1780-05-11th
At a Meeting of the Selectmen May 111780.
They ordered that a Town Meeting should be warned and held on Tuesday the twenty 3d day
of May instant at one o’clock in the afternoon at the stated place for holding town meetings in said
[Town] and the following is a copy of the warrant that was issued out agreeable to their order. Viz..
Essex, ss. Mr. Benjamin Obear one of the Constables of the Town of Beverly. Greeting.
In the name of the Government and People of the State of the Massachusetts Bay you are hereby
required forthwith to notify and warn the Freeholders and other Inhabitants of the said Town that are
qualified as the law directs to vote in the choice of Representatives to the Great and General Court
and in town affairs as also all the male Inhabitants of said Town that are Free and twenty-one years
of age being qualified by law to vote relative to the making, receiving or rejecting of the Constitution
and form of government for the State of the Massachusetts to assemble and meet together on
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Tuesday the 23 day of May instant at one of the clock in the afternoon at the stated place for holding
of town meetings in said Town.
1ly. To elect and depute one or more persons to serve for and represent them in the Great and
General Court or Assembly appointed to be convened, held and kept for the government
service at the State House in Boston in the County of Suffolk upon Wednesday the thirty-first
day of May instant and at their several session or sessions etc.
2ly. To take under consideration the Constitution and form of government for the State of the
Massachusetts as proposed by the State Convention appointed for the purpose and approve
or reject the same or any part thereof or propose such amendments thereon as they in their
wisdom shall think best. And also to empower their delegates at the next session of the
Convention when the said Form of Government shall take place in such way and manner as
is described by a resolve of the said Convention and to choose other delegates in the room
of the present members, if they think proper.
3ly. To determine what sum of money they will grant to be assessed and raised on the ratable polls
and estates within said Town the ensuing year for the purposes of paying the Town’s debts
and defraying the necessary charges arising within the same.
4ly. To see if the Town will mend their Highways the current year by a tax on the polls and estates
of the said Inhabitants and determine what sum of money they will grant to be assessed and
raised for that purpose and make such regulations relative to the highway and the repairing
the same as they shall think most proper, which article was referred to this meeting from the
last March meeting.
5ly. To act on the request of Dea. Benjamin Cleaves and Mr. James Obear to see if the Town will
discontinue the way from James Obear’s house to the Cove through said Obear’s and Bowles’
land.
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6ly. To choose Constables to serve in the room of Joseph Lovett 2 and William Trask 2
Tythingmen in the room of William Bartlett, Nathaniel Leech, George Raymond Jr. and
Sewall Tuck and Field Drivers in the room of Col. Larcom Thorndike and Capt. Moses
Brown they all refusing to serve in the above said offices as aforesaid. Also to choose several
other officers to serve in the room of those chosen at a Town Meeting in March last they
refusing to serve and see if the Town will excuse any of the above said officers from paying
their fines for not serving in any of the above said offices or order that they should be
prosecuted as the law directs for the same and appoint some person or persons as their agent
to recover and prosecute the same to affect and final issue in the law.
7ly. To see what directions the Town will give to the Selectmen relative to their receiving of the
State Treasurer of money that is due to the Town for the supplying of the soldiers’ families
in the Continental Army and act any thing relative thereto as they shall think best and give
their Selectmen such instructions for supplying the soldiers’ families for the future as they
shall think expedient and furnish them with money for that purpose as they shall think proper.
8ly. To see if it be the mind of the Town that the Selectmen shall continued to hire a Grammar
School master and act and do any thing relative thereto as may be thought necessary.
Hereof fail not a your peril in the law and make due return of this warrant to the Selectmen with your
doings thereon before the above said time.
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By order of the Selectmen. Joseph Wood, T. Clerk of Beverly May 111780.