the union was at no period a subject of regret with the people generally. Governor Hinckley sustained the office of governor for 12 years, and was in that office when the union took place. He died and was buried at Barnstable, and the following lines are inscribed on his tomb-stone. 'Beneath this stone, erected A. D. 1829, are deposited the mortal remains of Thomas Hinckley. He died A. D. 1706, aged 85 years. History bears witness to his piety, usefulness, and agency in the public transactions of his time. The important offices he was called to fill evidence the esteem in which he was held by the people. He was successively elected an assistant in the government of Plymouth colony, from 1658 to 1681, and governor, except during the interruption by Sir Edmund Andros, from 1681 to the junction of Plymouth colony with Massachusetts, in 1692." The children of Governor Hinckley were one son, Ebenezer, and five daughters, one of whom, Mary, was married in 1686 to Samuel Prince, of Sandwich, father of the chronologist. The first General Court, under the new charter, June 8th, passed an act, declaring that all the laws of the colony of Massachusetts bay and the colony of New Plymouth, not being repugnant to the laws of England, nor inconsistent with the charter, should be in force, in the respective colonies, until the 10th of November, 1692, excepting where other provision should be made by act of assembly. Governors of the Colony of Plymouth from 1620 to 1692.* 1620, John Carver, four months and 24 days. 1621, William Bradford. 1633, Edward Winslow. 1635, William Bradford. 1644, Edward Winslow, 3 years. 1680 to 1692, Thomas Hinckley, 12 years, including several years interruption by Andros. There was no Lieutenant Governor till 1680. Before that *The first record of the election of any governor is in 1633. period, the governor, when obliged to be absent, appointed one pro tempore. The names of the lieutenant governors were as follows: Thomas Hinckley, 1680. James Cudworth, 1681. Major William Bradford, 1682 to 1686, & 1689 to 1691. There was no Secretary previous to 1636; but the records appear to have been previously kept by the governors. The hand-writing of Governor Bradford is very legible, and resembles a modern hand. The first Secretary was Nathaniel Souther. The second, Nathaniel Morton, from 1645 to 1685. The third, Nathaniel Thomas, 1686. The fourth and last, Samuel Sprague, who, except the interruption by Andros, continued till the union of the colonies. The Treasurers were William Paddy, in 1636. Thomas Prince, in 1637. Timothy Hatherly, in 1639. Constant Southworth, 1662 to 1678. There was no Sheriff till 1685. Writs and precepts were served originally by an officer, styled Messenger. In 1645, he was styled Marshall, and had the power of appointing deputies. Constables, however, were chosen in each town, with power to execute precepts, and collect rates. Upon the division of the colony into counties, sheriffs were appointed. A coroner was appointed at the beginning of the colony, but the office was soon abolished, and the duty of taking inquisitions devolved on the constables. There was no distinct office of register of deeds, or of wills and inventories, but those duties were performed by the secretary of the colony. This accounts for these records being blended with the other records of the government. Till 1685, the court of assistants was the only judicial court, except that the selectmen of the towns had the power of trying small causes. The assistants also formed a part of the legislature. The following is a correct list of Representatives from the Town of Plymouth in the general court of Plymouth Colony, from 1639 to 1692. 1639 William Paddy, Manasseh Kempton, Jr. 1639 John Cook, Jr. The following were the Town Clerks of Plymouth to the present time. Nathaniel Morton from 1679 to 1685. Thomas Faunce from 1685 to 1723. John Dyer from 1723 to 1731, and from 1733 to 1738. Edward Winslow 1740 and 1741. Samuel Bartlett from 1742 to 1765. John Cotton 1766. Ephraim Spooner from 1767 to 1818. The proper bounds of Plymouth township, according to the patent, extended southward to the bounds of Sandwich township, and northward to a little brook running from Stephen Tracy's to another little brook falling into black water from the commons left to Duxbury, and westward eight miles into the lands from any part of the bay or sea; 'always provided that the said bounds shall extend so far up into the wood lands as to include the south meadows towards Agawam, lately discovered, and the convenient uplands there-abouts.' up The first division of lands made by the settlers was in the year 1623, when they granted to each Free-holder a house lot, of from one to seven acres: in proportion to the number in each family. These lots were located on both sides of the town brook and consisted mostly of cleared land, being the ancient Indian corn land. The second division of land, was agreed on January 3d, 1627, when each free-holder was granted a 20 acre lot, which was mostly laid out near the centre of the town, but some lots were at Eel river, for the convenience of the inhabitants located there. After the grants of the first 20 acre lots, from the year 1636 to 1650 lands were granted and laid out in different parts of the town, in lots from 5 to 100 acres, to freemen, and from 1636 to 1680, lands were granted and laid out in almost every part of the colony, from 50 to 500 acres, before the incorporation of towns, and most of the salt meadows were also granted in divided lots. In 1640, Jones's river meadow was granted to 8 men. This meadow lies in the northeasterly part of Plympton, and south-easterly part of Kingston. The same year, the south meadows in the southerly part of Carver, were granted to 18 men, and Doten's meadow, situated in the northwesterly part of Carver, was granted to 5 men. In townmeeting, February 9th, 1701, the inhabitants voted, that each and every proprietor of said town shall have a 30 acre lot, out of the common lands belonging to the town. At this time there were 201 proprietors in the township. In 1701-2, it was voted in town-meeting, that a mile and a half from the water side up into the woods, from John Cobb's to Joseph Churchill's land, shall lye common, for the use of the town. The true bounds of this common were from the centre of the town by the shore three quarters of a mile northerly, thence south west a mile and a half into the woods, thence east a mile and a half crossing Billington sea and south pond, thence north easterly a mile and a half to the sea shore, thence north-westerly by the shore three quarters of a mile to the first bounds. In 1702, it was voted that all the cedar swamp throughout the township should be divided and laid out, according to the directions following, that is to say, all old proprietors and other inhabitants of the age of 21 years that are free-holders and house keepers born within the town, shall have each of them, a full share. Other inhabitants male children born in the town, and who now reside in it, and have arrived at the age of 21 years, shall have, each, half a share. All such inhabitants as succeed any of the ancient proprietors to have a full share, unless such ancient inhabitants have a son come in upon his father's right, and no person shall have more than a single share, though he may have more old proprietor's rights than one. The children of persons who are dead, and under the age of 21 years, shall have the right that was their father's, but no person, upon any pretence, whatever, shall have any share unless he reside now in the town. All the cedar swamps in the ancient town of Plymouth were surveyed, planned, and divided into 39 great lots, in 1703 and 1705, and the proprietors drew lots for their shares. In 1706, at a townmeeting, Plympton was set off from Plymouth and made a township, and the proprietors of both towns were styled the proprietory of Plymouth and Plympton. At a meeting of the proprietors 1 |