I06 HISTORY OF C OH ASSET. 



The Massachusetts Colony owned all the land as far 

 south as the Plymouth Colony, by virtue of their charter 

 from King Charles in the year 1628-29. Accordingly, 

 when the colonial government granted to the Hingham 

 settlers their town site on the east side of Weymouth Back 

 River, those few men came into possession of over twenty 

 thousand acres of land. 



They were prudent and frugal enough to keep the larger 

 part of it undivided, dealing it out piecemeal as it was 

 needed, and always having left over a large acreage for the 

 encouragement of newcomers, — a veritable public treas- 

 ury from which to draw any needed capital. For about 

 two and a half years there was no considerable increase of 

 population. If Daniel Cushing, the third town clerk, is 

 accurate, there were only forty-two persons who came to 

 live in Hingham before the year 1638. 



Their clothing was badly worn, their supply of money 

 with which to buy necessary imported articles at Boston 

 was about exhausted, and in this plight they labored inces- 

 santly to subdue the land. Delicacies and conveniences 

 which might easily be had in old Hingham were only to 

 be longed for here. 



They learned how to raise Indian corn, and they planted 

 other grains and vegetables from foreign seeds. Apple 

 trees were set out, currant bushes and gooseberries planted, 

 all the familiar schemes of getting food were resorted 

 to ; but it takes more time than two or three years to 

 conjure up a self-supporting farm on these New England 

 hills. 



A corn mill at Weymouth was the nearest place for 

 grinding, and the old road leading to it was a necessary 

 highway. It may be that this road was frequently blocked 

 by trees that men felled across it in clearing their land, for 

 on April 1 1, 1637, it was voted, that if any man should fell 

 a tree across a highway and it be not removed within one 

 day, so that a man with horse and cart could pass, he 



