Ebenezer Burrel Esq; brought from the Honourable Board, the Report of the Committee appointed by this Court the 30th of December last, to take under Consideration the Petition of Jonas Houghton and others, in behalf of themselves and sundry of the Inhabitants of the Eastern part of the Towns of Lancaster, Groton and Stow, praying that they may be erected into a separate Township.  Likewise a Petition of Jacob Houghton and others, of the North-easterly part of the Town of Lancaster, praying the like.  As also a Petition of sundry of the Inhabitants of the South-west part of the North-east Quarter of the Township of Lancaster, praying they may be continued as they are.  Pass’d in Council, viz. In Council, June 21, 1731.  Read, and Ordered, That this Report be accepted.

     Sent down for Concurrence.  Read and Concurred.

     [Journal of the House of Representatives (page 52), June 22, 1731.]

The original copy of the petition for Harvard is now probably lost; but in the first volume (page 53) of “Ancient Plans Grants &c.” among the Massachusetts Archives, is a rough plan of the town, with a list of the petitioners, which may be the “Schedule” referred to in the extract from the printed Journal.  It appears from this document that, in forming the new town, forty-eight hundred and thirty acres of land were taken from the territory of Groton; and with the tract were nine families, including six by the name of Farnsworth.  This section comprised the district known, even now, as “the old mill,” where Jonas Prescott had, as early as the year 1667, a gristmill.  The heads of these families were Jonathan Farnsworth, Eleazer Robbins, Simon Stone, Jr., Jonathan Farnsworth, Jr., Jeremiah Farnsworth, Eleazer Davis, Ephram Farnsworth, Reuben Farnsworth, and [torn] Fransworth, who had petitioned the General Court to be set off from Groton.  On this plan of Harvard the names of John Burk, John Burk, Jr., and John Davis, appear in opposition to Houghton’s petition.

The town of Harvard took its name from the founder of Harvard College, probably at the suggestion of Jonathan Belcher, who was governor of the province at the time and a graduate of the college.

     To his Excellency Jonathan Belcher Esq’r.  Cap’t General and
     Governour in Chief The Hon’ble.  The Council and the Honourable
     House of Representatives of His Majestys Province of the
     Massachusetts Bay in New England in General Court Assembled by
     Adjournment Decemb’r 16 1730

     The Memorial of Jonas Houghton Simon Stone Jonathan Whitney and
     Thomas Wheeler Humbly Sheweth