December 19, 1963
List Notes on Town Meetings That Date Back To the 1600’s
By Thomas R. Bayles
Following are some early records of town meetings held in Brookhaven Town:
At a town meeting held on December 16, 1667, it was ordered that Edward Avery should have the home lot that was Mathias Dingle's and that he was to do the blacksmith work of the town as cheap as other smiths did.
On the same date John Roe the shoemaker was given the lot that was laid out for a minister, that is nine acres of land and a new purchaser's right, he to pay for the same as others do and do the town's work at his trade as a shoemaker.
On March 30, 1667, a town meeting granted to Gabriel Lynch the weaver's accommodations, he to weave the town cloth as cheap as it is commonly woven, and pay for his purchases same as other do.
On December 23, 1668, a town meeting voted to Joseph Davis of Southampton lot and accommodations on condition that he: " weave the town's yarn into cloth upon as reasonable terms as they do generally upon the Island." I On February 16, 1675, at a meeting of the constable and overseers it was agreed that, every man's allotment be made up as near 50 acres as convenient, and after that land be given to any young man who applied to the constable, justice and overseers.
On September 16, 1677, a town meeting granted to John Tooker 50 acres of land wherever he chose, In payment for her services in writing of the records of the town to date.
On July 11, 1660, at a town meeting a 10-acre lot was granted to William Simpson upon condition that he keep a boat in the town.
On October 24, 1665, Mathew Prior sold his lot and house with "glass windows, doors and partitions to the constable and overseers for the accommodation of Mr. Brewster, the minister. Price was 12 pounds in Indian corn, wheat and peas.
On September 16 1674, a town meeting voted that Nathaniel Norton should have a piece of meadow land near "Mt. Misery House," with 3 poles of lard beside the meadow, for clapboarding and shingling the meeting house.
On July 20, 1674, a town meeting voted to Henry Peering three little islands in Unkechaug, with Patersquash Island excepted.
On April 7, 1674, a town meeting voted to divide the west meadow at the Old Mans (Mt. Sinai) among six men, who were, John Thomas, Andrew Miller, Thomas Smith, John Cooms, Richard Floyd and William Satterly.
A town meeting on September26, 1672 voted that no more land be given out or laid out to strangers.
On July 10, 1669, a town meeting voted to William Brinkley, blacksmith, 1 home lot and new purchasers accommodations in consideration that he should do the town's work as blacksmith, and that he must live upon the lot three years before he could dispose of it, "according to the Town order."
On March 9, 1713, the trustees forbade any person cutting cord wood or "exposing the same or sale in the common land without license first obtained from majority of proprietors or trustees."
On December 26, 1701, the trustees expressed their conviction of duty. "not to suffer any of God's creatures to want," ordered that a child that had been left with Hugh Mosier should be taken care of until the next quarter sessions , and that he should be paid 2 shillings 3 pence per week for that service.
A town meeting on May 4, 1697, directed that all the common lands westward of the two swamps on the south side of old Mans path, above the head of Drowned Meadow, extending southward to the edge "of he great plains be held as common land for feed for cattle and sheep.