Page:History of Barrington, Rhode Island (Bicknell).djvu/558

 454 THE HISTORY OF BARKINGTON. free liberty or allowance from the town to keep a ferry in Barrington aforesaid at ye place called and known by the name of Toogood's or Kelley's Ferry and to carry horse and men or any kind of wares from off Barrington Shore with- out any let, denyals, molestation or Disturbance of from or by ye said town of Barrington for ye space of seven years from and after ye twenty-first day of May last past according to ye tenure, true intent and meaning of ye vote of ye Town of Barrington at their Town Meeting held on ye twenty-first of May last past." For and in consideration of this permit, Mr. Kelley was to have the use and profits of said ferry by paying to the town of Barrington forty shillings yearly, and every year for seven years, "in lawful money or bills of credit." At the expiration of this contract, the question again arose as to the respective rights of the Town of Barrington and Mr. Kelley in the Ferry, and the vexed question was not settled at the time of the union with Warren in 1747, as the following deposition of Mr. Joseph Mason indicates : Warren, April ye 22: 1748: "The Dupusition of Joseph Mason Aged about eighty-four years to Testify and say that he hath Lived in the Town of Swanzey near the ferry ouer from New Meadow Neck ouer to Lands Called Brookis pasture upwards of sixty years and the Deponant was improved in publick Concerns in Town business Twenty years and upward and said ferry was all- ways kept in the Towns hands and they that kept sd ferrey improved sd ferry rods by agreement with the Town of Swan- zey, William Ingraham the first ferryman near Seventy years agoe, by Contract with said Town of Swanzey. Eaming at a futer profit as people and traveling increased; and therefore the Town of Swanzey Laid out a lott of Land for the use of said ferry and this Deponent saith that he was Concerned in behalf of the Town of Swanzey in Letting out said ferry formerly to John Twoogood Deceased as a town Right ; and Cair was taken by the first inhabitant to preserve it for a