Early History
Town of Reading, Vermont
related by Hazel King
The Town of Reading was created, as were many other Vermont towns, by what is known as the New Hampshire Grants, chartered by King George III for the stated purpose of "encouragement of settling a new plantation within the (King's) Province." Reading's Charter was dated July 6, 1761. New York also claimed VT. and issued confirming patents.
The Governor of New Hampshire, Benning Wentworth, and the other men who signed the charter (sixty-two for Reading) became the owners or proprietors of the town. There is no consideration (payment) stated in the charter, but these men were charged with the responsibility of getting the towns settled in order to produce income for the King. There were conditions and reservations stated in the charter that would cause that to happen.
The conditions of continuing ownership by the landowners or heirs or assigns required the owners/proprietors to plant and cultivate five acres of land for every fifty acres contained in his or their share and to continue to improve and settle the same by additional cultivation on penalty of the forfeiter of the grant.
The second condition was that the settlers were not allowed to fell any Pine tree that was suitable for masting the Royal Navy. Unless the settler obtained special license to do that, the penalty was forfeiture of the right to their grant.
The third condition was setting aside a tract of land near the center for the formation of town lots (a center).
The fourth condition was that each land owner had to pay to the King, his heirs or successors for ten years one ear of Indian corn on the 25th day of December annually if lawfully demanded.
One ear of corn does not sound like very much, but Reading was only one town, and VT was only one state. Reading's 62 settlers in 1761 conservatively multiplied by over two hundred other towns with proprietors in each, added to all of the towns in other state would represent a shipload of corn each year for the King.
Additionally, after ten years each owner was required to pay on the 25th of December one shilling proclamation money for every 100 acres he owned. So the Charters set up a continuing stream of money for the King from his new "plantation".... but that was 1761. These terms became unenforceable as on March 4, 1791 VT became the 14th State in the United States and the States ultimately achieved their independence from England.
August 2015