Note: The following is a
transcription of the 1793 minute books for the Town of Palmyra, originally
called Swift’s Landing and then Tolland. A true transcription has been
attempted. However, where a word could not be read or only part of a word could
be read, a question mark is shown. Pages, when known, are in parenthesis.
(1) 1793
In No. 12-2 ? Ranges taken from Canandaigua Town Book
The records laid out in No. 12-2 ?3 Ranges. Beginning at
Deacon Fosters House thence southwesterly to Joel Fosters house thence William
Williams thence westerly to the northside of Weaver Osmans house thence to
Gideon Durfees house thence to the forks of Mud Creek to the Bridge thence
across said creek. Thence along the bank of said creek to Swifts Landing thence
south to an East line running from Swifts Ashworks thence to said ashworks
thence W & N 72 rods to the line between Sifts and Rusels thence West 278
rods to the west line of No. 12-2 Range. Thence north 42 rods to Mud Creek thence
N. 40 W. 40° rods thence W. 40 rods thence W 5° ? rods & W 10° & 28
rods thence W 7° & 26 rods thence W 12° N 18 rods thence W 30° N 20 rods
thence N.W. 28 rods thence N 33° W 40 rods thence 40° W 40 rods thence W 40° N
20 rods. Thence W 28° N 26 rods thence W 3? N 36 rods thence N.W. 40 rods to a
Black Oak tree at Webb Harwoods, said road to East? And Northerly 4 rods.
The
road to Canandaigua by David Whites—beginning at the line at the above road
between Whites & Darius Comstocks thence west on said line ?2 rods thence S
33? ° W 32 rods too Whites house W 6° N 13 rods to Noah Porters East line.
June
23rd 1793 the above roads laid out by the Commissioner of
Canandaigua District.
John
Swift
Ethnul?
Gaylor
Com.
(2)
Minutes of the survey of a road leading from Nathan
Comstocks in No. 11 3 Range to Webb Harwoods in No. 13-3 Ranges beginning on
the eastside of the road leading from Canandaigua to the Grist mill in Town
Ship No. 1?. 73 rods & northerly of said Comstocks from thence on the lot
lines according to the original survey
N. 2° 40° &. 126 rods thence No. 30° W? rods thence N. 50° & 62
rods thence N. 4° & 72 rods thence N. 4° & 60 rods thence N 2° & 76
rods thence N 35° & 36 rods thence N. 46° & 14 rods thence N 35° 14
rods thence N 2° & 76 rods thence N 10° &44 rods thence N 12° & 88
rods thence N 21° ? 26 rods thence N 28° & 38 rods thence N 28 & 20
rods thence N 36° & 108 rods thence N 36° & 48 rods thence N 75 &
19 rods thence N 36° & 20 rods thence N 10° & 30 rods N 31° & 16
rods thence N 25° & 64 rods thence N 27° & 29 rods thence 1° & ?
rods thence N 8° & 52 rods across the swamp thence N 22° & 42 rods
thence ? 26° 68 rods thence N 30° & 90 rods thence N 49° ? 60 rods thence N
39° 45 & 20 rods thence ? & 25 rods thence N 35° & 16 rods thence N
& 20 rods thence N 18° 27 rods thence N 49° 26 rods thence N 47°& 30
rods thence N 18°22 rods thence N 5° & 38 rods thence N 7° 24 rods thence
68 rods thence N 19° & 22 rods thence ? 46° & ? rods thence N 1° &
68 ? thence N 20° & 46 rods thence N 3° ? 32 rods thence N 6° & 18 rods
thence N 6° & 18 rods thence N 9° & 68 rods then N 30° & 30 rods
thence N 27° & 40 rods to Can? ? thence north 60° & ? rods thence N 72°
& 44 rods thence N 1° & 26 rods thence N 72° & 46 rods thence N 82°
& 22 rods thence N 86° & 64 rods thence S 64° & 16 rods thence S
50° ? &
(3) 60 rods to Harwoods.
Surveyed February 1794 by Jarus Rose—the forgoing survey approved by –
Othnul
Taylor
Ephraim Wilder?
Abner Barlow
Com.
A record of a survey road in No. 10 and 11 in the 2nd
Range and Nos 11 & 12 in the 3rd Range beginning in the line
between Widow Martha Whites and Darias Comstocks farms where the dug way
easterly from ? Martha Whites
house. ? said line thence N. 85° W 50
rods thence S 40° W 23 rods thence S 70° W 30 rods to a hard maple tree marked
H – standing in the line between the Martha Whites & Noah Porters farms
thence S 2° W 192 rods to a beach tree marked H then S 19° & ?38 rods
thence E 25° & 40 rods thence S 52° & 94 rods thence S 13° & 67
rods thence S 4° W 46 rods thence S ? W 24 rods thence S 50° & 52 rods
thence S 7° W 22 rods thence S 22° 30 ??W 70 rods thence S 7° W 28 rods thence
S 16° & 36 rods thence S 32° & 31? Rods thence S 2° 30? 144 rods.
Wm
Goading
Jared
Boughton
Com.
Record of the survey of a road beginning on the road
leading from Jacob Gannets? Toward Jonathan Warners No. 12-3rd Range
on the line between Lot No. 18 and 31 thence W. on said line ? Gillson 27?
Thence N 38° ? thence N 32° W & 2? Thence S 89° W 19 thence 71° ? thence S
38° W 13-80 to the line of a lot.
(4)
Note: in the upper left corner of this page there is a notation stating
“Runs east & West past? Ira Beals year 1873 Macedon ? ?”
Thence
W. on said line according to the
(5)
(6)
(7)
(1)
Note: Page numbers begin again with the following:
Records
of the District of Tolland, 1796, Liber A.
At an annual town meeting holden at the house of Gideon Durfee within
and for a Destrict of Tolland on the first Tuesday of April 1796 John Swift
Esq. T? of meeting chosen, John Swift Esquire Supervisor.
Jonathan
Edwards Town Clerk. Voted to choose the remaining town officers by nomination:
Voted to choose three
assessors
Jonathan
Warner – Assessor
Festus
Goldsmith - Assessor
Humphrey
Sherman - Assessor
Voted to choose one
Collector.
William Porter – Collector
Noah Porter – Overseer of the Poor
Thomas Goldsmith – Overseer of the Poor
Jared Comstock – Commissioner of the Highway
Ruben Town – Commissioner of the Highway
William Rodgers – Commissioner of the Highway
Voted to choose two
Constables
Joseph Braddish -- Constable
James Reeves -- Constable
James Reeves, John Hurlbut,
Joel Foster, Festus Goldsmith, Edman? Durfee, Luther Sanford, David Warner,
Benjamin Wood, Abner Hill, Cyrus Parker, Henry Willbur?, Thomas Hamilton, Henry
Lovwell?, Norman Merry, Nathan Harris, Jacob Gannett, Path masters.
(2)
David Warner – Fence Viewer
John Hurlburt – Fence Viewer
Elias Reeves – Fence Viewer
Isaac Killey? – Pound Master
Voted that the Inhabitance of this Destrict shall confin
their swine this year from the first day of May to the 20th day of
Oct. –
Voted that a fence shall not be deemed legal unless it five
feet high, for the first three feet the rails or loggs to be no more than four
inches from each other & the rails or loggs for the remaining two feet may
be nine inches from each other. –
Voted that Rams shall not run at large after the first day
of September until after the twentieth day of November. –
Voted that the Pound keeper be and he hereby is Directed to
erect a Pound on the Public Lands near W. Daniel Sawyers old house & to
present his amount to be inspected by the Supervisor, & then paid out of
the town money.
Voted to raise the sum of forty pounds. –
Voted that this District will give the sum of five dollars
for every wolf that shall be taken and killed within the limits of this
District within one year from this date. –
Voted that this meeting stand adjourned until the first
Tuesday in april next then to meet at the house of John Swift Esquire. –
(3)
I John Swift do solemnly & amicably? Promise and swear?
That I will in all things to the best of my knowledge & ability impartially
? & perform the ? reposed? in me as Supervisor of the Town of Tolland in
the County of Ontario & that I will
not pass? Any amount or any article? Thereof who? With I shall think the ?
County is not Chargeable nor will I disallow any amount or article? Thereof
wherewith I shall think it is justly chargeable.
John
Swift
The above deposition was
taken before me on the fifth day of April 1796. –
J.
Edwards Town Clerk
A True Copy
I Jonathan Edwards
Clerk of the Town of Tolland in the County of Ontario do solemnly and
sincerely promise & swear? that I will faithfully & honestly keep all
the books of town meetings & papers by Virtue of my Office of Town Clerk
Committed & which shall from time to time be committed unto me and in all
things to the best of my knowledge and understanding will & faithfully
perform the Duties of my Office of Town Clerk without favour or partiality.
J.
Edwards
Tolland April the 5th 1796
the above qualification was taken before me.
John
Swift ?
A True Copy
(page 19) A new division of road districts for the
Town of Tolland are as follows: First
Road District to begin at the top of the hill a little west of William Jackways
on the west line of No. 12, 2nd Range, thence to include all the
roads on the south side of the south bank of Mud Creek and east to the center
line of said town and the road by William Rogers to the town line and all the
roads south to the south line of said town; also the road from the street to
Nathan Harris and Thadeus Taft to Red Creek.
Second Road District to
begin on the town line west of William Jackways, thence north on said line
across Mud Creek to a road laid on the north side of said creek, including the
road that leads through Jonathan Millet’s and thence west along said road to
the west line of Webb Harwood’s land, likewise including all roads lying south
of said creek as far west as said Harwood’s west line.
Third Road District
beginning at the south bank of Mud Creek on the road from John Swift, Esq. to
Job Durfee’s, thence all the roads from the south bank of said creek east to
the east line of David H. Foster’s lot and all the roads north from said south
bank to the north line of the town to compare with said west and east line, and
also all the roads south of Mud Creek east of the center line to the road that
leads from David H. Foster to Humphrey Shearman.
Fourth Road District
beginning at the west line of Webb Harwood’s land, thence west on the road that
leads by John Gibson’s to the west line of said town, including all the roads
south within the limits of said town down to the first mentioned line.
Fifth Road District
beginning at the east line of David H. Foster’s lot, thence east to the east
line of said town and all the roads north and south to the north and south
lines of said town.
Sixth Road District to
include all the roads north of the road on the north side of Mud Creek to the
north line of said town and also to the east and west lines of No. 13, 3rd
Range, but what has been heretofore described.
Said division was made in
Tolland the 26th day of March, 1797, by us, the subscribers: William Rogers and Reuben Town, Commissioners
of Hwys.
Stephen
Aldrich, Town Clerk
Tavern Licenses: Pardon Durfee is licensed to keep a public
inn or tavern in the Town of Tolland the ensuing year for which the said Durfee
has paid to the Commissioners of Excise $5.
Nathaniel Williams &
Company are(sic.) licensed to sell strong and spirited liquors the ensuing year
in said Town of Tolland for which the said Williams has paid to the
Commissioners of Excise $5. Tolland,
March 1st, 1797.
William Rogers, Commissioner of Excise
Stephen Aldrich, Town Clerk
Stephen Phelps is permitted
to keep a public inn or tavern in the Town of Tolland for which the said Phelps
has paid to the Commissioner of Excise $5.
William Rogers, Commissioner of Excise
Stephen Aldrich, Town Clerk
Records of
the District of Palmyra, 1797
At an annual town meeting
held at the house of John Swift, Esq. on the first Tuesday of April, 1797. The meeting being opened, adjourned to the
house of Stephen Phelps. John Swift, Esq., Inspector of said meeting
The meeting being opened,
Stephen Phelps chosen Town Clerk
Jonah Howell – Supervisor
Noah Porter,
Humphrey Shearman, & Darius Comstock – Assessors
Edward Durfee – Collector
Noah Porter and William Rogers, Esq. – Overseers of the
Poor
Humphrey Sherman and Jonathan Warner & Isaac Kiley (?)
Commissioners of Highways
Thaddeus Taft & Sylvenus Conant – Constables
John Swift – Pathmaster, 1st Road District
Reuben Town – Pathmaster, 2nd Road District
Job Durfee – Pathmaster, 3rd Road District
Jonathan Warner – Pathmaster, 4th Road District
Gideon Durfee – Pathmaster, 5th Road District
Barnabus Brown – Pathmaster, 6th Road District
John Hurlbut, Thomas Goldsmith, and Darius Comstock
School Commissioners
David Warner, John Russell, & Oliver Clark – Fence
Viewers
Isaac Killey – Pound Master
Voted that swine shall be
closely confined from May 1st to October next.
Voted that the owner of
swine running at large shall pay penalty of damages done by said swine.
Voted that Fence Viewers
shall be allowed six shillings per day while employed.
Voted that fences shall be
five feet high and will be erected with rails, logs, or poles to be adjudged by
the Fence Viewers.
Voted to raise the sum of
$150 for the use of the town.
Voted that there shall be a
bounty of $5 paid for each wolf killed within the limits of said town.
Voted the meeting stand
adjourned until the first Tuesday of April next, then to meet at the house of
Stephen Phelps.
A true copy of the original. Attest: Stephen Phelps, Town Clerk
I, Stephen Phelps, Clerk of
Town of Palmyra in the County of Ontario, do solemnly and sincerely promise and
swear I will faithfully and honestly keep all the book of records, writings,
and papers by virtue of my said office of Town Clerk and which shall be committed
unto me and in all things to the best of my knowledge and understanding will
faithfully perform the duties of my said office of Town Clerk without favor or
partiality. Stephen Phelps
We, Sylvenus Conant and
Thadeus Taft, do solemnly promise and sincerely swear that we will in all
things to the best of our knowledge and understanding and ability will and
faithfully execute and perform the trust reposed in us as Constables of the
District of Palmyra in the County of Ontario.
Thadeus Taft and Sylvenus Conant
We, Darius Comstock,
Humphrey Shearman, and Noah Porter, do solemnly and sincerely promise and
affirm that we will honestly and impartially assess the several persons and
estates within the Town of Palmyra in the County of Ontario, and that in making
such assessments, we will to the best of our knowledge and judgment observe the
directions of the several laws of the state directing and requiring such
assessments to be made.
Noah Porter, Darius Comstock, and Humphrey Shearman
We, William Rogers and Noah
Porter, do solemnly and sincerely promise and affirm that we will in all things
to the best of our knowledge, understanding, and ability will faithfully
execute and perform the trust reposed in us as Overseers of the Poor of the
District of Palmyra in the County of Ontario.
William Rogers and Noah Porter
We, Humphrey Shearman,
Jonathan Warner, and Isaac Killey, do solemnly and sincerely promise and affirm
that we will in all things to the best of our knowledge and understanding, will
faithfully execute the trust reposed in us as commissioners of Highways for the
District of Palmyra and County of Ontario without favor or partiality. Humphrey Shearman, Jonathan Warner, &
Isaac Killey