HEADS OF FAMILIES IN 1744

Ephraim Allen, lived near Woodside.

James Ball, lived on Ball Hill, where Mrs. Josie Richardson now lives.

Nathan Ball, lived on Ball Hill, where Joseph W. Seaton now lives.

Jothan Bartlett, lived on the Marlboro Road, where Mrs. Lizzie A. Balcom now lives.

Thomas Billings, lived in the west part of the town.

Josiah Bowker, lived in the west part of the town.

Jesse Brigham, lived in the east part of the town, where Charles L. Brigham now lives.

John Carruth, lived on the farm now owned by George A. Brigham.

William Carruth, lived on the farm now owned by Thornton E. Mentzer.

Captain James Eager, lived on the Worcester Road, where Ralph T. Fiske now lives.

James Eager, Jr., (son of above) lived with his father.

Bezaleel Eager, lived on the Worcester Road, on the farm now owned by Charles A. Davis.

Gershom Fay, lived on the farm now owned by Chandler

Rice.

Timothy Fay, lived on the farm now owned by Walter O.

Allen.

Silas Fay, brother of Timothy, lived on the same farm.
Paul Fay, brother of Timothy.

Samuel Gamwell, lived in the north part of the town, where Mrs. George H. Murray now lives.

Thomas Goodenow, lived where Theodore Woodward now

lives.

Jonathan Goodenow, brother of above, lived in east part of

town.

Jonathan Green, probably lived in the west part of the town. Cornet Simeon Hayward, lived on the farm now owned by Clarence E. Buckley.

Seth Hudson, little uncertain as to his living here in 1744, but he did a little later. He lived beyond Chapinville, near the Barnard place.

Deacon Jonathan Livermore, lived on Ball Hill, where Chester Smith now lives.

John McAllister, lived on the Marshall Maynard place.
John McAllister, Jr., probably lived with his father.

Nathaniel Oak (sometimes Oakes), lived on Whitney Street, where Miss Ada A. McClure now lives.

John Oak (brother of above), lived on the back road to Shrewsbury, on the farm now owned by John F. Davis.

George Oak (brother of above), lived on the estate now owned by Alfred Thomas.

Jacob Rice, lived on the Westborough Road, where Mr. Jenness now lives.

Silas Rice, lived on Ball Hill, where Ralph Stearns now lives.

Deacon Matthias Rice, lived in the east part of the town, where Daniel R. Pember now lives.

Pelatiah Rice, lived beyond Chapinville, directly opposite Seymour Laporte's house.

George Smith, it is not known where he lived.
Deacon Isaac Tomlin, lived on Tomlin Hill.

Hezikiah Tomlin (son of Isaac), lived on Tomlin Hill.

Joshua Townsend, lived where Mrs. Lucy Wilson now lives. Thomas Warren, lived where Hermon L. Sparrow now lives. Joseph Wheeler, lived on south side of Ball Hill.

Lieutenant William Holloway, lived in the west part of the town, where Frederick A. King now lives.

It must not be supposed that the creation of the north part of the town into a precinct made of that precinct a complete political entity. Such was not the case. The north precinct was, politically, still part of Westborough, and its inhabitants continued to exercise their rights as citizens of that town. They received their proportion of the appropriations for all necessary charges of the precinct. The schoolmaster was still in the employ of the mother town, and the north precinct was, as of old, one of the "three districts" in which he labored. The precinct records do not show any appropriations for schools, highways, or any other public improvement. The precinct was free to elect its own officers and to manage its own ecclesiastical affairs; and that seems to have been the only advantage which its new dignity conferred upon it. And all items in the precinct records relate to these two matters. But this privilege was something, and it was guarded very zealously. It was the entering wedge for something larger and better.

The precinct could not forget that it was still tied to its mother's apron strings; and the knowledge of this fact was irksome. They wanted to be independent-entirely free and independent. And we may well believe that they cultivated that ambition assiduously.

At last the time seemed ripe for the fulfilment of their ambition. So, drawing up a petition, they again went down to Boston and presented it to the Great and General Court. And

for a second time the Great and General Court lent them a willing ear, and granted their request.

As that welcome act of the Legislature marks the beginning of the full-fledged town of Northborough, and is the event whose one hundred and fiftieth anniversary we are celebrating at this time, it seems appropriate to record it here:

"ACT OF INCORPORATION"

"An act for erecting the north precinct in the Town of Westborough, in the County of Worcester, into a separate district by the name of Northborough.

"Whereas the inhabitants of the north precinct in Westborough, in the county of Worcester, labour under many and great difficulties by reason of their not being a distinct and separate district; therefore,

"Be it enacted by the Governor, Council and House of Representatives,

"Section 1. That the north precinct in Westborough, in the county of Worcester, according to its present known bounds, be and hereby is erected into a district by the name of Northborough; and that the said district be and hereby is invested with all the privileges, powers and immunities that towns in this province, by law, do or may enjoy, that of sending a representative to the general assembly excepted; and that the inhabitants of the said district shall have full power, from time to time, to join, with the town of Westborough, in the choice of a representative or representatives, which representatives may be chosen indifferently from said town or district; and that the Selectmen of the town of Westborough, as often as they shall call a meeting for the choice of a representative, shall give seasonable notice to the clerk of said district for the time being, of the time and place of said meeting, to the end that the said district may join them therein; and the clerk of said district shall set up, in some public place in the said district, a notification thereof, accordingly; and the pay and allowance of said representative to be borne by said town and district.

"And be it further enacted,

"Sect. 2. That the said district shall pay their proportion of all town, county and province taxes already set on, or granted to be raised by, said town, as if this act had not been made.

"Provided, nevertheless,

"Sect. 3. That the inhabitants of the said district shall retain and enjoy the same right and share to all the ministerial

lands, and the improvement and profits thereof, as they would have had if this act had not been made.

"Provided also, and be it further enacted,

"Sect. 4. That of all the monies, arms and ammunition, weights and measures,* belonging to said town, the inhabitants of the said district shall have and enjoy a proportion thereof, equal to the proportion they paid of the charges of said town, according to their last town tax.

"And be it further enacted,

"Sect. 5. That Francis Whipple, Esq., be and hereby is empowered to issue a warrant, directed to some principal inhabitant of said district, requiring him to warn the inhabitants of the said district, qualified, by law, to vote in town affairs, to meet at such time and place as shall be therein set forth, to choose all such officers as shall be necessary to manage the affairs of said district."

The above Act of Incorporation was passed on January 24, 1766. The exception voted in Section 1, relative to sending a representative to the General Court, was nullified in an omnibus bill passed on August 23, 1775. Since which date Northborough has been a town in the fullest sense of the word.

*See Weights and Measures.

CHAPTER II

INDIAN TROUBLES

Northborough was particularly fortunate in the early days so far as Indian troubles were concerned. There is a tradition to the effect that John Brigham's house (it was probably little better than a hut) was burned by Indians in the latter days of the seventeenth century. But as its owner had permanently deserted it a day or two before, the incident can hardly be regarded as an "Indian trouble.' John Brigham was the first settler of Northborough, and his house stood on what is now the Eli Sanderson place, on Church Street.

There was one episode, however, which forms an interesting chapter of the town's history- the killing of Mary Goodenow in 1707. In August, 1907, two hundred years afterwards, the Northborough Historical Society held a service in the town hall in commemoration of that event. After the service in the hall the people repaired to the site of the garrison house (the scene of the episode), on the Marlborough Road, where a bronze tablet was unveiled.

Rev. Charles S. Pease, the then pastor of the Northborough Baptist Church, and one of the founders of the Historical Society, delivered the address on that occasion. Mr. Pease's address was a comprehensive review of the entire Indian situation in New England in those troublesome days. His recital of the Mary Goodenow affair was such a thorough and painstaking effort that the author asked him to permit its reproduction here, that it might be made available in permanent form. He readily consented to the request, and the author here makes grateful acknowledgment to him. Mr. Pease said:

"Our interest on this occasion centers in one of the old garrison houses. It was the scene of Northborough's first-and fortunately, her only-Indian attack.

"In the year 1707 there appears to have been only four families settled within the boundaries of what is now Northborough. They were Samuel Goodenow, Gershom Fay, Nathaniel Oakes and Jonathan Forbush. Jonathan Forbush, as nearly as can be ascertained, lived in the neighborhood of Little Chauncy pond. Nathaniel Oakes was located where the Peter Whitney house now stands. Gershom Fay lived on a