Charles A. Nelson , A. M., Waltham, past, present and its industries, with an historical sketch of Watertown from its settlement in 1630 to the incorporation of Waltham, January 15, 1739.

[64]

January 15, 1738.

ON December 14, 1737, ‘William Browne,¹ Daniel Benjamin,² and Samuel Livermore, in the Behalf of themselves, and other Inhabitants of the West Precinct in Watertown,’ presented to the House of Representatives a petition ‘praying the said Precinct may be erected into a separate and disstinct Township, which is also agreeable to the East Precinct in said Town, as appears by their Vote accompanying the Petition.’ The prayer of the petition was granted and the petitioners ‘allowed and impowred to prepare and bring in a Bill’ of incorporation. The Bill passed its first reading December 20th, its second reading December 21st, and was ‘read a third Time and pass'd to be Engross'd’ on December 22d. On the last day of the month the engrossed Bill was passed to be enacted, and on the afternoon of January 4, 1737-8,³ ‘His Excellency the Governour,’ J. Belcher, ‘was pleased to give His Confent to the Enacting’ the Bill, and in the record the name Waltham of the new town is printed for the first time on this date.

On January 3rd, it was ‘Ordered, That Mr. William Browne, one of the principal Inhabitants of the new Town taken out of Watertown by this Court in their prefent fitting, be and hereby is fully authorized and impowred to assemble and convene the qualified Voters there in some suitable Place to elect and appoint a Town Clerk and other Town Officers there, to stand till the anniversary meeting of the said Town in March next.’ The act of incorporation reads as follows:—