History of the Town of Groton

said tract of land, with all the privileges and appurtenances to the same appertaining, or in any way belonging, to them the said inhabitants of the town of Groton, and to their heirs and associates forever. And they the said Mr. John, Tom Dublitt and his wife, and their son, the eldest of them, Little James Fox, and Jacob Patatuck, and Thomas Waban, for themselves, their heirs and administrators, do covenant, promise and grant, to and with the aforesaid John Page, Nathaniel Lawrence, and John Parish (as trustees for and in the behalf of the whole inhabitants of the aforesaid town of Groton) and with their heirs and assigns forever, that they the said Mr. John, Tom Dublitt and his wife and their eldest son, Little James Fox, alias Gasumbitt, and Jacob Patatuck and Thomas Waban, and each of them are the true and proper owners of the above said tract of land, as to all manner of Indian title, that either is, or may be conceived to be. And that they have good right, full power, and lawful authority, the premises to grant, bargain and confirm to them the said inhabitants of Groton and to their heirs, associates, and assigns forever. And that they the said inhabitants of the town of Groton, their heirs, associates, and assigns forever, shall and may at all times, and from time to time forever hereafter quietly and peaceably have, hold, enjoy, and possess the said whole tract of land or plantation, with all the privileges, profits, and commodities of the same, without the lawful let, hindrance, eviction, expulsion, suit, molestation or denial of them the said Mr. John, Tom Dublitt and his wife, and their eldest son, Little James Fox, Jacob, alias Patatuck, and Thomas Waban, their heirs or executors, administrators or assigns of them or either of them, or of any other person or persons whatsoever, whether Indians or English, claiming or having any right, title, or interest therein or thereunto, by, from, or under, them or either of them, (as to Indian title of land,) or by any other lawful ways or means whatsoever.

"In witness whereof the said Mr. John, Indian, Tom Dublitt and his wife, and their eldest son, Little James Fox, Jacob, alias Patatuck, and Thomas Waban, have affixed their hands and seals hereunto this tenth day of January, in the year of our Lord God one thousand six hundred and eighty three-four, and in the thirty and five year of the reign of our sovereign Lord, King Charles the second.

Read, signed, and delivered
in presence of us,

THOMAS HINCHMAN,
JOHN FISKE,

JONA. DANFORTH, Sen.

SAMUEL BROWN,

JAMES RUMBLY MARSH.

(Names, marks, and seals of the Grantors.)

"Pompequoosit, alias Mr. John, Thomas Reepamimp, alias Dublitt, and Sarah his wife, Gasumbitt, alias Little James Fox, and Patatuck, alias Jacob, Indians of Weymesset, and Thomas Waban of Natick, acknowledged the within written instrument to be their act and deed, January 11th, 1683-4, before

PETER BULKLEY, Assist."

At the last mentioned town meeting,

"Voted, That these public charges concerning the purchase of our Indian title shall be levied upon our first grants; and they shall pay, in whose hands they are found that if any person do refuse to pay for the purchase of this Indian title of our township, their names are to be entered into the town book."

It appears by records of the payments of several proprietors for this purchase, that the proportion was eight shillings and four pence to a ten acre right.

Other persons besides the committee chosen by the town, appear to have obtained a title from Indians, for at a

town meeting June 8th, 1702, the town voted to give Robert Robbins three acres of meadow and ten acres of upland near his meadow; and to the heirs of Peleg Lawrence, deceased, three acres of meadow and ten acres of upland near the same, upon condition that they, Robert Robbins, and the heirs of Peleg Lawrence, "do deliver that Indian title, that they now have, to the town."

CHAPTER II.

Progress of the settlement-Division or partition of common landsSeparation of Proprietors and Inhabitants-Names of first Proprietors and their several proportions-Right of voting-Town records-New book of Proprietors' lots-Further division of common lands-Rights of the Prescott family.

AFTER the acceptance of the report of the Committee appointed and sent by the General Court to investigate the affairs of Groton in the year 1661, the settlement appears to have proceeded prosperously. Town records are in existence dated June 23, 1662. This is probably the first record ever made of any proceedings of the town. Votes passed at this date, and Dec. 24th of the same year, in relation to building a meeting-house, and a house for the minister. Selectmen and other town officers were chosen and other town business was transacted. What the number of inhabitants was at this time, is not known, but by their being able to settle a minister and build a meeting-house, it may be inferred, that the number was considerable.1

The first settlers of Groton, or proprietors of the land, were tenants in common of the whole township, though not in equal shares or proportions. They ex

1 As evidence that there were a considerable number of inhabitants, take the following records.

"A country rate for the year 1665, the total sum being £11 5s 6d."

"A county rate for the same year, the total sum being £1 15s 3d, both which rates, committed into the hands of John Page to gather, by order of the Selectmen."

pressed their several proportions by a certain number of "acre rights." One owned a "sixty acre right," another a "twenty acre right," another a "five acre right," &c. The whole township being equal to eight miles square, or 40,960 acres, and the whole number of "acre rights," only 755, a proprietor who owned a sixty acre right, would have been entitled upon partition, to about 3,242 acres, and one who possessed a one acre right only, to above 54 acres. In making the first division of lands, however, the proprietors were restricted to a small number of acres, as has been heretofore stated.

In the year 1713, the General Court passed "An Act directing how meetings of proprietors of lands lying in common may be called." No distinction was made until after the passing of this statute between the inhabitants and the proprietors of Groton. Their transactions and records were all considered as those of the town, and kept in one book. In 1717 the proprietors called a meeting according to the provision of the statute, and from that time separate records were kept.

At their first meeting, held March 4th, 1716-17, they chose a committee to find from the town book the names of all the original and ancient proprietors, and their proportional rights; and also the names and rights of all others, who claimed by descent, purchase, grants by the proprietors, &c. .

This committee reported the names and rights of the original proprietors, as follows:

Capt. James Parker, 50 acre right. Wm. Longley, Sen., 30 acre right.

William Martin, 20

Sargeant John Lakin, 20
Lieut. Wm. Lakin, 20

John Longley,

Samuel Davis,