History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

prietors, April 8, 1706, "it was ordered, granted,
and concluded that the land exchanged with John
Parry Taylor, adjoyning to the present meeting-
house land for which he liath other land of the
proprietors in the cow common — shall lay for a
Trayuing place and a Burying place for ever."
This two and a half acres, it is tliouglit, included
the cemetery, the ground now occupied by the
High School, and half of the common between
the High Scliool and Main Street.
In 1719 hope revived of obtaining legal sanction.
March 20, tliey decided to appoint a com-
mittee to petition the General Court "to confirm
our book of records; and to make our propriatory
capable to act in all things concerning our lauds."
After years of anxiety and effort they at last pre-
vailed, and the plantation was formally aimexed
to the town, and their title to the property was
confirmed.
There was another tract of land of two liundred
acres called to this day " Tlie Farm," of which the
town possessed itself in 1718. It lay on tiie south-
east border, and had been granted to John Alcocke,
in lieu of the same number of acres which he had
relinquished elsewhere. He was an inhabitant of
Roxbury, who had received considerable gifts of
land for services rendered to tiie colony ;
MAllLBOnOUGH. 143
part of the
land thus transferred to him was claimed by tiie
Whipsuffeuicke Company, and, to adjust the difficulty,
he accepted the land since called "The
Farm."
In 1700 the town was enabled to absorb several
tracts of land of this kind, but the Alcocke prop-
erty still remained unannexed. The conviction,
however, grew that it was unjust for peojjle who
largely shared in the privileges of tiie town organ-
ization to be exempt from municipal responsibility
and expense.
At length, in 1718, Joseph Morse, Joliii Bigrlow,
John Sherman, Samuel Bigeiow, Tiioinas iiigcltiw,
and Daniel Harrington, residents of "The Farm,"
united with the town in a petition to the General
Court for annexation, which was of course imme-
diately granted.
The annals of the town for one hundred and fifty
years have principally to do with ecclesiastical and
military affairs.
Ecclesiastical History. — The first pastor. Rev.
William Brimsmead, was a man of apostolic stead-
fastness and capacity. He watciied and sustained
tiie flame of piety in the town, wiien the spirit of
contention threatened its extinction. He was a
; ill
i the
! part
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I majority.
:
j a
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i monious
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' sliowing
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student of Harvard, of the class of 161-S. He
preached the election sermon in 1681, which was
printed. From 1665 to 1695 lie kept a journal
in Latin ; it is thought the second volume, cover-
ing the years 1682 to 1695, is identical with a
Latin journal of his now in possession of tlie
Historical Society. From this it
appears lie preached not only in the meeting-house
but also in tiie iiomes of tiie parisliioners. He
was beloved in tiie town and influential in tiie
colony. His eccentricities are matters of tradi-
tional interest ; tlie most quoted was by no means
peculiar to himself, nor could it have struck iiis
contemporaries as absurd ; it appears he had con-
scientious scruples which forbade iiis baptizing
ciiildren born on tiie Sabbatii day, and accounted
for, in part, by the fact that iie was never married.
Tiiere are some curious entries in tiie town books
tiie attectioiiate, almost paternal attitude
tlic town sustained toward him in his old age.
Dr. Alien quotes one of them with tiiese prefatory
remarks : " In the growing infirmities of age, he
had neither wife nor children to care for him, and
so his people very considerately and much to their
credit voted, as the record says, ' to procure a place
to remove tiieir minister to, and to provide him
nurse.' " He died July 3, 1701, at an advanced
age. After his death the community was afflicted
\ritii all the miseries of divided counsels and acri-
controversies concerning his successor.
The rival 2)arties were found, for the most part,
diff'erent geographical sections; in the case of
first candidate. Rev. Joiin Emerson, tiie west
being for him and the east against iiim. Mr.
Emerson finally declined, and the town, at their
April meeting, 1702, rescinded their call by a full
At the same time " it was agreed and
voated that M' Remington be paid 20 Shillings tiie
day, for two dales hclj/ we liad of him in the min-
istry." In October a delegation of two was sent
to " Seek for a transcient supply of holy in the
ministry for three or four days."
A call was extended, Feb. 7, 1703, to Rev. Francis
Goodhue, but declined. At lengtii the town met
on tlie 7th June, 1704, "and the churciies choice
was laid before them whicii was of Mr. Robert
Breck for their concurrence and tiiere was a con-
currence with the cliurches choice of the major part
of all jiresent."
Two days after tiie towm again met, and voted a
salary to Mr. Breck of seventy pounds annually
and " firewood for the year annually if he axept it