[In answer to the foregoing, the town was incorporated by the legislature Nov. 20, 1778.-ED.]

[R. 2-80] [Certificate of Soldiers exempt from Poll-Tax.]

Whereas wee have Received a Vote of the Congress which hath excused all non Commissioned officers and Soldiers who served in the Continental Army and shall enlist there for the year Coming from paying any poll Tax, and an account being exhibited under oath by the Select men of the number of such Soldiers in their Respective Towns and the amount of their poll Tax to the Colony Treasurer, in obedience thereto we have Return their names and the amount of their poll Tax.

[R. 2-81] [The Deposition of Capt. Edward Everett.]

I Edward Everett of Rumney in the County of Grafton and State of Newhampshire Gentleman Testifyeth and saith that Some Time in the Fall of the year 1776 that I heard David Emerson of New Chester agree with a man at Mount Independent for to serve in the Continental Servis during the war for twenty dollars and also Saw the man Sign a Receipt and gave to David Emerson which Receipt I witnessed with my own hand but as it has been some time since I have forgot the Mans name but should know the Receipt if I could See it & further saith not Edward Everett

[Sworn to Oct. 13, 1781, before Carr Huse.-ED.]

[5-70] [David Emerson recommended for Coroner, 1782.] To the Honourable General Assembly of the State of Newhampshire now Setting at Concord in Said State

The Humble Petition of Us whose names are under written think it very necessary that there Should Be a Coroner in the Town of New Chester as the Town is almost twenty miles in Length as the Road Goes through the Town and as there has Been two men found dead within said town within Six years and no Coroner within twenty five miles of them wee Recommend to your Honours David Emerson Esq' of New Chester to Be a Suitable Man as he has been a Coroner Some years agoe wee pray your honours would Commission him therefor and your Petitioners as in Duety Bound Shall Ever Pray.

New Chester September 10th 1782

[5-71] [Return of Number of Ratable Polls, 1783.]

State of New Hampshire

New Chester December 12th 1783

A Return of the Number of Male Polls from Twenty one years of Age & upwards paying for themselves within the Town of New Chester, No 66

Carr Huse

Select Men

Peter Sleeper (For N. Chester

Grafton ss Alexandria Dec' 12th 1783

Then the above Named Carr Huse Esq' and Peter Sleeper Select Men of New Chester Made Oath to the Truth of the above Return By them Signd Before me

Joshua Tolford Just Peace

[5-72]

[Deposition of Joseph Emmons, 1781.]

I Joseph Emmons of Alexandria in the County of Grafton and State of New Hampshire, yeoman Testifyeth and Saith that sometime in the fall of the year 1776 soon after the orders came out at mount Independent for men to Inlist during the war I heard Joshua wilson say that he would Inlist and do a Turn for David Emerson of New Chester during the war for twenty dollars & the s Emerson agreed with the sa wilson at mount Independent & the sd Emerson had a Receipt which he shew me that he said the sa wilson gave him soon afterwards and further saith not

alexandria October 15th 1781.

Sworn to before

Joseph Emons Carr Huse Just Peace.

[5-73] [Petition for Authority to Tax Non-Residents, 1785.] To His Excellency the President, and to the Honourable the Senate & House of Representatives in General Assembly Convend at Concord Oct 1785

Wee the Subscribers Inhabitants of the Town of New Chester Being Desireous of Promoteing the Publick Good and the Settlement of the western part of the State which at Present is a great part of it Uncultivated and as it is highly Necessary that good Roads Should Be Made and kept in Repair in order that People might pass and Repass From one part of the State to the other with as Little Trouble and Difficulty as possible, and the Town of New Chester is a very Long Town it is Between nineteen & twenty miles in Length as the Road goes Besides a very Bad Mountain which Must be Crosd and wee have Several Long Bridges Some of which wee have Been obliged to Build twice in a year By reason of Freshets, in Short wee have upwards of Fifty Miles of Roads already in the town to maintain, & But Eighty Six polls in the town which makes it Such a Burden to us that wee are not able to Make our Roads Good without Some help therefore wee pray your Excellency and Honours to grant the Town the Liberty to Tax the Lands of the Nonresidents Lying in the Town to the highways in Such a way and Manner as your Excellency & Honours in your wisdom Shall think Best, and your Petitioners as in Duety Bound will Ever Pray

New Chester Septembr 24th 1785

[5-74] [Petition for a Division of the Town, 1787.]

State of New-Hampshire

To the Honourable Sennate and House of Representatives of said State to be convened at Charlestown on the Second Wednesday of September AD. 1787—

The Petition of the inhabitants of New Chester in said State Humbly Sheweth, Wee your Petitioners Labouring under many Difficulties and Disadvantages in our present Circumstances by Reason of the Town Being Exceeding Long and in one place but a very little more than one mile wide, which makes it very Difficult for the Major part of the people to attend Publick Worship when wee have preaching in the Town, and like wise to Attend Town Meetings, as it is Commonly bad-traviling when wee have our Annual Meetings, the Town is more than Nineteen miles in Length. Wee your Humble Petitioners Earnestly Request that your Excellency and Honours would Divide the Town of New Chester into two Towns, and that it may be Divided at Newfound River So Called (Vz) Beginning at the mouth of Newfound River and running up said river untill it comes to Newfound pond, then running on the easterly Shore of said pond untill it comes to the Town line between New Chester and Plymouth, and your petitioners as in Duty Bound will ever Pray

New Chester August 23th 1787

[An act was passed Feb. 12, 1788, incorporating the north part into a town named Bridgewater, and authorizing Thomas Crawford to call the first meeting.-ED.]

[5-75] [Petition for Authority to tax Non-Residents.]

State of New Hampshire

To the Honourable the Senate and House of Representatives convened at Portsmouth the Fourth Wednesday of December AD 1789.

The Petition of the inhabitants of the Town Ships of New Chester and Bridgwater in said State Humbly Sheweth that your Petitioners have been and Still are at great Cost to clear and Maintain Highways in Said Town Ships and by Reason of great Freshits have been obliged to alter Clear and Make new Roads in Many places and have built several large Bridges which are costly to Maintain which Makes the burden heavy upon us as our number of Rateable polls is but Small, therefore your petitioners humbly pray that your Honours would grant that all the lands in said Town Ships may be taxed one penny upon an Acre Public lots Excepted for three years next Ensuing for the purpose of Clearing and Repairing high ways in Said Town Ships and your Petitioners as in Duety Bound will Ever pray.

New Chester December 16th 1789