: A HISTORY TOWN OF MURRAYFIELD, EARLIER KNOWN AS TOWNSHIP NO. 9, AND COMPRISING THE PRESENT TOWNS OF CHESTER AND HUNTINGTON, THE NORTHERN PART OF MONTGOMERY, AND THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF MIDDLEFIELD. 1760 1783. Of SPRINQF^IELD, MASS, SPKINGFIELD, MASS. /6 3 ^^ CLARK W. BRYAN & COMPANY, PRINTERS. 1892. ^ It Copyright, 1892, by ALFRED M. COPELAKD. C/'. A^ontfomej^ ^s ^ "A/orr/L- ///ve of \ 4 <^ \ O^ [House >- ^. -^z % H ^«- ^-><. 'K ^-^. PRBFACE. About ten years ago I began gathering facts touching the history of the town of Murrayfield. I had had occasion frequently, during my residence in the town of Huntington, to consult the book of records of the original proprietors, and had traced a copy of the proprietors' plan of the town for my own use, as occasion might require in my professional work in the neighborhood; but it had never occurred to me to write a history of the town, nor to institute investigations in that direction. Some time after the organization of ''The Connecticut Valley Historical Society" I promised to write a sketch of the town of Murrayfield, in a single paper, to be read before the society; but several years transpired before I felt sure that I had found the start- ing point. The more I investigated, the richer the field proved. From the proprietors' records, from the registry of deeds, from the records of courts, from the records of the Colonial General Court, from original documents in the office of the Secretary of the Com- monwealth, from the records of the old town and of the old church, and from inscriptions upon headstones in the old cemetery, I gathered together a greater array of facts than had at first seemed possible. From individuals living in Chester and in Huntington I could obtain absolutely nothing touching the early history of Murrayfield. The information obtained from the most intelligent of them related to a later period. It was often necessary to give some collateral history of the times in order to make clear many facts which the records of the town fail to explain. It seemed undesirable to attempt to present any facts unverified by authentic records. The reader will judge whether I have erred in this. At any rate, I feel sure that the sketch of Mur- 6 PREFACE. rayfield which is here offered to the public is worthy of a careful perusal, and that I have succeeded in snatching from oblivion many valuable facts. I feel equally certain that the early history of other towns in western Massachusetts offer a rich field to the historian. The history of Murrayfield is very like that of other towns in this part of the state that were settled too late to be involved in the Indian wars. This history of Murrayfield presents an object lesson as to the birth and growth of inland towns in Xew England, and so cannot but be of s^eneral interest. ALFRED M. COPELAND. A HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF MURRAYFIELD. CHAPTER FIRST. IKGERSOLL GRANT IN THE OLD COUNTY OF HAMPSHIRE, MASSA- CHUSETTS. On page 122 of book L in the Registry of Deeds, for the old county of Hampshire, is the copy of a deed as follows: " John Stoddard and EbenezerPomeroyof Northampton, atid Thomas Inger- sole of Westfitild, all in the county of Hampshire in the Province of Massa- chusetts Bay in New England, Esqrs., on March the 26th, 1736, were by the Great and General Court of the said Province, specially authorized and ap- pointed among other things to purchase rights of land of the proprietors of Upper Housatoniek Township—so called—in the said county in order to the accommodating and bringing forward a settlement of the Indians above the Monument Mountain—so called—in said Housatoniek Township,* and to give equivalents therefore in some of the unappropriated lands of the said province to the proprietors of whom we shall purchase the land as per the said order of the said court or assembly reference to the same being bad will appear. Now we, the said John Stoddard, Ebenezer Pomeroy. & Thomas Ingersole, by virtue of the said commission & authority vested in us, have purcha«?ed six rights of land in Upper Housatoniek above the Monument Mountain—so called—each right containing four hundred acres, of David Ingersole of West- field in the county & province aforesaid. Now we, the said John Stoddard, Ebenezer Pomeroy, & Thomas Ingersole, as a committee aforesaid, have agreed with the said David Ingersole to give him an equivalent from the government for the aforesaid rights of land in the unappropriated land of the said Prov- ince, a certain tract or parcel of land of the quantity of four thousand & ei{?ht hundred acres; beginning at the northeast corner of Southfieldf Equiva- lent land called Glasgow; north east corner & so running upon Glasgow line West 20° North two hundred & twenty perch to a marked tree on the east bank of the west branch of the Westfield River; & thence North 15° East two hun- dred & eighty perch; thence East 40° North one hundred perch; thence North 15° East continuing that line until five hundred & sixteen perch be completed; * For a more particiilar account of this the reader is referred to the history of Stockbridge_ The sketch of Stockbridge in Dr. Holland's History of Wes ern Massachusetts gives some account of it. t Suffield. 8 A HISTORY OF MURRAYFIELD. then begmnmg, viz: at Glasgow north-east corner, thence running south 39° east* one thousand & fifteen perch to Moss Meadowf to a tree with stones about it, which tree is Northampton south-west corner. This last mentioned line joins upon Westfield last grant; thence from said tree North 5° east, in or on North- ampton line until eleven hundred and ninety-five perch be completed; & from thence in a straight line to the northernmost point of the line before mentioned which was north 15° east, and five hundred and sixteen perch; excepting three hundred acres heretofore laid out within the bounds aforesaid to Samuel Clapp & Ebenezer Sheldin, Now, we, the said John Stoddard, Ebenezer Pomeroy, & Thomas Ingersole, by virtue of the commission to us, we do hereby give, grant, convey, & confirm unto the said David Ingersole, to him, his heirs, & assigns for ever, all the aforesaid described land, saving the said three hun- dred acres. To have and to hold, possess & enjoy, quietly & peaceably for ever more; and further we, the said John Stoddard, Ebenezer Pomeroy, & Thomas Inger- sole, Esqrs., by virtue of said commission to us granted, and in the name, & the behalf of the said government of the said Province, we hereby covenant, promise & engage the before granted premises unto him, the said David Inger- sole, his heirs & assigns, forever to warrant, maintain, secure, and defend against the lawful claims or charges of any person or persons whatsoever. In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands & seals this first day of June in the eleventh of the reign of George the Second, King, &c. Anno Domini 1738. '^ Signed, sealed & delivered in presence of us by 1 Jqhn StODDARD & Seal. Ebenezer Pomeroy, Oliver Partridge, John Stoddard & | Jr., Witnesses. \ EbENEZER PomeROY & Seal. " to Ingerso'e signed, &c., Benjamin Witness Thomas | t ^ ^ p o i o INGERSOLE Seal. Prescott, Wm. Pynchon. J THOMAS & '* Hampshire ss. , June 1st, 1738, John Stoddard & Ebenezer Pomeroy, Esqrs., two of the subscribers to the above instrument appearing acknowledged the same to be their act & deed. Coram, Job Williams, Just. Peace." "Suffolk ss., Boston, June 20th, 1738, Thomas Ingersole, one of the sub- scribers to the above instrument personally appearing acknowledged the same to be his act & deed. Coram, Joshua Winslow, Just. Peace." The southeast corner of this tract was about a mile southeasterly from the present town house in Montgomery. When the town of Norwich was incorporated in 1773, Ingersoll Grant was wholly included and formed the south end of that town. When the town of Mont- gomery was incorporated in 1780, a large part of this grant was in- cluded, and formed about one-third of the territory of that town. A * This was an error. The course in fact was S. 49° E. t This name should be Moose Meadow. A HISTORY OF MURRAYFIELD. ^ small mountain called ''Eock House," near which was the northeast corner of Glasgow, now called Blandford, was included by the bounds of this grant. By a deed dated April 7th, 1738—before receiving a deed from the government—David Ingersoll conveyed to Thomas Webb of Boston, a part of his grant, and described it as follows: " Beginning 100 rods west 20° north from a certain tree which is Glasgow's north east corner, then from said tree South 39°* east 1015 perch upon West- field line to Moss Meadow, t being the southwest corner of Northampton; J then North 5° East 800 perch on Northampton line; then North 63° west 770 perch; then 600 perch to the place of beginning." It was called in the deed 3000 ac^es exclusive of the 300 acres owned by Shelden & Clapp. The quan- tity of land & the length of some of the liDes were exaggerated. ixctEksoll's deed to johxsok. By deed dated August 14th, 1738, Ingersoll sold the north end of his grant to John Johnson of Boston, a marriner, and described it as follows: ' Beginning 800 rods from the southwest corner of Northampton on North- ampton west line; then North 44° West 750 perch; Then beginning at first bound running North 5° East on Northampton line 335 perch; then North 63° West 900 rods; then South 15° West 150 rods; then turning and running 250 rods to the westernmost end of the 750 perch line." The quantity of land was estimated to be 1500 acres.