History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

48 HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
mitted, in wliicli they were generally successful.
On one occasion the town voted to send a re])re-
sentative if any one wonld go on half-pay, and on
another if any one would go for £ 12. Captain
Isaac Powers accepted the offer, and was accord-
ingly elected witliout opposition.
Ill the year 17-1-9 wolves were so plenty and
troublesome that the town offered, in connection
with some of the adjoining towns, a bounty for
their lieads in addition to that offered by the prov-
ince, with the stipulation that the wolves' ears be
cut off to prevent a second claim for bounty on
the same head.
Until almost modern times it was customary to
vote at every March meeting whether the swine
should go at large during the ensuing year. Al-
most invariably previous to 1800, and occasionally
after tliat, the swine were allowed to roam at will,
provided each one had a ring in his nose, which
it was the duty of the hog-reeves to insert, to
prevent rooting.
The discontent at the oppression of British taxa-
tion found expression in town-meeting at Littleton
March 5, 1770, the day of the Boston Massacre,
as follows : —
" Voted tlie following Persons a committee to consider
of some pi-oper Measures for the Town to Come into witli
Regard to the non-importation of Goods, viz. Sam" Tuttle,
Leonard Whiting, Sam" Rogers, Robert Harris, Nathan
Raymond who made report of the following Resolves which
the Town Voted to accept.
"The Grievous Impositions the Inhabitants of the british
Colonies have long suffered from their Mother Country
strongly claim tlieir attention to every legal Method for
their Removal.
" We esteem tlie Measures already proposed, viz. the
withdrawing our Trade from Great Britain both economical
& effectual. We therefore Vote
" I" Tliat we will not (knowingly) directly or Indirectly
purchase any british Gnoils that have been or may be imported
contrary lo tin' |i:itiiotic agreement of the MercliantsofthofuH-n
(,r DnMoii.
2" If any Iiiliahihmt .,f this Town of Littleton shall be
known to purchase any article of any Importer of Goods
contrary to the afores' agreament or of any one who shall
purchase of any such Importer he shall .suffer our high
Disiileasurc and Contempt.
:i'' Tlial I he s:\mv Committee be also a Committee to
Insppfl the C.iuduct of all Buyers & Sellers & to report
tlic names of all Hf any such there shall be) wlio violate the
truf spirit and Intention of the aforegoing Votes and Reso-
lutions, tri tlie Towne at their next Meeting.
4'' Voted that we will not drink or purcliase any foreign
Tea howsoever imported unliU a general Importation of
british Goods shall take Place."
Tlie rrsnlnlinns were, pnblisheil in the Bo.iloti
Gazette of March 12. In the same year the town
purcliased a bell for tlie meeting-house, but there
being no steeple, the bell was hung on a frame sep-
arate from the building. The committee to buy it
reported that they had purchased a " Bell manufac-
tured in this Province" at a cost of £78 0«. 9| c/.
December ol, 1772, the town met to consider a
letter and jiamplilet on the subject of the times, re-
ceived from tlie town of Boston, and chose a com-
mittee on it. A conservative majority reported,
February 1, that the town take no action in the
matter. The report was rejected and a draft of a
reply accepted, asserting confidence in the British
constitution, but calling upon the General Court
to make an effort to remove the consequences of
certain acts of parliament endangering the peace
and security of the Province and to restore confi-
dence between England and her colonies. As tliis
reply was considered by some not strong enougli,
it was withheld until after the March meeting,
when it was amended, and a more extended list of
grievances added. It is noticeable that about this
time a change took place in the administration of
town affairs. Several men who had lield prominent
town offices but who were ([uite conservative, and
some even inclined to toryism, were very suddenly
left in retirement, and those chosen in their places
who took active parts in the Revolutionary War.
In the Middlesex Convention of August 31, 1774,
there were from Littleton Captain Josiah Hartwell,
Oliver Hoar, and Daniel Rogers, Jr. September
26, Robert Harris was chosen a delegate to the
Provincial Congress to be held at Salem, and Abel
Jewett to the one to be held at Concord.
The alarm of April 19, 1775, reached Littleton,
and was quickly responded to by Lieutenant
Aquila Jewett's company of militia, numbering
four officers and forty-two men,, who marched to
Concord, where some of the men dropped out, while
the rest followed tlie enemy probably to Cambridge,
as they marched twenty-six miles. Undoubtedly
many others not belonging to an organized company
went as volunteers.
The following month the town voted to purchase
a number of fire-arms with bayonets, and it is
probable that a new company of minute-men was
formed, as we find the following pajier bearing date
of .Tune 18, 1775: —
" We the Subscribers having Received ammunition
out of the Town Slock of said Town, Do prom-
ise to Keep & Return the same again into said
Stock Except obliged to use the same in Defence