Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-10-23
Ine 1prn Of chnrlolle q cenlar, Ago.

Inc lNMh o. AAdIAtlAN = AAuAANl A.NF
To the Editor OF the Free Pre-. and Tine.
say century ago, though TO BE- acca-
rate about the matter, eleven years must be
added to this, as the political history Of
Charlotte commences with jane 2l.h. 1903,
when George the Third, " For tLe due en-
enlargement Of settling new plantation
within our said province. by and with the
aid of our trasty and well beloved Beuning
Wentwsrth. our Governor and commander
in-ch,ef OF our said province Of New lamp
shire" granted an amount of territory
conforming y. GOO acrc-. to be divided among
seyenty-1re grantees, share and share alike
and tina; the same be ami j. hereby moor
porated into township bv the name %!
Charlotte" Thus. in The second year Of
King Georges reign. a. is stated IN the
grant. Charlotte wheeled into line, though
a. q part Of his said province Of New
Hampshire"
Among other thing-, the grant contained
certain " conditions precedent, a. LEGAL
men say. The fr-t of these was. that every
grantee should plant or cultivate five acres
for every fifty acres Of his granted share.
otherwise the share became forfeited. Tie
second provision provides " That all white
and other pine trees within the said toan-
ship. fit for masting our royal navy be care
fully preserved for that use, and none g. lie
cut or felled without OCT special License ioF
SO doing. upon penalty Of the forfeiture Of
the right Of such grantee !, is eyiden;
that King George had very limited idea
Of the resources Of his provinces. or lie was
disposed to cover all the known waters with
" royal navies" At all events, some Of the
white and other pine trees were not
called for to be employed a. above. The
third provision set aside seventy acres 10 be
laid out INTO town lots, one of which was
to belong to each grantee. These were laid
out on the pasture lot now owned by H.
c. Leayenworth and Al0nz) IL Barker and
on the piece opposite owned by John Quin-
Ian Each grantee was 10 pay on the 9th
Of December, annually, for ten yeais from
the date of grant, one ear OF Indian corn /.
and after 40 each settler or iphabitant
was to pay " one shilling proclamation
money Tor every one hundred acre, owned
The first town meeting, according to the
nrovision of tle grant, was held On the
last Thursday Of july, l762, - which said
meeting shall be notified by Benjamin Fer
ris, who i hereby appointed moderator OF
the said first meeting which he Is to no
- g, =" - b,+ Ia. aUr,tr..l fnr-
ever hereafter Tor the choice OF such officers
for the said town shall be on the second
Tuesday of March. annually" At this
meeting in JAY, ICE, benjamin. Ferris.
Jr.. was elected " Proprietors clerk and
Register - also - Voted that John Wing,
George S1ule, and Josiah Bull, shall be Il
committee to agree with the committee OF
the other townships how to settle the lines
between said Charlotte and the townships OF
Ferrisburgh. Monkton, and llinesbargh,
and also to see what part OF the costs the
proprietors of Charlotte shall pay.
IL was also voted " that the clerk shall
record the patent tor said Charlotte and
have four shilllngs, York money; for tho
same" and " that the clerk shall record al.
deeds brought to him, and have ore shilling
and four-pence for the same The above
embraced all the business Of importance
transacted by the town Of Charlotte, july
29th, 1902
The names of Ethan and Ira Allen figure
more or less prominently among the real
estate transfers of that and latter day.
E,hen Allen decided property to David Fer
ris, David Breckenridge and Charles Me
Mel Ira Allen, to Abel Newell. The gen
eral survey was made by David Ferris and
Benjamin Ferris. Jr., in l763.
The foregoing, though possessing M
great attractions for many, viii be read
with some interest by the citizens % Char
lotte, giving in brief. some Of the facts con
nected with our early history and many
of our day are not SO far removed from the
stirring times OF a century past, bot tina; a
reference to them seems like the echo OF a
voice heard long ago. These fertile fields
have, under their care, emer-ed ir,m the
gloom the damp woods, and prosperity
tor which we should be very thankful has
been, in good part, the result Of their toll
and anxious care.