Shelburne — Organization
Extracted from "History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, Volume II," by Louis H. Everts, 1879.
Early in 1768 the inhabitants of "Deerfield Northwest" petitioned Deerfield to be set off as a separate district, but the petition was rejected. A second one, however, met with a better fate, and was granted May 9th of that year, and, on the 21st of June following, the General Court incorporated the district of Shelburne, and in 1786 the district became a town, under the act of that year. The name was chosen in honor of William Fitz-Maurice*, [sic] of England, second earl of Shelburne, who, in return, sent a church-bell, which, however, never reached Shelburne. The tract incorporated included a section of land on the south side of Deerfield River, but this portion was, in 1780, set off to Conway.
The first district-meeting was held at the house of Daniel Nims, Oct. 31, 1768, and the officers elected were as follows: John Taylor, Moderator; John Wells, Clerk; Ebenezer Fisk, Constable; John Taylor, John Wells, and Robert Wilson, Selectmen; Stephen Kellogg, Treasurer; Stephen Kellogg and Samuel Fisk, Wardens; Lawrence Kemp, Tithingman; Sam'l Hunter and John Wells, Deer-Reeves; Daniel Nims, Sealer of Weights and Measures; Robert Wilson, Sealer of Leather; John Heaton, John Thompson, and Daniel Nims, Surveyors of Highways; Thomas Wells and Alex. Clark, Hog-Reeves; Ebenezer Fisk and John Taylor, Howards.
* Correct name is actually William Petty Fitzmaurice, 1st Marquess of Lansdowne, also known as the Earl of Shelburne (1761-1784).
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