PREFACE

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WHEN
I was persuaded, against my conviction and inclination, to collect materials and compile a history of Middlebury from its first settlement, I adopted the plan to make it as minute and complete, as the accessible materials would allow,-from an apprehension, that facts, which can now be collected, would be beyond the reach of any future historian. I designed to state, as far as I could, the division of the territory into lots among the proprietors, who were the original settlers, and when and where,--that is, on what lots,--they become such. The best sources of information had already disappeared, in the deaths of the first settlers; and their descendants and successors were rapidly passing away. As one of their successors, I become a resident here so early, that I was personally acquainted with nearly all the first settlers, and knew where they settled. Although I had no disposition to collect the necessary facts for a history, my personal knowledge may have aided me more in the work, than the recollection of those, whose acquaintance had began later. In pursuing my plan, I have perhaps given a more complete history of the early settlement, than any other town history contains, although I have somewhat abridged both my plan and materials. But it has led me into a minute and forbidding detail, which I did not anticipate, and which, I fear, few persons will have courage to work through. I have perhaps stated no fact, which will not interest some one, and some land owners may become better acquainted with the history of their possessions, than they now are. But I am aware, that the persons will be few, who will feel an interest in any part of the work, limited as they must be, to those who have been, are, or may be residents of the town; and that the number, who will be interested in the whole, will be fewer still. The facts have been gathered in scraps, and many of them since the work was written, and were crowded in, as they could be, and, of course, are loosely strung together. But I could not, to my own satisfaction, find a stopping place, and have therefore retained the facts, and, to help the reader through as soon as possible, I have compressed the details into as few words as practicable, instead of adopting a more diffuse and untrammeled style. I advise any one, who cares much for his style, not to enlist in any such composition. And the reader, whose patience is not likely to hold out, I advise to skip the chapters which contain the most tiresome details.
This
history is not designed to contain -and could not properly-a biographical
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PREFACE

or other notice of all, who have been, or are, inhabitants of the town; and many most respectable citizens and families are not mentioned at all, because they do not fall directly into the current of the story. But, so far as I have the materials, or they are furnished by others, I have wished to make the readers somewhat acquainted with the character of some of the first settlers and prominent citizens. These notices occupy considerable space, and are not printed separately by themselves, as is sometimes the practice; but to afford relief to the reader, they are inserted in the body of the history, where they belong, as a part of it.

It
was my wish to embrace a scientific account of the different branches of the natural history of the town; but I have neither the requisite information on the subject, or sufficient time or strength to obtain it. Several explorations have been made by scientific gentlemen, but I have found no account, which is complete or satisfactory.
Rev.
Thomas A. Merrill D. D., as early as 1807, when nearly all the early settiers were living, began to collect facts relating to the settlement of the town, which he incorporated in a sermon, delivered on Thanksgiving day in December 1840. This was printed in a pamphlet, with a large appendix. In a few instances, I may leave relied on his statement for a date, or an unimportant fact, without feeling the importance of giving him credit, although I am not aware of any case, where I had not other evidence from records or otherwise. I have designed to obtain facts from original sources, as far as accessible; and, if necessary, in any case, to rely on secondary evidence, to give the proper credit.
Nearly
all this work, was written two or three years ago. Numerous deaths and other events have occurred, and some information has been received since, which I have crowded into the text or placed in the notes.
I
have occasion to be very grateful, as the reader will be, to the friends, who have gratuitously contributed all the illustrations of the work. These will add a value to it, if there is none elsewhere, -without expense to the subscriber.
In
the biographical notice of Judge Phelps, an error occurred, in making Roger S. Sherman, instead of Roger S. Baldwin, his classmate. The former being a familiar name, and both distinguished men in Connecticut, I thoughtlessly committed the error. An error, from a similar cause, occurred in the biographical notice of Judge Doolittle, in naming the Episcopal Church in Middlebury, St. Peter's, instead of St. Stephen's. And probably the reader will find many more such errors.

SAML. SWIFT.




HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.

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CHAPTER I.

LATE SETTLEMENT OF VERMONT-CHARTER AND EXPLANATIONS-PROPRIETORS' RECORDS.

THE
settlement, by the English, of the territory now constituting the State of Vermont was long delayed, because it was remote from the seaboard and their earlier settlements. A still greater hindrance to the settlement was the fact that the French, who possessed Canada, had also the possession of Lake Champlain; and in 1731 had established a fort at Crown Point, and in 1756 another at Ticonderoga. They continued their possession and control of the western part of that territory, until they were driven from their forts and the lake by a British force under Gen. Amherst in 1759, which was followed by the final conquest of Canada in 1760. Until this time English settlements in this territory would have been exposed to the constant depredations of the French and Canadian Indians; it being the thoroughfare of their war parties to the south and east.
In
the meantime Benning Wentworth had been appointed, in 1741, by the King of England, Governor of the Province of New Hampshire, with authority to issue patents for lands in unoccupied territories, to such persons as applied for them. Assuming that the Province of New Hampshire extended as far west as the Provinces of Massachusetts and Connecticut, he claimed the right, under his authority, to grant charters over this whole territory. His first grant was a charter of the town of Bennington in 1749, extending

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HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.

to within twenty miles of Hudson River; and in January 1760, he chartered the town of Pownal, south of the former town. About a dozen towns had also been chartered east of the Green Mountains. But excepting the towns of Bennington and Pownal, which were remote from the scene of danger, no grants were made in Western Vermont, until 1761, the year after the conquest of Canada. In that year there was a general rally for lands in what has since been called the "New Hampshire Grants," and no less than sixty charters were granted on both sides of the mountain. Among these was the charter of Middlebury, and eight other towns in the County of Addison.

It
was the design of Governor Wentworth, as well as of the grantees, where there was room, and convenient boundaries would permit, to make each town six miles square. This was thought, especially in agricultural regions, a convenient size for towns established under the New England system of town corporations. Larger territories had been granted in the older States of New England; but being found inconvenient for the purposes for which they were designed, they have been divided into two or more towns, or new towns have been formed from parts of several towns. Their experience had taught them the propriety of giving them a more convenient form. This size was thought to be sufficiently convenient for all the freemen to meet in or near the center, for town and freemen's meetings, and large enough to sustain, without too great a burthen, the requisite institutions, and accomplish the objects and discharge the trusts committed to them. And experience has shown that much smaller towns are often heavily burthened and embarrassed in accomplishing these purposes.
Among
the applicants for lands were a large number of gentlemen residing principally in Salisbury, Litchfieild County, Conn. They agreed to unite in procuring a survey of the lands, and in their application to Governor Wentworth for charters. For this purpose they appointed John Everts, Esq., of that place, as their agent. Having procured the requisite aid, he penetrated into the wilderness a hundred miles beyond any settlements, before he found sufficient space, not previously surveyed, or in process of surveying, so far  
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HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.

as to preclude his claim. It is understood, that it was the intention of the applicants to obtain charters for only two towns. But the agent finding that there was sufficient and convenient space for the location of three towns, on the east side of Otter Creek, between the "Great Falls" at Vergennes on the north, and Leicester on the south, he proceeded to survey the whole tract. Beginning at the head of the falls he surveyed the excellent township of New Haven, and proceeding south he surveyed the other two towns. The head of the falls at Vergennes was fixed on as a permanent boundary and starting point, from which the whole tract was surveyed and measured. This also is a boundary and starting point from which the important town of Ferrisburgh was laid out. This point was therefore regarded as so important, that, in order to make the location more definite, a cannon was placed perpendicularly in the rock, in a hole excavated for that purpose. This monument is still standing.

In
order to make arrangement for a sufficient number of grantees for each of the three towns, some of the original applicants agreed to take shares in two and others in all the three; and a few more were admitted as proprietors. On the application of the agent the Governor of New Hampshire issued charters for these three towns, according to the surveys presented. The southern was named Salisbury, from the town in which the grantees resided; the northern, from another distinguished town in Connecticut, was named New Haven; and the other was named Middlebury, because it was located between the others. The charters of New Haven and Middlebury are dated November 2, 1761, that of Salisbury on the third day of the same month. By the charters all the towns are bounded west on Otter Creek, and extend, where there is not room below, up the western slope of the Green Mountain for their eastern boundary.
The
charter of Middlebury is made in a printed blank, of the same description as those of the other towns, and we omit the more formal parts, together with the provisions for fairs and markets and give only an abstract.
Benning
Wentworth, Governor of New Hampshire, in the name
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HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.

of George the Third, King of England, grants "unto our loving subjects of our said Province of New Hampshire and our other Governments," "whose names are entered on this grant, to be divided to and amongst them into sixty-eight equal shares," a tract "containing by admeasurement 25,040 acres, which tract is to contain something more than six miles square." The boundaries are as follows : "Beginning at the southerly corner of a township granted this day by the name of New Haven, at a tree marked, standing on the bank of the easterly or northeasterly side of Otter Creek, so called, from thence running east seven miles, thence turning off and running south ten degrees west six miles and sixty-four rods, then turning off and running west to Otter Creek aforesaid; then down said creek, as that runs to the bound first mentioned," and it "is incorporated into a township by the name of Middlebury," It also provides, "that the first meeting for the choice of town officers shall be held on the first Tuesday in January next, which said meeting shall be notified by Capt. Samuel Moore, who is hereby also appointed moderator of the said first meeting," and that "the annual meeting forever hereafter for the choice of such officers for the said town shall be on the second Tuesday of March annually." The following conditions are annexed to the charter. First, every grantee, his heirs or assigns, shall plant and cultivate five acres of land, within the time of five years, for every fifty acres contained in his share," "on penalty of the forfeiture of his grant or share in said township." Second, "that all white and other pine trees, fit for masting our Royal Navy be carefully preserved for that purpose," "upon penalty of the forfeiture of the right of such grantee," "as well as being subject to the penalty," of acts of Parliament. Third, " that before any division among the grantees, a tract of land, as near the centre of said township, as the land will admit of, shall be reserved and marked out for town lots, one of which shall be allotted to each grantee, of the contents of one acre." Fourth, "the grantees to pay annually, for ten years, the rent of one ear of Indian Corn only, if lawfully demanded." Fifth, every proprietor, settler or inhabitant, "to pay annually after ten years " "one

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HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.

shilling proclamation money for every hundred acres," he so owns in lieu of all other rents, and services whatsoever."

The
following are the endorsements on the back of the charter.

"THE NAMES OF THE GRANTEES OF MIDDLEBURY, VIZ:

John Evarts, Nathl. Evarts, 3d, Amos Hanchit,
Elijah Skinner, John Turner, Jun., Saml. Towsley,
Elkanah Paris, Ebenr. Field, 3d, John Strong,
Benjamin Paris, Saml. Turner, John How,
John Baker, Zechariah Foss, Oliver Evarts,
Gideon Hurlbut, Ebenr. Field, Russell Hunt,
Ebenr. Hanchit, Nathl. Flint, Capt. Josiah Stoddar,
Deliva. Spalding, Benjn. Everist, Bethel Sellick,
Noah Chittenden, Jeremiah How, Saml. Skinner,
Matthw. Bostwick, John Read, Capt. Saml. Moore,
Thomas Chittenden, James Claghorn, Hezekiah Camp, Jun.,
John Abbit, Lt. Mathias Kelsey, John McQuivey,
Moses Read, Daniel Morris, Benjamin Smalley,
Saml. Keep, Rufus Marsh, Lt. John Seymour,
Elisha Painter, Elias Read, Datis Ensign,
Ruluff White, Noah Waddams, Lt. Janna Meigs,
Elisha Shelden, Jun., John Evarts, Jun., David Owen.
Moses Read, Jun., Jona. Moore Jun., Charles Brewster,
Matthw. Baldin, Nathl. Skinner, Jun., Theo. Atkinson, Esq.,
Lt. Jonathan Moore, David Hide, Jun., M.H. Wentworth, Esq.
John Benton, Thomas Chipman,

His
Excellency Benning Wentworth, Esq., a tract of land containing five hundred acres, as marked B. W. in the plan, which is to be accounted two of the within shares, one whole share for the Incorporated Society for the Propogation of the Gospel in foreign parts, one share for a glebe for the Church of England, as by law established, one share for the first settled minister of the gospel, and one share for the benefit of a school in said town.

Province of New Hampshire; Nov. 2d, 1761.
Recorded in Book of charters, page 278.
THEORORE ATKINSON, Secy."
146

HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
[Plan of Middlebury.]

To
the sixty shares of the sixty applicants, is added one share each for Theodore Atkinson, the governor's secretary, Michael H. Wentworth, his nephew, the Society for the Propogation of the Gospel, a glebe for the Church of England, and for a school, making, with two shares for the governor, sixty-eight, as mentioned in the charter.
The
boundaries probably contain "something more than six miles square," but not so much as the plan on the back represents. It was probably supposed that Otter Creek, which is the western boundary, runs east of north about the same as the description places the eastern boundary, 10 degrees; but its course is somewhat west of north; by which the north line does not extend so far
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HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.

east as was supposed, and of course the south line returning to the creek- is shorter than was intended.
The
 "rent of one ear of Indian corn,"for the first ten years, in the fourth condition of the charter, is only a nominal rent, while the grantees should be clearing up their farms, intended as an acknowledgment, that they hold, according to the Feudal system, as tenants under the king, and have not an absolute independent title, such as we call fee simple. The rent of " one shilling proclamation money,"was designed as a permanent rent, to be paid annually to the king, after ten years. The governor of New York required a higher rent in all his grants; and it was a ground of opposition by the Green Mountain Boys to the claims of that State, that besides the exorbitant fees of the governor, and other officers concerned in completing the grants, he demanded a rent of "two and six pence" for each hundred acres. Our thanks are due to the revolutionary patriots, that we are wholly free from any such servile burthens. The "proclamtion money" in which the rent was
to be paid, or "prock money," as it is called in some of the records of the proprietors, means simply the lawful money of New England, six shillings to the dollar, established by proclamation, instead of sterling money.
According
to the directions of the charter, "Capt. Samuel Moore," who was by that instrument appointed moderator, gave notice of the first meeting of the proprietors, and presided in it, and the following is a copy of the record of the proceedings.

"
At a meeting of the proprietors of the town of Middlebury, in the Province of New Hampshire, said meeting being regularly and legally warned and held at the dwelling house of Mr. John Evarts, in Salisbury, this 5th day of January, A. D.1762.
1. Voted and chose Samuel Keep clerk for said proprietors.
2. Voted and chose Matthias Kelsey, Ebenezer Hanchit and James Nichols selectmen for said town of Middlebury.
3. Voted and chose .Jonathan Chipman collector for said proprietors.
4. Voted to allow 10s to Matthias Kelsey for his cost and extraordinary trouble in the proprietors service.
5. Voted to raise 9s on each right, 6s in silver and 3s prock money, except those which have paid a 9s rate, which was granted when the proprs. of New Haven, Middlebury, Salisbury and Cornwall were jointly in company,-such to be exempted.

148

HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.

6. Voted to give Mr. Atkinson for his kindness and many good services, done for the proprietors, 300 acres in said township adjoining Governor Wentworth's right of 500 acres, allowing a highway or highways through said land for the benefit of ye proprietors, in the most convenient place or places.
7. Voted and adjourned this meeting to the 2d Tuesday in March next, at 10 o'clock before noon at Capt. Samuel Moore's in Salisbury.

Test SAML. KEEP, Proprietors Clerk."

"At an adjourned meeting of the proprietors of the township of Middlebury, held at the house of Capt. Samuel Moore in Salisbury, on the 9th day of March, A. D , 1762.
1. Voted and chose Samuel Keep Clerk.
2. Voted and chose Matthias Kelsey, Ebenezer Hanchit, and Charles Brewster. selectmen for said town.
3. Voted and chose Jonathan Chipman, Collector.
4. Voted and, chose John Evarts, Treasurer.
5. Voted to send Matthias Kelsey, to lay out 50 acres to each right in said township.
6. Voted to raise a rate of 9s on each right.
7. Voted to give 6s per day to committee men.
8. Voted to lay out one acre to each grantee, as near the centre of said town as possible
9. Voted and adjourned this meeting till ye 2nd Tuesday of October, at one of ye clock afternoon, at the house of Capt. Samuel Moore, in Salisbury.

Test SAML. KEEP, Clerk."

It
will be observed, that this meeting was held on the day ap pointed by the charter for "the annual meeting forever hereafter." to be held "for the choice of officers for said town." It was for this reason that the officers were re-chosen, although they had been chosen but two months before. An adjourned meeting was held at the time and place appointed, and again adjourned to the 2d Tuesday of February next at the same place; and a meeting at the time appointed by the last adjournment "was opened and then voted and dissolved said meeting."
The
following are the records of three meetings, all of which seemed to have been designed to constitute the annual March meeting for 1763. For some reason, the second, which was held as an adjourned meeting, and perhaps the first, were not considered legal, or a majority were not satisfied with the proceedings, as at the third, which was held on the same day as the adjournment of the first, the whole business was performed anew with some alterations, and for this probably a new notice was given.

149

HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.

"At a meeting of the proprietors of the township of Middlebury held at the house of John Evarts in Salisbury, this 2d Tuesday of March, A. D. 1763."
1. Voted and chose Mr. John Evarts, moderator.
2. Voted and chose Saml. Keep Clerk.
3. Voted and adjourned said meeting till ye 4th Tuesday of instant March at 10 o'clock before noon, at the house of Capt. Samuel Moore, in Salisbury.

Test SAML. KEEP, Proprietors Clerk."

"At a meeting of the proprietors of the township of Middlebury, held by adjournment at the house of Capt. Saml. Moore in Salisbury, this 22d day of March 1763.
1. Voted and chose Matthias Kelsey. Ebenezer Hanchit and Saml. Tousley selectmen for said town of Middlebury.
2. Voted the next annual meeting, viz. ye 2nd Tuesday in March neat, shall be holden at the house of Capt. Saml. Moore in Salisbury.
3. Voted and dissolved sd meeting.

Test SAML. KEEP Clerk"

" At a meeting of the proprietors of the township of Middlebury in the Province of New Hampshire, being legally warned and held, at the house of Capt. Saml. Moore in Salisbury, this 4th Tuesday of March, A. D. 1763.
1. Voted and chose Capt. Saml. Moore Moderator.
2. Voted and chose Saml. Keep, Clerk.
3. Voted and chose John Evarts, Capt. Saml. Moore and Matthias Kelsey assessors.
4. Voted to lay out one acre to each right or share, as near the Centre of the township, as conveniently may; with allowance for highway or ways, if needful, each highway to be 4 rods wide.
5. Voted to raise a rate of 20s on each right to defray the charge of laying out the first and 2nd divisions, (public rights only not to pay.)
6. Voted to give the whole of the above said 20s rate to the committee, that shall lay out the first and second divisions in said township, and produce a mathematical plan thereof by the first day of October next. Said committee to lay out all the public rights in said township. Said committee to collect said 20s rate. James Nichols and Benjamin Smalley appointed committee to lay out sd first and 2nd divisions.
7. Voted to raise a rate of 9s on each right to pay the back charge except such as have paid ye 9s rate, which was granted ye 5th of January, A. D. 1762.
8. Voted and chose Benjamin Smalley, Collector.
9. Voted and chose Mr. John Evarts, Treasurer.
10. Voted that the treasurer pay to Mr. Benjn. Smalley the sum of 4s which is due to him for money he paid for said proprietors.
11. Voted and adjourned this meeting to the 2nd day of October next at 12 o'clock, at the house of Capt. Saml. Moore in Salisbury.

Test SAML. KEEP, Proprietors Clerk."

"At a meeting of the proprietors of the township of Middlebury, held at the house of Capt. Saml. Moore in Salisbury, this 20th day of December, A. D. 1763.
1. Voted and chose Capt. Saml. Moore, Moderator.
2. Voted and chose Saml. Keep, Proprietors Clerk.

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HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.

3. Voted and accepted the plan presented by Benjamin Smalley, as a mathematical plan of sd township.
4. Voted that John Hatchinson and Samuel Moore, Jr., draw the lottery for the rights aforesaid.

Voted
and adjourned sd meeting till the annual tot-n meeting in March nest at the house of Capt. Sam'1 Moore, in Salisbury.

Test, SAM'L KEEP, Proprietors Clerk.

There
is no record of the annual March Meeting in 1764.


"
At a meeting of the proprietors of the township of Middlebury, legally warned and opened at the house of Doctr. Joshua Porter in Salisbury, this second Tuesday of March, 1765.
1. Voted and choses Mr. James Nichols Moderator for said meeting.
2. Voted and adjourned sd meeting to the house of Mr. John Evarts, forthwith.
3. Opened sd meeting at said Evarts, and voted and chose Ebenezer Hanchet, John Evarts, and Sam'l Keep, Committee for said proprietors.
4. Voted that, if any man or men, by the first day of May next shall appear and give sufficient bond to the proprietor's Committee to build a good saw-chill, within fifteen months from this day in the township of Middlebury, he shall have any mill-place, which he or they shall choose in said township, viz: in the undivided part thereof, and also fifty acres of land adjoiniug said mill-place, he or they to be at the cost of laying out said fifty acres, and build said mill so as to leave room for fifty acres, to be laid out to accommodate a grist mill, and proper place to set a grist mill, if the proprietors see fit to improve it.
5. Voted to lay out a third division, 100 acres to each grantee, as soon as may be conveniently donethe ensuing summer.
6. Voted and chose James Nichols, Timotby Harris and Sam'l Keep, a committee to lay out said 3d division, and also to employ all needful help to assist in laying out the same.
7. Voted to give 5s. per day to each committee-man, so long as they shall be faithfully in the service of laying out said 3d division.
8. Voted to raise a rate of 10s. lawfull money on each right to defray the charge of laying out said 3d division, to be paid by ye first day of September next.
9. Voted and chose Ebenezer Hanchet, Collector.
10. Voted and chose Enoch Strong, Jonathan Hall and Sam'l Tously assessors.
11. Voted to raise 2s. on each right and give the same to any man or men, who shall, the ensuing summer, clear a cart road from the road last fall cut from Arlington to Crown Point, viz: from about ten or twelve miles beyond where No. 4 road crosses Otter Creek; said road to be cleared on the east side of said Creek, through the townships of Salisbury, Middlebury and New Haven.
12. Voted and adjourned half an hour.
13. Opened. Voted and chose Ebenezer Hanchet, Treasurer.
14. Voted to pay 6s. to Samuel Keep, for his paying the same sum to the printer for advertising this meeting.

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HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.

15. Voted and adjourned this meeting to the first Tuesday of December next at 2 o'clock afternoon at the house of 19r .John Evarts, in Salisbury.

Test, SAM'L KEEP, Proprietor's Clerk.

There
is no record of a meeting held at the time of the above adjournment, or of the annual meeting in March 1766.
"
At a meeting of the proprietors of the township of Middlebury, legally warned, opened and held at the dwelling house of Mr. John Evarts in Salisbury, is Litchfield County, and Colony of Connecticut, the 7th day of April, 1766.
1. Voted and chose Mr. James Nichols Moderator for said meeting.
2. Voted that each proprietor that shall, the ensuing summer, repair to Middlebury, and do the duty agreeable to the directions of the charter for said township so as to hold said right, that such proprietor or proprietors shall have thirty-five acres to each right or share in said township over and above his or their equal proportion with the rest of the proprietors in said township; provided he or they will be at the trouble and cost of laying out said thirty-five acres in good form in any of the undivided part of said township, reserving every convenient place or stream for mills, to be disposed of hereafter; as shall be thought proper, and also highways, it' needed through each thirty-five acres.
3. Voted and adjourned thin meeting to the 2nd Tuesday of January .next, at 2 o'clock afternoon at this place.

Test, SAM'L KEEP, Clerk."

At
the time of the adjournment above mentioned, a meeting was held, and was further adjourned to the "third Tuesday of April next," at the same place. And the meeting held at that time was again adjourned to the third Tuesday of May following.

"SALISBURY the 3d Tuesday of May, A. D. 1767.

Then the proprietors of the township of Middlebury met at the dwelling house of Mr. John Evarts in Salisbury, according to adjournment. Opened the meeting and adjourned to the 2nd Tuesday of October next, at 2 o'clock afternoon, at the dwelling house of Doct. Joshua Porter, Esq., in said Salisbury.

Test, SAM'L KEEP, Proprietor's Clerk."

We
have copied thus extensively the records of the proceedings of the original proprietors for the. first five or six years, that our readers may be able to know, as far as we are able to tell them, what our predecessors did for the settlement of the town-how they did it and who were the agents employed. We have inserted verbatim the whole of their proceedings during this term, except, the adjournment of a few meetings, when nothing else was done, and of these we have given an abstract. We have done this because no other records of; these proceedings to this time are to be

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HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.

found, and these are in a perishable paper book. which may be gone with the others before the next generation will have opportunity to see them. *

From
the indisposition of the proprietors to remove so far into the wilderness, it is probable that few proceedings were had, and few efforts were made towards the settlement of the town from 1767 to 1773. It is probable also, that the decision of King George the Third, on the 20th day of July, 1764, placing the territory under the jurisdiction of New York, and the severe contest with that State, which followed, also interrupted the settlement. The Revolutionary war, from 1775 to 1783, was also a total interruption. But from a laborious examination of the records of deeds and surveys, we have been able to ascertain some further proceedings of the proprietors, and some additional facts connected with the history which will appear in the sequel.
----------
* The records were kept in Salisbury, Connecticut, where the proprietors lived until the spring of 1783, when the owners of the lands, after the close of the Revolutionary war, began to take possession of them. All the records which remain, in addition to the above, are a dozen loose half sheets of paper, which once constituted a part of a book. On one page of these is a list of the numbers drawn to the several original-rights in the second division, called the "first hundred acre division," or "home lots." These we have inserted in our diagram of that division. The remainder of the pages contain records of deeds and surveys of pitches, commencing September 1773, and ending February 1775, Some of the deeds recorded in this time were dated as early as 1763, but principally in 1778 about the time the proprietors first began to bestir themselves to take possession of the lands. During this time Oliver Evarts was proprietor's clerk. The only book of records to be found, which was kept after the business was removed to Middlebury is a book containing surveys of pitches made by the proprietors, and recorded from May 1783 to June 1793, by John Chipman, proprietor's clerk. In the same book are contained also surveys of highways laid out in April and July 1786, by committees of the proprietors. There was also recorded in the same book, December 22, 1785, surveys of the several lots of the first hundred acre division, made by order of the proprietors in the summer of 1763, eighteen years before. The original surveys are not to be found. Some years after this George Chipman, Esq., was chosen clerk of the proprietors. But no records are to be found of proceedings under his administration; and probably little was done, as the town had then been many years organized. The records which remain are now in the town clerk's office.