Westport Town Records

Town records 1908

AT A TOWN MEETING legally warned and held at the house of William White 2 in Westport on Saturday the 20th day of February AD 1808 for the purpose of drawing two men to serve on the Petty Jury at the Court of Common Pleas to be holden at Taunton within and for the county of Bristol on Second Monday of March next, and Perry Gifford & Edmond Tripp were drawn to serve as afforesaid; and Abraham Gifford was drawn to serve on Grand Jury of the Court of Common Pleas.

Page 230

TO ROGER WHITE, CONSTABLE, GREETING [warrant issued May 12,1808 for election of state & county officials, from Roger White & Jonathan Peckham, select men

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AT A MEETING [held April 4,1808, pursuant to foregoing warrant]
James Sullivan had 26 votes & Christopher Gore had 124 votes for governor; Levi Lincoln had 26 votes and David Cobb had 122 votes for Lt. Governor; Nathaniel Morton 2 had 25 votes, David Perry 2 had 25 votes, Stephen Bullock had 114 votes and Samuel Tobey had 114 votes for senators & counsellors; Samuel Crocker had 104 votes for county treasurer and Marcus Morton had 10 votes for the same.

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TO ROGER WHITE, CONSTABLE, GREETING [warrant for annual town meeting to be held April 4, 1808; usual articles, except #10 again raises question of what to do about persons possessing or occupying town's property]

Page 233

AT A TOWN MEETING [held April 4,18081
Abner Brownell chosen moderator; William White 2 chosen town clerk; Abner Brownell, Lemuel Milk & Roger White was chosen select men; William White 2 chosen town treasurer and to receive 1 1/4% ... ; Elijah Gifford, Wesson Tripp and William White 2 chosen assessors;

1808 90

Page 234

Lemuel Milk, George Lawton & William White 2 chosen Committee on Accounts; Nathaniel Kirby chosen pond keeper; Peter Macomber, Richard Gifford, Abner Potter, Isaac Pettey, Gershom Wodel, Jerathmell White, Peleg Chace, Ebenezer Baker, Jonathan Peckham, Stephen Cornell, Benjamin Brownell, John Davis, William Reckords, John Dyer, George Lawton, David Sanford, Benjamin Cory, Isaac Brownell, Jonathan Tripp, John Lawrance, Lemuel Milk, Barjonah Devol, Luthan White, Ebenezer Allen 2 chosen surveyor of highways; Thomas Cornell, Bradford Richmond, Christopher Cornell, Benjamin Brownell, Benjamin Brownell 2, Benjamin Devol, Jonathan Tripp, Edmond Tripp, George Allen, Wilber Gifford chosen fence viewers; Jeremiah Wilcox, Wesson Tripp, Wanton Macomber, Edward Wing 2, William Briggs 2, Edward Manchester, Nathan Lyon, Peleg Wood, Philip Potter, Wesson Potter, Henry Howland 2 chosen field drivers;

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Voted to adjourn to May 7, 1808

TO ROGER WHITE, CONSTABLE, GREETING [warrant to select town's representative to General Court at meeting on May 7,18081

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AT A MEETING LEGALLY WARNED [held May 7,1808 to elect representatives]
Silvester Brownell had 62 votes; Abner Brownell 44 votes; Thomas Tripp 5 votes and Peleg Cornell had I vote.

AT A TOWN MEETING [continuation of adjourned town meeting, held May 7,18081
Roger White chosen constable and collector of rates and to have 3 %; Abner Gifford appointed sealer of weights and measures;

Page 237

[swearing in of field drivers already selected]; Levi Standish, George Brownell, Barjona Devol, Peleg Sisson chosen surveyors of lumber; Barjona Devol, John Crowell, Daniel Tripp, George Brownell and John Anthony chosen coarders and measurers of wood; Barjona Devol, George Brownell, Jethro Howland chosen cullers of hoops and staves; Preserved Shearman and Peleg Wood chosen sealers of leather; Gideon Davis chosen culler of dry fish; Highram Sowle and Abner Devol chosen tythingmen;

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Gideon Davis, Wanton Macomber, Thomas Cornell, Nathan Lyon, Ichabod Potter 2, Wesson Potter, Benjamin Cory, Jonathan Tripp, Daniel Brownell chosen hog reeves; Gideon Palmer, Daniel Gifford, Jeremiah Wilcox, Samuel Wilcox and Perry Gifford were chosen overseers of fishery.
VOTED that the manner of providing for the poor be by venduing unless in instances where the select men shall think it best to provide otherways...

1808 91

VOTED that the sum of $700 be raised by way of tax on the polls and estates of the inhabitants ... for the support of the poor, and schools, and other expenses....
VOTED that the sum of $120 be appropriated for the support of schools and apportioned to each according to the numbers of days and number of scholars, "the schools kept by mistresses to have one half the sum ...as those schools kept by school masters ...... Each school district and its teachers must make returns by April one of numbers of scholars and days of schooling or they will receive no money from the town, without exception, for the following year.

Page 239

VOTED to raise $1000 for amending and keeping in repair the highways and town ways for ensuing year by assessments on polls and rateable estates, both personal and real of both residents and non residents ... and that the assessors give a list to each highway surveyor of the persons' name and assessed amount within his limits. VOTED to allow $.75 for a day's work by a man or pair of oxen and $.25 for use of a cart or plow for one day. VOTED to expend one half of the above sum by July first and the other half by September first. VOTED that when highways are "blocked up or incumbered by snow" the surveyors shall assign to the usual persons in his limits their proportion of days' work and team if necessary, according to his real & personal estates & assign a time for the purpose of treading down or removing the snow....

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The Committee on Accounts made a report allowing accounts amounting to $849. It was VOTED to accept the report and direct the treasurer to pay the accounts allowed. The Committee also settled with the treasurer who had received within the year past $209. and paid out $188.97, leaving a balance in favor of the town of $20-03.
VOTED that William White 2, treasurer of the town be and hereby is directed to collect the town's property in the hands of others that he has security for.
VOTED to adjourn this meeting to the last Monday in August at two of the clock in the after noon then to meet at this place and it was adjourned accordingly. Recorded by me William White 2, Town clerk-

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AT A TOWN MEETING [held April 30th at house of Levi Standish to draw the names of two men for the petit jury of the Supreme Judicial Court and two men for the petit jury at the Court of Common pleas] Benjamin Cory and Nathaniel Potter were drawn for the former and Shadrach Brownell and Adam Lawton for the latter.

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TO ROGER WHITE, CONSTABLE, GREETING [warrant for meeting to petition the President of the United States "to suspend the embargo, either wholly, or partially, according to the powers vested in him by the Congress of the United States, or if any doubts should exist as to the sufficiency of those powers, that he be requested to call Congress together as soon as possible."]

1808 92

AT A MEETING [held August 29,1808 according to the foregoing warrant] 1. Abner Brownell Esq was chosen moderator 2. Voted that a committee of Seven be chosen to prepare a respectful petition to the President of the United States for the purpose of asking him to suspend the embargo 3. Voted that Abner Brownell, Lemuel Milk, Roger White, Capt. Barney Hicks, Capt Isaac Cory, Major Sylvester Brownell and Capt Gilbert Tompkins be a committee to prepare such a petition ... who prepared such a petition which was read in said meeting and unanimously voted to be accepted & that the select men be directed to transmit the same to the President of the United States.

AT A TOWN MEETING [held October 3,1808 in the house of Levi Standish to draw one man to serve as Grand juror and one as Petit juror at Supreme Judicial Court] Daniel Howard was drawn to serve, and at the same Court Nathaniel Tripp, son of Ebenezer, was drawn to serve as Pettit juror.

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TO ROGER WHITE, CONSTABLE, GREETING [warrant to meet to select representative to Congress on November 7, 1808; also to "know the town's mind in regard to suing for the widow Martha Allen's right of Dower (a devise given her) as she has been supported at this town's expence ever since last June."]

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AT A TOWN MEETING [held November 7, AD 1808, pursuant to above warrant]
Laban Wheaton received 160 votes and Josiah Dean 9 votes for representative from Bristol County to Congress of U. S.
VOTED that Lemuel Milk, Roger White & George Lawton be chosen a committee to call for the right which Martha Allen, widow of Joseph Allen, deceased, is entitled to out of said deceased estate by will or otherwise, as shall appear most legal and equitable for the interest of this town & all parties concerned. And to omit prosecuting any or either of those who now claim by deed or otherwise that will come forward & pay what is now deficient & give obligation to pay annually in future so long as said widow shall live, full one third of the value of the rents and profits of what they claim of said deceased's estate, which said widow is legally and justly entitled to, as the Value of the rents & profits shall be appraised to be worth by said committee.