Colonial and Town Lines "Documentary History of Suffield, by Sheldon, 1879"

HISTORY OF SUFFIELD.

true line between the colonies was several miles north of that made by Woodward and Saffery. The great sufferers in this uncertain condition of the boundaries were the inhabitants of the border towns, who often came to blows, within the disputed territory.
   In the year 1700 further attempts were made to procure an amicable settlement of the dispute.*
   The line was run by the commissioners of both colonies in 1702, and found to fall north of the former line, but Massachusetts disagreed to the report. In 1708, Connecticut appointed commissioners with full power to run the line and establish the boundaries; and "Resolved,¥ that unless Massachusetts would unite to complete the business, they would apply to the Crown," After several years spent in negotiation, an agreement was concluded in 1713.
   July 13 of that year, commissioners of the Massachusetts and Connecticut colonies, agreed upon the terms for a settlement of the boundary line between them.¥¥
   The colony line was found to be north of the towns of Suffield, Enfield and Woodstock. These towns were settled under grants from Massachusetts, and it was agreed that they should remain under that jurisdiction; Connecticut receiving an equivalent of 105,793 acres of land in the western part of 1\1assachusetts. These lands were sold by auction in 1716 at Hartford, and bid off by William Pitkin for other parties, for the sum of £683, New England currency, or $2,274. Five hundred pounds of the money was given to Yale College.
   In 1713§ the line between Suffield and Enfield, and Windsor and Simsbury was adjusted. Windsor lost 7,259 acres. It had claimed as far north as the mouth of Stony Brook, on both sides of the Great River. This settled, for a time, a controversy which had long existed, and caused much bitterness of feeling between these towns, and was one of the main reasons why the towns of Suffield and Enfield consented to remain within Massachusetts jurisdiction, so long after it was known that they belonged to Connecticut.
   In 1747, || " Suffield, Enfield, Woodstock and Sommers," petitioned to the Connecticut Assembly for admission to the liberties and privileges of that colony. In May, 1749, the petition was granted, and Connecticut extended its jurisdiction over these towns, in these words:¶
   "Whereupon this Assembly, having considered the said memorial are of opinion, that, as it doth not appear that ever the said agreement
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* Webster's History of U. S.
¥ Conn. Col. Rec.
¥¥ Conn. Col. Rec.
§ Conn. Col. Rec., pages 391, 564, Vol. 1706?16.
|| Vol. 9, pages 301, 339.
¶ Conn. Col. Rec., Vol. 9, page 431.

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