132 ( . 



of it in 1663 to Giles Corey, who had been "several 

 years in possession," describing it as "one dwelling house 

 and two acres of land," "bounded with the land of Robert 

 Buffum, east, and the land of said Giles Corey, west, 

 abutting upon the North River north and the street 

 south." 



We find upon a careful examination of the deeds ot 

 land in that vicinity that this two acre lot, which belonged 

 originally to John Alderman, extended across Boston 

 street, the eastern line of it beginning at a point on the 

 North River about fifteen rods east of the Town Bridge, 

 and running nearly south, crossing Boston street near the 

 corner of Fowler street, so that a triangular piece of land 

 was afterwards made by this line on the west, the Brick- 

 kiln, or a continuation of Essex street on the south, and 

 Boston street on the northeast. This triangular piece of 

 land, which came to a sharp point near the present cor- 

 ner of May street and Boston street, was owned very 

 early, by William Beans and his wife Sarah, who was a 

 daughter of Robert Buffum, and, no doubt,' it originally 

 belonged to the homestead of Robert Buffum, being cut 

 oif from it when Boston street was laid out. That part 

 of the Alderman homestead which was south of Boston 

 street, about one acre, was sold by Giles Corey to Edward 

 Flint in 1682, and was between the Southwick lot on the 

 west and the triangular piece of land above described on 



^ 



the east, and extending south to the Brick-kiln field. In 

 1659 'Giles Corey conveyed to John Norton that part of 

 the Alderman homestead north of Boston street, together 

 with his own house and land adjoining, describing the 

 premises as "two dwelling houses in Salem, one of them 

 being the now dwelling house of the said Giles Corey, 

 and is the corner house next the bridge, and the other 

 being the house wherein Mr. Alderman formerly dwelt, 



