Government and part of the Town of Groton Called Joint Grass preferred
two petitions to this Great and Hon'ble: Court praying that they might
be Annexed to the Town of Dunstable which petitions Your Excellency and
Honours were pleased to Grant upon Conditions that a meeting house for
the Publick Worship of God should be built two hundred and forty Eight
Rods 52 Deg's: West of the North from North East Corner of M. John Tyngs
land But the Inhabitants of the Town Apprehending Your Excellency and
Honours were not fully Acquainted with the Inconveniencys that would
Attend placeing the Meeting House there Soon after Convened in Publick
Town Meeting Legally Called to Conclude upon a place for fixing said
meeting house where it would best Accommodate all the Inhabitants at
which meeting proposals were made by some of the Inhabitants to take the
Advice and Assistance of three men of other Towns which proposal was
Accepted by the Town and they accordingly made Choice of The Hon'ble:
James Minot Esq'r. Maj'r: Lawrence and M'r. Brewer and then Adjourned
the Meeting.
That the said Gentlemen mett at the Towns Request and Determined upon a
place for fixing the said meeting house which was approved of by the
Town and they Accordingly Voted to Raise the sum of one hundred pounds
towards defraying the Charge of Building the said House But Upon
Reviewing the Spot pitched upon as aforesaid many of the Inhabitants
Apprehended it was more to the southward than the Committee Intended it
should be And thereupon a Meeting was Called on the Twenty Sixth day of
May last when the Town voted to Build the meeting house on the East side
of the Road that leads from Cap't: Cummings's to M'r Simon Tompsons
where some part of the Timber now lyes being about Forty Rods Northward
of Isaac Colburns house which they Apprehended to be the Spot of Ground
the Committee Intended to fix upon.
And for as much as the place Last Voted by the Town to Build their
meeting house upon will best Accommodate all the Inhabitants,
Your pet'rs. therefore most humbly pray Your Excellency and Honours
would be pleased to Confirm the said Vote of the Town of the 26'th: day
of May last and order the meeting house for the Publick Worship of God
to be Erected on the peice of Ground aforementioned,
And in duty bound they will ever pray &c.
Simon tompson
Eben Parkhurst
Com'tee for the
Town of Dunstable
[Massachusetts Archives, cxv, 507, 508.]
The Committee appointed on the Petition of a Committee for the Town of
_Dunstable,_ reported according to Order.
Read and accepted, and thereupon the following Order pass'd, _viz._ _In
as much as the House for the publick Worship of_ _GOD in_ Dunstable _was
not erected within the Line limitted in the Order of this Court of_ June
6th 1747, _the Inhabitants of_ Groton _and_ Nottingham _have lost the
Benefit of Incorporation with the Town of_ Dunstable: Therefore
_Voted_, That a Meeting House for the publick Worship of GOD be
erected as soon as may be on the East Side of the Road that leads from
Capt. _Cummins_ to _Simon Thompson's,_ where the Timber for
such a House now lies, agreeable to a Vote of the said Town of
_Dunstable_ on the 26th of _May_ last; and that the said Inhabitants
of _Groton_ and _Nottingham_ be and continue to be set off and
annexed to the Town of _Dunstable_, to do Duty and receive
Priviledge there, their Neglect of Compliance with the said Order of
_June_ 6th 1747, notwithstanding, unless the major Part of the
Inhabitants and rateable Estate belonging to said _Groton_ and
_Nottingham_ respectively, shall on or before the first Day of
_September_ next in writing under their Hands, transmit to the
Secretary's Office their Desire not to continue so incorporated with the
town of _Dunstable_ as aforesaid; provided also, That in Case the
said Inhabitants of _Groton_ and _Nottingham_ shall signify
such their Desire in Manner and Time as aforesaid, they be nevertheless
subjected to pay and discharge their Proportion of all Publick Town or
Ministerial Rates or Taxes hitherto granted or regularly laid on them;
excepting the last Sum granted for building a Meeting House. And that
the present Town Officers stand and execute their Offices respectively
until the Anniversary Town-Meeting at _Dunstable_ in _March_
next. Sent up for Concurrence.
[Journal of the House of Representatives (pages 46, 47), June 26, 1749.]
Whereas the Great & Generall Court of the the [_sic_] Province of
the Massachusetts Bay in June Last, On the Petitions of Dunstable &
Nottingham has Ordered that the Inhabitants of Groton and Nottingham,
Which by Order of the s'd Court the 6th of June 1747 Were On Certain
Conditions Annexed to s'd Dunstable & (Which Conditions not being
Complyed with) be Annexed to s'd. Dunstable to do duty & Receive
priviledge there their neglect of Complyance notwithstanding, Unless the
major part of the Inhabitants and ratable Estate belonging to the s'd.
Groton & Nottingham respectively Shall on or before the first day of
September next in Writing under their hands Transmitt to the Secretarys
Office their desire not to Continue so Incorporated With the town of
Dunstable as afores'd. Now therefore Wee the Subscribers Inhabitants of
Groton & Nottingham Sett of as afores'd. do hereby Signifie Our desire
not to Continue so Incorporated with the town of Dunstable as afores'd.
but to be Sett at Liberty As tho that Order of Court had not ben passed
Dated the 10th day of July 1749
Inhabitants of Groton
Timothy Read
Joseph fletcher
John Swallow
Samuel Comings
Benjamin Robbins
Joseph Spalding iuner
Inhabitants of Nottingham
Samuell Gould
Robert Fletcher
Joseph perriaham Daken [Deacon?]
iohn Collans
Zacheus Spaulding
and ten others
[Massachusetts Archives, cxv, 515.]
A manuscript plan of Dunstable, made by Joseph Blanchard, in the autumn
of 1748, and accompanying these papers among the Archives (cxv, 519),
has considerable interest for the local antiquary.
In the course of a few years some of these Groton signers reconsidered
the matter, and changed their minds. It appears from the following
communication that the question of the site of the meeting-house had
some influence in the matter:--
Groton, May 10, 1753. We have concluded to Joine with Dunstable in
settling the gospell and all other affairs hart & hand in case Dunstable
woud meet us in erecting a meting house in center of Lands or center of
Travel.
Joseph Spaulding jr.
John Swallow.
Timothy Read.
Samuel Cumings.
Joseph Parkhurst.
[Nason's History of Dunstable, page 85.]
The desired result of annexation was now brought about, and in this way
Joint Grass became a part and portion of Dunstable. The following
extracts give further particulars in regard to it:--
A Petition of a Committee in Behalf of the Inhabitants of
_Dunstable_, within this Province, shewing, that that Part of
_Dunstable_ by the late running of the Line is small, and the Land
much broken, unable to support the Ministry, and other necessary
Charges; that there is a small Part of _Groton_ contiguous, and
well situated to be united to them in the same Incorporation, lying to
the West and Northwest of them; that in the Year 1744, the Inhabitants
there requested them that they might be incorporated with them, which
was conceeded to by the Town of _Groton_; that in Consequence of
this, upon Application to this Court they were annexed to the Town of
_Dunstable_ with the following Proviso, viz. "That within one Year
from that Time a House for the publick Worship of GOD should be erected
at a certain Place therein mentioned": Which Place was esteemed by all
Parties both in _Groton_ and _Nottingham_, so incommodious,
that it was not complied withal; that on a further Application to this
Court to alter the Place, Liberty was given to the Inhabitants of
_Groton_ and _Nottingham_, to withdraw, whereby they are deprived of
that contiguous and necessary Assistance which they expected: Now as the
Reasons hold good in every Respect for their Incorporation with them,
they humbly pray that the said Inhabitants of _Groton_ by the same Bounds
as in the former Order stated, may be reannexed to them, for the Reasons
mentioned.
Read and _Ordered_, That the Petitioners serve the Inhabitants of
_Groton_ therein refer'd to, as also the Clerk of the Town of
_Groton_, with Copies of this Petition, that so the said Inhabitants,
as also the Town of _Groton_, shew Cause, if any they have, on the
first Tuesday of the next _May_ Session, why the Prayer thereof
should not be granted.
Sent up for Concurrence.
[Journal of the House of Representatives (pages 138, 139), April 4,
1753.]
_John Hill_, Esq; brought down the Petition of a Committee of the Town
of _Dunstable_, as entred the 4th of _April_ last, and refer'd. Pass'd
in Council, viz. In Council _June_ 5th 1753. Read again, together with
the Answer of the Inhabitants of that Part of _Groton_ commonly called
_Joint-Grass,_ and likewise _William Lawrence_, Esq; being heard in
Behalf of the Town of _Groton_, and the Matter being fully considered,
_Ordered_, That the Prayer of the Petition be so far granted, as that
_Joseph Fletcher, Joseph Spaulding, Samuel Comings, Benjamin Rabbins,
Timothy Read, John Swallow, Joseph Parkhurst_, and _Ebenezer Parkhurst_,
Jun. with their Families and Estates, and other Lands petitioned for, be
set off from the Town of _Groton_, and annexed to the town of
_Dunstable_, agreable to the Vote of the Town of _Groton_ on the 18th of
_May_ 1747, to receive Priviledge and do Duty there, provided that
_Timothy Read_, Constable for the Town of _Groton_, and Collector of the
said Parish in said Town the last Year, and _Joseph Fletcher_, Constable
for the said Town this present Year, finish their Collection of the
Taxes committed or to be committed to them respectively; and also that
the said Inhabitants pay their Proportion of the Taxes that are already
due or shall be due to the said Town of _Groton_ for the present Year,
for which they may be taxed by the Assessors of _Groton_, as tho' this
Order had not past: provided also that the Meeting-House for the publick
Worship of GOD in _Dunstable_ be erected agreable to the Vote of
_Dunstable_ relating thereto in _May_ 1753. Sent down for Concurrence.
Read and concur'd.
[Journal of the House of Representatives (page 21), June 7, 1753.]
The part of Nottingham, mentioned in these petitions, was not joined to
Dunstable until a later period. On June 14, 1754, an order passed the
House of Representatives, annexing "a very small Part of Nottingham now
lying in this Province, unable to be made into a District, but very
commodious for Dunstable;" but the matter was delayed in the Council,
and it was a year or two before the end was brought about.
The west parish of Groton was set off as a precinct on November 26,
1742. It comprised that part of the town lying on the west side of the
Nashua River, north of the road from Groton to Townsend. Its
incorporation as a parish or precinct allowed the inhabitants to manage
their own ecclesiastical affairs, while in all other matters they
continued to act with the parent town. Its partial separation gave them
the benefit of a settled minister in their neighborhood, which, in those
days, was considered of great importance.
It is an interesting fact to note that, in early times, the main reason
given in the petitions for dividing towns was the long distance to the
meeting-house, by which the inhabitants were prevented from hearing the
stated preaching of the gospel.
The petitioners for the change first asked for a township, which was not
granted; but subsequently they changed their request to a precinct
instead, which was duly allowed. The papers relating to the matter are
as follows:--
Province of The Massechuetts Bay in New England.
To His Excellency W'm: Shirley Esq'r: Goveinr in & over y'e Same And To
The Hon'le: his Majestis Council & House of Representetives in Gen'll:
Court Assembled June 1742:
The Petition of Sundry Inhabitants & Resendant in the Northerly Part of
Groton Humbly Sheweth that the Town of Groton is at Least ten miles in
Length North & South & seven miles in wedth East & West And that in
Runing two miles Due North from the Present Meeting House & from thence
to Run Due East to Dunstable West Line. And from the Ende of the S'd:
two miles to Run West till it Comes to the Cuntry Rode that is Laide out
to Townshend & soon S'd: Rode till it Comes to Townshend East Line then
tur[n]ing & Runing Northly to Nestiquaset Corner which is for Groton &
Townshend then tur[n]ing & Runing Easterly on Dunstable South Line & So
on Dunstable Line till it comes to the Line first mentioned, Which Land
Lyeth about Seven miles in Length & four miles & a Quarter in Wedth.
And Thare is Now Setled in those Lines here after mentioned is about the
Number of Seventy families all Redy And may [many?] more ready to Settle
there and as soon as scet off to the Petitioners & those families
Settled in y'e Lines afore s'd: Would make A Good township & the
Remaining Part of Groton Left in a regular forme And by reason of the
great Distance your Petitioners are from the Present Meeting House are
put to very Great Disadvantages in Attending the Public Worship of God
many of Whom are Oblidged to travel Seven or Eight miles & that the
Remaining Part of Groton Consisting of such good land & y'e
Inhabitants so Numerous that thay Can by no means be Hurt Should your
Petitioners & those families Settled in y'e Lines afore s'd: Be
Erected to a Seprate & Distinct Township: That the in Contestable
situation & accomodations on the s'd: Lands was y'e one great reason
of your Petitioners Settling thare & Had Not those Prospects been so
Clear to us We should by no means have under taken The Hardship We have
already & must go Throu.
Wherefore Your Petitioners Would farther Shew that Part of y'e Land here
Prayed for all Redy Voted of by the S'd town to be a Presinct & that the
most of them that are in that Lines have Subscribed with us to be a
Dest[i]ncte Township Wherefore Your Petitioners Humbly Pray your Honnors
to Grante us our Desire according to This our Request as we in Duty
Bound Shall Ever Pray &c.
Joseph Spaulding iur
Zachariah Lawrance
William Allen
Jeremiah Lawrance
William Blood
Nathaniel Parker
Enoch Lawarnce
Samuel Right
James larwance
Josiah Tucker
Sam'll fisk
Soloman blood
John Woods
Josiah Sartell
benj'n. Swallow
Elies Ellat
Richard Worner
Ebenezer Gillson
Ebenezer Parce
James Blood iu
Joseph Spaulding
Phiniahas Parker iur
Joseph Warner
Phineahas Chambrlin
Isaac laken
Isacc Williams
John Swallow
Joseph Swallow
Benj'n: Robins
Nathan Fisk
John Chamberlin
Jacob Lakin
Seth Phillips
John Cumings
Benj'n: Parker
Gersham Hobart
Joseph Lawrance
John Spaulding
Isaac Woods
In the House of Rep'ives June. 10, 1742.
Read and Ordered that the Pet'rs serve the Town of Groton with a Copy of
this Pet'n that they shew cause if any they have on the first fryday of
the next session of this Court why the Prayer thereof should not be
granted
Sent up for concurrence
T Cushing Spkr
In Council June 15. 1742;
Read & Non Concur'd
J Willard Sec'ry
[Massachusetts Archives, cxiv, 779, 780.]
To his Excellency William Shirley Esq'r. Captain General and Governour
in Cheiff in and over his Majesties Province of y'e. Massachusetts Bay
in New England: To y'e. Honourable his Majesties Council and House of
Representatives in General Court Assembled on y'e: Twenty sixth Day of
May. A:D. 1742.
The Petition of as the Subscribers to your Excellency and Honours
Humbley Sheweth that we are Proprietors and Inhabitants of y'e. Land
Lying on y'e. Westerly Side Lancester River (so called) [now known as
the Nashua River] in y'e North west corner of y'e. Township of
Groton: & Such of us as are Inhabitants thereon Live very Remote from ye
Publick worship of God in s'd Town and at many Times and Season of
y'e. year are Put to Great Difficulty to attend y'e. same: And the
Lands Bounded as Followeth (viz) Southerly on Townshend Rode: Westerly
on Townshend Line: Northerly on Dunstable West Precint, & old Town: and
Easterly on said River as it now Runs to y'e. First mentioned Bounds,
being of y'e. Contents of about Four Miles Square of Good Land, well
Scituated for a Precint: And the Town of Groton hath been Petitioned to
Set of y'e. Lands bounded as afores'd. to be a Distinct and Seperate
Precint and at a Town Meeting of y'e. Inhabitants of s'd. Town of
Groton Assembled on y'e Twenty Fifth Day of May Last Past The Town
voted y'e Prayer of y'e. s'd. Petition and that y'e Lands before
Described should be a Separate Precinct and that y'e. Inhabitants
thereon and Such others as hereafter Shall Settle on s'd. Lands;
should have y'e Powers and Priviledges that other Precincts in s'd.
Province have or Do Enjoy: as p'r. a Coppy from Groton Town Book
herewith Exhibited may Appear: For the Reasons mentioned we the
Subscribers as afores'd. Humbley Prayes your Excellency and Honours to
Set off y'e s'd Lands bounded as afores'd. to be a Distinct and
Sepperate Precinct and Invest y'e Inhabitants thereon (Containing
about y'e N'o. of Forty Famelies) and Such others as Shall hereafter
Settle on s'd. Lands with Such Powers & Priviledges as other Precincts
in s'd. Province have &c or Grant to your Petitioners Such other
Releaf in y'e. Premises as your Excellency and Honours in your Great
Wisdom Shall think Fit: and your Petitioners as in Duty bound Shall Ever
pray &c.
Benj Swallow
W'm: Spalden
Isaac Williams
Ebenezer Gilson
Elias Ellit
Samuel Shattuck iu
James Shattuck
David Shattuck
David Blood
Jonathan Woods
John Blood iuner
Josiah Parker
Jacob Ames
Jonas Varnum
Moses Woods
Zachery Lawrence Jun'r
Jeremiah Lawrence
John Mozier
Josiah Tucher
W'm Allen
John Shadd
Jam's. Green
John Kemp
Nehemiah Jewett
Eleazar Green
Jonathan Shattuck
Jonathan Shattuck Jun'r
In the House of Rep'tives Nov'r. 26. 1742
In Answer to the within Petition ordered that that Part of the Town of
Groton Lying on the Westerly Side of Lancaster River within the
following bounds viz't bounding Easterly on said River Southerly on
Townsend Road so called Wisterly on Townsend line and Northerly on
Dunstable West Precinct with the Inhabitants thereon be and hereby are
Set off a distinct and seperate precinct and Vested with the powers &
priviledges which Other Precincts do or by Law ought to enjoy Always
provided that the Inhabitants Dwelling on the Lands abovementioned be
subject to pay their Just part and proportions of all ministeriall Rates
and Taxes in the Town of Groton already Granted or Assessed.
Sent up for Concurrence.
T Cushing Spk'r.
In Council Nov'r. 26 1742 Read and Concurr'd
J Willard Secry
Consented to, W Shirley,
[Massachusetts Archives, cxiv, 768, 769.]
When the new Provincial line was run between Massachusetts and New
Hampshire, in the spring of 1741, it left a gore of land, previously
belonging to the west parish of Dunstable, lying north of the territory
of Groton and contiguous to it. It formed a narrow strip, perhaps three
hundred rods in width at the western end, running easterly for three
miles and tapering off to a point at the Nashua River, by which stream
it was entirely separated from Dunstable. Shaped like a thin wedge, it
lay along the border of the province, and belonged geographically to the
west precinct or parish of Groton. Under these circumstances the second
parish petitioned the General Court to have it annexed to their
jurisdiction, which request was granted. William Prescott, one of the
committee appointed to take charge of the matter, nearly a quarter of a
century later was the commander of the American forces at the battle of
Bunker Hill. It has been incorrectly stated by writers that this
triangular parcel of land was the gore ceded, in the summer of 1736, to
the proprietors of Groton, on the petition of Benjamin Prescott. The
documents relating to this matter are as follows:--
To his Honnor Spencer Phipes Esq'r Cap't Geniorl and Commander In Cheaf
in and ouer his majists prouince of the Massachusets Bay in New england
and to The Hon'ble his majestys Counsel and House of Representatiues In
Geniral Courte assambled at Boston The 26 of December 1751
The Petition of Peleg Lawrance Jarimah Lawrance and william Prescott a
Cum'ttee. for the Second Parish In Groton in The County of Middle sikes.
Humbly Shew That Theare is a strip of Land of about fiue or six hundred
acors Lys ajoyning To The Town of Groton which be Longs To the town of
Dunstable the said strip of land Lys near fouer mill in Length and
bounds on the North Line of the said second Parrish in Groton and on the
South Side of Newhampsher Line which Peeace by Runing the sd Line of
Newhampsher was Intierly Cut off from the town of Dunstable from
Receueing any Priuelidge their for it Lys not Less then aboute Eight
mill from the Senter of the town of Dunstable and but about two mill and
a half from the meeting house in the said second Parish in Groton so
that they that settel on the sd Strip of Land may be much beter
acommadated to be Joyned to ye town of Groton and to the sd second
Parish than Euer thay Can any other way in this Prouince and the town of
Dunstable being well sencable thare of haue at thare town meeting on the
19 Day of December Currant voted of the sd Strip of Land allso Jarnes
Colburn who now Liues on sd Strip Land from the town of Dunstable to be
annexed to the town of Groton and to the sd second Parish in sd town and
the second Parish haue aCordingly voted to Recue the same all which may
appear by the vote of sd Dunstable and said Parish which will be of
Grate advantige to the owners of the sd. strip of Land and a benefit to
the said second Parish in Groton so that your Petitioners Humbly Pray
that the sd. strip of Land may be annexed to the said second Parish in
Groton so far as Groton Nor west corner to do Duty and Recue Priulidge
theare and your petionrs In Duty bound shall Euer Pray
Peleg Lawrence
Will'm Prescott
Jeremiah Lawrence
Dunstable December 24 1751
this may Certifye the Grate and Genirol Courte that I Liue on the slip
of Land within mentioned and it tis my Desier that the prayer of this
Petition be Granted
James Colburn
In the House of Rep'tives Jan'ry 4. 1752
Voted that the prayer of the Petition be so farr granted that the said
strip of Land prayed for, that is the Jurisdiction of it be Annex'd to
the Town of Groton & to y'e Second Precinct in said Town & to do dutys
there & to recieve Priviledges from them.
Sent up for Concurrence
T. Hubbard Spk'r.
In Council Jan'y 6. 1752 Read & Concur'd
J Willard Secry.
Consented to
S Phips
[Massachusetts Archives, cxvi, 162, 163.]
The west parish of Groton was made a district on April 12, 1753, the day
the Act was signed by the Governor, which was a second step toward its
final and complete separation. It then took the name of Pepperell, and
was vested with still broader political powers. It was so called after
Sir William Pepperrell, who had successfully commanded the New England
troops against Louisburg; and the name was suggested, doubtless, by the
Reverend Joseph Emerson, the first settled minister of the parish. He
had accompanied that famous expedition in the capacity of chaplain, only
the year before he had received a call for his settlement, and his
associations with the commander were fresh in his memory. It will be
noticed that the Act for incorporating the district leaves the name
blank, which was customary in this kind of legislation at that period;
and the governor, perhaps with the advice of his council, was in the
habit subsequently of filling out the name.
Pepperell, for one "r" is dropped from the name, had now all the
privileges of a town, except the right to choose a representative to the
General Court, and this political connection with Groton was kept up
until the beginning of the Revolution. In the session of the General
Court which met at Watertown, on July 19, 1775, Pepperell was
represented by a member, and in this way acquired the privileges of a
town without any special act of incorporation. Other similar districts
were likewise represented, in accordance with the precept calling that
body together, and they thus obtained municipal rights without the usual
formality. The precedent seems to have been set by the Provincial
Congress of Massachusetts, which was made up of delegates from the
districts as well as from the towns. It was a revolutionary step taken
outside of the law. On March 23, 1786, this anomalous condition of
affairs was settled by an act of the Legislature, which declared all
districts, incorporated before January 1, 1777, to be towns for all
intents and purposes.
The act for the incorporation of Pepperell is as follows:--
Anno Regni Regis Georgij Secundi vicesimo Sexto
An Act for Erecting the second Precinct in the Town of Groton into a
seperate District