Documents in this folder:

1. Payment of nine shillings from the Town of Southborough to Peter Fay for tending to Mr. Aiken’s horse (4/23/1787). Folder: 1003-033.

2. Payment of two pounds and eight shillings from the Town of Southborough to Benjamin Graves (1/8/1787). Folder: 1003-033.

3. Receipt for five dollars paid by the Town of Southborough to Thaddeus Fiske for supplying the pulpit (3/26/1787). Folder: 1003-033.

4. Promissory Note from the Town of Southborough to pay three pounds owed to Benjamin Green for supplying the pulpit (4/26/1787). Folder: 1003-033.

5. Payment of seventeen shillings and two pence from the Town of Southborough to Jonathan Ward for 3 ¾ yards of cloth and to pay Abishai Colton for his preaching (10/23/1787). Folder: 1003-033.

6. Payment of seven shillings and six pence from the Town of Southborough to Peter Fay for tending to Mr. Aiken’s horse (4/23/1787). Folder: 1003-033.

7. Receipt for two pounds and sixteen shillings paid to Daniel Farrington by the Town of Southborough for supplying the pulpit for two sabbaths (10/29/1788). Folder: 1003-033.

8. Letter from Abishai Colton to the People of Southborough in answer to their request to have him settle as their minister. In his letter, Mr. Colton agreed to accept the position in exchange for some land adjacent to the meeting house where he could take up residence and a salary of seventy-five pounds and twenty cords of wood per year. He also requested two or three sabbaths off a year without preaching or supplying the pulpit so that he could his parents and friends who lived a considerable distance away (1/12/1788). Folder: 1003-033.

9. Payment of one pound and five shillings from the Town of Southborough to Thomas Stone for keeping Mr. Pond and Mr. Colton’s horses (1/28/1788). Folder: 1003-033.

10. Receipt for nineteen pounds and ten shillings paid by the Town of Southborough to Enoch Pond for supplying the pulpit thirteen sabbaths; the whole time he preached in the town (2/13/1788). Folder: 1003-033.

11. Payment of eight pounds from the Town of Southborough to Nathan Bridges for boarding Mr. Colton and keeping his horse (3/6/1788). Folder: 1003-033.

12. Letter from Abishai Colton to the moderator of the Town Meeting withdrawing his offer to settle as the town’s minister. Colton wrote: “I gave my answer in the affirmative provided you would make some little alterations in your proposals, but as you have not on the whole made those alterations which I requested in my answer, and as there has great uneasiness in the town respecting the alterations requested, I cannot think it will me for my peace and happiness or for the good of the town to tarry. Therefore I beg leave to withdraw my answer to give it in the negative. I would further recommend it to the town to consider that if they would ever have a candidate for the Gospel Ministry settled among them, it is for their own character to be tender of the character of the candidates that come among you, and not raise false and scurrilous reports concerning any of them - for with you as well as with them a good name is rather to be chosen than silver” (3/5/1788). Folder: 1003-033.

13. Payment in full of thirty-six pounds from the town of Southborough to Abishai Colton for supplying the pulpit for thirty sabbaths since August 10th 1787 (3/17/1788). Folder: 1003-033.

14. Letter from Solomon Newton to the Town offering his protest and dissent to changes in the church covenant, and the fact that the congregation was not conducting child baptisms. Among other things, he wrote: “we have a number now among us that will not let children be brought to Christ covenant to be baptized - and I give it as my sentiment that the church ha[s] broken covenant with the people, and the people ought not to join with the church in settling a minister here till that matter be settled”. (3/3/1788). Folder: 1003-033.