[Non-Resident Land-Owners, 1793.] [An inventory of Gilsum, certified May 30, 1793, by Zadoc Hurd and Robert Lane Hurd, selectmen, and sworn to before David Blish, gives the following non-resident land owners.-ED.] Josiah Kilburn Uriah How Philip Munro Jonathan Loveland Oliver Prime John Boyinton Nathan Hayward Moses D. Field Jonathan Smith Benony Olcutt Isaak Hammond Samuel Gilbert's heirs GOFFSTOWN. The township was granted by the Masonian proprietors in 1748 to Rev. Thomas Parker, of Dracut, Mass., and others. It took its name from Col. John Goffe, and in the act of incorporation it is given "Goff's Town." It was incorporated June 16, 1761, by the governor and council of New Hampshire, to continue a corporate body until March 25, 1763; and April 5, 1763, the incorporation was revived, to continue "until we shall please to approve or disallow the same." July 2, 1822, a portion of the town was taken, and, with portions of Dunbarton and Chester, incorporated into the town of Hooksett. June 20, 1825, some islands in Merrimack river were annexed to the town. June 18, 1836, the farm of Isaac Parker was severed from New Boston, and annexed to this town. The line between Dunbarton and Goffstown was established by an act passed Jan. 7, 1853. July 1, 1853, a portion of Goffstown was annexed to Manchester, the town previously extending to the Merrimack river. [4-12] [Relative to Church Matters.] County of Hillsborough Province of New Hampshire We his Majesties loyal Subjects, living in the town of Goffstown in Sd Province, beg leave to offer to your Excellency & Honors our Remonstrance against the Petition of a Number of the Inhabitants of Sd town, who call themselves Presbyterians, and who have prayed your Excellency & Honors to set them of as a distinct Parish-and to be invested with priviledges as such. We humbly beg leave to inform your Excellency & Honors, that the Town of Goffstown is by no means at present able to Support two Ministers of the Gospel, and the Salary which they now give is very Small, by reason of their incapacity; as was said when voted & therefore voted part to be paid in labour & in the Necessaries of Life. the town Subsists of about ninety Families; Some of which are under very poor Circumstances, not able to raise their own Bread Corn-or Scarcly to clothe themselves and Children in any comfortable & decent Manner. And the town Considering the illconveniences which would unavoidably arise from their Being at present, in their weak Circumstances set of into two distinct Parishes, proposed & offered at a legal town Meeting, to those who were inclining to be Presbyterians-that if they would assist & dwell together in Love as becometh people professing Godliness-when ever it should be supposed by reasonable & indifferent Persons, that the town was able in a decent Manner to support two Ministers -they would assist them in building a Meeting as far as they had already assisted in building the present One. this proposal was rejected by them We would likewise beg leave to acquaint your Excellency & Honors that some of the Petitioners who want to be erected into a distinct Parish in Goffstown, were never Inhabitants of S town, neither were ever rated in Sd town Some of those which live in S town were never educated, in what they call the Presbyterian Way, but thro' the importunity of others were perswaded to joyn them. It is likewise certain that a learge Number of them have had their Children baptized by congregational Ministers & without the least dissatisfaction therefore we pray your Excellency & Honors to consider our Circumstances, and how unhappy we should be, if made into two distinct Parishes-neither Parish would be able to support a gospel Minister among them, & of consequence both must be destute-and being bound in Duty Shall Ever pray [4-114] mark Henry Blasdel Alex' Walker Job dow James Eaton Enoch Page Joseph Dow Joseph Little Thomas Saltmarsh Philip Noyes Ezekiel Wells Moses Wells iur Job Kider asa Pettey Benj Steven Ju [Petition from Presbyterians, 1771.] To His Excellency John Wentworth Esq' Captain General Governor & Commander in Chief in and over his Majesty's Province of New Hampshire in N England And to the Honorable his Majestys Council and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened The humble Petition of his Majesty's Subjects Inhabitants of Goffestown and Province aforesaid sheweth That your Petitioners most or all of them have been educated in the Presbyterian persuasion and look on themselves as bound in conscience still to adhere to the same perswasion That your Petitioners generally inhabit one part of the said Goffestown which renders their associating together for public Worship more convenient That your Petitioners have had some Supply of Preaching from the Presbytery to which we are connected and expect more from time to time and soon to be in a capacity (through Providential Smiles) to build a Meeting House and settle a Minister of their own persuasion May it therefore please your Excellency and Honors impartially to consider the premises and by your Authority to enact that your Petitioners may be a distinct Society cloathed with Parish powers that so they may be in a legal Capacity of levying Parish Charges and your Petitioners as in duty bound shall ever Pray &c Dated at Goffestown November 2a 1771 John Mcferson Late of Haverhill now of Bedford William Dunlap Belongs to Chester John Butterfield Bread a Congregational Antipas Dodge Bread Congregational Jn° Little Swore he would do all in his power to Ruen Goff's town Daniel Allen not Rated David Currier Bread a Congregational [4-115] [Relative to the Settlement of Rev. Mr. Currier.] Whereas there is a Town Meeting Legually Warned to be held in Goffstown this 15th Day of July 1771, and one of the Particulars that is Noted in the Warrant to be acted Upon is to See if the Town will Choose a Committee to Settle Mr Currier as a Gospel Minister, in the Town We the Subscribers Being Presbyterrians by Proffession, and having at Different times Renewed our Covenant With God and Vowed to him to Maintain the Doctrins Discipline and Government of the Church of Scotland Whereof we Profess our Selves to be Members therefore we Do Not as yet See our Selves in Duty Bound to Cast these our Vows Behind our backs and Settle a Man of Another Proswasion, and as we Would Not be found Lukewarm and Indifferent in a Matter of So Great Import We thought to Certify our Bretheren of this Matter in this Manner [4-116] [Remonstrance to Mr. Currier's Settlement.] Whereas there is a Town Meeting Legally Warned to be held in Goffes Town on friday the Thirtieth day this Instent and the Particulers that is insearted in the warrant to be acted upon that Day is mostly Concearning Ordaining m❜ Currier as a Gospell Minester in the Town and to Do Something more towards finishing the Meetinghouse, and we whose names are under written being of a Differant Perswasion and are not Detarmined to Settle m2 Currier as our Minester therefore we Protest against Every particualer in the fore mentioned warrant as we are not Determined to act on any thing at that meeting Neither are we a mind to pay aney part of m Currier' Rates as we are Presbytereans by profession Goffes Town August 21 1771 Willm McDoel Alexdr McCoy X Daniel Marr XDavid McCluer George Addeson Daniel Mcfarland Tho' Kennedy Thos Shirla Those of this mark were not at the Meeting A true Copy of Record attest Pr Alexdr Walker Town Clark |