Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-05-15
EARLY LOCAL HISTORY.
BrattlebOrOugh as a New York Town,
AND ITS CONVERSION TO A YER
MONT TOWN.

The Record Of the First Town Meeting,
March, Is0s---Opposition to the Au-
thOrity of "the Pretended State OfVer-
mont"---TwO Visits from Ethan Allen
summary Methods with the "Yorl-
ers."
The royal governor of the province of
New York resided in the city of New
York, and the government was located
there. When the boundary between this
province and that of New Hampshire was
fixed, July 20, 1854, at the west bank of
the Connecticut river, what is now Yer
mont became part of Albany county, the
shire of which was at Albany. Of the
justices of the peace for that county two,
Samuel Wells, of the quorum, and John
in Brattleboro. The governor and council
of New York erected about what is now
Windham and Windsor counties into new
county, named Cumberland, July 3, 1866,
with a shire at Chester The act was laid
before the king for his 'royal appreciation
or disallowance," and he declared it "void
and of none effect The "royal will' af-
forwards became favorable to such a county
and the governor was advised, February 10,
176S, to have an ordinance prepared for it
which was completed March 10 following
and Judge Wells was appointed one of the
judges of the court of common pleas and
John Arms the sheriff. Brattleboro was
organized i'm the mean time. The record
runs:
AT legal meeting of the Freeholders of the
Town Of marlborough in the County of Cumber
land on the first Tuesday of March 1868 agreeable
to the time prefiXed by the Patent of said Town
ship for annual Town Meetings The following Per
sons were chosen and elected to serve as Town Of
fcers the ensuing year
after choosing John Arms Esq Moderator
list Henry Wells VI. a. Town Clerk
sgd Samuel Wells Esqr Supervisor
I'D John Arms Esqr Samuel Wells Esqr Capt
Benjamin Butterfield Assessors
18th Samuel Wells Esqr Treasurer
18th Samuel Wells Esqr John Arms Esqr Capt
Benjamin Butterfeld Commissioners for Laying
out & Regulating Highways
9th John Sergeant Henry Wells NJ A. Timothy
Church Josiah White Samuel Wells Esqr Malachi
Church Overseers of the Highways
18th Henry Wells NJ. a. John Arms Esqr over
seers of the Poor
Samuel Knight Timothy Church Levi Baldwin
Jasper Partridge Constabes
18Th Timothy Church Collector
18th Lemuel Kendrck John Arms Esqr Malachi
Church Josiah White Overseers & viewers of
Fences
10th Jacob Spaldin Richard Prouty Samuel
Brown William McCune, Towards to take care that
no unruly Cattle or Horses or any that belong to
other towns any swine unyoked or unringed
run at large on Highways or unfenced mimproved
lands in this town the year ensuing
nth Capt Benjamin Butterfield Samuel Wells
Esqr To Demand sue for and receive all Penalties
and forfeitures incurred by breach of the forego
ing orders
HENRY WELLS NJ. A. Town Clerk"
The office of "hOward" was another
name for that of hog or cattle reeve
These officers were such as were required
for towns in the province of New York,
and they were elected annually afterwards.
Towns in the province or state of New
York have never been authorized to send
representatives to the assembly. The rep
resentation was by counties; later under
the state it has been by assembly districts.
Cumberland county was, December %,
1772, authorized to send two representa-
tives. The election was held at Westmin-
ster and the freemen had to go there to
vote. Judge Wells was a candidate, and
methods sometimes said to be used now
may have been then. He and Cream
Brush were elected. John Bolton of West
minister sent to him this note:
Westminster June the 18th 1773
"Sir have paid unto JOINT. Stafford nine Shilings
and Six pence Lawful money of the Bay Province
for Necesares the People of Halifax had when
they Come to Lexicon, if you void be so good as to
pay We same to Mr. Whipple We Bearer by next
thursday so as he may bring it to me, you will
much oblige your Humble Servant"
Mr., Brush lived at Westminster: and
other things may have been done about the
election. Reform from such practices ap-
pears to have taken root here early. Men
over eighteen years old, poor or rich. by
the law were required to work on the roads
six days, if necessary for good repair, in
each year. In view of these things the
freemen of Brattleboro, on the third Tues
day of April, by adjournment from the first
Tuesday of March, 1873:
Voted That the supervisor of this town give the
following instructions to the assemblymen of this
county viz, To ask leave of the assembly to bring
in the following Bills
Il Bill to relieve the poor from doing as much
as the rich at the Highways, that is to have the
Highways repaired by an assessment upon mems
estates according to their substance also that the
roads for the future may be recorded by the town
clerks
- a Bill to Oblige the non resident proprietors
OF unimproyed Land to pay one penny on every
acre yearly for the space of five years to be ap-
piled for the making and Repairing of Highways
in the Towns where they have lands
''3 Bill for electing assemblymen whereby
every person may be excluded from the assembly
who shall hereafter ask for the votes of the elect
ors or keep open house or use any method of this
kind by himself or others to influence the electors
to vote for him, and that the votes may be given
for the future either by Ballot or viva voce at
meeting in each town and that the votes may be
taken by the town clerks & Trustees and be con
veyed by the town clerk to some person to be ap-
pointed by the assembly for Judges of the cleo
ton"
These votes do not seem to have had
much effect. The highway laws appear to
have remained the same; and the same
representatives were reelected in 1774 and
in 1915.
The people of BrattlebOro were backward
in the opposition to what were deemed by
many to be expressions of New York au-
thorities, and to the proceedings of the
court Westminster Jail, where Lieut..
Leonard Spaulding was confined for alleged
reasonable words spoken of the king. was
opened for his release without KEY or
lOck-Dickpr - i'm Novpnher 1874 I,r n oo,,,