1778-03-09At a Legal Meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Beverly March the ninth 1778.
Col. Henry Herrick was chosen Moderator of said meeting.
Voted. That the Town will proceed in the same way and manner as they did at their annual meeting
on the 10th of March 1777 which is as followeth.
Voted. That each District shall have the nomination of their Selectmen and Assessors by each district
repairing by itself and their agreeing upon some person to be by them nominated and the
Town to choose them if they see cause.
Voted. That all Town officers shall be chosen by hand votes.
And each district nominated their Selectmen and Assessors accordingly.
And the several persons hereafter named were chosen to serve in the several respective Town
offices the year ensuing. Followeth. Viz.
SelectmenDea. John Conant, Capt.William Langdell, Mr. Thomas
&Stephens, Mr. Isaac Thorndike & Joseph Wood
Assessors
Town ClerkJoseph Wood
Town TreasurerCol. Henry Herrick Voted that the Town Treasurer shall have
3d per pound for receiving and paying the Town’s money.
ConstablesPeter Obear Jr. for the Farms Ward
Moses Brown Ferry Ward
Edward Trask Royal Side [Ryal Side] Ward
Asa Dodge Bass River Ward
John Lovett 4th Bald Hill Ward
Surveyorsfor Ward No. 1 Malachi Woodberry
of theNo. 2 Peter Pride
HighwaysNo. 3 Benja. Smith
No. 4 John Lovett 3d
No. 5 Benjamin Leach
No. 6 Francis Smith
No. 7 William Butman
No. 8 William Taylor
No. 9 Joshua Balch
No. 10 marked Dodge Jr.
No. 11 Richard Leech
No. 12 Ebenezer Trask Jr.
HogreevesCapt. Josiah Woodbury, Benja. Leech, Samuel Conant, Jacob
Edwards, Richard Leech, Jonathan Standley, Jonathan Dodge
nd
2
nd
Tything MenJohn Lovett 2, William Herrick Jr., Samuel Raymond, John
Conant Jr.
Fence ViewersMalachi Woodberry, Nehemiah Presson, Richard Leech,
nd
William Taylor, William Green, Jonathan Dodge 2
nd
Field DriversJonathan Patch, William Elliott, William Morgan 2, Robert
Woodberry, John Edward, Peter Obear Jr.
Clerks of the MarketCapt. Edmund Giles, Capt. James Lovett, Capt. Joshua
Cleaves, Richard Leech.
Cullers of Shapes, Hoops &Capt. James Lovett, Capt. John Lovett and Capt. Caleb Dodge
Heading.
Surveyors of Boards, Shingles,Capt. John Lovett, Capt. Asa Leech.
Clapboards, Lumber Etc..
nd
Sealers of Leather.Capt. Joseph Rae, Peter Shaw & Robert Dodge 2
Cullers of Fish.Capt. Larkin Thorndike, Mr. Isaac Thorndike & Simon Lovett
Pound KeeperOsman Trask
Voted that Capt. John Lovett fourth be excused from serving in the office of a Constable and William
Taylor be chosen to serve in that office in his room, it going for said Lovett’s term.
Voted that Dea. John Conant, Capt. William Langdell, Mr. Thomas Stephens, Mr. Isaac Thorndike,
and Joseph Wood be a Committee of Correspondence, Inspection and Safety for the year
ensuing. The votes for a County Treasurer were brought in as the law directs.
Voted that the swine go at-large the year ensuing being yoked and ringed as the law directs.
Voted that the Town will mend their Highways the ensuing year by a tax on its inhabitants.
Voted that the whole of the third article of the warrant be referred over to the next May meeting.
It was put to vote to see if the mind of the Town to have the whole of the charge of procuring
the militia of this Town to go into the Army the year past, as also for the future, be paid by the Town
by a tax on the Inhabitants allowing those persons that have been themselves without receiving any
monies there for the usual sum that hath been given in the same campaign and it passed in the
affirmative.
Voted. That Mr. William Hazeltine, Mr. Samuel Conant and Capt. Joseph Rae be a Committee for
the ensuing year to supply the families of the noncommissioned officers and private soldiers
that have enlisted into the Continental Army for this Town for three years or during the war
with such necessaries as their circumstances may require agreeable to the Resolves of the
Great and General Court.
Voted. That the Committee aforesaid be directed that in such case where it is in their opinion that
any of those families are too extreme poor as that they cannot advance their twenty shillings
per month, that they be directed to deliver out supplies to such families, their quota
notwithstanding, and give them credit so they can pay the same.
Voted. That Col. Henry Herrick, Town Treasurer, be directed and empowered in the name and
behalf of this Town to hire three hundred pounds on interest and deliver the same to the
Committee appointed to supply the soldiers families in the Continental Army for this Town
as they shall stand in need thereof. Said committee to be accountable to the Town for the
same.
Voted. That Col. Henry Herrick, Town Treasurer be and is hereby empowered in the name and
behalf of this Town to hire on interest a sufficient sum of money as shall be needed for
procuring such a number of men to enlist into the Continental Army for three years or during
the war for this Town as will complete this Town’s quota of the seventh part of their male
inhabitants provided said sum shall not exceed one fifteen hundred pounds and deliver the
same to Capt. John Woodberry for the above said purpose. Said Woodberry to be
accountable to the Town for the said money.
Voted. That Capt. John Woodberry be further empowered in behalf of this Town, with the assistance
of Mr. William Hazeltine, to hire and procure such a number of men to enlist into the
Continental Army for this Town for three years or during the war as will complete this
Town’s quota of the seventh part of the male persons and to receive of Col. Henry Herrick,
Town Treasurer, a sufficient sum of money for that purpose provided it should not exceed
fifteen hundred pounds. Said Woodberry to be accountable to the Town for the monies he
shall receive of the Town.
Voted. That Col. Henry Herrick, Town Treasurer, be and is hereby empowered in the name and
behalf of this Town to hire or borrow on interest fifty pounds for to pay the bounty of three
soldiers that have enlisted into the Continental Army for three years or during the war for this
Town provided said men shall be accounted and allowed to go for this Town.
It was put to vote to see if the Town will receive the report of their Committee about the small pox
and it passed in the negative.