The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1895-09-01

18th day of March, in pursuance of re-
port of said committee, hereby advise
and consent that our said Lieut.. Gov.
and COMMUNICATIVE as aforesaid,
should by our letters patent grant to
the said William Smith and his asso-
ciates and their heirs, the land de-
scribed in said petition according to
the prayer thereof, under the quit rent
provisos, limitations and restrictions,
presented by our royal instructions,
and the said lands should by the said
letters patent be erected into a town
ship by the name of Moore Town with
the privileges usually granted to other
townships within our said Province.
Then follows the names of the pc
titioners William Smith and his asso-
ciates and detailed description of the
boundaries of the town, containing
twenty-five thousand acres of land
and the usual allowance for highways"
By a deed from the before named Will
liam Smith to Samuel Sleeper recorded
in the clerks office of Gloucester
county, later Orange, Dec. 81, 1910, it
appears that the twenty-four other
grantees associates of VIM. Smith did
on the 30th and 31st days of May con-
vey to him the said Smith all their
rights and titles to the lands and
everything pertaining thereto in the
said Moore Town, and Smith did, Aug.
IA, 1870, convey and confirm to sam
ue1 Sleeper all his right and title to
certain tracts or sections of land lying
along Connecticut river, eight in NUM-
Der in alternate sections reaching
back from the river about mile and
41,n 40
tain three thousand acres more or less.
It appears that in the then un-
settled state of affairs, the State
of New Hampshire had made
some grants here, from which
arose a serious contention among
the settlers, lasting through
series of years. The Legislature
was appealed to and that body
appointed Israel Smith, Esq, of
Thetford; Alexander Harvey,
Esq, of Barnet, and James White
law, Esq, of Ryegate, Jan. 18th,
1871, a committee to settle the
dispute and divide the land among
the settlers. The committee not
having settled all matters of con-
tention among the inhabitants,
especially among those on the
Hazen tract, further Legislation
was found necessary, and an act
entitled, "An act for the purpose
of quieting the settlers on a GER
tain tract of land in the western
part of Bradford" was passed by
the General Assembly at Rutland
in 1892. By this act the same
committee, composed of Smith,
Harvey and Whitelaw, was emf
powered to deed occupied hold
ings of one hundred acres each,
to actual settlers residing on the
Hazen tract so-called, of 3400
acres in the west part of the town
upon the payment by such set
tiers, into the hand of such COM
mittee for the use of this State,
the sum of two shillings for each
acre of land so decided, and their
proportion of the necessary eX-
pense of said committee.
The remainder of the tract, not
decided to actual settlers, was
decided to John Barron of Brad.
ford, upon his payment for the
use of the State the sum of two
shillings for each acre so decided
him and his proportion of the
necessary expenses.
SIN accordance with this legis-
1ative enactment, the anxious
settlers on lands to which they
before had no legal claims were
quieted, valid titles to lots unoc-
cupied given to those who were
wishing to possess them, and the
general settlement of the town.
ship accomplished" The origi-
nal name of Moore Town was
given in honor of Sir
Henry Moore, from 1765 to so
Governor OF New York.
For time as appears by deed