mums595 Brookfield (Mass.) Records Finding Aid Finding aid prepared by Dex Haven. Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Dubois Library, UMass Amherst
Amherst, Mass.
2009

© University of Massachusetts Amherst. All rights reserved.

 Finding aid encoded in MSWord2009-02-06 Finding aid written in English Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst Brookfield (Mass.) Records Finding Aid MS 595 Compiled by Dex Haven February 2010

© 2008 University of Massachusetts Amherst. All rights reserved.

 Collection Overview Brookfield (Mass.). Selectmen Brookfield (Mass.) Records 1736-1795 MS 595 1 volume (0.25 linear ft.) Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst Settled in 1660 and incorporated in 1718, the town of Brookfield (Worcester County) straddles the Boston Post Road, one of the major arteries during the colonial period connecting Boston with the towns of the Connecticut River Valley and New York. This assemblage of documents from Brookfield, Massachusetts, consists primarily of warrants for town meetings, many with agendas, that were issued to the Freeholders and Inhabitants through the constables. Concentrated in the 1770s, these warrants provide relatively detailed information on matters of local importance, including town finances, assessments, and the construction and maintenance of roadways and bridges. During the Revolutionary and post-Revolutionary years, however, issues of interest to the town were often wrapped up in regional or national politics. Town freeholders, for example, were called to consider requests to "come into any Vote or Resolve Respecting the East India Company Tea," the encouragement of manufacture of firearms, smallpox inoculation, and pay for the town's Minute Men or support for the families of servicemen. English Historical Note

Settled in 1660 and incorporated in 1718, the town of Brookfield (Worcester County), Massachusetts, straddles the Boston Post Road, one of the major arteries during the colonial period connecting Boston with the towns of the Connecticut River Valley and New York.

 Scope and Contents of the Collection

The warrants issued by the selectmen of Brookfield, Massachusetts, to the constable in each precinct to warn the Freeholders and Inhabitants of the town about upcoming town meeting. Each contains a brief agenda of topics for that meeting. Most of these warrants concern the mundane matters of local governance such as authorizing funds for building and repairing roads and bridges, laying out or approving the course of new roads and compensating land owners for alienated property, support for the poor, and the election of town officers. During the 1770s and 1780s, however, the warrants reflect the heightening of Revolution zeal, with references to the Tea Act controversy of 1773, the formation of Committees of Correspondence and a Committee of Safety, pay for the Minute Men of 1775, support for soldiers' families, and military preparedness in town. Two warrants request the Town to vote upon inoculation for smallpox.

The collection is open for research.

 Preferred Citation

Cite as: Brookfield (Mass.) Records (MS 595). Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Provenance unknown 2010.

Processed by Dex Haven, February 2010.

 Search Terms Forster, Jedediah. Smallpox. United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783. Brookfield (Mass.)--History--18th century. Warrants. Brookfield (Mass.). SelectmenWarrants for town meeting1736 Mar. 8-May 72 items Brookfield (Mass.). SelectmenWarrants for town meeting1745 Feb. 171 item

Regarding laying out route of public highway; keeping of a grammar school

 Brookfield (Mass.). SelectmenWarrants for town meeting17473 items

Re supplying the town pulpit; amending bridge; preventing encroachment on highways and town land

 Brookfield (Mass.). SelectmenWarrants for town meeting17501 item

Re: roads; women's schooling; repairing second parish church

 Brookfield (Mass.). SelectmenWarrants for town meeting1752 Feb. 241 item

Re: ratifying roads; sale of ministry lands

 Brookfield (Mass.). AssessorsWarrant to John Bellenger, appointing him Surveyor of Highway and tax collector1753 June 111 item

Includes list of taxable residents and amounts owed

 Brookfield (Mass.). SelectmenWarrant to John Phipps to call vote for 2nd Precinct to choose a new constable1755 Dec. 151 item Brookfield (Mass.). SelectmenWarrants for town meeting17728 items

Re: roads; bridge repair; poor relief; recompense for the local fulling mill in rebuilding a bridge

 Brookfield (Mass.). SelectmenWarrants for town meeting17734 items

"To see if the Town will hear the several Letters from the Committee of Correspondence of the Town of Boston and make any order on them..."; "to see if the Town will Come into any Vote or Resolve; Respecting the East India Company's Tea, Lately sent to America, Subject to a Duty

 Brookfield (Mass.). SelectmenWarrants for town meeting17743 items

"To choose a standing Committee of Correspondence"

 Brookfield (Mass.). SelectmenWarrants for town meeting1775 Jan. 91 item

"to see if the Town will allow the account of Jedediah Forster Esqr for his attending the [Continental] Congresses..."; "to see if the Town will Grant money to pay the Minute Men"

 Brookfield (Mass.). SelectmenWarrants for town meeting17762 items

"To see if the Town will accept and act upon the Report of their Committee Chosen to Draught some plan to Incourage the manufacturing of firearms"; repair of Nichols bridge; permit inoculation for smallpox at Joseph Cutter's house

 Brookfield (Mass.). SelectmenWarrants for town meeting17779 items

"to see if the town will chuse a Committee to supply thee families of thee non commissioned oficers and privit solders that are gone in to the Contanental servase"; building a roof on the powder house; storing town ammunition; smallpox inoculation; choose a Committee of Safety

 Brookfield (Mass.). SelectmenWarrants for town meeting17797 items

"to see if the town will hear and act upon a petition... Relative to Breeches made upon the Resolves of the Convention lately held at Concord"; relief for soldiers' families; roads; act on new Constitution

 Brookfield (Mass.). Selectmen Oath of allegiance to the Commonwealth administered to Town Assessors17791 item Brookfield (Mass.). SelectmenWarrants for town meeting17808 items

Re: delegates to the Convention in Boston; bridges; roads; bounty for killing crows

 Brookfield (Mass.). Selectmen and Western (Mass.). SelectmenAgreement on town boundaries1785 Nov. 151 item Brookfield (Mass.). SelectmenWarrants for town meeting17913 items

Re: juror list; taxes; support of schools; roads and bridges

 Massachusetts. General CourtOrder to the Brookfield Selectmen to collect taxes1792-17953 items Inventory and valuation of personal goodsUndated1 item