Westport Town Records

Town records 1800

AT A TOWN MEETING [held April 7, 1800 to select a grand juror for Jury of Trials and two persons for common pleas and general sessions] Jonathan White was drawn as Grand juror and Nicholas Underwood & Isaiah Burden as jurors for Jury of Trials of common pleas.

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AT A MEETING [to select state officials, held April 7,1800] Moses Gill had 58, Elbridge Gerry had 1, & Caleb Strong had 1, votes for Governor; Edward H. Robbins had 58 and Moses Gill had 2, votes for Lt. Governor; Elisha May had 42 & Samuel Tobey had 38, votes for Counsellors & Senators.

WARRANT ARTICLES [for town meeting April 7,1800; usual topics; 6th one says, in regard to highways, " together with the division that is made between Dartmouth and Westport of the highway that is the dividing line between the towns and to give such instructions and directions, as may appear necessary in regard to resurveying where we have at present no returns thereof and for laying out some open ways where there is no driftways."I

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AT A TOWN MEETING [ held April 7,18001

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Voted William Almy moderator, town clerk and treasurer to have 1 1/4%; Abner Brownell, Roger White and Silvester Brownell chosen Select Men; John Gifford chosen constable and collector of rates to have 2 %; Silvester Brownell, Gideon Talh-nan & Humphrey Howland chosen assessors of rates; Nathaniel Kirby chosen pound keeper; Robert Barker, Christopher Cornell, Thomas Cornell, Thomas Tripp, Benjamin Brownell, Benjamin Brownell 2, Silvester Brownell, Jonathan Tripp, Peris Richmond chosen fence viewers; Henry Tibbits, Jeremiah Willcox, Capt. Job Almy, Eseck Taber, Wesson Sowle, Abraham Cornell & Joseph Gifford chosen field drivers; George Lawton, Lemuel Milk and John Mosher chosen committee to examine accounts, etc.; Benjamin Devol, Christopher Cornell, Benjamin Cory, Benjamin Brownell, Edmond Tripp, Peleg Sisson, Stokes Potter, John Mosher, Govit Cornell, Warren Gifford, Abraham Cornell, Isaac Howland, George Lawton, Charles Baker, Barjona Devol, Wesson Macomber, job Milk, Daniel Boomer & John Davis chosen surveyors of highways.
Voted that the Select Men be requested to hire a town school master agreeable to law, and that the districting the town, and the time and manner of keeping the school be left to the discretion of the Select Men.

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Voted that the providing for and support of the poor be by venduing unless in instances where the Select Men shall think it best to agree other-ways, having regard to their comfortable support and Maintainance.
Voted that for the amending highways, and town ways, within the town of Westport for the year ensuing the sum of eight hundred dollars be assessed .... etc.
Voted, that fifty cents, be allowed, for the days work of a man, or pair of oxen, and that twenty cents, be allowed, for the use of a cart or plow, one day, on said ways.
Samuel Crocker had 54 votes for county treasurer
Voted to adjourn this meeting to the second monday of May next, and s6 it was.

AT A TOWN MEETING [continuation on May 12,1800 of adjourned town meeting]
Thomas Davis, Barjona Devol & John Anthony chosen surveyors of lumber, shingles and clapboards; George Brownell, Barjona Devol, Peleg Potter & Daniel Tripp chosen corders and measurers of wood; George Brownell & Barjona Devol chosen cullers of hoops & staves; Preserved Shearman & Thomas Briggs chosen sealers of leather; Daniel Tripp, George Brownell & Christopher Cornell chosen cullers of dry fish; Abner Brownell was chosen sealer of weights & measures.

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John Crowell and Peter Macomber chosen tythingmen; Robert Barker, William Macomber, cordwainer, Eseck Taber, Job Milk & Wesson Sowle, chosen hog reeves; Silvester Brownell, George Brownell, cooper, Joseph Gifford, Lemuel Sowle, Job Almy, Samuel Willcox & John Kirby chosen overseers of the fishery.
Voted that the report of the Select Men of the division of the highway, that is the dividing line between this town and the town of Dartmouth as made by the committee appointed by the town of Dartmouth and the Select Men of this town, be accepted, and that the town clerk is directed to record the same in the town's book of records of highways.
Voted that the survey of the highway, laid out by the Select Men, from HicWs Bridge

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as called to Dartmouth Line, be accepted and that the clerk record the same.
Voted that the School Districts as defined by the Select Men in a report made to this meeting, be adopted by the town and the limits therein mentioned shall be limits of the different school districts.
Voted that the Select Men be directed to lay out an open highway by the School House, in John Earls land, northerly to Paul Brownell's land, where the Driftway now is, and that they report their doing to this town at a meeting held at some later time.
Voted that the Select Men be requested to resurvey such highways & drift ways, within the town, as we have no returns of, as they shall think for the interest of the town.

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The committee on accounts allowed a total amount of $787.19. After examining the treasurer's accounts for past year and he has received since last settlement $739.58, and paid out $744-37, which leaves $4.78 due him. They further report that last year the town was in debt by $243.62 and adding accounts allowed this year, now owes $1030-81. The current assessment is for $1030.19, leaving a debt of $.62. They also find the treasurer has received of g. Dyer for Sall Earl's expenses $11.41; from Thomas Woodle for a highway $13 and a $13 mistake in favor of town in last year's accounts, giving town $37.41. Final balance in favor of town of $36.79. At this time, in addition, the collectors hold $956.39.

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Voted to accept the report of the committee and the treasurer is directed to pay the acounts allowed by them.
Voted to raise by way of tax for support of poor and other charges, the sum of $900...etc
Voted to adjourn this meeting until May 19....

AT A MEETING [held May 12,1800 to select town representative] voted not to do so.

AT A MEETING [held May 12, 1800, to for the purpose of defining the limits of each school district & to consider whether cattle & horses may roam without a keeper]
Voted that the School Districts, as defined by the Select Men, in a report made to this meeting, be adopted and the limits therein mentioned shall be the limits of the different School Districts.

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Voted that no meat cattle or horses shall be permitted to run at large on the Horseneck, so called, without a keeper, under the penalties in the law as such cases provide.
Voted that no horse or horse kind shall be permitted to run in any of the highways or commons in this town under the penalties in the law in such cases provided....
Voted that the Select Men be requested to procure a fence erected with suitable bars across the highway southward of Capt job Almy's, near the sea shore, in order to prevent cattle & horses, going on the Horseneck so called.

AT A MEETING [held May 19,1800 as continuation of Town Meeting of April 7)

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Voted Thomas Tripp be moderator pro tem; that Abner Brownell be clerk pro tem; Voted to adjourn this meeting to Monday, May 26.

AT A MEETING [held May 26,1800 as continuation of Town Meeting of May 191
Voted that Edmond Tripp be excused by from surveyor of highways and Stephen Cornell be in his sted; that Elijah Potter be a corder & measurer of wood; that Jethro Howland be a culler of hoops & staves; that Thomas Briggs be sealer of leather; that Christopher Gifford be culler of dry fish; that Henry Tibbetts & John Tibbetts be hog reevers;
Adjourned without day.

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AT A TOWN MEETING [held May 26,1800 to know whether the town win reconsider the vote passed at on 12 determining what meat cattle & horses shall go at large on the commons & highways in said town & to determine by votes what regulations is requisite to be done for the advantage of said town agreeable to law passed February the 26th, 1800.1
Voted William Almy moderator
Voted not to reconsider the vote passed at a town meeting held at the town house in this town on Monday the 12th instant, determing what meat cattle & horses may go at large on the commons in this town. Adjourned without day.

AT A MEETING [held August 25,1800 for jury selection for Court of Common Pleas and General Sessions] Jerathmel White & George Brightman were drawn.

AT A MEETING [held October 11, 1800 for drawing Grand juror for Supreme judicial Court and one petit juror] Capt Philip Taber drawn Grand Juror and Lemuel Milk drawn Petit juror.