"The first settlers, or proprietors of the land," says Mr. Butler, in his History of Groton, "were tenants in common of the whole township, though not in equal shares or proportions. They expressed their several proportions by a certain number of 'acre rights."" One owned a "sixty acre right," another a "twenty acre right," another a "five acre right," etc. Until 1713 no distinction was made between the inhabitants and proprietors of the town, and all their transactions and records were kept in one book. Under the provisions of a statute passed by the General Court in 1713, the proprietors held their first separate meeting March 4, 1716-17. A committee was appointed to report the names of the original proprietors, and of all others who claimed "acre rights." This committee reported the names of fifty-one original proprietors entitled to 755 "acre rights," and about sixty additional names showing good titles to 4454" acre rights," to which the proprietors added by vote twentyfive who produced satisfactory titles to 236 "acre rights"; making a total of 135 proprietors and 1,436 "acre rights." All the claimants are said to have derived their titles by descent or by purchase, with the exception of Jonas Prescott, to whom the town is said to have granted a thirty acre right. Each proprietor was allowed one vote for each acre right held by him. Five divisions of common and undivided lands were made at different dates by the proprietors, the last having been voted February 4, 1760. Meetings of the proprietors continued to be held at irregular intervals till 1829. "The

last tract of common land known to exist was laid out to Bulkley Ames, Esq."

At their earliest town-meetings the inhabitants took measures to provide for the preservation of trees "for shade for the cattell in all common highwayes," and affixing a penalty of "tenne shillings" a tree upon any one who should fell any such tree or trees. Early efforts were also made to secure the erection of a grist-mill, but without success, until the year 1667, when five hundred acres of upland and twenty acres of meadow were granted by the town to John Prescott, "for to build the towne a mill," which lands, together with the mill, were to be "freed from all towns charges whatsoeuer for the space of twenty years." Accordingly John Prescott, of Lancaster, or his son Jonas, who later became a distinguished inhabitant of the town, built a mill in the southerly part of

November 19, 1673, it was agreed that he should "grind the town's corn for the town every second and every sixth day in every week."

At a town-meeting, held March 5, 1665-66, the town agreed with John Page, Joseph Gilson, and Daniel Pearce, to make a common pound for the town's use, they to have fifty shillings for their pains, to be paid out of the next town rate. The place where it was to be set up was near the meeting-house, which was not yet built, but the site for it had been determined.

For some years before the destruction of the town the Indians began to threaten the inhabitants. They were troublesome neighbors at the best, and their movements required careful watching. Some of them were friendly, but others were hostile and treacherous. They had already acquired a taste for strong drink, and, on more than one occasion, drunken brawls and fights ending in murder had taken place between them and the settlers. Many of the Indians, too, had now been supplied with fire-arms, which made them bold and insolent, and it is not strange that the natural tendency of events should have been toward open hostilities.

At an early day there was a military organization in the town, and we find the following order in the Massachusetts Records, passed October 15, 1673, in relation to it: "The millitary company of Groaten being destitut of military officers, the Court judgeth it meet to choose and appoint James Parker to be theire captaine, Wm Lakin to be leiftennant, and Nathaniel Lawrence to be their ensigne."

The thunder of the distant storm now began to be heard, and the colonists were asking for pro tection. Captain Parker writes to Governor Leverett, under date of August 25, 1675, that the inhabitants "are in a very great strait," and "are very much discouraged in their spirits; " that they want ammunition and twenty good muskets for their pike men. A few days before the date of this letter Captain Samuel Moseley writes from Nashoway Allias Lankaster: 16th Augs' 1675," that, in accordance with instructions from MajorGeneral Dennison, he had sent "12 men to Groatton." In those days there was no physician in town to offer his professional skill to the government in time of need, and it was necessary to impress into the public service a surgeon as well as a horse and accoutrements; and accordingly the constable of Boston was ordered by the council,

August 17, 1675, "in his Maj" name forthwith to Impresse Mr Wm Haukins Chirurgeon; Imediately to prepare himself with materials as Chirurgeon & to dispatch to Marlboro. to Cap Mosely & attend his motion & souldiers at Groaten. or elsewhere for wch End you are also to Impresse an able horse & furniture for him to Goe: wth the Post"; and the constable made the indorsement on the order that Dr. Hawkins was duly warned. At this time King Philip's War had begun, and open hostilities had alarmed the inhabitants of this place. The council passed an order, September 8, 1675, that Cornet Thomas Brattle and Lieutenant Thomas Henchman should take fifty men, of which thirty were to come from Norfolk and twenty from Middlesex, and place them in the garrisons of Dunstable, Groton, and Lancaster in such proportions as they should deem expedient. October 27 of this year the town was assessed £11 108., as her rate to carry on the war; and if paid in money, one quarter was to be abated. *

"March 2, 1675-6 the Indians began their attack upon Groton, following it up with another on the 9th, and a third and final one on the 13th, when all the town was burned except four garrison-houses. Major Willard, with seventy horse and forty foot, from Watertown,' came to the relief of the town, but arrived too late, the Indians having all fled. It was in this attack upon Groton that John Monoco, or One-eyed John, the Indian chief in command, whose tribe had their seat at Nashaway, uttered his boast that the next time he would burn Chelmsford, Concord, Watertown, Cambridge, Charlestown, Roxbury, Boston, adding at the last in their dialect, What me will, me do.' This boaster and others of the leaders were hanged in Boston, September 26, 1676."

The people would have been more than human if they had not felt despondent at the hard fate that had now befallen them. They had seen their houses and barns burned, and all the results of their labor and thrift destroyed in a day. The little meeting-house, rudely constructed, but no less dear to them, was now a heap of ashes. Today its exact site is unknown. Some words of consolation and exhortation to trust in the providence of God fell from the lips of their good pastor, Mr. Samuel Willard, as they looked tearfully on their ruined homes. He had been their guide and teacher during thirteen years. He was born January 31, 1639-40, at Concord, Mass. He was the son of Major Simon Willard, at one time an

inhabitant of this town, and graduated at Harvard College in the year 1659, being the only member of the class who took his second degree. He came here to succeed Mr. John Miller, the first minister of the town, who died June 12, 1663. Mr. Willard began to preach probably late in the year 1662, or early in 1663. or early in 1663. In the latter year, on the 21st of some month,-conjectured to be June, the words of the record being so worn as to be illegible,—it was voted "that Mr Willard if he accept of it shall be their minester as long as he lives." Against this action there were five dissentient votes, which number constituted probably one quarter of all the voters; and they certainly were among the principal and most influential inhabitants of the town. But he was settled in spite of the opposition, and his relations with his people were always harmonious. His salary began at £40, but it was gradually increased until it was double that amount, part of it being in country pay. But little is known of his early history, and no church record during his ministry in Groton is extant. He was but twenty-three years of age when he was settled over the church, and a few weeks later he married Abigail Sherman; and after her death he married, as his second wife, Eunice, daughter of Edward Tyng. Five of his children were born in the town. One of his greatgrandsons, Robert Treat Paine, was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. His residence was in the present Main Street, and was used at one time as a meeting-house, and again as a schoolhouse. Its exact locality is not now known, but there was "a great meadow necre the house," which could be seen from one of the windows in a lower room.

The assault by the Indians on the town was followed by the breaking up of the place and the scattering of the inhabitants in different directions among their friends and kindred. The war was soon ended; though it was nearly two years before the early pioneers ventured back to their old homes, around which still clustered many tender associations as well as sad recollections. It is recorded that other families came back with them. Mr. Willard never returned to his old pastorate. He was soon after installed over the Old South Church in Boston, as the colleague of Rev. Thomas Thacher. In 1701 he was chosen vice-president of Harvard College, his connection being really that of president, except in name. He presided for the last time at the College Commencement in

that they are leaving the open country to seek refuge in the towns." Another account says: "At the solicitation of Villieu and Taxous, their chief, some fifty of them detached themselves to follow this last person, who was piqued at the little that had been done. They were joined by some of the bravest warriors of the Kennebec, to go on a warparty above Boston to break heads by surprise (casser des tétes à la surprise), after dividing themselves into several squads of four or five each, which cannot fail of producing a good effect." According to Charlevoix, "The English made a better defence than they did at Pescadué [Piscataqua]. Taxous had two of his nephews killed by his side, and himself received more than a dozen musket-balls in his clothes."

The loss of life from this attack was consider ably greater than when the town was destroyed and deserted in the year 1676. There were twentytwo persons killed and thirteen captured. The settlement was now more scattered than it was then, and its defence more difficult. For this reason more persons were killed and taken prisoners than when the place was assaulted eighteen years previously. It is said that the scalps of the unfortunate victims were given to Count de Frontenac, governor of Canada. Among those killed were William Longley, his wife, and five of their children; his eldest one, Lydia, a daughter of twenty, John, and Betty, were taken prisoners. Lydia's name is found in a list of prisoners who were held in Canada, March 5, 1710-11. She was captured by the Abénaquis, a tribe of Indians who inhabited the territory now included in the state of Maine. She was baptized into the Roman Catholic Church, April 24, 1696, and lived at the congregation of Notre Dame in Montreal. She was buried July 20, 1758. John, her brother, was twelve years old when captured. He remained with the Indians for more than four years, a part of the time being spent in Canada, and the remainder in Maine. At length he was ransomed, but he had become so accustomed to savage life that he left it with great reluctance; and those who brought him away were obliged to use force to accomplish their purpose. He was afterwards a useful inhabitant of the town, holding many offices of trust and responsibility. The third child, Betty, died in captivity.

HERE DWELT

William and DELIVERANCE LONGLEY
WITH THEIR EIGHT CHILDREN.

ON THE 27TH OF JULY 1694

THE INDIANS KILLED THE FATHER AND MOTHER
AND FIVE OF THE CHILDREN
AND CARRIED INTO CAPTIVITY
THE OTHER THREE.

Governor William Stoughtorr issued a proclamation January 21, 1695, and refers to the “tragical outrages and barbarous murders" at Oyster River (now Durham, N. H.) and Groton. He says that several of the prisoners taken at these plaçes "are now detained by the said Indians at Androscoggin and other adjoining places." Cotton Mather says that one man was killed here in 1697, and another, with two children, carried into captivity.

After these attacks there was a short respite, which continued till 1704, when the frontier towns were again exposed to savage warfare; and this town suffered with the others. At various times. during the succeeding twenty years the Indians killed and captured residents of the town, and there are numerous thrilling stories told of incidents that transpired during these eventful years.

Three children of Thomás Tarbell, who lived on what is now known as Farmers' Row, a short distance south of the Lawrence Farm, and who was town-clerk in 1704 and 1705, were carried off by the Indians June 20, 1707, and never came back to remain. Their names were Sarah; John, and Zachariah. They were picking cherries early one evening- so tradition relates and were taken before they had time to get down from the tree. They were carried to Canada, where it would seem they were treated kindly, as no inducement was strong enough afterward to make them return. The girl was sold to the Frencli and placed in a convent near Montreal; the boys remained with their captors at Cauglinawaga, an Indian village near Montreal, and subsequently married squaws and became chiefs of their tribe. One of them visited his relatives in Groton in his Indian dress, but showed no inclination to remain. They afterwards, accompanied by several others, all with their families, moved up the St. Lawrence River, and established the little village of St. Regis. The descendants of these two boys are among the prom

Sarah,

perhaps forty persons who bear the name. 1 See Groton Epitaphs, p. 255.