Connecticut Historical Collections

It was further orvlered, in the same gencMal meelinL;, that theie shouKi beabcllrung by Ihe watch every morning an hourbefoie day lueak, and that tliev ihr.l are aiijioint- ed by the constables lor ihat purpose, shall begin at the bridge, and s.. ring the bell all the way forth and back from Master JNIoody's (AVylly&'liill)^o John Pratt's and that they shall be in eveiy house, (jne up, and . . . some lights within one quarter of an hour after the end of the bell ringing . . . if they can the bell is rung before the time appointed, then to be up with lights as before mentioned, half an hour before day break, ami for default herein is to forfeit one shilling and six jience, to be to him that finds him faulty, and aix pence to the town. 1650.— It is further ordered, that there shall be a porch buill at the meeting house, with stairs through the chamber, to lie ordered bv Mr. Goodwin and the townsmen- and the Governor, Mr. Wells, Mr. Webster, .Tohn'Taylor and .John Steele, to make a rate for the same, or any other tuwn business, as they shall see meet, and . . . It is ordered, that the old meeting liuuse shall be given to Mr. (or Mrs. .') Hooker. The 17th September, IGJO.— It is ordered, lliai .... "Woodward shall spend his time about killing of wolves, and for his encouragement he shall have four shillings and six pence a week for hi.s board, in case he kill not a wtjlf or a deer in the week; but if he kill a wolf or a deer, he is lo pay for his board himself; and if he kill .... to have il for two pence a pound. This order is made for a monih bcfoie he bei^'ins. It is further ordered, that if any per.son hath lost any thing that he dcsiieth should be cried m a publick meeting, he shall pay for crying ol'it tuopciife lo Thomas Wood- ford, to be paid before it be cried ; and ihe crier shall have a book of Ihe things that he crieth. 46 II A R T F O 11 D . - 1G50. — At tliesame meeting of the town tlicre is a rate granted to the townsmen for forty pounds, vvheiuof twenty pounds is to be lent to Jeixnny Adams lor one }ear, to be repaid baek again, in wampum. I(j53.— Tliere was a grant (o Jonathan Gilberl, that he should set up a warehouse at the common landing place in the little meaduw, and upon that land without Mrs. Hooker's lot, which she doth challenge to be her land ; piovided, the said Jonathan ' do it by the consent of Mrs. Hooker. 1654. — It was granted by the vote of the town, that old Goodwife "Walts sliall have that land that formeily she had ol' the town, which w as the Indians, for this year, as she had it before, upon the same terms. 1G59. — For the preventing future evils and inconveniences that many times are ready to break in upon us, by many ])ersnns ushering in themselves among us, who are strangers to us, through whuse ])overly, evil manners or ojiinions, the town is sub- ject to be much prejudiced and endangered : it is therefore oidered, at the same town meeting, tliat no person or persons in Hartford, shall give entertainment, or receive any family, person or persons that is not an inhabitant, so as to rent any ))ait of his or their house to him or them, whereby he or they become an inmate, without it be lirst consented to by the ordeil\' vole of the inhabitants, at some town meeting, under the forfeiture of live pounds for every month, to be rerovered by the townsmen in being, by a course of law, if other means will not prevail, and this for the use of the town ; and also, all such persons as break this order, shall be liable to be called to an account by the town, and bear all just damages that shall accrue to the thereby. 16Gt). — At the same town meeting, the town by their vote ordered, that whosoever for the luiure shall dig oi carry away earth (iom the sentinel hill, shall forfeit two shillings a load, and so for every proportion, without they have the consent of ensign Talcott and John Allyn. IGGl. — The same day, the Jews, wliieh at present live in John Marsh his house, have liberty to sojourn in the town seven mouths. 1083. — The town by their vote appointed the present townsmen lo provide suitable supplies of wood and provisions, lor Goodman Ivandall and Ins wife, who are at pres- ent lame and ill, and not able to jirovide for their necessity ; and also lo get a chirur- geon to cure and dress him; and lliey are to employ the furfeilures due fruin llio.se that have refused to serve as constables this year lu the sei vice; and the rest that is necessary the town inusi sujiply. 1G86. — The town by their vote made choice of Major Talcott, ensign Nathaniel Stanley, Mr. Cyprian Nichols and John Bidvx'ejl, to consider the best way to make a channel in the river between this town and Wcihersliehl ; and lo order the elfecting thereof, in the best way and manuer they can, that may be as little prejudice as may be, without charge to the low n. 1GS7.— The towiisincii of tint y.'ar, gave an a.'Cwunt to the town, ot twu ii.umds twu shillings and eleven jienee, they had leceneJ ul the seleeimeii in IGm'i, e.v.peiided on the jioor. At a Town Meeting, February £!8th, 1G81).— The town of Hartford voted, that Mr. Samuel Wyllys' house should be fortified on the south side of the river; and also Mr. James Steele's house for the defense of the to\\ii. The town also voted, that Mr. John Dlcoit's liou.se should be fortified ftir the north side of the river ; and also Mr. Bartholomew Barnard's house lor the said use. 1604. — In compliance with the recommendation of the General Court, May last, sundry of both societies being met together, and the rest being warned to meet, we have considered the motion of our neighbors of the east side, and that in reference to their desire of settling of a minister on the east siiJe of the liver, we do declare we prize their good comjiany, and cannot, without their help, well and comfortably carry on or maintain the ministry in the two societies here ; yet, upon the earnestness of our neighbors lobe disiinct, because of the trouble and danger they complain they are ex- posed to, by coming over to the publick worship here ; which d'ilhcully they should not but foresee before they settled where the}' are, and iherefoie is ul less weight to us; and upon these considerations we cannot be free to jjait witli good neighbors ; yet, if the General Court see cause, we must submit. But we desire, if so it ninst be, that then, Iho.sc of the good ])eople of the cast siiie, that desire lo continue with us of the west side, should so do ; that all the land on ihe east side, that belongs to any of the people on the west side shall pay lo the miiustry of the west side ; and that all ihe land on the west side shall pay lo the minister of the west srde, though it belongs to the people of the easi side. H A II T F 0 R D . 47 Mrs. "Wilson is allowed by the town to rt'tail drink to those that hnvo occasion . . . this lime twelve months, she attending' the Jaw therein. 1G97.— Likewise the town have yraiitrd to Air. John Olcott, for the standing of a cuter house already erected near his dwelling house, lur such time as he shall continue the same lor that use, not to alter the property of the land, but tlie ritdii thereof to be- long to the town. 1704.— At the same meeting the tou-n voted, that there shall be four houses fortified on the east side of the great river, at their cost and chaige. At the same meeting, the town made choice of Mr. William Pitkin, Lieutenant Jonathan IJills, Deacon Joseph Olrnsled, Daniel Bidwell, Seigeanl William Will- iams, to be a committee to appoint those houses whieh shall be lortilied, and also to proportion each man's share that he is to do of said fortification. 1709.— Voted, that if any person or persons shall box anv pine trees within the bounds of the town of Hartford, either on the commons or undivided land, or shall draw any turpentine out of anv pine trees that are alrcaci}- boxed within the'afoiesaid bounds, shall lorfeit to the town's u.se the simi of live shillin-s (or every tree so im- proved, contrary to this act, excepting only wliat turiieniine may be draun out of the pine trees that are already boxed for the town's use. 1711.— At the same meeting it was voted, that every rateable person in this" town shall be obliged in the months of March, April, May and June, to kill one dozen of blackbirds, or else pay one shilling forthc town's use; and any person that shall kill more than ilicir dozen in the said time, shall be allowed one pennv i>er head for as many as they shall kill; and that the selectmen take care that this vote be performed; and'thrs order to remain and be ol full force and viilue, until the town shall see cause 'to alter it. The following, (copied fiom Dr. llawcs' Centennial Addfcss,) is a list of the names of ail persons holding land in Hartford, in February, 1639. At that time it appears that all the lands of the inhabitants were recorded in a book, and we have every reason to suppose tliis to be a perfect list. The ancient orthography is retained. John fJayesfO -Tnhn Riddell John Haysee William Blumfield ' tdward lupkins Ilobert Day Jeremy Adams Gregory Witterton George W.lles Thomas Birchwood Thon,as Hunee Jos-^pji Maggott Thonias Wells Richard Lord John Alood.e iXaihanicI Ward w I'l- w\"" • ^-TT ^'"""^' •''^^^■J^'' ^^>'^'^" Tliomas Hooker William Whvlinge ISiehola^ l)i>borow John Barnard John Peirce William Goodwing William Kelsey John Willeoek William (Jibbins William Wesiuuod Matthew Allen .lames Knsine .lohn Skinner Ihomasllont Naihan.el Lly John Hoplcm.s iValhaniel Kcllo-ge Nicholas (.)lmslead riiumas Spenser, Siephen Post James Olm.stead John Mamard Sergt. at Armes. Thomas Bull Thomas Judd Nathame Barden John Purehas Franeis Andrews William Coniwell IhomasUps.m Robert Wade Andrew Bacon James Wakeley Ralph Keeler Ozias Goodwing William Hide Richard Church Richard Webb Richard Seamor Arthur Smiih Thomas Stanton Jc.hnLrow William Phillips George Graves Seih Grant Nicholas Clerk Daniel Garrad John Ulmslead Robert Bartlett William Butler Benjamin Burr Richard Glmsted Edward Flnier