[5-90] [Petition for a Grant of a Ferry, 1785.] To his Excellency the President the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened. Humbly shews your respectful Petitioner the Subscriber, that over Connecticutt River in the Town of Hinsdale at a place known by the name of Fort Dummer there has been a ferry way much improved for a long time That the same has been supplied with boats and attended upon by the late father of your petitioner and others of the said family for the space of fourscore years— That the land on both sides of the river belongs to the heirs of his said father-that one of the heirs at present waits at the same ferry, and has convenient boats for the conveyance over of passengers & their Cattle & Carriages of all kinds. The prayer of your petitioner therefore is, that he may have a grant of the exclusive right to said ferry way upon such terms and under such restrictions as to your Excellency and Honors shall seem expedient. And your petitioner as in duty bound shall ever pray Octo ye 12, 1785 Allin Willard Hindsdale May 10th 1786. We the subscribers having been served with the Petition and order of Court pray that your Honours would grant the Petitioner his Prayer And would Inform your Honours the Road to & from said Ferrie is layed out, on land of the Heirs of Capt. Nathan Willard dec [5-91] Micah Rockwood) Select Men [Relative to aforesaid Ferry, 1786.] We the Subscribers being applied to by James Hubbard with an Instrument of Writeing Signifying the Necessaty of a Ferries being keep in the Town of Hindsdale on the East side of the River Opposite Dummer Landing-And that he might have the Benefit thereof, and that we would Signify our approbation to the Same, Accordingly there was a Town Meeting Called by the desire of sd Hubbard,-And it was the Opinion of the Town, And allmost an Unanimous Vote, that as the Heirs of the Willard Family own'd Land on Both sides of the River, & Cap Nathan Willard Deca had keep the Ferrie for a great Number of years, that his Son Allyn should have the Preheminence, We are therefore of the Opinion of the Major part of the Town, & we do hereby Revoke and Disannul our Names being to sd Hubbards Instrument, and we do Annex the same to Allyn Willards Petition,-For the foregoing Reasons And for sa Hubbards giveing us a Rong Representation of the same. We the Subscribers Select Men & Inhabitants of the Town of Hindsdale, having taken the above Petition into Mature Consideration,—and as the Heirs of Cap' Nathan Willard own Land on both sides of the River,-We strongly Recommend it to your Honours, that he may have an exclusive right to the Ferrie, in sd Town of Hindsdale on the east side of the River, it being in the County of Chesshire and State of New Hampshire, and Opposite the old Landing known by the name of Dummer Landing in the town of Brattleborough and that said Allyn Willard may be Established in the same & enjoy the Benefit thereof The Deposition of Josiah Wheeler of Hindsdale aforesd of Lawfull age who Testifys and says that sometime about the first of January Last Past I the Deponent being in Company with Chearles Évans he presented a certain Paper to me the Depo nent to sign in faviour of Alain Willard of sd Hindsdale that he the salain mite have the Priviledge of the fearry acrost Conecticut River at a Place called Dummer in sd Hindsdale; I told him I should not; he the sd Evans then told the Deponent that I had better; for sd he you will want to cross offen and you hant always money Implying as I understood that If I would not sign said Paper I should not be carried acrost s farry without the money in hand; thereby attempting to force me to sign sd Paper and farther invited me to go to town-meeting and take a Drink with him and further the Deponent saith Not Josiah Wheeler At the same time and Place I Edward morgan of Hindsdale of Lawfull age testifies and says that on or about the fifth day of January last past being in Town-meeting in s Hindsdale I saw considerable of cherry Rum handed about to be Drank in the meeting House in s Hindsdale and Drank of the same myself and farther the Deponent saith Not Edward Morgan Cheshire ss: April ye 19th 1786 then the above said Josiah Wheeler and Edward Morgan signers to the above Declaration personally appear'd and after due caution and carefull Examination made solemn oath to the truth of the above Declarations by them severally Signed and subscribed [5-95] Coram Michael Cresey Just: Peace [Deposition of Nathaniel Stearns.] Cheshire ss: Hindsdale April ye 19th 1786 The Deposition of Nathanel Stearns of sd Hindsdale of Lawfull age who Deposeth and saith that he the Deponent being in Company with Âlain willard of Hindsdale aforesd att sd Hindsdale about the first of January last past; and discoursing with him the s Willard about the ferry at a place called Dummer in s Hindsdale which ferry he the s willard and James Hubbard of sd Hindsdale both Claims the Previledge of; and there being then a town meeting of sa Hindsdale warna to Know the minds of s town concerning the sd Dispute; the said Willard then and there desired me the Deponent as I was soon going toward the lower end of s town to Inform sundry Persons that if they would come to sd meeting and vote in faviour of him the s willard he would give them as much Groge as they could drink and further the Deponent saith not Nathaniel Stearns Cheshire ss: April ye 19th 1786; then the above Named Nathaniel Stearns signer to the above Declaration personally appear and after due Caution and carefull Examination made solum oath to the truth the above Declaration by him subcribed Coram Michael Cresey Just Peace [5-97] [James Hubbard for a Ferry, 1786.] The State of New Hampshire To the Honble John Langdon Esq' President of said State: The honourable Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled. The petition of James Hubbard of Hinsdale in the County of Cheshire in said State Yeoman: Humbly sheweth: That there being great need of a stated Ferry over Connecticut River, in said Hinsdale against where the Fort called Dummer formerly stood; as there is much travel with Teams Horses Carriages &c-And as said Ferry has not been properly provided with Boats, to carry over loaded Teams by which means mens lives and properties, have been much exposed, and some have sustained, great damage and loss. And whereas, your Petitioner owns the Land on east side of the River, at the Landing; and has a Dwelling House, about eight Rods distant therefrom, which is the only house within half a Mile on this side of the River; and will enter into sufficient Bonds, obliging hemself, his heirs and assigns forever; to provide and keep suitable Boats; and give proper attendance at all Times, to transport over said Ferry, subject to such regulations as the Honourable Court shall order: provided the exclusive priviledge, of keeping said Ferry, at the Place where it now is, and one mile and a half up the said River; and three Miles down; may be granted to him and his heirs forever. Your Petitioner therefore humbly prays, the Honourable Court, to take the matter into their wise consideration; and grant the exclusive priviledge of keeping the said Ferry, to your Petitioner and his Heirs forever; or otherwise order, as you in your Wisdom shall think proper; and your Petitioner as in Duty bound shall ever pray Hinsdale January the 24 1786 James Hubbard [The ferry was granted to Willard, June, 1786.—ED.] [5-98] [Petition for a Magistrate, 1789.] State of New Hampshire) Hindsdale Oct' ye 12th 1789 To His Excellency John Sullivan Esq' Captain jeneral & Commander in Chief in and over the Province of New hampshire We your Informers Humbly Beg leave to shew that the Town of Hindsdale is Now Destitute of any justice of the Peace within sd Town which is much to the Damage of the same we therefore with advise of others Do Recommend m' uriel Evans for that Purpose; we therefore Pray your Excellency to Qualify & Commission the said mr uriel Evans for a justice of the Peace for said Town of Hindsdale and we Shall Greatly Acknowledge your Excellencyes favour for the same [5-99] [Petition for Authority to send a Representative, 1793.] The Petition of the Inhabitants of the Town of Hindsdale To the Honorable Senate & house of Representatives in General Court convend Whereas in & by the Constitution of the State of New Hampshire it is Requird that a Town shall have One Hundred & Fifty Rateable Polls of Twenty One years of age and upwards to be Intitled to the Previledge of a Representative Whereas the Town of Hindsdale has not the Number requird and Cannot with any Convenience be Clast with any other Town parish or place and we your Petitioners conceive that we Labour under many Disadvantages for the want of the previledge of a Representative to many to be innumerated in this Petition and we the Selectmen of Hindsdale by order of the Majority votes of sa Town to Petition the General Court Above Mention that Said Hindsdale may have the previledge of a Representative in sd Court we the Subscribers humbly request that the previledge may be granted to the sd Town of Hindsdale as in Duty bound shall ever pray Hindsdale May 30th 1793 Cyrus Shattuck) Selectmen Perley Marsh for Hindsdale |