History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

410 HISTOEY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
money, if there was any remaining in the treasury,
to be divided in the same proportion ; 3d, the yearly
interest on Watertown's portion of the £60,000
province loan, Watertown's part of the two thou-
sand acres of land granted by the General Court to
them and Weston, and the town's stock of ammu-
nition to be similarly disposed of; 4th, records
and boohs to be delivered to a committee to be
chosen by the East Precinct ; 5th, the course and
widtii of the public ways to be stated by the Court
of General Sessions of the Peace agreeably to a
report of a committee already appointed. Deacon
William Brown, Daniel Benjamin, and Sam-
uel Livermore were appointed a committee to
petition the General Court to that effect. A
petition was presented to the house of repre-
sentatives on the 13th of December, 1737, set-
ting forth their differences, the approbation of the
measure by the East Precinct, and praying for a
division. The prayer was granted, and on the 4th
of January, 1737 -38, the town of Waltham was
incorporated. The bounds of the new municipality
imder the act of incorporation were, south by the
Charles River, west by Weston or the Farmers'
Precinct, north or northeast by the town line wliicli
commenced at tlw northwest corner of Fresh Pond
and ran west-northwest to the Concord line, and
east by the line beginning at the Charles River,
running very nearly northeast, and meeting the line
from Fresh Pond to Concord. Its area was about
8,891 acres ;
the population probably about 550.
During this period the churcii pastorate had passed
under tiie charge of tiie Rev. Warham Williams,
who was ordained June 11, 1723. A call had been
extended to Rev. William Welsteed, but declined.
In accordance with the instructions of the General
Court, the meeting-house had been located very
near the present junction of Lyman and Beaver
streets.
Tlie first entry in the town rtfords of Waltham
reads tlius: —
"Mi(hllesex s.s. Wultliam Jan-'v 13tli 1737 —
These are fo Notifie the QualiiicMl Vodrs in llir s''
Town of Wallham to Appear at llic piiblick inrct-
ni- luHise in s'^ Town On WednesDay tlie Figh-
trciilli Day of Jan^ Currant at One of llie Clock in
th.' alter Noon for (lie I'hids followins,' vi/,' To Fleet
ami Aiipninl ;, Town Clcii ••nul ()|1i,t T.,u n ollieers
1Ih,l;,n(l till the Anin\cTs;ii-v nicctini,' nf said
Town jntlir in(,tilli ,.f Manli nrxt.
" By Onlci-ofth.' Great, and Grihivil Court ],
me Wii.i.i.vM Hi;()wv."
At the meeting held in pursuance of this warrant
Deacon Thomas Livermore was chosen moderator,
and the following board of officers was
elected : —
"Selectmen: Deacon William Brown, Deacon
Thomas Livermore, Mr. Daniel Benjamin, Air.
Joseph Pierce, and Lieutenant Tliomas Bigelow
town-clerk and treasurer, Samuel Livermore ; con-
stable, Mr. Joseph Hastings ; assessors, George
Lawrence, John Cutting, and John Chadwick
sealer of leather, Air. Joseph Stratton ;
;
fence-view-
ers, John Ball, Jr., and Joseph Eager ; highway
surveyors, John Ball y* 3d, and JohnA'iels; tything-
men, Isaac Pierce and Theophilus Mansfield ;
hog-
reeves, Josiah Harrington and Elnathan AYhit-
ney."
At a town-meeting, held February 18, 1837-38,
Lieutenant John Cutting, Deacon Livermore, and
Thomas Hammond were appointed to carry into
effect some of the conditions of the division, and
the business arising from the arrangement of these
conditions served as a basis for several subsequent
gatherings. At the regular meeting held, in ac-
cordance with the statute, in Alarcli (iCth) a ])ermanent
board of officers fen' the ensuing year was
elected, Deacon Thomas Livermore being modera-
tor. As this was the first regular election, the
7iames of the persons elected are herewith given:
For selectmen. Air. Thomas Hammond, Air. John
Smith, Mr. John Bcnnis, Fiisign Thomas Harring-
ton, Deacon Jonathan Sanderson; town-clerk and
treasurer, Samuel Livennnri'; constable, Air. Isaac
Piene, -Ir. (•ului agreed with Air. John Fiske
and The Town accepted hiin m his Roome ") ; as-
sessors, Air. Daniel Beiijamin, Mr. Samuel Liver-
more, Deacon Thomas Livermore ; sealer of leather,
Air. Jose])h Stratton ; fence-viewers, Samuel Hast-
ings, .liiliii \ lels ; surveyors of highway, Zachariah
Sunih. John I)i\, Josiah Fiske; tithingmen, Dan-
iel Chield, John Chadwick ; hog-reeves, Samuel Gale,
Isaac Pierce, John Lawrence. At the same meet-
ing it was voted " that the Selectmen should take
Care that the mecting-hous be landed up and the
aiiiiiiiiiiition Scqured," also that Samuel Livermore
should have the use of the first pew east of the
pulpit as long as the meeting-house stood upon
his land, in full satisfaction lor the .same; and
the sum of £20 was granted to siijiport the Eng-
lish s