"Royalton June 25th 1801

Proprietors and Land owners met agreeable to Warning

Chose Jacob Smith moderator

Voted to Chose a committee of seven to examine the proprietors record and pint out the ways and meens by whitch the proprietors and Landholders may cary the Act of the General Assembly past Last session inabling them to ratify the vote of the proprietors and Land owners of Royalton into effect

Chose Abel Stevens Jacob Smith Elias Stevens John Billings Benjamin Bozworth william Watterman and Isaac Skinner for the Above Committee

Voted to Ajurn this meeting to the Second thursday of August next at ten o'clok in the forenoon at this place (the meeting house) Elias Stevens Proprietors Clark"

"Royalton August 13th 1801

Proprietors and Land owners met acording to Ajurnment Voted to ratify establish and confirm the proprietors Votes perceedings in the town of Royalton and County of Windsor hereto (fore) made relitive to the Divition of Land in said town into Severity except 9th vote of a meeting held on the 5th of June 1781 voting that the widdow Sarah Rude shall have a part of a rite of Land &c whitch votes are recorded in the proprietors book in said town of Royalton

Likewise voted to ratify establish and Confirm the proprietors perceedings in the town of Royalton and the Divitions and Pitches of Land heretofore maid in said town by said proprietors acording to the Corners and Lines by whitch the Land in the town of Royalton are now and have heretofore ben held whitch corners and Lines ware maid and run by Thomas Vallentine for William Livingston Goldsbrow Banyar Whitehead Hicks William Smith and John Kelley reference to said Corners and Lines being had provided no pitch whitch has been maid to supply the wantage land in any right or Lot Land, except where a Lot is cut Short by Town Lines, shall be considered as astablished or in any way affected by this vote

Voted to Dissolve this meeting

Attest Elias Stevens Proprietors Clark" By this enactment of the General Assembly, and the action of the proprietors and land owners of the town thereon, all question of the legality of bounds and holdings was settled, and the land from that time on was held in severalty. There was no further work for the proprietors, and their records ceased. There is no evidence of any meeting of the proprietors between March 16, 1786, and the meeting just noted. The business of the town for the intervening years had really been in the hands of all the voters.

CHAPTER IV.

THE CONTEST OVER THE NEW HAMPSHIRE GRANTS.

To understand clearly the situation in Royalton during the early years of its settlement, it is necessary to review some of the conditions that obtained in the New Hampshire Grants, socalled, prior to 1771 and continuing to the end of the controversy over the disputed territory. As excellent gazetteers and histories containing a full treatment of the troubles leading to the Revolution, and of the controversy over the ownership of the Grants are accessible to almost every one, only so much of the history of this period will be given as is needful for a proper connection of events, and an understanding of the actions and temper of the early settlers. It is the aim of this work to give as much space as possible to local history, which thus far has not been preserved in permanent form.

At the time of the French and Indian War Vermont was an unbroken wilderness, through which troops passed and repassed on their way to and from Canada. The Indians had used it as a battle ground rather than as an abiding place. The hostile French and Indians on its borders had thus far rendered it too exposed to be an object of settlement to the British. After the conquest of Canada by the English conditions changed, and men who had been needed as soldiers were now ready again for service with the ax and the plough. No doubt many of those who had tramped along the banks of our beautiful streams saw the possibilities of development, and very much as Connecticut was settled by emigrants from Massachusetts, who made its acquaintance on the war path, so what is now Vermont had thrown its spell over those sturdy, enterprising men, who helped to win Canada for England.

Soon after New Hampshire was separated from Massachusetts, and Benning Wentworth was appointed Governor in 1741, he began to look with covetous eyes upon the rich lands west of the Connecticut river, and had visions of wealth that might be his by land grants, in each of which a goodly section should be reserved for himself. He was not long in finding a basis for making a claim to the land, namely, that as New Hampshire had

been a part of Massachusetts, her claim westward extended as far as that of the mother state. By the charter of Massachusetts, she was to own the territory westward until she came to the jurisdiction of some other colony.

It was just here that there was a loophole for conflicting claims, New York and Massachusetts claiming jurisdiction over the same territory, and finally settling the matter between themselves. Gov. Clinton of New York notified Governor Wentworth that New York claimed the land to the Connecticut river, but was politely informed by Gov. Wentworth that he had already chartered Bennington, which was in the disputed territory. The two referred the matter to England, but as it required some time to get a return from the King, Gov. Wentworth improved the interval in making more grants. The King in Council on July 20, 1764, declared the west bank of the Connecticut river to be the dividing line between the two colonies. Then the controversy waxed warm. The settlers in towns chartered by New Hampshire ejected the New York farmers from their lands, and the New York sheriffs busied themselves in arresting the New Hampshire grantees, and no end of the difficulty seemed in view. New York, however, wishing to restore quiet, and acknowledging the claims of New Hampshire grantees who had improved their land in good faith, decided in 1765, May 22, that occupants of land who had settled before that date should retain possession of their land.

This might have ended the difficulty, if patentees of New Hampshire had all settled on their land, but many had not, and held it merely for speculation. Such land was re-granted by New York, and this led to further trouble. On July 24, 1767, the King in Council ordered New York to make no more grants of land patented by New Hampshire. Disorders continued, and settlers were divided in their sentiments. A large number of the inhabitants of Cumberland and Gloucester counties on Nov. 1, 1770, petitioned the King, complaining of the riotous obstruction of the courts of law by the government and people of New Hampshire. New Hampshire followed suit the following year, petitioning the King for the annexation of the Grants to that province. The dispute continued, and troubles increased.

On September 30, 1771, the year when the first settler came to Royalton, the Council of New York issued an order for the arrest of Ethan Allen, Remember Baker, and other "rioters." New York had found great difficulty in deciding disputed claims, and so required the New Hampshire grantees to appear, prove their claims, and take out new patents, paying new fees therefor. It was complained by these grantees that the fees for granting a township were $2000 or over, while the Governor of New

Hampshire charged only $100, but they seemed not to take into consideration the fact, that Gov. Wentworth reserved 500 acres for himself in each township granted. Gov. Moore of New York, June 9, 1767, in a letter to Lord Shelburne defending himself from charges brought against him, declares that town fees have been only from twenty to forty pounds. Many got confirmations of their patents from New York. Gov. Wentworth himself applied for a confirmation of 5000 acres in Rockingham.

Bennington was a hotbed of discord. It favored New Hampshire, as was natural, being the first town on the Grants patented by that state. The temper of the people of that section was well expressed by Ethan Allen, who, says Benjamin Buck, when he read the governor's name to the New York proclamation in 1771, laying claim to all land as far east as the Connecticut river, broke out, "So your name is Tryon, tri on and be Damn." The riot at Bennington and other disturbances led the government of New York to apply to Gen. Haldimand and, later, to Gen. Gage, to furnish troops to aid in keeping the peace. They both demurred. Gen. Haldimand on Sep. 1, 1773, replied, "The idea that a few lawless vagabonds, can prevail in such a Governt as that of New York, as to oblige its Govr to have recourse to the Regular Troops to suppress them, appears to me to carry with it such reflection of weakness as I am afraid would be attended with bad consequences.

This could not have seemed very complimentary to New York, and shows that these "few lawless vagabonds" had been striking terror into the hearts of their opponents. Property was burned, sympathizers with New York were publicly whipped and driven from their holdings, and officers of New York intimidated by what their enemies were pleased to term the "Bennington Mob," under Allen, Warner, Baker and others. The settlers of Charlotte county were the chief complainants and sufferers. A proclamation was issued for the arrest of the leaders of the "mob." The whippings and ejections continued, and rawhides and writs were plentiful. New York failed in her effort to have the King order a military force to her aid. The home government at this time was too busy with colonial disaffection to attend to particular calls of that sort.

The riot at Westminster was the natural outcome of these disputes. By this time the "Bennington Mob," in opposing New York, felt themselves opposing the aggressions of Great Britain herself, and so the blood of French at Westminster is regarded by Vermonters as the first blood shed in the Revolution. When Forts Ticonderoga and Crown Point fell into the hands of Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys, June 7, 1775, the controversy took on a different aspect. This was a

victory in which all patriots rejoiced, and in which men from both Massachusetts and Connecticut aided. The action of New York, on recommendation of the Continental Congress, in forming a battalion of Green Mountain Boys tended to produce a better state of feeling. On July 20, 1775, Ethan Allen wrote a very polite letter to the Provincial Congress of New York assuring them that their "respectful treatment not only to Mr. Warner" and himself, but to the Green Mountain Boys in general were by them duly regarded, and he would be responsible that they would "retaliate" that favor by wholly hazarding their lives, if need be, in the common cause of America.

The convention at Dorset, Sep. 25, 1775, made up of fiftysix delegates from thirty-six towns indicated their desire to be formed into a district distinct from New York. This action alarmed New York, which refused to furnish arms to a people who were likely to use them in a revolt against her authority. The Declaration of Independence fostered the spirit of freedom which nowhere found a richer soil than in the hearts of the settlers on the Grants. The Continental Congress in its efforts to raise troops looked to the valorous sons of the Grants, and took steps to secure a force independent of New York, a course which New York openly resented.

January 15, 1777, at Dorset a Convention of delegates from the Grants declared their independence, and assumed the name of New Connecticut. Thomas Young, under date of April 11 of the same year, wrote to the people of the Grants encouraging them in their course, and advised them to choose delegates to Congress, ensuring them of success at the "risque" of his reputation. Those who think graft is a sin of recent years alone, may learn otherwise from his advice: "Let the scandalous practice of bribing Men by places Commissions &c be held in abhorrence among you. By entrusting only Men of Capacity and Integrity in public Affairs. is your liberties well secured." On complaint of New York to Congress, that body resolved that Young's representations were grossly wrong, and Congress could not receive delegates from Vermont. Copies of this action of Congress were sent to the Vermont towns with the request that they be read in the town meetings. The name of the new state had been changed at Windsor by a convention which met June 4, 1777, from New Connecticut to Vermont, as they had learned that a district of land on the Susquehanna river already bore the name first selected.

February 23, 1778, the legislature of New York, fearful of losing the Grants, made a great reduction in fees and quit-rents, and offered to confirm those actually possessing and improving their lands under title from New Hampshire, although such land