in writing to them the said five men, their heirs and assigns forever according to law, and with mention of full boundary thereon." "The town after some debate voted their acceptance of said £15 in money tendered by the said South-end men, to be by them, or their order, paid to Mr. Baker of Boston, towards payment for the bell bought of said Baker, some time in May next. And they ordered that any two of the townsmen are appointed to sign and seal a deed or deeds to the South-end men, for settlement of right and title to them accordingly." Tradition states, that this bell is the same now used in the Court House in New-Haven. According to this agreement and vote of the town, on the 7th Dec. 1689, Moses Mansfield and Abraham Dickerman, two of the townsmen of New-Haven, gave a deed, for the consideration of £15 in money, to John Thompson, Thomas Smith, James Denison, Eliakim Hitchcock, and Nathaniel Hitchcock-" bounded on the south and south-west by the sea, and on the east with Stoney river, from the mouth of it to a stake by the side of the said river, with a heap of stones at it. And from thence to a white oak, marked with N. H. and stones at the root. And thence Westerly bounded by the meadows of John Russel, widow Mew, William Luddington, John Austin, Matthew Moulthrop, and John Potter, into the middle of Huckleberry swampe, and soe unto Fowler's meadow westerly, and so along by the meadows of Hartfordshire suburbs quarter, and so unto the east end of a pond by the beach called the black pond."-N. H. Rec. On the 16th March, 1671, Thomas Morris, a shipbuilder, bought the little neck. Having Gregson's farm on the north and the meadows along Fowler's creek on the east. His design was to carry on ship building, the timber there being very suitable for that purpose. But two years afterwards death put an end to all his purposes. The lots about Dragon point, between the Davenport and Ferry farms, were laid out, but lay dormant several years. The transaction relative to that subject stands thus on record: 13th Feb. 1670. "The town by vote granted that those that have land on the east side about Dragon point shall have liberty to lay their lots together, and to begin at which end they please. And the townsmen are hereby appointed to settle it with them, both in respect to convenient highways, and also how far their lots shall run in length from the river." In 1703 these lots were occupied. Next to the Brown farm, Matthew Rowe, jun. had his farm. Alling Ball obtained a farm north of the Davenport farm. Eleazar Morris, jun. settled on the hill east of the Ball farm. John Austin appears on record in 1673; and six years after obtained a piece of land overflowed by the Forge pond. He built on the north side of the road, west of the Green. In 1683 Isaac Bradley came into the village from Branford, and bought a building lot next to the river, of sergt. John Potter, and north of his house. He was a carpenter. In 1681 deacon John Chedsey, a tanner and shoemaker, settled on the north side of the Green, on a three square lot of about three acres, between John Potter and John Austin. And afterwards ten acres were granted him by the village, on the west side of the fresh meadows, which ever since has been known by the name of Chedsey's field, and Chedsey's hill. In March 1683 he "proposed to the village to have a third division of land among us equal to ten heads and £100 estate, which he doth apprehend to be 60 acres; and for the future he will be engaged to pay towards the expenses of the village after the rate of £200 rateable estate, until his estate shall amount to £200, and then to rise as his estate shall rise." In 1683 the village made a third division of land; and passed the following order, viz.: "Thomas Pinion, Robert Dawson, William Roberts, Joseph Abbot, and James Tailor, on their motion to the village, are to have no third division with the rest of the inhabitants; but shall have their land next to that land we obtained from Branford, as follows. Thomas Pinion, Robert Dawson and William Roberts, being married men, shall have 30 acres each man. And Joseph Abbott and James Tailor shall have 20 acres each man, provided each of the aforesaid five men do build upon the said land a tenantable house within three years of the present date." The lots granted by the village to the five men abovementioned, were confirmed by a town vote of New-Haven. The lots lay on Foxon's farms, north and south, across the river, and the road as it now runs. That plain was called Foxon's farms from the circumstance of its being the residence of an Indian sagamore, named Foxon. It is on re cord of the date of 1644. "The people of Branford complained that the Indians set trapps in the cattle's paths; and a Marshall was sent from New-Haven to warn Uncas, or his brother, or Foxon, to come and speak to the Governor about it." In 1658 the inhabitants of the village petitioned the town, "that a line might be run from the rear corner of Mr. Davenport's farm towards the town to Foxon's Weekwam, and so Stoney river be their bounds on the east ;" from which it appears that Foxon's residence was on the plain, not far from the river. From an inspection of a number of other documents, I find that Foxon's farms was on the plain between the house of Jared Grannis and Capt. Chedsey, and the river and the swamps at the foot of the hill north and west. Thomas Goodsell, from Branford, was admitted an inhabitant of New-Haven in April, 1692, and soon after built the house now occupied by the widow and son of Azariah Bradley; and is the oldest house in East-Haven. Edmund Tooley built on the lot south of sergt. John Potter. Edward Vickar lived east of the furnace dam. William Luddington, jun. lived on the southeast corner of the road opposite the pumpkin lot, and the place was afterwards owned by Gideon Potter and by Isaac Mallory. Samuel Thompson built on the corner lot west of the present meetinghouse; and it is probable that his father, John Thompson, lived there before him. Thomas Robinson's house was opposite the present meeting house, on the south side of the road. Samuel Russel lived on the lot now owned by Thomas Barnes. Capt. John Russel built west of Mullen hill. The lot of Matthew Moulthrop, the third, is now in the possession of the Shepard family. John Luddington was located in Bridge swamp, and his son James succeeded him, and he sold to Jedediah Andrews. Thomas Smith, jun. built near where John Forbes now lives, and his son Thomas built between him and Capt. John Russel's. CHAP. II. Concerning the Boundaries of the Town. WE shall now proceed to take a view of the boundaries of the town. The dividing line between New-Haven and Branford had not been definitely ascertained and fixed at Difference between New-Haven and Branford settled. 19 the time New-Haven sold Totokett; which left much room for uneasiness and altercation. It is a prevailing tradition, and supported too by collateral records, that the original line ran along the east side of Branford hills. And it appears from the petition of the village to New-Haven, and the grant of New-Haven to the village in 1679, and the subsequent grant by Branford, of the half mile, to the village; that Branford actually held in possession more land, than was contained in the original purchase from New-Haven in 1644, and that was not paid for. Branford claimed as far as the Furnace pond. So early as 1649 a difficulty on this subject appeared, which was submitted to arbitration, but without effect. In 1656 New-Haven made a grant of the Furnace farm to the Iron company, and 12 acres to the collier; both within the line claimed by Branford, though Branford was treated as having some interest in the Iron works. About the year 1660 Branford propos ed to New-Haven to have the line run between them. And after a long delay the business was acted upon in the following manner, as appears from the Colony records, Hartford, 14th May, 1674. "This Court ordereth that the agreement between NewHaven and Milford, Branford and Wallingford, about their bounds, be recorded with the records of the Court, and is as followeth." "Whereas there has been a difference between the inhabitants of New-Haven and the inhabitants of Branford about the dividing bounds between each plantation, and the inhabitants of New-Haven aforesaid having chosen and empowered James Bishop, jun. Thomas Munson, William Andrews, John Mosse, and John Cooper, senr. on their part, and the inhabitants of Branford aforesaid having chosen and empowered Mr. John Wilford, Thomas Blackley, Michael Tayntor, Thomas Harrison and Samuel Ward on their part, to issue the sayd difference in reference to the sayd bounds, the sayd persons abovenamed (excepting John Cooper, in whose roome Mr. William Tuttle was desired by the authority of New-Haven) being mett together this fifth day of October 1669, and a full debate and consideration of the case for the preserving of love and peace and the preventing of trouble for the future between them that have hitherto been loving neighbours, have condescended so far each to other as to agree about the premises as followeth, viz. That from the river formerly called in an agreement Tapamshashack (with the exception of meadows therein expressed) the great pond at the head of the Furnace shall be the bounds so far as it goes; and from the head of the said pond that a straight line be drawn to the east end of a Hassukque meadow out of which a brooke called Hercules brooke runnes into muddye river, and from the east end of the sayd meadowe to runn a north lyne, with the just variation according to the country unto the end of the bounds of Branford aforesayd, that is, ten miles from the sea according to the order of the General Assembly. In testimonie whereof we have set too our hands the day and year above written. = John Wilford Samuel Warde Samuel Bishop Thomas Munson William Andrews William Tuttell In another instrumemt of a later date the bounds are thus described. "Whereas the General Court of Connecticut Colony, have formerly granted unto proprietors, inhabitants of the town of New-Haven in the sayd Colony, all those lands both meadows and uplands with all their appurtenances within these abutments following, viz. on the sea or sound; on the south, from the mouth of Oyster river, to the mouth of Scotch Cap, or Stoney River, untill it come to the brooke called Tapponshaske (only in that line is not included the meadow that is laid out to New-Haven proprietors, on the east side the sayd river according to former agreement with Branford) and so the sayd brooke is the bounds to the Furnace dam, and thence the great pond to the head of it, and thence a line eastward half a mile to a white oak, marked with H. T. B. and stones laid at the foot of it." Colony Records, entered 7th Jan. 1685. Branford bounds are mentioned in another instrument, of a later date, after the half mile was set off. Upon the sea on the south, and on the New-Haven bounds on the west, at Scotch Cap, or Stoney River, until it comes to the brooke Tappanshasick, (only in that line is not included the meadow, which is laid out to proprietors on the east side of the sayd River, and hath been agreed upon,) and that sayd brooke is the bounds to the Furnace dam, and thence the |