Adams, Samuel (1722-1803) [Committee findings relating to the estate of Brigadier General Samuel Waldo]
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.09106 Author/Creator: Adams, Samuel (1722-1803) Place Written: s.l. Type: Manuscript document signed Date: 8 July 1784 Pagination: 3 p. ; 29.2 x 18.8 cm. Order a Copy
Documents findings made by a Massachusetts State Senate Committee regarding rightful ownership and boundaries of certain Maine lands. These lands were apparently being petitioned for by the heirs of Brigadier General Samuel Waldo. Signed by Phillips, Wells and Dane as members of the General Court, and by Samuel Adams as President. Marked as a certified true copy.
Committee find that on the 23 of February 1762 A Committee of of the then General Court reported, that it was expedient for the Province to release & convey to the Representatives of Brigadier General Waldo, a tract of six miles in breadth, at the head of the Patent to Beauchamp & Leverett, to extend from Penobscot River to the line from Muscongus after extending said line thirty six miles from Muscongus into the Country with certain provisos, upon their the said representatives releasing to the Province, all [inserted: their] right and claim to lands east of Penobscot River; which they had agreed with said committee to perform, - That this report was accepted by the then General Court. - and that the form of a release or quitclaim, to be made by the said representatives, & of a grant to be made by the Province, was concluded upon but cannot find that either was executed; On the contrary, there was found in the files of the general Court for the year 1762 a fair Copy of the grant beforementioned, which appears to have been intended to be signed by the Governer [inserted: The President of the Council] & Speaker of the house of Representatives, but without the signature of either.
Upon fully considering the difficulties which attend every construction of the beforementioned patent which has been proposed, & the great importance to the [2] Commonwealth as well as to individuals, that the limits of the said Patent, be ascertained & finally determined & that Speedily,
Your Committee, are of opinion, that it will be expedient for the Commonwealth, to confirm to those interested in the beforementioned Grant to Beauchamp and Leverett, the tract of land contained within the following bounds - [bgg] - beginning at the point of land, east of the Mouth of the river Muscongus, thence extending up the said river, according to the general course thereof, into the country, - then running from the said point of Land, along the Sea coast, and by the bay of Penobscot, to the mouth of the river Penobscot; - from thence extending up the said river, untill a line drawn from the said river Penobscot, to the Muscongus line, first mentioned shall give & compleat a tract of Land, equal to a tract of Land of thirty miles square, and so that the said Muscongus line first mentioned, shall be equal in length to a right line drawn from a point of land called Owls head, to the Mouth of Penobscot River, with the said line extending up the said Penobscot River added thereto, together with all Islands, whose center falls within three miles of any part of the lands before described, [from] that no prior grant shall be affected thereby, On Condition, that those interested as aforesaid, shall make [3] and execute a release and quitclaim of all other lands (except those contained within the bounds aforesaid) by virtue of [inserted: the] said grant to Beauchamp & Leverett & Lodge the same in the Secretary's Office, on, or before the third tuesday [sic] of the next sitting of the General Court
Saml Phillips junr
Nathl Wells
Nathan Dane.
In Senate July 8th 1784 -
Read, and accepted - and thereupon Resolved that the Legislature of this commonwealth, will confirm to the heirs of the late Brigadier General Waldo, and others interested in the grant to Beauchamp and Leverett, a tract of land, equal to a tract, thirty miles square, agreably to the bounds of the tract recommended to be confirmed in the foregoing report (provided the same do not interfere with any prior grant) on condition that those interested as aforesaid shall make and execute a release and quitclaim of all other lands (except those contained within the bounds mentioned in the said report) by virtue of the grant to Beauchamp and Leverett, and lodge the same in the Secretarys office, on or before the third tuesday [sic] of the next sitting of the General Court, Provided nevertheless that no right or rights which may have escheated to the Commonwealth, be included with said confirmation.
And the secretary is hereby directed to cause this resolve to be published in the independent Chronicle six weeks successively
Sent down for Concurrence
S Adams President.
A true Copy extracted from the
original papers
July 8. 1784
Referred by the house of Representatives
to the next session -
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