History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

LL authorities agree that the
first settlers of Sudbury were
drawn to this locality chiefly
by the rich meadow-lands on
either side of the river bearing
the same name as the town
through wliicli it flowed, as
also by the abundance of wood-
in grew neither slirub nor tree, but as mucJi grass
as may be thrown out with a scythe, thick and
strong, and as high as a man's middle ; some as
high as a man's shoulders, so tiiat a man may cut
three loads in a day Tlie forests, free from
underbrush, resembled a grove of huge trees im-
proved by art On the west side of the
river were heavy pine forests, from which tar was
manufactured." Johnson speaks of this town " as
well watered and having store of plow land," but
"little broke up" on account of "the oaken roots";
and of its great distance " from the mart towns "
as making " it burdensome to the inhabitants to
bring tlieir corn so far by land " ; and adds, " some
gentlemen here have laid out part of their estates
in procuring farms, by reason of the store of
meadow.^'
The first movement towards the formation of a
plantation here, of which a record has been found,
was made in 1637. Under date of November 20,
of this year, the colony records say : " Whereas a
great part of the inhabitants of Watertovvn have
petitioned this court, that in regard to their strait-
iiess of accommodation, and want of meadow, they
might have leave to remove, and settle a plantation
upon the river which runs to Concord, this Court,
having respect to their necessity, doth grant their
SUDBURY. 357
SUDBURY.
!Y REV. GEO. ^. O V I A T T.
petition."
A committee was appointed to " take a view of
the place, upon the said river, and shall set out a
place for them by marks and bounds sufficient for
fifty or sixty families," who were required to remove
thither witiiin one year ; and " if tliere be
not thirty families at least settled before said time
limited, then this court shall dispose of the said
plantation to any other."
September 6, 1638, the petitioners, Wx. Brian
land and the strength of the Pendleton, Mr. Peter Noyes, Mr. Edmund Browne,
soil when once subdued. Johnson,
in his Hidory of Xew England, 16o4, page
141, says: —
the petitioners are to take care that in their allot-
" The early settlers found broad meadows wherements of lands they have jespect as well to men's
and company, are allowed to go on in their plantation,
and such as are associated to them . . . . " and
estates and abilities to improve their land, as to
their number of persons."
The plantation was laid out five miles square.
And under the court's order last quoted the house-
lots and planting fields were assigned to the inhabi-
tants.
The order of the court for the division of the
meadows was passed September 4, 1639, under
which order a first division was made and recorded ;
a second division is recorded April 20, 1640; the
third division is recorded November 18, 1640.
" September 4, 1639, it is ordered that the new
plantation by Concord shall be called Sudbury."
May 13, 1640, the court granted to the town
" the addition of a mile in length upon the southeast
and southwest sides of this plantation " ; and
May 2, 1649, " Sudbury is granted two miles westward,
next adjoining to them for their further en-
largement."
As several of the settlers here were from the old
town of Sudbury in England, the town was chris-
tened, in honor of the place so dear to them in the
mother country.
Sudbury, five miles square, originally was
bounded by Watertown on the east, — which then
included what is now Weston, — Concord on the
north, and by the wilderness on the south and
west. The boundary on the soutli is the same to-
day as it was in the beginning, only instead of the