Town Warrant, Haverhill 1822

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Commonwealth of Massachusetts
To John Edwards, one of the Constables¹ for the Town of Haverhill in said County—-Greeting.

In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. You are hereby required to Notify and Warn the Freeholders² and other Inhabitants of said Town of Haverhill qualified by Law to Vote in said Town Affairs also all persons qualified to vote for Representatives to meet at the Meeting house³ belonging to the first parish in said Town on Monday the eleventh day of March next at One of the Clock in the afternoon then and there to Act on the following Articles (to wit)

First to Choose a Moderator⁴ of said Meeting
2nd To Choose all necessary Town Officers for the Year ensuing⁵
3rd To receive the report of Committees chosen last year and to choose any new committees that

may be necessary
4th To Raise all Sums of Money that the Town may think necessary and to direct in what manner

the same shall be collected and be appropriated –
5th To allow accounts and Abate Taxes⁶
6th To see if the Town will allow the Swine or Neat Cattle⁷ to go at large the year ensuing 7th To see if the Town will allow the Selectmen & Town Clerk with a Constable to draw

Jurymen the Year ensuing without calling a Town Meeting for that purpose.
8th To see if the Town will Vote that the Act relative to the taking of Pickerel in the Ponds⁸ go

into effect the Year ensuing
9th —To give in their votes for a County Treasurer for the year ensuing
10th — To see if the Town will choose a Committee to examine into, and for the preventing all encroachments⁹ of the highways

Hereof fail not and make due return of this Warrant and of your doings thereon, unto the Selectmen on or before said Day – Dated at Haverhill, aforesaid the twenty Fifth day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand Eight hundred and twenty two—

Charles White

1 Constable = law officer
2 Freeholder = white male who owns property
3 Meetinghouse = building used for church services and town meetings
4 Moderator = leader of the meeting
5 Ensuing = coming up
6 Abate taxes = allow people to not pay taxes for that year
7 “allow the swine or neat cattle to go at large” = allow the pigs and cows to run free
8 “act relative to taking pickerel in the ponds” = laws relating to the price of fish caught in town owned waters

9 Encroachments = things in the way of clearing the highways