BE it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives, in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, That Nathaniel Lawrence of Groton, in the county of Middlesex, together with his estate, which he now owns in that town, be, and hereby is set off from said town of Groton, and annexed to the town of Dunstable, in the same county; and shall hereafter be considered as part of the same; there to do duty and receive privileges as other inhabitants of said town of Dunstable:  Provided nevertheless, That the said Nathaniel Lawrence shall be holden to pay all taxes that have been legally assessed on him by said town of Groton, in the same manner as if this Act had not been passed.

     [This act passed January 26, 1796.]

     An act to set off Willard Robbins with his estate from the town of
     Groton, in the county of Middlesex, and to annex the same to
     the town of Dunstable, in the same county.

Sec. 1.  BE it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives, in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same.  That Willard Robbins, of Groton, in the county of Middlesex, with his estate, be, and hereby is set off from said town of Groton, and annexed to the town of Dunstable, in said county, there to do duty and receive privileges in the same manner as other inhabitants of the said town of Dunstable.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the said Willard Robbins shall be holden to pay and discharge all legal assessments and taxes, that have been assessed upon him by said town of Groton prior to the passing this act.

     [This act passed June 18, 1803.]

The boundary between the two towns now remained unchanged until February 15, 1820, when another act was passed by the Legislature making a further surrender of territory.  It took a considerable parcel of land and gave it to Dunstable, thereby straightening and simplifying the jurisdictional line, which at this time formed but five angles.

In the autumn of 1794 a plan of Groton, Pepperell, and Shirley was made by Dr. Oliver Prescott, Jr., which gives a few interesting facts.  The following notes are taken from the copy now in the office of the Secretary of State.  It will be seen that Dr. Prescott refers to the land set off by the Act of February 25, 1793:—­

This Plan contains the Bounds of three Towns, viz.  Groton, Pepperrell & Shirley,—­all which, together with whatsoever is delineated on said Plan, was taken by an actual Survey, agreeably to a resolve of the General Court, passed June 25, 1794, & under the Inspection of the Selectmen & Committee’s from the respective towns, appointed for that purpose in the month of Sept’r. 1794.

     By OLIVER PRESCOTT, Ju’r.  Surveyor.