That this Hone Court at their Sessions in Feb last were pleased to remitt to the Inhabitants of said Township all their Taxes for a certain Number of Years by aspecial Resolve for that purpose-Which Resolve the said Selectmen considered as a total Exemption of their real & personal property towards said Taxes in Consideration of Services done by ye said Inhabitants of which they made no Charge to Government and as they knew not how to make their proportionable Abatement they have laid the whole Taxes on the Non resident Lands wh is considered by them unjust and illegal They therefore pray that this Hone Court would appoint a Committee to determine what is the said Inhabitants Proportion, That the said Non residents may discharge theirs, of said Taxes, which they are ready to do-and otherways to relieve your Petitioners as to Justice and Equity belong-And as in Duty bound they will ever pray— Portsm° Jan 10th 1787 John Penhallow [Petition relative to a Ferry, 1790.] [6-200] State of New-Hampshire Lyman Decem' 13th 1790 To the Hon' General Court of sd State to be Convened at Concord on the first Wednesday of January next— Humbly sheweth the Selectmen of Lyman aforesaid,—that we Your Petitioners & Remonstrants are informed that a Petition has been prefered to Your Honorable Body by Jacob Hurd of Bath, wherein he prayed for the exclusive previledge of keeping a Ferry over Connecticutt River at the Southwesterly Corner of sd Lyman, which previledge Your Petitioners pray may not be granted to sd Hurd, and as it appears to Your Petitioners that the sd Town of Lyman have, in their Corporate Capacity, not only a Greater claim to a Grant of the s Previledge than the sd Hurd, but a more equitable claim than any other person, or Corporation, we pray that the exclusive previledge of opening & forever hereafter keeping a Ferry over Connecticutt River at the place mentioned in s Hurds aforesaid petition, & also any other Ferry or Ferrys against any part of sd Lyman as occasion may hereafter require, may be granted to the Selectmen thereof for the time being, for the use & benefit of sa Lyman under such regulations as to Your Honors may appear most proper, and Your Petitioners will pray Joseph Dexter Selectmen of [6-201] [Petition for Authority to tax Non-Residents, 1790.] State of New Hampshire Lyman March 1790 To the Honorable Senate, and the Honorable House of Representatives of said State, to be conven'd at Concord on the first wednesday of June next Humbly sheweth-the Selectmen of said Lyman in behalf of said Town,— that the Inhabitants, therein, are few in number, and in all probability are for a long time to come likely to remain so, by reason that the greatest part of the lands in Lyman aforesaid are owned by persons living out of this Town, and many of them out of this State, that by the exertions of Your Petitioners, the lands of the Non-resident Proprietors are continually increasing in their real value; and your petitioners have in a particular manner, made, and kept in repair, Roads, and Bridges in said Town, beyond their ability,-Therefore Your Petitioners pray Your Honors to pass an Act enabling the Selectmen of Lyman, for the time being, to Assess, and order to be Collected, three pence per acre, on all the Lands of the Non-residents of said Town, for the Sole purpose of making, and repairing the highways and Bridges therein, or Grant such relief in the premises as may appear reasonable, and Your Petitioners will pray [6-203] [Vote of Town relative to a Ferry, 1791.] At a legal Meeting of the Inhabitants of Lyman legally warned and held this 15th day of March 1791 Voted to give to Jacob Hurd Esq' all the right title claim Interest or demand said Inhabitants have to a certain ferry in said Lyman which ferry the said Hurd and the Selectmen of said Lyman hath petitioned for and a hearing to be had on said petitions before the general Court on the third wednesday of their next session 15th March 1791 Atst Jon Moulton town Clerk [6-204] [Petition of Jacob Hurd for a Ferry, 1793.] State of New Hampshire Grafton ss To the Honble General Court of sd State to be conven'd at Concord in s State on the first Wednesday of June next— Humbly Sheweth-Jacob Hurd that he owns the Land Adjoining Connecticut River in the Township of Lyman in s County where Elijh Hall now lives opposite to Jacob Halls in the Township of Barnet in the state of Vermont at wch place a public Ferry is very much wanted to accomedate the public, That the s Hurd petitioned the Gen' Court of sd State of New Hampshire at their Sessions at Portsmouth the Winter of 1789 or the beginning of Jan 1790 for a grant of a Ferry, across y River at the place Aforem on which petition the Gen' Court ordered a Day of hearing in common form that the order of sd Court was complyd with by your Petitioner and a day of hearing was had upon s Petition all which was Attended with considerable Expence to him that on the Day of hearing the Selectmen of sd Lyman by their Agent opposed the prayer of your Petitioner being granted upon which the Gen' Court posponed the hearing to their next Sessions and in the mean Time a Town Meeting of sd Lyman was warnd & held for the purpose when it was Voted & agreed the s Town relinquish to said Hurd all claim to a grant of s Ferry a Copy of which Vote was given sd Hurd and he again Attended sa Court agreeable to their Order-but the sd Petition was at that time unfortunately lost or mislayed-therefore he prays Your Honors to take into Consideration the said premises and without any further hearing Grant Your Petitioner his Heirs and Assigns forever the priviledge of keeping a Ferry across sd River extending up s River to the Northerly line of sd Lyman and down s River about one Mile to the first Falls in sd Lyman under such Restrictions and Limitations as to your Honors may Appear proper and your Petitioner as in Duty bound will ever prayDated at Lyman the 20th May 1793 In behalf of Jacob Hurd [The charter for the privilege asked for was granted by an act approved June 19, 1793.—ED.] LYME. This township was granted July 8, 1761, to John Thompson and others. Settlements were commenced in the spring of 1764 by William and John Sloan and Walter Fairfield. These men came from Connecticut, and named the town from Lyme in that state. Twenty-one families were residing in the town in 1770, which, however, was not enough to comply with the conditions of the grant, which was in reality forfeited in 1769 in consequence thereof, but was extended on the 21st day of February, 1770, by the governor and council. Documents relative to the settlement of town lines, 1780, may be found in Vol. XI, p. 723. The name of the town is written "Lime" in the charter, and that erroneous orthography was perpetuated for some years, but has been spelled Lyme for the last fifty or more. years. [6-205][ Thomas Sumner relative to the Town Grant, 1768.] Province of New Hampshire To his Excellency John Wentworth Esq' Captain General Governor & Commander in Cheif in and over his Majestys Province of New Hampshire &c in Council. The humble Petition and Memorial of Thomas Sumner an Inhabitant and Proprietor of the Township of Lime in the Province aforesaid-Humbly Sheweth That your Memorialist is informed that Sundry Persons is about to Petition your Excellency and Honors for a Grant of the said Township, supposing the same intirely reverted to his. Majesty for the Nonperformance of the Conditions in the present Charter Stipulated-Your Memorialist begs leave to inform your Excellency & Honors, that there are now Setled, and setling Fifteen Families, that have made Considerable Cultivations on their respective shares in said Township, and many have been resident thereon Sundry Years, and have built thereon-under these Circumstances if your Excellency should grant the said Township to other proprietors without having regard to the present Setlers, it might prove ruinous to them respectively. Wherefore he humbly Prays your Excellency and Honors that such a Grant may not be made, without some Notice given to the Tenants that they may have an Opportunity of giving your Excellency a true State of their Tenure and Condition-and your Memorialist shall ever Pray Portsm° September 8th 1768. Tho Sumner also your Memorialist begs leave to inform your Excellency that there is a Small Island of the Contents of about Thirty Acres, nearly opposite the South West corner of said Lime, which if improved and Cultivated might be of beneficial Convenience to the Town-Wherefore your Mem° would humbly beg a Grant of the said Island, in order to improve it, in such manner as your Excelley may think fit to grant the same. Tho Sumner [In H. of Rep., August, 1768, "ordered to lay."-ED.] [6-206] [Condition of the Town, 1768.] Province of New Hamps To His Excellency John Wentworth Esq' Captain General, Governor & Commander in Chief in and over his Majestys Province of New Hampshire & Vice Admiral of the Same in Council The Petition of Thomas Sumner of Lyme in behalf of himself and the Grantees of said Township unto your Excellency & Hon" most humbly shews That Your Petitioners have so far complied with the Conditions of the Charter of said Township as to make a Settlement of twenty one of said Rights, tho with great Discouragem Expence & Hardships, being Obliged to carry & fetch their Provisions & Corn from Mills forty Miles Distant from said Township; and have now the pleasing Prospects of a fine Settlement if yr Excellency & Honours will indulge them with a Continuance of your favours by Lengthning out the Charter of said -Township for three Years from this date, in which time we do assure Y Excellency & Honours that this Township shall be fully Setled, for which we are ready to Obligate ourselves and all concerned-And your Petitioner as in Duty bound shall ever pray Portsmo Oct 25th 1768— Tho Sumner |