In 1688 all grants of land were to be in fee simple.

This year the salary of Mr. Man was to be £40, one-fourth in money, one-fourth on English grain, and the other half in country payment. Ten persons agreed to pay certain sums towards this salary; twenty-six requested to be taxed their proportional parts. It would seem, therefore, that there were thirty-six tax-payers living here at this time. Of these Ensign Blake was the wealthiest.

Public officers made moderate charges for their services in 1688. Lieut. Fisher, for going to Mendon two days and to Dedham and Boston five days, charged twelve shillings. John Ware, for going to Swanze, Brestol and Tanton five days, to Dedham and Boston four days, eighteen shillings.

In the assessment in December, 1688, for paying the expense of clearing the Indian title, which was to be borne by proprietors as well as inhabitants, but few names except those of inhabitants appear. Mr. Man's policy that non-resident proprietors should sell out their interest in the lands here had prevailed. The tax also was for a black staff, for wine and ale measures, scales and beam, and for some finishing of the meeting-house and other things for which the town is indebted. The black staff was for the constable, whose duty it was "to carry his black staff in the execution of his office so that none may plead ignorance."

When the proprietors in 1689 laid out to Sam'l Dearing, the blacksmith, the ten acres promised him. "sufficient land for to bury in one acre and a half at least and a leading way to it," was reserved. This was pursuant to the reservation made at the original planting at Wollomonuppoag. No more specific statement of the quantity of land reserved for this use has been found. The southeast corner of Dearing's house lot "touched on the burying-ground." It was no doubt near the site now occupied by Mr. Harlow. Although the proprietors appointed a committee to lay out the burying-ground, yet in 1795 no report of such committee could be found; but the yard was found to be included in the lands of Cyrns Guild. and an agreement was then made with Guild as to boundaries, leaving three acres and four rods for burial purposes. The old cemetery has recently been enlarged by the annexation of more of the land originally owned by Cyrns Guild. The ancient yard is filled with the dust of generations that have lived and died since Samuel Sheers came to Wollomonuppoag. But

"the rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep"

not altogether in quiet; modern improvement is reported to have driven its ploughshare over their ashes.

In the westerly part of the town (now Franklin) one acre was laid out for a burying place "bounded on the way leading from Capt. Robert Pond's, along by Eleaser Metcalf's; north on the land of Baruck Pond; eastward by common land on all parts." Laid out March 28, 1735.

In 1689 the town made provision for the first person requiring help as a pauper. The constable was ordered to "convey out of town a woman of late come from Boston to Mr. Blakes, unless she forthwith gave bond with sufficient sureties for the securitee of the town."

Richard Puffer agreed to take the above-mentioned pauper for one year and was to have "three pounds and ten shillings in country pay, and in case she should larn to spin and card yn (then) yr (there) shall be consideration on yt account of ten shillings as may be meet." The meeting-house was still unfinished in 1690. It was then voted that "it should be shingled on or before the 20th of June, 1690, the walls lathed, plastered and white limed, two galeries finished and the windows gleased (glazed.)" Watchmen were to walk two together "of a night" from the meeting-house, eastward and westward "not exceeding half a mile." The law of 1636 required them to examine all nightwalkers after ten o'clock at night, unless they be known peaceable inhabitants, to inquire whither they are going and what their business is, and to secure any one after ten o'clock at night behaving "debauchedly" or being "in drink." In short like Dogberry's posse these worthy officers were "to comprehend all vagrom men." And further they were to see all noises stilled and lights put out, except upon necessary occasions, for the prevention of fire as much as may be."

An event illustrative of the spirit of the time happened in the case of Benjamin Force in 1691.

Cornelius Fisher having informed the selectmen that he intended to let Force into his house as a tenant was ordered to make no contract with him until the selectmen should be satisfied of that his stay in town should be limited at least. This order was, however, in strict conformity to the rule adopted by the town as set forth upon a previous page.

A tax was assessed of £36 for Mr. Man's salary, he being entitled to £40, "having reseved order from ye Revt, Mr. Man to make it no more respecting the waight of publique charges."

The next year we find the inhabitants engaged on their ordinary affairs including the perambulation of town lines between Wrentham and Dorchester, and Medfield and Wrentham, Dedham and Wrentham. The young settlement had now become able to contribute to public charges, and was assessed £135 16s.4d. as its part of a county tax. This tax list contained forty-two names. John Blake's having the largest sum set against it, viz.: £9 11s. T. Fisher's tax was £6 2s, 9d.

In some discussion concerning a way to Mischo meadow it was said it would be of great use to other meadows that way, one of which was the meadow at the mine. We get from this statement an idea as to the location of the mine, and infer that it was in the westerly part of the town; but as to its character, whether it was a gold, silver, copper, lead or coal mine we are not informed.

One Doctor, James Stuerd, (Stewart), with his family having taken up his residence at the house of Eleazer Guy, an admonition went swiftly from the selectmen to Eleazer that he must be responsible for this bold physician and his family according to the town's order. It is probable that the forty-two householders, an obstinately healthy people gave poor encouragement to a medical man. So that the worthy selectmen of that day most prudently prevented Doctor Stuerd from becoming an inhabitant unless the required security should be given. In 1692 some new regulations were made concerning the admission of inhabitants. New comers were required to present themselves to the selectmen and bring with them certificates of their good behavior and honest vocation, and especially their ability to get a "livelihood." And if strangers failed thus to satisfy the selectmen or to give sureties they were to be warned out of town, and in case of their neglect or delay they were to be "sant out of said town bounds by ye constable."

Thomas Young having desired to be admitted an inhabitant, the selectmen answer him that as they do not desire to be rash in any proceeding they will postpone the consideration of his case three weeks and if he shall then satisfie them by certificate or otherwise then to be admitted. At the annual town meetings the list of voters was to be read by 10 o'clock A. M., and absentees to be fined. A town meeting was called on the 28, of April, 1692 "by sun half an hour high on the morning to consider the subject of seating the people in the meeting house."

The town compensated Dea. Samuel Fisher and Cornelius Fisher for their services as representatives to the General Court by the payment of seven pounds and fifteen shillings; and allowed Samuel Fisher for his disbursements for "diat," etc., 15 shillings for something more than two weeks, his housekeeping included, and Cornelius Fisher for "diat," drink and other nessarys £1 15s.5d. for about four weeks including his housekeeping.

In 1693 the towns of Rehoboth (Attleborough) and Wrentham renewed their bound marks, being occupied three days in the matter and beginning at Pawtucket River. Afterwards the selectmen were directed "to let out the common meadow on the south side of Dimin Hill, nere Rehobah line till the town otherwais dispose of it," showing that a part of what is now Cumberland, R.I., was within the limits of Wrentham.

It was now 1693; voted that the annual town meetings should hereafter be hollden on the first Monday of March, and this continued to be the day of those meetings for about one hundred and eighty-five years.

A new corn-mill was established at Jack's pasture, now the site of the City Mills.

A similar grant of stream, land and privileges was made to any one who would erect "a good and suffitiant corn-mill at Stony Brook."

It was not until the year 1695 that any steps were taken towards the building of a school-house. At this time the voters determined to build a watch-house which should serve the purpose of a school-house also. It was "to be so bigg as yt yr (that there) may be a room of sixteen foot squar besides convenient room for a chimney. Galleries were to be finished in the meeting-house and the people to be placed therein, and Eleaser Fisher was to sweep, to take care of the cushion and provide a lock for the door.

People were occasionally warned to leave town, six having been so warned from 1696 to 1699.

Two dividends of land made on 1698 are instructive. The first was of timber land, consisting of only one and one-half acre to each cow common. Seeming to prove a scarcity of timber land. And we may also add that the proprietors at different times made regulations concerning the use of timber and for preventing trespasses and waste thereof. The second dividend was called the great dividend, being seven acres to each cow common right. A corrected list of the commons was prepared in order to this dividend in Oct. 1697, and it was found that the whole number of cow commons was five hundred and two (502), and of the sheep commons thirty-one and one-half (31 1/2); and that the number of proprietors was sixty-three (63). In this "dividend" fifty-eight lots were drawn, one being the church lot. All but fifteen of the remainder were drawn by inhabitants and by John Thurston who drew twenty. The non-resident proprietors had at this date become reduced to a small number, and the little community was really becoming independent.

Upon consultation with Mr. Man the selectmen decided that there shold be "a contribution on the Lord's day after the evening exercise towards defraying his salary." The people had been very negligent about paying him. The constables were often behind in their collections and many "reckonings" were had with them on this account. The towns in New England were often delinquent in this respect. An anecdote of the Rev. Jona French is told by Pres. Quincy substantially as follows: "The parish was bound to find him in wood , the winter was coming on, they had neglected to furnish it. Experience had taught him that a direct complaint would be useless. He waited therefor until the proclamation for Thanksgiving came, and after reading it to the congregation, he said, with great apparent simplicity, "My brethren, you perceive that his Excellency has appointed next Thursday as a day of Thanksgiving and according to custom it is my purpose to prepare two discourses for the occasion, provided I can write them without a fire." The hint took effect and before twelve o'clock on the succeeding Monday his whole winter's stock of wood was in his door-yard.

A committee was appointed "to take care of the common meadow about Diamin Hill for the town's use. Jurisdiction was taken by Wrentham over this part of Rehoboth, now Cumberland, R.I. The names of people born on territory now included within the limits of Cumberland were entered upon the books of the record of births, etc., in Wrentham, especially was this the case with the name of Ballou.

In the same year, 1698, the selectmen acting for the first time in the name of overseers of the poor, contracted with Ben Rocket to keep Hannah Kingsbury a ""distracted or idiotic person for one year for three pounds, ten shilling in money. In 1701 the number of tax-payers was fifty-four.

A town meeting was called December 19th, 1701, to act upon the subject of establishing a school "as the law direct."

The requisite number of householders, fifty, now being settled here the town was compelled to have a school kept within its limits. For about forty years the place had been known and more or less inhabited, but nothing had been done in the way of a public school in all that time. But now the obligation could no longer be shunned, and the town voted to procure a schoolmaster. But it seems that the good fathers were not successful for we find the record made that they had approached Mr. Cobbitt with an invitation, but found him engaged for the winter; and although they had heard of other masters yet "considering the scarceness of money, etc., it is proposed for this winter time that ye selectmen and such others as will join in ye worke with them, doe by themselves or someothers in their behalf take their turns by ye week, to keep a school to teach children and youth to read English and wright and cypher (Grate) and in hope that some of our neighbors will joyn with us in yt worke we Intend (God willing) to begin the next Monday."

In 1702 so much progress was made that it was resolved to build a school house "twenty foot long and sixteen foot broad, to be built and finished by next Mickelmus or thereabouts."

In the rate made for paying the cost of this school house the selectmen included the names of fifty-eight persons who were assessed. Of these Daniel Hawes was taxed thirteen shillings, and Robt. Ware twelve shillings and tenpence, Lieut. Ware eleven shillings and twopence, Michael Wilson ten shillings, eightpence, and Eben Gay ten shillings, who are named as showing who paid the largest tax amounts they were assessed. The assessment for the school house probably amounted to about fourteen pounds. This first school was located near the present site of the Bank Building, at least one stood there in 1738. On the 24th day of December, 1703,the selectmen "did bargain and agree with Theodor Man on behalf of the town to keep scoole, beginning January the 3d next, insuing until the next March for the sum of three pounds, eight shillings in silver." He was a son of Rev. Samuel Man. In 1704 John Swineburn was imployed for thirty shillings and his diet. In 1705 Theodore Man was offered forty shillings per month, and in 1707 the treasurer was directed to pay him four pounds for keeping school two months. John Fale, Jonathan Ware and Wm. Man were also employed to teach, and they with others kept the one school in town for some years. "The town voted from time to time small sums for repairing this solitary school house."

In 1717 a three-months school was established to be kept alternately at the east end of the town one month, the next month at the school house, the third month at Ebenezer Wares, and in 1719 four schools were voted at four different quarters of the town. Jabez Wight of Dedham was employed to teach a grammar school for one quarter of a year for ten pounds. In 1723 a school was provided at Poppoluttock and the next year it was voted that the school be kept one-half the time in some convenient place near the meeting house and in that part of the town formerly belonging to Dorchester and the other half in those places that will accommodate those inhabitants who live at a distance from town. In 1734 Mr. Joseph Bacon was employed to preach four months in the west part of the town (now Franklin), and also to keep school three months for the sum of forty-two pounds. The schools were not permanently located in those days, it seems, as the matter of placing or stating them was frequently considered in town meetings. To show what wages were then paid we append a few examples. In 1730 Nathaniel Newell was allowed £27 for keeping school three-quarters of a year, and he procured his board for five shillings per week. "The selectmen agreed with Mr. David Cowell to keep a grammar school in this town for one month for the sum of five pounds, and with Hezekiah Man for two months after the expiration of that time and they were to provide for themselves." In 1739 the grammar school teacher was paid £14 and his dred families were under obligations by statute to maintain a grammar school. Whatever might be the notions of the selectmen of those days about a grammar school, and it seems that to instruct their children to read, write and cypher was all they required of their teachers, the lawgivers of 1647 defined it by requiring that the master thereof should be able to fit youth for the university, and it is probable that our predecessors made attempts to provide such teachers, agents being sent to Cambridge, Dedham, Roxbury, etc., to procure them. And Jacob Bacon, Hezekiah Man, David Cowell, Amariah Frost, James Messinger and Benj. Guild who were employed as teachers were university graduates. In 1764 the grammar school was continued and the school money remaining after paying for that was divided according to the number of children between four and sixteen years of age. This was the practice for many years. In 1767 the town voted to expend eighty pounds for the support of schools, and that the school should be kept in the circular form, that is moving about into different parts of the town according to their respective turns until the eighty pounds be expended. The divisions of the town for school purposes were designated variously, as the Long Walk Division, Capt. Day's Division, the South End Division, the school near Esquire Whiting's, Dea. Man's Division, etc., etc. In 1780 three thousand pounds were voted for the use of the schools in this town, so depreciated had the currency become; and in 1786 it was voted to keep a grammar school at the cheapest rate in order to clear the town of a fine; also that young men intending to go to college should be exempt from poll tax so long as the town is exempted from keeping a grammar school master. The legislature in 1789 authorized a division of towns into districts with bounds defined for school purposes. And in 1790 Dea, Man's division, so-called, was changed into a school district and the bounds thereof established. In 1802 districts one, two and three were in like manner defined and eventually, viz, in 1846, there were nineteen. A hundred years ago the school money was expended as follows, viz.: For the Benj. Shepard Division £3 13s. for the year 1777: the River End Division £3 18s.; the Samuel Lethbridge Division £3 0s. 8d.; Long Walk Division £4 1s.2d.;Capt. Fairbanks Division £5 8s. 4d.; North End Division £3 9s. 4d.; the Reuben Pond Division £3 9s. 4d.; Joshua Grant Division £4 18s. 8d.; the South End Division £6 10s.; Capt. Day's Division £5 12s. 8d.; the Samuel Hawes Division £4 8s. 18d.; Col. Metcalf's Division £4 11s. od.; Ellis's Division £2 3s. 4d.; Plain Division £3 0s. 8d.; East Division £6 7s. 10d. In the year 1800 five hundred dollars was granted for the support of schools. From 1802 to 1806 six hundred dollars, from 1806 to 1810 eight hundred dollars, from 1810 to 1827 one thousand dollars, from 1827 to 1842 fifteen hundred dollars. In 1846 it was two thousand dollars. From that time it has not been below two thousand dollars and has been five thousand. After the loss of that part of our town which went into the new town of Norfolk the sum was reduced to four thousand dollars.

It will be remembered that in 1662-3, as previously related the proprietors of the lands here held a meeting at Dedham, and among other things voted to reserve land "for highways, officers' lots, burial place, trayning ground and all other lands necessary to be reserved for all public uses." As early as 1685 they voted to "set out four or six acres of their new common land in the most convenient place near the meeting house for "ye accommodating and encouragement of a school with twenty or twenty-five acres of other land, upland and swamp or swampy land." This was to be for the use and benefit of the school and not to be alienated to any other use or purpose whatsoever. The boundaries of these six acres first above named were not established until 1741. In 1734 the proprietors passed a vote "that there be and hereby is given, granted and confirmed to the town, the income or use thereof to be imployed for the maintaining and keeping a school in this town and to no other end or uses whatsoever, a piece or parcel of land commonly called the School Land being upland and meadow land containing by estimation twenty-five acres, more or less, butted and bounded, etc." These two tracts of land went by the name of the School Land, and the meadow, at least, was leased to individuals for many years; until the people thought that their value in money would procure more income for the school, and therefore in 1753 procured leave of the General Court to sell them, it being ordered that the principal sum should always be kept good and the interest only applied towards the support of the school in said town, and that neither the principal nor interest be applied to any other use

Under this authority the lands were sold and the income of the money arising from the sale applied to the use of the schools. Other lands granted to the town at other times were sold and the proceeds in 1759 also applied to the use of the school, and made a part of the school fund.

In 1827 Mr. Benjamin R. Cheever of Philadelphia, by his will gave the sum of one thousand dollars to Wrentham, his native town, in aid of its school fund.

This fund has never been diverted by our people from the purpose to which it was devoted by its founders. In all the years since its creation, through all the exigencies of the inhabitants, even in the straits of the Revolutionary war, to their honor be it said, this fund remained intact.

Besides the common schools the people here had for many years a successful private school known as Day's Academy. For the establishment of this institution they were in a great measure indebted to the Rev. Elisha Fisk, who was the minister of the church and society. His efforts and the efforts of some others to raise funds for this purpose having been successful , a charter for an academy was obtained from the legislature in 1806. It was named Day's Academy in honor of Benjamin Day who contributed more largely to the funds than any other subscriber. The State granted a half township of land in Maine for the encouragement of the school. The amount subscribed in money was twenty-three hundred dollars. The General Court inacted "that there be and hereby is established in said Wrentham an academy by the name of Day's Academy for the promotion of learning and religion, and that the present pastor and the present deacon of the First Congregational Church in said Wrentham, and their successors in office, together with Beriah Brastow, George Hawes, James Ware, John Whiting, Lewis Whiting, Abijah Pond, Timothy Whiting, Daniel Ware, Amos Archer, David Fisher, Jr., Jos. Whiting, Jr., Eliphalet White, Luther White, Elijah Craig, Eliphalet Whiting, John Hall, Jr., William Brown, William Messenger and such others as may hereafter associate with them, be and hereby are incorporated into a body politic by the name of the Trustees of Day's Academy, etc." This act is quoted for the purpose of showing who were the men that interested themselves in the establishment of an institution, whose influence was so important upon the community. The academy building, erected in 1808, was opened for the reception of students by a prayer by Rev. Nathaniel Emmons, and an address by Bradford Sumner, Esq., the first teacher. It became a flourishing institution and so remained until other academies were established in its neighborhood. Mr. Fisk said of it, "Many resorted to it for acquiring learning. In it a large number of students have been fitted for higher usefulness in the common business of life and for entrance into the colleges."

A Baptist church was organized in the westerly part of the town in 1769. Its first settled minister was the Rev. Wm. Williams, who graduated at Brown University the same year. In March, 1775, the church invited him to become their pastor. He accepted the invitation, but his ordination did not take place until July, 1776. About the time of his settlement he opened an academy which attained to high distinction among the literary institutions of the day. He is supposed to have had under his care nearly two hundred youths, about eighty of whom he fitted for college, not a few of whom became distinguished in literary and professional life. He also conducted the theological studies of several young men with a view to their entering upon the ministry. He continued to teach and preach till about the close of his life. He was a fellow of Brown University from 1789 to 1818. In 1777, when the college building was occupied as a barrack for soldiers, and afterwards as a hospital for French troops the library was removed to the country and placed in the keeping of Mr. Williams. Rev. Dr. Fisher of West Boylston, in 1859, says of Mr. Williams, "He is especially worthy of notice as having been one of the first graduated of Brown University, and as having contributed not a little to the intellectual improvement of the Baptist denomination in New England. His manners were easy and agreeable, and his powers of conversation such as to render him quite attractive. His talents and acquirements were highly respectable. His services as a teacher commanded great respect not only in but out of his denomination. Among his pupils were the late Hon. David R. Williams, Gov. of South Carolina, Hon. Toistam Burgess of R. I., Hon. Horace Mann, President Jonathan Maxcy. Not a man to attract and impress the multitude, yet by a steady course of enlightened and Christian activity he accomplished an amount of good for his denomination, which fairly entitles him to a place among its more distinguished benefactors. He diffused a spirit of improvement and a love of intellectual culture throughout the circle in which he moved."

Samuel Sheers, the first white inhabitant, was by vote of his fellow townsmen exempted from the payment of all taxes in the future. Robert Ware and Deacon Metcalf both refused to serve as representatives to the General Court; and Samuel Fisher, Jr., who had been chosen in 1702, was allowed "to make use of nine or ten shillings of the town's money in his hand if he stand in need." The selectmen were directed "to take care that the seats in the meeting house be furnished. Theodor Man was engaged to teach school from January 3d to March 1, for £3 8s. in silver."

In January, 1704, the people seemed to feel some compunctions at the condition of their meeting house and resolved "forasmuch as the place of the worship of God want finishing to make it sutable. etc., it is thought galeries may be made over the galeries that be, and the walls fitted and white limed, and then persons placed as ought to be, that there may be decency and order in the House of God." The number of tax-payers sixty-eight.

In 1708-9 the town was threatened with presentment at the next quarter sessions, unless Mr. Man's salary in arrear should be paid.