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half in wheat, and pork, butter, and cheese, allowing to this half, one pound of butter for every milch cow, and one cheese for a family; the other half to be in malt, indian, or rye, except what he willingly accepts in other pay; the first payment to be made the second Thursday of October, the other payment to be made the third Thursday in March; and if any unforeseen providence shall hinder, then to take the next convenient day the week following.

“We further grant liberty for him, to improve for his best advantage, what land we shall accomplish or obtain for our ministry. We grant him also, liberty to feed his herd of cattle on our lands during his abode with us, which shall have the same liberty as our own cattle have. We engage to procure for him, at our own charge, besides the annual stipend, sufficient firewood every year in good cord wood, he allowing six pence per cord, to bring it seasonably and cord it up in his yard. We engage also, to furnish him yearly with ten sufficient loads of good hay, if he need them, at price current among us, and to bring it in the summer time, and also to supply him with sufficient fencing, and good stuff which he may hereafter need, at a reasonable lay. We engage, that there be convenient highways provided and legally stated, to the several parcels of land, which we have given him; as to the five acres of meadow, and the forty acres of upland, we bought of Benjamin Kimball. We do also engage, that two men shall be chosen from year to year, for the comfortable carrying on of his affairs, and that these two men shall have power to require any man at two days' warning, according to his proportion, to help carry on his necessary husbandry work. We also engage, that these agreements, together with any legal town acts, confirming the annual stipend, and other concerns of our present minister, be duly and truly, in manner and kind as above specified without trouble to himself.

"This was voted and granted to be entered in the town's

book, at a legal town meeting the 13. I mo. 1682-3.

[13 March, 1682-3.]

"As Attests, SHUBAL WALKER, Recorder."

G. 2.

The East Precinct in Bradford, was incorporated June 17, 1726. The church was organized June 7, 1727, and consisted of the following named persons, viz.

William Balch,

Samuel Tenney,

Richard Bailey,

William Savory,

Samuel Hale,

John Hutchens,

Daniel Hardy,

Ezra Rolf,

Thomas Savory,

James Bailey,

Caleb Hopkinson,
Abraham Parker, Jr.

Francis Jewett,

Samuel Jewett,

William Hardy, Jr.
Francis Walker,
Ebenezer Kimball,
Moses Worster,
Thomas Stickney,
Benjamin Hardy,
Thomas Hardy,
Isaac Hardy,
Jacob Hardy, Jr.
Thomas Hardy, Jr.

Samuel Hale, Jr.
Joseph Hardy, Jr.

Joseph Worster,

William Hardy,

John Pemberton,

Jacob Hardy,

Joseph Hardy,

Richard Hardy,

Thomas Bailey,

Ebenezer Burbank,

Samuel Palmer,

Edward Wood,

Robert Savory,

James Hardy,

Daniel Tenney,

Edward Hardy,

Timothy Hardy,

Jonathan Hale,

Jonathan Tenney,

Joseph Bailey,
Joshua Richardson,

Thomas Hardy, 3rd.
Samuel Hardy,

Jonas Platts.

July 28. The following named females having been dis

missed from the first church in Bradford, were admitted to

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At what time that part of Rowley, now called Boxford, began to be settled is not known. It was at first called Rowley Village; and the first settlers, (it is believed,) were mostly from Ipswich. For many years they attended pub

lic worship at Topsfield. 1667, May 20. The town of Rowley voted, that the village people may pay one half their minister rate where they ordinarily hear, [Topsfield,] and the other half to the town minister of Rowley, till they have a minister of their own.

1669, July 2. The town of Rowley ordered, that the inhabitants of the village shall pay to all taxes, as the people in town do, and the money paid by them shall be applied, first, to defraying the necessary charges of said village, and the residue to the improvement of the minister's farm, so called, in said village. The income of said farm shall belong to an orthodox minister, when settled in the village; till that time it shall belong to the minister in town.

1684.

The whole town rate was
Of which the village paid

£43 12 11

8 7 7

They

Leaving to the old part of the town £35 5 4 The church in Topsfield was gathered in 1663. had preaching in that place, (then called New Meadows,) as early as 1641. Boxford was incorporated August 12, 1685.

September 25, 1702. The church at Topsfield were convened to consider the application of sundry persons belonging to Boxford, who had asked a dismission from that church, preparatory to their being organized into a church in their own town. Upon this application, the church voted, to dismiss the Boxford people when they shall have paid up all arrears.

October 4, 1702. John Peabody, John Perley, Thomas Hazen, Josiah Hale, Jonathan Bixby, Thomas Redington, Abraham Redington, John Stiles, Samuel Foster, Daniel Wood, Luke Hovey, all of Boxford, were dismissed, upon their own desire, to be gathered into a church at home.

Under date of December 1, 1702, is the following entry in the church records of Topsfield. "At a lawful church meeting, called to give some answer to sundry persons that had desired a dismission, viz. Samuel Symons, Zacheus Curtis,

Ephraim Curtis, and Joseph Peabody, Jr. The church did then refuse to grant it, by reason of the difference between the two towns as touching their limits; twenty-six brethren present, only three of which declared for their dismission, viz. Mr. Thomas Baker, L**** Perkins, and William Smith. At the same time I [the minister of Topsfield] did declare myself for it also."

At what time these obtained their dismission has not been ascertained.

"January 17, 1702-3. Then was dismissed, Mary Watson, Mary B, Sarah Wood, Widow Peabody, Elizabeth Stilman, Mary Hale, Deliverance Stiles, Widow Bixby, Sarah Bixby the wife of Jonathan Bixby, and Elizabeth Boswell."

Of the above persons the first church in Boxford was undoubtedly composed. The first pages of their church record having been lost, the precise time of their organization cannot be given. It was probably at, or a short time prior to, the ordination of their first minister.

Thomas Symms, the first minister of Boxford, was son of the Rev. Zachariah Symms, of Bradford; born at Bradford, February 1, 1677-8; graduated at Harvard, 1698; ordained at Boxford, December 30, 1702; dismissed in April, 1708.

Elizur Holyoke, the third minister, after preaching little more than thirty-four years, had (February, 1793,) a paralytic shock, which unfitted him for preaching the remainder of his life. He died, March 31, 1806, aged seventy-five.

There were admitted to the first church in Boxford, during Mr. Symms's ministry, of 6 years, 72 persons.

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