1774-03-14th
At a legal meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Beverly on March 14 1774 Capt. Henry Herrick
was chosen Moderator of said meeting and the several persons hereafter named were chosen to serve
in the following respective offices for the year ensuing, viz.:
Selectmen and Assessors Capt. Caleb Dodge, Mr. Richard Obear, Captain William Langdell,
Dea. Caleb Wallis & Joseph Wood.
Voted that the Remainder part of Town officers should be chosen by hand vote.
Town Clerk. Joseph Wood.
Town Treasurer. Capt. Henry Herrick
ConstablesFarm Ward, James Obear
Ferry Ward, Edmund Giles
Royal Side [Ryal Side] Ward, Jonathan Dodge 2d
Bass River Ward, Joseph Woodberry
Bald Hill Samuel Woodberry 3d
Wardens. Benjamin Beckford and Ebenezer Francis
Surveyors of the Highwaysfor Ward No. 1 Ens. James Woodberry
For No. 2 Mr. Peter Dodge
For No. 3 Mr. Benjamin Smith
For No. 4 Mr. Isaac Thorndike
For No. 5 Mr. Josiah Batchelder Jr.
For No. 6 Capt. Henry Herrick
For No. 7 Mr. Andrew Cleaves
For No. 8 Mr. William Tayler
For No. 9 Mr. Ebenezer Francis
For No. 10 Mr. Jonathan Dodge
For No. 11 Mr. Noah Creesy
For No. 12 Mr. John Batcheldor
Hogreeves.Capt. Jonathan Hart, Richard Leech, Samuel Woodberry, Benjamin Leech, Robert
Dodge 2nd, Charles Dodge and William Dike.
Tything menJohn Byles, Samuel Dane, Joseph Perkins, and Asa Dodge.
Fence ViewersMalachi Woodberry, Nehemiah Presson, Richard Leech, John Woodberry
2nd, and Benjamin Leech.
Field Drivers or Haywards.Jonathan Standley, Samuel Cole, Samuel Woodberry, Asa Herrick and
Benjamin Leech.
Clerks of the MarketCapt. William Bartlett, Capt. James Lovett, Samuel Goodridge, Josiah
Batcheldor Jr., Capt. Joshua Cleaves, Ebenezer Francis.
Cullers of Hoops and Staves.Capt. John Lovett, Capt. Caleb Dodge, Capt. James Lovett
Surveyors of Lumber Boards, Shingles and, Clapboards.Capt. John Lovett, Samuel Goodridge
& Ens. Joshua Batcheldor.
Sealers of Leather. Lieut. Joseph Rae, Peter Shaw.
Cullers of FishSimon Lovett, Capt. Larkin Thorndike and Isaac Thorndike.
Informers of Deer.Benjamin Raymond and Capt. Caleb Dodge.
Pound Keeper. Osmon Trask
Also at the said meeting voted that the Town will mend their Highways the year ensuing by a tax on
the Polls and Estates of its Inhabitants.
Voted that the sum of ,200 pounds should be assessed and raised on the Polls and Estates of said
Town for the above said purposes.
It was put to vote to see if the Town will give Liberty for the swine to go at-large the year ensuing
being yoked and ringed as the law directs and it passed in the negative.
Voted that the Report of the Committee appointed to examine and make inquiry into the Town’s
interest in the flats, ground and landings of this Town be accepted - which Report is as follows, viz..
To the Inhabitants of Town of Beverly in town meeting Assembled. Gentlemen. -
Whereas we, the subscribers, were appointed a committee to examine and make inquiry into the
Town’s interest in the flats, ground and landings in said Town and make Report have in observance
of the trust in us reposed proceeded in that affair accordingly by and report as follows viz..-
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1ly. That there is a Town landing at Brackenbury so-called laid out on the 14 day of the 9th month
1682 in the Second Book of Records of this Town will more fully appear.
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2ly. That there is a Town Landing at Tuck’s Point so-called as appears in the 314 page of the Third
Book of Records.
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3ly. That there is a Town Landing at Jonathan Woodberry’s Cove so-called as appears in the 316
page of the Third Book of Records of this Town.
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4ly. That there is a Town Landing at Draper’s Point so-called as it appears to be settled in the 122
page of the Fourth Book of Records.
5ly. That there is a Town landing at Frost Fish Brook so-called as appears by a copy of it recorded
in the Fifth Book of Records in page 405.
6ly. We find that there is a landing for the Ferry place the easterly boundaries are near the easterly
part of Richard Ellis’s garden as by the return of a jury appointed by the Court of the General
Sessions of the Peace to lay out a highway leading to the Ferry. Returned and accepted by said court
at their session held in Salem by adjournment January the fifth 1698/9 as by copy hereof presented
may more fully appear.
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Beverly Mar. 14 1774.Caleb Dodge
Benjamin Lovett Jr.
Joseph Ward
Voted that Capt. Caleb Dodge, Benjamin Lovett Jr. and Joseph Wood be a committee fully
empowered in behalf of this Town to petition the honorable Court of the General Sessions of the
Peace of this county praying that they would lay out the Ferry Landing in said Town as also the Town
Landing -
adjoining thereto if any there be.
Voted that Benjamin Jones Esq., Mr. Ebenezer Trask and Capt. John Lovett be a Committee to take
under consideration the six last articles in the warrant for this meeting and make report at next May
meeting. Lieut. Joseph Rae and Ens. Bartholomew Trask were chosen to serve on the grand jury at
the Court of the General Sessions of the Peace to be holden at Ipswich on the last Tuesday in March
and at the several Courts of the General Sessions of the Peace successively to be holden within the
County of Essex for the term of one-year.
Meeting dissolved.