51 



veyed it, together with "the Potter's field," to Dudley 

 Woodbridge. No claim was ever made for any cottage 

 right as appurtenant to this field, as there undoubtedly 

 would have been if there had been any house on it before 

 1661. 



In a lawsuit, in 1680, concerning the six acres in 

 Planters Marsh, which had been owned by John Balch, 

 "lying betwixt Francis Skerry on the south side and Mr. 

 George Emery on the north side," Capt. Wm. Dixie, 

 aged seventy years, testifies that "above forty years past 

 of my own knowledge, John Balch, Sen., had in his pos- 

 session about five or six acres of land in ye marsh called 

 ye planter's marsh, near the north ferry in Salem." Fran- 

 cis Skerry, aged about seventy-four years, testifies that 

 thirty-five years before, it was known to be John Balch's ; 

 and Humphrey Woodbury, aged about seventy years, 

 testifies that "about fifty years past, of my knowledge, 

 John Balch, Sen., had an interest in ye marsh called ye 

 ould planter's marsh, near ye north ferry in Salem, with 

 ye other old planters." It is a significant fact that among 

 all the papers in this suit there is nothing to indicate that 

 any of the Old Planters ever lived near there. 



It seems that the town claimed certain rights in the 

 Planters Marsh. An order was passed, Nov. 26, 1638, 

 "that the meadow that is in common amongst some of 

 our brethren, Mr. Conant and others, shall be fenced in 

 the first day of April, and left common again the last of 

 September every year." In the Index of the Book of 

 Grants is written by Jeff'r}^ Massey "ould planter's marshe 

 for fencing and opening is in the old booke anno 1638." 

 April 15, 1639, there was "granted for the year to Mr. 

 Fisk and Mr. Fogg the hay grass of the salt marsh 

 meadow at the side of the Old Planter's fields." In 1653 

 the town granted to George Emery "the herbage of that 



