eing thus Covenanted as above Said We Do Each and Every
one of us who have Hereunto Subscribed Protest and Declare that
Every Article and Parigraph and Thing Containd in the above Writen
Shall be Absolutely and Unacceptionably Binding in Manner and form
as above Declared and Shall So Continue upon and Against Each and
Every one of us untill we are Erected or Incorporated Into a
Township as above said or that Provedance Shall Remove us by Death
or Otherways any thing to the Contrary Notwithstanding

Witness our Hands the Eight Day of December one Thousand Seven
Hundred and Fourty Seven and in the Twentieth Year Of His Majesties
Reign Georg the Secund King &c

Harvard

Richard hall
Jon'n Bigelow
Joseph Hutchins
Simeon Farnsworth
Timothy hall
Phenihas Farnsworth
Amos Russll
Johnathan--Read (His mark)
Jonathan Read iu
Abijah Willard

Groton
Samuel Hazen
Joseph Preist
Samell flood
John pearce
Charles Richards
Daniel Page
John Longley jn'r
Abijah Willard
Manasser Divoll
John Osgood
Abijah Frost
John Peirce hous rite

Lancaster
Henry Haskell
John Nicholls
Thomas Wright
William Willard
Joshua Johnson
Daniel Willard
Joseph Priest
William Farmer
Joseph Bond
Henry Willard
Benjamin Willard
Jacob Houghton
Corp Elias Sawyer
Amos Am Atherton (his mark)

Stow
John Houghton Ju
John Sampson
Joseph Brown
Hannah Brown
Samuel Randal
Benjamin Samson

[Massachusetts Archives, CXV., 220-222.]

Hell Pond, mentioned in this covenant, is situated in the northwest part
of Harvard, and so called "from its amazing depth," says the Reverend
Peter Whitney, in the History of Worcester County (page 158).

Two years after this covenant was signed, another attempt was made to
divide the town, but it did not succeed. The lines of the proposed
township included nearly the same territory as the present ones of
Shirley. The following references to the scheme are found, under their
respective dates, in the printed Journal of the House of
Representatives:--

A Petition of sundry Inhabitants of _Groton_ and _Lunenburg_,
praying they may be erected into a distinct and seperate Township
or Precinct, agreable to the Plan therewith exhibited, for the
Reasons ment