History of Swansea, Massachusetts, 1667-1917; - citizen hylbom blog

Documentary History 53
thence South south west until it comes to Mattapoyset river and on ye bank
by ye river there is bounded with another stone this lot is 20 a. This lot was
layd out according to order by Hugh Cole Survr. and James Luther
Townsman"
—
"
Thomas Eastabrooke had other lots in different parts of the Town.
Feb. 12, 1670,
"To prevent the bringing in of such persons to be inhabitants as may
be to the prejudice of the town ; it is ordered that whosoever hath taken or
shall take up any lot therein, and shall let out, give, or sell the same, or any
part thereof, to any person or persons whatsoever, without the consent ot the
town, or at least the committee that are or shaU be chosen for the management
of the prudential affairs of the town at any time hereafter; then the
person or persons that shall so let out or sell as aforesaid, shall forfeit their
whole right in such lot and buildings thereon, from them, their heirs and
assigns, to the use of the town forever.
Itt: Agreed upon & ordered yt Mr. John Dikse shall have out of ye
Town Lands as much and as good accommodations as is or shall be granted
to any man within ye Township.
Itt: Ordered that Mr. John Miles Paster of ye Church of Christ
Swanzey shall have as good a share of lands given him of ye Town Lands as
any yt are or shall be granted to any man.
"
Swansea Records:
1759—
"Voted to hire a house to put the French people in that were
sent to our town.
(Newtown, Conn. Hist.) — "When France ceded Acadia, now Nova
Scotia, to the English the Acadians chose to remain, though they had free
choice to leave any time within two years. They refused to take the oath
of allegiance to the British King, though they did take the oath of fidelity.
They were exempted from bearing arms against their country-men in
Canada, and allowed to enjoy their own reHgion, which was Roman Catholic.
"The British government finally decided to remove the Acadians,
confiscate their property and scatter them among their colonies on the Continent,
and 300 were assigned to the Connecticut Colony and were landed
at New London in 1756. The General Court at its January session in 1756
in New Haven passed an act for distributing and well ordering the French
people sent into the colony from Nova Scotia. Four were assigned to Newtown.
They were known as the Neutral French and were cared for at the
town's expense. Every year for six years their records show resolutions
that were passed for the care of the French family called neutrals. It could
not turn them off, nor could they go out of town without its consent. The
boy of the family was finally bound out for a term of years to Zadock
Sherman, and the man Paul and his wife were allowed by vote (of the town)
to go visiting their friends, relations or acquaintances. As the town could
not turn them adrift, they voted to allow them to go visiting, as shrewd
diplomacy as any of the present day."—E. L. J.
Were "the French people sent to our town," Acadians?
The Prison Ship Martyrs
Years ago, Charles E. West, L.L.D., a man of letters, in
addressing the pupils of the Brooklyn Heights Seminary on the
horrors of the British prison ships uttered the following intro-