History of Amesbury - Merrill.org

HISTORY OF AMESBURY. 335
fences and acres of pine woods in many places. It was a ter-
riffic gale and long remembered by the people who experienced it.
Soldiers were allowed twenty-five cents on general muster
day.
On the 1 8th of May, the selectmen ordered "To Hezekiah
Colby seventy five cents it being for two quarts of gin for the
funeral of Sukey Lane."
Times change with the years, and habits deemed right at one
period would be a disgrace at another. To-day the selectmen
who should furnish seventy-five cents worth of gin for a funeral
would be politically dead. Two of this board which supplied
gin at the funeral were re-elected several times and, also, served
as representatives to the General Court afterwards, and one as
county commissioner.
Capt. Abner Lowell died April 4th.
1816.
July 2d. A town meeting was held to take some action in
regard to a separation from Massachusetts, and, with other
towns north of the river, to join New Hampshire. Willoughbee
Hoyt, Lowell Bagley and John Morse, jr., were chosen as a
committee to consider the matter and consult with other towns
"that request a separation to see what method is most proper
to be taken for that purpose." This was no fanciful movement,
but there was a strong feeling that the river should be the
boundary between the states. It was occasioned in part by the
fact that taxes were then lighter in New Hampshire and, in all
probability, would continue to be so. The measure, however,
was not successful.
April 1 st. The Belleville church was struck by lightning.
June 19th. Rev. Benjamin Sawyer was installed pastor of
the East parish society, with a salary of $400 and the parson-
age. He was born in Boothbay, Me., in 1782 and graduated
at Dartmouth college in 180S.
March 30th. The widow of Capt. Isaac Randall died.
Sept. 12th. Deacon Willis Patten died at the River.
Peter, a man of color, died this year in the West parish.
The season was extremely cold and attended by frost every