[4-116] [Proceedings of Town-Meeting, 1771.] Province of New Hamp At a meeting Legally warned and held at the Meeting house in Goffes Town on Friday the Thirteenth Day of August 1771 Votted Sam" Blodgett Esqr Moderator Votted That the meeting Be Carried on by a hand Vote Votted That the Protest Signed by Willm McDoel and others against the Legallety of this Meeting held this Day by vartue of a warrant Dated August 17 1771 We Look upon it to be of no Velidety therefore the Signers have a Liberty to Vote this Day if they think proper for the Several Reasons here after Exprest firstly Because Sundrey of the names in Said protest Doth not Appear to the Town they Ever signed Being in number Eighteen. Some of which are Said to be Disartors the names of those absent are as followeth. Goffstown may 29th 1772 This may Certify that I the Subscriber was one of the Select men for the town of Goffstown for the year 1771 and attended the Last anual march meeting a Dispute arose concerning the choice of a moderator and it appears to me that Sam Blodget Esq' had twenty five voters and m' alexdr Gillcrest had but Twenty four votes by pole Exclusive of Jonathan Rowell & John Pettey who ware in my oppinion neighther of them Legal voters attest Alexdr Walker James Karr [4-118] [Relative to a Dispute at Town-Meeting, 1772.] To His Excellency john Wentworth Esq' Captain General Governor and commander in Chief in and over his Majesty's Province of New Hampshire and Vice Admiral of the same The Honourable his Majesty's Council and House of Representatives for said Province to be convened at Portsmouth in said Province on Tuesday the 19th day of May Current We the subscribers Inhabitants of Goffstown in the County of Hillsborough in said Province Humbly Complains That the Inhabitants of said Goffstown at their last Annual March Meeting haveing some disputing on the Business of the day after which the selectmen published who were Legal Voters according to the Law of said Province After which the Votes were brought in for a Moderator The Votes were Twenty five for the Honourable Samuel Blodget Esq' and Twenty Six for Alexander Gillcrest. On which said Mr Blodget said one john Pattee was not a legal Voter (Who had Voted for said Gillcrest being Moderator) The Selectmen said he was but M1 Blodget Insisted he was not and that his Vote should be thrown out which was done Then the Votes stood 25 for one and 25 for the other After which Mr Blodget pulled a power of Attorney out of his pocket and Read it Given by one job Rowel (who is since Dead) to his son jonathan Rowel (a Minor and who had never been Rated) Impowering said jonathan to Vote at said Meeting and Mr Blodget insisted that said jonathan had a legal right to vote in said meeting by Vertue of said power Which said jonathan did and Voted for Mr Blodget to be Moderator which turned the Vote in Mr Blodgets favour And that said Pattee was not Allowed to Vote And the said jonathans Voteing and Pattee being deprived caused Diferent men to be chose town officers than would have been By Which means We humbly conceive we are much Injured and Deprived of our just and Legal Rights Wherefore we your Complainants and petitioners Humbly prays Your Excellency and Honours to take our Case into your considerations and Grant us such Relief as in your Great Wisdoms shall seem meet and your Petitioners as in Duty bound shall ever pray Dated at Goffestown the 18th day of May AD 1772 [In council, June 3, 1772, the proceedings of the foregoing meeting were declared illegal, and a new election ordered.-ED.] [4-119] [Petition for a Lottery to build Bridges over Piscataquog River, 1778.] To The Honble Councel and House of Representatives of the good People of ye State of New Hampshire in General Court assembled December 1777 The Petition of the Inhabitants of Goffstown, County of Hillsborough & State aforesaid and others, Humbly Sheweth That, There are two Large Streams, running through said. Town, more Particularly one known by the name of Piscataquog River, which is well known to be wide, and Verry rapid, at Sertain Seasons, Passing through the Center of said Town, That your Petitioners, are under the Necessity of Supporting, three Large Bridges, over said River, for the Publick benefit Viz 1st a bridge near twenty Rods in Length, (verry much Improved) on the great County Road, that Leadeth through Ware, & many Different ways, Northerly & Westerly to The Interior Parts of the State, 2d another bridge, near 15 Rods in Length, of great use to the Publick, & near the Center of the Town that the Major Part of the Inhabitants are under necesity of crossing it to attend Public Worship The Third Bridge is on the North Branch of said River, Near the Division line, of New Boston & Goffston on the Leading Road through N. Boston, to the Western Part of the State The other Stream is called Black Brook, large, and verry rapid at Sertain Seasons, where we are oblidged to Support three other expensive Bridges, also a large share of Smaller Bridges, which with the aforementioned,-make an almost Intolerable Burden, for a Town so thinly Inhabited to bear, and what still adds to it, we have never been able to make a bridge cross the Piscataquog of but few years Duration, and as their is an absolute and Imediate Necessity of rebuilding sd Bridges, and we are not able to go to the expence of Stone piers & Butments (which we find necessary,) your Petitioners humbly Pray they may be Indulged with the Benefit of a Lottery To raise Two Thousand five hundred Dollars which will Enable them to build Sutable & Durable Bridges in such Places as shall be most convenient, an Beneficial to the Publick, as the moneys raised by said Lottery will be apply to so Necessary & Important a Purpose-We doubt not of a Speedy Sale of the Tickets, by which we shall be Imediatly enabled to enter on this great work And your Petetioners as in Duty bound will ever Pray &°— Jonathan Bell wilimen herenton Caleb Little Timothy Stevens [In H. of Rep., Feb. 26, 1778, petitioners granted leave to bring in a bill for said purpose.-ED.] [4-120] [Petition for the Privilege of sending a Representative without being Classed with Derryfield.] To the Honourable Council & House of Representatives of the Good peopel in the State of New Hampshire Conveaned at Exeter &c, The petition of the Inhabitants of Goffstown when in Town. meeting assembled,-your petitioners beg leave once more to remind your Honours, that they have for three or four years past, contrary to their wish & will, been coupled with Derryfield, by the precept sent them by your Honours for the choice of a Representative, alth° your petitioners have repeatedly beg'd the favour of your Honours, that a precept might be sent them Independant of any Town whatever, which they Humbly conceive they have an Undoubted right to as well as any other Towns in Similer Circumstances with Goffstown; which consists of near One Hundred & fifty families; when at the same time, we would observe to your Honours, that their is noless then Nineteen Towns in this State, & all less in Numbers as to their Inhabitents, then Goffstown, & Yet, have precepts sent to Each of them, Independant of any Towns whatever; and some of them have litle more than half our Numbers; surely this is worthy of your Honours consideration, as well as the attention of your petitioners who must be void of fealing at this day, If not tenatious of their Natural Rights and liberties; are we not Spending our Blood and Treasure in defence of them against Greate Brittan, and was not Taxation without a full and free Representation a pearte of the dispute, Surely it was, and can Goffstown be said to have a full and free Representation when compeled to Joyn with a nother Town and contrary to their wills; we your petitioners do not meen to call your Honours authority in question, it is our Just Rights we are pleading for, which has hearetofore ben denied us, for we cannot conceive upon any Just principles why any Town that consists of 150 families can be denied a full and free Representation & Independant of any other town; at least nothing has been offered in any of our leate Conventions to the contrary, it Seemed the prevaling oppinion theire was, that 100 famelies had an undoubted Right to Send a Representative and we hope and trust your Honours will Remain of the same Oppinion, and If the Custom should be contineued for Issuing precepts, we trust and hope your Honours will provide for Derryfield in som Other way, & that Goffstown be allow'd their previledge in common with Other towns, which to their great mortification, has ben too Long withhild from them; in granting of which, your petitioners in Duty bound will Ever pray Goffstown Oct 26th 1779 at a legal meeting in Goffstown hild this day voted that Sam' Blodget Esq' present the above petition to the general Court hild in Exeter, in behalf of the Inhabiters of ye Said Goffstown Alexdr Walker Town Clark [R. 2-19] [Documents relative to Soldiers, 1778.] Goffstown, febury ye 4th 1778 then Received of John Dunlap one Pound Sixteen Shillings L. M. for carrying Samuel Rimecks from Goffstown to Andover to be Doctred of his wounds he Received in the Battel at Banintown |