Article
Weld Farm
Weld Farm
The Weld Farm was a grant of about 530 acres on the west side of the Concord River, made to the Rev. Thomas Weld, pastor of the church at Roxbury, which Hazen described as lying "along the Concord River on the west side, beginning nearly opposite the Two Brothers." It took in the south part of the Billerica lands west of the river, probably now the river edge of Carlisle and the adjoining part of Billerica, and after a long effort the town of Billerica got the title to it.
In November 1639 the General Court laid out 500 acres to Increase Nowell of Charlestown "on the north side of the bounds of Concord, beyond the ryver, over against the Governor's 1200 acres," the Winthrop Farm, and 500 acres to the Rev. Thomas Allen of Charlestown on the north side of Nowell's. Next came Weld's grant, made in June 1639 and located in October 1640: "Mr Thom: Welde, pastor of Roxbury, is granted 533 acres next to Mr Thom: Allen, teacher of Charles Towne, beyond Concord Ryver, whof 200 was granted by the country, & the other 333 is pt of the 1000 acres granted to Roxberry." The Allen grant later became part of the Blood farms, and the Weld Farm ran down the river from it. Hazen wrote that it "occupied the south part of Billerica, west of Concord River, and was afterwards bought by the town." When Shawshin became Billerica in 1655 its bounds were carried west of the river, and the Weld Farm lay inside them.
In March 1659-60 the town chose John Parker to carry to the General Court its petition "for Attaining of Mr. Weld's farme on the other side Concord River, to the Towne as other Comon Lands, if the Court pleased to grante the same and to give Mr. Weld some land elsewhere." The petition failed. On May 22, 1661 the Court granted Billerica four thousand acres "for the redemption of the sajd lands," and the town gave 3,000 acres of them to John Parker, who in return paid forty pounds toward the minister's salary, finished the meeting-house, and "stands bound & ingaged to the Towne of Billerica, that he * * shall purchase & procure, in the behalf of & for the use of the Towne * 500 acres of land & upward, lying on the West of Concord river, that is to say, that wholl farme which was sometime in ye possession of Mr. Thomas Weld, of Roxbury * * and make it sure to them according to law." Hazen counted among the fruits of the grant "a good title to the Weld Farm of five hundred and thirty acres of land."
The last 500 acres of the four thousand were laid out by Jonathan Danforth on October 9, 1667, "on the north side of Merremack Riuer & on the East side of Beavar Brook, a little below Patuckett," bounded by the land of Richard Russell. That tract, now in Lowell and Dracut, was held for exchange. Parker died before he had finished his part of the bargain, and it was not until March 6, 1694 that deeds were exchanged with Palsgrave Alcocke of Roxbury, "who then held the Weld Farm title," Alcocke receiving the Beaver Brook land. He already owned Russell's grant of sixteen hundred acres next to it.
Hazen thought the Weld Farm "was never exactly located," and that "the town had assumed possession and granted portions of it long before the title was finally transferred." In its petition to the General Court of November 17, 1698, during the dispute with Concord and Chelmsford over the lands west of the river, Billerica said that when it first asked for them, "Mr. Weld's farm of five hundred and thirty acres" had not been laid out, and that "it is not yet three years since some of them was finished." A committee of the General Court settled the lines west of the river in 1701, and in 1702 the town began to divide its undivided lands there.
References
- Hazen (1883), p. 5: grants to Nowell and Allen in 1639; Rev. Thomas Weld's 533 acres beyond Concord River, located October 1640
- Hazen (1883), p. 47: the 4,000 acres of 1661; John Parker's engagement to procure the Weld farm for the town
- Hazen (1883), p. 48: a good title to the Weld Farm of 530 acres, beginning nearly opposite the Two Brothers
- Hazen (1883), p. 49: the 500 acres laid out east of Beaver Brook, October 9, 1667, held for exchange
- Hazen (1883), p. 50: deeds exchanged March 6, 1694 with Palsgrave Alcocke of Roxbury, holder of the Weld Farm title
- Hazen (1883), p. 59: the town's petition of March 1659-60 for Mr. Weld's farm
- Hazen (1883), p. 79: Billerica's petition of November 17, 1698; Mr. Weld's farm of 530 acres laid out
Deed References
| Date | Type | Grantor | Grantee | Summary | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 31, 1670 | Deed | Thomas Weld of Roxbury and Dorothy Weld | John Alcocke of Roxbury, physician | Thomas Weld Jr. sells the 533 acres beyond Concord River to Dr. John Alcocke for 25 pounds, March 10, 1666 | 4/1 (South) |
Dated March 10, 1666 (18 Charles II), acknowledged June 7, 1670 before Edward Ting, Assistant, and recorded July 31, 1670 by Thomas Danforth. The deed recites that the General Court in May 1638 granted Roxbury four thousand acres, "out of wch foure thousand acres the said towne of Roxbery gave unto mr Thomas Welde their Pastor, and father of this said Thomas Weld, three hundred and thirty three acres," that the Court in May 1639 granted him two hundred acres more, and that the whole "five hundred thirty and three acres" was "confirmed unto him by the generall Court, held at Boston in Octob. 1640: Scittuate and lying beyond Concord river," and was given by the pastor to his son. "In consideration of the sume of twenty five pounds ... payd him long before," Thomas and Dorothy Weld sell Alcocke "all the above menconed five hundred thirty and three acres of land ... with all the timber trees, woods & underwoods, swamps, meadows." Witnesses John Ruell and Joshua Lamb. Billerica town book 1, pages 50-54.
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Recorded is Book/Page at the Middlesex North Registry of Deeds unless noted.