the power, which was given to the six individuals, the year before, to manage the affairs of the town, might be transferred to the town, and the inhabitants in general; one of the six being dead, another having removed, and some of the remainder being desirous to re

NOTES TO PAGE 280.

1663-Mary, Oct. 1666.-Joseph, March, 1669, and killed with William.Martha, Dec. 1672.-Henry, the son, married Elizabeth How, in Charlestown, April, 1676, where they probably retreated, after the town was laid waste.The Kerleys did not return after their settlement, it would seem; but went to Marlborough where Capt. Kerley owned land. In the pamphlet entitled "Revolution in New England justified," printed 1691, he gives his deposition relating to Sir Edmund Andross' passing through that town in 1688, who demanded of Kerley" by what order they garrisoned and fortified their houses." Kerley was then 57 years old. The one mentioned by Rev. Mr. Allen, in his sketch of Northborough, (ante p. 154) was probably Henry, the son.There is a tradition of Capt. Kerley, who married Mrs. Rowlandson's sister; that he had sundry little passages with a damsel, in the way of differences. On one of these occasions, after they were published, he pulled up the post, on which the publishment, as it is called, was placed, and cast it into the river; but, like all true lovers, they soon healed up their quarrels, and were married.

(n) The name of Smith was early, so common that I cannot trace individuals of the name.

(0)A son, I think, of Wm. Kerley, Senr. He was of Sudbury, in 1652. One of the same name was of Sudbury, in 1672, and of Cambridge, in 1683. (p) John Smith died, July, 1669.

(9)Waters was of Watertown, 1635-1638-1646, married Anna, daughter of Richard Linton. His children were, Joseph, Jacob, Rachel and Ephraim. (r)There were some three or four of this name, early in New England. This one probably came from Weymouth. In March, 1658, at a meeting of the town, all the orders of the Selectmen passed, except that of Goodman White, which was rejected" because he feared not to speak in his own cause." (s)Killed by the Indians, August 22, 1675. His grandchildren, Jacob, George, John and Henry, lived in Concord. They sold all their grandfather's land in Lancaster, to their uncle, John Houghton, Esq. Oct. 1697.

()He had a son Nathaniel, born June, 1658.

(u) What is known of Rev. Mr. Rowlandson and family, will be related in the sequel.

(v)Roper was killed by the Indians, six weeks after the attack of Feb. 1676, and the very day that the inhabitants withdrew from town.

(w)I find master John Tinker's name in Boston records, in 1652. He was Clerk and Selectman for sometime, and his chirography was very neat. 1659, he moved to "Pequid."

In

(x)He was killed, with his wife, and two children, Aug. 22, 1675, by the Indians.

(y) Jonas Fairbanks was killed by the Indians, when they destroyed the the town, in Feb. 1676. His son Joshua, born April, 1661, was killed at the same time.

(*)" 1660, Aug. 26. Roger Sumner was dismissed, that with other christians, at Lancaster, a Church might be begun there." Church records of Dorchester, 1 Mass. Hist. Col. IX. 192. He married a daughter of Thomas Jos lin; as I find he is called son-in-law to the widow Rebecca Joslin, who was wife to Thomas.

(aa) He spelt his name, " Wyelder :" further accounts of this family, will be, found in the sequel.

(bb)Killed by the Indians, Feb. 1676.

linquish their power.* They further requested, that the Court would appoint some one or more to lay out the bounds of the town. They say, they shall be well satisfied, if the Court will grant seven men out of ten, whose names they mention, to order their municipal concerns; and that afterwards, it shall be lawful to make their own elections, &c. This petition was signed by the townsmen, to whom the General Court on the 10th of May, 1654, returned a favourable answer, granting them the full liberties of a township, and appointed Lieut. Goodnough,t and Thomas Danforth, a committee to lay out the bounds. I cannot find that any survey was made in pursuance of this order, nor, at any time, till 1659, as will be mentioned below.

The first town meeting on record, was held, in the summer of 1654, probably soon after the petition, I have just mentioned, was granted. The doings of the Committee were then confirmed and at a subsequent meeting, which is not dated, but must have been early in 1655, it was voted not to take into the town above thirty five families and the names of twenty five individuals are signed, who are to be considered as townsmen. They are as follows, viz. Edward Breck, Master Joseph Rowlandson, John Prescott, William Kerley, senior, Ralph Houghton, Thomas Sawyer, John Whitcomb, and John Whitcomb, Jr. Richard Linton, John Johnson, John Moore, William, and John Lewis, Thomas James, Edmund Parker, James Atherton, Henry Kerley, Richard Smith, William Kerley, Jr. John Smith, Lawrence Waters, John White, John, and Jacob Farrar, John Rugg. Many of these names still abound in Lancaster and the vicinity.

The first highway, out of town, was probably laid out in 1653, according to the direction of the General Court, from Lancaster to Sudbury; and for many years this was the principal route to Bos

ton.

A highway to Concord, was laid out in the spring of 1656. It commenced near Prescotts', in what is now called New Boston, thence by the then parsonage, which was a little N. E. of Rev. Dr. Thayer's, and over the river some 15 or 20 rods above the present bridge, then passing over the south end of the neck, and crossing Penecook river, in the general direction of the travelled road, till

* Nathaniel Hadock and Edwin Breck. Hadlock was the one that died. + Goodinow, as Johnson spells it, was of Sudbury. 2. Mass. Hist. Col. VII. 55. For Danforth, see note, post.

It crossed at the wading place of the Penecook, to the east of what was afterwards called the Neck bridge.

within a few years, and extending over Wataquodoc hill in Boltons. This road, I find afterwards in the proprietor's books as beginning at Wataquodoc hill, passing the Peneçook, and North Rivers, by "Master Rowlandson's house, and fenced, marked, and staked up to Goodman Prescotts' rye field; and so between John Moore's lot and across the brook, &c.—and so beyond all the lots into the woods." The present roads on the east and west side of the neck, were probably laid out as early as 1654. The latter extended as far to the N. W. as Quassaponiken.

In 1657, the good people of Nashaway, found that they were unable to manage their town affairs satisfactorily to themselves, in public town meetings, "by reason," they say, " of many inconveniences, and incumbrances, which we find that way; nor by select men by reason of the scarcity of freeemen,* being but three in number." It therefore repented them of the former petition, which I have mentioned, and they besought the General Court, to appoint a committee, (to use the language of the request) " to put us into such a way of order, as we are capable of, or any other way which the Honored Court may judge safest and best, &c. till the committee make return that the town is able to manage its own affairs." This request was granted, May 6th, of the same year, and Messrs. Simon Willard, Edward Johnson, and Thomas Danforth were appointed commissioners.

*At the first session of the General Court, in the colony of Massachusetts, May, 1631, it was ordered that no man should be admitted to the freedom of this Commonwealth, but such as are members of some of the churches, within the limits of this jurisdiction." And this was the law till 1664. None but freemen were allowed to hold any office.

Major Willard came to this country from the County of Kent, in 1635, at the same time, I think, with the Rev. Peter Bulkley, a distinguished clergyman of Concord. He was one of the original purchasers from the Indians of Musketaquid, afterwards called Concord. He resided there many years. The town was incorporated, Sept. 1635, and he was the deputy or Representative from the spring following, till 1654, with the omission only of one year. In 1654, he was chosen one of the Court of Assistants, and was annually re-chosen till the time of his death. He died in Charlestown, April 24, (O. S.) 1676. This Court was the upper branch of the General Court, the Court of Probate, a Court for Capital and other trials of importance; and with power to hear petitions, decree divorces, &c. The members, were magistrates throughout the Colony, and held the County Courts, the powers of which extended to all civil causes, and criminal, excepting life, member, banishment and divorces.

Johnson was of Woburn, and came from the County of Kent. He was the author of "Wonder working Providence of Zion's Savior, in New England;" a very singular, curious, and enthusiastic work.

Danforth lived in Cambridge. He was distinguished in the early history of Massachusetts; some time one of the assistants, and Deputy Governor.

These Commissioners were instructed to hear and determine the several differences and grievances which "obstruct the present and future good of the town" &c. and were to continue in office till they could report the town to be of sufficient ability to manage its own affairs.

The Commissioners appointed in September of the same year, were, master John Tinker, Wm. Kerley, sen'r, Jno. Prescott, Ralph Houghton, and Thomas Sawyer, to superintend the municipal concerns with power to make all necessary rates and levies, to erect 66 a meeting house, pound and stocks," three things that were then as necessary to constitute a village, as, according to Knickerbocker, a "meeting house, tavern and blacksmith's shop" are, at the present day. None were to be permitted to take up their residence in town, or be entertained therein, unless by consent of the selectmen, and any coming without such consent, on record, and persons entertaining them, were each subject to a penalty of twenty shillings per month. However much we may be inclined to smile at the last regulation, something of the kind probably was necessary in the early state of society, and especially in so remote a plantation as that of Nashaway, to exclude the idle and unprincipled; not only strong hands but stout hearts, sobriety of character, and patriotism, properly so called, were needed to sustain and advance the interest of the town. Vicious persons would be disorderly; the situation was critical, the danger of giving provocation to the Indians would be increased, and it would require but a slight matter to destroy the settlement. The commissioners directed further, that lands should be reserved for "the accommodation and encouragement of five or six able men, to take up their residence in the town."

Early attention was paid by the town to its water privileges. In Nov. 1653, John Prescott received a grant of land of the inhabitants, on condition that he would build a "corn mill." By a memorandum in Middlesex Records, it appears, that he finished the mill and began to grind corn, the following spring, 23, 3 mo. 1654. A saw mill followed in a few years, according to the records of the proprietaries; where I find that "in November 1658, at a training, a motion was made by Goodman Prescott, about setting up a saw

He was one of the few who dared to oppose openly, the witchcraft delusion. Gov. Bradstreet, President Increase Mather, and Sumuel Willard, son of Major W. minister in Boston, and afterwards V. Pres. of the College, were almost the only leading men who withstood the mighty torrent.

mill; and the town voted that if he should erect one, he should have the grant of certain priveleges, and a large tract of land lying near his mill for him and his posterity forever; and to be more exactly recorded, when exactly known."

In consideration of these provisions, Goodman Prescott forthwith erected his mill. This was on the spot, where the Lancaster Cotton Manufacturing Company have extensive and profitable works under the superintendence of Messrs. Poignand & Plant. I mention these mills, the more particularly, as they were many years before any of the kind in the present County of Worcester. People came from Sudbury to Prescotts' grist mill. The stone of this mill was brought from England, and is now in the vicinity of the Factory*, in fragments.

There were no bridges in town till 1659. In January of that year (3. 11 mo. 1658) it is recorded that "the Selectmen ordered for the bridges over Nashaway and North river, that they that are on the neck of land do make a cart bridge over the north river† by Goodman Water's, and they on the south end, do make a cart bridge over Nashaway about the wading place at their own expense."

These two bridges were supported in this way, eleven years. In February 1670, it was voted, that the bridges should be a town charge from the second day of that month, (1669, O. S.) only, it was ordered, that if the town should think it "for the safety of north bridge, that the cages be put down, that then they shall be set down upon the Neck's charge, the first convenient opportunity." There is reason to believe that no bridge was built over the Penecook, or Main river, till after the re-settlement of the town in 1679 and 80.§ The "Great bridge by the Knight pasture," (the same as the Neck bridge,) a little to the east of the present centre bridge is spoken of in 1729, and a vote was passed in 1736, to repair this bridge. The road that I have before mentioned from Bolton, across the Penecook, and "staked up to Goodman Prescott's rye field," was laid out in the spring of 1656. But I assert with confidence, that no bridge was there as early as 1671. From 1671 to 1675, it is by no means probable that the inhabitants were in a situation to * This rests on information received from Mr. Jonathan Wilder, of this town, a high authority in traditionary lore. Mrs. Wilder is a descendant, in direct line from John Prescott.

This was near the residence of the late Judge Sprague.

This was on the south branch, near the present mill bridge.

The remark, relative to the bridge in the first volume of Worcester

Magazine, p. 284, in note, is incorrect.