The Petition of Enoch Hale of Rindge, in the County of Cheshire in the Province aforesaid Esq' in behalf of the Inbitants of a Township commonly known by the Name of Monadnock No 2 or middle Monadnock, unto Your Excellency & Honours humbly Shews

That the Said Township is now setled with more than forty Families, And many more that have begun Settlements that they will shortly remove on, That they are destitute of the legal Privileges & Franchises of Corporate Towns, whereby they suffer many Inconveniences for Want of Town Officers, and especially at this Time, when they are taxed for the Support of the Government, but cannot legally assess or collect the same, and are also unable to warn out any Poor, idle Vagrants, That too frequently force themselves into New Towns, to the manifest Injury of such Towns in particular, & the Province in General

Wherefore your Petitioner humbly prays (in behalf of his Constituents, the Inhabitants aforesaid) That Y Excelly & Honours would be pleased to condescend, to indulge them with the Corporate Priviledges of other Towns in this Province, for the Purposes aforesaid, and That they may have a Charter thereof, by such a New Name as your Excellency may think proper to give unto said Township, and as in Duty bound, Yr Petitioner & his Constituents shall ever pray

Portsm° Augth 16th 1773.

Enoch Hale

[In answer to the foregoing, the town was incorporated August 17, 1773. Col. Hale was employed by the town as agent in the matter.-ED.]

[5-181] [Case of Assault before Courts were established in the County, 1775.]

To the Honourable Provential Congress Gentelmen

Whereas M Benjemin Nutting of Petterborough Slip So Called has Entred a Complaint to us the Subs (the Committee of Corrispondance for the town of Jaffrey in the County of Chesher and province of New hampshire) Against Mr John Davis Jun' of Jaffrey in the County and province Aforesaid, that upon the Second day of October instant as he came to the house of John Eaton in this town upon Some Bussiness he was assulted By the Above said Davis and Abused in the Most Solem maner as appears By Sundry Evidences Produced by Sa Nutting and Notwithstanding Sd Davis was Notified to Attend to hear the Evidence Examind he Refused to attend and he has often Been Requested to Settle the matter But he Remains Obstinate and persists in his Villany with insolence we have Care

fully Examind the Evidences and have herein inclosed their Depotions we Earnestly Desire you to take this Matter into your Consideration and Either Determin the Matter Between them, or invest this Committee with a proper Authority to Act thereon also we Desire Some instructions how to proceed in Said Case, Gentelmen your Complyance will Greatly Oblidge your humble Servants

Dated at Jaffrey october ye 27th 1775.

N. B this Davis Mentioned by the Evidences in their Depotetions is the Same John Davis Jun' Mentioned Above

[Evidence relative to foregoing.]

M' Eatons Evidence on the 24 day of october 1775

I heard Mr Nutting and m' Davis Disputing Concerning Some Accompts Between them & M' Davis would have Nutting offsett Some part of their accompt and he would not for some Reasons which he then Mentioned and Sd he would Die first Davis S then he Should Die then he Seized him By the Collar and Struck him on the head twice and then Struck him on his Shoulders three or four times and threatened him that he would Strip his Skin off his Back and Break his Bones and knock his teeth Down his throat and make him keep his Bed three weeks, and then pulled him Down the hill toward the River and Said he would throw him in the River But he did not and Struck him again twice on the Road and then he Let him Come up again to the house and then took him By the Shoulders and Struck him twice again, & I heard him Say he had then taken the Intrest and it Should Not Be Long Before he would have the principal, and During the Whole Affair I did not hear M Nutting threaten nor abuse Mr Davice Neither with bad Langage nor otherwise

Jaffrey october ye 27th 1775

John Eaton

on the Second Day of october 1775. I Came to Mr John Eatons and I See John Davis Jun' take M' Benj" Nutting By the Collar and Shak him and Strike him twice and threatened he would pull him Down and throw him in the pond Mr Nutting Received all this Abuse with patiance and did not abuse m' Davis with Bad Langage nor otherwise

Jaffrey october ye 27th 1775

Nehemiah Porter

Some time Since the Quarrel Between Mr Nutting and m Davise these two Gentelmen above mentioned Meet accedentialy at my house m' Daniel Davise Being also at my house we Motioned to them to have them accomadat their Difficulty Mr Davise answered he wase in a passion But he Did not Care a Divels tord about it and he Swore he had taken the Intrest and he intended to have the principal soon

Jaffrey october ye 27th 1775

James Haywood

upon monday the 23d Day of october instant Mr Davise Came to my house I asked what induced him to Quarrel with Mr Nutting he Said that their was No other way to Get his Dues and all he was Sorry for was that he had No Given him as much Again and that there was no other way to get his Debts and that was as good a way as any he also told me of one man that killed another at Nottingham Latley and Said their was no Law if one man did kill another, he Said the Congress had put the Above mentioned man in Goal But Could not do nothing with him and was oblidged to Let him go

Jaffrey october ye 27th 1775.

John Stanley

[R. 2-119] [Petition of Daniel Russell, Soldier, 1777.]

State of New Hampshire

To the Honourable the Council and House of Representatives of said State

The Petition of Daniel Russell Humbly Sheweth that your Petitioner Engaged in the service of his Country in the beginning of the year 1777 and was wounded through his body the 19 of september following while fighting with the enemy near Stillwater which wound Disabled him from fighting From thence he was carried to Albony Hospitual where he Received A Furlough as soon as he was able to Return Home, and immediately put himself under the care of the best Surgeon, or Surgeons he could Find, and was unable to Return to his Regiment or any other corps, till October 1778 then went to Boston and was found unfit for any Duty and Received a furlough of the Hon. Gen1: Gates and Returned Home and was under a Necessity to put himself under the care of a surgeon and when his Furlough was Expired then Returned to Boston and was found unfit for any Duty and again furloughed and so from time to time untill the three year he engaged for was Expired Then the Honourable Court Put him under half pay as he was unable to earn his support-The wound your Petioner received was

open from his side to his Back Almost five years by reason of his Ribs being Fractured.

Jaffrey June 3d 1783.

Daniel Russell

[He further stated that his pension was paid him in notes that were of little value, and asked for some relief. In a petition dated March 4, 1779, the said Russell stated that he was in Capt. Blodgett's Co. of Col. Hale's Reg't; that he was furloughed at Albany October 20, 1777, and was eleven days getting home, after which he was under the care of Dr. John Young of Peterborough, and Dr. Jonas Prescott; was examined in Boston by "Dr. John Warren, Surgeon General." After that he was under the care of "Doc' adonijah How of Jaffrey." March 5, 1779, Roger Gilmore and Abrm. Bailey, selectmen, and Dr. How certified to his condition as stated in his petetion.-ED.]

[R. 2-122] [Petition of Ephraim Adams, Soldier, 1779.]

[In a petition dated Jaffrey, June 10, 1779, Ephraim Adams stated that he enlisted in the R. I. expedition in August, 1778; took his horse with him, and said horse was taken from him by order of Gen. Whipple for the use of the army. He asked to be paid £130, which was the sum appraised by Roger Gilmore, Hugh Dunlop, and William Turner, selectmen of Jaffrey. This petition was not granted, but one presented in 1786 was, to the extent of £15.— ED.]

[R. 2-126]

[Soldiers' Orders.]

To the Treasurer of the State of New Hampshire

S Please to Pay to the Barrer Willm Smiley all the Wagers that is Due to me for my services in the year 1781 Per me Benjamin Dole

Jaffrey Feb. 7

New Hampshire Jaffrey in the County of Cheshire is Soule

these may Certify that Benjamin Dole of

Cheshire ss

heir to John Dole Late of Jaffrey Deceased who Dyed at Albany march the 15 day 1782

Jaffrey Octo y 14th 1784

Joseph Thorndike Justice Peace

Jaffrey Feb. 7th 1785

To the Honourable John Taylor Gilman Esq' Treasurer for the State of New Hampshire Sir Be pleased to pay the bearer my whole wages which is due for three months service in the Armey in the year Eighty one in Cap' Philip Thomas Company and this shall be your discharge

£4, 14, 4.

[R. 2-127]

Asaph Brigham

[Petition of Lucy Wesson, 1782.]

State of New Hampshire

To the Honourable the Councill and House of Representatives of said state

The Petition of the Widow Lucy Wesson Humbly Sheweth that your Petitioners Husband Isaac Wesson inlisted into the years service 1778 and was born upon the musterroll till the First of April 1779 and has not returned nor been hear of sence but by the best information is Dead, your Petitioner is left with a Family of small Children and stands in need of her Husbands wages (what there is due) and cannot find out as there is any way for her to come at them She prays therefore that your Honours would take her case under your wise Consideration and Grant her such Releaf as you in your wisdom shall think Fit and she as in duty bound shall Ever pray.

Jaffrey Sept. 12 1782

Lucy Wesson

This may Certifie all hoom it may con carn that Lucy Wesson was the wife of Isaac Wasson when he Entered the Contenantal Sarvis

[Nov. 16, 1782, she was allowed four months' pay and depreciation.-ED.]

[R. 2-128]

[James Turner, Soldier.]

[In a petition dated Feb. 14, 1785, James Turner, of Jaffrey, stated "that he served as a soldier in Capt Wm Scotts Comny & Colo Henry Jacksons Regt in the Continantal Army, three years." He further stated that he had not received his allowance for depreciation: he asked to have it allowed, which request was granted.-ED.]