The history of Lynn - Lynn Massachusetts Genealogy Project

92 HISTORY OF LYNN. [1646.Court. And concerning his opinion, the court hath yet patiencetoward him, till they see if he be obstinate, and only admonishhim."iOn the sixth of May, Mr. John Lewis was admitted a freeman.By permission of the court, Mr. Leader purchased " someof the country's Gunnes," to melt over .at the Iron Foundry .^On the tenth of June, Mr. Joseph Jenks presented a petitionthat the Court would patronise his improvements in mills, andthe manufacture of sythes. " In Ansr to a peticon of JosephJencks for liberty to make experience of his abillllyes and Inventionsfor ye making of engines formills, to goe with water,for the more speedy despatch of worke than formerly, and millsfor the making of sithes and other edge tooles, witha new Inventedsawemill, that things may be afforded cheaper than formerly,and that for fourteen yeeres without disturbance by anyother's setting up the like Invention, that so his study and costsmay not be in vayne or lost, this peticon was graunted, so aspower is still left to restrayne the exportation of such manufactures,and to moderate the prizes thereof, if occacon so require."^Mr. Daniel King complained to the Court that his goods hadbeen taken, to the amount of fifty shillings, by " the captain ofye trayned band of Lin, for supposed neglect of trayning, hebeing lame, and willing to find a sufficient man." The courtordered him to pay the fifty shillings for the past, and ten shilhngsannually for the future.Much damage was done to the corn, wheat, and barley, thissummer, by a species of large black caterpillar.^On the fourth of August, Mr. Thomas Dexter was presentedat the Quarterly Court " for a common sleeper," in meetingsfor public worship, and fined.The proprietors of the Iron Works addressed a letterto thecourt in May, which was answered in September. In their reply,the court say, "We acknowledge wth you that such a staplecomodity as Iron is a great meanes to enrich y^ place whereit is, both by furnishing this place wth yt comodity at reasonablerates, and by bringing in other necessary comodityes in exchangeof Iron exported, but as we use to say, if a man liveswhere an axe is worth but 12 d. yet it is never the cheaper tohim who cannot get 12 d. to buy one. So if your Iron maynot be had heere without ready mony what advantage willthat1 Q. C. Files. 2 Col. Rec. 3 Col. Files. 4 Winthrop.