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ACKNOWLEDGMENT.

The thanks of the editor and the publication committee of the Manchester Historic Association are due to His Honor Mayor Eugene E. Reed, Mr. Edward C. Smith, city clerk, for advice and help, and to all others who have kindly given their support toward publishing these early records of the township of Manchester, formerly incorporated as Derryfield. G. WALDO BROWNE. S. C. GOULD.

EDGAR J. KNOWLTON.
CLARENCE M. PLATTS.
J. WARREN THYNG.

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INTRODUCTION.

The course of events seemed to have moved quietly during the twelve years covered by the records included in the following pages. Perhaps the most marked excitement arose from the controversy over the building of what, for obvious reasons, became known as "The Mammoth Road." This controversy, starting in 1821, did not end until the road was completed by order of the court in 1836, after eighteen years of opposition, litigation, and extraordinary expense. A footnote on page 184 describes this action more fully.

The town contributed quite liberally toward keeping the roads in repair, and laid out four new highways. Firewards were chosen irregularly, and fishwards at every election, though the interest in the latter was on the wane.

Religious matters in connection with the state now received very little attention. At the annual meeting in March, 1817, it was not voted to raise any money for preaching, and nothing more was done in that direction until at a special meeting called March 31, 1827, it was again dismissed from public support by deciding against allowing certain money coming from the sale of the "ministerial land" going toward the support of the minister. Tything men, however, were chosen during the entire period, and men to look after the meeting-house were elected. Certain repairs were voted, and it was voted to build a new meeting-house of brick. But there is nothing recorded that any action was taken in carrying out this vote. The matter of moving the old meeting-house and making a town house out of it was dismissed at this time. An attempt to have the interest of the John Perham fund given the town applied to payment for preaching failed.

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The care of the pound continued to call for more or less attention, and keepers of the pound were chosen during the entire period.

At the annual meeting in 1824 Manchester voted 90 to 0 to establish Amherst as the shire town of the county.

The practice of boarding the poor of the town with the persons who bid them off at auction continued, as in the years gone by.

The collection of the taxes was also vandued off to the lowest bidder, the rate being from two and one half to four and one half per cent for collecting.

An average of a little over five licenses was granted annually during these twelve years, and an attempt was made once to recover money thus paid by the different tavern-keepers, but it failed.

The town lines were perambulated six times at different sections.

As heretofore the matter of schools occupied considerable attention and were usually treated in a liberal manner. Two schoolhouses were built during this period, in districts No. 1 and No. 2. Prudential committees were first chosen by the town in 1828.

The annual inventories have become more extended and complex, thus causing them to occupy more space and adding materially to the expense of printing, so that we are obliged to reduce the numbers of pages in this volume.

The death of Gen. John Stark, the veteran hero of two wars, occurred in 1822, removing the most distinguished citizen in the town and the state.

The following lists give the names of the leading officers in the town:

Clerks, 1817-1818, John G. Moor; 1819-1823, Frederick G. Stark; 1824-1825, Amos Weston, Jr.; 1826-1828, Franklin Moor.

Treasurers, 1817-1818, Samuel P. Kidder; 1819, Joseph Moor; 1820-1821, Nathaniel Moor; 1822-1823, Joseph Moor; 1824-1825, Frederick G. Stark; 1826, Amos Weston, Jr.; 1827, Frederick G. Stark; 1828, Joseph Moor.

Selectmen, 1817, Isaac Huse, John Stark, 4th, John Dickey; 1818, Isaac Huse, John Dickey, Nathaniel Moor; 1819, Samuel Moor, Ephraim Stevens, Jr., John Stark, 4th; 1820, Joseph Moor, Ephraim Stevens, Jr., Amos Weston, Jr.; 1821, Amos Weston, Jr., Ephraim Stevens, Jr., John Proctor; 1822, Amos Weston, Jr., John Proctor, Nathaniel Moor; 1823, Amos Weston, Jr., Nathaniel Moor, John Proctor; 1824, Amos Weston, Jr., Nathaniel Moor, Isaac Huse; 1825, Amos Weston, Jr., Isaac Huse, Nathaniel Moor; 1826, Frederick G. Stark, Israel Merrill, James McQuesten; 1827, Frederick G. Stark, Amos Weston, Jr., Franklin Moor; 1828, John Gamble, John Ray, Nathaniel Moor.

Representatives, 1817, Isaac Huse; 1818-1819, John G. Moor; 1820-1821, Isaac Huse; 1822-1825, Frederick G. Stark; 1826, Isaac Huse; 1827, Amos Weston, Jr.; 1828, Franklin Moor.

The population in 1820 was 761; in 1830, 887. There was little indication then that within sixteen years it would be incorporated as a city with over ten thousand inhabitants.

G. W. B.

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