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An old Medford Agreement.

A recent accession to the Historical Society's library is a record of early conveyances of land and buildings, carefully copied from the books of the Middlesex Registry by the late John H. Hooper. It comprises one hundred and four pages (eight and one-half by eleven and one-half inches), fifty-three lines on each, as the ruling is but three-sixteenths of an inch apart.

It was certainly ‘some job’ Mr. Hooper did. Any who doubt will be quickly convinced by an examination of the ancient record books, with their quaint spelling and queer chirography, now carefully preserved under silk tissue.

The reading of those old deeds certainly refutes some of the statements in the History of Medford, especially that of ‘the lands of Medford were apportioned to the first settlers by decision of the Court of May, 1629.’ The librarian here calls attention to page 24, Vol. XVII, Register, where, in ‘Notes About Town,’ certain bounds and marking points were mentioned, and would be pleased to have some expert now locate them after a careful reading of the following from Mr. Hooper's transcript:—

It is also agreed that there shall be a common landing place upon Stephen Willis' land, in his second division, by the River, free to [p. 19] all the proprietors of the farm, and a convenient way to it, for which landing place and highway there shall be allowed in his lot 100 poles. Also a highway to lie in common from the Country road to Joshua Brooks' land.

24-10-1680. Agreement between Caleb Brooks on the one part, and John Hall, Thomas & Stephen Willis, John Whitmore, Stephen & John Francis, on the second part, that the line that has been for a long time in controversy between the abovesaid Brooks' land and the land purchased of Edward Collins by the parties aforesaid, is now agreed upon by both parties, bounded and marked out as follows:—From a great tree standing at the S. W. corner of an orchard lately planted by John Whitmore being in the line between the abovesaid Brooks & Whitmore and so upon another great black Oak tree being in said line as is above mentioned between said Brooks and Whitmore, and from that in a straight line to a stake standing up in the line between said Brooks and Stephen & John Francis' 2 a. of Clay land, then from said stake to a little black oak, and from that to an old shed within a rod of said Brooks' Meadow, then from said shed to a little black Oak bush by the River, upon a straight line, said Shed is the S. or S. W. corner of the 2 a. of Clay land above-mentioned, where the line is now staked out and agreed upon. Upon the condition of placing the line as above-mentioned, it is agreed that the said Brooks is to have a landing place of four cords of wood front upon the River, beg. at or near the bush close to the River which is the line on the E. or S. E. between said Brooks and Francis. This landing place is upon the land of Stephen & John Francis. Also it is agreed that Stephen & John Francis shall have a convenient highway through Thomas Willis' land, into the said 2 a. of Clay land, the said highway to come into Thomas Willis' land to be upon the S. E. corner of John Whitmore's field, from a highway that goes from a landing place at or near Thomas Willis' pasture, and it is agreed that for the highway above-mentioned, Thomas Willis is to have a landing place at or near his own pasture.

Here appears an amicable settlement of a boundary dispute in which seven early residents of (West) Medford were concerned, and which resulted in the establishment of the way now known as Canal street, a hundred and ten years before the canal was even thought of.

The map of early Medford, also made by Mr. Hooper from the data he thus secured, is invaluable, showing as it does the earliest division of the Cradock farm (which [p. 20] was the earliest Medford), and also the location of the dwellings of those early townsmen, seven of whom are above named. As in some of the deeds plans are mentioned, it is a source of regret that none have been preserved to show the bounds thus agreed upon. The ‘old shed’ that was ‘within a rod of said Brooks' meadow but on the corner of the Francis' two acres of clayland’ has long ago disappeared. But the ‘clayland’ is there today, and a few years since, when the river was dredged, a ‘black-oak bush’ was torn out of the bank, which by the river's wearing had changed a little. A ten-inch piece of it lies upon the table before the writer. It squares to two inches, and is perfectly sound. It may be the same that Joshua Brooks measured his ‘four cords of wood landing place’ from, thus gaining thirty-two feet more frontage on the river.

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Caleb Brooks (7)
Thomas Willis (4)
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