The history of the town of Dorchester, Massachusetts, By a committee of the Dorchester antiquarian and historical society ...

HISTORY OF DORCHESTER, 603
After Andrew McKenzie died, his administrator,
Andrew Gillispie, sold the snuff-mill, to pay debts
and legacies, to Daniel Leeds, in 1774, by which
Leeds became sole owner of all the mills. Gillispie
removed to the mill he had built on the privilege at
the Upper Mills, which he bought of Samuel Payson in 1772, and which was a part of the old slittingmill privilege of Mr. Jackson.
In 1785, the town of Dorchester relinquished to
Mr. Daniel Leeds and his heirs " all their right and
title to the whole stream and the bottom adjoining to his mill and his lands adjoining upon Neponset river." This vote was passed to remove all restrictions, so that the owner could use the privilege
for what purpose he chose, and sell it without the
town's consent-two conditions of the original grant
to Stoughton by the town.
In 1787, William Walker and Samuel Leeds pur.
chased of Daniel Leeds the snuff-mill and privilege,
and in 1790 the land between the snuff and fulling
mills, and then sold the whole to James Babcock, of
Watertown, paper-maker, who at once took down
the snuff-mill and erected the present paper-mill
(which was raised April 22, 1790) on the land he
bought. He deeded to Samuel Leeds, the son of
Master Daniel Leeds, and to Michael McCarney, each
one quarter of the mill. About the time the mill
was completed, Babcock died, and Abel Alline succeeded to his share of the mill; and Alline, Mccarney and Leeds went on with the paper-making.
After the death of Master Leeds, his estate was
divided, in 1793, by setting off the house and a