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SOME NEWARK TOWN MEETINGS FROM THE ORIGINAL BOOK OF RECORDS

Well, I hope this will be helpful to you. All the spelling is from the original book of Records of Newark. It seems they left out and added some letters as in the last paragraph and Capitalized a lot. It is a bit hard to understand the language of their time also. Judy Kingsland

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TOWN MEETING, February 20, 1674.--It is voted, that Edward Ball and his Associates shall have the Bill of Sale which is prepared--drawn out and delivered to them.

Item--John Brown, Jun'r, is chosen to transcribe this Bill and sign it in the Town's Name, and deliver it to them.
Item--it is voted, that the Town will be obliged to buy Salt of Mr. Windor from Time to Time; provided he be also obliged to supply them at all times from Time to Time, for half a Crown a Bushel.
Item--Thomas Johnson and Thomas Richards are chosen, to go to the Governor to declare the Minds of the Town about pattenting; that they see it not their way for the present, to pattent upon the Terms proposed.

TOWN MEETING, February 28,1674--Mr. Ward is chosen to carry on Town Meetings, till a new one be chosen.

Item--the Town is Agreed, to take some effectual Course to free Mr. Crane from that £5, which was due to Domine Luke, at New York.
Item--Mr. Wilson is admitted to be a Planter with us if Mr. Peck and he Agree; in Case he subscribe as others have done.
Item--Stephen Freeman, John Ward, and John Catlin, are chosen to go over to New York; and the Town doth impower these Men, upon good Advice to lay an Arrest upon Person and estate of Nicholas Bayard.

CONDITIONS AND ARTICLES of the Bargain between the Town of Newark, and John Catlin and Edward Ball (with whom by the Town's Consent were joined Nathaniel Wheeler and John Baldwin, Senior,) about Part of the Neck that formerly belonged to Major Kingsland, Agreed upon and consented to the Twenty fourth Day of February, One Thousand Six Hundred Seventy and Three.
That in Case their Part shall be lost by any Claim of Kingsland or any in his Right, within the space of Two Years, the Town shall be liable to return them so much of the Money as shall by that Time be paid by them; they themselves bearing their Part together with the Town, unless those who receive it shall repay it them.
That there shall be a sufficient and free Passage, from the wading place by the Mouth of the Second River to the Town's Land.
That there shall be a sufficient and free Passage, from the Town's Land to the Meadow and the Great Creek which is before the Buildings.
That they shall neither for the present or hereafter, they or their Heirs or Assigns, admit of any to be Inhabitants in their Part of the Neck, but such as this Town shall aprove and allow of.
That for and in Consideration of their Part of the Neck, they shall pay Three Hundred and Ten Pounds, in such Pay and such Kind, and at such Time and such Prices, to the Vendue Master at York or to whom the Town shall appoint, as the Town was ingaged, free from all Charge, viz: at three equal Payments--And that they shall be liable to bear whatsoever Damage may fall out, by their failing in the Condition of Payment.
That in Case the Town shall improve their Land, they shall be obliged to make half of the Fence cross the Neck, upon the upland.
That they and their Associates, Heirs and Assigns, or any that shall come to have any thing to do in that Part of the Neck by any Right from them, shall be bound to the true and real Performance of the Conditions before expressed, according to the true Intent of them, in each Particular thereof.
That their further Bound or Line on the Upland should be by the Fence, beginning near the Meadow on the further Side of the broken upland, and so to run in the direstest Line, from thence unto the old Fence which crosseth the s'd Neck.
Item--Their Line in the Meadow, begining at the upland, rangeth with the Fence on the further side of the broken upland, and runneth to the Midst of a smaller Clump of Cedars--there being two greater Swamps or Clumps of Cedars, one on each side of it, and so is bounded by the first Cedar Swamp, and then by a Point of Brushy Ground unto a Tall Tree standing alone on the said Point, and from thence upon a Square Line to the Creek that buts against the Buildings; only in Case that it prove so as that they have not a Sufficiency of Meadow for their use to mow within their Bounds, they then are to extend their Line on the further side of the Creek unto the Midst, between the aforementioned brushy Point and Tree, and the next Parallel Point that also buts near the Creek, which Creek is their Bound through from thence unto Hackinsack River.
It is also further Agreed upon, that there shall be a Highway from the Town's Land for the Town's Use, by the Meadow Side, of Eight Rods wide, on firm Land unto the Head of the Creek, with Room convenient for the Town's Cattle; which said Highway they have Liberty to improve, so long as their Land and the Town's lieth in Common: but whensoever they with the Town shall agree to fence so as to part their Cattle, they are then forthwith to remove their Fence, and lay open the Highway for the Town's use as above said.
                                                                       JOHN CATLIN.

 Hereto hath John Catlin sub-  )
scribed in the Presence of us   )

      JOHN WARD
      JOSEPH HARRISON.

TOWN MEETING, March 8, 1674-5.--It is voted that, that writing which is prepared to desire, Mr. Jacob Melyne to produce the Bill of Sale, or any other Writing that may be helpfull to John Catlin and Edward Ball, shall be signed and delivered to them by John Brown, Junior.

Item--Being it is thought fit we should send in Writing our Minds about pattenting to the Governor--Mr. Ward, Deacon Lawrence, and Thomas Johnson are shosen, to go down to Elizabeth Town and present it, and also to debate with him about that Matter. Both Mr. Pierson's are desired, together with Mr. Kitchell, to draw up Matters in Short for that End.