History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

350 HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
S T O W.
EEV. GEORGE
FTER tlic incorporation of Concord,
Sudbnry, Marlborongh,
Jjancastcr, and Groton, tlicrc
was left, environed by these
towns and tlie Indian plantation
of Naslioba (now Littleton),
quite a large tract of land called
by the Indians Ponipasittacntt.
Upon tins territory two settle-
ments were made,-— one by a
IMr. Boon, near Sudbury, about 1G60, the other
by Jolni Kettle, some three years later, near by
the borders of Lancaster. Both of these men are
said to have come from Charlestowii, but neither
remained as a permanent settler; for the breaking
out of King Philip's War drove them from their
homes, never to return. The day before the mas-
sacre of Wadsworth's company at Sudbury, l^oon
and his son, while removing (ln'ir goods to a place
of safety, were ambushed and slain by the savages.
Nothing more is known relative to him or his
family. Kettle fled for protection to Lancaster,
where his second wife and some of his children
were captured by the Indians in their famous raid
upon that town in 167G. There is a doubtful
slory about Kettle himself having been cajitured
and'killed by the rcd-skius. lie probably died at
sea about Kl'.HI. jlr married first Sarah Goodnow,
of Sudbun.and had by her three children,—
John, Sarah (born March S, l(iO:5), and Joseph.
]Iis second wife was Elizabeth Ward, by whom
he had Jonathan, born Novcanber -IX, 1(570, and
ill ItiOC, a lol of live hiiiidivd acres was " laved
oul uiil(, the Wnrslnpfiill Ma,^ Klra/.er Luslu'r,"
fnr.rnirrs niidnv,! Ihr gnvrnnurnl. A vear(,r
tuu lain- aii.ilhcr l.il „f five liiindlrd aclVs was
a-l-iird In Captain Daiiirl ( ;k,',l llir (i,„-
cral Court to appoint some persons to view this
land, " which," say they, " we judge may be con-
venient to make a plantation in that your petition-
ers may see what encouragement they may have to
make farther address unto this honored court for
acoraodations for themselves, fanialyes being at
present much wanting therein."
October 13, 1669, the court appointed five per-
sons to examine this territory and ascertain ",the
qualitye and quantity thereof, wdiither it be capable
(if the farms be layed to it) to make a village."
The coiTimittee report. May 31, 1670, that they
find, by estimation, ten thousand acres of "coun-
try's land, whereof five hundred acres of it is
meadow ; the greatest part of it is very meane
laud, but wc judge there will be planting land
enough to accommodate twenty familycs; also
aijt)ut four thousand acres more of lands that is
taken up in farms," that the Indian town of A"a-
shoba, bordering on one side "is exceeding well
meadow ed, and they make but little or no use
of it." The court then granted the land to the
petitioners, to make a village, "provided the j)lace
be settled with uot lesse than tenn familycs within
three years, and that a pious, orthodox, and able
minister be mainteyued there." Daniel Gookiu,
Thomas Danforth, and Joseph Cooke, or any two
of them, were appointed to regulate the settling of
the jjlace. These men, December 4, 1672, ap-
l)ointed a committee of four to lay out twelve
farms of fifty acres each, and to "cast Lotts for
them " among the persons and their associates to
whom the territory was granted, provided tliat
tiicse persons " be men of good and honest conver-
.«ations, orthodox in Eeligion," and engage to help
sMp|)ort "a (jodly minister among them," and also
setth" u])ou (iieir lands within two years from the
next May, or els,' gix,- up llu'ir I, its t,i oth,M-s who
would s,'itl,'. ihit a> lal,' .as .liiu,' 1, Ki?.'), most
of lh,'s,' hits ha,l b,vi. r.,ir,il,,l l,x noii-selt!,an,'nt,
aii,l \\\r ,',,iiiiiiill,v MMi-1,1 lo ha\,- lh,aii iiiipr,,N .al
bv ,,ll„Ts. Th,' li„liaiilu.>lilitie>.'staNed all further