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1781.

In this year there does not appear to have been any new settler or any important occurrence. The "Royal Mess" underwent a change. Before the middle of

a red squirrel alive." Upon being questioned, he said he had made to Jennison substantially the same statement. Jennison told Tucker that “Taylor was a thief and a liar, and not fit to keep gentlemen's company," and not only refused to retract when called upon, but repeated the charges publicly. Taylor prosecuted him, and Jennison gained the case by proving that Taylor had taken a bag of wheat from a mill without leave, and an ox which he sold to a commissary in the revolutionary war. Several actions were brought by the parties against each other. Jennison brought one in March, 1781. After various law operations, Taylor was committed to jail in Worcester, March 12, 1784, on Jennison's execution, "for about £900 lawful money." Taylor, in a communication published March 18, 1784, in the Worcester Spy, speaks of having sold farms "to the amount of several thousand pounds silver money value, and loaned the money arising therefrom, a part to this Commonwealth [Massachusetts], but principally to the United States, taking their promise to return the same within three years, with interest; but adds, that he had not to that "day received one farthing of the principal, and but a small part of the interest." The rest of the communication is taken up with abusing Jennison, and demanding settlement of and with all his creditors. Jennison replied in detail, April 8; and this drew out a long rejoinder, April 22. Taylor was in some way released, and was a delegate from Douglas to the Massachusetts Convention held in January and February, 1788, "for the purpose of assenting to and ratifying the Constitution recommended by the Grand Federal Convention." It seems, however, that he was recommitted to jail. There he occasionally gave festive entertainments, remarking that he could afford to do it with the interest of Jennison's money. Many other things were done to irritate Jennison, who took measures to have him watched. Taylor went across the street to buy some tempting fruit, and, in doing it, broke his bonds for the liberty of the jail-yard. At last, according to some, he took rum and opium in anticipation of being recommitted to jail by the persons who had been his bondsmen. By others, it is said he "had been on a spree for a number of days; and, having no rum or brandy, went to looking over his bottles of medicine, and came to some laudanum, and drank a dram of it, whether by mistake or otherwise not known. An emetic was administered, and he was ordered to walk out of doors in the open air;" but he died the same day, April 27, 1794, at Douglas, in the sixtieth year of his age.

The part taken by Dr. Taylor in the Convention for adopting the Federal Constitution may be understood from the "Debates, Resolutions, and other Proceedings of the Convention," reported by Benjamin Russell, and printed in Boston in 1788. From this it appears that he was in favor of annual instead of biennial elections to the

September, Joel Adams married Jemima, daughter of Philip Robbins. The ceremony was performed by Col. Mason Wheaton, of Thomaston. He disappointed them at the time fixed for the wedding; but, not long afterward, he married them in the log-house which was occupied by the " Royal Mess." The ceremony being over and the company seated, the mother of the bride observed," Mr. Justice, you have but half done your work." "Why not?" said he. "Why, you have not pronounced them man and wife." With some confusion he asked them to rise again, and the ceremony was satisfactorily concluded. It was the first wedding in town, and it is said that it was the first at which Col. Wheaton ever officiated.

Mrs. Adams did not move from the log-house where she had been employed. The The "Royal Mess" still continued; each member contributing provisions, and

House of Representatives, and of a larger representation than was proposed. The senatorial term of six years seemed to him very objectionable. He also expressed some apprehension lest the two branches of Congress might "play into each other's hands," advocated the doctrine that members should be paid by the State Legislatures rather than by the United States, raised some objections to a Federal City, and entered into the discussions respecting proposed amendments. When the question of ratifying the proposed Constitution was finally put, it was carried by a majority of only nineteen; 187 voting in its favor, and 168 against it. Shortly afterward, Dr. Taylor rose, and said that "he had uniformly opposed the Constitution; that he had found himself fairly beaten; and expressed his determination to go home, and endeavor to infuse a spirit of harmony and love among the people."

To this long note it may be added, that Dr. William Jennison was probably born in Salem, Mass. where his father was a clergyman. He had a good education, and studied medicine with Dr. Prentice, of Lancaster. He resided at Mendon, now Milford, where he married Mary Staples; also at Douglas, Sudbury, and Brookfield. At the age of sixty-six, he died at Brookfield, May 8, 1798, in consequence of a fall from his horse. He was a man of great activity and energy, and during the Revolution was a prominent whig. His children were1. William; 2. Samuel, a lawyer; 3. John, a lawyer, settled in Boston, and died of lung fever; 4. Timothy Lindall, M.D. of Cambridge, Mass.; also Ebenezer, who lived for some time in Union, was surveyor, married in Boston, and died a few years since at Dixmont, where he was postmaster. There were also Mary, who married Jonathan Whipple, father of the late William J. Whipple, Esq. of Cambridge; and Abigail, who is still living.

the unmarried members paying for the services rendered by Mrs. Adams. Adams and his wife, in the fall, visited Massachusetts.

This year Jessa Robbins began to clear the farm south of Round Pond, where he now lives with his son, Jason Robbins.

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1782.

January 15. Mr. Adams gone down to George's, after his things he brought from the Westward; likewise to help Mr. Butler up with his lady's goods.”1 Mr. Phinehas Butler, having completed his term of service in the army, returned to Thomaston, and there married, Oct. 18, 1781, Milea, daughter of Oliver Robbins. She was the first white female born in Thomaston, east of Mill River. Jan. 17, 1782, he moved into a log-house in Stirlington, which he built on the farm now owned by James Grinnell, on the west side of the St. George's, about half-way from the Middle to the Upper Bridge. He returned to Thomaston, Nov. 14, 1785, where he and his wife are now both living.

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Sabbath-day, April 28, 1782. Last week, Mr. Elisha Partridge moved upon Col. Wheaton's farm in this place."1 He came from Franklin, and was a tenant under Col. Wheaton. The place was afterwards bought by the Daggetts. His log-house was probably very near the spot now occupied by Nahum Thurston's house.

"May 16. John Taylor conveyed to Josiah Reed land in Sterlingtown, bounded as follows: Beginning on the western side of Sunnybeck Pond in a side line of Camden; thence north-west by north on Camden line to the north-west corner of the township the grantor purchased of Thomas Flucker and others, Sept. 30, 1774; thence south-west by west and southerly, on the most western line of said township, till it comes to the six-thousand-acre lot sold to William Jennison; then easterly and southerly, by said sixthousand-acre lot, to the most north-westerly corner of

1 Matthias Hawes's Account-book.

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a thousand-acre lot sold to Mason Wheaton; thence easterly, on the northern line of said thousand-acre lot, to St. George's River; then northerly, by said river to the first bounds, containing by estimation upwards of 14,000 acres."

This was the last of the land owned by Dr. Taylor. It is said, that, in consequence of the lawsuit with Dr. Jennison, and to avoid attachments by his creditors, he put his property into the hands of his son-in-law Reed,

who never restored it.

Another change was made in the "Royal Mess." "Nov. 4. Mr. Adams moved out of this house, and Mr. Ware moved in with his wife.... Nov. 22. I brought up my boards for my house from the mill. . . Dec. 7. I raised the roof of my house. . . . Dec. 25. I moved into my house."1

CHAPTER VII.

PLANTATION HISTORY, 1783-1786.

Gillmor.- Cat-and

1783, Log-house. - Bride. — Bride's Dower. - Jessa Robbins.- 1784, Amariah Mero. 1785, Josiah Robbins. clay Chimney. - Royal Grinnell. - Elijah Holmes. 1786, Arrival of the Families of Josiah Robbins; of Samuel Hills. · Samuel Martin. - Organization of the Plantation.

1783.

JAN. 1, Matthias Hawes married Sarah Payson, in Warren; and on the 16th "moved home and began to keep house;"1 and thus another family was added to the population. According to Mrs. Hawes, the house which Mr. Hawes had begun was by some considered "a little more stylish" than any other of the log-houses in the plantation. No other house in Stirlington was shingled. This was covered with shingles made by Mr. Hawes himself. It contained a kitchen,

1 Matthias Hawes's Account-book.

bedroom, buttery, and had a good cellar. The logs of which the walls were made, instead of being rough, were hewed both inside and outside. There was a regularly laid floor; but, as the boards were not nailed down, considerable care was requisite, in drawing up the table for a meal, to prevent it from being upset. On the west end was a place designed for a chimney. For a flue, boards were stuck up endwise, ten or twelve feet apart at the bottom, to secure them from taking fire, and tipped inward toward the top, so as to leave a comparatively small opening for the passage of the smoke. The fire was built on the ground, and a flat stone used for a chimney-back. The only window was made by a wooden slide. This was closed when it stormed, and then the newly-married couple saw by means of the light which came down the chimney. As the ground on which the fire was built was lower than the floor, the occupants, when it was cold, sat on the ends of the boards, and suspended their feet in front of the fire. A crane was made by extending a pole across the fireplace, and resting the ends in the crotches of sticks which were driven into the ground, one on each side of the fire. These were the accommodations when Mr. Hawes "moved home and began to keep house." He made bricks and put up a chimney in the spring. In the fall he went to Boston, where he procured glass, and made two small windows. Some of the other people in Stirlington used mica or "isinglass." Oiled paper was also in use.

Commonly a log-house had but one room. Sometimes two rooms were made by suspending a bedquilt from the ceiling. In Mr. Hawes's house, besides the indispensable requisites for housekeeping, was a large spinning-wheel. There was also a loom, which, large as looms were then made, must have occupied a very important portion of the room. Log-houses, however, were easily built, and when finished were commonly tight, well caulked with moss, sometimes with clay, and were very warm. Trees were growing at the doors; and the settlers, desiring to get rid of them

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