This historic marker is on the east side of The King's Highway, on the north end of Westminster Village, Windham Co. Vermont.
Under the original charter of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Massachusetts had been granted the southern half of Vermont and southwestern New Hampshire. In 1741, however, George II ruled that Massachusetts's claims in Vermont and New Hampshire were invalid, and fixed the northern boundary of Massachusetts at its present location.
The 1664 charter for the New York Colony set New York's eastern boundary at the Connecticut River. That was modified by Connecticut in 1683, and Massachusetts in 1749 (officially 1757), at a line 20 mi (32 km) E. of the Hudson River (c.45 mi/70 km W. of the Connecticut River).
New Hampshire Governor Benning Wentworth, assuming that the NY-MA/CT line would be carried farther north, proceeded without authority to issue a grant for the settlement of Bennington in 1747. Ultimately, by 1764, he had granted a total of about 135 towns, north of Massachusetts, between the Connecticut River and that line. His actions created an area known as the "New Hampshire Grants", which is now Vermont.
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This historic marker is on the east side of The King's Highway, on the north end of Westminster Village, Windham Co. Vermont. |
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New York protested the infringement, but the French and Indian Wars intervened, and it was not until after 1760 (when Wentworth had resumed making grants) that the matter was brought before British authorities. In 1764 George III rendered a decision in New York's favor, but it was difficult to enforce. New York's Governor George Clinton declared the New Hampshire grants invalid, made his own grants, and tried to force the settlers to repurchase their land from the new grantees. The speculators, who had the New Hampshire grants, and the settlers who came in under them, opposed the New York claims. The Green Mountain Boys, led by Ethan Allen, were organized in resistance. Violence resulted, and in 1777 the people living in the New Hampshire Grants declared themselves a republic (New Connecticut), independent of both New York and New Hampshire; they entered the Union in 1791, as the 14th state, under the name of Vermont.
In 1779, Lemuel Braley bought land in the area from Elijah King. The first paragraph of deed reads:
Know all men by these Presents that I, Elijah King of Charlestown in the County of Cheshire and State of New Hampshire Gentlemn for and in consideration of the sum of Two hundred & forty pounds, Currant money received of Lemuel Braley of Cumberland in the County of Providence State of Rhode Island Yeoman have and do by these presents give, grant, bargain, sell, convey & confirm, unto him ye sd Lemuel Braley his heirs and assigns forever all my, right title interest estate property and demand of in and unto one whole right or share of land lying and being in ye Township of Saltash1 in the County of Cumberland State of New York which right I hold by a deed from James Nutting Willard as ye original grantee under the New Hampshire grants by virtue of his names being entered in the original Charter of said Township,
See scan of the deed (GIF), see the full-size transcription of deed (G4 TIFF) or read about viewing G4 TIFF Format.
The town of Saltash1 was chartered by Governor Wentworth of New Hampshire on July 6, 1761. There were 64 original grantees headed by Jeremiah Hall, James Nutting Willard was apparently one of them. When he sold one or more rights to Elijah King, the land was probably, legally, in New York. Though granted a charter in 1761 the first settlers did not appear until 1777 and the town was not organized until 1787. By the time Lemuel Braley bought a share, it was in the self-declared independent Republic of New Connecticut. But, New Hampshire still maintained claims to that land, which is probably why Elijah King, a resident of New Hampshire, would have the deed registered in Cheshire Co., NH.
According to a biography of Benning Wentworth, he kept 2 shares (500 acres) of land from each of his grants for himself and became very wealthy that way. What that means to us is that Lemuel Braley, who bought 1 share, probably got about 250 acres for his 240 pounds.
In 1781 the independant Republic of New Connecticut reorganized the old New York counties. Cumberland County, which was very large, was devided into several counties. The town of Saltash would be in the western part of Windsor County. On February 23, 1797 the Vermont legislature passed an act changing the name to Plymouth. There is no record indicating that Lemuel Braley actually lived in the town of Saltash or Plymouth. He probably sold this land to someone after 1779.
According to the Braley Genealogy, Lemuel Braley and his family lived in and around Wardsborough, VT. It is about 35 miles south of Plymouth, Windsor County. It is now called Wardsboro and is in Windham County, VT. Similar to Windsor County, Windham County was established in 1781 from Cumberland County. I had originally thought that the land described in this deed was his land in Wardsborough, but it is not that land. In 1784, Lemuel Braley married Kesiah Jones in Wardsborough, about 12 children were born and married there from 1785 through the 1820's.
Compiled from various sources on the Internet. August 1999 - July 2001 ____________________________
-Al Braley