The grist-mill at this time being very much out of repair, needing a new waterwheel, set of mill-stones, new flume, etc., it was torn down and a new one, built. It was taken down in August and the new one, built on the same spot, was raised Sept. 25, 1824, the work being done by Ezra Dodge and others from Beverly. John P. Peabody took one-half of one of the original millstones for a door-step, which is still used for that purpose. The new millstones, weighing over three tons, were brought from Lynn. The cost of the new mill was $452.06. The mills were run by the brothers until Feb. 14, 1829, when the mills had been in the Peabody family for one hundred and sixty-four years. On that date Jacob sold his farm and his interest in the mills to Hon. Nathan Dane of Beverly. Mr. Dane transferred the same to Samuel Bradstreet and Samuel Gould, as tenants in common, June 16, 1831. April 12, 1836, Samuel Bradstreet sold his one-fourth interest to Samuel Gould, who owned another quarter. Mr. Gould sold his one-half to Jacob Towne Sept. 14, 1841. April 2, 1845, Mr. Towne having died, his administratrix and widow, Sophia Towne, conveyed this one-half interest to their son J. Waldo Towne. During all the years after Jacob Peabody sold his interest in the mills in 1829, the other owner, John P. Peabody, continued to run them, paying rent' to the different owners of Jacob's undivided half. In 1842, the old saw-mill was taken down by Alfred P. Towne, and used for firewood. Nov. 1, 1843, John P. Peabody sold his farm and one-half of the grist-mill to his son-in-law, Benjamin B. Towne, the mill having now been in the Peabody name one hundred and seventy-eight years. In 1846, the old Peabody house by the mill in which Lt. Francis Peabody lived in 1660, was torn down by A. Porter Kneeland and others. Some of the boards and timbers taken therefrom were used in the construction of the house erected on that spot by J. Waldo Towne in 1847, which is now owned by George F. Pevear. The mill was run by Benjamin B. and J. Waldo Towne until April 10, 1848, when they sold out to John McKenzie, who made extensive repairs, being a wheelwright. In 1850, he took out the old reversible water-wheel, sixteen feet in diameter, and put in a new circular tubwheel. When putting in the foundation for the new wheel, Mr. McKenzie found an old pine-tree shilling. This ancient coin was afterwards purchased by Dea. Joel R. Peabody and with some appropriate verses, written by his wife, was sent by him as a present to George Peabody, the eminent banker of London. Mrs. Peabody received in return a present of a silver pitcher lined with gold. In 1851, after making many repairs, Mr. McKenzie added a corn-cracker, up to this time only clean grain having been ground. The introduction of the cracker marked a new epoch in the history of the mill. Not much corn was shelled after this, as thereafter kernels and cob were ground together. Mr. McKenzie's health failing, he was assisted by John Boardman jr., his sonin-law. The mill was run with good success until 1854, when Mr. McKenzie sold it to his son Alfred McKenzie, who lived in Danvers. The mill was then let on shares to Benjamin B. Towne, who ran it continuously, with the assistance of George W. Brown, until April 1, 1870. During this period, the principal repairs were the building of a new flume and bridge in 1857. March 19, 1870, the property was sold to William Locke. He made some repairs upon the mill, putting in a new rim to the waterwheel, and substituting iron floats to the wheel instead of the wooden ones. During the first portion of Mr. Locke's ownership, the mill was run by David Smith and Benjamin Austin Perkins, and then by Mr. Locke himself until July 17, 1873, when he conveyed the property to John B. Perry of Somerville. Mr. Perry ran the mill until he sold it to Mrs. Licenetta Ham of Wakefield Aug. 19, 1875. During her ownership it was run by John B. Perry, Jr. Mrs. Ham sold out to Mrs. Catharine Hanford of Lexington Jan. 4, 1876. The mill was run during her ownership by her son Clarence C. Hanford, who made some repairs. June 27, 1883, Mrs. Hanford's interest in the property was sold to Leon F. Chamecin. Oct. 2, 1883, Mr. Chamecin sold out to Mrs. Teresa C. Carr, the present owner. The most successful period of the mill's history probably began with the introduction of the corn cracker in 1851, and ended in 1875, for during the civil war and for some years afterwards grain was very high, often bringing two dollars per bushel. WILL OF WILLIAM NEVILL. The will of William Nevill of Ipswich was proved 70: 1643. The following copy is taken from the record contained in Ipswich Deeds, volume 1, leaf 5, the original being missing. I william Nevill of Ipswich fingleman being weake of body but of pfect memory & vnderstanding doe make this my laft will & Teftament as followeth I comit my foule to god that gave it & my Many amusing incidents could be re- body to the earth when I fhall depart this lated in connection with this mill. Some life and for my worldly goods I thus difpeople would come to the miller's house, pose of them first that Phifitian & other and say in pleading tones, "I want to go debts that I owe shalbe paid Alfoe I to mill." Others would say, "I have give Mary whipple my bible and I give to come to get some meal ground." The her & to the rest of my m' children that writer's father, who was miller for many which my mafter oweth me alfoe I give years, often spoke of a Linebrook parish that which my dame oweth me; and 18d man who occasionally came to mill. He which Philip ffowler oweth me to william generally rode in a two-wheel shay, and Robinson alfoe I give to william Gooderwhen coming down the turnpike hill by fon my intereft in the Teame [term?] the grove he began to cry out in stentorian hired of m1. Bradstreet and in the ground tones, "Where is the miller?" And this hired of m'. Carner being ptner with cry he repeated more or less frequently william Robinson as alfoe in an other until he had reached the miller's house. bargaine and agreement wherein william If the miller was within an eighth of a mile, Robinson & I are ptners and my will is he would be almost sure to hear the cry. that william Gooderfon fhall have halfe the profitt paft & to come & to beare halfe the charges that are past & are yet to pay for & that fhalbe hereafter to be done Alfoe I give to Goody Langton the feed wheat alfoe I give to Mary Langton that which goodman Horton oweth me alfoe I give to Jofeph Langton my fowling peece alfoe I give to Sarah Langton my barly Alfoe I give John wooddam The old mill stands to-day in quiet repose. No busy sound is heard save that of the ceaseless flow of the running brook, bringing to mind the words of Tenny son: "For men may come and men may go, But I go on forever." The saw-mill has been gone for more than half a century, and the grist-mill, OLD NORFOLK COUNTY RECORDS. Continued from page 85. Edward Gillman of Exiter, for £150, conveys to my brother Jno. Gillman of Exiter, one-fourth of my saw-mill on the western side of the river on Exiter falls, and one-fourth of my saw-mill on the eastern side of the river on Exiter falls; also, one house and lot, which was sometimes Robert Smith's and the remainder of the land of Nathaniell Boultor and Mr. Wheelwrite, bounded by land I have sold to Tho: Pettitt; also, 200 acres on the river; also, one-half of a 300 acre farm I bought of Mr. Staniell three or four miles south from the fall; also, meadow I bought of Mr. Clarke, which was sometimes Mr. Legatt's; also, meadow near Mr. Hilton's on the river; also, one-fourth of my right of the patent of Swamscott and Dover, which I bought of Mr. Sam: Olipher, Dec. 28, 1652. Wit: Humfry Humber and the mark of Will: Hilton. Ack. before Tho: Wiggin 31 12:1652. Edward Colcord of Hampton conveys to Tho: ffilbrick and James ffilbrick of Hampton land in Hampton, between the highway to Moses Cox and highway to the landing places, bounded on Jonathan thing, river, Jn°. Wedgwood, Willi: ffifeild, William Cole, etc., April 9, 1651. Wit: Robert Tuck. Ack. 88: 1652. Christopher Hussey of Hampton conveys to Thomas ffilbrick and James ffilbrick marsh in Hampton, bounded by Tho: Maston and the river, 10: 8mo: 1651. Wit: Robert Tuck. Ack. before Richard Bellingham 8: 8: 1652. Jn°. Sanders of Hampton conveys to Jn°. Browne of Hampton my house and lot, etc., bounded by Morris Hobbs, Willi : ffifeild, etc., 27: 5: 1643. Signed by mark. Wit: Christopher Hussy and the mark of Anthony Taylor. Ack. before Richard Saltingstall March 9, 1645. Deposition of Isack Buswell and Willi Buswell of Salisbury: About seven years ago, Anthony Sadler and Jno. Gyll were together at said Isacke Buswell's house, and Sadler then sold to Gill a house and lot, bounded by Rodger Eastman, Thomas Bradbury (sometimes John Bayley), Henry Brown (sometimes Willi: Holdred); etc. Sworn in court at Salisbury 17: 4: 1653. Deposition of Martha Sadler alias Burbie, sworn to 14: 4: 1653. She says that she heard her husband Anthony Sadler, late deceased, say that he sold to Jno Gyll a house and lot in Salisbury, between lots of John Bayly, sen., and Rodger Eastman, and bounded upon a street s. w. and the land of Jn° Hoyt formerly. Jn° Bayly of Nubery, weaver, with consent of my wife Ellnor, conveyed to Joannah, wife of Willi: Huntington of Salisbury, planter, and to Jn° Huntington, her son, and Mary Huntington, her daughter, a dwelling house and five acres of upland, bounded by Jn°. Weed, Jn°. Bayly, sen. (late of Salisbury, deceased), Jarrett Haddon; also, 20 acres of upland, bounded by Richard Wells, Merrimack river; both lots being in Salisbury, on west side of Pawwaus river, 4: 11 mo: 1652. Signed by mark. Wit: Tho: Bradbury and Mary Bradbury her MB mark. Ack. before Sam: Winsley and Josiah Cobham, commissioners of Salisbury, 23: 4: 1653. 23:4: William Payne of Ipswich, merchant, for £55, conveyed to William Godfrey of Watertowne a house and 44 acres of land, one share in great ox-common and two shares of all others commons, all in Hampton, the house lot being bounded by Henry Elkin, Anthony Taylor, Nathaniel Boulter, meeting house green, aldery meadow, and a common way; five acres of meadow, bounded by m'. Timothy Daulton, John Marian, Tho: Levitt, and a common way; ten acres of marsh near Burch island, bounded by ye river, William ffullar; and 14 acres of land in the north field, bounded by Walter Roper, Robert Page, Abraham Pirking, Jno. Marian; all above lots ⚫ of land and house lately belonged to William Howard of Hampton. Dated 18: 3: 1649. Signed also by Willi: Howard and ye mark H of Hanah Payne. Wit: Timothy Daulton, Henry Doue, and Willi: Bartholomew. Ack. in Ipswich court, John Endecott, gov'., 29: 7: 1652. Sammuell Winsly, sen., of Salisbury, planter, for £23 5s., conveyed to Willi: Barnes of Salisbury, house-carpenter, 60 acres of upland in Salisbury, on west side of Pawwaus river, in ye range of ye great lots, bounded by Ralfe Blesdale (late deceased, formerly the lot of Thomas Bradbury), Richard Singletarie (formerly), and Isack Buswell, 31: 11: 1652. Wit: Tho: Bradbury and Rich: Currier. Ack. in court at Salisbury 14: 4: 1653. Ralfe Hall, for £8, conveyed to Moses Gyllman my house lot that was sometime Robert Smith's, etc., Dec, 29, 1652. Signed Ralfonfus Hall. Wit: Edward Gyllman and Jn° Robinson. Ack. before Tho: Wiggin 29: 12: 1652. Oct. 6, 1653, Willi: ffifeild of Hampton conveyed to Anthony Taylor of Hampton 5 acres of salt marsh, bounded by m'. Anthony Stainard, etc. Wit: Joseph Mason and Humphrey Humber. Ack. before Tho: Wiggin 6: 8mo: 1653. Thomas Moulton of Hampton, husbandman, conveyed to Henry Green of Hampton, miller, 13 acres of salt marsh, bounded by fals river; and 15 acres of upland on west side of m1. Dalton's farm, July 7, 1652. Wit: Willi: ffifeild and Samuell Andrewe. Ack. in court at Hampton 8: 8: 1653. Deposition of Jn°. Legatt, sworn to before Willi: Hibbins 9: 8mo: 1652. He said "that aboute Tenn yeres since he was a helping of Nicolas Needham of Exiter to make a pcell of boults in Pas cataway great Bay." Needham said he owed the boults to Henry Robie, who had sold them to Anthony Stanian. He testified to the same facts eight or nine years before verbally in Salem court in the trial of the action between Henry Robey and Ann Needam. Edward Gyllman of Exiter, for £8, conveyed to his brother Moses Gyllman of Exiter four house lots (about eight acres), which were sometimes Jo". Crams and Tho: Pettitts; etc. Wit: Tho: Bradbury and Georg Browne. Ack. in court at Hampton 8: 8: 1655. 8: 8: 1653, Jn°. Wedgwood of Hampton, planter, conveyed to Henry Greene of Hampton 20 acres of land on falls river. Wit: Nathaniell Drake and Ghiles ffuller. Ack. before Willi: Estow and Jeffery Mingee, commissioners of Hampton, 9: 8mo: 1653. Jno. Samborn of Hampton conveyed to Thomas Marston of Hampton four acres of fresh meadow in Hampton, bounded by Rodger Shaw (formerly Jn°. Croffes), Willi Marston and a highway, 23: 3; 1645. Wit: Joseph Mason, Humphrey Humber and Abraham Pirkins. Ack. in Hampton court 5: 8mo: 1653. Jno. Redman of Hampton, blacksmith, conveyed to Sam: ffogg of Hampton one share in cow common 18: 11: 16—. Wit: Nathaniell Bacheller and Nathaniell Drake. Ack. in court at Hampton 8: 8: 1653. Oct. 5, 1653, Robert Knight of Yorke conveyed to Tho: Marston of Hampton a house and 7-acre lot, formerly Robrt Marston's, bounded by Robert Page, etc.; 15 acres of upland in the north field; 30 acres of upland granted to Mr. Rushwood; 5 acres of salt marsh; 10 acres of salt marsh, bounded by Georg Abourne; and shares in commons. Signed by mark: R. Wit: Brian Pendleton and Seth ffletcher. Ack. before Willi : Estow and Tho: Coleman, commissioners of Hampton, 1653. Oct. 6, 1653, Tho: Moulton of Hampton conveyed to Tho: Nudd of Hampton six or seven acres in the East field, Edward Gyllman of Exiter, for £36, conveyed to his brother Moses Gyllman of Exiter a house and three house lots which I bought of Henry Robie, one of which was formerly Aumtuns, the others Needums and Coles; 10 acres of land, bounded by a house lot formerly goodman Crames; 20 acres of land I bought of Joseph Armitage, formerly Tho: Jones'; 40 acres of land at the head of Stony brook; meadow I bought of Henry Robie and goodman Maston, bounded on the river between Stony brook and great cove; 3 acres of meadow I bought of Henry Robie; meadows bought of goodman Cram and Mr. Pirmats; 60 acres of land bought of Henry Robie at the head of the falls; 50 acres of upland between Stony brook and great cove; and rights of Henry Robie and Ralfe Hall in meadows; and one orchard. Wit: Tho: Bradbury and Georg Browne. Ack. in Hampton court 8: 8: 1653. Henry Robie of Hampton, planter, conveyed to Willi: More of Exiter my houseing and house lot; four shares of common; 13 acres of salt marsh bounded by Jeffery Mingee, old Drake, etc., Sept. 20, 1653. Wit: Edward Gyllman, Moses Gyllman, Jno. Meder (his W mark), and Jno Daus (his D mark). Ack. before Tho: Wiggin 26: 7: 1653. Edward Gillman of Exiter conveyed to his brother Moses Gyllman one-quarter of a saw-mill on little fresh river, and the gear, and one-quarter of 300 acres of upland, 1 : 9m0: 1653. Wit: Jn°. Gillman and Edward Gillman, sen. Ack. before Tho: Wiggin 7: 6mo: 1653 Edward Gillman, jr., of Exeter, for £110, conveyed to Edward Gillman, s'r. of Exeter, one-half of house, barn and land, adjoining Mr. Hilton's, with a quarter of the old saw mill, Nov. 1, 1653. Wit: John Gillman and Jno. Tod. Ack. before Tho: Wiggin 7: 9 mo. Edward Gillman, jr., of Exeter conveyed to his father Edward Gillman houses and lands described in Jn°. Legatt's bill of sale of 20. 5: 1650, and all my land on ye neck on ye eastern side of ye river, 2 mo: 1653. Apparently given to secure title to real estate conveyed in the foregoing deed. Wit: Jno. Gillman and Jno. Tod. Ack. before Tho: Wiggin 7 : 9 mo: 1653. Whereas Edward Gillman, s'r., Jn°. Gillman and Moses Gillman are bound to Capt. Clarke for Edward Gillman, jr., for ye performing a covenant to get down masts to Exeter river, and to pay for goods had of m'. Dudley,-Said Edward Gillman, jr., conveys to my father Edward Gillman, and my brother Jn°. Gillman, Moses Gillman all my cattle now at Exeter or Ipswich and all my wheels and tackling for drawing masts, 7 mo: 1653. Wit: John Tod and James Wall. Ack. before Tho: Wiggin 7: 9 mo: 1653. William Hooke of Salisbury, planter, conveys to Jno. Wheelar of Newbury, barber, an island of seven acres, on Merrimack river, 1650. Ms. Elnor Hooke and Jn°. Wheeler consented to it 11: 2 m0: 1654, in Salisbury court. Rodger Eastman of Salisbury, planter, for 36s conveys to Jn°. ffrench of Salisbury, tailor, right of commonage in Salisbury, and also that he bought of Richard Singletary. Dated 16:11: 1653. Wit: Tho: Bradbury and Edward ffrench. Ack. before Sam: winsley and Josiah Cobham, commissioners, 25: 11: 1653. John Sanders of Newbury, yeoman, for £4, conveyed to Edward ffrench of Salisbury, tailor, 10 acres of land in Salisbury, between lands of ffrancis Doue and Thomas Macy, and on highway, great neck and land of Sam'. Dudley, 1: I: 1642. Wit: Tho: Bradbury and Sam: Winsley. Ack. before Sam: Winsly and Josiah Cobham, commissioners. Tristram Coffyn of Newbury conveyed to Richard Littleale house and 2-acre lot in Haverhill lately belonging to Willi: Duglas, now of Boston, and other land, Nov. 20, 1647. Wit: Richard Browne |