That your Petitioners most or all of them have been educated in the Presbyterian persuasion and look on themselves as bound in conscience still to adhere to the same perswasion That your Petitioners generally inhabit one part of the said Goffestown which renders their associating together for public Worship more convenient That your Petitioners have had some Supply of Preaching from the Presbytery to which we are connected and expect more from time to time and soon to be in a capacity (through Providential Smiles) to build a Meeting House and settle a Minister of their own persuasion May it therefore please your Excellency and Honors impartially to consider the premises and by your Authority to enact that your Petitioners may be a distinct Society cloathed with Parish powers that so they may be in a legal Capacity of levying Parish Charges and your Petitioners as in duty bound shall ever Pray &c Dated at Goffestown November 2a 1771 John Mcferson Late of Haverhill now of Bedford William Dunlap Belongs to Chester John Butterfield Bread a Congregational Antipas Dodge Bread Congregational Jno Little Swore he would do all in his power to Ruen Goffs town Daniel Allen not Rated David Currier Bread a Congregational [4-115] [Relative to the Settlement of Rev. Mr. Currier.] Whereas there is a Town Meeting Legually Warned to be held in Goffstown this 15th Day of July 1771, and one of the Particulars that is Noted in the Warrant to be acted Upon is to See if the Town will Choose a Committee to Settle Mr Currier as a Gospel Minister, in the Town We the Subscribers Being Presbyterrians by Proffession, and having at Different times Renewed our Covenant With God and Vowed to him to Maintain the Doctrins Discipline and Government of the Church of Scotland Whereof we Profess our Selves to be Members therefore we Do Not as yet See our Selves in Duty Bound to Cast these our Vows Behind our backs and Settle a Man of Another Proswasion, and as we Would Not be found Lukewarm and Indifferent in a Matter of So Great Import We thought to Certify our Bretheren of this Matter in this Manner [4-116] [Remonstrance to Mr. Currier's Settlement.] Whereas there is a Town Meeting Legally Warned to be held in Goffes Town on friday the Thirtieth day this Instent and the Particulers that is insearted in the warrant to be acted upon that Day is mostly Concearning Ordaining m❜ Currier as a Gospell Minester in the Town and to Do Something more towards finishing the Meetinghouse, and we whose names are under written being of a Differant Perswasion and are not Detarmined to Settle m' Currier as our Minester therefore we Protest against Every particualer in the fore mentioned warrant as we are not Determined to act on any thing at that meeting Neither are we a mind to pay aney part of m' Currier' Rates as we are Presbytereans by profession Goffes Town August 21 1771 George Addeson James Marr Tho Shirla Those of this mark were not at the Meeting A true Copy of Record attest Pr Alexdr Walker Town Clark [4-116] [Proceedings of Town-Meeting, 1771.] Province of New Hamp At a meeting Legally warned and held at the Meeting house in Goffes Town on Friday the Thirteenth Day of August 1771 Votted Sam" Blodgett Esqr Moderator Votted That the meeting Be Carried on by a hand Vote Votted That the Protest Signed by Willm McDoel and others against the Legallety of this Meeting held this Day by vartue of a warrant Dated August 17 1771 We Look upon it to be of no Velidety therefore the Signers have a Liberty to Vote this Day if they think proper for the Several Reasons here after Exprest firstly Because Sundrey of the names in Said protest Doth not Appear to the Town they Ever signed Being in number Eighteen. Some of which are Said to be Disartors the names of those absent are as followeth. Goffstown may 29th 1772 This may Certify that I the Subscriber was one of the Select men for the town of Goffstown for the year 1771 and attended the Last anual march meeting a Dispute arose concerning the choice of a moderator and it appears to me that Sam Blodget Esq had twenty five voters and m' alexdr Gillcrest had but Twenty four votes by pole Exclusive of Jonathan Rowell & John Pettey who ware in my oppinion neighther of them Legal voters attest Alexdr Walker James Karr [4-118] [Relative to a Dispute at Town-Meeting, 1772.] To His Excellency john Wentworth Esq' Captain General Governor and commander in Chief in and over his Majesty's Province of New Hampshire and Vice Admiral of the same The Honourable his Majesty's Council and House of Representatives for said Province to be convened at Portsmouth in said Province on Tuesday the 19th day of May Current We the subscribers Inhabitants of Goffstown in the County of Hillsborough in said Province Humbly Complains That the Inhabitants of said Goffstown at their last Annual March Meeting haveing some disputing on the Business of the day after which the selectmen published who were Legal Voters according to the Law of said Province After which the Votes were brought in for a Moderator The Votes were Twenty five for the Honourable Samuel Blodget Esq' and Twenty Six for Alexander Gillcrest. On which said Mr Blodget said one john Pattee was not a legal Voter (Who had Voted for said Gillcrest being Moderator) The Selectmen said he was but M1 Blodget Insisted he was not and that his Vote should be thrown out which was done Then the Votes stood 25 for one and 25 for the other After which Mr Blodget pulled a power of Attorney out of his pocket and Read it Given by one job Rowel (who is since Dead) to his son jonathan Rowel (a Minor and who had never been Rated) Impowering said jonathan to Vote at said Meeting and M' Blodget insisted that said jonathan had a legal right to vote in said meeting by Vertue of said power Which said jonathan did and Voted for Mr Blodget to be Moderator which turned the Vote in Mr Blodgets favour And that said Pattee was not Allowed to Vote And the said jonathans Voteing and Pattee being deprived caused Diferent men to be chose town officers than would have been By Which means We humbly conceive we are much Injured and Deprived of our just and Legal Rights Wherefore we your Complainants and petitioners Humbly prays Your Excellency and Honours to take our Case into your considerations and Grant us such Relief as in your Great Wisdoms shall seem meet and your Petitioners as in Duty bound shall ever pray Dated at Goffestown the 18th day of May AD 1772 William fearson David McCluer James Barr iuner John Patee james ferson Alexander mcCay John Orr Samuel Kennedy [In council, June 3, 1772, the proceedings of the foregoing meeting were declared illegal, and a new election ordered.-ED.] [4-119] [Petition for a Lottery to build Bridges over Piscataquog River, 1778.] To The Honble Councel and House of Representatives of the good People of ye State of New Hampshire in General Court assembled December 1777 The Petition of the Inhabitants of Goffstown, County of Hillsborough & State aforesaid and others, Humbly Sheweth That, There are two Large Streams, running through said Town, more Particularly one known by the name of Piscataquog River, which is well known to be wide, and Verry rapid, at Sertain Seasons, Passing through the Center of said Town, That your Petitioners, are under the Necessity of Supporting, three Large Bridges, over said River, for the Publick benefit Viz* 1st a bridge near twenty Rods in Length, (verry much Improved) on the great County Road, that Leadeth through Ware, & many Different ways, Northerly & Westerly to The Interior Parts of the State,— 2o another bridge, near 15 Rods in Length, of great use to the Publick, & near the Center of the Town that the Major Part of the Inhabitants are under necesity of crossing it to attend Public Worship The Third Bridge is on the North Branch of said River, Near the Division line, of New Boston & Goffston on the Leading Road through N. Boston, to the Western Part of the State The other Stream is called Black Brook, large, and verry rapid at Sertain Seasons, where we are oblidged to Support three other expensive Bridges, also a large share of Smaller Bridges, which with the aforementioned,—make an almost Intolerable Burden, for a Town so thinly Inhabited to bear, and what still adds to it, we have never been able to make a bridge cross the Piscataquog of but few years Duration, and as their is an absolute and Imediate Necessity of rebuilding sd Bridges, and we are not able to go to the expence of Stone piers & Butments (which we find necessary,) your Petitioners humbly Pray they may be Indulged with the Benefit of a Lottery To raise Two Thousand five hundred Dollars which will Enable them to build Sutable & Durable Bridges in such Places as shall be |