Coventry Leg from Crafts Plot Map
| The original survey of Coventry included a tract of land known as Coventry Leg. It extended from the northwest corner of the town, northwards to the western shore of Lake Memphremagog containing 3 of the original 174 lots. This odd appendage to the main body of the town was possibly the result of misalignments in the surveys of the surrounding towns. The eastern boundary of the Leg was surveyed in 1778 as the line of the town of Salem. The Coventry lines were run 10 years later and did not meet up with the Salem lines thus creating this tiny gore. |
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Coventry Leg from Crafts Plot Map
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| Apparently this state of affairs did not sit well with the good residents of neighboring Duncansboro. In October 1814 a group of Duncansboro residents petitioned the Vermont legislature to adjust the boundaries of their town to annex Coventry Leg and the western part of Salem which today includes the town of Newport. |
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Duncansboro residents petition the legislature for annexation of the leg (1) |
To the honorable the General Assembly of Vermont next to be
holden at Montpelier within and for the state
of Vermont, on the second Thursday of October
Inst. the Inhabitants of Duncansboro in the
County of Orleans & state of Vermont humbly
shewith That owing to the Lake Memphremagog or some other cause to you petitioners un known the town of Duncansboro was laid out in a very Disadvantageous nature for the convenience of its Inhabitants ow ing to its great Length north & south as by General Whitelaws map of Vermont may be plainily seen Therefore your petitioners hum bly pray that this Honorable assembly would make the following alterations in the shape of sd. Town towit That sd. town might begin at its north East corner on the province Line (so calld.) where it now begins thence to run southardly on sd Lake until it strikes the north line of Covnentry thence westardly on sd. north line of Coventry until it strikes the East line of sd. Duncans boro thence Due west across sd. Duncanboro until it strikes its west line thence north on sd. west line until it strikes the province line (so calld.) thence East on sd. province line to the first mentiond. Bounds and that this sd. town of Duncansboro may contain all and no more land than is contained in the above Description and that all the land now be longing to Duncansboro south of the above Described Lands may be set off to Coven try Gore (so calld.) and your petitioners as in duty Bound will ever pray Dated at Duncansboro the 8th Day of October AD 1814 Benjn Newhall James C Adams Gamilier? Chapin Thos Chapin Hallet Adams Orin Jones Amos Sawyer Jr. Saml Sawyer Amos Sawyer |
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The petition was denied by the legislature as it became clear that the boundaries
described in the petition were in error and would require further adjustment. The
petition did not describe Duncanboro's eastern bounds which would include its
southeast corner. This was important as they were apparently willing to offset some
of Coventry's lost acreage from the Leg with additional acreage added to Coventry
Gore from the southern portion of the town. Two years later Duncansboro came back to the legislature with a reformulated petition. Instead of trying to describe the final township bounds they simply asked to have Coventry Leg and west Salem annexed to the present town. The petition was granted and the boundary lines were changed to the form they hold today. |
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To the Honorable General assembly of the State of Ver
mont next to be convened at Montpelier on the second Thurs
day of October next by our Petitions in behalf of the inhab
itants of Duncansborough Humbly shew That that part of township Salem lying west of Lake Memphremagog and Coventry Leg so called lying adjoining to the sd. town of Duncansborough are at present unsettled and that there is no road through said tracts and that the inhabitants of said town of Duncansborough are now opening a road through said tracts at their own expense and that the township of Dun cansborough in its present form is very long and narrow and that in case the said tracts were annexed to the said town ship of Duncansborough it would bring the said town into a better form and would be a public benefit and have a ten dancy to induce settlers to settle on said tracts and that in case of settlement the inhabitants of said tracts would not be so well convened? in their present situation as they would be in case they were annexed to the said town of Duncansborough as may appear by reference to the map of the State Wherefore your petitioners pray that an act my be passed annex ing the above tracts to the township of Duncansborough and your petitioners will pray Amos Sawyer Benjn Newhall Duncansborough Sept 30 1816 Danl Elanis |
Duncansboro residents 2nd petition to the legislature(1) |
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References: 1. Pliny White, History of Coventry Vermont, Irasburg, VT. 1859 2. Inventory of the Town, Village and City Archives of Vermont, No. 10 Orleans County, Vol V. Town of Coventry, The Historical Records Survey, Montpelier, Vt. 1940 |