History of Amesbury - Merrill.org

24 HISTORY OF AMESEURY.
the tide of emigration had set in that direction, and at the
close of this year the people there began to think about having the
amunition removed to that section, as the following order very
plainly shows :
—
" Ordered, that the ordinance shall be removed nere the paw-
awes river by the last of September next, com. 1 2 month, which
will be in the year 1644." This was rather a singular order,
for it is difficult to conceive how the next September could be
in the year 1644. The record is plain, and we have no means
of correcting the mistake, if it be one.
The company were in debt, ( but, probably, to no great extent
and a rate was made on that account. These rates were not
paid in money, but provisions and produce, which was legal ten-
der then.
This year appears to be remarkable for one event : the meet-
ing of the few settlers in Salisbury for the purpose of ordering
off a portion of their number, which would seem to have been
sufficiently small already. Hundreds of acres of land had been
given out west of the "Powowas river," and now it is proposed
to settle a colony there. On the 26th of the 10th month (Dec.)
1642, a meeting was called of "y e freemen," and "it was ordered
yere shall thirtie families remove to the west side of y e Powowas
river." This would seem to be an arbitrary order and one
which nobody in particular was bound to consider as applying
to themselves ; and, consequently, amounted to nothing. It set-
tled one fact, however :
that nobody was willing to remove.
Finding their attempt a failure, in ten days another meeting was
held, viz.: on the "5th, nth mo., 1642," (Jan. 5, 1643) at
which the former vote was re-affirmed and the time for removal
fixed "before the first of the third month in the year 1645,"
which would be in season for planting. And such persons were
to remove as "the seven men shall approve of." The seven
men were, no doubt, those chosen to order the prudential affairs,,
viz. : Messrs.
Dudley, Worcester, Batt and others.
Those removing were to have all the lands and timber, and
the old town to be excluded forever therefrom. On the other
hand, the new town's people were to be excluded from all rights
)