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10]
In 1905 the Somerville Historical Society received through
Mrs. Alice E. Lake, one of its loyal members, a package of papers that formerly belonged to her father, the late
Guy C. Hawkins, of
Somerville.
They were all penned with his own hand.
Several of these documents relate to the separation of
Somerville from
Charlestown, and possess much general interest.
They give us some idea of the feeling which prevailed in this section before the decisive step was taken.
It is the purpose of the editor to give to the public some of these manuscripts from time to time.
The one selected for this number of ‘
Historic Leaves’ bears no date, but from another, which appears to be a rough draft from the one in question, we infer that it was written in 1824 or 1825, and that the statistics were taken from the town records for the fiscal year 1823-4.
It will be noticed that
Mr. Hawkins classes himself among ‘the young men.’
(The orthography is that of the original.)
Petitioners for a Seperation of the
Town of Charlestown.
| Names of Resident Landholders | Houses &c | Acres | Tax |
| Samuel Tufts | House, Barn & out B. | 93 | 107.06 |
| John Ireland | House, Barn & out B. | 31 1/2 | 29.18 |
| Simeon Copps | House, Barn & out B. | 47 1/2 | 45.17 |
| Samuel Kent | House, Barn & out B. | 57 | 29.50 |
| Thomas Rand jr | House, Barn & out B. | 7 | 11.25 |
| Jonathan Kent | House, Barn & out B. | | 3.15 |
| Hall J. Kelly | House Barn & out B. | 24 | 41.70 |
| Isaac Tufts | House Barn & out B. | 102 | 62.11 |
| Bernard Tufts | House, Barn & out B. | 86 | 91.81 |
| Joseph Adams | House, Barn & out B. | 100 | 86.20 |
| Asa Tufts | House, Barn & out B. | 74 | 71.85 |
| John Tufts | House, Barn & out B. | 62 | 52.83 |
| Amos Hazleton | House, Barn & out B. | 13 3/4 | 19.67 |
