Worcester County, Massachusetts - Chapter 149: Hubbardvston - (co«//««£'a'.), 1889

Chapter 149: Hubbardvston - (co«//««£'a'.)

The petition for an incorporation of Hubbardston was under date of January 28, 1767, and in the following June the territory was incorporated as a district. The following is a copy of the act of incorporation :

Anso Eegni Regis Georgh Teeth Septimo

An Act /or Incorporating the north East Quarter of the Township of Rutland, in the County of Worcester into a District By the Name of Suhbardston.

Whereas the Inhabitants of the north-east Quarter of the Township of Rutland, in the County of Worcester Labour under 3Iany and great Difficulties, By Reason of their not Being Erected into a Distinct and Separate District, wherefore

Be it Euacted By the Governor, Council and the House of Representa" tiTfts, that the Said north-east Quarter of Rutland, as hereafter De. scribed, riz. :

Bounded Southerly on the town of Rutland, Easterly on Princetown' Northerly on Tenipleton, and Westerly on Rutland District, Be, and is hereby Incorporated into a District By the name of Hubbardston, and that the Said District Be, and hereby is Invested -with all the powers, privileges and Immunities that towns in this Province By Law Do or May Enjoy, that of Sending a Representative To the General Court only Excepted, and tliat the Inhaldtants of Said District Shall have Liberty) from time to time, to join with the Town of Rutland in Chusing a Representative, and Shall Be Notified By the Selectmen of Said Town of Rutland of the time and place of Election By Giving Seasonable notice to the Clerk of Said District for the time Being of the time and place of the Said Meeting, to the end that the Said District may join them therein* and the Clerk of Said District Shall Set up in Some public place in Said District a Notification thereof, accordingly, which Representative may Be Chosen Indifferently from Said Town or District, the pay and allowance of Such Representative to be Borne By Said Town and District, in proportion as they Shall, from time to time, pay to the province Tax.

Provided, Nevertheless, and be it further Enacted, that the .Said District Shall pay their proportion of all Town, County and province Taxes, already Set on, or Granted to Be Raised By the Town of Rutland in Like Manner, as if this art had not Been Made.

And Be it further Enacted, that there Be Laid a Tax of one penny per acre upon all the Lands Lying in Said District for one year only to Enable the Inhabitants of Said District to Make and Repair Roads.

-Vnd Be it further Enacted, that John JIurray, Esq''., of Said Rutland, Be, and hereby is Directed and impowered to issue his warrant Directed to some principal Inhabitant with in Said District Requiring him to warn the Inhabitants of Said District qualified to vote in towns affairs to assemble at Some Suitable time 'and place in Said District to chuse all Such ofBcers as are necessary to Manage the affairs of Said District.

And Be it further Enacted that the Town Clerk of the town of Rutland Before the first Meeting of the Said District of Hubbardston Shall Deliver to Said John Murray, Esq'., Copies of the Last List of Valuations of the Real and personal Estates of the Inhabitants of said District of Hubbardston in order to Determine the qualifications of Voters at Said Meeting, and that the Inhabitants who Shall appear by Said Lists to be Voters according to Law Shall Be allowed to vote.

Id accordance with the above act, John Murray, Esq., issued his warrant June 25, 1767, directed to Edward Rice, a principal inhabitant of the district for a meeting fur the choice of all necessary officers. This meeting was held on the 3d day of July following, at the house of Edward Rice, and the following officers were chosen : John Murray, moderator ; Israel Green, Benjamin Nurse, Benjamin Hoyt, selectmen and assessors ; Nathaniel Upham, Stephen Heald, William Pain, surveyors of highways; David Slarrow, Ebenezer Boynton, Robert Converse, fence-viewers; David Slarrow, sealer of weights and measures; Robert Converse, field-driver; Timothy Newton, hog-reeve; William Follett, Adam Wheeler, deer-reeves; John Lebourveau, clerk; Ezekiel Newton, treasurer; Joseph Grimes, constable; Nathaniel Upham, warden; Ephraim Rice, tithing-man; Joseph Grimes, sealer of boards and shingles.

but became such by a general act of the Legislature, passed March 23, 1786, by which all placesincorporated as districts before January 1, 1777, were declared " to be towns to every intent and purpose whatever."

December, 1775. "Voted to pay W". Muzzy for attending Provincial Congress thirteen days, and expenses, 1£ 5s. Id." (about fifty cents a day.)

1779. " Voted to choose a committee to prevent monopolizing, agreeably to act of General Court." Which we understand to mean to prevent speculation in the sale of provisions and other necessaries of life, by fixing the prices of those articles. This the towns were authorized to do once in three months, by the act referred to above.

September 30, 1776. One article in the townmeeting warrant was, "To .see if it be the mind of the town that John Woolson, Esq., should set up a hospital for innoculating the small pox, according to the order of the Court of General Sessions of the peace of the county." " Passed in the negative."