The First Town Office Positions in Southborough

   King William and Queen Mary signed a new charter on October 7, 1691, which replaced the many different charters of the various English Colonies. The charter enlarged the territory governed by Massachusetts to include the old colony of Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth Colony, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, Maine, and parts of Nova Scotia. No longer independent, the Massachusetts Bay Colony was now woven more tightly into the British imperial structure. The powers of the governor, appointed by the king rather than elected, were greatly expanded. The governor had the right to veto acts of the General Court, as did the king and he had the right to summon, adjourn, and prorogue the General Court. He was the commander-in-chief of the militia and appointed all military officials.

    The early settlers of New England found more freedom here than they had in Europe. The British government in order to maintain their foothold in America made it that way so that the people would continue migrating to the colonies. English laws and procedures were strictly adhered to, but each town provided for and policed themselves through the town meeting form of government.

    Soon after the order of the General Court to incorporate the Town of Southborough, a "Publick Meeting" was held at the house of Timothy Brigham to chose by vote, the town officers. "At that first meeting, July 24, 1727, the people voted William Ward as Moderator for said meeting".  They voted next for five "Selectmen to Mannage the prudentiall affairs of the town as the law directs".  The townspeople chose first, Capt. William Ward, secondly they chose, Lieut. John Bellows, and then William Johnson, John Woods, and Samuel Ward.  Other town positions that were filled by vote of the town were Town Clerk, Capt. William Ward, for Assessors were Capt. William Ward, Esine Jonathan Witt and John Amsden, for Treasurer, John Woods, for Tythingmen, Timothy Johnson and Benjamin Newton, for a Constable James Newton, for Survayors of Highways, William Johnson and Othniall Taylor, for Fence Viewer David Fay and Isaac Amsden, and for Hog Reeves, Nathanel Foster and James Bellows.  Many of the colonial town office positions are still used today. 

    The following are some that may not be familiar to you and a summary of the duties of those positions. 

    Policing began in the Anglo-Saxon times in England. The early Kings demanded loyalty and obedience from each of their subjects and in exchange provided protection from outside invaders. Under King Alfred the Great a type of internal police force evolved. Alfred decreed that various "thanes", or landowners in his kingdom would be responsible to police his lands, deliver criminals to him, and settle civil differences.  The people under each of these thanes became increasing worried about the abuse of powers by these landlords.  They banded together in a "tything" of which each group consisted of ten families.  These groups would meet regularly to discuss common concerns and mutual protection, and more importantly served as a guarantee that criminals would be brought forth and delivered to the thane for disposition.  The "tything" would set in place neighborhood patrols in order to keep an eye on each other's property against theft or damage. The head of this group was referred to as a tythingman.

    The fence viewer is not a surveyor and is not concerned with the location of a line.  He, or the board of two or three, looks at the line between neighbors to decide who takes care of his half.  An attempt is made to divide the responsibility equally, as fencing over rock ledge is more difficult than fencing meadowland.  The rule was that a line fence must be "hog tight and horse high."  Good fences did make good neighbors, but good neighbors made good fences, and back when everybody had livestock it was equally important either way.

    "Reeve" derives from the same root as the "riff" in sheriff, and a hog reeve rounded up stray hogs.  He turned them over to the pound keeper, who fed them until claimed by the owner, who paid set fees.  It was the custom of most New England towns to name the latest bridegroom as hog reeve, and he serves until a successor is qualified.