Chapter 7 - Battle for the Town - The Election(s) of 1765

The "Greate and General Court" acted swiftly. Their reply is obvious from the warrant for a July 8 Town Meeting:
 

".....meet at the towns meeting house on Munday the Eighth Day of this July at one of the Clock in the afternoon then and there to act on the following articles according to the order of the Greate and General Court (viz)
 

.....to proceed in the Choice of the remaining part of the Town officers who were not chosen on the Sixth of March Last as the Law directs."
 

The warrant was signed by Selectmen Samuel Darling Jr, Benjamin Partridge, Daniel Penniman, Luke Holbrook, Jonathan Draper, the five elected at the first meeting. The actions of the legislature were accepted and the reins of government passed again.
 

But, as is usually the case, the time for maneuvering was not past. The first action on July 8 was a petition to expand the Board of Selectmen.
 

"Bellingham July 8^th 1765
 

To the Moderator of the Town meeting at this present time. We desire you to put to vote to see if the Town will Chouse four more Selectmen
 

Eliph^t Holbrook Jr, Samuel Wight Jr, John Corbett, Robert Smith, Eleazer Hayward, Timothy Darling, Samuel Scott, Silvanus Scott, Joseph Rockwood, Oliver Perry, Daniel Cook
 

The Moderator would not hear the petition and more officers were elected to fill those thrown out. A second petition was presented to the same town meeting signed by 22 voters. Obviously, this meeting drew nearly all the voters in the town, because, this petition was also ruled out by the Moderator and upheld by the meeting. The remainder of the positions were filled. It was voted to let swines run at large and the meeting was adjourned.
 

The election was not over. On the basis of their petitions and their abrupt rejection, the other party went to the Superior Court to overthrow the July meeting and they succeeded!