strong> selectman in 1773-4-83, and representative in 1781-<br />

3. He was repeatedly chosen moderator <strong>of</strong> meetings, and was<br />

on various committees. In 1777 he allowed the town to build<br />

a place in his corn house to keep the powder and other amu-<br />

nition, which was rather a dangerous experiment. He lived a<br />

few rods east <strong>of</strong> the new house built by his grandson, the late<br />

Orlando Sargent. He was the son <strong>of</strong> Moses Sargent, and <strong>of</strong><br />

the fourth generation from William 1st.<br />

March 17th. Ichabod March died. He was a descendant<br />

<strong>of</strong> John March, one <strong>of</strong> the early settlers <strong>of</strong> Salisbury. In 1768<br />

he obtained leave and built a house on the corner opposite<br />

the residence <strong>of</strong> Geo. W. Bartlett, on the spot where the Sandy<br />

Hill meeting-house was built, and the hills where he planted<br />

his corn may yet be seen very distinctly.<br />

There was a school district tax assessed on the Ferry dis-<br />

trict this year, amounting to $681.89, and the largest tax payers<br />

were Capt. Joseph Hoyt, $67.15, Nathan Long, $47.36, Willi<br />

bee Hoyt, $18.52, Joseph Morse, $18.17, Capt. William Bart-<br />

lett, $17.98, David Lowell, $17.79, Jacob B. Currier, $16.85,<br />

John Bartlett, $14.10, James Bailey, $13.88, Timothy Challis,<br />

$13.87, Jacob <strong>Merrill</strong>, $12.49, Benjamin <strong>Merrill</strong>, $11.45, Sam-<br />

uel Kendrick, $10.26. The school-house was built by subscription<br />

a few years since, and it is probable that the district now<br />

paid for it by this tax. The whole number <strong>of</strong> persons taxed<br />

was 124. 41<br />

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