four large ones in this town, supporting & paying guards, & scouting parties, in order to keep up a frontier at this placeThat we were very poorly supplied with arms & many poor persons, tho perhaps the best soldiers, were intirely destituteWe considered the cause as common to the whole Country, & greatly interesting to all, & were zealous to do everything in our power to contribute to the salvation of the Community Thus circumstanced, and disposed, we in our said capacity, employed Major Jonathan Hale, then a reputable citizen of said Haverhill, & in behalf of said Town-to make a tour to Exeter, where the Convention or supreme Government of the State or Colony were then in Session, and make application for protection or means, to help us to defend ourselves, & contribute our mite in holding this frontier & aid in the protection of the State-Maj' Hale failed in procuring the arms of the State as we wished & expected-Yet the government, advanced to him two hundred pounds of the then paper money, out of the treasury, to procure arms for the common defence Accordingly Major Hale after receiving said money traversed the sea coasts as far as Salem, & round the adjacent parts of the Country-& purchased up at very exorbitant prices, tho doubtless to the best advantage that the time & circumstances would admit, Guns & parts of Guns-such as, barrels, locks & stocks, in detached parts-& brought to Haverhill & delivered them to said Committee-& said Committee, gave said Hale their obligation for said Guns &c & for his cost in going to Exeter-getting said money, purchasing said Arms & transporting them here. The Committee, disposed of said Guns, to poor persons who were not able to pay for them, but yet perhaps the best soldiers, for no more than the first costs paid by said Hale, & took their obligations-Many of which obligations if ever paid, were not paid till money had depreciated, to ten, twenty & perhaps forty for one That two of said Committee viz Bayley & Wesson are removed, at a distance out of this State & the burden may fall upon the residue, the obligation being out lawed in Vermont Your petitioners would further suggest, that they are informed, that sundry towns, who were favoured with money out of the treasury about the same time have been considerably favoured, by the State in the settlements thereof— That they have applied to & petitioned the States Committee for abatements in a settlement thereof but said Committee, not feeling themselves authorzd for that purpose recommended, petitioning this honourable body-We therefore, pray this Hon'ble Court to take our case under their candid consideration & grant us such abatement, or deductions, in our settlement with said Hale or his settlement with the State, which will dispose him to settle with us in the same proportion, as reason & justice under our peculiar situation & circumstances, in your Honors wisdom, prudence & benevolence may seem reasonable & just And your petitioners as in duty bound pray &c Haverhill Charles Johnston Joseph Hutchins Simeon Goodwin Joshua Howard [5-63] [This document is a plan of Connecticut river, and the ferries of Johnson and Porter.-ED.] HENNIKER. This township was granted by the government of Massachusetts in December, 1735, but the grant was not located and confirmed until 1737. It was called No. 6 in the line of towns, and sometimes New Marlborough, many of the grantees living in Marlborough, Mass. On a settlement of the state boundaries in 1741, the township proving to be in New Hampshire, and within the limits of the Masonian Proprietors' Purchase, was granted by them July 16, 1752, to Andrew Todd and others, mostly Londonderry men. It was incorporated November 9, 1768, and named by Governor Wentworth in honor of John Henniker, of London, Eng. The township was granted six miles square, and I believe no territory has been severed from it or added to it since. [5-65] [Petition of the Inhabitants to have the Town incorporated, 1768.] To his Excellency John Wentworth Esq' Captain General Governour and Commander in chief, in and over his Majesty's Province of New-Hampshire, in New-England; And To his Majesty's Council in the Province aforesaid THE PETITION of the Inhabitants of the Place called Number Six of the Line of Towns; or New Marlborough, in the Province aforesaid, humbly sheweth, That whereas your humble Petitioners, whose Names are hereunto subscribed, find our selves under great Inconveniencies & Difficulties for want of the Powers and Privileges which incorporate Towns in this Province enjoy: And We, your humble Petitioners humbly pray your Excellency & your Honours to take our Case into your wise & compassionate Consideration; and if you think it proper & necessary, you would incorporate into a Town, indued with the Powers & Privileges of other Towns in the Province, that Tract of Land, which is the sixth in Number of the Line of Towns which was first laid out by Order of the General Court of the Province of the Massachusetts-Bay, & granted to some of the Inhabitants of Marlborough in said Province: and was since granted by the Masonian Proprietors to some of the Inhabitants of Londonderry, in this Province of New-Hampshire, (Said Tract of Land lies between Hopkinton & Hillsborough,) We your humble Petitioners humbly pray that your Excellency & your Honours would incorporate the said Tract of Land, with the Inhabitants, present & future, their Polls & Estates, into a Town, included within the same Bounds and Limits wherein it was included when it was first granted by the General Court of the Massachusetts Province and when it was granted by the Masonian Proprietors (not infringing, or hurting any private Property): And that your Excellency, & your Honours will be pleased to appoint, & impower, Mr Eliakim How, M' Ebenezer Hawthorn, and m Jonas Bowman; (now Inhabitants of said Tract of Land ;) or any others whom your Excellency & your Honours shall think proper, as a Committee to call the first Meeting of the Freeholders, & Inhabitants in said Town. For which Goodness, your humble Petitioners, for your Excellency & your Honours, as in Duty bound, shall ever prayDated at No 6, or New-Marlborough, aforesaid, the fourteenth Day of March, 1768. William Eastman Jephthah Tyler Thomas Pope Ezekiel Stone Ebenezer Hawthorn [In answer to the foregoing petition the town was incorporated by the governor and council November 9, 1768, and named Henniker by the governor.-ED.] [R. 2-73] [Return of Men raised for the Army, 1776.] Col' Stickney Henniker Sep* y* 20: 1776 S' In obedience to your orders I have mustered my Company and Raised five men for this Expedition their Names are as follows S' the Following is a list of men Raised by the Town of Hennicar for three years agreeable to your order Jesse Campbel Hennicar Daniel Squire Hennicar Capt Cloys Company Joseph Marsh Hennicar Capt Frys Company Jonas Bowman Capt [R. 2-75] A True State of the Seventh Company and Thirteenth Rigt of Foot Commanded By Cap' Jonas Bowman [R. 2-76] [Roll of Capt. Aaron Adams's Company, 1776.] A list of Capt Adams's train Soldiers Jabez Alexander Ruben Whitcomb Corp' Joshua Heath Corp' Samuel Steel Alexander Whitney Samuel Wadsworth we have 10 men gone in the Army Jacob Whitcomb Josiah Whitridge mager Chandler S, in obedience to your orders I have warn'd my Company to Apear on ye 21 Instant to view the Cituation of the Company, but the more part did not Apear but Acording to the Best Acompt that I can give Above half have No arms Aaron Adams Cap Henniker May the 21st 1776 Leut Jonas Bowman Coroner Samuel Kimball Timothy Ross Francis Withington James Peters Dea Eben' Harthan |