Passages From The Early History of Brownfield

Maine, 1916

By Hon. Eli B. Bean.

Schools.

In 1827, Mr. Ephraim Thompson, then living near the Nathaniel Hill farm, was set off from school district No. 5 and annexed to district No. 3. In the year 1827, the town voted to annex Richard Harmon and John T. Miller to school district No. 7, (Beech hill). March, 1830, the town by vote instructed each school district to choose their own school agents. The restless feelings of the several school districts in town continued, and a call to divide those already formed and the demand for smaller ones presented itself in such force that in March, 1831, a committee of three consisting of Abel Gibson, Timothy Gibson and William Merrill was selected to examine the district and see what changes in same ought to be made and to report same to the town at a future meeting. The committee reported but the record of their report is not complete in the present record of the town.

School District No. 3 (Blake). At a school meeting called at the house of Edward Blake in July, 1831, it was voted to build a new school house, the house to replace the one burned, near the Andrew Wentworth farm, built in 1809. Two hundred dollars was voted for that purpose, selecting as a committee to build, Ichabod Ricker, William Wentworth, 2d, and John Quint.

The request for transfer from one school district to another continued to be a disturbing question at nearly every town meeting, so much so that the town once more selected a committee of three persons, to wit, Daniel Goodwin, James Steele and Walter Edgecomb to again divide the town into school districts. Their report was as follows and accepted by the town.

District No. 1. — No change made in this district except to allow Elijah Bradbury to have his proportion of the school money for private schooling at his house.

District No. 2. — This district was to retain its old boundaries except in case of John Thorn who was transferred from District No. 3, (Goodwin) to District No. 2.

District No. 4. — To remain as before with no change.

District No. 5. — Commence at Porter line and run northwesterly on west line of Cutler's grant to the northwest corner of Diamond Kennard's land, thence on the line of land formerly owned by E. Whitney and John Chamberlain to the north line of the Cutts lot, thence on north line of Cutts lot to New Hampshire line, thence thence south on state line to town line of Porter, thence on Porter line to first bounds.

Districts No. 6, 7, 8 and 9. No changes reported.

District No. 10. Beginning on the southeast corner of John Blake's land and running westerly on the south side of John Blake's land to Hezekiah Brown's, Oliver Storer's. Diamond Kennard's land, thence northerly including Diamond Kennard and E. Whitney's land, thence eastwardly on the north line of E. Whitney's, James Cram's and Jeremiah Storer's land to the northeast corner of said Storer's land, thence southwardly including Jeremiah Storer's and John Blake's land to first bounds.

District No. 11. Beginning at the northeast corner of lot No. 14. Cutler's grant, run westerly on the line between lots No. 13 and 14 and No. 23 and 24 to John Blake's land, thence northwesterly including Samuel E. Merrill, Samuel Wentworth and Abram White's land, thence easterly on the north line of Abram White's and Moses Merrill's land to northeast corner, thence southwesterly including Moses Merrill, James Brown and Nathan Bean's land, thence by Isaac Johnson and Amos Broad land and to first bounds.

1832. The town voted to appropriate the interest on the ministerial fund for the support of schools annually. Also voted to divide school district No. 4 on a line between the farms of Simon Gatchell and James B. Stone.

1833. The town appropriated $325 for schools and continued to change school district limits, transferring Capt. Asa Mansfield and widow Nancy Fessenden from district No. 1 to district No. 7, also set Wm. Poor into a school district by himself but the school records show that his school money for 1834 amounting to four dollars and sixteen cents, also that for the year 1835, amounting to four dollars and forty-eight cents was retained in school district No. 2. About this time, 1836, Mr. Poor left the farm, moving into the center village and no further mention is made of his school money. Voted $350 for schools in town.

1834. The school district carved from District No. 4, took the name of No. 13, or the I. K. Paine district, and a school meeting was called to meet at the house of Joseph K. Paine and it was voted to build a school house, locating the same on land of said Paine, between the house of Nathaniel Bean, and the road leading by Simon Gatchell's farm, selecting for a building committee, Samuel Dutch, Walter Edgecomb and Simon Gatchell and voted to raise eighty dollars ($80) to build same. Mr. James Johnson was elected district clerk.

1834. — School district No. 4, at a meeting held on the 25th day of September (no place of meeting mentioned, but supposed to be at the house of Eben Wentworth) Samuel Greenlaw chosen clerk and it was voted to build a school house in one year from that date, selecting Eben Wentworth, Seth Ela and James Robertson as committee to build and raised one hundred and twenty-four dollars for that purpose.

1835. — Zachariah Gibson was annexed to school district No. 2 and Aaron Wentworth transferred from district No. [*] to District No. 13.

Town voted to raise three hundred and seventy dollars ($370) for support of schools the present year, also voted to divide school district No. 2, taking Daniel Brackett and N. C. Rice and all the rest of them in said district and all on the north side of Sheppard's river and form one district to be called the centre district (after known as No. 14) leaving the school house in No. 2 as the property of that district. — W. S. H.

—The Fryeburg Post, Fryeburg, Maine, Sept. 26, 1916, p. 3.

Note: [*] No number is present here.

Massachusetts Court Severe on Husbands

1896

According to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court husbands can no longer rule their wives. The Court says, in rendering a recent decision:

"By virtue of this legislation a married woman becomes, in the view of the law, a distinct and independent person from her husband, not only in respect to her right to own property, but also in respect to her right to use her time for the purpose of earning money on her sole and separate account. She may perform labor, and is entitled to her wages and earnings. If she complies with the statutory requirement as to recording a certificate she may carry on any trade or business on her sole and separate account, and take the profits, if profits there are, as her separate property."

Her husband can appropriate neither her earnings nor her time, but he is obliged to support her as in the old regime. He has few rights left, though, for, "to a certain limited extent, as for example, in fixing the domicile and in being responsible under ordinary circumstances for its orderly management, the husband is still the head of the family." — New York Press.

Women and Property – Advice for Handling Estates, 1878

1878

There can be no question that for women good registered bonds are specially desirable, being less troublesome than any other securities. But it often happens that women inherit real estate, and a few remarks on its management may be useful.

A very wise man of fifty years' experience in taking care of property, especially for women, once said to me: "If a woman is left with a house at all suited to her condition, I always advise her to keep it. A woman with a house of her own — a home — will usually get along even on a very small income; and she and her family, if she has one, will be much happier if they have a home than they could be without it. Without a home of their own, they are usually unsettled and subject to many discomforts."

And so, if a woman inherits other real estate, and it yields her a moderate income, it will scarcely be wise to part with it, especially if it is situated in a village or city that is growing. The mere retention of real estate in these circumstances has made thousands rich. Avoid incurring a debt for the improvement of such property. A lady recently called on me for advice. She inherited $50,000 of real estate, which yielded her a fair income, equal to every want. But not contented, she borrowed money to make costly improvements and to erect new buildings. Now, with the decline of property, her rent roll hardly pays her interest and taxes, and she is liable to heavy losses by foreclosure.

Of course good securities, of whatsoever sort, should be kept, that is, not exchanged for others for the sake of a little hoped-for gain. While it is not wise to carry all one's eggs in one basket, it should be remembered that eggs are liable to break in handling. It is easy to loosen up property, but not easy to re-establish it. — Bazar.

Addressing Someone as "Esquire" on Letters

1903

"ESQUIRE" ON LETTERS.

In a Great Many Cases Its Use Is Much Abused.

About half the letters that go through our mails are addressed to some "Esq." Occasionally you will find a "Mr." at the front of the name and the "Esq." at the tail end.

The 'Squire in the United States is usually a police justice in the small country towns. The title originally was bestowed upon the shield-bearer, or armor-bearer, of a knight. In these days we use it loosely, tacking it on to everybody, just as "Hon." is tacked. Any old or young scoundrel in a state legislature is "Hon."

Esquire may be divided into five classes; he who does not belong to one of them may or may not be a gentleman, but is no esquire. According to Wharton these are the classes: "Younger sons of peers and their eldest sons; eldest sons of knights and their eldest sons; chiefs of ancient families (by prescription); esquires by creation or office, as heralds or sergeants at arms, judges, justices of the peace, the higher naval and military officers, doctors in the several faculties, and barristers; each Knight of the Bath appoints two esquires to attend him at his installation and at coronation. No estate, however large, confers this rank upon its owner." — New York Press.

—Davenport Daily Republican, Davenport, Iowa, March 7, 1903, page 4.


About half the letters that go through our mails are addressed to some "Esq." Occasionally you will find a "Mr." at the front of the name and the "Esq." at the tail end.

The 'Squire in the United States is usually a police justice in the small country towns. The title originally was bestowed upon the shield-bearer, or armor-bearer, of a knight. In these days we use it loosely, tacking it on to everybody, just as "Hon." is tacked. Any old or young scoundrel in a state legislature is "Hon."

Esquire may be divided into five classes; he who does not belong to one of them may or may not be a gentleman, but is no esquire. According to Wharton these are the classes: "Younger sons of peers and their eldest sons; eldest sons of knights and their eldest sons; chiefs of ancient families (by prescription); esquires by creation or office, as heralds or sergeants at arms, judges, justices of the peace, the higher naval and military officers, doctors in the several faculties, and barristers; each Knight of the Bath appoints two esquires to attend him at his installation and at coronation. No estate, however large, confers this rank upon its owner." — New York Press.

—Davenport Daily Republican, Davenport, Iowa, March 7, 1903, page 4.