History of Amesbury - Merrill.org

32 HISTORY OF AMESBURY.
ulous escapes from danger. Old and young were attentive list-
eners on such occasions, no doubt.
The committee chosen last year to inquire into the violation
of the order concerning cutting trees did their duty faithfully,
and reported the names of those subject to fines, as follows :
Samuel Hall, Richard Currier, George Martin, John Hoyt,
Thomas Whitcher, William Sargent, Willi. Brown, Thomas Row-
ell, Henry Munday, Thomas Macy, William Barnes.
Jan. 2d. What the amount of each man's fine was does
not appear ; but at this meeting it was " ordered that Samuel
Hall's forfeiture shall be abated to ^5, & he to have the trees,
to be paid forthwith. Richard Currier's abated to £2 10 s. &
trees. George Martin's to £1 5 s. & trees. John Hoyt's to
£2 10 s. Thomas Whitcher's to £2 10 s. Willie Sargent's to
20 s. Willie Brown's "xs". Thomas Rowell's to £2 15 s.
Henry Munday's to 8 s. 4 d. Thomas Macy's to 15 s. Wil-
liam Barnes' to 1 s. 8 d."
These fines were ordered to be paid forthwith to the consta-
ble in "pipe-staves or corn or cattle," "staves to be delivered
at the water side," at the head of Town creek.
Jan. 6th. "Ordered, 40 s. to John Sanders, John Stevens &
Thomas Barnett for their services." Also, a fine of 10 s. per
tree was ordered, and 2 s. 6 d. of it to go to the complainant,
for future violations of the order.
Samuel Winsley, John Severance and John Elsley were chosen
to lay out a road " to Little river, 5 rods broad." This was
the road which branches from the old road and leads to the
large brook ( Little river) at East Salisbury.
Samuel Hall seems to have been peculiarly unfortunate, having
been obliged to pay a fine of ^5—about twice as much
as any other person for cutting trees—and now a fine of "5 s.
for his abusive speaches wa? 1 the ffreemen, saying, 'you are all
lords, all monarchs ; you r will must be a law,' and such like."
He was, evidently, vexed with his heavy fine and did not hesi-
tate to give them somewhat of his mind in town meeting, let
the consequences be what they would. But there was really
more of "truth than poetry" in his words.
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