[6-79]

[Relative to Taxes, 1786.]

State of New Hampshire

Littleton June 3d 1786

To the Honourable General Court of sd State to be Conven'd at Concord on the first Wednesday of June instant—

Humbly sheweth the Inhabitants of Littleton in the County of Grafton & State aforesaid; that they were at the Commencement of the late war just beginning Settlement on said tract of land which has untill very lately been known by the name of Apthorp, that they being poor and much expos'd to our Enemy during said war never paid any Taxes into the Treasury of said State-That notwithstanding the Division of said Apthorp into two Towns Precepts have lately been sent to the Selectmen of Apthorp for sums much too Large as may appear by our return herewith exhibited-we therefore pray that our Doomages may be taken off and the Selectmen of Littleton be enabled to assess and collect any and all sums of money now Due, within the lines thereof on the proprietors of said Littleton or otherwise as may appear Just-and your Petitioners will pray & Nathan Caswell

For and at the Request of said Inhabitants

[An inventory of the polls and estate of the town for the years 1775 to 1785 shows that in 1775 the number of polls was 3; 1776, 4; 1777-'78-'79, 5; 1780, 4; 1781-'82-'83, 9; 1784, 12; 1785, 14.—ED.]

[6-81] [Relative to a Tax for building Roads, 1785.]

State of New Hamsphire

Concord 16th June 1788

To the Honble Gen' court of said state now setting

The Petition of the Inhabitants of Littleton in said state humbly sheweth, that your Petitionors for eighteen years last past, have laid under many and grevious dificulties-your Peti- · tionors cannot ascertain the number of acres of Land in said Littleton, neither can we find out the original Proprietors of said Town, so that we can not Tax said land except we have a special act of this Honble court for that purpose, your Petitioners woo'd further Inform your honors that although we were promised by said Proprietors or owners of land (as they cal'd themselves) to have our land given us for settlement & that the compliment of setlers according to charter shoo'd then soon be

in Town, that they woo'd make good roads through said Town Build Mills &c-all of which is neglected by said land owners, and although it is eighteen years since said Town began to settle, there is but nine families in it at this time, and there is no mills in said Town, nor can we git at any under fifteen miles, the Publick Road that runs through said Town is eleven miles in length, and almost Impossible to pass in the same, which road your Petitioners have to travel to git to mill, to market, to courts, and almost every kind of Business-so that your Petitioners have got under such poor and dificult circumstances, that we cannot live in said Town nor move out of the same, except your honors will Interpose in our behalf

Therefore your Petitioners most humbly pray that your honors woo'd take our singular Situation under your wise consideration, and grant that a special act of this court be made that said Town be setled according to charter in years from this date your Petitionors further pray your honors that a special act of this Honble court be made, to assess and collect the taxes now due or that may be due from said Town-we further pray your honors that a committee be appointed by this Honble court to lay out and make a road through said Town, and that the cost be paid by the land owners thereof and on their neglecting or refusing to pay said cost of laying out and making said road your Petitioners most humbly pray your honors to give order that so much land in said Town be sold as will pay the cost aforesaid or otherwise as your honours shall think most expedient and your Petitioners as in duty bound will ever prayPeleg Williams

In behalf of said Inhabitants

[6-82] [Petition for Authority to tax Non-Residents, 1788.] State of Newhampshire Grafton ss

Littleton December the 12-1788

To the Honorable Gen' Court of said State to be Conveaned at Exeter on the 24 Day of Instant December

The Petition of the Inhabitants of said Littleton humbly Shews that it is Eighteen years since the Town began to Settle and the setlers ware promised by the owners of the Land that thay wood make a good Rode throw said town erect and keep in good repair a grest mill and saw mill in said town and that thay wood Soon have the Town settled with such a number of Setelers as to make it Convenient for your petitioners all of which thay have neglected and thare is now in Town but nine families and the Country road through the same is twelve miles

and is verey wet hilly and Stoney, your Petitioners Cannot git at any mill Short of twelve or fifteen mildes and if a Scarce time of grinden must wait for the Inhabniet of the town to which the mill belongs to have thare grist ground first besides we have the aforesaid road to travel through without our horses being Shod as thare is no Blacksmith neigher than a mill your Petitioners are not only few in number but poor and must remain so Except the aforesaid Difcilties Can be removed all or allmost all of said town is owned by two Gentlemen one of which Living in Massachusets the other in Vermount and we know not who ware the oreginal Proprietors of said town or how much Land thare is in the Same as it has bin granted and regranted and Divided and Subdivided so that under every circumstances if your Petitioners Should be Cald on by your honours to do thare duty as others Towns it will be more than we Can possably Do

wharefore your Petitioners most humbly pray your honors to take our Singelur Case into your wise Consideration and grant a tax of two pence on Each acre of Land in said town for the purpose of making and repairing a road through the same and that a Committee be apinted by your honours to Carry the Same into afect your Petitioners further pray your honners not to Call on us for any State taxes untill the town Shall be so settled that we Can possably git a Living tharein but that the owners of Land in said town may pay all the taxes tharefrom until the present time and that Sume person or persons be apinted by your honours for the purpose of assaing & Collecting the Same or that we may have releafe in Sum other way or manner which to your honours may apeare Just and rasanable and your Petitioners are in Duty bound Shall ever pray―

[6-83] [Relative to taxing Non-Residents, 1791.]

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representitives in General Court convened and now siting this 12th day of February 1791

The petition of the Selectmen of Littleton in said state Humbly shew that an act passed the General Court January 1789directing the Selectmen of said Town for the time being to assess and cause to be collected all publick Taxes due there from prior to the first day of January 1789 on the lands of the proprietors of said Town in one tax bill in way and manner as

taxes by Law are collected of Non, resident proprietors in other Towns in this state which act your petitioners would have most chearfully complyed with had it been in their power but said Littleton together with a Town or part of a Town known by the name of Dalton, was first granted by the name of Chesuwich afterward by the name of Apthorp then divided into Littleton and Dalton to particular Gentlemen and not in proprietory shares as is usually the custom in other towns in this state-your petitioners would further Sugjest that the act for taxing Lands in said Littleton and Dalton for the purpose of making and repairing roads therein is under the aforesaid Imbarisments

Your petitioners would therefore pray your Honors to pass an act Impowering the Selectmen of said Littleton for the time being to assess and cause to be collected all publick taxes due from said town in one tax bill on the lands therein not confining them to any particular rights but to sell as much of said Lands in one body as will pay said tax with Incidental charges also in the same way and manner to sell as much land as will compeat said road throug said Town as also that they may be Impowered in the same way and manner to sell as much land in Dalton as will complete the road leading through the same and give a reasonable time to levy and collect said Taxes or grant such other relief in the premises as to your Honors may appear reasonable and Just and stay the extents against said Littleton untill a final determination be had and your petitioners as in duty bound shall ever pray—

Sam' Young

in behalf of the Selectmen of Littleton & Inhabitants of

Dalton

[R. 2-191] [Lieut. Peleg Williams's Petition, 1793.]

State of Newhampshire

To the Honble Gen1 Court of sd State convened at Exeter on the twenty fifth day of December 1793

Humbly sheweth Peleg Williams of a place caled Littleton in said State-That in November 1776 he engaged and was commissioned as a Lieut for said State in the late war-That on account of his ill State of health, contracted in s service, he, in the month of may 1778 resigned not in the smallest degree doubting he had a right so to do

Peleg Williams

[He stated that he had not been paid the depreciation of his wages, and asked to have it done.-ED.]

LONDONDERRY.

The township was granted, June 21, 1722, by Gov. Samuel Shute to John Moor and one hundred and seventeen others. The grantees were Scotch Presbyterians, who came in 1718 from the north part of Ireland, where their ancestors, emigrants from Scotland, had settled about one hundred years before. By an agreement dated March 26, 1718, Rev. William Boyd was appointed by them as agent to obtain a grant of land from Gov. Shute, and succeeded in obtaining a promise of a grant whenever they decided upon a location.

On receiving this encouragement they came over, landing in Boston Aug. 4, 1718. A portion of them went to Casco Bay, then in the province of Massachusetts, with the intention of settling there; but not being pleased with the country, they returned and located here in April, 1719, O. S. Many of them came from the city of Londonderry, Ireland, and named this town in honor of their old home, which some of them had helped to defend in 1689 against the emissaries of James the Second. They were an industrious and thrifty people, and strongly attached to their religious opinions.

The town was divided into two parishes, by an act approved Feb. 25, 1740, in accordance with a vote of the town passed in 1735.

Feb. 12, 1742, the southern portion of the town was incorporated into a parish by the name of Windham, the first meeting of which was to be called by Robert Dinsmore, Joseph Waugh, and Robert Thompson, on March 8th of that year.

The north-west part of the town was taken off Sept. 3, 1751, and with other territory incorporated into the town of Derryfield.

A portion of the town was annexed to Nottingham West (Hudson), March 6, 1778.

Sept. 26, 1777, sundry persons and their estates were severed from Londonderry and annexed to Windham. Nov. 26, 1778, Samuel Clark and his estate were also annexed to Windham, and the line between these towns was established by an act passed Nov. 22, 1782.

Another portion of this town was annexed to Windham, Dec. 25, 1805.