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COLLECTIONS

OF THE

MASSACHUSETTS

HISTORICAL SOCIETY,

For the Year 1794.

VOL. III,

BOSTON:

PRINTED IN THE YEAR 1794.

RE-PRINTED BY MUNROE & FRANCIS, NO. 4 CORNHILL,

Printers to the Massachusetts Historical Society.

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1810.

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COLLECTIONS

OF THE

MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

VOLUME 111.

DESCRIPTION OF THE TOWN OF MIDDLEBOROUGH, IN THE COUNTY
OF PLYMOUTH. WITH REMARKS.

M

IDDLEBOROUGH is bounded S. by Rochester and Freetown, W. by Freetown and Taunton, N. by the river which divides Middleborough from Raynham and Bridgwater, and by Halifax, E. by Plympton, Carver and Wareham.

This place, before the said town was incorporated, went by the name of Namaskett, which was an ancient Indian name, and was formerly plentifully inhabited by the Indian natives, who were governed by the noted sachem Tispacan. But when the town was incorporated, and began to be settled by the English, the natives began to scatter and decrease; but there is now a settlement of them which descended from the ancients of Namaskett, which inhabit a part of said town, known by the name of Betty's-neck (which place took its name from an ancient Indian woman by the name of Betty Sasemore, who owned that neck) where there is now eight Indian houses and eight families. The general number of the Indians, old and young, that live there, is between thirty and forty. Their houses are poor, they own some land, they live imprudent are very fond of liquor. They till their land, which produces good crops of corn and rye, which they trade off for spirituous liquors, with any retailer that is so destitute of principles as to trade with them, so that by the middle of the winter, their corn and grain is generally gone. Then, by their baskets and brooms (which they make) they purchase it to supply immediate necessity. They are very subject to hectical complaints, for more than half that are born are carried off young with consumptions.

In this town is one whole Congregational precinct, where the Rev. Joseph Barker is settled as minister. One precinct, containing part of VOL. III.

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