1696-03-10 (2)[Selectmen's Meeting March 10, 1696]
At a meeting of the Selectmen March the 10th 1695/6, Capt. Thorndike in behalf of the committee under
named brought the following return viz. Whereas complaint hath of late been made especially by some of
the inhabitants of Manchester, that the highway or county road within the township of Beverly, between
Manchester and Beverly meeting house, hath been lately in some places roped and barred to the prejudice
of travelers and the said highway in some parts of it having gone sometime in one place, and sometimes
in another and being uncertain to both towns which is right, the said towns viz. Beverly and Manchester
have for the removal of such impediment at present and preventing of such encumbrances for the future
appointed a committee from each town to settle and appoint, to where said highway shall go as they shall
judge most convenient for both, as by their respective records may appear, Beverly's bearing date the 18
of September 1695, Manchester's the 20 of September 1695. We under named being the major part of the
committee appointed for said service being met together on the place on the 23r of September 1695 have
settled as followeth viz. from Manchester to farmer West, his house, and by said house and thence
westward to the eastern end of the pond, as the way now goeth and to be in breadth two poles and from
thence be four poles wide from the high water mark upward until it comes to Benjamin Woodbury's
orchard and from thence through said Woodbury his cornfield and so to a black oak a little to the
westward of said Benjamin Woodbury's dwelling house and is to be two poles wide and from thence over
the hill, as the way now goes, and so along said way until it should come unto a marked white pine and so
to a white oak stump marked on three sides, and thence to a small white pine marked on three sides,
thence to a walnut marked on three sides and from thence to a black oak marked on three sides and from
thence westward to a rock and thence to a white pine marked as before and so over Plum Cove Pond, and
thence to a point of rocks northeast of Richard Ober's pasture, next Plum Cove and so into the road that
now is said highway to be southerly from all the aforementioned bounds, and to be two poles wide, and
from thence to Beverly meeting house as the way now goes, and to be two poles wide and it's agreed upon
by and between the committee under named and Richard Thissell in consideration of the highway going
over Plum Cove Pond, said Richard Thissell is to be allowed the land that said highway goeth over or
taketh away of his.
For Beverly: John Dodge, William Rayment, Andrew Elliott, Paul Thorndike. For Manchester: with John
Sibley, Robert Leach, Sam Allen senr.,