Sergeant James Parker, Corporal James Knap, and Benjamin Crisp."

The town clerk was directed to certify to Capt. Clark, that the committee had full power to contract with him in the town's behalf for the building of a mill. But nothing further is found on record about Capt. Clark.

At a town meeting, of which the date is illegible, it "was agreed, and by vote declared, that the land and meadows, granted to John Prescott for to build the town a mill, namely, the five hundred acres of upland, and twenty acres of meadow, together with the mill, should be freed from all town's charges whatsoever, for the space of twenty years; and this was the vote of the major part of the town that was present at the meeting: these four men manifested dissent at that time,-Richard Blood, James Fiske, William Longley, and Timothy Allen.”

A committee was then chosen to make the contract, who it is presumed performed the service, and a mill was accordingly built by John Prescott, who belonged to Lancaster, or by his son Jonas, who was afterwards a distinguished inhabitant of Groton. This mill was built in the southerly part of Groton, now the northerly part of Harvard. That School District and section of the town still retains the name of "Old Mill."

"At a town meeting, November 19, 1673, By agreement of the town, Jonas Prescott is to grind the town's corn for the town every second and every sixth day in every week."

After King Philip's war, and the resettlement of the town, Jonas Prescott built a mill at Stony brook, near its issue from Forge pond, now in Westford; and from an expression in the following vote, it may be inferred that the first mill at Harvard was not burned by the Indians, when they destroyed the greatest part of the town.

"June 15, 1680, on a training day, granted unto Jonas Prescott, that he should take up a piece of land at Stony

brook, in reference to the setting up of a mill there; and he is to take it up on the right hand of the Bay path adjoining to the pond. And he is not to come over the path; and he is to run from Chelmsford line to the line of Sergeant Knap, and so much as he takes up there, he is to lay down as much again at one of the ends of his land that lies where the mill now standeth, two acres for one at Stony brook; and he is to be at the charge of taking up and laying down."

"At a general town meeting at Groton, June 13, 1681: Then granted to Jonas Prescott liberty to set up his corn mill at Stony brook, on the side next Concord, in any place between the spring and the bridge, and to have liberty to make use of so much and no more of the water, as may sufficiently serve for the said mill; provided that what damage thereby may be to the town's highway, the said Jonas Prescott shall at his own charge constantly make good."

"An agreement made between Jonas Prescott and the town of Groton, that he, the said Prescott, have liberty to set up a saw mill at Stony brook, and to have the use of the stream, upon conditions as followeth: first, that he shall accommodate the town with merchantable boards at sixpence a hundred cheaper than they are sold at any other saw mills, and for town pay, and that the town shall be supplied before any other person; and he is to have this privilege, until there may appear something that may be of great advantage to the town, by town works or other ways always provided, the saw mill do not hinder the corn mill."

Among other instructions given to the Selectmen in the year 1681, is the following,

"3d. That by reason of the complaint of several inhabitants, the Selectmen shall take special care, that Jonas Prescott do fulfil his agreement with the town."

Previous to the erection of Prescott's mills, an Indian

by the name of Andrew, sold his weir at Stony brook, as appears by the following record.

"The twenty shillings due to Andrew, the Indian, from the town for his warre at Stony brook, assigned by said Indian to Richard Blood, the said Richard Blood assigns it over to Lieut. James Parker."

For about twenty years after the first settlement of Groton, until a provincial statute was enacted for "regulating fences, cattle, &c.," the Selectmen exercised large legislative powers on these and other subjects. A few specimens of their orders and decrees follow.

"At a meeting of the Selectmen, January 10" * (probably 1670-1.) "To the intent we may preserve love and peace in the town, and preserve our corn from unnecessarily being destroyed, it is ordered, according to power given to the Selectmen to make orders according to their best discretion, we order that all the outside fences about all cornfields, orchards, and gardens, in the town shall be a sufficient five rail fence, or that is in the judgment of the viewers of the fences, equivalent thereto; and if any man refuse or neglect to make such fences, and thereby occasion either his own or his neighbor's cattle to an ill haunt, which otherwise would be orderly, shall forfeit to the town for every such default, legally proved, as a fine, ten shillings; and we do expect that the viewers of the fences should attend their duties herein according to law and town order.”

"At a meeting of the Selectmen, February 12, 1672.. Concerning Swine,-To the end our meadows and corn fields should be preserved from damage, it is ordered, that all swine that go upon the common from three months old and upward, shall be ringed with two sufficient rings in each swine's nose, well put in, and to be ringed by the tenth of March, and so continue, from time to time, till the last of September, and to the end they may be so, we do further order, that the men that are chosen to look

after swine, shall have sixpence a swine for every swine that they find unringed in the town from three months old and upward, and make it appear legally, that he or they have ringed them already according to this order.

"And further we do order, that if any man's swine in this town take any man's cornfield, being legally proved, the owners of these swine shall forthwith secure them by yoking them or shutting them up, upon penalty of paying double damage, after the first time of damage being done."

It appears that the cattle were not confined to enclosed pastures, but had the range of the whole country, under the care of herdsmen.

"February 12, 1672. It was this day agreed upon that there shall be three herds; the cattle shall be divided into three herds, the one reaching from Matthias Farnsworth's, and so along the neck to James Fiske's and along till we come to Peleg Lawrence's, which herd is to go. out by Indian hill, by James Fiske's, and the south side of Rock meadow. The second herd is to begin at Samuel Wood's, taking Nathaniel Lawrence and Thomas Smith, till we come at Thomas Williams and William Longley, taking in John Lakin and his neighbor's cattle; and they are to go out with their herd by Nathaniel Lawrence's and into Unquetenasset woods, by Sargeant Lakin's, and William Longley's, and Richard Blood's. The third herd to begin at Timothy Cooper's, and along the west side of Broad meadow to Jonathan Sawtell's, taking in the cattle of Richard Holden and Justin, and they likewise are to go into Unquetenasset woods, if they see cause. These several angles are to hire their herdsman, if the major part of any company agreeing thereto, the minor are to submit."

Not knowing precisely where the houses of the inhabitants named in this order stood, we cannot define the limits of the several herds. But it is evident that the first

comprised the south part of the town; the second, the north part; and the third, the west part; not, however, extending over Nashua river. These orders were passed by the Selectmen for several years in succession, with very little variation in expression or comprehension.

"At a town meeting held 5 March, 1665-6, the town agreed with John Page, Joseph Gilson, and Daniel Pearce, to make a common pound for the town's use, and they are to have fifty shillings for their pains, to be paid out of the next town rate. The said pound is to be made thirty feet square, six sufficient rails in height, not exceeding ten feet in length, the rails are two of them to be pinned at each end in every length; they are to make the gate, and to find the irons, and to hang the said gate, with a lock and key for the said gate for the use of the town, for the aforesaid £2 10s. The place to be set up is near the meeting-house." 2

About this period it was customary for the town to choose large committees, whose duty it was to instruct the Selectmen in the management of the prudentials of the town. These committees would draw up their instructions, and have them put on record with the transactions of the town. A few specimens of these instruc

tions follow.

"In addition to the former instructions given by the committee chosen by the town in the year 1680, 10th of 10th mo.

"1. That the Selectmen shall take prudent and speedy care, that the meeting-house work shall go on; and to that end, they stir up the constable, that he collect the pay, that it be in readiness to pay the workmen for their work, according to the covenant made with them; and that they let out the rest of the work, so as it be most for the advantage of the town; and the meeting-house being

2 The meeting-house was not yet built, but the site for it had been determined.