First Book of Newbury Records. Copied from the first book written by Woodbridge, Rawson and Somerby.
19 JUN 1638

It is likewise agreed that Richard Goodale, Abraham Toppan, Frances Plummer, Nich. Batt, Henry Rolfe, Robert Coker & Jno. Emery shall have acres of planting land in the little neck on the west side of the little river & if there be any left that Richard Littlehale shall have foure acres.

History of Newbury, Massachusetts, 1635-1902. John James Currier.

12 MAR 1641/2. We whose names are here underwritten being appointed by the free men to proportion to every man his several and particular right in all the Town’s commons according to the full power and authority committed to us in the behalf do order & determine as followeth :

• That the several numbers of pastures hereafter expressed shall lie and be perpetually to the said persons to whom they are allowed as their own property & due right and that it shall not be in the liberty or power of the freemen to alter or take away any man’s right in the commons according to the stint hereunder because it is his propriety & inheritance.

• That no person or persons whatsoever not expressed in there stint hath or shall have any propriety in the Commons in present or hereafter but what he shall get by purchase or some other way legally obtain.

• That all the commons within the limits of the Town shall be equally divided into three several parts and that the same number of cattle that are allowed in the stint of the cows & oxen shall be allowed in the heifer common & a third like quantity of young cattle in the coinon above Mr Rawson’s farm.

THE STINT OF THE OX & COW COMMON.
[etc…]
Henry Rolfe 8 3/4
Richard Kent 3 1/2
[etc…]
[Signed by] John Woodbridge, Thomas Hale, Henry Short

Memorandum that March 12, 1641 the orders above written and the proportion of pasturing allowed to every one as is above expressed were publiquely & distinctly read to the General Body of the freemen who generally by their vote did confirm the same and further with the consent of said persons deputed did order as followeth:

• That whosoever shall at any time transgress this order by putting any of his cattle in any or either of those commons more than is here mentioned as due to him or that he shall make sufficiently evident to have lawfully purchased or otherwise legally obtained from any which hath due right according as is expressed shall forfeit twenty shillings for every beast that by the Hay ward of the Towne shall be found going in any of those commons and by him to be levied on the goods of every such offender by the Constable for the use of the Towne.

• The execution of this stint is stayed till the major part of the freemen shall see cause to put it in use.

• That no man shall under any pretense or colour whatsoever receive any cattle into the Towne or keep any man’s in the Town that hath no right in the common, to stock the common so much as that the Towne should be forced to make use of the stint provided this relate not to cattle which any one shall Buy or Hire out of the Towne for his own necessary use & employment.

History of Newbury, Massachusetts, 1635-1902. John James Currier.

Town Records (before 7 DEC 1642)

Henry Rolfe [a long list of people required to move their freehold]

Whereas the town of Newbury, well weighing the streights they were in for want of plough ground, remoteness of the common, scarcity of fencing stuffe, and the like, did in the year 1642 grant a commission to Mr. Thomas Parker, Mr James Noves, Mr John Woodbridge, Mr Edward Rawson, Mr. John Cutting, Mr. John Lowle, Mr. Edward Woodman, and Mr. John Clark, for removing, settling, and disposing of the inhabitants to such place as might in their judgements best tend to their enlargements, exchanging their lands, and making such orders as might be in their judgements for the well ordering of the town’s occasions and, as in their commission more largely appeareth, the said deputed men did order in their first meeting and appoint John Merrill. Richard Knight, Anthony Short and John Emery to go to all the inhabitants of the town, taking a true list of all the stock of each inhabitant, and make a true valuation of all their houses, improved land, and fences, that thereby a just rule might be made to proportion each inhabitant his portion of land about the new towne, and removing of the inhabitants there. It was ordered at a meeting of the eight deputed men above mentioned that each freeholder should have a house lott of foure akers. It was further ordered, in respect of the time for the inhabitants removing from the place they now inhabit to that which is layd out and appointed for their new habitations, each inhabitant shall enjoy their house lotts four years from the day of the date of this commission.

History of Newbury, Massachusetts, 1635-1902. John James Currier.

OUR HENRY IS DEAD BY 1642

Town records in 1645. Henry has to exchange his property by the Parker River for on further out.

It is ordered & determined by the orderers of the Towne affairs at the plan of the new Towne is & shall be laid out by the lot [??] as ye house lots were determined by their choice beginning from the farthermost on the south street thence running through the Pine swamp then up the high street numbering the lotts in the south street from the first to John Bartlett’s lott the 27th then through the west side of the high street to Mr Lowles the 28th & so to the end of the street then running through field street to Mr Woodman’s ye 41st thence to the end of that street to John Cheney’s the 50th then turning to the first Cross street the west side of John Emery 5 if thence coming up from the riverside on the East side of the same street to the other street the west side to Daniel Pearses ye 57111 & so to the River side on y’ side the street to Mr Clarke, whence from ye water side up the street on the East side to Francis Plumer 66’h as hereunder by names & figures appended.

Henry Rolfe, 11 acres