164 



men was dredged during the forenoon off the Misery. It was very 

 different from the single species of Liparis which had heretofore 

 been found in Massachusetts waters. 



Mr. Joseph E. Ober, of Beverly Farms, gave the following account 

 of West's Beach : 



West's Beach took its name from John West, the first settler of 

 Beverly Farms ; this is evident from the fact, that John West bought 

 the land adjacent to the beach of John Blackleach of Boston, who held 

 said lands by a grant from the town of Salem. 



In the Essex County Kegistry of Deeds, book 2, page 39, dated 

 Dec. 14, 1660, is a deed recorded " conveying to John West at the 

 Creek, in consideration of 350, all that messuage, uplands and meadow, 

 situate and lying in Salem aforesaid, as hath been at any time or times 

 before the day of the date hereof, been given and granted unto the 

 said John Blackleach, formerly in the name of Lawrence Leach, but 

 now in the name and occupied by John West." 



The following is from 'the Ancient Town Records of Salem : "At 

 a meeting of the selectmen 19th day of 12th month 1666, It is agreed 

 with John West at the Creek yt whylst hee shall mayntayne the Cause- 

 way over the Marsh at the farme which was Mr. Blackleach in Salem 

 Bounds, a sufficient hie waye to the town of Gloster and the Manches- 

 ter mens use ; hee shall enjoy the use and benefit of all such ground 

 which lyeth in Common between the sayed farme and the farme of 

 Nicholas Woodberry, with Pond and Beach, and hath liberty to set 

 up a gate theron for his use, any former records nulled." 



1668, 10th month, 8th day, John West and wife Mary, together 

 with their son Thomas and his wife Elizabeth were, upon letters of 

 dismission from the church in Ipswich, received into communion with 

 the church in Beverly. 



The children of John West were John, Joseph, and Thomas (John 

 and Joseph died young and unmarried). Thomas married Elizabeth 

 Johnson (daughter of John and Catherine Johnson), by whom he had 

 nine children, four of whom died young and unmarried ; of the others, 

 Euth married William Haskell in 1668, and has numerous posterity at 

 the Farms and elsewhere ; Samuel married Mary Norton, had eight 

 children, most of whom were married and have posterity settled all 

 over New England. Mary married Robert Woodberry, and has an 

 extensive posterity. Thomas married Christiann-i Woodberry. Chris- 

 tianna Woodberry (or West) inherited a large tract of woodland lying 

 in Manchester near the Beverly line, which has ever since been known 

 as Christian's Hill. In book 92 of the Essex Registry of Deeds, page 

 87, may be found a record of a deed dated in those early times, of cer- 

 tain beach lands and flats, being a part of the beach known as West's 

 Beach. 



For a great number of years the causeway, named in the original 

 grant to John West from the town of Salem, was kept in repair by the 

 heirs of said West. They were so particular with regard to comply- 

 ing with said grant, that they divided and subdivided the causeway 

 which was twenty-two rods long, according to each heir's respective 

 part or share to* maintain and keep in repair. It is a fact little 

 known, perhaps, outside the limits of the town of Beverly, that this 

 same causeway has, from those early times, been kept in repair by in- 

 dividuals up to 1852, when the legislature granted an act of incorpo- 



