about three score families; these people being very industrious every way, soon built as many houses, and were the first people that set upon making of cloth in this western world; for which end they built a fulling mill, and caused their little ones to be very diligent in spinning cotton wool, many of them having been clothiers in England."

In 1643, Samuel Gorton and six others were charged by the Court with being "blasphemous enemies of the true religion of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of all his holy ordinances, and likewise of all civil government among his people, and particularly within this jurisdiction."

They answered they

Being in prison, keeper, and spake

"Then they were demanded whether they did acknowledge this charge to be just. did not acknowledge it to be just. they behaved insolently towards their evil of the magistrates. After divers means had been used both in public and in private to reclaim them, and all proving fruitless, the Court proceeded to consider of their sentence, in which the Court was at first much divided. In the end all agreed upon this sentence, viz. that they should be dispersed into seven several towns, and there kept at work for their living, and wear irons upon one leg, and not to depart the limits of the town; nor by word or writing maintain any of their blasphemous or wicked errors upon pain of death, only with exception for speech with any of the elders, or any other licensed by any magistrate to confer with them; this censure to continue during the pleasure of the Court. Samuel Gorton was ordered to be confined to Charlestown. John Wicks

66

Randal Haulden 66

Ipswich.
Salem.

(6

66

"This sentence is dated 3d day 9th month [November], 1643.*

"At the next Court they were all sent away, because it was found they corrupted some of the people, especially the women by their heresies." They all went to England.

In 1649, the General Court order, that whereas, "the inhabitants of the towns within this jurisdiction, at their first seting down, did generally agree to set apart a certain parcel of land to the value of about twenty acres betwixt salt marsh and the lowe water marke, for the use of the whole town, to be improved for the thatching of houses, the want whereof is very prejudicial to the town. Since which time the honored General Court by an order of theirs have made all lands to lowe water marke to belong to the proprietors of the land adjoining thereunto, the aforesaid inhabitants not being able to resolve themselves, humbly desire the resolution of this honored. General Court; whether the order of Court make void the preceeding town order. In answer to the town's query, the resolution of the Court is, that the Court order doth not disannul the order of the town preceeding it."

1667.

Hog Island marshes were divided and laid out to the following persons, viz. Ezekiel Jewett, John Dresser, Jr., Abraham Jewett, John Trumble, Jonathan Platts, Richard Clark, Ivory Kilborn, Jachin Reyner, Joseph Stickney, William Scales, John Pickard, Widow [Jane] Brocklebank, Deacon [Samuel] Brocklebank,

* For a more full account, see Winthrop's History of New England.

William Boynton, John Dresser, Sen., Widow [Ellen] Mighill, Daniel Wicom, Widow [Anne] Hobson, Mrs. [Mary] Rogers, Mr. [Samuel] Shepard, Thomas Nelson, Edward Hazen, John Pearson, Mr. [Philip] Nelson, Richard Leighton, Ezekiel Northend, Samuel Stickney, Thomas Wood, Mr. [Samuel] Phillips, Henry Rila, William Aca, Edward Chapman, John Scales, Richard Holmes, Thomas Tenney, Edward Sawyer, Thomas Leaver, Richard Langhorne, Richard Swan, James Bailey, Thomas Burpee, William Tenney, Abel Langley, Goodwife [Anne] Tenney, Goodwife Law, John Johnson, Thomas Remington, John Lambert, Charles Brown, Andrew Hidden, Samuel Platts, William Law, John Todd, John Palmer, John Harris, John Grant, Nehemiah Jewett, and Samuel Mighill.

The Hog Islands were reserved for the use of the Indians, for planting, &c. Other salt marshes had been previously divided.

In May, 1677. The General Court enacted a law, requiring selectmen to appoint, or see to it, that their several towns did appoint, a suitable number of persons to inspect the various families in town, and see that the Sabbath was well kept.

November 2, 1677. The selectmen met, and, pursuant to a law of the province, appointed Thomas Tenney, Sen., Abel Longley, John Palmer, Sen., Thomas Wood, Sen., Daniel Wicom, John Dresser, Joseph Chaplin, George Kilborn, James Barker, and John Pearson, Jr., to see to it, that the Sabbath is duly observed in town; and John Peabody and William Foster, in the village, and it is intended that they shall have the special inspection of those families that are nearest to their house, on either or both sides of them.

·

In 1680. The town appointed nine tythingmen for the town, and two for the village. Each were to have the inspection of certain families, viz.

John Palmer, to inspect the families of John Harris, Samuel Mighill, Richard Holmes, John Grant, Nathaniel Harris, Samuel Platts, John Todd, Joseph Jewett, Andrew Hidden, and Henry Rila.

Abel Longly, the families of William Tenney, Mark Prime, Charles Brown, William Acie, Anthony Ashley, Captain John Johnson, Thomas Palmer, Widow Law, John Spofford, Sen., and Samuel Prime.

Thomas Tenney, the families of John Scales, Benjamin Scott, John Acie, Mr. Samuel Phillips, Richard Leighton, Edward Hazen, Widow Scott, Mr. Shepard, Nathaniel Elathrop, and Widow Hobson.

Thomas Wood, the families of James Bailey, William Lion, Samuel Pearson, John Sawyer, Symon Chapman, Abel Platts, Abel Platts, Jr., Ezekiel Northend, Mr. Philip Nelson, and Thomas Nelson.

Daniel Wicom, the families of Thomas Lambert, John Howard, Robert Skilito, William Boynton, Samuel Dresser, John Wicom, Widow Mighill, Widow Brocklebank, William Scales, James Scales, and Thomas Alley.

John Dresser, the families of Jonathan Platts, John Pickard, Sen., Abraham Jewett, Ezekiel Jewett, John Spofford, Jr., Samuel Spofford, Robert Robins, Thomas Perley, William Watson, and John Trumble.

Joseph Chaplin, the families of Jonathan Hopkinson, John Clark, Nicholas Jackson, Widow Cooper, John Burbank, Sen., Caleb Burbank, Samuel Palmer, William Jackson, John Jackson, Samuel Smith, Jonathan Jackson, and Caleb Jackson.

Ivory Kilborn, the families of John Hopkinson, John Boynton, Caleb Boynton, James Dickinson, Deacon Jewett, Leonard Harriman, John Stickney, Barzilla Barker, Nathaniel Barker, Jachin Reyner, Jeremiah Elsworth, Joseph Kilborn, and John Howard.

John Pearson, the families of John Pearson, Sen., John Bailey, George White, David Bennet, Joseph Boynton, Isaac Colby, Thomas Burpee, Richard Swan, Thomas Leaver, Jr., Thomas Leaver, Sen.

Total one hundred and four families in town, and twenty-five in the village. (See village.)

From the settlement of the town to 1664, to become a freeman, each person was required to be a member in good standing, of some congregational church. Persons were admitted freemen by the General Court, and by the quarterly courts of the counties, (after the province was divided into counties, or shires in 1643). None but freemen could vote for rulers or be elected to office.

In 1664, by royal order, the aforenamed regulation was so modified as to allow persons to be made freemen, who produced certificates from clergymen acquainted with them, that they were correct in doctrine and of good moral character.

Previous to 1663, the law required the whole body of freemen from all the towns in the province, to meet at the General Court of Elections, and choose the magistrates, including the Governor and Lieutenant Governor.

When the practice of the freemen's meeting in Boston to elect magistrates was changed, in 1663, it was so unpopular, that the practice was again renewed in 1664; but not many years passed before the greatness of the number from the whole colony, when assembled to choose magistrates, was found to be so inconvenient, that a