Springfield 1636-1886, History of Town and City, by Mason A. Green ...

100 SPRINGFIELD, 1636-1886.
soe disorderly gather, & 2s. 6d. for breach of order. The forfeiture to y'' in-
former & ye penalty to y'' town treasury.
Ordered by the town in January, 1640 :
—
Y' if any trees be feld having no other worke bestowed on y'" above 6
months from this day forward in y'' Comons, it shall be lawfull for any man to
take them, but any tymber y' is cross cutt, or firewood y' is cut out & set on
heapes, or rayles, or clefts for pales, no man may take any of these till it have
lyen twelve months after it is soe cross cutt or cloven.
The townsmen then declared it unlawful to transport outside the
town limits any " buildinge tymbers, board loggs or sawne boards
or planks, or shingle tymber or pipe staves." The townsmen also
decreed that " Whereas it is judged offensive and noysome for flax
& hempe to be watered or washed in the Brooke before mens doores,
y' is of ordinary use for dressinge meate : Therefore it is ordered that
no p^°" shall hence forth water any flax or hempe in the sayd brooke "
on pain of a Gs. Sd. fine.
April, 1649: —
Henry Smith «& Samuell Chapen were chosen to seal up our ffreemens
votes for magistrates & to send them sealed up to John Johnson of Roxbury, who
is chosen for our deputy to y^' Generall Court.
William Pynchon held court four times a year, all breaches of the
peace being presented by a grand jury of two men. In April, 1648,
Thomas Mirrick was mulcted in 126-. 8d. for abusing the child of
Alexander Edwards. It is believed that Mr. Moxon usually opened
court with prayer. The town-meetings now were held in the meeting-
house. In later years taverns were sometimes utilized for that
purpose.