History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

drawal of the West Precinct, and its formation into
a distinct town. As early as January 1720-21
tlie precinct in many things assumed almost com-
plete municipal powers. On the 30th of January,
1720-21, a meeting was held, at which Isaac
Mixer was chosen clerk, Joseph Mixer treasurer,
and Lieutenant Jonathan Smitli, Sergeant Jonathan
Sanderson, Ensign Samuel Garfield, Captain Sam-
uel Harrington, John Cutting, Sergeant Joseph
Pierce, and Daniel Benjamin were chosen precinct
committee. Votes were passed to carry into effect
the order of the General Court of December 17,
1720, in regard to the meeting-house, and in Octo-
ber, 1722, it was voted to "sell what was left of
the old meeting-house." On the 7th of April,
1729, a meeting was held to see, among other
things, about a location for a school-liouse. Allen
Flagg agreed to give a piece of land at the north
end of his orchard for that purpose, and the pre-
cinct agreed to accept it. On the 1th of February,
1729-30, Znchariah Smith, Allen Flagg, Thomas
Harrington, Thomas Bigelow, Jonas Smith, John
C'hilds, and John Cutting were appointed a com-
mittee to wait upon the selectmen, and have in-
serted in the warrant for the next town-meeting an
article requesting the town to grant a sum of money
to build a school-house on the land of Mr. Flagg.
The town, however, refused to accept the site or
vote the money, and on this school cjuestion came
tlie tug of war, which resulted in the West Precinct
becoming Waltham. The town-meeting at which
the request of the western people was refused was
held in March. On the 1st of May, 1 730, Thomas
Bigelow, Zachariah Smith, Allen Flagg, Elisha
Smith, and John Child were appointed a committee
at a meeting of the West Precinct, to take measures
to have that portion set off as a separate town,
"and take Effectual care that the same may be
Established that Learning may be Advanced
amongst us or some other proper methods whareby
to obtain the same." A petition signed by Anthony
Conady (Caverly ?) and others, representing the dif-
ficulties in the way of schools, and the " imposi-
tions" of the East Precinct, and praying for a
separate township, had already been prepared and
sent for the consideration of the General Court,
and the town was served with a copy of the j^eti-
tion, and cited to show cause why it should not be
granted. Li February, 1730-31, Deacon William
Brown, Anthony Cau [v] erly. Deacon Thomas Liv-
ennore, Thomas Bigelow, and Jonas Smith were
chosen a committee to attain the coveted separa-
WALTHAM. 409
tion. At a regular meeting held April 19, 1731,
the town, or practically the East Precinct, appointed
Lieutenant Samuel Stearns, Joseph Nason,
and Jonas Bond a committee to appear in behalf
of the town, and probably in opposition to the
division. What action the court took is not plain,
but one of the recommendations was that the town
provide two school-houses, with two duly qualified
schoolmasters, — one of each for each precinct.
These recommendations the town (August 16,
1731) refused to accept. The assessors of the
West Precinct, — Nathaniel Harris and Deacon
William Brown, — acting under a sense of gross
injustice practised by the East Precinct majority,
refused to assess for the grant made by the town
for the support of schools. Something of the
spirit of opposition to taxation without representa-
tion asserted itself here.
At a precinct meeting, March 32, 1732-33,
Daniel Benjamin, Jonas Smith, and Allen Flagg
were chosen a committee to address the town at
the next town-meeting, that the West Precinct
might be set oft' as a separate town. This attempt
evidently failed of success, and the sore probably
increased with the increasing months and years.
Li June (28th), 1736, Nathaniel Harris, William
Brown, and Daniel Benjamin, in behalf of the AVest
Precinct, obtained permission of the General Court,
despite the opposition of the East Precinct, to set
off" land from the common lands devoted to high-
ways, — some of which were twenty or thirty rods
wide, — to raise a fund of £ 1,.500 to be invested,
and the interest upon it used to support schools.
This act only served to intensify the growing bitter-
ness between the two sections, and it is therefore
not surprising that at a -meeting of the West Pre-
cinct, held December 7, 1737, Deacon William
Brown being moderator, it being judged conducive
to the peace of both precincts to be separated be-
cause an " unhappy controversy has arisen & for
some Time subsisted among the Inhabitance of s"*
Town Respecting tlie Publick & Priuet ways that
are iu the Town to the peaceable desition whereof
it is thought deuiding of the Town into Two Town-
ships may be very conducive," it was voted that
the precinct should ask the General Court to
set them off under the following conditions : 1st,
the dividing line to be the same as the precinct
hne ; 2d, all charges already incurred or to he in-
curred on account of tlie Great Bridge or because
. of the town poor, to be proportioned between the
towits according to the province taxj — the surplus