Settlements were made in the part of Dunstable now in this town about the year 1720, by families from Billerica and Chelmsford. Hon. Wyseman Claggett, who resided in town during the latter portion of his life, was attorney-general of the province from 1765 to 1769; of the state from 1776 to 1778, and again in 1781; a member of the council in 1776 and in 1781. He died Dec. 4, 1784, at the age of 63. [6-68] [Warrant for Town-Meeting, 1743.] Province of New Hampshire To William Reed Constable for the District of Litchfield on the East side of the River Greeting You are hereby Required in His Majesties Name to warn all the freeholders and other Inhabitants of the District of Litchfield on the East Side the River to meet and conven at the Meeting house in Litchfield upon Munday the thirty first Day of oct' Instant at two of the clock in the after Noon then and ther when Meet To See if the District will Chouse one man or more to go to Portsmouth to the General Court to make answ to a Petition Nath Hills James Hills John Robinson and others have Lodged theire and to Impower the s man or men that may be chosen with full power to act in Behalf of the District in aney affier as he or they so chosen Shall think convenent and See that You make Due Return of this warrant and your doings thereon to our Selves before or upon the day and time before mentioned as You will Answer Your Default at Your Perrell Given Under our hands and Seal Dat' at Litchfield the 24th Day of oct' anno Dom. 1743 and in the Seventeenth Year of his Majesties Reign A True Copy Examined by me— By virtue of this warrant I have warned all the freeholders and other Inhabitants of the District Called Litchfield on the East Side of Merrimack River William Reed Constable A True copy Exam by me John Bradshaw Town Clerk [Vote at said Meeting.] At a Town Meeting Regualery assembled at Litchfield on oct ye 31 1743— Voted that John Bradshaw be moderator for s meetingVoted that Jo Blanchard Esq' and Dec" John Cummings and m' James Nahor be a Comitte to make answer to a Petition that Nath" Hills James Hills and John Robinson and others have made to y° Greate & Gerneral Court of ye province of New Hampshire to answer to sd Petitioners A True copy Examined by me— John Bradshaw Town Clerk [The petition of Nathaniel Hills and others, referred to in the foregoing, was for the purpose of obtaining a charter for a town to comprise the north part of Nottingham and the south part of Litchfield, which did not succeed. See Vol. IX, pp. 468–471.—ED.] [6-69] [Relative to paying Rates in two Towns, 1746.] To His Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq' Governor &c the Hone his Majestys Council & Assembly in Gen" Court Conveined at Portsmouth in New Hampshire April 1746 The Petition of us the Subscribers Inhabitants of that tract of land formerly in the town of Dunstable lately Incorporated into a District Called Litchfield & in that part of s District which Interferes with Londonderry bounds According to the late runing per Mr Walter Briant That ye Petitioners Setled under the Grants of ye Massachusetts Bay And have Continued to pay their Rates to Litchfield by whome their poles and Estates was with Litchfields Envoice Returned to this Hone Court but so it is that this Last Year notwithstanding they were Rated as Usual to Litchfield And there pay'd their full proportion to town minister And Province Taxes yet thay were also Rated in Londonderry and by their Constables Destrained for the same & have paid it as per Rec which your Petitioners Humbly Apprehend a great Hardship and know of no Relief unless your Excellency & Hon" should see meet to Relieve us Wherefore your Petitioners Humbly pray You to Consider the premises & direct that One of the s Towns Return the rates Recd as aforesaid or Otherwise relieve us as may seem meet & y' Peti" as in Duty Bound shall pray &c Ebenezer Spauldyng lennard commins [6-70] [James Hills's Receipts, 1745.] Litchfield January yo 22d 1745 Received of m' Ebenezer Spaulding the Sum of Three Pounds old Tenor being in full of one List of Rates to me to Collect bearing Date June ye 28th 1745 Reced by me [6-71] James Hills Constable Litchfield Jenewary the 29 1746 recvied of Ebenezer Spolding for town and provence reats the Sum of three Ponds and Euight Shillings old tener I Say recvied by me— James Hills Constable for Litchfield [R. 2-188] [Invoice of Lieut. Pelatiah Russell's Equipments Lost in the Service, 1757.] A Good new Beaver hatt tow new worsted Caps and one Linnen one tow new Linnen Shirts and one Wollen Shirt three good Jackets and one Coat and tow Pair of Leather Breetchis three Pair of Stockings and one Pair of Shoes and one Pair of Mogezens one Silk-hankerchief and one Cotten hankerchief and a Gun and Snapsack and Powder horn Province of New Hamp' September 23d 1758 Then Olive Russell of Litchfield in the Province of New Hampshire Widow personally appeared and made solemn Oath that the articles of Cloathing above mentioned is a just and true acc' of what her Late Husband Lieut: Pelatiah Russell carried along with him when he went from home in the Province service in the year 1757 Sworn Before Math" Patten Just: Peace [In H. of Rep., Sept. 30, 1758, "Voted That there be allowed £100. In full for this accot & In full for three months wages allowed him as a Gratuity, being Carried a prisoner to Canada." Council concurred.-ED.] [R. 2-189] [Capt. John Parker's Petition, 1776.] in [John Parker stated that he commanded a company Col. Bedel's regiment in Canada in September, 1775, "That upon his return home, three of his Company Vizt Aaron Quimby, Ebenezer Collings & Daniel Murray, exhibited a Complaint to your Honors agst your Petitioner for an overcharge in his Muster Roll &c" He asked for a hearing, which was granted.-ED.] [Rev. Pap., p. 35] [Litchfield Men at Ticonderoga Alarm, 1777.] Abstract of a Pay Roll of a Number of men who marched from Litchfield for Ticonderoga on the Alarms June 29th & July 6th [1777] [6-72] [Relative to being classed for Representative, 1780.] State of New Hampshire— To the Honble the Council and Gent" of the Honble House of Representatives in Gen' Assembly at Portsmouth Convened 13th October 1780 The humble Petition of the several Inhabitants of Litchfield in the County of Hillsborough & State aforesaid, whose names are hereunto set and subscribed. Sheweth that upon taking up Government the said Litchfield was joined to Nottingham West, for the purpose of chusing a person to represent them in General Assembly, And Altho at the time of such Junction there was a great Majority in favour of said Nottingham as their members greatly exceeded Litchfield, Yet were your Pet's content at that time. But now so it is, May it please Your Honors that by Act of Gen1 Assembly, many Families from Londonderry claim, have been added lately to said Nottingham West, so that that Town now consists of upwards of 100 families, and Litchfield of little more than 40, By means of which inequality Your Pets are always liable to be out numbered and out voted (if the Inhabitants of said Nottinghman West shall see fit), and to lose all benefit and priviledge of Election. Your Pet's therefore pray leave to bring in a Bill, whereby to seperate them from said Nottingham West, and that they may be joined in future for the purpose aforesaid to the Neighbouring Town of Derrifield, between which & them there is a good understanding and with whom Your Pet's will stand more upon a Par And that as to the place of Election a Preference may be given to such of the two towns as shall pay most taxes to Gov |