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Subject: History of Harvard, Mass. 1643-1732 by Henry S. Nourse, 1894 - p.43 to p.44
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 2006 19:02:22 EST
*includes 1723 - Polls - Lancastrian Portion of Harvard.
The History of Harvard, Massachusetts, 1643-1732, by Henry S. Nourse,
Clinton, Mass. 1894. - W. J. Coulter, Printer.
p.43
Lancaster May ye 20, 1724.
4. They receved a Report of a Committy sent out on the propozition of
John Warner, John Darbey and Jonathan Whitney which was as followeth,
viz:
May the 18th, 1724.
We the subscribers marked severall ways - viz: one hiway begining at the
hiway neer to Caleb Sawyers barn and ran as the markes direct to a whit
oak, a corner of John Warners Land: and do allow it to run twenty rods
along side of John Warners land: but Samuell Warner appeared in said
meeting and made an offer that if the Town would lay out the said Hiway
along by his house and Gabriell Priest's house through their land that
they, to wit, Gabriell Priest and Samuell Warner would give the land free
and would be at half the charge of making and keeping in repare the way
through their land - the committee also gave their voice that it might be
as servesable to the publick.
Another hiway is marked out beginning neer to the westerly end of Caleb
Sawyers field at the hiway and runeth as the mark trees direct upon to
Barehill and along by Land that was laid out to Josiah White and it runs
along by the southerly end of the land that (leaf torn) Daniel Priets by
the northerly side of a corner mark at the westerly end of a piece of
land of Nathanil Hapgood and then it runs by said land the whole length
of it then it runs eighty four rods through land of Samuell Warner's
to Jonathan Whitney's and Jonathan Crouches land and ten rods by said
Crouches land and we think said Warner ought to be allowed three acres in
lew of one or according to that proportion.
We also measured the hiway in John Darbes land and find it to run in his
land one hundred and fifty rods and we think he ought to be allowed three
acres for one.
Jacob Houghton
Jonas Houghton - Committey
This Return was exsepted - the hiwayes allowed, and ye allowances Granted
by the Propriety.
The collection of the tax levy was one of the duties of the Constables in
Coloial days, the Selectmen, or Assessors when there were any chosen,
furnishing them with a list of the tax-payers and their assessments.
As every male sixteen years of age or over, was chargeable with a poll-
tax of one
p.44 History of Harvard.
shilling and eight pence, the lists included many minors. From the scant
fragments of records pertaining to Lancaster's Town-meeting action in the
early years of the eighteenth century, it seems that it was the custom to
choose three constables each year: one for duty on the west side of the
Nashua; one whose district embraced all householders along the highways
that led towards Marlborough; and a third who was responsible for those
along the roads to Groton and Stow. Two of the constables' Lists for the
year 1723 have by chance been preserved and one of them is that of
Samuel Warner who lived at Bare Hill, Harvard. This may serve as a
census of polls for that year in the Lancastrian portion of Harvard,
though allowance must be made for a few who lived upon what is now Bolton
soil. The list contains sixty names with a total of £27. 11. 9., for
minister's rates, and £34.6.10 for town rates; which was almost exactly
one-third the total amount of the Town's taxation in 1723. The names
are given below in their original order, as this may furnish some clue
to the neighborhood of families.
The Bolton names are in italics. [transcriber's note: however the script
doesnt show names in italics]
1723 - Polls - Lancastrian Portion of Harvard.
Samuel Willard
Hezekiah Willard
Josiah Willard
Joseph Atherton
John Warner
Jonathan Willard
Mary Atherton
John Atherton
Jacob Houghton
Caleb Sawyer
Jacob Houghton, Jr.
Elias Sawyer, Jr.
Jonas Houghton, Jr.
James Houghton
Josiah Houghton
Jonas Houghton
Hezekiah Whetcomb
Henry Houghton
Benjamin Atherton
Daniel Houghton
Joseph Hutchins
Thomas Houghton
Benjamin Bellows
John Houghton
Jeremiah Wilson
Samuel Wilson
James Atherton
Jonathan Whitney
John Whitney
Isiah Whitney
Jonathan Crouch
Samuel Warner
Gabriel Priest
Joseph Priest
Jonathan Sawyer
Joseph Fairbank
Benjamin Atherton, Sr.
John Nichols
David Whitcomb
Jonathan Whitcomb
Nathaniel Hapgood
Josiah Whitcomb
John Wilder
Josiah Wilder
Jonas Wilder
Shattuck Brooks
Seth Walker
Samuel Rogers
Samuel Rogers, Jr.
Henry Willard
Abraham Willard
Henry Willard
James Willard
Edward Houghton
Ephraim Houghton
John Willard
Joseph Willard
John Priest
Samuel Chamberlain
John Sawyer.
Of these sixty Rate payers, forty-five bore the familiar names of the
earliest settlers in the valley.
They were lineal descendants of the second and third generations from
Major Simon Willard, John & Ralph Houghton, Thomas Sawyer, Thomas Wilder,
James Atherton, John Whitcomb and Jonas Fairbank, with the sons of John
Warner and John Priest. The ten Willards were the eight surviving sons
and two grandsons of the elder Henry Willard; and his widow and daughter
Sarah are represented in the list by their husbands, Benjamin Bellows and
Samuel Rogers, Sr.
To be continued p. 45
Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth
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