DIVIDING THE LAND. 



147 



in such a bargain, because they came too late for the 

 former grants. 



Next they voted to share the commons according to a 

 man's property plus the number of members of his family. 

 This arrangement would be very agreeable to large families 

 as well as to heavy property owners. Each member of a 

 family might be counted as equivalent to three or four 

 acres of land. 



But Daniel Gushing vigorously objected to a division by 

 " heads and estates." 



A committee, therefore, consisting of Joshua Hobart, 

 Daniel Gushing, Jeremy Beal, Lieutenant Smith, Hum- 

 phrey Johnson, and Moses Gollier, were chosen to ask 

 counsel of si.x prominent men of other towns to get the 

 best advice for the division of the commons. 



Two months later, May 17, 1669, it was voted to value 

 all house lots at five pounds ($25.00) per acre and persons 

 at fifteen pounds ($75.00) per head. 



In December they passed still further definitions of 

 value for property.* 



The number voting at these important meetings may be 

 inferred from the statement that "twenty-four hands were 

 held up, to count houses at the valuation of the county 

 rate," and " sixteen hands went up, to count houses at 

 their full value." 



But they adjourned for a week, when they were to make 

 another effort at a division. 



Some English-born settlers complained that certain 

 house lots had more than one vote because more than one 



* Cattle as follows : — 



