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

HISTORY OF DORCHESTER. 437
they make vse of," provided " that ye warrs with ye
Indians doe not pruent improuement."
In 1668, it was voted that the thousand acres
"given to the use of the school should never be
alienated to any other use, nor sold, nor any part of
it, but be reserved for the maintenance of a Free
School in Dorchester forever." The phraseology of
this vote, and its disconnection, make it uncertain
to us whether it related to the town grant or to that
of the General Court. So far as results are concerned, it is immaterial, for both parcels were, eventually, " alienated" and " sold."
At the request of Lieut. Capen and William Sumner, in 1680, the town " dismissed" them from the
office of feofees for the school land, and made choice
of Timothy Tileston and John Breck in their stead.
In 1687, the latter individuals, with John Withington, were chosen " a Committee to set the bounds of
the three hundred acres of land which formerly was
pitched upon for the use of the school, and to make
their return to the selectmen."
On the 25th of March, 1699, John Bird, Charles
Davenport and Daniel Preston were constituted a
Committee "to lay out the remainder of the said
thousand acres," "for the use of the free school,"
"in some convenient place or places in the township
of Dorchester not already laid out." In October
following, the above-named individuals laid out
" seven hundred acres of upland and meadow"
(mentioned on page 270). The latter was between
Taunton line and Seconk plain, near tight-m e
brook; a portion of said meadow being called
48