tion of the Matter from this Court as may convince Mr Frost (if He may be capeable of conviction) and restore Peace and tranquility to the Town again: which is what hereby is desired & prayed for by this Petition & what the Select-Men in Duty are obliged to askJos. Newmarch in behalf of ye Select: Men [7-163] [Vote of Town relative to Ministerial matters, 1772.] At a Parish Meeting of New Castle, Notified by the Constable Mr John Pridham, to Call & Settle a Gospell Minister for said Parrish, held July 6th 1750, According to Notification, mett at Ten A Clock a forenoon, Voted Joseph Newmarch Esq' Moderator The meeting Adjourned 'till three A Clock afternoon the same Day.— Jos: Newmarch Mod At Three a Clock afternoon Eodem Die the Parrish mett According to the Adjournment Voted the Parrish be Supply'd with a Gospell Minister Voted That the Gospell Minister of this Parrish have for his Support Fifty Pounds Sterling per Annum to be paid him. According to Exchange, Moreover the Parsonage & Contribution of Strangers. The Meeting Adjourned 'till the third Monday the 20th August Next Jos: Newmarch Mod' At New Castle Parrish Meeting held Tuesday the 18th Day of September at 10 of the Clock forenoon 1750 According to Notification Dated the 15th Instant 1750 To Choose Call & Settle a Gospell Minister in Said Parrish. Voted Joseph Newmarch Esq' Moderator Voted The Revd Mr Stephen Chase to be a Gospell Minister in & for the abovesaid Parrish Voted The aforesaid m' Stephen Chase for his Support During his Ministry in this said Parrish shall have Fifty Pounds Sterling per Annum to be Annually pd him According to Exchange, The Contribution of Strangers & the Parsonage House & Lands Agreeable to a former Vote. Voted Joseph Newmarch Esq' Tho Bell Esq' & Doct' Nath' Sargent a former Committee be Confirmed, and with Power to Treat with m' Stephen Chase, to Receive his Answer and Make Report thereof New Castle May 22d 1772 a true Copy taken from New Castle Records-TestHenry Prescott T Clk [7-165] [Petition for an Allowance for the Privilege of Soldiers attending Church, 1773.] To The Honarable House of Assembly Gentlemen. as The Town of New Castle was Divided into Two parishes. and the Same Act that Set off the Parish of Rye From New Castle. granted To the Town of New Castle. Twenty Four pound p' Annum to be paid out of The Publick Excise and as this Honarable. House. Saw meet Last year to grant to the Town of New Castle Thirty pound in full For Said. Act. Therefore your petisioners pray that your Honours will Consider us on the great Advantage that the Solders has on Attending the publick worship of God at the Meeting house in New Castle and grant us So much as you Gentlemen Shall think proper. payable to the Selectmen of New Castle towards Supporting the Gospel Ministry in Said Town In Behalf of the Town New Castle 26 May 1773 Thos Bell John Simpson ( } Select Men [They were allowed fifty shillings per annum.-ED.] [7-166] [New Castle Committee relative to Harbor Defences, 1776.] Colony of New-Hampshire To the Honble the Council and House of Representatives for said Colony in General Assembly convened June 5th 1776— The humble Petition of us the Subscribers a Committee in Behalf of the Inhabitants of New Castle in the County of Rockingham in the Colony aforesaid-Sheweth That the Inhabitants of s Newcastle being by their Insular Situation at the Entrance of the only Harbour in the Colony and by their Defenceless condition peculiarly exposed to the attacks & ravages of the Enemy-the last fall did remove themselves and Effects into the Country, where with great Difficulty & Expence they procured houses to reside in during the last Winter-In this Situation having expended in the Support of their Families, their little Savings Notwithstanding the alarming Aspect of Public Affairs, were obliged to Return, this Spring, to their old Habitations, Where they yet remain in a very dangerous & defenceless Situation, without a Bridge, by means of which a Retreat might be secured for the Inhabitants and the Colony Troops Stationed there in case of any Emergence it should be found Necessary, & without any Batteries Fortifications or Cannon for Defence-As Newcastle is the Key to this Colony, the Securing the Possession thereof, cannot be thought of less Importance to the Colony; than the Acquisition of it must be to the Enemy, In order to secure the Lives & Interest of the People of the Colony in general & of the Inhabitants of said Newcastle & the Troops there in Particular, we humbly conceive a Bridge Should be erected across the River from the upper End of sd Newcastle to Ward's Island so called & from thence to Adam's Island so called, which would afford a Safe retreat to Fort-Washington, & also a Safe direct way to send Reinforcements to the Troops Stationed at said Newcastle when needed -We likewise conceive that Batteries or fortifications should be Built at Said Newcastle in some proper places for the Defence thereof, & to prevent the Enemy gaining a Stand so advantageous to them & so detrimental to the Colony-Wherefore we humbly pray that your Honors would take the Subject matter of this Petition into your Serious Consideration & being convinced of the Necessity & Utility of the Measure, that you would order the sa Bridge & proper Batteries for Defence to be Built immediately at the Expence of the Colony. And we as in Duty bound will ever pray Newcastle 13th May 1776 Geo. Frost Ju' Committee for [7-167] [Memorial relative to the Fishery business.] To The Hon" the Council and Assembly for the State of New Hampshire The Memorial of Henry Prescott in behalf of his Constituants, the Inhabitants of the Town of New-Castle-humbly Sheweth That said Town was almost Intirely Supported by the Fishery in Times past, there not being any Foreign Trade Carried on in said Town. That on the 20th of July 1775 the Act of the British Parliament prohibeting the Fishery took place, at which time, and after, a British Ship of War lay off said Town which prevented even the Catching of fish in Boats-and in the Month of October following when Falmouth was Burnt the Inhabitants were at the Expence of Remooving Back into the Country for Safety, expecting New Castle would Share the same fate-But in the Spring following a Considerable part of the Inhabitants Returned, and at an Unusual Expence fitted out Five fishing Vessells, Two of which were taken by the Enemy, and some of the Hands are yet on Board the Sloop of War which took them; and Since a Considerable part of the Inhabitants have Engaged in the Continental Service; and Others have no trade to Support them, That they at present are Unable to Support their Minister or School.-Wherefore your Memorialest would move that this Court would take their Case into their Calm Consideration and grant them such Relief with Respect to their Tax's for 1775 & 1776, as they may think Just & Reasonable in their present Distressed Situation and your memorialest as in Duty bund shall ever pray— Exeter Dec 12th 1776. Henry Prescott [7-168] [Petition for Authority to raise Money by Lottery to build a Bridge, 1778.] To the Hon The Council, and House of Representatives for the State of New Hampshire, Conven'd at Exeter, the Petition of a Number of the Inhabitants of the Town of New Castle Humbly Sheweth That your Petitioners, the greater part of them, being Scituate and Living on an Island, Renders their Communication with the Inhabitants on the main Extreamly Difficult, and Many times Utterly Impracticable; that for want of a Bridge we are Deprived of Any Markett from the Country Except what is by water, which is very Precarious and Uncertain; that in Case of an Attack from Our Enemys, Assistance from Our Bretheren on the Main would be Difficult to be Procured, and if Procured, a Retreat, in Case of a Defeat would be Attended with many and great Inconveniences That your Petitioners in this Time of general Calamity have been Deprived of the Usual means of geting their Livelyhood in a more Especial Manner, as their whole Dependance was upon Navigation and the Fishery, and are thereby Rendered Uncapable of doing any thing towards Building a Bridge themselves; That The Hon The Committee of Safety for this State did in the year 1776 Direct Col. Long when Stationed on this Island, with a Body of Troops, to Build a Bridge a Cross the River with the Materials of the Old One, as far as it would go, and also gave us some Old Condemned Masts and Booms to work into the New Bridge, But Unfortunately for Us Your Petitioners, the Season of the year was so far Advanced before He began that the work Remains Uncompleated Your Petitioners Therefore humbly Request your Honor's would enable them by an Act of this State to Raise Two thousand Dollars by a Lottery to finish the Bridge already began, and your Petitioners as in Duty Bound Shall ever pray New Castle February 10th 1778. [In H. of Rep., Feb. 13, 1778, the foregoing petition was granted.-ED.] [7-169] [Report of Committee on Damages to Property by the Troops.] State of New Hamp In the House of Representatives Nov 21 1778. The Committee appointed by the Council & House of Representatives to estimate the Damages and Rents of sundry Houses improved as Barracks in the Years 1775 and 1776 by Cap' Parr's Rifle men, and other Continental Troops under the Command of Col' Peirse Long having met for the purpose aforesaid- & after a full survey of the buildings at New Castle, at Seavey's Island, and Cap' George Janvrin's Island, do agree to Report as follows-viz To Meshech Bell for his house and damage To William Vinard for ditto do £45.0. IO. O. 20. 0. To Jane Watkins To Henry Foss |