When the Selectmen walk the boundaries of the Town sometime this coming Fall, they will be observing an ancient custom handed down from the days in which the traditions from England prevailed. As Huntoon explains it,

"Perambulation, or beating the bounds, is another old custom that has come down to us from our English ancestry; and to this day the law requires that the town lives be reviewed at stated times. The English custom since the time of Elizabeth made it obligatory once a year; and the substantial men of the parish, and the boys of the parochial school, turned out and walked over the bounds, while the parish beadle and the curate in his cossack read from the psalm, ‘Cursed be he which translateble the bounds and doles of his neighbors.’ The days allotted to this work, or pleasure, were called Gauge Days; and at certain parts of the boundaries the village boys were ‘bumped’, -that is, swung against a tree or post, -that the location might forever remembered be. Sometimes the boys were flogged, in order to impress the precise locality of the landmark on their memories.

"In early days the boundaries were defined in a simple and primitive manner. The General Court considered that a great heap of stones, or a trench six feet long and two feet abroad, were sufficient indications of a boundary.

"The following is a specimen of the manner of procedure. The oldest town informed the adjoining town of its purpose to perambulate the line in these words:

To the Selectmen of the Town of Stoughton:

Gentlemen,- These come to desire you, by yourselves or agents, to meet with Lieut. Richard Thayer and Lieut. John Adams, agents for the selectmen of the town of Braintree, at the house of Mr. Benjamin Crane, of Milton, on Monday, the 13^th of April next, at nine o’clock in the forenoon, in order to perambulate the line and renew the bounds, between said towns of Braintree and Stoughton, as the law direct

Gentleman, we are your

humble servants,

John, Quincy

William Hunt

Perambulation, in its meaning of walking the boundary lines of a town, is a custom that came over to this country with the first settlers from England. In Massachusetts the custom is now a law which requires that at least two Selectmen, or substitutes appointed by the Board of Selectmen, perambulate the boundaries of their town once every five years. This is the year our Selectmen will get their exercise in this worthwhile endeavor, which they hope to accomplish October 20, 21. The boundaries of Canton mark an area of 19.38 square miles so the task is challenging.

In view of the imminence of this historic event, it is interesting to quote some of Huntoon’s remarks about perambulation in his "History of Canton". He explains:

"The English custom since the time of Elizabeth (I) made it obligatory once a year; and we substantial men of the parish, and the boys of the parochial school, turned out and walked over the bounds, while the parish beadle and the curate in his cassock read from the psalm, ‘Cursed by he which translateth the bounds and doles of his neighbors." The days alloted to this work, or pleasure, were called Gange Days; and at certain parts of the boundaries the village boys were ‘bumped’- that is swung against a tree or stone or post- that the location might be forever remembered be. Sometimes the boys were flogged in order to impress the precise locality of the landmark on their memories."

Mr. Huntoon observes that it was not until 1830 that stones were erected to designate boundaries in this area. Earlier the boundaries "were defined in a simple primitive manner. The General Court considered that a great heap of stones, or a trench six feet long and two feet broad, were sufficient indications of a boundary."