March
At a General Town Meeting held at Salem, the 22 [of] March 1671/2
Voted, that all farmers that now are or hereafter shall [be] willing, to joyne together for
providing a minister among themselves, whose habitations are above Ipswich Highway, [ ] the horse
bridge to the wooden bridge at the hither end of [Mr.] Endicot's, plain, and from thence upon a
westline, shall [have] liberty to have a minister by themselves, and when they shall [have] provided
one and pay him maintainance that then they [shall] be discharged from their part of Salem ministers
maintain[ance] and this to continue so long as the ministers abide with the[m] and Is maintained by
them. Provided alwayes, that they sh[all] bear all other Charges whatsoever among themselves both
w[ith] respect to their meeting house, and ministers house or [ ] whatsoever in Carrying on this
work, and also bear [their propor]tion of all other publique charges in the towne.
A
true coppy taken out of Salem towne bo[ok]
Per TIMOTHY LINDALL.
[Clerk]
October
[6] At a General Court held at Boston 8th of October
1672.
In answer to the Petition of the farmers of Salem, Richard Hutchinson, Thomas Fuller &c, the
Court judgeth it meet that all persons living within the tract of land mentioned in the towne grant
to the Petitioners together with all lands and Estates lying with[in] the said bounds shall
Contribute to all Charges referring to [ma]intainance of a minister or erecting [of a meeting] house
there [and] that they shall have liberty to nominate and appoint Persons among themselves or towne
of Salem not exceeding the Number of five who are hereby impowered from time to time for the makeing
and gathering of all rates and levies for the ends above expressed-and in case of refusal or non
payment of the same by any person or persons amongst them that then the Constables shall and are
hereby impowered to make distress upon the goods of any who shall so neglect or refuse to afford
their help in that case, and the same to deliver to the persons aforesaid to be improved accordingly
and that when a minister shall be settled amongst them they shall be freed from Contributeing to the
maintenance of the ministers of Salem.
That this is a true Coppy taken out of the Court
records attests
EDWARD RAWSON,
Secretary.
November
The Company being mett together the 11 of Novr 1672,
there was a Committee chosen to Carry a long the affaires-according to the Court order, vizt
Lieut Thomas Putnam, Thomas Fuller Sene Joseph Porter, Thomas Flint & Joshua Rea.
The Instructions for the Comittee chosen to raise our public charges for the year ensueing
were
1) All Vacant land at one half penny per acre.
2) All improved land both meadow & upland at one penny per acre.
3) All heads & other estate at Country price.
4) It was also voted that they were to make a rate of fourty [p]ounds for this pesent year for Mr
Baily.
December
[7] 26 of the 10 m:1672.
1. At another meeting it was voted that we will build a meeting [house] of 34 foot in length 28
foot broad and 16 foot between jointes
2. It was voted that we have Chosen to joine with the Selectmen for [to] agree with a Carpenter
to build the meeting house and setting [men] to work Nathl Putnam, Henry Kenney, Joseph Hutchinson
and Jo[hn] Putnam.
3. Voted that the Selectmen shall make a rate according to the C[ourt] order equally for the
paying for the building the meeting house.
4. Voted that it shall be accounted a lawful warning to warne a publick meeting with a paper
written under the Committee's hands and sett upon the meeting house post.
