The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1891-05-14
HISTORICAL "REMINISCENCES.
No. 10.

On the Goth of April 1880 the Vermont
legislature appointed Edward Aiken,
Samuel Fletcher and Joseph Tyler a
committee to sell the land of Kent con.
fiscated from Col Rogers reserving five
sixty-tlfths for religious and educational
purposes. They accordingly sold large
quantities of the land during the three
following years. These deeds are record
ed In the first book of land evidences, but
the location of the lots can now only be
io1nd by resurvey. The following may
be taken as sample of the deeds
"To all people to whom these presents
shall come greeting: Know We that we
Samuel Fletcher and Joseph Tyler ed
ward Aiken's name is also mentioned, usu-
ally )both of Townsend in the county of
Windham and state of Vermont, Esq's, a
committee appointed by the honorable
General Assembly of the state of Yer
mont aforesaid, 20 dispose of the States
lands lying in "a township called and
known by the name of Londonderry in
the county and state aforesaid for and in
consideration of the sum of Sixty-fve
Pounds Lawful money to us in hand be-
fore the Delivery hereof by James Pat
terson of said Londonderry three
tracts of land containing five hundred
acres besides the usual allowance for
highways; one piece bounded as follows
viz, beginning at Burch tree standing
on the Mill brook, from thence south 160
rods to hemlock tree, then east 81 rods
to stake and stones, then 4S Do East
2l9 rods to small spruce, then north 65
do West 40 rods to spruce on the north
side sd mill brook then westwardly by
the brook to the bounds first mentioned ="
| Each deed was subject to a certain al
lowance for highways at the rate usually
of five acres to the hundred. The value
| of the land at the time may be indicated
by the amount paid by several persons.
Thus James Anderson for 20 acres paid
five pounds. Dayid Cochran for 156
acres paid 10 pounds, six shillings
Henry Montgomery for 200 acres, paid
20 pounds. James Mack for 100 acres,
paid 90 pounds. Joseph Mack 100 acres
10 pounds. John Mack for 200 acres, 20
pounds. Abial Eddy 122 acres for 25
pounds, s shillings.
The boundaries given in these deeds
would not serve to locate the homesteads
of these early settlers, even if we could
make them out, as many of them changed
hands in the course of few years. Some
ny thSFsual method Of transfer ana many
more O. public auction from failure to
pay the taxes assessed upon them. The
following notice illustrates this:
"The proprietors and land owners of
the town of Londonderry and Windham
are hereby notified and warned that un-
less they pay the tax of one cent on each
acre of land Granted by the Legislature
of this state at the October session in
Windsor A. d. one thousand seven hun
dred and ninety-seven, to me the sub
scriber ON or before the 9th day of June
Next that so much of their lands as will
pay said tax and cost will be sold at Pub
lie Vendue at the dwelling house of Abel
French in said town of Londonderry at
ten O'Clock Forenoon to the highest bid
der. Dated at Londonderry, April, 10,
l79S."
The above vendue was adjourned, but
at the adjourned date large number of
lots were sold.
AS the names Samuel Fletcher and Jo-
seph Tyler occur very frequently in the
early deeds of Londonderry, in conse-
quence of their having been appointed a
committee by the Vermont General As
sembly in connection with Edward Aiken
for the disposal of the states lands in
this town, brief notice of them may be
desirable as part of our town history.
Thompson in his Gazetteer of Vermont
says of him: ssSamuel Fletcher was born
in Grafton, Mass, in 1745. AT the age
of seventeen he enlisted as soldier in
the contest between the British and
French colonies in which he served one
year. In 1775 he joined the American
standard at Bunker Hill with the rank of
orderly sergeant. He returned to Town
send in January following where he was
made captain of militia. In 1777 his
whole company marched to TicondeToga
for the purpose of relieving the American
army which was then beseiged. On this
expedition with thirteen volunteers he
attacked British detachment of forty
men, killed one and took seven prisoners
without loss to himself. Herose through
different grades of office to that of Major
grand of Militia. In 1888 he was high
sheriff of Windham county and held the
office eighteen years. He was judge of
county court three years. He died Sep
tember l5, 1914 aged about 20 years.
Joseph Tyler who was associated with
Samuel Fletcher and whose residence also
was in Townshend is said to have COM
menced the settlement of that town in
1765, drawing the sum total of his world
ly goods from Brattleboro on hand sled.
He was originally from Uptown, Mass.
He was the first Town Clerk of that
town, having been appointed at the first
town meeting held May 80, III. He was
the first Justice of the peace and ''held
the Office for nearly quarter of centu-
ry." He was made Major of Militia in
1775. He was an influential and public
spirited man.
*Should errors be noticed in these ar
| ticles either in names, dates, circumstan-
ces or otherwise, the writer would be
glad to be corrected. One of the advan-
tages of these notes at the present time is
the opportunity offered for making such
corrections before they assume perma-
nent form should they ever obtain that
honor. Despite every care that can be
given errors viii creep in, often to the
disgust and modification of the writer