37 



On the north-west side of Bridge street, and south- 

 west of Skeny street, was the homestead of Francis 

 Skerry, and adjoining it on the north-east, was the home- 

 stead of JeiFry Massey, both of whom were for many 

 years prominent in town aflairs. Between that and Rob- 

 bins Lane, which was where the school house is now, was 

 a two-acre lot on which lived Richard Brackenbury, be- 

 fore he removed to Beverly, which was before the year 

 1G40. 



On the land north-east of Robbins Lane, lived at about 

 the year 1640, James Smith, Michael Sallows, Thomas 

 Read, John Tucker, Thomas Robins and George Ropes ; 

 and near them also Francis Nurse, Wm. Bennett, [Wm.] 

 Waller, Thomas Edwards, and George Wathen. At the 

 point just east of the Salem end of Beverly Bridge was 

 the Ferry landing place, and there lived John. Stone, who, 

 in 1G36, was appointed to keep the ferry from that point 

 across to Cape Ann side, as Beverly was then called, 

 John Massey, who kept the Ferry after 1686, lived on 

 the same site. 



On the south-east side of Bridge street, and extending 

 from where Pickman street is, nearly to Barton street, 

 w^as the Ship Tavern Pasture, so-called, which was owned 

 by John Gedney, who kept the Ship Tavern where the 

 Mansion House lately stood. It consisted of twelve 

 acres, six of which he bought of George Emory, before 

 1649, and two of Richard Graves, in 1650, and the other 

 four of Margaret Rix, in 1655. This land was conveyed 

 by the heirs of John Gedney to Deliverance Parkmuu, in 

 1698, and by the widow of his grandson, George Curwen, 

 to Benjamin Pickman, in 1749. Deliverance Parkman, in 

 1714, was allowed four rights "for Josiah Rootes, Edward 

 Giles, [Philemon] Dickenson and John Borne's cottage 

 rights in the Great Pasture, formerly Mr. Gedney 's." 



