the first Mentioned bounds of said Goshen be Established Either at the North east Corner of Lot N° Nine without any Regard to the line of Fishersfield, or on said line of Fishersfield at the Place meant to be Discribed in the act of Incorporation without any Regard to lot No Nine. Your Petitioners therefore Humbly Request your Honours Not to Establish the said Corner of Goshen on Fishersfield line which we Never Understood to be intended which may more fully appear by having Refference to their Petition for the Incorporation of said Goshen Unless said Corner may be Established on Fishersfield line and thence follow the said Original line of Fishersfield to the Place where said line of Goshen Intersects said line of Fishersfield thence following the line of Goshen as Now stands which they tell us is all they wish to have: Otherwise it will Injure the Town of Fishersfield greatly by taking off a Number of the Inhabitants of Fishersfield with a considerable tract of land and cutting a Number of farms which may More fully appear by the general Plan of the state : And we your Humble Petitioners as in Duty bound Shall Ever Pray Fishersfield June ye 5th AD 1797 Samuel Gunnison Phinehas Batchelder } Selectmen in behalf of the Inhabitants of Fishersfield NEW CASTLE. This is one of the oldest towns in the state, and was formerly known by the name of Great Island. It was the seat of government for some years, and meetings of the governor and council were held here as late as 1718. Previous to 1793 the inhabitants were assessed by the selectmen of Portsmouth, but being dissatisfied with the assessment made that year they appealed to the governor and council, who disapproved the assessment; and, in answer to a petition from the inhabitants of Great Island, severed them from the "Bank," and granted them a charter with town privileges by the name of New Castle, which name came from the Duke of New Castle. The charter was granted by Governor John Usher and his council, is dated May 30, 1693, and included some territory now belonging to the town of Rye. A settlement was made here as early as 1623 by one David Thompson, who soon after built a house on Odiorne's Point, which remained standing for many years, and was known as Mason's Hall. An earthwork fort was built on Frost's Point at an early date. It was rebuilt in 1704-5 under the direction of Col. Wolfgang William Romer, one of the queen's engineers, who came over from England for that purpose, and was called "Fort William and Mary" for eighty years or more prior to the Revolution. A fort was built on Jerry's Point in 1775. An ancient, crude plan showing its location, and also the locations of Forts Washington and Sullivan, is in manuscript, Vol. 7, p. 134, from which volume the following documents are copied. In 1725 or '26 sundry persons belonging to New Castle, Sandy Beach, Portsmouth, and Hampton, petitioned the general assembly to be erected into a parish by themselves; and an act passed that body on the 30th of April, 1726, providing "that the great island in the Town of New Castle together with the Estates of Lieutenant John Sherburne George Wallis deceased, Tobias Lear John Odiorne Capt Henry Sherburne James Randall & John Leach be a distinct parish by their antiant Name of New Castle, and that all other parts of New Castle be another or second Parish by the Name of Rye;" and all the petitioners who lived in Portsmouth and Hampton were "Polled of to the said Parish of Rye" for ministerial and school purposes. From this I think that John Farmer must be in error in his statement that "Rye was incorporated in 1719." By an act passed December 22, 1791, all that part of New Castle situated on the "south-west side of the River" was severed from the town, and "annexed to the Parish of Rye." Ancient New Castle engaged quite extensively in the fishery business: modern New Castle is engaged somewhat in entertaining summer visitors, it being one of the pleasantest places on the Atlantic coast. [7-136] [Relative to settling a Minister, 1682.] To the hono The President and Councell. now Sitting In Portsmouth 3 Day of May 1682 The humble Petition and Adress of the Inhabitants of the Great Island In Portsmouth— May it please you. your petitioners haveing for a long Time layen under The heavie Burthen Laboriouse toile and hazardouse goeing to Meeting on the Lords-Day (as wee question not but your honored Selves are very Sensible of it,) ffor help and reliefe wee have made our application To the Generall Court: who as wee conceive have grannted us the liberty to have a Minister among our selves: But the Providence of God ordering it So, that Before wee could accomplish Our desires The Government hath changed, And therefore thought it our duty before wee attempted any farther. To make your Honoured Selves acquainted therewith; Humbly begging your allowance and approbation therein That So wee may have an allowed and approved minister among us-Whether on the Joint accompt of the whole Toune, or on our owne which shall bee most adviseable. The Reason of the Necessity of haveing One wee have given In to the Generall Court of the Mattatusets fformerly: The Same now, and many more, Wee make Bould briefly to hint here. 1. The great Profaning of the Lords Day By those that stay at home. 2. There beeing but very few, Scarce one third of the People of this Island yt Goe to meeting Abundance of Children liveing here that never heard a Sermon or knew what that means. So that by degrees they will soone grow heathenish If there be not a place of worship constituted among us here on this Island. 3. Our poor Servants, espetially those of an handycraft trade that expect to have Some ease on the Lords Day, Complaine of theyr great Labour and toile; rowing Sometimes against wind and tide, & that day which should bee kept holy, is by that means made a day of Greater pains then other week days. 4. The hazarding of our Selves and Servants and Childrens healths (if not lives;) And allso the Great Danger of our houses and goods subiect to ffire and Roberyes by our being absent and from the Great Island On the Lords day 5. His Mities fortification here Lies to the mercy of an open and Secret enemy; Scarce One Suffitient man Staying at home for its Defense & safety These and many other weighty Reasons wee might propose which wee omit humblye Leaveing all to your Honord Selves and your Seriouse consideration. Wee have unanimousely made choice of m' Nathaniell ffryer m' Robert Elliot m' George Jeffery and m' John Hinks to present this our petition and enlarge upon it as occation Serves. We whose names are under written, are by consent of y Inhabitants of ye Grt Island appointed in all & every of their names to present ye within written Petition to ye Presid' & Counsel; & receiv their Answer to ye same Vera copia from ye Original Petition on file Teste Ric Chamberlain Secrie [Rev. Samuel Moody was settled here soon after.-ED.] [7-137] The humble Petitition of Humphry Spensor to ye honored President & Council assembled at Portsm° in y Province of Newhampshire this third of Octob" 1682 Humbly craveth yo' honoTM favour Concerning a fine that was laid upon him ye last setting of ye Council at Portsm° It was as yo humble Petition' hath formerly endeavoured to show before in his humble Petition to you' honors that ye mann' of his living & urgencie of incomm's did run him as he humbly confesseth, illegally to sell drink weh he would as willingly have given if his state would have bore it, ye Temptation of that run him to do amiss, & doth humbly crave yo hono' Pity & compassion to remitt wh yo' hono' may of y last fine imposed upon him, & doth promise to ye best of his pow' to be more watchfull hereaft' of committing any disorder If yo' hono' can find any room for favo' herein shall still reackon it a farth obligation to pray for his majesties good Government in this place & yo hono prosperity so Serving to yo' hono' favourable construction, humbly subscribe. Yo' humble Petition' Humphrey Spensor [7-139] [Petition for a Tavern License, 1682.] Great Island 22th February. 1682 To the Honoed Governo' of The Province of New-HampsheirThe humble petition of Henry Russell Sen' Whereas by the providence of God your poor petitioner hath Lived on this Island and haveing had a permition formerly to entertaine ffisher men and Seamen with Diet and Lodging at my house And being now well Stricken in yeares-My humble and earnest petition to yo' Hono' is That you would Favourably Graunt mee your License and leave To give accomodation to Strangers as fformerly with meat Beer and Lodging and I shall allwayes pray for your hono" prosperity and Govern ment Henry Russell. [7-140] [Joseph Purmort for Tavern License.] To y Honble the Precedent & the Councell of his Majestys province of New Hampshire The humble petition of Joseph Purmot inhabitant on y great Island, Humbly Sheweth That your petitioner having a wife and family of Children to maintaine and at the present all trading being very dead, humbly beggeth yo' honors licence to keep a publiqe house of entertainement there being at present but one on y great Island and that very inconvenient for strangers and travellours in theire journeying through the country now your petitioner beggeth your honours favourable grant and he shall always pray for yo hono Joseph Pormort [7-143] [Statement and Petition of Joseph Purmort, 1783.] Apriell the 15th 1683 To the Honourable Deputy Govenouer And Honored Counsell Now Siting At Portsm° Right Hono Your Humbell petitionour seueth; that He Having formerly had (from the lat President And Counsell) A Licenc to kep Á Hous of Entertainmt Then here being none at this End of the Iland to Suply that plac Which occasioned our mor Diligence to provid our sellvs for that Imploym' And for the purpos Hath fited my Hous Accordingly; and provided My Selfe With Lodgin and other nesesarys for that Imploym'; By means of it I am mutch in Disburs; Your Poor Petitioner Humbly Prays that your Honours Would Pleas to take it in to your Consideration; and Grant him the same privelidg; he formerly had: of A Licen to sell Beare; and other Provisions; for the refreshing of strangers; and others: I should not have desired this of yor Honours But that trading is very dead; Espetially for those of |