1691-05-05[Town Meeting May 5, 1691]
May 5, 1691. We whose names are underwritten being chosen & appointed as a committee, at a general
town meeting on the 13th day of February, 1690/91, to survey & to make sale of a certain parcel of our
town common land, lying near Flaggie Meadow commonly so- called, as appears by a town vote entered
in this book bearing date the 21st day of May, 1688, in order to the making satisfaction unto Capt.
William Raiment, of our town of Beverly, for what he, the said Raiment, shall legally make appear he was
demnified, in agitating in the behalf of our said town, said Raiment being chosen a commissioner, in the
time of Sir Edmund Andros, his government, as will appear by vote entered in this book; accordingly we
being at the day of the date hereof, met together & surveyed a certain neck of our town common land,
lying near said Flaggie Meadow being about thirty -six acres be it more or less, and have by these presents
bargained & sold & so by these presents bargain, sell & and convey said thirty -six acres of land & and the
peaceable possession given as a committee as above said, & in the behalf of our town of Beverly, unto
Samuel Corning junr. of our town aforesaid, & to his heirs & assigns, & to his & their own proper use &
behoofe forever, except what shall be hereafter excepted in this record, said lands being bounded as
follows, viz.: on the northwest corner with a maple tree marked on four sides, & from thence unto the
nearest part of Nicholas Woodburie [i. e. Woodbury] his meadow, & so arranging along by said meadow,
until it come round to a black oak stump with a heap of stones about it, which stump & stones are a corner
bounds of Lieut. William Dodge his meadow, and also corner bounds to the said Coming's land, & from
thence to the maple tree above said which is the first bounds; always provided that from the day of the
date hereof, the inhabitants of our said town have a liberty for five years, next ensuing the date hereof, to
cut & to carry away any wood or timber, off & from said land without any molestation and further said
committee have reserved by these presents, so much of said neck of land for said town use, & in
particular for the use of the several proprietors of the Meadow, adjacent & bounding upon said neck of
land, for said proprietors to set their proportions of fence, from the preservation of said Meadow from
time to time & forever; and further if said proportions shall see mete to fence with stone wall, they are
hereby to have a liberty to get & carry away stones, at their pleasure, to make said stone wall fence from
time to time & forever; and further it is not to be understood, that the reserved land is only to sell use said
fence upon, but stock there hay upon said reserved land from time to time & forever, as occasion shall
require; and further the proprietors of said Meadow, have a liberty hereby with free egress and regress,
over said neck or upon, to cart or fetch over and anywise to draw or carry off from said meadow their hay
or else, in coming or going from time to time from hence forward & forever; and for their use the said
committee do hereby acknowledge the receipt of one fifty pounds and seventeen shillings, in good &
lawful money of New England, received by us the said committee in behalf of our said town, which said
one & fifty pounds & seventeen shillings; is in full of received of said Samuel Corning, junr. & is in
complete satisfaction for said neck of land, from hence forth & forever discharged & acquitted of the
payments of said neck of land, in witness whereof we the said committee, as in the beginning of this
record mentioned, hereunto set our hands.