and upwards in the town of Lancaster that pays taxes for themselves Number-10-men which is the exact Number taken by us Northumberland 2a Dec 1783 Edwds Bucknam Select Then the above named Edwards Bucknam & Emmons Stokwell personally appearing made Oath to the above Account Before me-Jer1 Eames Justic Peace [6-8] [Petition of Col. Bucknam for the Grant of a Ferry, 1784.] To the Honble the General Assembly of the State of New Hampshire The Petition of Edwards Bucknam of Lancaster in the County of Grafton in Said State Humbly Sheweth that there are Catteracts or falls in the River Connecticut adjoining Northumberland in Said County convenient for Building Mills and for keeping a ferry Boat Your Petitioner is Now Actually erecting a Set of Mills both for Sawing and Grinding on the Said falls Therefore prays that the Honble Court would be pleased to Grant and Convey unto him his heirs and Assigns the priviledge of using and improving the Earth and waters between the Eastwardly and Westwardly Banks of Said River in width; and in length the Distance of one Mile each way from the center of Said falls And your Petitioner will pray Lancaster oct 8th 1784 Edwds Bucknam [The request in foregoing petition was granted in 1786. -ED.] [6-9] [Petition for Authority to tax Non-Residents, 1787.] To the Honourable the senate and the Honble House of Representatives in General Assembly convened on the second wednesday in September A, D, 1787 The Petition of the Town of Lancaster in the County of Grafton humbly Sheweth That the inhabitants of said Town labour under many and great inconveniances, and without that succour and releif which every infant Country expects from the Government to which she owes her allegiance, they must remain in but very indigant circumstances; and the state not receive that emolument, that it might justly expect from a Country so fertile as this, when properly peopled. Nothing more effectually hinders the emigration of inhabitants to this part of the state, than the badness of our roads, and the want of a conveniant place to worship that being, to whom all owe their existance. The formation of the town being very peculiar, on account of marshes creeks and large streams and the number of inhabitants being but very small; consequantly the expence of making and mending roads, building bridges meeting house &c must be very great One large stream, known by the name of Israels river, is so formidable where it must be bridged, to accomodate the travel up and down Connecticut river and likewise the travel to and from Portsmouth, (our most advantageous port) that it must cost, at a moderate Computation two hundred pounds. The inhabitants have solicited the nonresidant land owners, for assistance (many of whom live out of the state,) but they have entirely refused, Your petitioners are therefore, necessitated to pray your honours to pass an act empowering the selectmen of said Lancaster to levey, and Collect a tax of three pence on each acre of land (Publick Rights excepted) for the purpose of making roads building bridges meeting house &c, &c, and a continuation of one penny on the acre, annually for the term of five Years, to be appropriated to the aforesaid purposes. And that the prayer of your petitioners be granted, or such assistance or directions be given, as Your honours may see fit; your Petitioners as in duty bound shall ever pray Lancaster y 4th September 1787 per order of Jonas Wilder Committee Emmens Stockwell the Town Edwds Bucknam [The foregoing petition was granted.-ED.] [6-10] [Petition relative to Roads, 1788.] To the Honorable the Senate and House of Representatives for the State of New hampshire (humbly Sheweth) The Inhabitants of A Place Called Uper Coos That they began Setelment at that Place mor than twentithree Years ago and Ever Since have Continued their Setelment through many Dificulties Especialy on account of the Badness of the Roads through Littleton and Dalton which have never been properly Cleared nor bridged by which means wagons or Sleighs pass with the greatest Danger and never more than half a Load which Subjects the Inhabitants of Said Coos to very Large Expence in transporting necessary foreign articles and others in Removing with their famileys and Efects from Connecticut Massachusetts and the Easterly part of New-Hampshire to the Same Dificulties which very much Impedes & hinders the Setelment of the Towns on Connecticut River &c Lying above Sd Littleton & Dalton Your Petitioners beg Leave to farther Sugjest that the Townships of Littleton and Dalton being owned by only a few Gentelmen and the Towns not Vested with Power nor the Inhabitants of ability to Lay out Clear bridge and Make Passable Said Road through which Your Petitioners must Pass on any Business belonging to the Probate, or County Matters, Wherefore your Petitioners Pray Your Honors to take their Case into Your wise Consideration and order that the Road be made Pasable and keept in good Repair through Said Towns of Littilton & Dalton to the acceptance a Commitee to be appointed for that Purpose or by Some other way as Your Honors Shall See fit and Your Petitioners Will Ever Pray [6-11] [Relative to the Formation of Coos County, 1790.] To the Honourable senate and house of Representatives of the state of Newhampshire to be convened a Concord on the first wednesday in Jan' next, The petition of the select Men of the towns of Lancaster Northumberland and Stratford, for and in behalf of the respective towns, Humbly Sheweth; That our located situation in the northern part of the state is such, that it will be perticularly beneficial for us, to have Conway and adjacent towns annexed to us, in the formation of the northerly County in sd state, not only on account of the occupancy and improvement of our most advantageous road to seaport, but in order to promote emigrants, and agriculture in this fertile & healthy territory; the promotion of which, we humbly conceive will be of publick utility and the state to which we owe our allegiance, will receive emolument in proportion to the opulency of this part of the state-And your petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray [6-12] James Brown [Petition for a New County, 1791.] To the Honorable the General Court of the State of New Hampshire The Petition of the Inhabitants of Lancaster in the County of Grafton Humbly Sheweth That Your Petitioners live at the distance of near sixty miles from the nearest shire Town in this County That a very considerable part of the Inhabitants of this part of the County live above us and are under similar disadvantages with us, That the Roads to Haverhill our nearest shire Town are exceeding bad and at some seasons of the year unpassable, Wherefore we your petitioners pray that we may be seperated from the said County of Grafton and made a new County by a line drawn from Conecticut River between the Towns of Concord alias Gunthwait and Littleton and on Eastward taking in the Towns of Conway Eaton &c to the Province line so call'd and we as in duty bound shall ever pray— Lancaster Nov 22nd 1791. Edwds Bucknam Jonas Wilder junur Asaph Darby Edward Spaulding John Weeks Nathan Lovewell Elisha Wilder John Rosbrook Bradfor Sanderson David Stockwell John Wilder Jonas Wilder James Twombly John Mackintire William Johnson Abijah Darby [Coös county was formed in 1803.-ED.] [6-13] [Petition to have the Right of Ferries vested in the Town, 1792.] State of New Hampshire Lancaster ye 30th May 1792 To the Honble Gen' Court to be holden at Dover in said State on the first Wednesday of June 1792 Humbly Sheweth the Selectmen of Lancaster in behalf of said Town, that there is a necessity for keeping ferries a cross the River Connecticut from Lancaster to Guildhall & Lunenburgh in Vermont-They therefore pray your Honors to grant to the said Town of Lancaster the exclusive privilege for ever of keeping ferries a cross said River extending so far as said River runs through said Lancaster And your Petitioners will ever pray John Weeks } Selectmen Lancaster ye 12th Nov 1792 We Certify that the within Petition & order of Court thereon |