first mentioned: which we conceive to be injurious, inverting the order which ought to have taken place in their numbers. And presuming that the General Court were not rightly informed, as to the circumstances of those two Regiments, beg leave to lay before your Honours some facts, in order to procure an alteration in their numbers, which we think ought to take place for the following reasons:-The nine petitioning Towns are the oldest by about twenty years, taking their age upon an average; Cap Woolson of New-Ipswich having a Commission in the 6th Regt Dated in the year 1744; before there was a single Inhabitant in any of the six Towns above named; and many years before a commission was given to any person within their limits.-By means of being united with those Towns we lost our number from 6 to 12; therefore ought not to lose from 12 to 23 by dissolving the connection.-By comparing their numbers and wealth it will appear that we pay £49-15 to the Thousand: they but £32-13s: that there are eleven hundred rateable polls in this Regiment; and little more than six hundred in that:-That there are four field officers in this Regt who will think them-selves degraded by renewing their Commission in the 23a Reg'; and only one in that (& that one a second Maj'). Thus, Gentlemen, whatever we substitute as a Criterion to determine the right of precedence; whether Age, Numbers, wealth, residence of field officers or whatever else we can concieve to operate in the minds of the Legislature, the preference is most clearly on our side. And as we would not be vainly ambitious for honour, to which we had no title; so neither would we be thought so mean as tamely to submit by which we are degraded below our Inferiors. We therefore apply to your Honours as the Guardians of our Rights, humbly praying for a reconsideration of the vote complained of; and that we may be permitted to retain the original number. And your petitioners as in Duty bound shall ever pray &c Jan 27th 1785 Ephraim Putnam ) Selectmen of Lyndeboro' [6-228] [Nehemiah Rand recommended for a Magistrate, 1786.] To his Excellency the President, the Honourable the Council, within and for the State of New-Hampshire Most Humbly Sheweth. that We Freeholders in Lyndeborough within the Same State, devoted with the warmest Sentiments of Duty and Affection to Your Excellency and Honours in your Exalted and distinguished Characters, inviolably Attached to our present Constitution, Convinced by the most Affecting proofs of your paternal Regard unceasing and benevolent desire to Promote the happiness of the faithful Subjects of this State however distant-Beg leave to Suggest, that in our Humble Opinion M' Nehemiah Rand of our said Lyndeborough is A Gentleman, a man of real Worth and Merit, a very Useful Member of Society; that his Usefulness to the Public in General, and to this Town in particular would be Considerably Augmented and increased if he might have an appointment in the Commission of Peace Therefore earnestly pray that it may be So And Your Petitioners as in Duty bound Shall ever pray dated August 1786 Stephen Gould David Gould William Parker David Averil Robert Badger Philip Fletcher melchisedek Cofee John Kidder James Boutwell Jn° Herrick [6-229] [Relative to warning Elisha Wilkins out of Town, 1788.] To the Honourable General Court of the State of New Hamshire assembled at portsmouth in Said State 31 Day of January 1788 The Petition of Nehemiah Rand of Lyndeborough in the County of Hilsborough in Said State in behalf of Said Town, Humble Sheweth whereas Elisha wilkins with his wife and family Came into the Town of Lyndeborough in the year 1773 and by the Selectmen then beaing according to the Law of the then province did Issue a warrant to the Constable of Said town For that year to warn Said wilkins with his wife & familey to Depairt the town which warrant was Served by the Constable and returned to the office of the Clarke of the Sessions in Hilsborou County as the Law Directed as will more fully appeare by the affidavit to accompany this petition and whereas when the then Clark (viz Stephen Holland Esq) Left the office and another was appointed (viz Robert Fletcher Esq) upon the Re movel of the papers belonging to Said office the Said warrant with maney other papers was Lost and no Record of the Same to be found whereby the Town of Lyndeborough is Likely to becom Chargebal with the maintan of the Said wilkins & wife and family. therefore your petitioner in behalf of said Lyndeborough Humbly pray your Honors that the Said warrant and Service and returning may be Good & Established So that the town of Lyndeborough may have the Benifit of the Laws of this State in Such Cases made and provided or otherwise as your Honors in your wisdom Shall think meet and Fit with Regard to the primises and your petitiner as in duty bound Shall Ever pray Nehemiah Rand [6-215] [Committee report relative to foregoing.] The Committee on the petition from the Town of Lyndborough beg Leave to report That in the latter end of May 1773 The Then select men of Lyndborough made out a warrant in the Following words viz province of New Hampshire Hilsborough ss (seal) To James Boutwell Constable for the Town of Lyndborough in said County Greeting Whereas there is a person come of Late with his wife to sojourn or Dwell in This Town & last came from wilton in this County viz Elisha wilkins & wife & are not by Law Inhabitants of this Town therefore are Likely to become too chargeable to the Town unless Measures are taken to prevent the same. pursuant therefore to the Laws of this province in That Case made & provided you are hereby required in his majestys name Instantly to warn the said Elisha wilkins and wife to depart & Leave this Town within fourteen Days from this Date hereof fail not & make return of this warrant with your proceedings thereon to the Clerk of his majestys Court of Gen' sessions of the peace next to be holden at Amherst Given under our hands & seals the Day of May 1773 Signed by the Select men Your Committee also find that the said warning was served by the said James Boutwell on the said wilkins and wife about the first of June 1773 and sent by him to the Clerk of the Session by Andrew Fuller Esqr with money to pay for Recording the same & the said Fuller Delivered the said warning & money to the then Clerk of the Sessions at the sessions of said Court in July 1773 & the said warrant cannot now be found in the Clerks office Therefore your Committee agree to report that upon any tryal respecting the setlement of the said wilkins & wife the Town of Lyndborough or any others concerned may offer in Evidence the before recited warrant which shall be deemed as good and Legal Evidence as the original would have been if the same had not been Lost and shall be considered as Dated the Last Day of May signed by the then select men and served on the first Day of June 1773 Francis Worcester for the Committee [In H. of Rep., June 13, 1788, the foregoing report was adopted. The original report is in the hand-writing of John Sullivan.-ED.] [6-231] [Petition for the Setting Off of the north-west part of the Town, 1790.] State of Newhampshire Hillsborough ss To the Honorable Generall Court of the State of New Hampshire The Petition of the inhabitants of the Society Land So Called in the state and County Aforesaid humbly Shews-that your Petitioners Living in Sa Society Labour under many Disadvantages and inconveniences By not Being in a Corporated Town And Cannot Enjoy Such Priviledges as to Render their Circumstance Agreeable-that it appears to your Petitioners that the Said Society will never Be incorporated into a town the Situation thereof Being So inconvenient for the Same Wherefore your Petitioners Humbly Prays that that North west Part of the town of Lyndborough of which the inhabitants hath for Some years past Ben Desirous of Being Better accomidated May Be Annexed to that part of the Society Land Lying South and Southerly of the Crotched mountain with Lyndeborough Slip and incorporated into a town therewith and Petitioners as in Duty Bound will Ever Pray, &c your Pyam Herrick Oliver Holt [6-232] [Inhabitants of Lyndeborough Gore for an Incorporation, 1790.] To the Honourable the Senate and house of Representatives in General Court to be Convened at Concord in New Hampshire on the first wednesday of June Next The Petition of the Subscribers Inhabitants of a gore of Land lying between Lyndeborough and Peterborough known by the Name of Lyndeborough Gore, Humbly Shews— That your Petitioners have been encorouged to Settle in this Mountainous part of this State in Expectation of being incorporated with some Adjacent Inhabitants into a body Politic with the same priviledges that other Towns enjoy-that your petitioners and famileys Consist of Forty one Souls-and live Seven miles or upward from Lyndborough Meeting house, and in Addition to the badness of Travel generally Attending New Settlements we have to Cross the Petit Manadinack Mountain to Attend Public worship-that we have not power to raise any money for laying out and repairing highways or Schooling our Children-that public Instruction in the great duties of life and the education of our Children we Esteem as a duty and Priviledge, and think it of great importance either in a Religious or political View, which we are by our local Situation deprived of, and must so remain or quit our habitation unless releived by the Honble General Court, that, That part of Lyndeborough that is Adjacent to us lies west of the Petit Monadinock Mountains, and that part of the Society land that lays South of the Croched Mountain and is bounded on the west by Contoocook River can never be Accommodated in any other way than by being incorporated together with us and one Range of Lots in the Town of Peterborough, and that with them we think ourselves Able to make every Necessary provision for the enjoyment of Priviledges & Advantages that other Towns enjoy Therefore we pray that your Honours would incorporate us with the Inhabitants above mentioned into a body Politic with the same priviledges & Emmunities that are enjoyed by other Towns in this State-or Grant us Releife as you in Your wisdom shall See fit-and Your Petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray Lyndeborough Gore May 25th 1790— |