In 1685, the General Court of Connecticut issued an order to the effect that all towns should take out patents, in due form, and that there should be legal evidence of their rights. In " lenwary 1687-S » there were 18 men at a town meeting who voted "that every one here present at the town meeting shall have a pees of land containing four akers added unto their former dividends for theyr faithfulness at the attending of towne meetings." Before the 28th of January, 1688, the Town ordered that as much money should be raised as may be necessary to pay for a patent. The annual meeting in March, 1690, chose a "dark, two sezars," (assessors) two fence "vewars," and two "souairs," (surveyors). In 1691 they made " chois of Daniell Simkings for head man for ye town of Bedford, to end any contravercy between indians and inglish accrding to the best of his skill." In 1693 the "round swamp on the south sid of Aspicung " was given to David Clason, for his four acres of "burnory land."

The names of the inhabitants, including the resident proprietors of Bedford in 1692, number thirty-one, and were as follows:

John Grum, N. Miran Clark,

Joseph Miller, John Holmes, Sr.,

Joun Holmes, Richard Ayres,

John Miller, John Holmes, Jr.,

Mrs. Wildman, Abraham Wildman,

Mr. Dunham. Isaac Dunham,

Zachariah Roberts, Jeremiah Andrews,

John Webb, Richard Wescote,

Stephen Clason, Daniel Simpkins,

Stephen Holmes, William Clark,

Abraham Ambler, John Brown,

John Miller, Jr., Jonathan Miller,