THE TOWN OF BEDFORD. 43 



October 16th, 1694, the town agreed to buy a house and lot of John 

 Ambler for a parsonage, "provided his price do not exceed ,£25." In 

 all probability, the spot on which the Presbyterian church (built in 1872) 

 now stands is a part of this original purchase. 



"February 21st, 1694-5. The town by uote doth chois John Holmes, 

 Sen., Zachariah Roberts, John Wascott e Daniell Jones to carry on the 

 Sabbath day according to theyr descresion wbill they ear other ways 

 provided. 2ndly. The town doth by vote mack choice of Cornelus 

 Selly to carry on the Lord's day along with ye others chosen e yt in 

 Daniell Jones roome. 



March 21st, 1698. The inhabitance of the town of Bedford by a 

 maiger uote doth order e agree yt. every acre of land e meadow within the 

 bounds of Bedford that is alooted unto pertickler persons; both im- 

 proved e not emproved; that is to say, what every man doth possess 

 for their one; that man or parson shall pay three pence an acre yearly 

 for evry acre towards the maintaining of a minister amongst us. 



2nly. The town by a maigor uote doth order ' that this above said 

 uote shall be presented unto the Jenarall Court at Herford, that it may 

 be established as a law for the town of Bedford." Their supplies all 

 seemed to leave them, and "ieneuary 9th, 1698-9: the town by a mai- 

 gor uote doth order that there shall be a request made to the ministars 

 of the county to inquire for us, e to acquaint us where we maybe likely 

 to ataine to a ministar and for his encuredgment we do agre upon seri- 

 ous consideration for his incuredgment to give him a house loot e 

 forty acres of land e medow; e thurty pounds a yer in curant provision 

 pay. Febuary 8th, 1698-9. The town by a maigor vote doth agree to 

 improve the town loot this year in the town way towards the maintain- 

 ance of a ministar e to mack theyer fence, now belonging unto ye 

 house loot e euery inhabitant to mack theyer equall sharis up with good 

 sofisiant fine raill fence as it shall be layed out by ye towns men e it is 

 to pass the vewars; — e the town dos agree to plow, plant e tend the loot 

 in a way of a town rate, e if any refuse or nedgleckt to dew theyr shair 

 of fence up by the fifteenth of march next to come shall pay four shill- 

 ings a rood to the town men as they may have it dun up as above said. 



"16th of December, 1692, David Mead was chosen by the town to 

 keep the town drum, to keep it in repair and to beat it when necessary, 

 and to be allowed 10 shillings yearly." 



Prior to the use of bells in New England, the meetings were sum- 

 moned by beat of drum, or the blowing of the conch shell: to this 

 practice the poet alludes : 



"New England's Sabbath day," 

 Is heaven-like, still and pure, 

 Then Israel walks the way 

 Up to the temple's door : 



The time we tell, 



When there to come, 



By beat of drum, 



Or sounding shell. 



