has been posted up at the house of Col° Jonas Wilder as the most Public House in said town more than six weeks [6-14] Petition for Authority to levy a Special Tax for Road purposes, 1792.] To the Honorable the Senate and the Honorable House of Representatives of the state of New Hampshire to Convene at Exetor on the third Wednesday of Nov Instant The Petition of the Inhabitants of the town of Lancaster Humbly Sheweth that about four years past the Honorable Gen' Court Granted a tax on all the lands in said Lancaster public Rights excepted for the purpose of making Roads Bridges &c in said Town that by some unfourseen fattallity the business was not Accomplished and a considerable part of the roads through said Lancaster to our nearest seaport and Shire Town is yet almost impassable, That a Considerable part of the Township is owned by Nonresidants and the settlements very Inconsiderable in said Town and the Roads being very lengthy being about nine Miles on Connecticutt River and the Roads leading from said Connecticutt River Eastward to Dartmouth almost as far Distance the making passable said Roads being very Chargable and Insuportable to the Inhabitants; therefore your Petitioners pray Your Honours to order that a Tax of two pence per acre for two Years may be Assessed on all the lands in said Town and that a Committee may be Appointed to lay out said Tax in the most advantagious maner or grant such other Releaf in the premises as your Honors shall think best-And Your Petitioners as In Duty bound shall ever pray [6-16] [Petition of Eleazer Rosbrook for a Ferry, 1792.] State of New Hampshire Lancaster June 1st 1792 To the Hon' Gen' Court to be convened at Dover in said State the first wednesday of said June Humbly Sheweth Eleazer Rosbrook-that he has opened and kept a Ferry across Connecticutt River at said Lancaster for several Years past by means of which the public have been considerably benefited-that for and during the time which he has kept said ferry it has been rather an expence to him than otherwise, and most probably no great advantage can arise thereby for some time yit to come, though it may be profitable at some future period-wherefore he prays Your Honors to grant him his Heirs and assigns the exclusive priviledge of keeping a ferry across said River under such restrictions and regulations as may appear proper and Your Peti' will ever pray Eleazar Rosbrook [The foregoing petition was granted.—ED.] [6-17] [Petition for Special Tax to make Roads, 1793.] The Honble General Court of the State of New HampshireThe Petition of the Town of Lancaster in said State humbly sheweth That the said town of Lancaster is such that the public Road leading through s town on Connecticutt River is upwards of ten Miles in Length and is attended with many Creeks Valies and Streems that leads into said River, where Bridges and Casways are needed to be built, and the Road leading through said town up Israels River towards Conway is attended with the like Impediments and that one other Road is much wanted to be opened through the Center of said town from Connecticutt River leading a Corse through said town and Whitefield and on to Thornton and Plymouth which road if opened would shorten the Distance from Lancaster to Plymouth about thirty Miles which Road will in all probability be opened in said town the Ensuing Year-The Inhabitants of said Town being but small in Numbers, having the season past erected a large meeting house and are loaded with great Expences for the same, their Roads &c; and the Major part of the proprietors and land owners of said town live at New York and out of this State and are unwilling to Assist the Inhabitants of said town in these Burthensome Matters altho,-they are as much benifited thereby in the Rise of their lands as the Inhabitants of said town Therefore your petitioners pray your Honours would make a Grant of three pence on each and every Acre of land in said town viz one penny each year the three next succeeding Years and appoint a Committee to levy and Collect the same and apply it in opening the New and Repairing the other Roads and Bridges in said Town-And Your petitioners will ever pray December y 21st 1793 Edwds Bucknam Committee Emmons Stockwell in behalf of [4-18] At a Legal Meeting of the Voters of this town of Lancaster held this 22d Nov 1793—. Voted to petition the Honble Gen1 Court for land tax to repair the roads Bridges &c in sa Town Voted Col° Edwards Bucknam Capt John Weeks and Jonas Baker Committee to make out a petition to the Honble Gen1 Court for the above purpose— Dec 21 1793-Met agreable to adjournment and Voted to chuse a Committee to sign the petition to the Honble Gen1 Court for a land tax as made out by the Comtee chosen for that purpose and Chose Col° Edds Bucknam Cap' Emmons Stockwell and Jonas Baker for sd Committee-Voted Col' Edds Bucknam Ajant for the Town on s petition A true Coppy from the Records attest Jonas Baker Town Clerk [Capt. John Weeks settled in Lancaster in 1787. He was the father of Hon. John W. Weeks, who commanded a company in the war of 1812, and was brevetted for gallant service at Chippewa. He was a member of the state senate in 1827 and 1828, and of congress in 1829 to 1831. He died in 1853. Emmons Stockwell was one of the first settlers, a sturdy old hero, who refused to be frightened away by the Indians, and occupied his castle in that frontier town during the Revolutionary war.—ED.] LANDAFF. The township was granted Jan. 31, 1764, to James Avery and others, who failed to comply with the conditions of the grant, and it was declared by the governor and council to be forfeited. Jan. 19, 1770, the tract was granted to Dartmouth college, with the usual conditions and reservations. Settlements were made under the latter grant to some extent, roads opened, and a mill built at the expense of the college, and on the 11th day of November, 1774, the town was incorporated by the governor and council. After the Revolutionary war the first grantees claimed that their alleged forfeiture was not legal, and maintained their claim the college had to abandon its title and lose what it had expended in making settlements. A compensation was however made to the college soon after, by the grant, Feb. 5, 1789, of a tract of land containing 40,960 acres on Connecticut river. By an act approved July 2, 1845, a tract of land was severed from Lincoln and annexed to this town. June 23, 1859, all that part of Landaff lying north-west of Ammonoosuc river was annexed to Lisbon. The town was divided July 20, 1876, and the east part incorporated into a town by the name of Easton. [6-1] [Town-Meeting Proceedings, 1777.] At a Legal meeting of the Inhabitance of the Town of Landaff holden at the House of mr Joseph Warner in sd Landaff on the 1st Day of febuary 1777, to Consider and Determin what they will Do relitive to the Letter sent to them by the Assemblys Commity bearing Date Jenuary 10th 1777 In Answer to which Voted that this town Appoint mr Joseph Warner Cap Nathaniel Hovey and Leut Josiah How who are our Commity of Safety to act In our behalf In treating with the Assemblys Commity and that our sd Commity do not enter into any measure for accomidation with sd Assemblys Commity but In Conjunction with the united Commity whose meeting now stands Adjond to the 13th of february Instant to be holden at Lebanon and that a Copy of this Voat be transmited to the Assemblys Commity as quick as may be A true Copy of the original minits by order of the Commity Joseph Warner Nath" Hovey Josiah How Test Selectmen Nath" Hovey Town Clark To the honorable Meshech Weare Esq' &c Committee from the Assembly at Exeter. [6-2] [Petition for an Allowance for Services in the War, 1786.] State of New Hampshire County of Grafton To the Honorable the general Court of the said State, to be convened at Portsmouth on the first day of February ADom. 1786 The petition of the Inhabitants of the Town of Landaff in said County, humbly sheweth; that innumerable & inexpressible were the difficulties and distresses your petitioners suffered thro' the course of the late war in America; by being situated in a large extensive uncultivated Country almost destitute of Inhabitants, inviron'd about with a barbarous, cruel & merciless enimy, we were undefended and utterly unable to put ourselves in a warlike state of defence against those sanguinary Savages, who were lying in ambush to kill, burn, lay waste and destroy indiscriminately, all that were opposite to their vile & inhuman proceedings. Being thus exposed and living in constant jeopard of our lives, we were frequently alarm'd and obliged to join our feeble efforts on sudden emergences for the immediate preservation of our lives and properties, and were at great expence in guarding, scouting, building Forts &c. for which service we have never received any recompence or reward, from the State. Notwithstanding, if we could suppose ourselves to be upon an equality with other towns in this State, and that we had done no more than our just proportion, we should rest perfectly easy and satisfied with the benefits accruing from the glorious Conquest obtained by the loss of immense quantities of Blood and Treasure. Altho' our Cir |