Chapter 4 - Beginning A New Town

The petition had succeeded, now the farmers and tradesmen of the new town had to go forward in carrying out the tasks given them by the Colonial legislature. The first and easiest job was the formation of a town government. On March 2, 1720, in accordance with their incorporation, the male landholders "Then meett together the Inhabitances of y^e Town att the house of Ensig John Thompson it being a publiuck town meeting to chuse town officers."
 

"Then chosen moderator Pelatiah Smith.............................
 

Selectmen--Leun^tt John Darlin, Pelatiah Smith, Ensig John Thompson, Nathniel Jillson, John Corbet..........................
 

Town Clark--Pelatiah Smith Constables -- William Hayward, Neckolas Cooke Juner Survayers--Richard Blood, Samuill Rich....
 

Town Treasury--John Hoolbrock Thyding Men--John March, Neckolas Cooke Fince Viewers--Jonathan Hayward, Samuill Hayward, Zuriell Hall, Banfield Capron. Du obsarvances of swine--Oliver Hayward, Samuill Darlin Field Drivers--Cornelius Darlin, Nathniell Watherly. Sworn before Selectmen: Pelatiah town Clarke. Constables: Sworn as sd William Hayward, Nickolas Cook. Surveyors of y^e Highways: Richard Blood, Samuill Rich before y^e Selectmen as aforesd. John March, Nickolas Cook Senior Sworn as aforesd. Town treasury John Hoolbrock Sworn as aforesd. Fince Viewers Jonathan Hayward, Samuill Hayward, Zuriell Hall, Banfield Capron Sworn as aforesaid. Oliver Hayward, Samuill Darlin Sworn as aforesd to the Du obsarvances of swine. Cornelius Darlin Senior, Nathaniell Watherly Sworn as aforesd. Joseph Hoolbrock, John Corbet, Samuill Hayward chosen as a Commette to run the line between Mendon and Bellingham. John Darlin, Nickolas Cook Senior, John Corbet, Hoolbrock men chosen to consider a place to set the meetting House. It was voted on the day above named that the first Wensday in March should be the annuall town meetting for the chusing of town officers."
 

The first items entered in the town records were the Request for incorporation and the response. The Town meeting noted above was the first. The townsmen who followed were often poor spellers, often poor in penmanship but they were always meticulous in recording their actions. Since the Town's formation every Town meeting appears to have been recorded in some fashion or other. Most were not earth shaking in their actions, but they give an accurate picture of a town growing and evolving through the years to the present day.
 

Many of the offices elected at that first town meeting have carried down to the present day. Five Selectmen later became three and later still five again. The first Moderator and all his successors until the 1920's were elected by each individual Town Meeting. Such offices as Tything Men, Fence Viewers and Field Drivers lost their importance as time passed and were allowed to disappear from the annual election. The March election remained until 1991. The March Annual Town Meeting became a May event in 1981. The basic form of government established in 1720 remained through 1993.
 

The Town soon fell into a routine. The Annual Town Meeting elected offices and took care of the operations of Town. A second meeting was traditionally held in September to deal with the finances of the Town. Other meetings were held as needed, often two or three a month; other times two or three a year.
 

The Town was still a frontier town. The roads were unpaved and probably remained so for another century or more. There were no public utilities. Water came from a well, electricity was non existent. Transportation was by horse or horse and wagon. Indoor plumbing and septic systems were stll in the future. The outdoor hand pump and the outhouse were present at each house. Wells were dug by hand. Often water was taken from a nearby stream. It was hard living. Most were dependent on the land for their food and whatever money they could make. The fields were plowed by man or man and horse. Days were long and the work was hard. Animals were fed first, then the family. Days were long. When daylight was gone, everyone went to bed, to be up at or before dawn up.
 

Even the few that were not farmers, planted for their own tables. Early in the town's history, there were inns and taverns. Because of the Post Road from Boston to Hartford along the present Hartford Avenue, there was a need for establishments to cater to the traveler. One, now know as the Pelitiah Smith house on Hartford Avenue, next to St Brendans Catholic Church, is still standing. In front of it is a mile marker erected to show the traveler the way. Another such tavern was in a house on Hartford Avenue, two houses west of Cedar Hill Road. This house also still stands. Inns and taverns appear and disappear quickly in those early years. It was a convenient means of raising money. The traveler expected little, except a meal and a bed.
 

The food at mealtime was simple and plain. Long days of labor with the children, the laundry, baking, cloth making, etc., did not leave time for elaborate gourmet meals. The meat was usually home grown, or perhaps hunted nearby. Vegetables were homegrown and plentiful in season, often nonexistent through the winter months, except whatever could be kept in a cold cellar. Items not raised or grown in the area were not found on the local tables or when found were portioned dearly. These items came through Boston, as well as spices and cloth, furniture and other items not available locally. Most families got by with what they could build, grow or raise themselves. Wood came off their own property and was milled locally, usually by hand.
 

Cows, sheep and other livestock roamed freely over the land. Though there was some fencing and the stone walls still present over the countryside of all New England towns, were being built, livestock either was set free to roam where it pleased or often broke from its stockyards. Much as the "olde west" the Bellingham rancher branded and marked his livestock. Each brand and/or mark was identified and registered in the "Town's Book". The first eighteen pages of that book contain these brands and marks for the families of Bellingham. Even the Town, in 1726, was given its own mark.
 

Stonewalls were not only a means of dividing property. The fields were rocky and had to be farmed before plowing. Building a stone wall was easier than hauling away the stones. New England fields have always been able to "grow" rocks. Bellingham's were better than most.
 

Maintaining order among the farmers was the task of many of the early town meetings. At the second town meeting on May 9, 1720 "It was Voted that No proprioter or Inhabitant should Take in any cattle from or belonging to any other Town but what they pay twelve pence pr head to be paid unto the treasury for the use of the town. this Vote to stand only for this year insuing." The townspeople were obviously concerned about the depletion of good grazing land and wanted to ensure its use by Bellingham cattle.
 

Another problem apparently were hogs. Because of their deep rooting during grazing, they were especially destructive to the land. The townspeople apparently felt the need to control these animals yearly for the March 20, 1721 meeting "Voated that hogs shall run at Larg till the first Day of May and then be shut up till the end of October." This question was on nearly every annual meeting ballot for the next century. Seldom did the hogs lose.
 

The early decisions appear simple from these more complex times. The May 9, 1720 town meeting provided the initial publically recorded taxation by the Town. "Meett togather att the house of John Thompsons the Inhabitants of the Town of Bellingham on a publiuck town meetting. Then Voted that Teann pounds should be raised for the use of ye town."
 

The nonchalance of the individuals to their public task can be seen in the first notation on that meeting "What was don on May the 9 being a Publiuck town meeting Day being over looked as it lay upon file is hear brought in."
 

The citizens of Bellingham wanted to be left alone. Nearly half of the signers of the petition to the General Court were Baptist. Several more residents, who did not sign were Quaker. All were more concerned with survival than their own governance. In an action that would be repeated every year until 1774, "the Town voted on May 15, 1721"to choose a Deputie but Not Judging our Selves Qualified Desired to be Excused." More likely it was a desire to escape notice and frugality rather than qualifications that generated this vote.
 

The General Court in 1721 voted a £50,000 appropriation for all towns. Bellingham was quick to move on January 30, 1722 to accept this largesse. "Then chosen Trustees to take & recieve that Part of y^e fifty Thousand pound bank assigned for this Town of Bellingham by the General Court which is Seventy Four pounds as appears by the act of y^egreat an General Court. Captain John Darling, Lieut John Tompson, and Cornet John Holbrook. After that a voat had Passed at the same town meeting that the money should be taken according to y^e act of the Court. At the same meeting it was voated that our part of that Mony when taken shall be put into the Treasury for the use of the Town."
 

The Proprietors agreed to use their funds for the town as well. "It was voated that Mr Jonathan Draper of Dedham be appointed to Gather y^e mony which those Gentlemen of Dedham which are Proprieters of Land in Bellingham have subscribed for the Building of the Meeting house & Settleing of a Minister and deliver it our Committee Chosen for that service." The money raised by the Proprietors was not Town money. They were not obligated to use it for any Town purpose. Much of their funding went for surveys and roads.
 

The raising of money meant the Town was also spending it. Few expenditures in the Town's interest were left unbilled. John Marsh received eight shillings for money spent "toward our petition for a Township and 0-4 for Bying & bringing up ammunition for the Town."
 

The early years of the Town revolved around Town problems. The first was the construction of a meeting house, the second to find a pastor to preach in it.