77. Record of a Vestry Meeting (1702) BY THE VESTRY OF ST. PAUL'S PARISH, CHOWAN PRECINCT In the south the vestry, alongside the county court (No. 75 above), was the organ of local government, corresponding roughly to the town-meeting of New England.— Bibliography: E. Channing, Town and County Government. Ta Vestry holden the 30th of June 1702 at the house of Thomas AT In obedience to a late act of Assembly made in March last impowering the Vestry of each precinct to provide a standard for weights & measures and it being debated how the said weights and measures be procured agreed That the Church Wardens shall use their utmost endeavour by the first convenience to send for weights and measure as the law directs. And agree with some person for that purpose at as cheap a rate as possible and also one fair and large book of common Prayer, and the Book of Homilies. Ordered that the Church Wardens shall agree with and pay the collector or collectors for collecting the precinct Levies. At a Vestry held at Thomas Gilliam's Oct. 13th 1702. Whereas at the last Vestry it was ordered that there should be a standard of weights and measures sent for the use of the precinct in obedience to the act of Assembly the charge whereof with the rest of the p'cinct charge being as followeth. Viz'. To building the Chappel to Mr John Porter To Richard Curton Reader To the Standard for the precinct. To clearing an acre of ground, and flooring the house to. Mr To Nathaniel Chevin acting as Clerk To the Joiner for Windows. Table forms. & Benches To Thomas Gilliam for trouble of his house To the poor of the precinct To John Tyler for Attendance To Sallery for collecting at so p' C' The total amount. £sh d 25: 0:0 7:10:0 12: 10:0 2: 10:0 I: 10:0 6: 0:0 I: 10:0 8: 0:0 0: I:0 6: 8:0 70:19:0 The list of Tythables in the precinct being taken is found to be 283 and the sum Ordered that the church Wardens collect from each Tythable person in the precinct five shillings and Col Wm Wilkinson having undertaken the collection, and the Vestry agreeing thereto Ordered that Col Wm Wilkinson do collect upon all and every the Tythables within this precinct (a list whereof is delivered to him under the hand of the clerk of the Vestry) five shillings p' pole and for non payment thereof to make distress according to Law, and likewise to pay unto the several persons aforementioned the several sums due to them and allotted by this vestry, and He together with the other Church Wardens do provide and pay for the other things mentioned in the aforesaid Order, and render an account of the same to this Vestry to be holden the last tuesday in April next and finish all the collection. . . . OCTOBER YE: 14.th 1702. The vestry being met and having viewed the Chappel, the major part of the Vestry do declare their dislike of the ceiling of the Chappel by reason of the Boards being defaced. Ordered that Mr Edward Smithwick and Mr Nicholas Crisp on behalf of the Vestry do choose one indifferent man that is skilled in building, and Mr John Porter shall choose another. who shall meet at the Chappel the second saturday in November to give their judgment whether the boards be fit for ceiling such a house and if these two persons chosen as aforesaid cannot agree in their opinions, then they shall choose an umpire, and what opinion he the said umpire shall give shall be a full and final determination of the matter about the ceiling and boards, and the agreement between the Church wardens and Mr John Porter shall be thence. At a Vestry holden at the House of Mrs Sarah Gillam ye 15th Day of December 1702. . . . ... Co" William Wilkinson and Cap Thomas Leuten having Served one Year in the Station of Church Wardens, and the Choice of new Church Wardens being debated: Mr William Duckenfield and Mr Edward Smithwick are appointed Church Wardens for the ensuing year. . . . The Chappel being this Day viewed by all the Vestry here present and are Satisfied therewith and do receive the House and Keys from Mr John Porter he promising to provide So much Lime as will Wash the Ceiling of the Chappel, and the Vestry to be at the Charge of a Workman to do the Same. William L. Saunders, editor, The Colonial Records of North Carolina (Raleigh, 1886), I, 558-561 passim. 78. Proceedings of a Town-Meeting BY CLERK CAPTAIN RICHARD WATERMAN Out of many records this has been chosen as including a variety of business in small compass. The elections show the number and variety of offices. - Bibliography : E. Channing, Town and County Government; G. E. Howard, Local Constitutional History. See also Channing and Hart, Guide, §§ 118, 147; Contemporaries, I, No. 165. TT a Towns Quarter meeteing held att Prouidence this 27th day of January anno Dom: 1720/21 A Major William Hopkins Chosen Moderator: Grand Jurimen Called for by the moderator | William Harris Robert Currey Samuel Aldrich Pettee jurymen Called for by the moderator Roger Burllinggame Returned William Hopkins Ebenezer Spreague Jt is voated and ordered that | from and after ye first day of aprill next | Noo Geese shall be Lett goe vpon the Common or in the highways nor in the water with in this Township of Prouidence or with in the Jurisdiction there of nor vpon any other persons Land. Except those that one the Geese: on the pennilty of the forfiture of all such Geese that are so found - Past: Jt is voated and ordered that Herndens Lane and the highway that Leads from thence to pautuckett may be fenced for the space of fiue years from hence next Comeing prouided there be sufficiant Gates sett vp and maintained in sa Lane and highway that may be Conueniant for both horse men and Cartes to pass through as well as foot men dureing all the said term Jt is further voated and ordered that Nathan Place shall bring what deputies Bills he hath in his hands to m' James Browne that he may Jnspect into what the sum of sd Bills amounts to and also Jndeavour to git Jnformation how big the Rate was that was Leuied vpon the Town Jn the yeare 1715 and there vpon give an account to Richard Waterman Town Clerke ... It is also voated and ordered that Each free holder with in this Township of Prouidence shall from and after this day haue two pence P head for euery head of a Gray Squirrill that shall be by them brought before the Towns Treasuror: and to be payed out of the Townes Treasurrey : and this order to Continue dureing the Towns pleasure And the sd Treasuror shall be Carefull to accept of no squirrils heads but such as are killed within this Town ship The meeteing is dissolued Att a meeting of the Committee Chosen to make vp the accounts with the Town Treasurer and also to audet the Townes debts this 23a day of may Anno Dom: 1720: And to Jnspect into such accounts as shall be brought before them: And there vpon to allow of such accounts as to them shall seeme Legal: and draw a List of the same to be a Rule for the Treasurer to pay out the money by — |