History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

3G0 HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
Among the first settlers of this ancient town are
names very famiHar now, — names, some of which
are represented in families still resident here, and
who delight to trace their descent back through so
many generations to those wlio came to this place
not twenty years after the landing of the grand
old Puritans on Plymouth Rock. We mention
Edmund Browne, Robert Fordham, clergyman,
Edmund Rice (Rise), Robert Bent, Thomas and
AVilliam Browne, Thomas Buckmaster, Thomas
and Antieut Cakbread, Henry Curties, Robert
Darnell, Edmond Goodenow, John Goodenough,
Thomas Goodnow, Hugh Griffin (ancestor of the
famous President Griffin of Williams College),
John Howe, Wyddon Hunt, Theodore Islyn, Jolin
Maynard, George Munning, Richard Newton,
AVilliam Parker, John Parmenter, Sr. and Jr.
Many other names miglit be mentioned as amo?ig
the early settlers of Sudbury, did our space permit.
The town had great prosperity in its early his-
tory, growing in population and in wealth.
Tlie town was chartered in 1639, and in May,
ICIS, the inhabitants made a contract witii Am-
brose Leach to build a cart-bridge over the river,
to be raised " three feet above high-water mark, to
be twelve feet wide," and completed by the last
day of August following. This contract, on the
part of Leach, was not met, and in November,
1643, another contract was made witii Timothy
Hawkins of Watertown, to build a bridge at tlie
same place, five rods long, fourteen feet wide, and
one foot above high-water mark. " Tlie inhabi-
tants agreed to give the said Timothy, for his work,
£13, to be paid in corn and cattle at the price as
two men shall judge them worth."
November 26, l&Vi, it was " ordered that the
Marshall levy a rate for pay for the bridge," which
appears by subsequent records to have been finished
according to contract.
This bridge was probably one of the first regular
framed bridges built in tlie country. The bridge
at Watertown was not built till four years after,
and only for foot-passengers. This is an indica-
tion of thrift, energy, and intelligence of which
iSudbury may well be ])roud.
Tiiere is no account of tlic rn;iking df tlie causeway
lialf a inilc long now to be found, wliru wcirks
of smaller importance are minutely given. ]( is
su])posed that the building of the causcw;iy was
commenced in 161'3, tliough it was not liiiislicd
till some years later. In March, IT.'JS, the (icu-
eral Court gave the town iierniission to have a
lottery for the benefit of the causeway. The town
purchased tickets of the third and fourth class, and
lost money by the operation.
Four years after the incorporation of the town a
ferry was established, which was kept by Tliomas
Noyes for one year, and he was allowed to take
twopence for a single passenger, and a penny a
head for a greater number. Tiiis ferry was from
side to side of the river, not far from the upper
causeway of to-day.
In 161'3, when the colony was divided into
counties, eight towns, one of which was Sudbury,
were assigned to Middlesex.
June 15, 161-5, the town of Lancaster joined
with other towns in petitioning the General Court
for a grant to finish the bridge and causeway in
Sudbury. £20 were granted.
Says Dr. Stearns : " The copy of tlie record of
Lancaster road is so much worn that it cannot be
given entire, yet so much remains that tlie princi-
' pal bounds can be ascertained : Beginning at the
great River Meadow at tiie gravel pitt — by tiie
causeway, on the AVest side—and run to the North-
west side of Thomas Plymptoii's house — & thence
to timber swamp, & so on to heart pond,' leav-
ing the rock on the North side, and so on to Sud-
bury bounds to be tiie common highway toward
Lancaster, througii Sudbury, therefore wee have
hereunto sett our hands the 22^^ day of this pres-
ent vear, no other date 1654.
Among the records for 1646.'
"
Edm. GonnEXOw") Commisision
Thomas Noyes c appoinled b;/
AVm. Kerley j order of court.
As early as 1636 the inhabitants of Concord
applied to the court to aid them in draining the
meadows by deepening tiie ciiannel at the falls. In
1644 Herbert Peliiam of Cambridge, Thomas Flint
and Lieutenant Simon AA'illard of Concord, and Air.
Peter Noyes of Sudbury were appointed a com-
mission by the court to devise some means " for
draining and improving the meadows." Jolinson
says : " Several times they assayed to cut througii
tlie rocky falls, but cannot, yet it may be turned
aiiotiier way by a liundred pound charge, by cut-
ting a channel to Cliarles River."
Tlie meadow-lands were the standard of valuation.
At that time everything necessary to the welfare of
the town was attended to promptly and with marked
striMgcncy. This is seen by the following : —
' Small pond, hcai't-sli.'i[>c(l.