Bristol County, Massachusetts - Chapter 60, 1883 (part 3 of 3)

'' Whereas Shadrach Wilbore, Town clerk of Taunton, hath lately in the name and with the consent of the said Town, written and published a certain scandalous, factious and seditious writing therein, very much reflecting upon and contemning the law, authority and government of this his Majesty's Territory and Dominion of New England. The which writing, upon his examination before his Excellency in Council, he hath confessed and owned. These are, therefore, in his Majesty's name, to require and command you to take into your custody, the body of the said Shadrach Wilbore, and him safely keep in his Majesty's jail, until he shall have answered for the said contempt and misdemeanor, and be from thence delivered by due course of his Majesty's Laws. Whereof fail not. And for so doing, this shall be your warrant.

" The humble petition of Shadrach Wilbore, of Taunton, Town Clarke, To his Excellency, Sir Edmond Andrews, Knight Goveruor-in-Chief of his Majesty's Territory and dominion in New England.

" Humbly shewetb that whereasyour poorpetitioner(but as a servant) did in the name, and with the consent of the Town of Taunton (as Towne Clarke), as by virtue of his office judged himself obliged to do, did write a letter to John Usher, Esq., the contents of said letter or writing proving very offensive to authority, for which your petitioner js very sorry that he should give any cause of offence to any, either by writing or any other way, for it was not any way intended by your petitioner either to offend your Excellency or the government his Majesty hath set over us, and therefore wherein your petitioner hath offended auy person he craveth their pardon, entreating your Excellency to impute the offensiveness of said writing to the ignorance, weakness, and unskilfulness of your poor petitioner as to law matters, entreating your Excellency to grant your poor petitioner a gracious pardon as to honorable Court's sentence against him here at Bristol and remit it, or what of it your Excellency shall think fit, beseeching your Excellency to consider what your poor petitioner hath already suffered both at Boston and also here at Bristol, - at Boston his imprisonment there and charges for a release out of prison, and here at Bristol, it being five weeks since he was first committed to prison, entreating your Excellency to consider the inability of your poor petitioner and the time of the year (it being very cold for a poor prisoner), and also his low estate and a great family of children (not needful to say the Town of Taunton hath already answered the matter then in question), and for the future your petitioner hopes he shall be more careful what he writes. So craving your pardou for giving your Excellency the trouble of reading these lines, hoping for your Excellency's gracious Answer, shall rest your humble petitioner.

If, as he intimates in his " humble petition," he wrote the offensive letter by authority of the town, or by direction of the selectmen, the town granted him tardy justice, for it was two years after his imprisonment that the following vote was passed :

"This 21 day of November, 1689, Itwasvoted and granted to Shadrach Wilbore, the town Clerk, one hundred acres of land joining to his land at Bareneed, or somewhere thereabout, in consideration of his imprisonment and suffering, he paying whatmoney is due at that account, which is to say the five and forty shillings which we borrowed of William Wilbore of Rhode Island."

" Nov. 21, 1689. Whereas there appears a great necessity of a good grist-mill' in this town more than we have already, and finding a convenient place to set a mill on below the old mill, and in case the town please to grant the privilege of the stream to erect a mill on, then Robert Crossman, Jr., will speedily build a good mill to serve the town to grind their corn. This above said was voted and granted to Robert Crossman, Jr., this 21st day of November, 1689."

For several years previous to the above date the town seems to have been apprehensive as to the security of their title to their lands. There had been several controversies with adjoining towns in respect to boundary lines, and some of these controversies were not yet settled. A confirmatory deed was desired from Governor Bradford, and various votes had been passed and committees appointed to effect the desired end. Some of these votes are here given:

' " This 8th of January, 1683. The town hath by vote chosen John Hathaway, senior, and John Richmond to go abroad to procure evidence for the strengthening and further confirmation of our township."

"This 6th of July, 16S5. The town hath voted and agreed to choose two men to send to the Court at Plymouth to do their best endeavor to procure the confirmation of our township as it is already drawn up by the selectmen and by some others. The men chosen is John Hathaway, senior, Thomas Leonard."

The boundary line between Taunton and Middleborough, which has been a bone of contention until within a very few years, and perhaps may become so again, was a subject of controversy in 1685 and earlier.

"This 20th of October, 1685. The town hath by vote chosen Ensign Leonard, John Hathaway, and John Richmond to settle the bounds between Middleboro' and us, from Assonet to Baiting Brook, and from Baiting Brook to Titicut River."

" 21st May, 1G88. The proprietors made choice of the selectmen this day chosen, and John Hathaway, the commissioner, to be a committee to act in all matters that may relate to the confirmation of their lands, or defending their title thereto, and agree to defray the charges of the said committee, and Justice Macey and Justice Leonard to act with them."

" At a town-meeting on the first day of July, 16S9. Those of the town that were at the meeting-house did by a full and free vote choose William Harvey, John Richmond, Thomas Leonard, James Walker, senior, and John Grossman to be helpful to Shadrach Wilbore, the town clerk, in framing and drawing^a release and confirmation of our lands from Major Bradford, to take in all Taunton township and the North Purchase, according to deeds and grants."

At a meeting on the 8th of July the town voted to give Maj. Bradford twenty pounds for his release and confirmation, and voted to make a rate of twenty-five pounds, the extra five pounds to defray charges. Lieut, Macey, James Walker, Sr., Mr. George Gooding, William Harvey, and Thomas Leonard were a committee to proportion what each man should pay, including proprietors in the old township, the North and South Purchases, and Assonet Neck.

Feb. 20, 1690-91. The town took action in reference to obtaining a charter for this colony, and expressed their readiness to pay their proportion of the cost attending the effort. But all efforts failed, and this year proved to be the last of the Plymouth government.

Oct. 15, 1692. The selectmen were directed to bound all landing places and draw up the bounds in writing and deliver them to the town clerk for record.

"This 11th of October, 1680. The town hath voted and granted to James Leonard, Jr., three acres of laud lying on the northeast side of his land, between the way to the Fowling pond and the said James Leonard's laud, on the condition that the said James Leonard shall close all the beams of the meeting-house sufficiently with iron bars, that is to say, all the beams that are now open."

Dec. 11, 1685. The town granted to Abel Burt six acres of swamp, of which three acres were in lieu of three acres formerly granted to his father, "and the other three acres the town doth give to the said Abel Burt in way of gratification in the consideration of his loss in his bargain about plastering the meetinghouse."

"This 9th day of August, 1686. It is voted and agreed by the purchasers of this town to make a rate of two shillings to a purchase in money to pay for the defraying of the charges of the committee, as in reference of Titicut laud, to procure a deed of the Indians, viz., Josiah, Peter, and David."

" This 10th day of May, 1687. The town hath by vote expressed their willingness to give Mr. Danforth a call to the ministry amongst us in this town."

"Feb. 27,1687. It is voted and granted that Capt. Tipping shall have ten acres of land adjoining to his own laud formerly laid out to him at a place called Knmford, for his labor and charge to fetch up to our town Mr. Danforth."

"Feb. 27, 1687. We whose hands are hereunder written do by these presents freely give for ourselves and our heirs, to Capt. Bartholomew Tipping, and to his heirs and assigns forever, severally and jointly the several sums of land as is underwritten in part of the pay for the house

A petition was presented to the General Court at Boston in May, 1697, for assistance in rebuilding and supporting a bridge at the southerly part of the town, formerly built by certain poor men, some of whom were dead and the others were unable to bear the expense of rebuilding, and setting forth that other towns were benefited by the bridge. The petition was signed by James Leonard and Thomas Williams.

This was the bridge at the Weir. In March, 1699, a petition was presented to the General Court by the selectmen, viz., Henry Hodges, Thomas Gilbert, Thomas Harvey, John White, Thomas Williams, setting forth the necessity of rebuilding the bridge and the justice of requiring certain other towns to contribute to the expense of building and supporting it. This petition met with better success. A committee reported favorably and recommended that the bridge be built. It was ordered to be built at the expense of Taunton, Freetown, Tiverton, Little Conipton, and Dartmouth. Capt. Jared Talbut took the contract, and upon a report to the court of the cost, it was ordered Nov. 5, 1702, that onehalf the expense should be paid by Taunton, and the other half by the other four towns proportionately.

It does not come within the scope of the present sketch to give the general history of the town beyond this point. The reduction of its territory by the setting off of new towns will be briefly narrated, and some items of interest given connected with the selection of Taunton as the shire-town in the place of Bristol, and the establishment of courts here.

For nearly forty years after the last purchase Taunton maintained the integrity of its large territory. Meantime inhabitants had increased in the North and South Purchases, and the time to ask for separate town organizations, sure to come some time, at length arrived.

The movement as to setting off the north part of the town began in the sending a petition to the Governor, Council, and House of Representatives by the inhabitants of the North Purchase and a part of the old township of. Taunton, praying to be set off as a precinct. This petition was dated Oct. 20, 1708, and was signed by George Leonard and Nicholas White, as agents of said inhabitants. It was read in Council Oct. 22, 1708, and ordered that the selectmen of Taunton be served with a copy and heard thereupon on the second Tuesday of the next session. A townmeeting was held to consider the matter, and a committee was appointed to prepare a remonstrance against their being made a precinct, but favoring their being made a town, provided only the North Purchase was included. This remonstrance was dated June 4, 1709, and signed by James Leonard, Philip King, Thomas Gilbert, Thomas Harvey, and Jonathan Padelford, as committee.

"To his Excellency Joseph Dudley, Esq., Captain-General and Governor-in-Chief in and over her Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts Bay, and the rest of the Honorable Council and Representatives convened in General Court May the 25th, 1709, humbly sheweth :

"That whereas the Honored Court sent to the selectmen of Taunton to shew their reason (if any they had) why Taunton North Purchase and South Purchase should not have their prayer granted, for answer whereunto we say, That although it hath pleased God to increase our numbers, winch we hope is in mercy, yet must say that through the providence of God a great many are so extreme poor, and rates and taxes so high, that we find it hard and difficult to rub along; and the generality of the North Purchase are so poor that we fear they will not be able to build a meeting-house and to maintain a minister; and as for the South Purchase, we are very sensible that they will be exposed to great difficulty by reason of the (ireat River that runs through the middle of that desired precinct, which will be difficult to pass in the winter by reason that the ice is many times not strong enough to bear and too hard to break. Yet we say that if this Honored Court in their wisdom see it convenient, and our neighbors and friends see their way clear, we shall not oppose them ; so that the Courtorder it that webe no way concerned with any of their charges, but they hear it themselves. But as for the North Purchase, we think it better for them to be a township than a precinct.

" We whose names are underwritten are of the same mind with those above. Thomas Leonard, Henry Hodges, Samuel Deane, Seth Williams, Joseph Williams."

" I'pon the hearing of the several petitions of the Inhabitants 0f the North and South Purchases in Taunton, to be made separate precincts for the settling and support of the ministry in the respective places:

"Resolved, That Nathaniel Thomas, Nathaniel Byfield, and James Warren, Esqrs., be a committee to repair to Taunton and view the several purchases, and upon consideration of all circumstances, to set off proper precincts to encourage the good ends desired by the petitioners, and to advise and direct to the most suitable places for the making of their meeting houses. And to make their report to the next session of this Court, Nathaniel Thomas, Esq., to appoint the time"

" Pursuant to an order of the Great and General Court, dated June the 8th, 1709, to us directed to repair to Taunton and. view the several tracts of land which the Inhabitants of the North and South Purchases in Taunton have petitioned to be made separate precincts, for the settling and support of the ministry in the said respective places.

" And we, the subscribers, having viewed the said several tracts, and heard the allegations of the opposite parties thereto, upon consideration of all circumstances have set the bounds of the said several precincts as followeth :

"That is to say, That the bounds of the North Precinct (according to their petition) shall begin at the line between the two late Colonies of the Massachusetts and Plymouth, in the line of the bounds between Taunton North Purchase and Attlebury, and from thence southward to Rehoboth's northeast corner, and from thence eastward on the said Nortli Purchase line to Taunton bounds, and thence eastward to the mouth of the brook called Burt's Brook, leaving out Capt. Hodges' land at Burt's Brook, and extending from the mouth of Burt's Brook to the bridge made over the Mill River, near William Witherell's, and from thence northeastward to the North Purchase line, and from the North Purchase line, the road that leads from said bridge towards Boston, to be the bounds till it comes to the line between the said late Colonies, which line to be the bounds to Attlebury bounds aforesaid, and that the meeting-house for the said North Precinct shall be set on the northward side of the way that leads over Rumford River at Crossman's way, at the place where the way crosseth it that leads from John Hodges' to the Beech Island.

"And the bounds of the Precinct of the Sonth Purchase aforesaid, shall (according to their petition) be the line between Taunton Town old bounds and the said South Purchase, and from the mouth of Three- Mile River to the maple-tree at Assonet River, at the head of Freetown land. And that the meeting-house for the said South Precinct shall be set on the west side of the way near Capt. Jared Talbutt's house, according as the petitioners have agreed. In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

This report was accepted Sept. 19, 1709, with the proviso " that the east end of the North Purchase shall have half the said Purchase as their Precinct when they are able to maintain a minister, and this Court judge them so."

The inhabitants of the North Precinct, through George Leonard, Esq., their agent, petitioned the court early in 1711, setting forth that they had erected a meeting-house which was in a considerable state of forwardness, and had called Mr. Joseph Avery to settle with them in the ministry, and praying to be made a distinct town, the town of Taunton having assented thereto. ' This petition was granted March 17, 1711, and the precinct was constituted a town by the name of Norton. The bounds included the whole of the North Purchase, together with a part of the northwesterly angle of the original purchase.

There was a more heated controversy over setting off the South Precinct. The petition for this object was dated Oct. 11, 1708, and was signed by John Reed, Edward Paull, Ebenezer Briggs, Henry Pitts, Nathaniel Briggs, Nicholas Stephens, Samuel Talbut, Isaac Paull, Jared Talbut, Abram Hathaway John Paull, James Paull, Ebenezer Pitts, Abraham Blanchard, Benjamin Briggs, John Crane, Isaac Hathaway, Edward Shove, James Tisdale, Joseph Dean, Richard Hoskins, Samuel Waldron, Ephraim Hathaway, Thomas Jones, Hezekiah Hoar, Matthew Brioo-s Thomas Briggs, David Walker, Amos Briggs, Joseph Poole, Samuel Whitmarsh.

This petition, like that of the North Precinct, was referred to the town, and was acted upon at the same time. The same committee was appointed to prepare a remonstrance, which they did. In the remonstrance they allude to a town-meeting held Feb. 22, 1708-9, to consider the petition, at which meeting Capt. Jared Talbut was desired to show the petition that the town might know what they were to act upon, and he re- fused to let them see it, so that the selectmen who were appointed a committee to make answer could not do so, and therefore named another meeting to be held June 1, 1709, at which this committee were appointed. They also allude to a previous townmeeting held February 1st, when the " town met together and the petitioners, but fell into such a heat of spirit by such a striving by the petitioners to break our town to pieces, the day was spent in confusion, and the meeting dismissed and nothing done."

The report of the committee of the General Court, already given, included the South Purchase in their recommendation. The precinct as established included the southerly part of the present town of Berkley. In 1712 this precinct was incorporated .as a town under the name of Dighton, thought to have been given in honor of Frances Dighton, the wife of Richard Williams.

Encouraged doubtless by the success of the inhabitants of the North and South Purchases in their petitions to be set off as precincts, and afterwards as towns, the northeasterly and westerly parts of the town made a similar attempt a few years later. A petition dated Dec. 4, 1727, of sundry of the northeasterly part of Taunton, was presented to the court, praying that all that part of the town that lieth on the northerly side of the Great River and on the easterly side of the Mill River may be made a precinct, and if part of the town shall oppose the petition, that they may have a committee to see and hear how things are circumstanced. This petition was signed by about sixty persons.

Another petition, bearing date Dec. 11, 1727, of sundry of the inhabitants of the westerly part of Taunton was presented at the same court, praying that the court would grant them a precinct, bounded, beginning at Wenaconet Bridge, so called, on Mill River, near William Witherill's, and so down said river, bounded by the River easterly until it comes to Street's bridge, so called; then on a straight line to Three-Mile River, at the bridge near Peter Walker's house, which is the bounds between Taunton and Dighton ; then by Dighton bounds till it comes to Rehoboth ; then northward by Rehoboth to Norton ; then by Norton till it comes to said bridge. They also ask for a committee. This petition was signed by some seventy-five persons.

" We, the subscribers (aud many others), inhabitants of Taunton in the several parts thereof, humbly offer that we are greatly surprised to hear, that notwithstanding God's awful and striking providences, and especially that awful and threatening stroke in removing from us by death our aged, honored, and beloved pastor, the Rev. Mr. Samuel Banforth, some of our neighbors are making this dark and difficult hour an opportunity to carry on a very dangerous, unhappy design, going from house to house, persuading people to sign a petition or petitions to this Hon. Court to divide our aged town into precincts, which must needs tend to our utter confusion and ruin ; obstructing our building a new meeting-house, which our town has solemnly voted to do."

This remonstrance was signed by one hundred and sixty-four persons. A paper containing the names of thirty-nine persons living in the easterly part of the town and of forty-eight living in the westerly part of the town, who were against partitioning the town into precints, was also presented to the court.

"January 25, 1727-8. At a church meeting held at the house of Ephraim Hodges, present the Eev. Mr. Fisher of Dighton, it being proposed to the church there met, after some time spent in prayer to God, whether their present unsettled circumstauces did not call them to solemnize a day of prayer, and then the church proceeded to appoint a day, and the day fixed on was the 15th day of February next ensuing; aud the church then voted that the congregation should be notified of it and asked to join with them in it.

A formal remonstrance was presented to the General Court, Feb. 14, 1727-28, by Seth Williams, John King, John Mason, Benjamin Wilbore, and James Walker, Jr., selectmen of the town, stating therein that they had not time to call a regular town-meeting, and presenting very urgent reasons why the prayers of the two petitions should not be granted.

Upon these petitions and remonstrances a committee, consisting of Nathaniel Byfield, John dishing, Samuel Thaxter, Maj. Quincy, and Maj. Turner, was appointed to go to Taunton, hear the parties, and report thereon.

It is no wonder that the town vigorously opposed these petitions, for the precincts prayed for included more than two-thirds of the territory of the town and two-thirds of the whole number of dwellinghouses. A map of the town, with all the dwellinghouses and the owners' names and the proposed boundaries of the precincts delineated thereon, was prepared by Morgan Cobb and presented to the court for their information. Upon this map it is stated that the number of dwelling-houses in the easterly precinct prayed for was eighty-four, in the westerly one hundred, and in the remaining part of the town ninety.

The committee appointed by the court to hear the parties reported unfavorably thereon, and the petitions were dismissed. This ended the matter for a short time only, however. Sept. 18, 1730, another petition was presented to the court by inhabitants of the westerly part of Taunton, praying to be made a separate parish, which, upon the report of a committee appointed to consider the matter, was dismissed Feb. 19, 1730-31.

In- the remonstance to the petitions of 1727, one reason urged against granting the petitions is that it would obstruct building a new meeting-house, which the town had solemnly voted to do. Copies of the records of two town-meetings in reference to the matter have fortunately been preserved in the State papers, and are here given :

"At a legal Town meeting warned aud held at Taunton public meeting-house on the 21. day of November 1726: The moderator chosen for said meeting was Seth Williams Esq.

"Whereas on the aforesaid day it was voted by the Town of Taunton that they will build a new meeting-house and to stand within three or four rods of the old meeting house.

" 2d Voted that the new meeting-house shall be fifty six footin length, forty six foot wide and twenty seven foot stud this to be the bigness and proportion of said house.

"3d Voted that Capt. John Andrews, Cant. Samuel 'Williams and Mr. Nathaniel Crossman be a committee to build and finish the new meeting-house now voted.

"4,h Voted that the money agreed upon by said town to repair the old meeting-house or at least that part thereof not yet laid out, also what any particular person have obliged himself to pay in repairing our public meeting-house, that is now indebted to said town, be laid out in building of a new one now voted.

"5th Voted that the sum of three hundred pounds be raised on the rateable inhabitants of Taunton and that the assessors do forthwith make a rate on said inhabitants for the raising of said sum, and to be improved towards the building of the new meeting-house.

" Voted that there be a rate or tax made upon poles and estates on the inhabitants of Taunton of the sum of fifty pounds for the support of the ministry.

A portion of the northeasterly part of the town was set off as a new town April 2, 1731, and received the name of Raynham. Its limits and boundaries were very different, however, from the proposed precinct of 1727. The boundaries between the old and new towns were described as follows :

" Bounded on the south by Taunton Great River, including all the land of Lieut. Ebenezer Robinson on the southeasterly or south side of said river, except that piece of land by his saw-mill near the furnace, which is in Middleborough precinct, thence down said river to the bounds between the lands of Thomas Dean and Nathaniel Williams, at the place called Shallow Water, thence in a straight line to the east end of Prospect Hill at the going over of the way, including within said new township all the land of Zephaniah Leonard and that which was formerly Capt. James Leonard's which joineth to and is on the west side of said line, and excluding the land of Nathaniel Williams joining to and on the east of said line, thence to run northerly by said way to the great cedar swamp at the going in of the great-island way, thence to cross said island and run straight to Easton line, at the nearest place."

Rev. Dr. Fobes says the first meeting-house was built the year preceding the incorporation of the town, which then contained about thirty families.

The territory of Berkley was set off and incorporated as a separate town April 18, 1735. Since that date no new towns have been taken from ancient Taunton. Occasional unimportant changes in boundary lines between us and some of our neighbors have been made, and in 1879 an awkward jog at Myrickville was taken from Taunton and added to Berkley. Our present boundary lines are likely to be perma-

The earliest matter receiving attention after Taunton was made the shire town of the county was the providing a county house and jail. The record is as follows :

" At his Majesty's Court of General Sessions of the Peace, begun and held at Taunton within and for the County of Bristol on the second Tuesday of December, being the ninth day of the said month, a.d. 1746.

" Ordered by the Court that the S. hool House in Taunton shall be for the present impressed for a Goal and that Samuel Leonard, John Godfrey, and Samuel White, Esqrs., be a committee to see that 6aid School House be made as secure as may be for the safe custody of all persons that may be committed thereto with the utmost dispatch, and that Seth Williams the second shall take care to secure the two prisoners now in custody and all others that shall be committed in the mean time.

" Ordered by the Court, that Seth Williams, George Leonard, Samuel Leonard, John Godfrey, and Samuel White, Esqrs., be a committee to look out a suitable place for the standing of a Goal and County house in the Town of Taunton, & know what the land for erecting said houses on may be purchased for and make report of their doings thereon at the adjournment of this Court."

"The committee for looking out a suitable place for County house and Goal made their report as followeth to wit: We the subscribers appointed a committee as within mentioned to look out a suitable place for the standing of a Goal and County house in the Town of Taunton have pursuant to the within orders looked out a suitable place as we apprehend which is towards the upper end of the old Training Field a little below where they used to dig gravel and is to be sixty foot square which place we look upon to be the most suitable for setting a County house upon provided the Town Proprietors' Committee give a legal conveyance thereof with a suitable and convenient way to pass to and from said place. And also that the most suitable place for setting a Goal and Goal house be on the land of Samuel White and Mr. Simeon Tisdale at a place near the spring (so called) adjoining to the way that leads from said Tisdale's to Mr. Grossman's grist-mill provided the said White and Tisdale give a legal conveyance thereof.

"Ordered by the Court that John Foster Silvester Richmond Jr. and John Godfrey Esqrs. be a committee to provide materials and build a County house and Goal and Goal keeper's house with suitable dispatch. The Goal to be thirty foot long and fourteen foot wide two story high and fourteen foot stud, to be studded with sawed .stuff of six inches thick to be framed close together with a chimney in the middle suitable for a Goal. The house for prison keeper to be seventeen foot wide and twenty three foot long two story high besides the entry between the Goal and dwelling house and to be fourteen foot stud with a suitable chimney and cellar."

"January 28, 1746-7. Ordered by the Court that George Leonard, Ephraim Leonard, and John Foster, Esqrs., be a committee to receive deeds of conveyance from the committee of the Town of Taunton, and proprietors of said Town, of the lands mentioned in the committee's report (as on file) for the use of the County of Bristol."

" Upon the Court's receiving a subscription of many of the inhabitants of the Town of Taunton, amounting in the whole to the sum of nine hundred tweuty-two pounds, fifteen shillings, old tenor, from the subscribers' committee, for building a Court-house, ordered that the same shall be accepted, and that the committee appointed by this Court shall be joined with the aforesaid committee of the subscribers in building the Court-house as projected by the subscribers, and what further may be subscribed on the land given by the proprietors and inhabitants of the Town of Taunton, and as has been accepted by the Court of General Sessions of the Peace, holden at Taunton, by adjournment in January last."

At the March court, 1748-49, Seth Williams, Esq., was desired and empowered to procure, at the charge of the county, proper window-curtains for five windows, and five cushions for the court-house.

At the August court, 1749, it was ordered that eleven hundred pounds, old tenor, he paid to the committee for the "gaol," to enable them to complete and finish it.

At the September term, 1750, the court ordered the committee for the jail to deliver to the sheriff, or to his order, the northwest room below and room above it, and the southwest room below and the room above it, and the southeast room above, with one-half of the cellar under the other part of the house, together with the yard fenced in for the prison yard, and that the southwest room below and above, with the southeast room above, are determined for, and shall be known to be his majesty's jail in Taunton, in and for the county of Bristol, and that the northwest room, below and above, with liberty of using the stairs, be for the use of the keeper of said jail, during the court's pleasure.

At the December term it was ordered that the northeast room below and room above it, with the southeast room below, adjoining to the jail and under the same roof, be for the House of Correction for the county of Bristol, till the further order of the court. And it was further ordered that Jonathan Carver shall be the master of said House of Correction till the further order of the court.

It seems that the jail, being a wooden structure, was not so secure as was desirable. At the June term, 1753, George Leonard, Timothy Fales, and Samuel White, Esqs., were appointed a committee .by the court " to endeavor the more thorough strengthening and securing the Gaol, that, if possible, prisoners may not be able to make their escape by reason of the insufficiency thereof."

From the court records this insufficiency of the jail seems to have been a chronic source of trouble, and committees were from time to time appointed to cure the difficulty.

In October, 1751, Kobert Luscomb was allowed eight shillings for finding candles, ringing the bell and sweeping the court-house, and Daniel Shaw and William Andrews in June following were allowed a like sum for labor and trouble in hanging the courthouse bell.

Timothy Fales was authorized at October term, 1752, to take possession of the county house as a |" court-house. This building also needed attention. At the Oetober term, 1753, it was ordered "that the Hon. Seth Williams, Esq., be desired and is empowered hereby to endeavor to secure the roof of the county house from leaking, by covering the heads of the posts with sheet-lead given for that purpose, or by any other way or means that may be effectual for the purpose aforesaid."

At the March term, 1754, Seth Williams, George Leonard and Zephaniah Leonard, Esq., were appointed a committee to finish the court-house in Taunton and arch the court-chamber overhead, fix the justices' seats on the north side of the chamber, and lath and plaster the same, and alter the stairs, if the committee shall think best.

The old jail stood about where the Bristol County Bank building stands. It was long ago demolished. The court-house occupied very nearly the site of the present one, and was removed to make place for a more substantial structure.

Here must end the general history of the town so far as the work of the present writer is concerned. In the chapters upon the ecclesiastical history, education, manufactures, the professions, etc., it is hoped a good idea of the progress of the town may be gained.