[Hadley's account is similar, and amounts to £21, 10, 0. It was sworn to before John Goffe, January, 1759.-ED.]

[R. 2-254] [Ebenezer Newman, Soldier, 1779.]

In Committee on Claims, May 7, 1785.

The Bounty & Supplies advanced to Ebenezer Newman (a private in the 3d Regt) by the Town of Derryfield in 1779 appear to be Twenty pounds

Exd per Josiah Gilman Jun'

[7-13] [Letter from Col. John Goffe to Gov. Wentworth relative to Trespasses and some Sharp Practice at an Election in Derryfield, 1766.]

Derryfield Sept. 1st, 1766.

May it please your Excellency

I went at the Request of Masons Proprietors to the Society Land between Pettersborah & Hillsborah to see where the Trespassers had ben at work & whose Lots they had Improved upon & found they had cleared, at least cut a grate deal of Timber down, had built a camp upon Solly & Marches* & on Meservey & Blanchards and your Excellencys Lots on the west side of Contucook River they have don a grate deal of work fenced it all In with a Considerable Good Runing fence have built a camp on it & altho' no body was their when we were their yet we are prity sure that Doc' Perry is the man that has Trespassed upon your lot & petty it is that he should not be prosecuted as he Is the Ringleader of all the Rest, the[re], and as son as they Git to work again I have 2 men Ingaged to see them at work & acquaint me with their names.-The Land is Exceeding Good but I think your Excellencys is superior to any at that part of the Society Land and that maid them fellows Covet it it is certainly worth mony-I intended to have wated upon your Excellency when the Infer" Cort set but I hurt my self when up their with heat and laying out in the Wet so that I have not ben well sence I came from their.-Your Excellency may Remember that we In Derryfield petitioned the Gen" Cort for an act to call a town meeting for the choice of town officers which when I cal'd John Hall with Col° Barr who have strived all that is in their power to Injure me of late & at the meeting Col

Samuel Solley and Clement March.

Barr cam on porpos to affront me & Col° Barr Hiered voters for John hall with Large promises and Webster a Trader at Chester hall Hierd I have by good Information to come to Threaten his detters in town, if they did not vote for Hall he could not stay upon them &c, so that upon the whole with their Influence hall obtained eighteen voters be side him self and there was eighteen voters on the opposite side of the most substantial men in town so that when they had don all they could that could not git hall any office without voting for himself nor none that was chosen that day & several Reca Deeds from Col° Barr & others that day to make them voters which I suppose held them no longer than that Night for I am confident they would not Trust them A shilling ever expecting to Git it.— And as soon as the meeting was over John Hall told Esq Sheepard the moderator that he had Beat Goffe now & he would have a commission of the peace In spite of any body that should oppose it for Colo Bar & Maj Emerson and Mr Webster with his friends at the Bank would procure it for him-now may it please Your Excellency if such an Insulting fellow (for I have heard him Insult the whol Govert) many times and a man that has Live 30 or forty years upon a place & could never Raise half his provision, to Git that post would strive for to make mony by it and put the people into confusion for work he dont Incline to & is allway contriving unjust ways to maintain his Luxery & I am very sure your Excellency never will Give a commision to a man that wants it for no other end than to Revenge and Git mony by it. Therefore I Beg your Excellencys favour that John Hall nor non for him may prevail in that Respect.

I am your Excellencys most Humble

& Devoted Servant

His Excellency Govenor Wintworth

John Goffe

[If Colonel Goffe stated the truth in the foregoing, the practice of hiring voters is not so modern as many would have us believe.

The meeting mentioned in the foregoing was a special meeting called by virtue of an act of the legislature, passed July 9, 1766, which act nullified the proceedings of the regular annual meeting, at which two sets of town officers were chosen. Said act was passed in answer to a petition from sundry of the inhabitants, who stated that one party (probably the John Hall party, as he was town-clerk) opened the meeting and elected one set of officers before the usual hour, and their opponents, on their arrival, elected another set.-ED.]

[7-14] [Feremiah Stevens for Confirmation of a Grant of Land, 1742.]

To His Excel. Benning Wentworth Governour In Chef In & over His Majesty's province of New-hampshire To the Honou' His Majesty's Councel

The petition of Jeremiah Stevens of Salsbury in the County of Essex Humbly Shewing That wheras the province of the Massachusset In the year 1735 for serveces done & more Especaly In the Eastward parts In the province of new hampshire under the Comand of Col; Wolton made a grant to your petitioner of a tract of land of about four hundred & fifty Acres att a place Called Ammaschage Since which Tim your petitioner hath Cleared Considerable of the land & Built Two Houses there on & Setled two familys But so It Is that By the Determination of His majesty In Councel upon the Boundary line Between the massachusetts & new-hampshire the sd grant lieth to the northward of the Boundary line & In the province of new hampshire Wherefore your Humble petitioner looking upon himself a suitable object of faviour & Compasion: would Therefore pray your Excel & Hono' to Take his Case Into your most wise & Just Consideration & alow & Confirm unto your most Humble petitioner The afore s grant: & your petitioner as In Duty Bound Shall Ever pray

Essex Salsbury may 12: 1742

Jeremiah Stevens

[7-15] [Relative to the Discontinuance of a Road, 1753.]

Province of New Hamp

To His Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq Governor &c to the honble his Majestys Council & house of Representatives for said Province

Wheaeas at his Majestys Court of General Quarter Sessions for this Province held in September 1752 on a Representation of the necessity of a Road by the River thro' Derryfield Order issued to a Committee to lay it out who proceeded made return and after all parties in the Town having time to consider & make their Objections, was Accepted & passed on Record for an Highway since which we have this Week been inform'd that Since on the request of some Persons the Honble the General Assembly has tho't fit to take Cognizance of the Affair & by their Committee to view in order for the discontinuance of that Part of said Road against Namaskeeg falls, Now therefore We

the Subscribers Inhabitants of this Province & Residents in the Towns Adjoining to Merrimack River woud most humbly Remonstrate That that Part of said Road against Namaskeeg falls cannot be discontinued without a very great Prejudice to the Public-For that the River is become of very great Service to the Inhabitants of this part of the Government that as the new Settlements above the said Falls as well on all the Arms as the Main River are constantly increasing & are under necessity of clearing their Lands where there is great Quantities of valuable Lumber which must be lost with almost equal Charge to Consume as to turn into the River, unless they can be benefited by rafting down or otherwise using the River, that this Business at present is very great & must daily increase for a number of years to come and profitably employ a Multitude of Labourers, the Land on both Sides for more than Seventy miles to the Northward of the said Falls & on all the smaller Streams which woud contain more than a Million Acres with a very small land Carriage are yet to clear & the Timber not culled except a few small Towns & they but Lately began in which Merrymac River will be of Infinite Service, & of Absolute Necessity for the favour & Protection of the Government in facilitating their Passages down the River, The Charge of clearing the Falls in several Places but more especially at Namaskeeg woud amount to a Larger Sum Than can be Expected to be rais'd this many years-The great Losses those who venture down the falls meet with, will constrain them to carry by the falls, by Land, all such Lumber they can-That there is a very convenient Place for Landing, the Bank Sutable both at the head & foot of the said falls, a Level good Road & but about Six Score Rods-and commodious to lye very near the River-the River not being a Fence does not increase that Charge, The Land where the Road lyes, cannot be of great Value, the Owners content all but two Small Lots One belonging to the Heirs of Alexander McMurphy the Other to One McNeal who has lately enter'd there— That altho' a Road can be had the West side the River, & as short Travel yet the Draught much heavier but both will be wanted, the Land is mean sandy Pitch Pine Plain in general for more than two Miles back the west side, And Inhabitants Cannot live there Sufficient in the Season to hale by all the Lumber which Usually must be done by Hay the Easterly side much better accommodated & will always be-and in freshets very difficult to carry Teams a cross the River the Principal Time they are wanted-For these Considerations we humbly hope the Petition will be dismiss'd without day But if this Honble Assembly shoud otherwise determine. We humbly pray that the Inhabitants of this Part of the Government for whose Use this Road was design'd may have Opportunity to

lay their Grievance more fully before this Honble Assembly As not now having had but about twenty four hours Notice of the Affair, & none before the committee was on the Spot-And Your Petitioners as in Duty bound Shall ever Pray

[7-16] [Relative to the Alewive Fishery, 1776.]

Province of New Hampshire-Hillsborough ss Derryfield Feb' the 5th Day 1776—

This may Certifi the Members of the Gennaral Assembly in and for said province, that the Alewive fishery in Great Cohas Brook in said Derryfield would be of Great Service to the Inhabitants of Said Town, and Likwayes to the Inhabitants of the Ajasent Towns, alowing that the Incumbrance Ware Removeed which are on said Brook, therfor We Your Humble Peteceners, prays that Your Honners, would take the following Articuls by us Signed unto your Searous Concedration

I that all Incumbrances on said Brook be with all speed Removeed in order that said fish may have a free Liberty to pass and repass at all proper Secons in said Brook from Merrimack River to Massepeepek Pond

2 that no seen neat be put in to the Mouth of said Brook or Near to it in order to cach Aney of said fish, and that no scoop neat poot or wire be put in to said Brook, in aney part within sixty Rodes from the mouth of said Brook, under the paneltyes of paying three pounds for each fish Cached within said Bounds

3 our Disire is that the said fish may have free liberty to pass and repass in said Brook for the Insuing year without molestacion that they May increase their nomber, under the above like penelty.