The town common (commons) was a small, open field at the center of the town which was jointly owned. It was used as a marketplace, a place for the militia to drill, or for grazing livestock.
American colonists continued to use British monetary units, namely the pound, shilling and pence for which £1 (orli) equalled 20s and 1s equalled 12d. In 1792 the dollar was established as the basic unit of currency.
Ezekiel Collins was born February 17, 1697/98 in Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts. He was the son of Joseph Collins and Maria Smith. He was a husbandman and housewright.
On February 21, 1721/22, Joseph Collins signed a deed of gift to his son Ezekiel in return for his caring for his parents.
Ezekiel married Rebecca Graves on May 12, 1721. Rebecca Graves was born on April 29, 1698. She was the daughter of Samuel Graves and Sarah Brewer.
Ezekiel and Rebecca had at least three children:
William Collins (married Mary Nichols),
Mark Collins (1729, married Hepzibeth Hardy), and
Meriah Collins (1739, married Ebenezer (Ebenezer, William/John) Collins).
Ezekiel and Rebecca sold their considerable holdings in Lynn between 1724 and 1731/32.
They moved to Worcester County where on August 25, 1733 they bought about thirteen
acres in Southborough. They paid 50 pounds to Thomas Bellows for the land.
In 1745 Ezekiel
bought land in Westborough for 400 pounds, and 5 years later, in 1750,
he sold land in that town to William Upham for 600 pounds.
In 1765
Ezekiel Collins, yeoman, sold his son, Mark Collins, yeoman,
for 200 pounds, land "with dwelling house on same
where said Ezekiel and Mark now dwell,"Mark
was to "carry
on the place" and "look after the old people," and
it is the design and true intent
and meaning of said Ezekiel, Rebekah and Mark that
the said Ezekiel and Rebekah shall have the full free
and absolute liberty, privilege etc. during both and each
of their natural lives.
A housewright built houses. Housewrights also chopped down the trees and carved the wood into boards.
Old Style Calendar
Before 1752 the year began on Lady Day, March 25th,. Dates between January 1st and March 24th were at the end of the year. Old Style (O.S.) and New Style (N.S.) are used to indicate whether the year has been adjusted. Often both dates are used.
In 1721, Boston had a terrible smallpox epidemic. Citizens fled the city and spread the disease to the other colonies. Inoculation was introduced during this epidemic by Zabdiel Boylston and Cotton Mather.
A yeoman was a man who owned and cultivated a small farm. He belonged to the class below the gentry or land owners. A husbandman was a free tenant farmer. The social status of a husbandman was below that of a yeoman.
