a part of the town of Rowley, for a period of twenty-five years or more, from their first settlement, in 1649, to their incorporation as a separate town, yet it does not appear they were ever taxed with the Rowley people, or that the town of Rowley ever passed any vote or order relative to their being assessed in any manner whatever. It is to be presumed, therefore, that they managed their own affairs, in their own way; their own records show, that a meeting was holden among themselves on the 20th of February, 1668-9, for the transacting of town affairs ; the place was then called Merrimack. At a meeting held January 7th, 1672-3, a vote was passed to call the town BRADFORD; and it was incorporated by that name in the year 1675.*

In 1666, Robert Heseltine served as a juryman one day, and the town of Rowley paid him 1s. for his services. The same year, they paid him 5s. for killing two foxes.

1655. At the September Term, "Ye Courte being informed yt there is no fery over Merrimack river, at Haverhill, the Courte orders Robert Heseltine to keepe a fery over the said river; and to have of strangers 4d. a person, if they pay presently; and 6d. if bookt; and to keep entertaynement for horse and man, for one yeare, unless the General Courte take further orders."

Robert and Ann Heseltine were married 23 day, 10 mo. 1639, being the first married in Rowley. Their children were,

1. Ann, born 1 day, 2 mo. 1641; 2. Mary, b. 8

* The Act of Incorporation has not been found. In the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, is a list of the towns in Essex County, with the date of their incorporation. Against the town of Bradford, 1675 is placed.

mo. 1642; died in infancy; 3. Mary, b. 14 d. 12 mo. 1646; 4. Abraham, b. 23 d. 3 mo. 1648; married Elizabeth, dau. of Richard Langhorn, Oct. 4, 1669; was Town Clerk of Bradford from 1686 to 1690, when his brother, Capt. David Heseltine, was chosen Clerk, and continued to 1703;* 5. Deliverance, b. 21 d. 1 mo. 1651; 6. Elizabeth, b. 15 d. 11 mo. 1652; 7. Robert, b. 7 d. 9 mo. 1657; married Elizabeth, dau. of Maximilian Jewett, July 21, 1680; 8. Gershom, b. 31 d. 11 mo. 1661; David was born, probably, in 1654 or 1655.

John Heseltine, a brother of said Robert, and one of the first settlers of Bradford, was probably married before he came to Rowley, in 1639. His wife's name was Joan. Their children were, 1. Samuel, b. 20 d. 12 mo. 1645; 2. Mary, b. 9 d. 10 mo. 1648; 3. Nathaniel, b. 20 d. 7 mo. 1656; perhaps others.

At the first meeting (on record) of the Merrimack people, held Feb. 20, 1668-9, while they were yet a part of Rowley, the following votes were passed, viz.

"1st. Thomas Kimball was chosen Constable.

"2d. Sergeant John Gage, Robert Heseltine, Joseph Pike, John Griffing, and John Tenny were chosen Selectmen.

"3d. Joseph Pike, Clerk of the Writs.

"4th. Samuel Worster, Benjamin Gage, Benjamin Kimball, and David Heseltine were chosen Overseers.

"5th. Sergeant John Gage, Joseph Pike, and John Griffing, or any two of them, shall lay out all highways within our bounds, for the use of the town.

*

Capt. Shubel Walker was the first Town Clerk, and continued to 1686. From 1703, Richard Kimball was Town Clerk to his death.

"6th. Voted, That henceforth, and from time to time, when a town meeting is warned, and the time set when they shall meet, that whosoever shall not appear at the time appointed, shall pay 6d. per hour for every hour he be deficient of appearing at said meeting. And further, that whoever shall take liberty to speak in a town meeting, without leave obtained of the moderator, shall pay 6d. for every such offence.

"7th. Voted, Thomas Kimball's house, and Benjamin Gage's house, shall be legal places for the publishing of any orders or other business of public concernment to the whole town, by setting up a writing or writings at said houses, until we have a more convenient place.

66 8th. Voted, That the Selectmen have full power to carry on and finish the minister's house, according to Mr. Symms's direction, and to raise the pay by rate, upon the estates of said inhabitants. And also to order all other of the prudentials of the town the present year."

After this meeting, the Selectmen above named, proceeded to make sundry by-laws, relating to swine, horses, &c., as follows, viz.

“They order, that all swine above half a year old, belonging to the inhabitants of Merrimack, shall be substantially yoked, the yokes being two feet one way, and twenty inches the other, on penalty of 1s. per hog, for every defect, the which to be done by the first of August next, and so to be kept yoked until Indian corn be gathered. If any hog lose his yoke, or be found unyoked before that time, the owners of them shall forthwith yoke them, on penalty of 1s., such owner having had notice of their being unyoked."

The Selectmen appointed Peter Nash to see to it,

that the above order or by-law was duly observed and executed.

"They further order, that if any horse or mare be found in any cornfield, the owner of such horse or mare shall pay 1s. for the first offence, 2s. for the second, and so on, adding 1s. to each additional offence, until it amounts to 5s. for one offence, and after that, 5s. a time, as often as they are taken as aforesaid; provided the fence about such fields where they trespass be sufficient against orderly cattle and yoked swine. And if any such horse or mare be found in the common without such shackle or fetters as may and doth restrain them, the owner of them shall pay 5s. to any that shall impound them, and so from time to time, so long as the corn is in the field."

After this, the town order, that none shall depart from a town meeting legally convened, without liberty first granted by the moderator, on penalty of 1s. per hour for the time they are absent.

They also order, that no vote shall be binding, that is passed after sunset.

At a town meeting, held March 27, 1669, they style themselves, "The inhabitants of Rowley Village by Merrimack."

This year, £50 is granted to Mr. Symms, as salary, one half to be paid in wheat, pork, butter, and cheese, the other half in corn and cattle. (1668, Mr. Symms received £40 as salary.)

The town also vote, To pay the expense of bringing Mr. Symms's goods to town, and to give him forty acres of land, at Indian Hill.

It is ordered, That all fences against general or particular fields within the bounds of Merrimack, shall be either

a sufficient five railed fence, the rails well placed, at least three feet ten inches high; and all other sorts of fence, either hedge, pale, or ditch, shall be equivalent to such a five rail fence, so judged by the overseers of fences, to be made up by the first of April, and so to be kept until the last of October. A penalty of 1s., and in some cases of 2s, per rod, for all deficiencies, is then provided for.

Jan. 29, 1671-2. The town agreed with Samuel Heseltine to sweep the meeting-house one year, for which he is to have from every man who hath a right to vote in town meetings, one peck of Indian corn, brought to his house.

Jan. 7, 1672-3. The Selectmen were instructed to provide a burying place, who procured the ground now occupied for the purpose, in the First or West Parish.

VILLAGE LANDS.

Village land, laid out by John Pickard and Ezekiel Northend, some time in 1666 or 1667.

To Zacheus Gould, 3,200 acres; bounded south by Ipswich river, west by the town line that runneth from the river to the eight mile tree, north and east by Fishing brook and various persons' lands, including the John Endicott farm of 550 acres within the boundaries.

The right to

To the Town of Rowley, 3000 acres. this land was sold by Zacheus Gould to Joseph Jewett, for the benefit of such as employed him to make the purchase, for which Jewett paid £90. Jewett, by agreement with the town, received in exchange 960 acres in the neck, by Merrimack river, and 40 acres of meadow, in three pieces, in the village lands. The 3,000 acres