1815 Town of Palmyra Minutes

 

A record made from the minutes of the alterations of Road districts in the town of Palmyra by John Russell, Joseph Comstock, and Stephen Sherman on March 21st, 1815; viz., that part of Road District No. 7 lying north of the north lines of Lots No. 79, 80, 81, 82, and the north part of Lot No. 83 in township No. 12, 2nd Range is set off and known by the name of the 29th Road District.

 

That part of Road District No. 5 lying north of a straight line drawn from the south end of the bridge over Red Creek, northerly from the school house near John Hopkin’s to the north line of George Culver’s land, thence east to the town line and west from the place of beginning to Reuben Stark’s east line is set off and known by the name of the 30th Road District.

 

That part of Road District No. 9 being from the north to the south bank of Mud Creek where a bridge formerly stood, near Perin and Durfee’s mill is set off and attached to Road district No. 1(?).

 

A true copy.                            James White, Town Clerk

 

We, the subscribers, Commissioners of Common Schools, in the Town of Palmyra, having carefully considered all the difficulties and circumstances attending the 17th School District do determine and declare that the bounds of said district are as follows:  Beginning at the northwest corner of Township No. 12, 3rd Range, thence east 1 mile, thence south 1 mile, thence east 1 mile, thence south ˝ mile, thence east to the west line of School District No. 12, thence south to the north line of School District No. 16, thence west to the west line of said township, thence north to the place of beginning.

 

And further that the bounds of 18th School district be as follows:  Beginning east by 12th School District, north by the town line, south and west by 17th School District.

 

Signed at Palmyra on March 28th, 1815:  Darius Comstock, Joel Foster, and Gain Robinson – Commissioners of Common Schools.

 

A true copy.                James White, Town Clerk

 

1815.  Alteration of School Districts as done by Darius Comstock, Gain Robinson, and Joel Foster – Commissioners of Common Schools for the Town of Palmyra; viz., Enoch Saunders is set off from 1st School District in Palmyra with leave to annex himself to Farmington.  Parshall Terry is set off from Palmyra with leave to attach himself to Farmington.  Isaac Sweezy is set off from Palmyra with leave to attach himself to Williamson.  Martin Harris is set off from School District No. 1 and attached to School District No. 8 in Palmyra.  Lots No. 28 and 29 in Township No. 12, 2nd Range are attached to School District No. 5.

 

At the annual Town Meeting held in the Meeting House in the Village of Palmyra on the first Tuesday in April, 1815.  Present:  Stephen Phelps, Abner Cole, Levi Ward, James Reeves, and Frederick Smith – Justices of the Peace, Inspectors of said meeting.

 

Voted James White serve as Town Clerk for the ensuing year.

 

Voted David White serve as Supervisor for the ensuing year.

 

Voted Levi Ward, David Wilcox, and Stephen Sherman serve as Assessors for the ensuing year.

 

Voted John Russell, Joseph Comstock, and Edward Durfee serve as Commissioners of Highways for the ensuing year.

 

Voted Nathaniel Beckwith and Abraham Spear serve as Overseers of the Poor for the ensuing year.

 

Voted Asa R. Swift serve as Collector for the ensuing year.

 

Voted James Benjamin, Asa R. Swift, and Denison Rogers serve as Constables for the ensuing year.

 

Voted Gain Robinson, Darius Comstock, and Joel Foster serve as Commissioners of Common Schools for the ensuing year.

 

Voted Reverend L. Rowe, James Benjamin, Joseph Comstock, Ira Selby, William Rogers, and Oliver Clark serve as Inspectors of Common School for the ensuing year.

 

Voted the following men serve as Overseers of Highways in the several Road Districts; viz.:

 

            1.   Alvah Hendee                                  16.  Gardner Peters

            2.  Thomas Rogers                                   17.  Darius Comstock

            3.  Archer Galloway                                18.  William Reed

            4.  Gideon Sherman                                19.  Thomas Brown

            5.  Luther Sanford                                  20.   Webb Harwood

            6.  Joel Foster                             21.  Joseph Baker

            7.  Pardon Wilcox                         22.  Zopher Smith

            8.  Peter Harris                           23.  Pitts Taft

            9.  Martin Harris                          24.  Jesse Penfield

         10.  Noahdiah Dickinson                   25.  Joseph Pratt

         11.  Benjamin Wood                          26.  James White

                        12.  Abner Hill                               27.  Joshua Terry

                        13.  Wing Walker                          28. Thomas Patison

                        14.  Ira Lapham                                  29.  Borden Wise

                        15.  John F. Packard                    30. Benjamin

                                                                                                Hopkins

Voted the several Overseers of Highways serve as Fence Viewers for the ensuing year.

 

Voted Gain Robinson serve as Pound Keepr for the ensuing year.

 

Voted that swine and geese are not free commoners the year ensuing; and in case any man's swine or geese are found running at large on the commons, any person so finding the same may drive the said swine or geese and deliver the same to the Keeper of Pound in this town, and he is hereby directed to take the same into his custody and do with the same as the law directs, and further the owner or owners of said swine or geese shall forfeit and pay the sum of $.50 for each and every swine so offending, and the sum of $.25 for each and every goose of gander so offending, complaint having been made to any Justice of the Peace in said town within 6 days after such offense having been committed; half of said fines when collected shall be paid to the Overseers of the Poor for the benefit of the poor in said town; the other half to the benefit of the person who shall enter such complaint to be recovered with costs of suit by any person who may prosecute for the same to effect.

 

Voted that any person who shall permit his or her horse to run at large in the highways or commons shall forfeit and pay a fine of $1 for each and every offense to be recovered and applied in the same manner as the fine respecting swine and geese is to be recovered and applied with the right of impounding if the person shall see fit or where the owner cannot be found.

 

Voted that no person shall permit his or her neat cattle to run at large on the commons or in the highways from the first day of

December until the first day of April, and the owner of any near cattle that shall be found injuring any neighbor or traveller in any way from the first day of December to the first day of April shall forfeit and pay $1 for every such offense to be recovered and applied in the same manner as the fines relative to swine and geese are directed to be recovered and applied.

 

Voted that any person who shall permit his or her ram sheep to run at large from September 1st to November 1st next ensuing shall forfeit and pay a fine of $2.50; the said fine to be collected and applied in the same manner as the fine relative to swine and geese is directed to be collected and applied, and said ram so offending may be castrated with impunity.

 

Voted that $250 be raised for the benefit of the poor in this town for the ensuing year.

 

Voted that a bounty of $25 be paid to any person residing within this town who shall kill any wolf within this or the adjoining towns excepting such wolves as are caught in traps, deadfalls, or otherwise by baiting or tolling(?) them on which no bounty shall be paid; the person or persons so killing shall make satisfactory proof to the Supervisor of the manner in which said wolf was taken or killed.

 

Voted that this meeting stand adjourned until the first Tuesday of April next; then to be opened at this place at 9:00 a.m.

 

                                      James White, Town Clerk

 

Stephen A. Hoag’s mark:  A crop of the left ear and two swallowtail forks in the end of the same.  (Transferred to Jacob Hoag on page 199.)

 

Joseph Hoag’s mark:  A crop of the right ear with two swallowtail forks in the end of the same and a half crop the under side of the left ear.  (Transferred to William Hoag.)

 

Henry Prosper’s mark:  A crop of the right ear and a slit in the upper side of the same and a slit in the under side of the left ear.  (Transferred to S. Durfee, page 199.)

 

Record from the minutes of the alteration of a public highway as done by Edward Durfee and John Russell, two of the commissioners of Highways for this year.  Beginning 32 rods north of Nathan Harris’ dwelling house near a spring brook in the center of a highway running from the village of Palmyra to Stephen Durfee’s sawmill, thence north 50 rods, thence north 2 degrees, east 46 rods, thence north 3 degrees, east 22 rods to the center of the first mentioned highway.  Explored and survey May 22nd, 1815.

 

A true copy of the original.  James White, Town Clerk

 

(See page 17, 75, 127, 129, 128, 198.)

 

John Stark’s mark:  a crop off the right ear; a slit in the end of the same, and a half crop the under side of the end of the left ear.  (Recorded September 11th, 1815.)

 

Isaac Wilber’s mark:  A crop off the end of the left ear and a slit and halfpenny the underside of the same.  (Recorded September 12th, 1815.)

 

George Durfee’s mark:  A crop off the left ear and a half penny the upper side of the right ear.  (Transferred from Robert Hinds on page 13.)  (Recorded December 18th, 1815.)

 

 

Henry Wilber’s mark:  a crop off the left ear and a slit in the end of the same with a half penny on the underside of the same.  (Record January 1st, 1816.)

 

Jeremiah Soper’s mark:  A swallow’s fork in each ear and a slit in the under side of the right.  (Recorded March 11th, 1816.)

 

Thomas Rogers’ ear mark:  A half penny the under side of the right ear.  (Transferred from Azel Ensworth on page 153.)  (Recorded March 20th, 1816.)

 

We, the undersigned Commissioners of Common Schools for the Town of Palmyra, do hereby annex the following persons living in the Town of Palmyra to the Town of Williamson for the purpose of all the privileges of Common Schools in said town; viz., Isaac Sweezy in the 5th School District and Zepheniah Culver and William Rowley in the 4th School District; also Ellory Potter, Luther Foot, Ephraim Hollister, and Gardner West, living in said Town of Palmyra are hereby annexed to the Town of Williamson with all the privileges of common schools pertaining to said town.

 

Signed:  Gain Robinson, Joel foster, and Darius Comstock – Commissioners of Common Schools

 

A true copy by me. James White, Town Clerk  (Recorded December 18th, 1815.)

 

We, the undersigned Commissioners of Common Schools for the Town of Williamson, do hereby concur in the setting off of Isaac Sweezy, Zephaniah Culver, William Rowley, Ellory Potter, Luther Foot, Ephraim Hollister, and Garner Wise from the Town of Palmyra and attaching them to the Town of Williamson as it respects all the privileges by law pertaining to common schools in the State of New York.

 

Signed:  Seth Tucker and William Rogers, Jr. – Commissioners of Common Schools, Williamson. 

 

A true copy.                James White, Town Clerk                  (Recorded December 18th, 1815.)

 

Record from the minutes of a public highway explored and actually surveyed beginning on the south line of Township No. 12, 3rd Range on the line between Lots No. 1 and 2, thence north on the line between Lots No. 1 and 2 and Lots No. 23 and 24 until it intersects a public highway leading east and west on the south side of Mud Creek near Seymour Sewell’s mill.

 

Dated at Palmyra May 22nd, 1815.

 

Signed:  Edward Durfee and John Russell – Commissioners of Highways.

 

I certify the above to be a true copy.  James White, Town Clerk

 

Record from the minutes of a public highway explored and actually surveyed, beginning in the center of a highway leading from Darius Comstock’s in Palmyra to the Friends’ Meeting House in Farmington, thence east 7 degrees, south 95 rods, thence east 34 degrees, south 16 rods between lands belonging to Benjamin Everett and Rufus Randall, thence east 2 degrees, south 88 rods on a line between said Everett and Randall, thence south 26 degrees, east 18 rods, thence south 2 degrees east on the line between said Everett and Randall 58 rods.

 

Dated at Palmyra November 20th, 1815.

 

Signed:  John Russell & Joseph Comstock, Commissioners of Highways.

 

A true copy by me:  James White, Town Clerk

 

Record from the minutes of a public highway explored and actually surveyed beginning in the center of a public highway leading from Benjamin Everett’s southeasterly into Farmington at the foot of a large ridge on the west side, thence north 15 degrees, east 16 rods, thence east 3 rods, thence east 2 degrees, south 166 rods on the line between Everett and Brown, thence east 12 degrees, south 47 rods to the center of the west line of Charles Bradish’s land, thence east 2 degrees, south along the center of said land 120 rods until it intersects a public highway leading north and south across said Bradish’s farm.  Dated at Palmyra November 20th, 1815.

 

Signed:  John Russell and Joseph Comstock, Commissioners of Highways. A true copy by me:  James White, Town Clerk