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SITUATION AND BOUNDARIES, LENGTH OF LINES AND THEIR COURSES. THIS town is situated E. N. E. from Worcester, 5 miles from the Court House, and 37 miles from Boston by the way of the old post road. It is a post town, and the tenth in age, twentieth in population, and eighteenth in valuation in the County of Worcester ;* and is bounded, beginning at the N. W. corner, on West Boylston, one hundred and two rods, and by Boylston fifteen hundred and seventy rods and an half on the north, ten hundred and seventy two rods by Northborough and seven hundred and seventy rods by Westborough on the east, fourteen hundred and sixty four rods and an half by Grafton on the south, and nineteen hundred and fourteen rods by Worcester on the west.

The township of Shrewsbury was granted to certain persons, Nov. 2, 1717, most of whom belonged to Marlborough, and was originally laid out much larger than it now is. It began to be settled in 1717, by a few people from Marlborough, though not so soon as a few towns in its vicinity: indeed, at that time, people not deeming it a good tract of land, passed through and took up their residence elsewhere. Little other use was made of it, than to pass over it in pursuit of a settlement in some supposed better place, while repeated and destructive fires, set by people in the adjacent towns, had consumed vast tracts of wood and timber, and even the very soil itself, in some places to the hard pan, for many acres.

It is not known that the Indians ever disturbed the settlement of this town; there being no accounts on record, or otherwise, of their having destroyed the lives or property of their more civilizAccording to the census of 1820, and its proportion of 75,000 dollars, being the State tax of Feb. 21, 1824.

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ed, but encroaching neighbors in this quarter; or that any fear was ever here entertained on account of them. They had some years before, in that retreat, which they have ever since continued, and which has been as rapidly followed by the white men, retired to a distance too great to alarm the first settlers of Shrewsbury. It may seem remarkable, but it is believed, that the name of Indian is not to be found on the records of the town.

The town at first contained all the lands lying between the original grant of Lancaster on the north, Marlborough on the east, Sutton on the south, and Worcester on the west. So rapid was the increase of the population, that the inhabitants of the town, in ten years from the commencement of its settlement, presented the following petition to be incorporated into a town.

"To the Hon. William Dummer, Esq. the Lieut. Governor and commander in chief, the Honorable the Council, and the Honorable House of Representatives of His Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts Bay, in New England, in General Court assembled, Nov. 22, 1727.

"The petition of the inhabitants of Shrewsbury, in the County of Middlesex, humbly sheweth: that your petitioners were by this Great and Honorable Court erected into a township, and not having granted unto them the immunities and privileges of other towns within this Province, were put under the care of a committee, which committee carried on that work to great satisfaction, but have now declined acting; so that your petitioners are under great difficulties as to paying their Minister and raising the public taxes; and the Province Treasurer has issued forth his warrant directing the assessing of the inhabitants of the town of Shrewsbury their Province tax for this year: And for as much as your petitioners have no Selectmen or Assessors, nor are empowered to choose town officers, whereby many and great inconveniences do arise; therefore, your petitioners most humbly pray your Honors consideration of the premises, and that your Honors would be pleased to empower the town of Shrewsbury to use and exercise the same immunities and privileges as other towns within this Province hold and enjoy, and that a day may be assigned for the choice of town officers for the year current, and your petitioners, as in duty bound, shall ever pray, &c."

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The foregoing petition having been presented, was acted upon as follows:

"In the House of Representatives, Dec. 14, 1727. Read and ordered, that the prayer of the petition be granted and that the said town of Shrewsbury is accordingly endowed with equal power, privileges, and immunities, with any other town in this Province; and that Capt. John Keyes, a principal inhabitant in the said town, be empowered and directed to notify and summon the inhabitants duly qualified for voters, to meet and assemble for the choosing of town officers, to stand until the next annual election according to law. Sent up for concurrence. Wм. DUDLEY, Speaker.

In Council, Dec. 15, 1727, read a first and second time and passed in concurrence. J. WILLARD, Sec'y. WM. DUMMER.

Consented to,

The first town meeting held here was on the 29th day of Dec. 1727. Shrewsbury originally included most of what is now Boylston, most of West Boylston, a small portion of Sterling, Westborough and Grafton. In 1741, four petitioners, viz. Ebenezer Cutler, Obediah Newton, Noah Brooks and David Read, with their farms, were taken from the town of Shrewsbury, and annexed to the town of Grafton; in 1752, William Whitney, Zachariah Eager, Jonathan Foster, Zachariah Harvey, Edward Newton, Samuel Newton, Ezekiel Newton and Daniel Wheelock, with others, at their request and all the lands in the then north part of the town, lying on the north side of Quinepoxet river, and between the towns of Lancaster and Holden, known by the name of the Leg, were voted off by the town, and, in 1768, annexed to Lancaster; in 1762, William Nurse and others, living in the southeasterly part of the town, and so much of that part of the town, usually called the Shoe (sometimes Nurse's corner) were annexed to Westborough. March 1, 1786, the north part of the town, then constituting the 2d Parish, was incorporated into a town by the name of Boylston: and in March, 1793, Elijah Whitney and his farm were taken from this town and set to Westborough. Having thus been pared and clipped, always giving and eventually receiving nothing, the territory of the town has, since that time, remained entire, yet not without attempts to dismember some part of it.*

In 1795, Silas Keyes, known as a skilful and correct surveyor, with a view, among other things, to ascertain the contents of the * There has been another amputation since the above was written. Tarrant Merriam, with about 186 acres of land, has been taken from this town and annexed to Grafton.

town, took a survey of its limits, which it may not be amiss to make matter of public record. It was found on a loose paper, and is as follows: "The following are the limits of the town of Shrewsbury, as taken by Silas Keyes, in the year 1795, begining at the south west corner of Boylston, (now West Boylston) and runs east, nine degrees north, ten rods to road; thence east, nine degrees north, seven and an half rods; thence north, six degrees east, thirty nine rods; thence east, thirteen degrees south, one hundred and sixty rods to county road; thence same course fifteen rods to a heap of stones; thence east, nineteen degrees north, two hundred and seventy rods to do.; thence south, fifteen degrees west, thirty five rods to do.; thence east, eleven degrees forty one minutes north, one hundred and sixty six rods to do.; thence north, twenty six degrees east, seventy four rods to do.; thence east nineteen and a half degrees north, five hundred and fifty nine rods to a stake and stones; thence south, forty four degrees east, sixty seven rods to a heap of stones; thence west, thirty degrees south, forty three rods to rock and stones; thence south, three degrees west, thirty seven rods to stake and stones; thence east, twelve degrees north, one hundred and eleven rods to a heap do.; thence south, seven and a half degrees west, forty four rods to do.; thence east, thirty five degrees south, sixty rods to north east corner; thence south, sixteen degrees west, one hundred forty nine rods to heap stones; thence south, twenty four degrees east, one hundred and eighty two rods to great rock; thence south, twenty one degrees east, one hundred and fifty rods to heap stones; thence south, one degree east, twenty rods to great road; thence same course three hundred and seventeen rods to an oak; thence south, twenty eight degrees thirty five minutes east, one hundred and ninety four rods to Westborough corner thence same course three hundred and fourteen rods to heap of stones; thence west, twenty eight degrees forty minutes south, two hundred and twenty six rods to do. ; thence south forty two degrees fifteen minutes west, sixty seven rods to a maple; thence south thirty five degrees west, one hundred and twelve rods to heap stones; thence south thirty three degrees thirty minutes east, fifty one rods to an oak at Grafton corner; thence west, thirty three degrees south, one hundred two and a half rods to heap stones; thence west, forty five degrees south, twenty three rods to white oak; thence west, twenty four degrees north, six rods to heap stones; thence north, seventeen degrees west, thirty four and an half rods to do.; thence west, twenty three degrees south, thirty

four rods to do. ; thence south, twenty six degrees west, forty one and an half rods to do.; thence west, thirty four degrees north, forty five rods to do.; thence north, six and a half degrees west, seventy three and an half rods to white oak; thence west, thirteen degrees south seventy three and an half rods to heap stones; thence south, eighteen degrees east, thirty four rods to an oak and stones; thence west, twelve degrees south, seventy nine rods to heap stones; thence south, six degrees west, forty two rods to do. ; thence west, four degrees nòrth, sixty eight rods to pitch pine; thence north, two degrees west, twenty six and an half rods to a walnut tree; thence west, four degrees north, twenty rods to an oak at Bummet meadow; thence south, nine degrees west, forty six rods by meadow; thence south, twenty eight degrees east, twenty six rods to stake in do. ; thence south, twenty four degrees west, twenty two rods to poplar stump; thence south, six degrees west, thirty three and an half rods to an oak by county road; thence west, four degrees north, twenty nine rods to heap stones; thence west, thirty nine degrees south, forty five and an half rods to do.; thence south, forty four degrees west, forty eight rods to do.; thence west, five degrees south, one hundred and thirty six rods to white oak; thence north, thirty degrees west, eighty five rods to county road; thence east, twenty seven degrees north, nineteen and an half rods by said road; thence north, four degrees west, fourteen rods to heap stones; thence west seven degrees north, fifty five rods to do. ; thence south, five degrees east, sixty rods to do.; thence west, fourteen degrees south, one hundred and eighteen rods to white oak; thence south, five degrees east, twenty four rods to maple tree at the river; thence angling up said river, one hundred eighty seven rods to a creek that connects Flint's pond and said river; thence west, three degrees south, forty rods to Flint's pond; thence west, forty degrees south, fifty four rods by said pond; thence west fifteen degrees north, twenty two rods; thence west, eight degrees north, forty rods; thence north, forty degrees west, twenty eight rods to half moon pond; thence west, seven degrees north, one hundred rods to a heap stones; thence north, eleven degrees west, two hundred sixty nine rods to a chesnut tree on the west side long pond; thence north, two degrees west, nine hundred and ten rods to a grey oak on the west side and near the head of long pond; thence north, twenty degrees west, twenty two rods to great road; thence same course one hundred and fifty two rods to Boylston road; thence same course one hundred and ninety rods to where it began."

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