Middlesex, ss. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts,
To the Sheriff of Our County of Middlesex his Under-Sheriff or Deputy, Greeting.
We command you to attach the goods or estate of Abel Taylor of Stow
in said county — yeoman —
to the value of nine — pounds, and for want thereof to take the
body of the said Taylor — (if he may be found in your precinct)
and him safely keep, so that you have him before our Justices of our {Inferiour}
Court of Common Pleas, next to be holden at Groton — within and for our
said county of Middlesex, on the third Tuesday of May next —
then and there in our said court to answer unto Nathan Smith of Weston
in said county esquire — in a plea of the case for that the said Taylor
at said Groton on the first day of December in the year of our Lord seven-
teen hundred & eighty being indebted to the pltf in the sum of three hundred
& ten pounds & ten shillings according to the accompt annexed then
& there promised the pltf to pay him the same [sum?] on demand
[(a line appears to have been cut off of this leaf - the tops of some letters visible but text not deciphered)]
And for that the said Taylor at said Groton afterwards
viz on the same day in consideration that the pltf had be-
fore that titme at the special instance & request of the said
Taylor sold & delivered him other goods wares & mer-
chandize than those mentioned in the accompt annexed
though of like quantity & quality then & there promised
the pltf to pay him as much money as the same goods
wares & merchandize were reasonably worth on demand.
Now the pltf avers that {for?} the same goods wares & mer-
chandize were reasonably worth ^one^ other sum of two hundred
& seventy pounds of which the said Taylor then &
there had due notice ———————
And for that the said Taylor at said Groton afterwards
viz on the same day being indebted to the pltf in the
sum of forty pounds & ten shillings for the like sum before
that time [{illegible and lined through}]
{of} ^by^ the said Taylor had & received {to} ^of^ the plft's ^{to} his^ use
then & there promised the pltf to pay him the same
sum on demand ---------————
And for that the said Taylor at said Groton after-
wards viz on the {same} day of the purchase of this writ
in consideration that the pltf had before that time at
the special instance & request of the said Taylor sold
& delivered him other goods wares & merchandize
than those ^{[before?]}^ mentioned ^in the accompt annexed^ [{illegible and lined through}]
^{the}^ like quantity & quality then & there promised the pltf
to pay him as much money as the same goods wares &
merchandize were reasonably worth on demand. Now the
pltf in fact avers that the same good wares & mer-
chandize were reasonably worth one other sum of four
pounds [{illegible}] two shillings nine pence & two farthings of
which the said Taylor then & there had due notice.
Yet though requested the said Taylor hath never paid
{either}^any^ of the aforesaid sums but neglects it ————
To the damage of the said Smith as he saith
the sum of nine {pound} — pounds, which shall then and there be made to
appear, with other due damages. And have you there this writ, with your doings therein.
Witness John Tyne — Esq: at Cambridge, this eleventh day of
April in the year of our Lord, 1783 [Tradmason?] Cler
EN