History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

favor of the master. In November the town
voted that the money granted for the support of
schools should be expended for the one kept in the
school-housej and that the teacher should be "a
gramraar-scliool master."
June 23, 1751, the Kev. Warham Williams, for
so many years pastor of the church, died. In
1752 Jonas Clark, having been employed, was
sclioolraaster. Samuel Liverraore was chosen
representative in May. In December the selectmen
engaged Samuel Livermore, Jr., to teach the
school for three months at a salary of £-15, Old
Tenor.
In February, 1753, the younger Mr. Livermore
was again engaged to teacii the school. Captain
Livermore was again representative. The school
was discontinued from July 11 until October 22.
At the latter date the town voted to have the house
repaired, and to have a movable school. The taxable
carriages in Waltham in this year numbered
ten, namely, nine cliairs and one chaise ; the polls
147, slaves 3, siieep 299, swine 18S, horses 111,
cows 455, oxen 118.
At a meeting on the 2d of September, 1754', the
excise bill was read, together with the speech of
tlie governor to tiie General Court. After some
debate tiie town voted " that it is the desire that
the bill may not be negatived." Samuel Liver-
more, Jr., was again engaged to teach the school;
Samuel Livermore, Sr., was again representative.
March 3, 1755, Mr. Matthew Bridge of Cambridge
was accepted as an inluibitant, and his farm
annexed to our territory. Captain Livermore was
re-elected representative in May, and at the same
meeting the town voted to sell its share of the
2,000 acres of land at Wachusett Hill owned by
Watertown, Weston, and Waltham. In Decem-
ber, 1755, the General Court passed an order in
execution of its share in the dismemberment of the
government of Acadia, and the scattering of its
homeless and friendless people broadcast over the
country. The total number of these unfortunates
assigned to Waltham was fourteen.
In March, 1756, Tliomas Sparrowhawk was en-
gaged as schoolmaster, and in ilay Captain Livermore
was again returned representative, a position
he continued to fill until 1764. The sale of tlie
town's portion of the Wachusett Hill farm was
concluded in the latter part of 1756, and on the
11th of January, 1757, Captain John Cutting
made report for the committee on the sale, to
the selectmen, that the proceeds amounted to
WALTMAK 413
£267 6«. %d. (£2005 Old Tenor). Isaac Livermore
was schoolmaster from November, 1756, to
x^ugust, 1757. He contiimed in that position also
during a portion of the year 1758. In Novem-
ber, 1758, among the disbursements made by the
selectmen, was one of §2 per week for the support
of the French Neutrals, the homeless Acadians.
This is the first mention of the term " dollars " in
the town records.
Leonard AYilliams was schoolmaster during the
latter part of 1758 and the early part of 1759.
The town at its meeting, March 5, 1759, refused
to exempt soldiers from taxation. In March, 1760,
the town appropriated £2 to carry on a children's
reading-school in the southwest part of the town.
Deacon Isaac Stearns was appointed by the selectmen
to engage a sciioolmistress for the northerly
portion of the town, and it was agreed to have a
grammar-scliool master teach one quarter in the
sciiool-house. The wife of George Lawrence was
selected by Deacon Stearns, and we may assume
that she was the first regularly, appointed female
teacher in the town. In August, 1760, the Gen-
eral Court assigned to Waltham four more of the
French Neutrals. In 1761 grants were made to
Jonathan Livermore, Samuel Williams, and John
Wyetli for teaching school. It was voted (Sep-
tember 14) to build a workhouse on tiie land of
the town near Daniel Harrington's. As Mr. Har-
rington, between the years 1746 and 1761, kept a
tavern near the junction of Main and South streets,
the workhouse was probably located in that im-
mediate vicinity. At the September meeting the
town appointed the selectmen a committee to re-
ceive subscriptions to defray the expense of build-
ing a bridge over tlie Charles River, near the moutli
of Beaver Brook, and to join with a committee of
the town of Newton in seeing to its building.
Wardens were elected for the first time this year,
William Coolidge and Elijah Livermore occupying
those positions. The following year (1762) hay-
wards were elected for the first time, and Josiah
Mixer and Samuel Gale were chosen by the town
to serve in that capacity. Samuel Williams and
Mrs. Clark were jxaid for teaching school, and a
committee chosen to prosecute any person who had
broken or should break any glass in the school or
meeting liouse.
In 1763 the instructors of youth for the town
were three females, — Mrs. Lawrence, a daughter of
William Coolidge, and a daughter of Lois Fisk ;
and one male teacher, Samuel Williams. During