THE EARLY RECORDS OF
WARE RIVER PARISH
To his Excellency William Shirley Esq., Capt’n
General & Govenor in Chief, the hon’able Council & Represent’ives in
Gen’l Court assembled, 26th May, 1744.
The Petition of Thomas Marsh and others, to the
number of thirty three house holders about and between Wear River and Swift
River, near Brookfield; Humbly sheweth, That your Petitioners are settled on a
track of land bounded, begining at the South west corner of the ten thousand
acres of Equivalent land, of Swift River, thence running due east to Brookfield
Bounds, thence on Brookfield to Ware River, thence on Ware River to Hardwick;
thence on Hardwick to the ten thousand acres of Equivalent land, aforded on the
Bounds of the said ten thousand acres including the same, unto the first
mentioned Boundary.
They dwell at a great distance from any place of
Publick worship, most of them six or seven miles, therefore cannot enjoy that
privilege in their present condition, but as their hearts are sincerely
desirous of the Publick worship of God, they persuade themselves they shall be
able cheerfully to bear the Charge that will attend it. But as some of them
beinng to the town at the Elbows, some to Brookfield, the rest of them live on
farms of the Province Grants, they cannot properly & lawfully Proceed to
erect and maintain the Publick worship of god among them, without the aid of
the Court.
And therefore Pray this hon’ble Court to inquire
into their state and circumstances & make them a separate & distinct
Township or Parish: and your Petitioners as in duty bound shall ever Pray,
&c.
Jer’em Omsted Jab’s Omstead John Read, for the Pet’
Isreal Omsted Jos. Marsh Thomas Marsh
Jacob Comins jun’r Richard Rogers Joseph Marks Sen’r
Nahum Davis Jacob Comins Joseph Marks
James Commins Sam’l Allen Joseph Brooks
Edm’d Ayers Benj. Shiple Isaac Magoon jun’r
John Andrason William Pateson Thomas Chapen
Joseph Simones XXXXX Daniel Thtusen
Job Corly Isaac Magoon Sam’l Marsh
John Post Judah Marsh Sam’l Davis
Ephraim Marsh Paul
Thurston
(Thirty-one
names only, given in the original record, one of whom, John Read, was probably
a nonresident.)
The
petition was successful. The record shows that the General Court allowed the
formation of a Parish, as the Committee that came to the area did not believe
that the inhabitants could support a Town. The “Comitte” report said:
The Committee appointed on
the Petition of Thomas March, & others Living near Ware River in the County
of Hampshire, have attended on said service, been upon the spot, viewed the
Lands Prayed for to be erected into a Township, inquired into the Circumstances
of the Pet'rs & heard the objections of some of the Inhabitants of
Kingstown, & are of opinion that the Pet'rs at present are not sufficient
in order to erect a Town with privileges &c. but inasmuch as they live at a
veary great distance from any place of public Worship, &.meet with great
Difficulty thereby we are further of the opinion that the petitioners living
Northward of a Line Run due East from the South east Corner of the land
Belonging to John Read, Esq. to Western Line be freed from all Taxes to any
other Place or Town during the pleasure of the General Court, so that they may
be able to provide preaching among themselves.
Which is submitted in the
Name & by order of the Comitte, Dec'r 4, 1742.
A justice of the peace in Springfield in the
following February, 1742 (Old Style) issued a warrant for a meeting to be held
“at the house of Jabez Olmstead, in said Precinct on the third Tuesday of march
next at ten Clock, forenoon” “to Choose a moderator, to Choose a Clark, and to
Choose a Committee to manage the Publick affairs of said Precinct, Assessors,
Treasurer, Collector…” Israel Omsted was chosen one of the two “servairs of
hi-ways”.
The house of Capt. Jabez was also chosen for the
Parish Meetings held on 3 March,, 1742, 13 Marsh, 1744, 6 July, 1744, 12 March,
1744, 11 July 1745, and 2 November, 1747.
At the 1744 meeting, “Jabes Omsted (was) chosen
first Committee man”, Jeremiah Omsted was chosen one of the two “servuaers of
hy ways”, and also “hogervige”. Thomas Marsh (father of two of Capt. Jabez’s
sons-in-law) was chosen one of the three “commitye and assessers”, Israel
Omsted was chosen collector, and Judah Marsh (husband of Hannah Olmsted) was
chosen “hogrift”. It was voted at the meeting that “Swine Should run at large
with yokes and rings”. This vote was repeated several years in a row.
At the 1745 meeting, it was “voted a lowe Cap. Jabez
Omsted a bill for boarding minesters, which was five pounds ten shillings, old
tener”.
At a 11 November, 1745, Cap. Jabez Omsted was chosen
one of a committee of four to “decorse with Mr. Carey, and to see what he will
take up with” They were evidently covering their bets, since he was also chosen
to a committee of two to decorse with Mr. Reed. Capt. Jabez also was allowed a
bill of “foure pounds fivrtine Shillings, old tener, for boarding of
minesters”.
At the 1746 meeting, Judah Marsh was chosen one of
the three fence-viewers.
At the 1747 meeting, it was voted to “alowe Cap.
Omsted five pounds old tener, for going to Boston to treat with Mr. Reed”.
At the 1748 meeting, Thomas Marsh was chosen
moderator, Israel Omsted was chosen one of the two fence viewers, and Judah
Marsh to the committee, and assessor.
At a later meeting in 1748, Jabez Omsted and Judah
Marsh were chosen for a committee to “carreon work of building a meeting
house”.
At the July, 1850 meeting, Timothy Brown (husband of
Captain Jabez’s daughter, Thankful) was chosen Moderator, “Clerek” and also
chosen on the committee to manage the prudential affairs of the precinct. Judah
Marsh was chosen one of the two collectors.
[Editors note: Remember that Timothy
Brown had been captured by the Indians in 1746, and taken to Canada. He was
released later. He was evidently welcomed back with open arms.]
At a meeting on 23 August 1750, Timothy Brown and
Israel Omsted were appointed to a committee of five to “Manage ye affair of
Building and Covering the meeting house”.
Then a fight started. On 27 August, 1750, nine freeholders
from Ware River parish, including Jabez Omsted, Israel Omsted and Judah Marsh,
signed a petition calling for a special parish meeting to “Reconsider the vote
passed on August 23, 1750 for to set a meeting house on the Country Road, and
to see if the precinct will Confirm the place that the Last Com’ttee a-greed
on, or to agree on some other place, or agree on some method for building a
meeting house and how to build it”.
The meeting was held on 1 September, 1750, and
Timothy Brown was again chosen Moderator. The vote to reconsidered the August
23 vote was passed, and it was voted that the meeting house should stand on the
westwardly side of flat brook, where the last Com’ttee had agreed.
This is the extend
of the material in my possession concerning the early records of Ware River
Parish.