History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

Holbrooke took possessiou and commenced their
labors. They were soon followed b}' Henry Layland,
Benjamin Bullard, George Fairbank, John
Hill, Thomas Breck, and Daniel Morse. Most of
these persons were men of substance, of strong, de-
termined character, hardy, and not easily discour-
aged, as the event proved. Many of their names
still live in the persons of their descendants, who
are found among the prominent citizens 'of Sherborn
at this day. And they required all the energy and
endurance of which man is capable to subdue tlie
wild lands " in the wilderness beyond Medfield,"
and to protect themselves against the lurking In-
dian. For although the Nipmuck Indians who in-
habited this portion of the colony had been treated
fairly in the purchase of their lands, and were at
first friendly, they were afterwards influenced and
controlled by King Philip with disastrous results
to the settlers.
These first residents settled in the south and
southeast parts of Sherborn, which then included
a portion of the present eastern part of Medway.
The Indian name for the locality was Boggestow ;
it is perpetuated in the name of a meadow, pond,
and brook. In various petitions to the governor
of the colony and the General Court, the settlers
termed themselves " inhabitants of Bogistow," and
" inhabitants and proprietors of lands at or near
Boggestow."
Although living remote from "Medfield and not
included within its bounds, the Boggestow people
obtained privileges there, and also enrolment and
taxation as her citizens ; and for some twenty-five
years the births and deaths in their families were
there recorded.
But at length, as tlie number of settlers increased,
and the farms were growing into better condition,
a petition signed by fourteen inhabitants was pre-
sented "to the mucli lionored General Court, 7 of
3 mo. 1663," praying for " liberty to be a Towne
of ourselves with such otiiers as may be admitted
to our Society hereafter." Tiie General Court ap-
pointed a committee " to view the place and return
their apprehensions." The result appears to have
been unfavorable, as notiiing more is found con-
cerning tlie petition. But the colony remained,
for these were men not easily daunted when they
had once determined to subdue the forest, and to
form a community of their own. They were
strengthened by the addition from time to time of
new residents, until in the year lG7-i, when the
settlement was twenty-two years old, the number
SHERBORN. 289
of families amounted to twenty. The long-cherished
plan of forming a new town and church was
then revived, and urged by a second generation of
planters. Joseph Morse, a son of Daniel, was
prominent in preparing a new petition "To the
Honoured Gov. & Deputy Gov., with the rest of
the assistants and deputyes of tiie Generall Court
of his Majesty's Colony, of tiie Massachusetts,"
October 7, 1674. This petition represents that
there are " neere twenty families already settled
on farmes .... in this part of the wilderness
called Boggestow, & neere thereunto, besides some
other farmes, not yet Improved, lying between the
bounds of Naticke & Meadfeild, & upon the
west of both, which probably may shortly be emprooved
also." It also states that " amongst
other difficultyes," the petitioners " have not found
it our least to goe to- meeting on the Lord's day
unto Meadefeild, by reason not only of the distance
from theare, and the leaving of severall at home, but
also in regard of the difficulty in passing over the
water betwext, in winter seasons & times of floods,
which sometimes prooves hazardous to health &
life ; wherefore for our releife herein, and that wee
may not wholly omit our duty what in us lyetli to
spread the Gospel in this wildernesse, .... &
for the better regulating of affayres amongst us,
we your petitioners do humbly crave the favorable
help of this Honoured Court." It then asks that
a tract of land, six miles square, may be " made a
towne, & that the name thereof may be "; and
also that they niay have liberty to purchase of the
A^aticke Indians certain other parcels of land.
The jietition w-as granted October 21, and the
town named Sherborne, on the condition " tliat a
• farm of two hundred acres of land be reserved for
the country, that no land shall be allotted to any
but actual settlers, and that no man shall receive
above fifty acres till there be twenty new families
settled there, and then the whole that is free to be
disposed of as the major part of the inhabitants
capable by law to vote shall judge meet."
The form of this new township was very irregu-
lar. It has been aptly compared to a hand-card,
with its handle about one mile wide, between Na-
tick and Medfield, and with its blade west of those
towns, extending nortii to Sudbury Eiver, and
south to Charles River and the north line of Bel-
lingliam, then a part of Dediiam. It included
much territory which has since been assigned to
new towns. As soon as practicable, negotiations
were held with Major Gookin and Rev. Jolin Eliot,