Connecticut western news., 1872-03-22
SALISBURY, CONN. Friday Morning, March 22, 1872.
History of the TOWN OF RFOLK.

reign of Charles H., and incorporated b, the name of the governor and company. and while emigrants were effecting set clement of several towns in the colon, already conveyed and incorporated, On the llth of October, l722, there arose an unhappy controversy between the legisla ture and the towns of Hartford and Wind sor, originating from the following circum stances.
 In the troublous times of Sir Edmund Andrus' administration. who attempted |. grasp and enrich himself and his minions, by the sale of the lands in the colon, hitherto unconveyed, the legislature, il seems, had, in nasty manner, conveyed to the towns of Hartford and Windsor, the section of the colony described in the an nexed grant, dated January 26th, I6s6, in the words following.
 This court grauls to the plantations of Hartford and Windsor, those lands on the north of Woodbury and Mattatuck. and op the west of Pennington and Simsbury. to tue Massachusetts line nort!l, to ruI wes to Housatonic pr Stra,ford river, provided it be not, or part of it, formerly granted to any particu,ar person, to make d planta ton or village"
 The design of this conveyance was, that those towns should hold tine lands thus granted, for the governor and company, until those times of danger and trouble should be past, but not as their property. They had valuable consideration for them and had no valid deeds or patents of them; yet, by virtue of the above grant, they laid claims to all the lands within the limits expressed and in violation of the most explicit laws ofthe colony, they proceeded to locate and vend the lands in controversy The governor and company still claimed the lands as firmly as if no grant had been made to those towns. And some of the principal inuovators were arrested and punished by the superior court, and some of them were committed to the common prison in Hartford. The contention finally rose so high, that quite number of per sons collected in 8 riotous manner, and OIs they went forward, broke open the jail and set tLose prisoners at liberty. Tbe sheriff Of the coanty of Hartford was or dercd to pursue, apprehend, and re-commii then, and was authorized, if necessary, to c"li out the militia of the county to assist him. z. ..--- a.
 Notwithstanding these firm and determi- late measures, several persons were at tempting to lay out and dispose of, for their own benefit, the lands which lay north, east. and west of Litcb6eld, and west of Pennington and Simsbury. Suit able persons were authorized 10 arrest them. The srioters in Hartford were eventually taken, and fined each $2O and $5 costs. But on their prefsrring 8 petition to the assembly, their fines were abated to $2O fine and costs.
 Soon after this, three men from Hart. ford and two from Windsor ventured to lay cut the town of Goshen, and claimed it for their own; they were prosecuted and fined. In order to quiet the business, the assembly appointed d committee whose duty it was to endeavor amlcably to settle. 1t. They laborrd assiduously for nearly two years, and reported their doings to the assembly. Pursuant to their report, the. assembly resolved that the lands in con- troversy should be divided between the colony and the towns of Hartford and Windsor: the colony to have the western, and Hartford and Windsor the eastern division, The town of Litcbfeld and two other conveyances were not to be included in this division.
 The business was thus settled, and the legal proprietors proceeded to survey and locate townships. and give them names, which were subsequently, established. The four following parcels of land were deeded by Hartford to Windsor. The first tract surveyed in this division was named Tor rington, the second was called Berkhemp- stead, the third Colebrook, the fourth liar. wington. This was done in l732; in l733, Hartland, Winchester, and New Hartford were incorporated. The following towns were sold and named at the session of the assembly in May, l737. their agents having conducted tbe business in the several towns directed. The one sold at New Haven was called Goshen the one sold at New Lon- don, Canaan that at Fairfield, Cornwall; and that at Windsor, Kent. The town ship proposed to be sold in Hartford, April, l73s. was called Norfolk, and the one sold in May after, at Hartford, was called Salisbury. These towns were all annexed to the county of Hartfort, and were to be settled by the inhabitants of Connecticut; it took several years for the Sale and settlement of them.
 Norfolk was the first town appointed to be sold for the colony at Hartford, on the second Tuesday in April, l73S. IL failed, and was again offered for sale at Middle town in l742, but was not entirely sold until about sixteen years from that time. There were so many townships offered for sale, which were considered far preferable 10 it, both az to soil and situa- tion, that when it wss first set up at Ven due, one bidder only appeared and bid off small part of it. In May, 175O, an act was paseeu oy Ihe aesenoiy, oEueFInS lht remainder to be sold at public vendue al Middleiown, December next ensuing; and. if not sold then, to continue the vendu, until it was sold. This was not effected until about four years after. There were at this lime twelve or fourteen persons on the lands, who eventually became proprie- tors. 1u l758, when the town was incur- porated, there were Eut twenty seven fami- lies residing in it. There were fifty pro. prietors of the disposable rights. and it was condition among the proprictors that es cb