thay would giue to robart robins Sener three acers of madow where
he uste to Improue: and ten acers of upland near his madow upon the
Conditions forlowing that he aboue sd Robart Robbins doth deliuer:
up that Indian titels which he now hath: to the town.
It appears from the records that no other business was done at this
meeting, except the consideration of matters growing out of the Nashobah
land. It was voted to have an artist lay out the meadow at "Nashobah
line," as it was called, as well as the land which the town had granted
to Walter and Daniel Powers, probably in the same neighborhood; and also
that Captain Jonas Prescott be authorized to engage an artist at an
expense not exceeding six shillings a day.
Settlers from the adjacent towns were now making gradual encroachments
on the abandoned territory, and among them Groton was well represented.
All the documents of this period relating to the subject show an
increased interest in these lands, which were too valuable to remain
idle for a long time. The following petition, undoubtedly, makes a
correct representation of the case:--
To his Excellency Joseph Dudley Esq'r Captain Gen'll & Governour in
Chief in & over her Majesties Province of the Massachusets Bay &c:
togeither with the honourable Council, & Representatives in Great
and Gen'll Court Assembled at Cambridge Octobe'r 14'th. 1702.
The Petition of the Inhabitants of Stow humbly sheweth.
That Whereas the honourable Court did pleas formerly to grant vnto
vs the Inhabitants of Stow a certain Tract of Land to make a
Village or Township of, environed with Concord, Sudbury, Marlbury,
Lancaster, Groton, & Nashoby: And Whereas the said Nashoby being a
Tract of Land of four miles square, the which for a long time hath
been, and still is deserted and left by the Indians none being now
resident there, and those of them who lay claim to it being
desireous to sell said land; and some English challenging it to be
theirs by virtue of Purchase; and besides the Town of Groton in
particular, hath of late extended their Town lyne into it, takeing
away a considerable part of it; and Especially of Meadow (as wee
are Well informed) Wherefore wee above all o'r Neighbour Towns,
stand in the greatest need of Enlargement; having but a pent up
smale Tract of Land and very little Meadow.
Whence we humbly Pray the great & Gen'll Court, that if said
Nashoby may be sold by the Indians wee may have allowance to buy,
or if it be allready, or may be sold to any other Person or
Persons, that in the whole of it, it be layed as an Addition to vs
the smale Town of Stow, it lying for no other Town but vs for
nighness & adjacency, togeither with the great need wee stand of
it, & the no want of either or any of the above named Towns. Shall
it Pleas the great & Gen'll Court to grant this o'r Petition, wee
shall be much more able to defray Publick Charges, both Civil, &
Ecclesiasticall, to settle o'r Minister amongst vs in order to o'r
Injoyment of the Gospel in the fullness of it. Whence hopeing &
believing that the Petition of the Poor, & needy will be granted.
Which shall forever oblidge yo'r Petition'rs to Pray &c:
THO: STEEVENS. Cler:
In the Towns behalfe
[Massachusetts Archives, cxiii, 330.]
This petition was granted on October 21, 1702, on the part of the House
of Representatives, but negatived in the Council, on October 24.
During this period the territory of Nashobah was the subject of
considerable dispute among the neighboring towns, and slowly
disappearing by their encroachments. Under these circumstances an effort
was made to incorporate a township from this tract and to establish its
boundaries. The following petition makes a fair statement of the case,
though the signatures to it are not autographs:
To His Excel'cy: Joseph Dudley Esq: Cap't: Generall & Gov'r: in
Chief in and over Her Maj'ties: Province of Mass'ts: Bay in
New-England, Together with y'e Hon'ble: the Council, &
Representatives in Gen'll: Court Assembled on the 30'th of May, In
the Tenth Year of Her Maj'ties: Reign Annoq Dom'i: 1711,--The
Humble Petition of us the Subscribers Inhabitants of Concord,
Chelmsford, Lancaster & Stow &c within the County of Midd'x in the
Province Afores'd.