History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

careful observer, gave the following description
of this section in a letter written in 1686 to his
fatlier-in-law, giving an account of a ramble made
by a party from Boston to attend the annual sermon
preached to the Indians at Natick. The men rode
upon horseback, each having a lady companion
upon tlip pillion of liis saddle as " luggnge." Dun-
ton was fortunate in escorting tlie "Widow Brick,
a fair lady whom he calls " the flower of Boston."
They started early, and arriving at TYatertown, " we
alighted," lie says, "and refresh't our Luggage, and
wliile otliers were Engaged in Frothy Discourses, the
Widow Brick and I took a View of the Town, which
is built upon one of tlie branches of Charles River,
very fruitful, and of large extent; watered with
many pleasant Springs, and small Rivulets : The
Inhabitants live scatteringly Having well
refresh't our selves at Water-Town, we mounted
again, and from thence Ave rambled thro' severall
Tall Woods between tlie Mountains, over many
rich and pregnant Yaliies as ever eye beheld, beset
on each side with variety of goodly Trees : So that
had the most Skilful Gardner design'd a shady
walk in a fine Valley, it would have fallen short of
th.it which nature here had done without him."
This description is understood to apply to the road
through Waltham and Weston, and is nearly as
applicable to-day as when written, when it is remembered
that the " pregnant vallies " have swal-
lowed up the " tall woods."
The territory of the original town of Watertown
was so extensive that its several parts were very
early known by distinct and peculiar names. The
lands next west of Beaver Brook were called " the
lots in the Further Plain," or the Great Plain (and
later Waltham Plain). The Remote or West Pine
Meadows were probably in the southern or southeastern
parts of Weston. The Lieu of Township
Lots, or lots beyond the Further Plain, were west
of Waltham Plain, south of the Great Dividends,
and extended beyond Stony Brook. The Farms,
or Farm Lands, included what remained as far as
the Sudbury and Dedham bounds, comprising the
main portion of Weston.
These names, applied in general terms to divis-
ions of the territory of the original town of Water-
town, are used in the early grants to the freemen
the names of the grantees, and the number of acres
allotted to each, are given by Dr. Bond in the first
;
IVESToy.
appendix to his Il/stoiy of IFateiiown.
From the Watertown records we take the following
: " 1637, June, 26. A grant of the Remote
489
or West Pine Meadow, divided and lotted out to
all the Townsmen then inhabiting, being 114 in
number, allowing one acre for a person, and like-
wise for cattle, valued at 20 lb. the head, beginning
next the Playne Meadow, and to go on until the
lots are ended." These meadows. Dr. Bond, who
gave the matter careful and thorough investigation,
thinks were probably in the southern and south-
eastern part of Weston.
July 17, 1638, it was "Ordered, that all the
Land lying beyond the Plowland [lots in the Farther
Plain] and the lots granted in liew of f Towne-
ship [extending west of Stony Brook], having y'
great dividents on the one [north] side, Charles
River and Dedham bounds on the other [south]
side, and the Farme lands at the further end [west
side] of it, shalbe for a Common for Cattle, to the
use of the freemen of the Towne and their heirs
forever, & not to be alienated without the Consent
of every freeman and their heirs forever." This
order is particularly noticeable as being the first
instance upon the records where the term " Farm
lands" is applied to the territory now Weston.
Three months later, October 14, 1638, it was
" Ordered, that the Farmes granted shall begin at
the nearest meadow to Dedham line, beyond the
line that runneth at the end of y^ great dividents
parralell to the line at the end of the Towne bounds,
and so to go on successively from Dedham Bounds
in order as they are given out, as they w*^"* are
deputed to lay them out shall see good & appoint,
the proportion of meddow being twenty Acres to
One Hundred & fifty Acres of upland."
November 27, 1639, the Freemen's Common
was disposed of to the Farms by the order "y' if
the Land in View for Farmes shall not suffice to
accommodate the rest of the Townsmen that are
behind, that then they shall have their Farmes out
of the Freemen's Common upon the same condition
that the rest have theirs."
At the meeting held October 14, 1638, it was
" Ordered, y' Daniel Pattrick, Abram Browne,
John Stowers, Edmund Lewis, and Simon Eire, or
the maior part of them, shall lay out these Farms
as they are ordered."
In the files of the County Court, is a schedule
dated May 10, 1642, containing a list of names of
persons to whom ninety-two farms, containing 7,674
acres, were allotted, and mention is made of " farms
laid out formerly." The names of the committee
do not appear on this schedule, but they do appear,
with some half-dozen others, in connection with a