Genealogical notes of Barnstable families - citizen hylbom blog

148 GENEALOGICAL NOTES OF BARNSTABLE FAMILIES.
John Carsely was also one of the first settlers, and it has
been supposed that he was a brother of William. I find no
evidence that such was the fact. He came from Scituate.
He was unlearned, not a church member, and his record is
not creditable to him. March 1, 1661-2, he and his wife
Alice were presented "for fornication in unlawfully companying
before their marriage." John was condemned to
be whipped, and Alice to set in the stocks while the punishment
was inflicted ; all of which was duly performed June
7, 1642. He was fined three shillings and four pence,
March 6, 1665-6, for a breach of the public peace.
His house lot contained four acres. The southwest
corner of his lot was near "the prison," there being a narrow
strip of common land between it and the road now
known as Jail Lane. The northwest corner of Carsely's lot
was at the southwest corner of Mr. John Lothrop's orchard
in 1703. On the north it was bounded partly by the hill
"against the highway," and partly by the swamp, the northeast
corner stake standing south of James Paine's shop. On
the east it was bounded partly by Mr. Linnell's land litid
partly by Richard Child's land, the eastern boundary being
in 1708 in the range of Wid. Abigail Sturgis' barn. On the
south it was bounded by common land, afterwards
granted partly to Mr. Linnell, and three-fourths of an acre
near the Jail to John Otis. In 1661, four acres in addition
were granted to him, bounded north by Mr. Linnell, east
by Joseph Lothrop,* south and west by the commons.
* It it erroneously stated in the account of the lots purchased by Mr.
Thomas AUyn, that Capt. Samuel Hayo bought the lot between Bev. Mr.
Mayo's and Tristram Hull's lot, of .John Casely. When I wrote that article,
I had not read the proprietor's records. The descriptions are very indefinite,
but a comparison of the records of lots in the vicinity of John
Casely's house lot has been made, and the description above given I
think is reliable. This tract of land containing eight acres was above
the "poly pod swamp," and extended forty rods east and west and
thirty-two rods north and south, and was bounded west by John Casely,
and east by James Naybor's land. The latter was bounded east by tlie
highway,— probably the road into the woods east of the old Sturgis tavern.
It would seem from this investigation that the ancient road followed
the present road from the Jail to Capt. Wilson's house, then turning
to the south to the head of Capt. Joseph Lothrop's land, then followed
the south edge of the swamp and joined the present road, near the house
of the late Capt. .Joshua Loriiig. This view of the matter makes the record
of the laying out of the road in 1686 intelligible. On reaching Capt.
Lothrop's land, instead of turning to the southeast they turned to the
north, through his land over a private causeway across the swamp which
was narrow at that place.