Westport Town Records

Town records of 1820

1820 41

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TO NICHOLAS LITTLE, CONSTABLE, GREETING. [warrant for meeting on April 3,1820 to elect state officials]

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AT A LEGAL MEETING of the inhabitants of Westport aforesaid qualified according to the Constitution assembled at the Town House in said Town on Monday, the third day of April, being the first Monday in said month, for the purposes expressed in the foregoing warrant.
VOTES for the following persons were given in, sorted, counted & recorded and declaration thereof made as by the Constitution is directed, viz.
For Governor, His Excellency John Brooks, who had one hundred & sixty votes .... 160
William Eustis, who had twenty eight 28
For Lt. Governor, His Honor William Phillips who had one hundred & sixty votes..160
Benjamin Austin, who had twenty eight 28
For Senators, James Howland, Jr., who had one hundred & fifty nine votes ... 159
John M. Williams who had one hundred & fifty nine votes 159
Hercules Cushman, who had twenty eight 28
James L. Hodges who had twenty eight 28
Recorded by me, Frederick Brownell, Town Clerk

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TO NICHOLAS LITTLE, CONSTABLE, GREETING. [warrant for annual town meeting, April 3, 1820; typical articles: select town officers; raise and proportion taxes]

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AT A LEGAL MEETING of the inhabitants of Westport aforesaid, qualified according to law, assembled at the Town House in said Town on Monday, the third day of April, 1820 at nin oclock in the forenoon for the purposes contained in the foregoing warrant.
Peleg Sisson chosen moderator
Frederick Brownell chosen Town Clerk & Treasurer
Peleg Sisson, Daniel Wing, Nicholas Little chosen Selectmen
Daniel Wing, Frederick Brownell, Nicholas Little chosen Assessors
Barney Hicks, William White, Jr., Sylvester Brownell chosen a Committee on Accounts
Weston Potter chosen Pound Keeper
Abner B. Gifford, Frederick Brownell, Stephen Howland, Micah Dean, Jethro Howland chosen Surveyors of Lumber

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Tillinghast Almy, Thomas W. Mayhew, Cornelius White, Wing Howland, Benjamin Sowle, Stephen Howland, Ephraim Thompson, William Brownell, Zacheus Gifford, Peleg Gifford, George Gifford & David Sanford chosen Tythingmen for the year ensuing
Adam Gifford, John Anthony, Jonathan Peckham chosen Overseers of Landing, Head of River

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Abraham Cornell, Sylvester Brownell, Nathan C. Brownell, Wilber Gifford, Edmund Tripp John Dyer, Isaac Howland, George Gifford, Jonathan Davis & Christopher Cornell chosen Fence Viewers
Surveyors of Highways: Edward Potter, Elijah Blossom, Thomas T. Cornell, Stephen Cornell, Jr., Ebenezer Baker, Nicholas White, Jonathan Davis, Jeremiah Davol, Sr., Isaac Macomber, William Kirby, Samuel Dyer, Sylvester Brownell, George M. Brownell, David Sanford, Peleg Manchester, John Lawrence, Luthan White, Adam Gifford, Ezekiel Brownell, Nathan C. Brownell, John A. Gifford, Christopher Cornell, Pardon Pearse, Ephraim Macomber, Ephraim Kirby, Billings F. Cory, Robert Shearman

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Cullers of Hoops & Staves: Jethro Howland, Micah Dean, John Howland, Jr.
Sealers of Leather: Preserved Shearman, Daniel Brownell, Culbert Booth
Field Driverss: Stephen Cornell, Wilbur Gifford, George Kirby, Benjamin Cory, Russell Gifford, John Milk, Abner Lawton, Nicholas Gifford, Charles Little, Benjamin Wordell
Cullers of Fish: Jethro Howland, Gideon Davis
Hog Reeves: Thaddeus Reynolds, Wilbur Gifford, Lawton Manchester, Phillip Davis, Elijah Blossom, Samuel Wilcox, job Gifford, Nicholas Gifford, William Wood, Jr., Abner Lawton

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Overseers of Fishery: Capt. Abner Gifford, Gideon Palmer, Daniel Gifford, Henry Brightman, Samuel Wilcox
Samuel Crocker, Esq., had one hundred votes for County Treasurer
VOTED to raise one thousand dollars for repairs of highways and town ways in the Town of Westport for the year ensuing...
VOTED that seventy five cents be allowed by the Surveyors of Highways for a day's work of a man or one yoke of oxen & in that proportion for parts of days and that twenty five cents be allowed for a cart or plow for one day
VOTED that the aforesaid sum of $100 be expended on the highways one half by the first day of July & the other half by the first day of September next
VOTED that snow be removed or trodden down on the same condition that was voted last year

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VOTED to adjourn the meeting to the second monday in May next at 1 oclock afternoon

AGREEABLE TO ADJOURNMENT from the first monday in April, the inhabitants of Westport met accordingly.
Nicholas Little was chosen Constable & Collector of Taxes and to have 1.24 per cent on all the money he collects and pay into the several Treasurers and to do the business for the Town as Constable without any compensation from the Town.
$800 VOTED that eight hundred dollars be raised by way of tax on the polls & estates of the inhabitants of the Town of Westport for the support of the poor and other incidental charges....
$200 VOTED that two hundred dollars be raised by way of tax for the support of schools

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and that it be appropriated for the use of schools

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VOTED that if the Town should be complained of for not having schools agreeable to law within the year and should be fined that the fine be paid out of the sum voted to be raised for the support of schools
VOTED that the Selectmen meet and get the poor of the Town supported in the same they did last year by such persons as they think will take good care of them
The Committee on Accounts made a report in writing that they had attended to the business assigned them and that they had allowed to the several persons named in the list presented by them the several sums set against their respective names amounting in the whole to the sum of thirteen hundred dollars and eighty one cents: $1300.81. It was thereupon voted to accept the report of the Committee and the Treasurer is directed to pay the several sums thus allowed by the Committee to the several persons therein named and charge the same to the Town.

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The Committee also report that agreeable to their appointment they made a settlement with the Town Treasurer and found that he had received for the Town the year past the sums of $1793.43 and had paid out by his account $1150.03, making a ballance in favour of the Town of $643-40, and made a settlement with him accordingly. The Committee further report that there was by the report of the Committee the last year a ballance in favour of the Town between the sums assessed on the Town the year past, and the amounts that had been allowed against the Town the amount of $858.48, and that there had been assessed on the inhabitants the year past as by report this day presented, $1577.40, leaving a ballance in favour of the Town, the sum of $1135.05. Submitted by William White, Jr., Barney Hicks & Sylvester Brownell
VOTED to adjourn this meeting to the last Saturday in August next at two of the clock in the afternoon. Recorded by me, Frederick Brownell, Town Clerk

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TO NICHOLAS LITTLE, CONSTABLE, GREETING. [warrant to meet on May 8,1820 to select representatives to the General Court]

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AT A LEGAL MEETING [held May 8, 1820 pursuant to above warrant] it was then and thereupon VOTED that the Town of Westport send no representative.

TO NICHOLAS LITTLE, CONSTABLE, GREETING. [warrant for a special town meeting on May 8,1820]
1. to choose a moderator
2. to know the Town's mind in regard to the doing of the Selectmen, in respect to resurveying and altering highways and town ways in said Town the year past and also discontinuing any highways in said Town.
3. to know the Town's mind in regard to instructing our representative in respect to the

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petition that was sent to General Court about dividing the County.
Given under our hands and seals this twenty first day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty. Daniel Wing, Nicholas Little: Selectmen of Westport

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PURSUANT TO THE WITHIN WARRANT I have notified the inhabitants of Westport qualified as within mentioned to meet at the time and place and for the purpose within mentioned. Nicholas Little, Constable. April 21, 1820

AT A LEGAL MEETING of the inhabitants of the Town of Westport qualified as before expressed, assembled at the Town House in said Town on monday the eight day of May A.D.1820 for the purposes mentioned in the preceding warrant.
Peleg Sisson, Esq. was chosen moderator
VOTED to accept the return of an open highway laid out by the Selectmen and presented to this meeting, from the Head of the east river southerly to the road that crosses Acoaxet Bridge on the west side of said river, and that the same be recorded.
VOTED that George Brownell make the road where it now is through his land as good as the old path ever was.
Recorded by me, Frederick Brownell, Town Clerk

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TO NICHOLAS LITTLE, CONSTABLE, GREETING. You are hereby required in the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to notify and wam the male inhabitants of said Town qualified to vote for Senators or Representatives in the General Court, to meet at the Town House in said Town on the third Monday of August next, at one of the clock in the afternoon, to give in their votes on the following question, viz. Is it expedient that delegates should be chosen to meet in convention for the purpose of revising or altering the Constitution of this Commonwealth. Given under our hands & seals this twenty ninth day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty. Daniel Wing, Peleg Sisson: Selectmen

AT A LEGAL TOWN MEETING [held August 21, 1820 for the purpose of the preceding warrant]

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VOTES on the question mentioned in the warrant were given in, sorted, counted, recorded and declaration thereof was made as was directed by law. For the measure there were two votes; against the measure twenty votes.

AT A LEGAL MEETING [held at the house of Frederick Brownell, September 30,1820 to draw jurymen] Frederick Brownell was drawn grand juror, Isaac Cory, Jr., & Jonathan Sowle were drawn traverse jurors for the SJC to be holden at Taunton

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TO NICHOLAS LITTLE, CONSTABLE, GREETING. You are hereby required in the name of the

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Commonwealth of Massachusetts to notify and warn the inhabitants of said Town of Westport qualified to vote for representatives in the General Court, to assemble at the Town House in said Westport on Monday the sixteenth day of October next, being the third Monday in said Month at one of the clock in the afternoon to elect one or more delegates to meet delegates from other Town in Convention at the State House in Boston on the third Wednesday of November next to take into consideration the propriety and expediency of making any (and if any what) alterations or amendments in the present Constitution of Government of the Commonwealth may be deemed advisable. Given under our hands and seals at said Westport the twenty ninth day of September, eighteen hundred and twenty. Daniel Wing, Nicholas Little: Selectmen

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AT A LEGAL MEETING of the inhabitants of Westport ... on the sixteenth day of October ... for the purpose mentioned in the preceding warrant. Tillinghast Almy, Abner B. Gifford and Nathan C. Brownell, Esquires, were chosen delegates for the purposes mentioned in the warrant.
Recorded by me, Frederick Brownell, Town Clerk

AT A LEGAL MEETING [to draw jurors held at Brownell's house November 27, 1820] Lot Shearman and Benjamin B. Sisson were drawn traverse jurors to serve at the C.C.C.Pleas to be holden at Taunton December next.