I just got this really cool family tree maker, appropriately titled...Family Tree Maker! :-) It's got 24 CDs in it and has records of social security numbers, Virginia land, marriage, and probate records, U.S. soldiers, Civil War soldiers, international marriage records...a lot of stuff! So I've been using it to look up some members of my family who lived in New England (not a bunch of them, but still a good amount).
I looked up William Trask, an ancestor of mine and one of the first settlers of Salem, Massachusetts, on one of the CDs. I did find something, but it's confusing. Here's the text:
"Page 142. At a meeting of the Select men the 5th of April 1672. It is Ordered by the Select men than Anthony Needham and Wm. Trask Are Appointed to See to the Order or Law made about Stone horses that Go upon the Town Common, and what horses they shall judge not to be fit, that they shall bring or Cause them to be brought before the Sd Selectmen, or at least two or them, And if they Judge them to be sufficient that then they shall have liberty to Go on Sd Common, and if not they are to be taken off on the penalty which the Law lays on them, & Said Needham & Trask shall take the fine which the law provides, and shall return one quarter part of it to the Town if the Select men see Cause.
"Page 160. At a Meeting of the Select men the third day of April 1673 Anthony Needham & Will Trask are appointed to take care about Stone horses as for the year past for the year ensuing.
"Page 167. At a meeting of the Select men 3 May 1673 We Appoint and Impower Anthony Needham and William Trask to take pay out of ye horses that they take running on the Commons contrary to law; we say that they take the penalty appointed by the Law unless ye owners Compound with them to satisfaction. "We Appoint and Impower Anthony Needham and William Trask to Execute the Law about horses, made Last Court of Election."
What does this mean? Are they supposed to enforce the law or are they in trouble for breaking it? Can somebody help me here? :-)
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. They are allowed to fine the owners, and must remit 25% of the fine amount to the town, if in the estimation of the councillors it is necessary, assumably to cover any damages caused ("& Said Needham & Trask shall take the fine which the law provides, and shall return one quarter part of it to the Town if the Select men see Cause"
