Houghton_ and others, in behalf of themselves and sundry of the
Inhabitants of the _Eastern_ part of the Towns of _Lancaster,
Groton_ and _Stow_, praying that they may be erected into a
separate Township. Likewise a Petition of _Jacob Houghton_ and
others, of the _North-easterly_ part of the Town of _Lancaster_,
praying the like. As also a Petition of sundry of the Inhabitants
of the _South-west_ part of the _North-east_ Quarter of the
Township of _Lancaster_, praying they may be continued as they are.
Pass'd in Council, _viz._ In Council, _June_ 21, 1731. Read, and
_Ordered_, That this Report be accepted.

Sent down for Concurrence. Read and Concurred.

[Journal of the House of Representatives (page 52), June 22, 1731.]

The original copy of the petition for Harvard is now probably lost; but
in the first volume (page 53) of "Ancient Plans Grants &c." among the
Massachusetts Archives, is a rough plan of the town, with a list of the
petitioners, which may be the "Schedule" referred to in the extract from
the printed Journal. It appears from this document that, in forming the
new town, forty-eight hundred and thirty acres of land were taken from
the territory of Groton; and with the tract were nine families,
including six by the name of Farnsworth. This section comprised the
district known, even now, as "the old mill," where Jonas Prescott had,
as early as the year 1667, a gristmill. The heads of these families were
Jonathan Farnsworth, Eleazer Robbins, Simon Stone, Jr., Jonathan
Farnsworth, Jr., Jeremiah Farnsworth, Eleazer Davis, Ephram Farnsworth,
Reuben Farnsworth, and [_torn_] Fransworth, who had petitioned the
General Court to be set off from Groton. On this plan of Harvard the
names of John Burk, John Burk, Jr., and John Davis, appear in opposition