not come into the possession of the town till 1706, when the half acre above mentioned was purchased by Abraham Williams and Joseph Rice, "for the use of the town, to set a Meeting House on."

Till 1675, nothing serious appears to have occurred to interrupt the prosperity of the inhabitants of this flourishing settlement. But their prosperity received a severe check in the war which now ensued. After the destruction of Lancaster, (Feb. 10, 1676, O. S.) a party of the enemy directed their course through Marlborough, where they committed some depredations, on their way to Sudbury and Medfield, in the latter of which places nearly 50 dwel ling houses were burnt, and 15 persons lost their lives.

A second attack was made upon the English settlement at Marlborough, on the 20th of the following month, which, though no lives were lost, was attended with more disastrous consequences. It was Lord's day; and the inhabitants were assembled for public worship, when the preacher, the Rev. Mr. Brimsmead, was interrupted in the midst of his discourse by the appalling cry, that the Indians were advancing upon them. The Assembly instantly dispersed; and, with a single exception,* succeeded in reaching the neighboring garrison house in safety before the enemy came up. But though they defended themselves, they could afford no protection to their property, much of which was wasted or destroyed. Their Meeting House and many of their dwelling houses were burned to the ground; their fruit trees hacked and pilled; their cattle killed or maimed, so that marks of their ravages were visible for many years.

The alarm occasioned by this attack, and the defenceless state to which the inhabitants were reduced, led them to retire from the place, and to seek shelter in a more populous neighborhood. Shortly after the close of the war, which lasted little more than a year, they returned to their farms, and were permitted for many years to cultivate them in peace.f

ter.

*The person to whom allusion is here made was Moses Newton, grandfather of the late Deac. Paul Newton, of this town. Being detained behind the rest in the benevolent attempt to rescue an aged and infirm female, who would otherwise have been exposed to certain destruction, he received a ball in his elbow, which deprived him in a measure of the use of his arm ever afSolomon Newton, a grandson of the above, is now living, (1826) aged 92 years, with his son, Willard Newton, Esq. in Southborough, on the farm taken up by his great-grand-father, Richard Newton, nearly 170 years ago. Richard came from England, and was one of the 13 original proprietors of Marlborough. Richard had three sons, Moses, Ezekiel and John. Moses was the father of eight sons and two daughters, viz. Moses, Jonathan, James, Josiah, David, Edward, Hannah, Mercy, Jacob, and Ebenezer.

There are no records in the Proprietors' Books of what took place be

Soon after their return, they proceeded to the erection of a new Meeting House, which, like the former, was thatched with straw, or rather a species of tall grass, taken from the meadow since called, from that circumstance, Thatch Meadow. This building, which was left in an unfinished state, lasted but a few years. In 1680, an unsuccessful attempt was made to enlarge and repair it; and at length, in 1688, a larger and more commodious house was erected, near the site of the former, which lasted more than one hundred and twenty years, having stood till the new Meeting House in the east Parish was erected, in 1809.*

Prior to the year 1684, it appears that nothing effectual had been done towards purchasing a title to the land "cleare of the Indians, who were continually making demands upon the towne." The Plantation was commenced under the auspices of the Gen. Court; and, as 6000 acres, bordering upon this Plantation, had been reserved by order of the Court, for the use of the Indians, nothing further seems to have been thought necessary for many years, either by the English or the Indians, to give the former a perfect title to their lands. It was not indeed till the Indian Plantation was broken up, and most of the inhabitants dispersed, that the Indians of Natick and Wamesit, (now a part of Tewksbury,) who belonged to the same tribe with the Marlborough Indians, put in their claims to a right in the soil which had been cultivated by the English now for nearly 30 years.

At length, in the winter of 1684, a Committee of three persons tween May, 1675, and July, 1677. It appears that the inhabitants had returned some time before the latter date. It appears from the Records of the General Court, that preparations for defence against the Indians had been made as early as 1670. "Ordered, that the Surveyor General shall forthwith deliver unto Maj. Hathorn, or to Lieut. Samuel Ward, 60 great shot, fit for the guns in the Fort at Marlborough. A Fort was maintained there through the war.

The old Meeting House was valued, in 1689, at £10; the pulpit at £4, "which were improved in the new Meeting House for carrying on the finishing of that."—It would appear, from the following vote, which passed with great unanimity at a meeting of the proprietors, May 21, 1688, that there had been some controversy respecting the location of the new Meeting House, and that it was even then in contemplation to divide the town into two parishes.

"Voted, That if the westerly part of the town shall see cause afterwards to build another Meeting House, and find themselves able so to do, and maintain a minister; then the division to be made by a line at the cart-way at Stirrup Brook, where Conecticot way now goeth over, (now within the limits of Northborough,) and so to run a parallel line with the west line of the bounds of the town." It would seem highly probable, from this vote, that there were inhabitants then living west of the line thus defined, and which was afterwards (1717) made the boundary line between Marlborough and Westborough.

was appointed by the town to treat with the Indians; who, April 17th and 18th, with the help of Maj. Peter Bulkley and Capt. Thomas Hincksman, made a bargain that the town should pay them £31 for a deed in full. The town accepted the conditions, and agreed to bring in the money, (assessed upon the proprietors, now 50 in number,) to the Meeting House, on the 20th of May next, which was accordingly done, and the deed signed by the Indians presented to the town, who directed that it should be kept by Abraham Williams, as also the plat of the plantation made by Samuel Andrews, of which an account has already been given.

A Copy of the Indian Deed of the Plantation of Marlborough. "To all Christian people to whom these presents shall come, Greeting,

KNOW YEE, That we, the Indian inhabitants of the Plantations called Natick and Wamesit," (now part of Tewksbury,) "in the Massachusetts Colonie, in New England, namely," (the names of the grantees are written below, with the omission of Andrew Pilim or Pitimee, and John Wamesqut, and the addition of Edmund Asowonit, making the whole number 25,) "for and in consideration of the sum of thirty one pounds of lawful money of New England, which said sum, wee the said" (here the names are repeated,) "do acknowledge ourselves to have received of Abraham Williams and Joseph Rice, both of the town of Marlborough, in the County of Middlesex, in New England, who, in the said payment, not only for themselves, but also as agents in behalf of all the rest of their fellow purchasers, belonging to the said town of Marlborough, and of the said sum of thirty one pounds, and of every part and parcel thereof, wee the said" (names repeated) "for ourselves, and for our heirs, executors, administrators, and assigns, do freely, clearly, and wholly, exonerate, acquit, and discharge the said Abraham Williams and Joseph Rice and all their said fellow purchasers belonging to the said town of Marlborough, and every of them, and their heirs, executors, administrators, and every of them forever; have given, granted, bargained, sold, and by these presents, do give, grant, bargain, sell, and confirm, unto the said Abraham Williams and Joseph Rice, and unto all their fellow purchasers, belonging to the said Town of Marlborough, and unto all and every of their several heirs and assigns forever, all that tract of land, which is contained within the bounds of the Town, Township, or Plantation, called Marlborough aforesaid, as the said bounds were laid out, plotted and represented by Mr. Samuel Andrews, of Cambridge, un

to the Court of the Massachusetts Colonie aforesaid, and by the said Court accepted and recorded, that is to say all Uplands, Meadows, Swamps, Woods, Timber, Fountains, Brooks, Rivers, Ponds, and Herbage, within the said bounds of the said Town, Township, or Plantation of Marlborough, together with all and singular the appurtenances thereof, and all manner of profits, gains, and advantages, arising upon, or from, the said tract of land, which the said Abraham Williams, or Joseph Rice, or all, or any of their fellow purchasers, belonging to the town of Marlborough aforesaid, at any time formerly had, or now have, or hereafter at any time may, or shall have; (except a certain farm, some years ago laid out unto Mr. John Alcock, deceased, which lyeth within the bounds of said town or township of Marlburrough, and is by us, the said" [names repeated] "utterly and totally exempted and excluded from this present bargain.) To have and to hold all the forementioned tract of land" (here the description is repeated) "to their own proper use and improvement, as is above declared, (except the farm before excepted,) to themselves, the said Abraham Williams and Joseph Rice, and to all their said fellow purchasers, belonging to the said Marlburrough, and unto all and several their heirs and assigns forever, in a good and sure estate of inheritance, in fee simple, without any claims or demands, any obstruction, eviction, expulsion, or molestation whatsoever, from us the said" (names repeated,) "or from the heirs, executors, administrators, or assigns of us the said Indians, or either of us, or from any other person or persons whatsoever, acting by, from, or under us or them, or any of them, our said heirs, executors, administrators, or assigns. Furthermore, wee, the said" (names repeated) "do covenant and grant, with, and too, the said Abraham Williams and Joseph Rice, and all their said fellow purchasers, belonging to said Marlburrough, that wee, the above named Indians, have been, until the conveyance and assurance made by these presents, the true and proper owners of all the said tract of land, lying within the bounds of the plantation or township of Marlburrough, together with all and singular the appurtenances thereof, in our own right, and to our own use, in a good absolute and firm estate of inheritance, in fee simple, and have full power, good right, and lawful authority to grant, bargain, sell, conveigh, and assure, the said tract of land, and every part and parcel thereof, with all and singular the appurtenances of the same, as is before, in these presents, mentioned; and wee, the said" (names repeated) "do warrant and assure that all the tract of

was appointed by the town to treat with the Indians; who, April 17th and 18th, with the help of Maj. Peter Bulkley and Capt. Thomas Hincksman, made a bargain that the town should pay them £31 for a deed in full. The town accepted the conditions, and agreed to bring in the money, (assessed upon the proprietors, now 50 in number,) to the Meeting House, on the 20th of May next, which was accordingly done, and the deed signed by the Indians presented to the town, who directed that it should be kept by Abraham Williams, as also the plat of the plantation made by Samuel Andrews, of which an account has already been given.

A Copy of the Indian Deed of the Plantation of Marlborough. "To all Christian people to whom these presents shall come, Greeting,

KNOW YEE, That we, the Indian inhabitants of the Plantations called Natick and Wamesit," (now part of Tewksbury,) "in the Massachusetts Colonie, in New England, namely," (the names of the grantees are written below, with the omission of Andrew Pilim or Pitimee, and John Wamesqut, and the addition of Edmund Asowonit, making the whole number 25,) "for and in consideration of the sum of thirty one pounds of lawful money of New England, which said sum, wee the said" (here the names are repeated,) “do acknowledge ourselves to have received of Abraham Williams and Joseph Rice, both of the town of Marlborough, in the County of Middlesex, in New England, who, in the said payment, not only for themselves, but also as agents in behalf of all the rest of their fellow purchasers, belonging to the said town of Marlborough, and of the said sum of thirty one pounds, and of every part and parcel thereof, wee the said" (names repeated) "for ourselves, and for our heirs, executors, administrators, and assigns, do freely, clearly, and wholly, exonerate, acquit, and discharge the said Abraham Williams and Joseph Rice and all their said fellow purchasers belonging to the said town of Marlborough, and every of them, and their heirs, executors, administrators, and every of them forever; have given, granted, bargained, sold, and by these presents, do give, grant, bargain, sell, and confirm, unto the said Abraham Williams and Joseph Rice, and unto all their fellow purchasers, belonging to the said Town of Marlborough, and unto all and every of their several heirs and assigns forever, all that tract of land, which is contained within the bounds of the Town, Township, or Plantation, called Marlborough aforesaid, as the said bounds were laid out, plotted and represented by Mr. Samuel Andrews, of Cambridge, un