4 that there be Men chosen and sworn to Inspact and see that the above Articuls be Ubserved, and that they may have full power of Substitution to prosecut all and Every affenders of said articuls to fineal Judgment and Execution, and your petitioners as in Dyt Bound Shall Ever pray

The Petitioners for Derryfield

Subscribers for Londonderry

[An act was passed by the legislature, March 23, 1776, entitled "An act to promote the Increase of the Fish called Alewives in Great Cohass Brook in Derryfield," which contained the following provision:

"And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that each & every Person, owning or improving any Mill Dam on said Brook, shall from the first day of May to the fifteenth day of June in every year from & after the passing & during the continuance of this act keep a sluice open in each Dam, to the end that the said Alewives may pass & repass into & from the said Massabesec Pond, without interruption and in failure thereof every Person being owner or improver of such Dam or Dams as aforesaid, shall forfeit & pay for every offence the Sum of Ten Pounds."

The town of Derryfield was authorized to choose a committee to see that the law was obeyed.-ED.]

[1-17] [Relative to being classed for Representative, 1780.]

State of New Hampshire

To the Honble the Council & Gent" of the Honble House of Representatives in Gen' Assembly at Portsmouth convened 13th October 1780.

The humble Petition of the several Persons whose names are hereto set, and subscribed, Inhabitants of Derrifield in the County of Hillsborough, and State aforesaid.

Sheweth That pursuant to plan of Government, the said Town of Derrifield was annexed to Goffestown, for the purpose of chusing annually a person to represent them in General Assembly which Union has turned out to be a great Grievance and highly inconvenient to Derrifield.

That Your Pet's conceive Goffestown to consist of 100 families, and therefore not needing the Aid of Derrifield, whilest the latter contains little more than 50 families, And consequently in every Choice as aforesaid must (if the Inhabitants cod possibly be present) be overpowered by numbers, and outvoted And therefore not fairly represented.

But may it please Your Honors, so it is, that frequently the said Inhabitants of Derrifield cannot be present at such Choice as the same is by precept always at Goffestown & at a time of Year when many times they cannot pass the River Merrimack without peril of their Lives.

That your Petrs are sensible, that they cannot stand alone in representation, but as they are informed by their Neighbors,

Inhabitants of Litchfield, that they also conceive themselves to be under Circumstances somewhat similar to the above, with respect to Nottingham West, and that they also are about to apply to Yo' Hon" for relief

Your Pet's for the Causes aforesaid, pray leave to bring in a Bill, whereby they may be declared Seperate from said Goffestown and joined in future to said Litchfield for the purpose aforesaid.

[The foregoing petition was granted. Derryfield and Litchfield were classed for representative, and Goffstown sent one by itself. See p. 33.—ED.]

[7-18]

[Return of Ratable Polls, 1783.]

State of New Hampshire-Hillsborough ss

The Return of the Number of the mail Inhabent of the town of Derryfield of twenty one years of age and upȧrds paying Pole Taxes for them selves is sixty tow

Derry field December yo 10th 1783

Joseph Sanders) Derryfield

State of New Hampshire Hillsborough s

Derryfield December 15 Day 1783—

Personally appeared the above Named Select men of Derryfield and Made Solemn Oath to the above Return by them Signed

Before me

John Goffe Justicie Paces

[7-19]

[Relative to Sabbath-Breaking, 1784.]

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives to be convened at Portsmouth upon the third wednesday of October AD 1784

The petition of the select men of Derryfield in behalf of the Inhabitants of said town, humbly sheweth-that the breach of the sabbath is become so frequent that few hours of that day passes but repeated instances of it, is to be seen upon any of our public roads. Not only traveling upon foot and Horse but driving loaded teams, as if they pursued there secular busnes upon that day with more alacrity then any other. A practice not only unjustifiable but the day is not fare past that a single instance of it, would have been alarming to a whole County, And that it was Expressly the command of the Supreme Being that that day should be cearfuly Observed—and strictly injoined upon those who holds the rains of civil Goverment to punish the aggressor is well known to your Honors. And the act of law in this State dos not point out the duty of the several officers so accurately nor the fine so high as your petitioners wish for. But we look up to you who are our political fathers who has the undouted right to pass all Edicts for the Good of the Subject, to pass such a law as will more Effectually put a stop to those vicious practises

Wherefore we humbly pray your Honors to pass a new act for the observing of that day and the dutey of every officer clearly pointed out and they strictly injoined to see that the law be Observed, the fine raised, and any person not in office may stop travellers on said day. And your petitioners as in duty bound shall ever pray

[7-20] [Proportionment of Foreign, Debt among the Inhabitants, 1787. each name are omitted.]

John Hall Select
John Goffe Men

Domestic, and State

The Sums set against

State of Newhampshire County of Hillsborough

Agreeable to a Requisition of the General Court Wee Have Proportioned the same to the Inhabitants of the Town of Derryfield which is as follows

Gene' John Stark John Perham

Samuel Stark

Bishop Coston

Thomas Whittiker Cherls Emerson

Timothy Stevens

Jonathan Stevens
Hugh Thompson

[7-21] [Petition for the Appointment of a Committee to settle the North Line of the Town, 1789.]

To the Honorable the Senate and house of Representatives

The Petition of the Select Men of Derryfield Humbly Sheweth that their hath ben Great inconveniences & Dammage Risen to the Inhabitants of Derryfield by reason of their being a Dispute how far the North line of the Town Extends up the River Merrimack—

Wherefore your Petitioners prays that their may be a Committee appointed by your Hono to Determine & Establish the West & North lines of said Derryfield

and your Petitioners as in Duty Bound Shall Ever pray