[411] their own lands, and clothed by what they could weave in their own looms, their cares must have been uniform, pressing, and material. Bound together in a common lot and a common danger, they must have been well acquainted with each other, and must have passed much time in friendly consultation for the common good. With these elements before us, it will be easy for every one to imagine what our earliest settlers could not do, and what they could ; and thus see their habits, actions, and hopes. After these inferences from the taxes of Medford, during the first ten years of its history, we can proceed to gauge its growth in succeeding years by the same media. “At a Court of Elections at Boston the 14th of the third month, 1645, the levy upon the towns of the Province was £ 616. 15s.; and Medford's amount was £ 7.” There were three kinds of taxes,--province, county, and town. The first tax-bills of Massachusetts Colony, which were made out by counties, began October, 1659 ; and, in these, the tax of “Meadford” was far lower than that of any adjoining town. In 1657, “Meadford” was taxed as one of the towns of the county of Middlesex, in a county levy, £ 3. 6s. 11d.; in 1658, £ 3. 3s. 1d.; in 1663, £ 4. 4s. 6d.; in 1670, £ 4. 12s.; in 1674, £ 4. 3s. 10d.; in 1676, £ 4. 1s. 10d. During these years, Cambridge was paying £ 40; Woburn, £ 25; Malden, £ 16; and Charlestown, £ 60. A county-tax of £ 1. 13s. 9d., levied on Meadford, Jan. 17, 1684, was paid by the inhabitants as follows:--
| £ | s. | d. | |
| Capt. Jonathan Wade | 0 | 6 | 4 |
| Capt. Nathaniel Wade | 0 | 4 | 3 |
| John Hall | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Caleb Brooks | 0 | 1 | 11 |
| Thomas Willis | 0 | 3 | 7 |
| Stephen Willis | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| Peter Tufts, jun. | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Stephen Francis | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| John Whitmore | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| Gershom Swan | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Isaac Fox | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| John Bradshor | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Jonathan Tufts | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Daniel Woodward | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Andrew Mitchell | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Roger Scott | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Edward Walker | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Jacob Chamberlain | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Joseph Baker | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| £1 | 15 | 8 | |
