Various - The Bay State Monthly. Volume 2, No. 2, November, 1884

"We the Subscribers being Inhabitants of the Extream Parts of Groton Lancaster and Harvard as allso the Proprietors of the Land belonging to the Town of Stow (which Land is Scituate, Lying and being Between the Towns above said Namely Groton Lancaster and Harvard) Do Covenant and Promise to and with Each other And We Do Hereby of our own Free Will and Motion In the Exercise of Love and Charity Towards one another with Mutual Consent in the strongest Manner Binding our Selves the Subscribers each and every of us Conjointly one to another (for the Gosples Sake) Firmly Covenanting and Promising to and with Each other that we will as Speedely as may be with Conveniency Petition the Several Towns to which we Respectively belong and Likewise the Great and General Court That we may be Erected or Incorporated into a Destinct and separate Township of our Selves with those Lands within the Bounds and Limits Here after Described viz Beginning at the River called Lancaster [Nashua] River at the turning of Sd River Below the Brige called John Whits Brige & Runing Northerly to Hell Pond and on Still to the Line Betwixt Harvard and Groton Including John Farwell then to Coyecus Brook Leaveing the Mills and Down Said Brook to the River and down Said River to the Rye ford way then Runing Westerly to the Northerly End of Horse Pond & so on to Luningburg Line, Including Robert Henry & Daniel Page and then Runing Southerly Extendig Beyound Luningburg So far Into Lancaster as that Running Easterly the Place on which Ralph Kindal formerly Lived Shall be Included and so on Running Easterly to the Turn in the River first mentioned

Moreover we Do Covenant Promise and Engage Truly and Faithfully that will Consent to and Justifie any Petition that Shall be Prefered in our names and behalf to our Respective Towns and to the Great & General Court for the Ends and Purposes above Mentioned

Furthermore we Do Covenant Promise and Engage as above that we will advance money for and Pay all Such Reasonable and necessary Charges that may arise in the Prosecuting and Obtaining our Said Petitions and that we will Each and Every of us Respectively Endever to Promote and Maintain Peace Unity Concord and Good Agreement amoungst our Selves as Becometh Christians

And now haveing thus Covenanted as above Said We Do Each and Every one of us who have Hereunto Subscribed Protest and Declare that Every Article and Parigraph and Thing Containd in the above Writen Shall be Absolutely and Unacceptionably Binding in Manner and form as above Declared and Shall So Continue upon and Against Each and Every one of us untill we are Erected or Incorporated Into a Township as above said or that Provedance Shall Remove us by Death or Otherways any thing to the Contrary Notwithstanding

Witness our Hands the Eight Day of December one Thousand Seven Hundred and Fourty Seven and in the Twentieth Year Of His Majesties Reign Georg the Secund King &c

Harvard

Richard hall

Jon nBigelow

Joseph Hutchins

Simeon Farnsworth

Timothy hall

Phenihas Farnsworth

Amos Russll

Johnathan—Read

Jonathan Read iu

Abijah Willard

Groton

Samuel Hazen

Joseph Preist

Samell flood

John pearce

Charles Richards

Daniel Page

John Longley jn'r

Abijah Willard

Manasser Divoll

John Osgood

Abijah Frost

John Peirce hous rite

Lancaster

Henry Haskell

John Nicholls

Thomas Wright

William Willard

Joshua Johnson

Daniel Willard

Joseph Priest

William Farmer

Joseph Bond

Henry Willard

Benjamin Willard

Jacob Houghton

Corp Elias Sawyer

Amos Am Atherton

Stow

John Houghton Ju

John Sampson

Joseph Brown

Hannah Brown

Samuel Randal

Benjamin Samson

Hell Pond, mentioned in this covenant, is situated in the northwest part of Harvard, and so called "from its amazing depth," says the Reverend Peter Whitney, in the History of Worcester County (page 158).

Two years after this covenant was signed, another attempt was made to divide the town, but it did not succeed. The lines of the proposed township included nearly the same territory as the present ones of Shirley. The following references to the scheme are found, under their respective dates, in the printed Journal of the House of Representatives:—

A Petition of sundry Inhabitants of Groton and Lunenburg , praying they may be erected into a distinct and seperate Township or Precinct, agreable to the Plan therewith exhibited, for the Reasons mentioned.

Read and Ordered , That the Petitioners serve the Town of Lunenburg, and the first Parish in Groton , with Copies of this Petition, that they shew Cause, if any they have, on the 29th of December next, if the Court be then Sitting, if not on the first Friday of the next Sitting of this Court, why the Prayer thereof should not be granted.

Sent up for Concurrence.

[Journal of the House of Representatives (page 100), November 30, 1749.]

Samuel Watts , Esq; brought down the Petition of sundry Inhabitants of Lunenburg and Groton , as entred the 30th of November last, and refer'd. Pass'd in Council, viz . In Council December 29th 1749. Read again, with the Answer of the Town of Lunenburg , and Ordered , That the Consideration of this Petition be refer'd to the second Wednesday of the next Sitting of this Court. Sent down for Concurrence.

With a Petition from sundry Inhabitants of Lunenburg , praying to be set off from said Town of Leominster . Pass'd in Council, viz In Council December 29th 1749. Read and Ordered , That the Petitioners serve the Town of Lunenburg , with a Copy of this petition, that they shew Cause, if any they have, on the second Wednesday of the next Sitting of this Court, why the Prayer thereof should not be granted.

Sent up for Concurrence.

[Journal of the House of Representatives (page 143), December 29, 1749.]

John Chandler , Esq; brought down the Petitions of John Whitney , and others of the westerly Part of Groton , and the easterly Part of the Town of Lunenburgh , and Edward Hartwell , Esq; and others of said Town, Pass'd in Council, -viz. In Council April 4th 1750. Ordered , That Samuel Watts, James Minot , and John Otis , Esqrs; with such as the honourable House shall join, be a Committee to consider the Petitions above-mentioned, and the several Answers thereto, hear the Parties, and report what they judge proper for the Court to do thereon.

Sent down for Concurrence.

Read and concur'd, and Mr. Rice , Capt. Livermore , Col. Richards , and Mr. Daniel Pierce , are joined in the Affair.

[Journal of the House of Representatives (page 214), April 5, 1750.]

Joseph Wilder , Esq., brought down the Report of a Committee of both Houses, on the Petition of John Whitney , and others, as entred the 30th of November last, and refer'd. Signed James Minott , per Order.

Pass'd in Council, viz. In Council June 21, 1750. Read and Voted , That this Report be not accepted, and that the Petition of John Whitney and others therein refer'd to, be accordingly dismiss'd, and that the Petitioners pay the Charge of the Committee.

Send down for Concurrence. Read and concur'd.

[Journal of the House of Representatives (page 41), June 22, 1750.]

A Petition of sundry Inhabitants of the westerly Part of Groton , and the easterly Part of Lunenburg , praying that their Memorial and Report thereon, which was dismiss'd the 22 dof June last, may be revived and reconsidered, for the Reasons mentioned.