GROTON AS A SHIRE TOWN. 1 97 



divide the county of Middlesex." The scheme resulted, on 

 April 2, 1 73 1, in the formation of Worcester County, which 

 took eight towns out of Middlesex, besides others from Suf- 

 folk and Hampshire ; though it was not the same affair as the 

 one mentioned in the History of Chelmsford. Mr. Torrey 

 furthermore says : 



In a little more than two years after this, attempts were made to 

 form a new county out of the counties of Worcester and Middlesex, 

 of which Groton was to be the shire town. These attempts in a short 

 time were abandoned (p. 35). 



Further particulars of this movement are given in extracts 

 from the printed Journal of the Massachusetts House of Rep- 

 resentatives, under the respective dates of June 15 and 17, 

 1736, as follows : 



On a motion made and seconded by divers Members, Ordered, 

 That the House will enter into the consideration of the Petition of 

 Benjamin Prescot, Esq. ; and Capt. jfoseph Blanckard, for them- 

 selves and others, praying for a division of the Countys of Middlesex 

 and Worcester on Thursday next the I'jih. currant in the forenoon 

 (page 49). 



According to the order of Tuesday last the House enter'd into 

 the consideration of the Petition of Benjamin Prescot, Esq. ; and 

 Capt. Joseph Blanchard, Agents for Groton, Dunstable, &c. praying 

 for a new County to be erected partly out of Middlesex and partly 

 out of Worcester Countys, as entred the i8//i. of jfune last, and idih. 

 of March and referred ; the same being read, with the respective 

 answers thereto, and some debate being had, the following Vote 

 passed, viz. In answer to the within Petition, Ordered, That the 

 prayer thereof be so far granted as that the Towns of Groton, Dun- 

 stable, Littleton, Wesford, Dracict, Nottingham, 'Townshend, Lunen- 

 burgh, and Harvard, with the Towns lately granted, and lying 

 Northerly and Westerly of the Towns afore enumerated, and not 

 already included in any County, be and hereby are erected into a 

 separate and distinct County by themselves, to all intents and pur- 

 poses in the Law, and that the Petitioners have leave to bring in a 

 Bill accordingly. Sent up for Concurrence (p. 51). 



The question of dividing the county does not appear to 

 have been brought forward again for nearly thirty years. In 



