Colour of friendship or otherwise intertayne any person or persons here, to abide or continue as inmates, or shall subdivide theyr house lots to entrtayne them as tenants or otherwise, for a longer tyme than one month, or 31 days, without the generall consent & allowance of the inhabitants (children or servants of the family that remayne single persons excepted) shall forfeit for the first default xx shillings, to be destrayned by the Constable of their goods, cattell or chattails, for ye publique use of the Inhabitants: And alsoe he shall forfeit xx shillings per month for every month that any such person or persons shall soe continue in this township, with out the generall consent of the Inhabitants: and if in y tyme of theyr abode after y limitation they shall neede releefe, not being able to mayntayne themselves, then he or they that entertayne such persons shall be lyable to be rated by the Inhabitants for ye releife & maintenance of the said party or parties, as the Inhabitants shall think meete. In 1659 John Wood was called to account for giving entertainment to Isaac Hall for the space of two months, and was fined forty shillings. Quince Smith was regarded as another undesirable person, and was given liberty to tarry in town "2 months from ye 18th of December, 1660; if he tarry longer it must be by a new liberty from ye selectmen," and on the 18th of February he was warned by the selectmen to depart the town. The sons of even the first settlers of Springfield were not admitted as inhabitants, to be voters and assume the responsibilities of citizenship, without giving bonds to the town to secure it against any charge which might possibly arise on their account. Deacon Chapin gave bonds of twenty pounds each when two of his sons were admitted, Henry in 1660 and Josiah in 1663. At the time of Henry's admission Elizur Holyoke gave bonds in the sum of twenty pounds to the town treasurer for the admission of Samuel Ely "to secure the town from any charge which may a rise to the town by the admission of the said Ely or his family.' * * Burt, First Century of History of Springfield, 1636–1736, Vol. I, pp. 53, 54. In Charlestown as early as October 13, 1634, it was ordered "that none be permitted to sit down and dwell in this town without the consent of the town first obtained"; and February 21, 1637, "that no freeman should entertain any in their houses, but to give notice thereof at the next town meeting," and "none that are not free should entertain any without the consent" of three of the selectmen. The following instances from the early records further illustrate this. In 1637 John Harvard, the founder of Harvard College, and others were admitted as inhabitants by the following order:― "Mr. John Harvard is admitted a townsman with promise of such accommodations as we best can"; "Mr. Francis Norton is admitted a Townsman if he please"; in 1635 "Goodman Rand granted to set down with us upon condition the Town have no just ground of exception"; in 1636 "Ralph Smith was admitted a month upon trial"; in 1637 James Hoyden was admitted "if the court give way"; John Mosse, "newly out of his time," was admitted "for this year to live with his master in his family upon trial"; "Timothy Ford upon his good behaviour was admitted to plant and to be at Richard Kettle's for planting time, or to propound another place"; in 1638 "Turner was permitted for the present to sojourn with Henry Bullock till next meeting, in mean time to be enquired of." On April 3, 1638, it was ordered that No freeman shall entertain any person or persons at their houses, but to give notice to the Townsmen [Selectmen] within fourteen days; and such as are not free, not to entertain any at all without consent of six of the men deputed for the town affairs; and these to acquaint the town therewith at their next meeting, upon penalty of ten shillings for every month that they keep them without the town's consent; and the constable is to see this order observed from time to time, and to gather up the aforesaid fines by way of distress.* *Frothingham, History of Charlestown, pp. 54, 55. The following votes and orders are found on the records of Cambridge, then Newtowne: On December 5, 1636, it was Ordered, That no man inhabiting or not inhabiting within the bounds of the town shall let or sell any house or land unto any, without the consent of the Townsmen then in place, unless it be to a member of the congregation; and lest any one shall sustain loss thereby, they shall come and proffer the same unto them, upon a day of the monthly meeting, and at such a rate as he shall not sell or let for a lesser price unto any than he offereth unto them, and to leave the same in their hands, in liking, until the next meeting day in the next month, when, if they shall not take it, paying the price within some convenient time, or provide him a chapman, he shall then be free to sell or let the same unto any other, provided the Townsmen think them fit to be received in. Ordered, That whosoever entertains any stranger into the town, if the congregation desire it, he shall set the town free of them again within one month after warning given them, or else he shall pay 19s. 8d. unto the townsmen as a fine for his default, and as much for every month they shall there remain.* In March, 1695, Voted that if any person in this Town, do Let or Tenant his house or land, within this Town to any person that is not an inhabitant in this Town, without first applying themselves to the Select men then in being for their approbation, and give in Bond to the Select men Sufficient to keep the Town from charge; if they do refuse or Neglect So to doe as above, they shall then pay a fine of fifteen shillings p month to the use of the Town for their neglect, so long as they Shall entertaine such Inhabitants or Inmates in their houses.† On January 5, 1634, it was ordered by the town that every person to whom land was granted should either improve it or return it to the town, and, if he improved it, he should not sell it without first offering it to the town. * Paige, History of Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1630-1877, p. 40. In 1636 it was ordered that Noe man Inhabiting or not I habiting with in the bowndes of the towne shall lett or sell anie howse or Land vnto anie without the consent of the townsme, then in place vnlesse it be to a memb of the congregatio & least anie one shall sustaine losse therby they shall come & prffer the same vnto them vppon a daye of ye: monethly meeting & att such a Rate as he shall not sell or lett for a lesser price vnto anie than he offereth vnto them & to leave the same in there handes in lyking vntill the next Meeting daye in the next moneth when yf they shall not take it paying the pryce within some convenient tyme or prvdye him a chapman he shall then be free to sell or lett ye same vnto anie oth prvyed the townsmen think them fitt to be received in. And it was also ordered: ) stranger into That whosoever entertaynes anie p( the towne yf the congregation desyr it he shall set the towne free of them againe with one moneth aft' warnig giuen them or else he shall paye 10s 8d vnto the townsmen as a fyne for his default & as muche for eure moneth they shall ( ) Remaine. In 1644 for preventing all inconveniences herein, it is Ordered by the Towsmen that no man shall Lett out his house to any person comeing from any other place to settle him or her self as an Inhabitant in o' Towne, with out the consent of the major pr of the Townsmen for the time being, under the penalty of twenty shillings a weeke for eu'ie such default. In 1658 the following "proposicčon was voted by the Towne in the affirmative" in regard to the "Great Swamp lying within the bounds of this towne": That no person that hath any part or parcell thereof granted vnto him or shall purchase any part thereof, shall alienate the Same to any person not inhabiting wth in the bounds of this Towne, on penalty of forfeiting the Said land vnto the vse of the Towne.* At a meeting of the selectmen in 1664, Thomas Gleison who had been in town about a week being sent *Records of the Town of Cambridge, pp. 24, 50, 125. for to appeare before the Select men, was warned to provide Himselfe, the Townsemen not seeing meet to allow of Him as an Inhabitant in this Towne.* The records of Salem show that nobody was permitted to become an inhabitant except by authority of the Town or the Selectmen, but land was not always allotted to persons so received. In 1636 the record shows that rs mr Keniston is recieued for Inhabitant but not to haue land but what she purchaseth, & so hath purchased Lieft: Dauenports house. In February, 1636, Debora Holmes was refused an allotment of land because she was a maid, and it "would be a bad president to keep hous alone." As a solace for this rejection, however, it appears that she was given four bushels of corn. On the 23d of the same month various persons were received for inhabitants, one without grants of land and one "to purchase his accomodačon." Similar entries were very frequent during 1636 and 1637 and the following years of the early settlement of the town.† In Dedham the town covenant signed by the first settlers, 126 in number, in 1636 provided as follows: We engage by all means to keep off from our company such as shall be contrary-minded, and receive only such into our society as will in a meek and quiet spirit promote its temporal and spiritual good. The first by-law adopted provided that a committee should be appointed to examine the character of newcomers, and make report of their inquiries to the town, and that all persons coming into the town should *Town Records of Cambridge, p. 155. Town Records of Salem, 1634-1659 (William P. Upham, Essex Institute Historical Collections), pp. 32, 35. |