67 Vote of Rowley Town Meeting

    At a legal Town Meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Rowley held the 13 of April 1664 the Town considering upon an expression in the Will of Mr. Ezekiel Rogers that seems to inwrap all the Lands of Mrs. Rogers that were Thomas Barkers thro out the bounds of Rowley to be to the Church and Town of Rowley, which is thought to be either an error in writing of it, or at least it appearing unto the Town not to be any way his Intention nor will for to give away the aforesaid land that was Thomas Barkers (excepting only the half of the Warehouse pasture) but to leave it fully and freely to be unto the will and dispose of Mrs. Rogers according to the will of her former Husband Thomas Barker; the Town and Church do therefore fully and freely for ourselves our Heirs and successors for ever disclaim any right of Interest whereby we may expect any part in the aforesaid lands that were the right of Thomas Barker, and for ever acquit for ourselves our Heirs and successors any such claim, that so it may remain to be free unto the will and dispose of the said Mrs. Rogers, without trouble from us the Town and Church of Rowley our Heirs and successors for ever; and the Town and Church do agree and determine by their own Acts that the Select men shall have full power in the name of the whole Town and Church for to make or to procure any such Instrument to be made as that it may be left upon Record in Court that so all after trouble may be prevented. The original copy of this was written read and voted at the Meeting above expressed.

    A true copy on Record in the Book of Records of land in Rowley as attest Thomas Lambert Town Clark of Rowley.

    The reason why the exception of half the Warehouse pasture made is because though the former Husband of Mrs. Rogers, Thomas Barker, bought the whole Warehouse pasture, yet he paid but for half of it, the other half her latter Husband Ezekiel Rogers paid for. This was witnessed by Samuel Brocklebank, Ezekiel Northend, Maximilian Jewet, William Acyr, John Pearson, Jeremiah Elsworth, the five1 above named testifieth in Court held at Ipswich the fifth of May, 1664, this writing above to be the Act of the Town of Rowley.

    per me, Robert Lord, Clerk

    A true copy on Record in the Book of Records of Land in Rowley. As attest, Thomas Lambert

    Town Clerk of Rowley

    [Endorsed:] Rowley vote April 3, 1664 about the half of the Warehouse pasture. Compared by the President and Collson, Sept. 24, 1736.

    Rowley Lands Papers. There is a later copy in the same location. A different authentication appears at the end, as follows: Essex Ss a true Copy of Record as it appears in the Second Book (of Deeds and kept formerly at Ipswich)—folio 198. Examined Attest John Higginson Register. A true Copy Examined per Mitchel Sewall Cler[icus].