3 Mason Av

Billerica town book 8, pages 69-70. Dated April 26, 1786, under an order of the Court of Common Pleas (March 1785) to sell for debts and legacies. For 174 pounds 10s 8d, "a certain Tract or parcel of land situate in the Northerly part of said Town of Billerica containing chief of the Homestead farm of said Thomas Rogers deceased with all the Buildings thereon by Estimation fifty acres", bounded north and west by Isaac Kidder's land and south by "the Road leading from Tewksbury through said Billerica to Chelmsford" (about 120 poles). The western 24 acres by the fulling mill had gone to Timothy Sprague (Book 108 Page 210).

• 1784 Will: Estate of Thomas Rogers of Billerica, yeoman to Widow Martha Rogers for life; then Timothy Crosby, Abigail wife of Shemuel Griffin, and Cato (Probate #19490) (sold by the executor under the will)

• March 31, 1794 Deed: Samuel Danforth of Billerica, yeoman (wife Mary releasing dower) to Thomas Richardson of Billerica, gentleman (115/276) (the same 50-acre Rogers homestead)

• August 20, 1792 Executor's Deed: Shemuel Griffin of Andover, executor of the will of Thomas Rogers of Billerica to Timothy Sprague of Billerica, clothier (108/210) (the other part of the Rogers farm, sold to Sprague)

Billerica town book 9, pages 94-95. Dated April 21, 1788, "in the twelfth year of America Independency" (the acknowledgment is copied as May 1, 1783). For 153 pounds 7s, "A Farm linge in the Northly parte of Billerica containing about fifty acres", bounded east by "the Roade leeding to Isaac Kidder's", north and west by Isaac Kidder's land and south on Timothy Sprague's land, "together with the House and Barn and Shope thereon standing": the Thomas Rogers homestead.

• August 26, 1786 Executor's Deed: Shemuel Griffin of Andover, executor of the will of Thomas Rogers late of Billerica to Samuel Danforth of Billerica, yeoman (94/202) (the same 50-acre Rogers homestead)

• September 18, 1826 Deed: Thomas Richardson of Billerica, gentleman to His daughter Elizabeth Richardson of Billerica, singlewoman (269/449) (20 acres of the Rogers farm, given to his daughter)

Billerica town book 13, pages 445-446. Dated March 12, 1822. For $800, "a certain farm formerly owned by Thomas Rogers with the buildings thereon containing twenty acres be it more or less", from the southwest corner by the road leading to John Rogers's, east by that road, north and west by land of Rogers "to land of Francis Faulkner Esqr. as the fence now stands", south by Faulkner to "the road leading from the Canal Mills to Billerica Meeting house" and by that road to the corner. The old Rogers farm east of the Canal Mills land, later William E. Faulkner's back land.

• March 31, 1794 Deed: Samuel Danforth of Billerica, yeoman (wife Mary releasing dower) to Thomas Richardson of Billerica, gentleman (115/276) (20 acres of the Rogers farm, given to his daughter)

• March 25, 1831 Deed: Elizabeth Richardson of Boston, singlewoman to William E. Faulkner (William Emerson Faulkner) of Billerica (303/157) (the same 20-acre Rogers farm)

Billerica town book 11, pages 543-544. Dated March 24, 1831. For $350, "a certain lot of land formerly owned by Thomas Rogers containing twenty acres be it more or less", bounded by the road leading to John Rogers's, by land of Rogers, west by land of Francis Faulkner, Esquire, "as the fence now stands", by land of John and Henry Baldwin and the heirs of Nathan Mears, and south by "the road which leads from the Canal Mills to Billerica Meeting house". The land her father had deeded her in 1822; William E. Faulkner's farm behind the road east of his father's mill land.

• September 18, 1826 Deed: Thomas Richardson of Billerica, gentleman to His daughter Elizabeth Richardson of Billerica, singlewoman (269/449) (the same 20-acre Rogers farm)

• June 4, 1851 Deed: William E. Faulkner of Billerica, manufacturer to The Boston and Lowell Railroad Corporation (609/417) (lot cut from Faulkner's 20 acres)
• October 8, 1861 Administration: Estate of William E. Faulkner of Billerica, trader (died September 1, 1861, intestate) to His brother James R. Faulkner, administrator (Probate #31573) (W. E. Faulkner held the 1831 purchase at his death)

Dated December 24, 1861. For $1,800, the land of "William E. Faulkner, late of said Billerica, deceased, intestate": (1) about half an acre "with the dwelling house thereon" on "the road leading from North Billerica Mills to the centre of the town", 343 ft deep between land of James Faulkner and "other land formerly of said William E. when living" (W. E.'s interest "was one undivided half part only"); (2) "six acres, more or less" running back from the road along J. R. Faulkner and Company's land to the Jones, Haynes and Foster line, east 423 ft on that line, south 791 ft on the Boston and Lowell Railroad and by C. P. Talbot and Company to "the road leading to the depot"; (3) about two acres at the corner of the depot road and the road to Tewksbury. Piece (2) is the back land where the house now at 3 Mason Avenue stands.

• October 8, 1861 Administration: Estate of William E. Faulkner of Billerica, trader (died September 1, 1861, intestate) to His brother James R. Faulkner, administrator (Probate #31573) (heirs of the intestate William E. Faulkner)

• April 13, 1870 Quitclaim Deed: James R. Faulkner of Billerica and Charles Faulkner of Boston (wives Catharine R. and Anne S. Faulkner releasing dower and homestead) to The Inhabitants of the Town of Billerica (72/580) (part of piece (2), W. E. Faulkner's six acres to the depot road)
• December 2, 1880 Executor's Deed: Charles Faulkner of Boston, executor of and trustee under the will of James R. Faulkner to The Faulkner Manufacturing Company (143/23) (lot 1 of 1880 takes in W. E. Faulkner's six acres (J. R. Faulkner's estate))

For $50,000, "two undivided third parts of all that lot of land with the buildings thereon": lot 1 of 29.55 acres from "the stone pier of the bridge across Concord River" across "the little basin, so-called", along the river about 1,540 ft to Jones and Foster, by the Boston and Lowell Rail Road and the schoolhouse lot back to the road to Billerica Centre, with the water rights, flowage, the 1857 Talbot rights (Book 9 Page 378) and "all the machinery, tools and fixtures in the buildings"; lot 2 "with the building thereon ... on the east end of the dam south of the County road", bounded 10 ft from the canal wall; and two thirds of five more lots, including land "on what was formerly the Middlesex Canal" (Sage plan 1838, Book 18 Page 374; Calvin Rogers to James R. and Charles Faulkner, 1859, Book 20 Page 390) and an acre by the old William Rogers house on "the road ... to the Canal Mills".

• May 9, 1857 Quitclaim Deed: Charles P. Talbot of Lowell and Thomas Talbot of Billerica, merchants (wives Harriet E. and Isabella W. releasing dower) to James R. Faulkner of Billerica, manufacturer (two thirds), and Charles Faulkner of Boston, merchant (one third) (9/378) (water rights of the 1857 deed recited)
• March 25, 1862 Quitclaim Deed: The heirs at law of William E. Faulkner (Dwight F., Lois R., Lydia H., Charles, George, Winthrop and Luther W. Faulkner, Calvin and Ann F. Rogers, and the Keene and Sioux City heirs) to James R. Faulkner of Billerica, "the only other heir at law" (30/386) (lot 1 of 1880 takes in W. E. Faulkner's six acres (J. R. Faulkner's estate))

• June 29, 1885 Deed: The Faulkner Manufacturing Company, by Charles Faulkner, Treasurer to Hiram Chellis Brown of Billerica (174/43) (part of Lot 3 of the 1880 company plan)
• May 3, 1888 Deed: The Faulkner Manufacturing Company, by George M. Preston, Treasurer to Hiram Chellis Brown of Billerica (196/38) (another piece of the company's Lot 3)
• July 15, 1914 Quitclaim Deed: The Faulkner Manufacturing Company, by George M. Preston, President and Treasurer to Daniel W. Farnsworth of Montclair, New Jersey (525/238) (title recital: Book 143 Pages 22 and 23)
• July 7, 1914 Quitclaim Deed: The Faulkner Manufacturing Company, by George M. Preston, president and treasurer to Charles H. Williams of Billerica (523/301) (a portion of lot 1 of 1880)
• July 7, 1914 Quitclaim Deed: The Faulkner Manufacturing Company, by George M. Preston, president and treasurer to Louisa A. Williams of Billerica (wife of Charles H. Williams) (523/316) (a portion of 1880 lot 1)
• May 11, 1916 Quitclaim Deed: The Faulkner Manufacturing Company, by George M. Preston, Treasurer to James F. Delmege and Martha B. Delmege, his wife, of Billerica, joint tenants (554/454) (Lot A is part of the company's 1880 Lot 3)
• July 12, 1919 Quitclaim Deed: The Faulkner Manufacturing Company, by George M. Preston, Treasurer to Andrew Ceglanskey and Mary Ceglanskey his wife, of Billerica (608/331) (company land since 1880)

• August 19, 1846 Deed: Luther W. Faulkner of Billerica, manufacturer (wife Martha M. releasing dower) to Charles Faulkner of Boston, merchant (492/103) (the thirds reunited by 1880)
• February 14, 1854 Quitclaim Deed: The other heirs at law of Francis Faulkner (Dwight F., George, Winthrop, Luther W., Lois R., Lydia H. and William E. Faulkner, Calvin and Ann F. Rogers, and the Keene heirs) to James R. Faulkner of Billerica, manufacturer (two thirds), and Charles Faulkner of Boston, merchant (one third) (668/424) (the rest of lot 1)
• October 26, 1825 Deed: Francis Faulkner of Billerica, Esquire (wife Ann releasing dower) to His son James R. Faulkner (James Robbins Faulkner) of Billerica, gentleman (262/441) (the 1880 plan shows Lot 4 as the estate of J. R. Faulkner)

Original certificate on the Land Court decree of September 4, 1914, received for transcription September 8, 1914: the 26-acre tract bought from the Faulkner Manufacturing Company, bounded by Carleton Street 65.13 ft, the Faulkner Manufacturing Company, the Concord River, Williams's other land "on the upland about 1704 ft" and the Boston and Lowell Railroad 788.85 ft (Smith and Brooks plan, June 1914; Land Court plan 4992-A). "Subject to and has the benefit of the easements set forth in a deed given by the Faulkner Manufacturing Company to Charles H. Williams, dated June 30, 1914" (Book 523 Page 301), and to three mortgages of that date: to the company (Book 523 Page 304, not registered), to William T. Sheppard ($3,000, document 814) and to Grace L. Backer et al. ($7,000, document 815).

• July 7, 1914 Quitclaim Deed: The Faulkner Manufacturing Company, by George M. Preston, president and treasurer to Charles H. Williams of Billerica (523/301) (registers the title Williams bought in 1914)

• September 28, 1914 Certificate of Title: Charles H. Williams (Original Certificates 520 and 558) to The Billerica Garden Suburb, Inc. (Ctf 568) (partial transfer from Original Ctf 558 (and 520))

Partial transfer certificate entered September 28, 1914: the Billerica Garden Suburb, Inc. owner of Lot A on Land Court subdivision plan 4720/4992-B (C. B. Humphrey, September 19, 1914), the land of both of Williams's registrations between Carleton Street, the Faulkner Manufacturing Company, the Concord River, Charles P. Smith and the Boston and Lowell Railroad. With the railroad rights of way of 1879 (Book 183 Page 454), subject to Hermon Rogers's 1848 flowage deed to Oliver M. Whipple and his 1856 lease of a 3-ft strip to the railroad, the easements of the 1914 Faulkner deed, and the unregistered mortgage to the Faulkner Manufacturing Company. Cancelled the same day for Certificate 733, which was itself replaced by Certificate 1520.

• September 8, 1914 Certificate of Title: Land Court decree, case 4992 (petition of Charles H. Williams) to Charles H. Williams of Billerica (Ctf 558) (partial transfer from Original Ctf 558 (and 520))

• September 28, 1914 Certificate of Title: Original Certificates 520 and 558 (Transfer Certificate 733 cancelled) to The Billerica Garden Suburb, Inc. (Ctf 1520) (replaces Ctf 568 / 733)
• May 28, 1915 Certificate of Title: The Billerica Garden Suburb, Inc. (partial transfer from Certificate 568) to Louisa A. Williams of Billerica, married to Charles H. Williams (Ctf 662) (partial transfer from Ctf 568)

Partial transfer certificate dated September 28, 1914, issued "to take its place" when Transfer Certificate 733 was cancelled: the Billerica Garden Suburb, Inc. owner of Lot A on plan 4720/4992-B, with the same bounds and appurtenances as Certificate 568, followed by a 17-page lot schedule as the Garden Suburb lots of Block 7 and the other blocks (plans 4992-C and 4992-E, after Arthur C. Comey's plan of October 9, 1914) were sold. Memoranda: Lowell Electric Light Corporation pole rights 1914, 1915 and 1917; the Town's easement in the streets (document 1308, May 24, 1916); mortgages to the Lowell Institution for Savings (1917, $20,000) and to Grace L. Backer et al.; and on June 22, 1922 a $15,000 mortgage to the City Institution for Savings of Lowell (document 3963), "See Mtgee's Deed Document 8813"; a 999-year right of way lease to Talbot Mills across lots 10, 11, 12 and 17 of Block 7 (document 4221, December 14, 1922).

• September 28, 1914 Certificate of Title: Charles H. Williams (Original Certificates 520 and 558) to The Billerica Garden Suburb, Inc. (Ctf 568) (replaces Ctf 568 / 733)

• December 22, 1922 Certificate of Title: The Billerica Garden Suburb, Inc. (Certificate 1520), lease document 4221 of December 14, 1922 to Talbot Mills (999-year leasehold) and the Billerica Garden Suburb, Inc. (reversion in fee) (Ctf 1964) (partial transfer of the right of way strip from the Garden Suburb certificate)
• January 24, 1930 Certificate of Title: The Billerica Garden Suburb, Inc., by mortgagee's deed (document 8813) under its 1922 mortgage to The City Institution for Savings, Lowell (Ctf 3927) (mortgagee's deed under the 1922 mortgage (doc 3963 / 8813))

Dated June 30, 1914. "The land in that part of said Billerica known as North Billerica, with the buildings thereon, containing twenty-six and 5/100 acres", lot 1 on the Smith and Brooks plan of June 1914 (Plan Book 31 Plan 82): the back land of the mill between the Boston and Lowell Railroad (635 ft), Carleton Street (65.13 ft), the mill lot, the Concord River (about 1,323 ft) and Williams's own land (1,704 ft by a stone wall). The company kept a 20-ft "Private Right of Way" to Carleton Street and its water rights; "a certain dwelling house shown on said plan and located within the space covered by the aforesaid Private Right of Way shall be wholly removed from such space at the expense of the grantee within sixty days". "A portion of the same conveyed to said Faulkner Manufacturing Company by Charles Faulkner as Trustee and in his own right in two deeds both dated Nov. 22, 1880", Book 143 Pages 22 and 23. Williams laid out the Billerica Garden Suburb on it.

• December 2, 1880 Deed: Charles Faulkner of Boston (wife Annie S. Faulkner releasing dower) to The Faulkner Manufacturing Company (143/22) (and the other third of lot 1)
• December 2, 1880 Executor's Deed: Charles Faulkner of Boston, executor of and trustee under the will of James R. Faulkner to The Faulkner Manufacturing Company (143/23) (a portion of lot 1 of 1880)

• September 8, 1914 Certificate of Title: Land Court decree, case 4992 (petition of Charles H. Williams) to Charles H. Williams of Billerica (Ctf 558) (registers the title Williams bought in 1914)

Partial transfer certificate entered January 24, 1930 (from Certificates 1520 and 3779): the City Institution for Savings, "body corporate at Lowell", owner in fee simple of the unsold remainder of Lot A on plan 4992-B, with the same bounds and appurtenances, after foreclosing the Garden Suburb's mortgage of June 22, 1922 (document 3963) by mortgagee's deed, document 8813. Memoranda include the Talbot Mills right of way lease of 1922 and a tax deed of the Town of Billerica for 1929 taxes (1931). Its lot schedule records the sale of "Block 7 lots 11, 12, 13, 14, 15" to Thomas J. Murphy et al. by document 13703 on September 16, 1939 (new Certificate 5491).

• September 28, 1914 Certificate of Title: Original Certificates 520 and 558 (Transfer Certificate 733 cancelled) to The Billerica Garden Suburb, Inc. (Ctf 1520) (mortgagee's deed under the 1922 mortgage (doc 3963 / 8813))

• September 19, 1939 Certificate of Title: The City Institution for Savings, Lowell (deed document 13703, September 16, 1939) to Thomas J. Murphy and Mary J. Murphy of Chelmsford, an undivided half each (Ctf 5491) (deed of the bank, document 13703)

Partial transfer certificate entered September 19, 1939 from Certificate 3927: Thomas J. Murphy (married to Grace L. Murphy) and Mary J. Murphy, single, of Chelmsford, owners of Lots 11 to 15 inclusive in Block 7 on Land Court plan 4992-E (C. B. Humphrey, November 25, 1914), the corner block bounded by Hampstead Avenue, Letchworth Avenue and Mason Avenue, subject to the provisions of the bank's deed, document 13703. Memoranda: Lowell Electric Light pole rights, the Town's street easement of 1916, the Talbot Mills right of way across Lots 11, 12 and 17, and a $5,500 mortgage to the City Institution for Savings of September 16, 1939 (document 13704). Cancelled in December 1940, when Mary J. Murphy's half passed to Thomas.

• January 24, 1930 Certificate of Title: The Billerica Garden Suburb, Inc., by mortgagee's deed (document 8813) under its 1922 mortgage to The City Institution for Savings, Lowell (Ctf 3927) (deed of the bank, document 13703)

• December 9, 1940 Certificate of Title: Mary J. Murphy and Thomas J. Murphy (Certificate 5491) to Thomas J. Murphy of Chelmsford (Ctf 5774) (Mary J. Murphy's half to Thomas)

Transfer certificate entered December 9, 1940: Thomas J. Murphy of Chelmsford (24 North Road), married to Grace L. Murphy, sole owner of Lots 11 to 15 in Block 7, bounded "Northwesterly by Hampstead Avenue 99.78 feet; Northeasterly by Letchworth Avenue 211.06 feet; Southeasterly by Mason Avenue 120.13 feet" and southwesterly by Lots 16 and 10, 207.85 feet. Memoranda include a $6,300 mortgage to the Lowell Five Cent Savings Bank (February 15, 1941) and the deeds that broke up the block in 1942 and 1946: Lot 14A to Thomas H. Conway (document 15499), Lot 15A to Harry E. Merriman and his wife (document 15532, September 5, 1942), Lot 13A and Lot 12A in 1946, on the replotting filed as plan 4992-P.

• September 19, 1939 Certificate of Title: The City Institution for Savings, Lowell (deed document 13703, September 16, 1939) to Thomas J. Murphy and Mary J. Murphy of Chelmsford, an undivided half each (Ctf 5491) (Mary J. Murphy's half to Thomas)

• September 5, 1942 Certificate of Title: Thomas J. Murphy of Chelmsford (deed document 15532) to Harry E. Merriman and Hildred E. Merriman of Reading, tenants by the entirety (Ctf 6146) (deed of Thomas J. Murphy, document 15532)
• May 3, 1946 Certificate of Title: Thomas J. Murphy of Chelmsford (Certificate 5774; deed document 17738, May 2, 1946) to Robert K. McCauley of Billerica, not married (Ctf 6957) (deed of Thomas J. Murphy, document 17738)
• May 2, 1946 Certificate of Title: Thomas J. Murphy of Chelmsford (Certificate 5774; deed document 17736, May 2, 1946) to Fred T. Coffin Jr. and Evelyn V. Coffin of Billerica, married to each other (Ctf 6956) (deed of Thomas J. Murphy, document 17736)

Partial transfer certificate entered September 5, 1942 from Certificate 5774: Lot 15A on Land Court plan 4992-P (Brooks, Jordan and Graves, August 13, 1942), bounded southeasterly by Mason Avenue 61.98 feet, southwesterly by Lot 16 77.32 feet, northwesterly by Lot 13-A 57.81 feet and northeasterly by Lot 14-A 81.69 feet, subject to the provisions of document 13703; owners' address Mason Ave., North Billerica. Memoranda: a $2,000 mortgage to the Middlesex Co-operative Bank of Lowell, 15 years at 6% (document 15533), discharged 1945. This is the present lot of 3 Mason Avenue.

• December 9, 1940 Certificate of Title: Mary J. Murphy and Thomas J. Murphy (Certificate 5491) to Thomas J. Murphy of Chelmsford (Ctf 5774) (deed of Thomas J. Murphy, document 15532)

• March 24, 1945 Certificate of Title: Harry E. Merriman and Hildred E. Merriman (Certificate 6146) to Charles Peverill and Lillian M. Peverill of Billerica, tenants by the entirety (Ctf 6636) (deed of the Merrimans)

Transfer certificate entered March 24, 1945: Lot 15A on plan 4992-P, same bounds, subject to document 13703; owners' address Mason Avenue, North Billerica. Memoranda: mortgages to the Middlesex Co-operative Bank of Lowell ($2,000, 1945; $2,500, 1948) and to the First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Lowell ($3,400, 1952), each discharged. Cancelled in March 1954 when the Peverills sold the house to a private buyer (Certificate 9188).

• September 5, 1942 Certificate of Title: Thomas J. Murphy of Chelmsford (deed document 15532) to Harry E. Merriman and Hildred E. Merriman of Reading, tenants by the entirety (Ctf 6146) (deed of the Merrimans)

• June 8, 1955 Certificate of Title: Foreclosure of the 1954 mortgage (document 24816) given by the private owners of Certificate 9188 to The Lowell Five Cent Savings Bank (Ctf 9562) (via the 1954 private sale (Ctf 9188) and its mortgage)

Transfer certificate entered June 8, 1955: the Lowell Five Cent Savings Bank, "a banking corporation" of Lowell, owner in fee simple of Lot 15A on plan 4992-P, same bounds, subject to document 13703. The Peverills had sold the house in March 1954 to a couple from Chelmsford (Certificate 9188), who gave the bank a $7,500 mortgage for 20 years at 4.5% on March 26, 1954; the bank took the lot under that mortgage the next year.

• March 24, 1945 Certificate of Title: Harry E. Merriman and Hildred E. Merriman (Certificate 6146) to Charles Peverill and Lillian M. Peverill of Billerica, tenants by the entirety (Ctf 6636) (via the 1954 private sale (Ctf 9188) and its mortgage)

• August 18, 1955 Certificate of Title: The Lowell Five Cent Savings Bank to The Administrator of Veterans' Affairs, an officer of the United States, Washington, D.C. (Ctf 9644) (the bank conveys to the VA)

Transfer certificate entered August 18, 1955: the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs (800 Vermont Ave. N.W., Washington 25, D.C.) owner in fee simple of Lot 15A on plan 4992-P, same bounds. Cancelled on December 28, 1955 for Certificate 9775, when the Veterans Administration resold the house to a private couple with a $6,750 VA mortgage; that family lived here for about 23 years, and the house has since passed through private sales in 1978 and 1984 (Certificates 23039 and 26036).

• June 8, 1955 Certificate of Title: Foreclosure of the 1954 mortgage (document 24816) given by the private owners of Certificate 9188 to The Lowell Five Cent Savings Bank (Ctf 9562) (the bank conveys to the VA)