Medford Historical Society Papers, Volume 3.

May 18, 1653. ‘Upon a petition presented by Mr. Nicholas Davidson in behalf of Mr. Cradock, in reference to Mistick bridge, it is ordered by this Court and hereby declared that, if any person or persons, shall appear that will engage sufficiently to build, repair and maintain the bridge at Mistick, at his or their proper cost and charges, it shall be lawful, and all and every such person or persons so engaging, are hereby authorized, and have full power to ask, require, and receive of every single person passing over said bridge, one penny, and for every horse and man sixpence, for every beast two pence, and for every cart one shilling, and this to continue so long as the bridge shall be sufficiently maintained as aforesaid.’

Whether any person or persons availed themselves of the privileges above granted, or whether the bridge was kept in repair by the County, we are unable to determine. It is clear, however, from this time henceforth the County Court had jurisdiction over Mistick bridge, for, three years later, April 1, 1656, the County Court appointed a committee to erect Mistick bridge, and to levy the charges thereon upon the County according to law, and on Dec. 30, 1656, a committee was appointed by the Court ‘to take into consideration the many defects of the bridges within the limits of this County, and to recommend the methods of keeping said bridges in repair, and the Court order that all bridges already made, shall be repaired at the charge and care of the several towns and precincts wherein they lay.’

May 15, 1657, the committee reported in full upon the subject submitted to them, and we quote only such portions of the report as relate to Mistick bridge, as follows: ‘Only those two bridges, viz: at Billerica and Mistick, to be finished at the County's charge, and from time to come maintained by the towns and precincts in which they are.’

This return of the committee was accepted by the County Court, and the same was presented to the