The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-03-03
FreehOiders of Brattleboro
Met Agreeable to
Patent" in 1853
HENRY WELLS WAS
ELECTED CLERK
Town Clerk Lafayette Clark Discovered
Record in 1856 ''Among Loose Pa
pers of the Late Town Clerk Stephen
Greenleaf.''

The record of Brattleboro's first town
meeting OF which there is any record was
made the subject of the Brattleboro
weekly letter in the Springfield Sunday
Republican. After referring to the an
nual March meeting this week the letter
said:
In this connection it is interesting
to look back to the year l76S when
the first town meeting of which there
is any record was held in Brattleboro.
The record of this meeting is as fol-
lows according to a signed statement
of Lafayette Clark, town clerk, dated
Brattlebofo, February, 1856 as a part
of copies of old records much worn
and torn recently found among loose
papers of the late town clerk, Stephen
Greenleaf and are here carefully copied
for preservation
AT a legal meeting of the freeholdars
of the town of Brattleborough in the
county OF Cumberland on the first Tues
day Of March, l76S, agreeable to the
time prefixed by the patent of said town
ship, for annual town meetings the fol
lowing persons were chosen and elected
to serve as town officers the ensuing year
after choosing John Arms, Esq, modeIa-
tor; Henry Wells, NJ A., town clerk;
Samuel Wells, Esq, supervisor; John
Arms, Esq, Samuel Wells, Esq, and
Capt. Benjamin Butterfield assessors;
Samuel Wells, Esq, treasurer; Samuel
Wells, Esq. John Arms, Esq, and Capt.
Benjamin Butterfeld, commissioners for
laying out and regulating highways; =
John Sargent, Henry Wells, NJ A., limo
thy Church, Josiah White, Samuel Wells,
Esq. Malachi Church, overseers of the
highways; Henry Wells, NJ A, John
Arms, Esq, overseers of the poor; Sam
uel knight, Timothy Church, Levi Bald
win, Jasper Partridge, constables; Time
thy Church, collector; Lemuel Kendrick.
John Arms, Esq, Malachi Church, Josiah
White, overseers and viewers of fences;
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 or any
swine unyoked or unringed run at large
on the highways or unfenced unimproved
lands in this town the year ensuing;
Capt. Benjamin Butteriield and Samuel
Wells, Esq, to demand, sue for and re-
ceive all penalties and forfeitures in
CURED by the breach of the foregoing or
ders. Voted to raise twelve pounds York
currency on the poll and estates; and
the assessors are hereby ordered to tax
the inhabitants and freeholders in equal
proportion as other taxes are raised in
said town the year ensuing; for defray-
ing the necessary and contingent charges
of said town said money to be paid in to
the treasurer; and the town clerk to
give orders on the treasurer; for any
money that may be due from the town
for the whole or so much as is necessary
of said twelve pounds"
There is no record of the election of a
representative to the General Assembly
of the state of Vermont until March Is
1871 OF which time Samuel Wells was
elected TO that Office 1t is interesting
to note, however, that at a meeting held
on the 9th day of May, III called "tC
see if the town viii choose new commit
tees as recommended by convention" il
was voted TO send Lieut.. Israel Smith t,
Windsor as agent for the town. On Jun,
II of the same year at a meeting calleC
to hear report of Lieut.. Israel Smith j
was voted not to accept nor approve o
the proceedings of the late convention
held at Windsor. As the constitution o
Vermont was adopted July 2S. III i
would seem that Brattleboro was not rep
resented on that occasion Since the elec
ton of Samuel Wells as representative
81 other men have served in that capaei
ty for the town of Brattleboro
nnTrrHE nroaronar " HDnTTcrTpn