[7-68] [Petition for a Division of the Town, 1785.] State of New Hampshire To the Honble Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened at Concord third Wednesday of Oct 1785 Humbly shew the Inhabitants of the Second Division of Middletown in the County of Strafford and State aforesaid that they are situated at great distance from the place of holding the publick meetings in said Town, prevented from going to the other part of the Town where most of the Inhabitants live, without travelling into another Town first, thro' roads almost impassable for great part of the Year-Your Petitioners being so circumstanced have been and must be deprived of the benefit of all Town Priviledges in Middletown while they belong thereto That as your Petitioners can more conveniently attend the publick Meetings in Wolfborough, should the Meeting House there be built at the place agreed on-they pray that they may be disannexed from Middletown and annexed to Wolfborough, or otherwise relieved from their present grievance-And your Petitioners as in duty bound shall ever pray [7-69] William Triggs [Remonstrance to the foregoing.] State of New Hamp' Strafford ss— To the Honorable the General Court of said State The Petition of us the Subscribers Freeholders and Inhabitants of the Town of Middletown in said State Humbly Sheweth that we your Petitioners are much Surprized to hear that a Number of People Inhabiting the upper part of our Town have petitioned to be set off from us in the Infant State of our Town as we all are but few in number and the State of our affairs both Public and Private such that if Granted we apprehend would be a great Disadvantage to the General Welfare and Advancement of the Town if not Ruin Both Therefore we Humbly pray that their (said) Petition may not be granted or at least that it may be Suspended to some futer Day and your Petitioners as in Duty bound shall pray. Middle Town May 28th 1785. [The petition was accompanied by two lotted plans of Middleton, showing the proposed division, which may be found in the manuscript, Volume 7, Nos. 66 and 67. The division was made Dec. 30, 1794, the north part being incorporated into a town named Brookfield. Other documents relative to this matter will be published with Wolfeborough papers.-ED.] [7-71] [Relative to the Town's Quota of Soldiers, 1786.] State of New Hampshire Strafford ss: To the Honble Senate & House of Representatives in General Court convened at Portsmouth the Second wednesday in December 1786 Humbly Shews that the Town of midleton in said County had a Requisition made by the Gen' Court of said State for their Quota of men for the Army during the late War-that the Town in consequence thereof imploied the then Selectmen of said Town to procure the men, & said Selectmen did actually procure and hire two, viz. Samuel Lear & Robert Ellis-that Elijah Buzzell one of the Selectmen & principle actor in this matter, himselfe also engaged in the Army, & in a Secret manner carried off the principle papers Relative to this matter, with a considerable Sum of the Towns money & hath not as yet return'd papers, money, or himself That when the town was call'd on to make return of their men & make out their claims to such as were disputed, (the Surviving or) Remaining Selectmen, neglected their duty herein-In consequence whereof an Extent hath taken place against the Town, & the Selectmen have endeavoured to raise the money, but find it impracticable as there is little or no money to be found in the Town, beside the Town view it as a grievance to pay for the two men that they have already purchassed & to have them transfer'd to other towns without any colour of Right-Wherefore your Petitioners (the Inhabitants of Midleton aforesaid) Humbly pray this Honble Court to take these their grievances into their wise & deliberate consideration & grant them such Relief as their Wisdom & Lenity shall dictate & your Petitioners as in duty Bound shall ever pray Wm Chamberlin David Durgin Waldron Kinnison Chase Wiggin Simeon Dearborn Esq' in behalf of the Selectmen of midletown would further Remonstrate that the Town of Midleton hath advansed large Sums of money for hiring of Soldiers & paying wages, and have had no allowance that the Selectmen were not notified of the Trial Respecting the disputed Soldiers, therefore prays the Honb' Court to take up the whole matter & give all reasonable Releaf to the Inhabitants of sd Town— Simeon Dearborn [7-72] [Vote relative to Paper Money, 1786.] At a Legal meeting Held at Middleton the 27 Day of November 1786 at which time maid Choise of Richard Hanson Modarator of said meeting firstly Voted not to Except the Plan respecting a paper Currancy as it was recommended to us 2ly Voted to Have a Paper Currancey Established in said State and proposed the following Plan Viz to have the Sum of one Hundred and twenty Thousand Pounds of Paper money made in sd State ten Thousand of s money to be Lodged in the Treasurer to Defray State Charges & fifty Thousand Pounds of sd Money to Redeem the States Securitys and the other Sixty Thousand to be Loaned on Land Securitys said money to Pay Back taxes & to be a Lawful Tender in all Payments & voted to Except the above Proposed Plan and Desolved s meeting A true Coppy from the minets Attest Middleton Novm the 27 1786 [See Vol. XI, p. 130.] [7-73] John Chamberlain Clark [Petition for Abatement of Taxes, 1787.] State of New-Hampshire To the Honorable Senate and House of Representives for said State in General Assemble Convened Humbly shew the Subscribers Selectmen of Middleton Situate in the County of Strafford and State aforesaid that we have had an Extent a Gainst us for Taxes for the years 1775 & 1776 & 1777 which Taxes was Layd on the town before we were incorporated for your Honours may by inquiring Know that we was not incorporated untill the year 1778 which Taxes Sence we ware incorporated we think reasonable to pay if Possible but for them three years your honours may also know that we had no Select-men to assess the Inhabitents which were but few at that time & some part of them has removed out of town Sence altho the Extent was not Large yet we would Humbly pray that your Honours would take the indigent Circumstances of your Petitioners under your wise Consideration (altho we have paid said Extent) and refund it to some other Tax for we have had an Extent against the town for Soldiers and it would be some help to us towards paying that if your honours think it unreasonable for us to pay the taxes for them three years and if not we would Humbly pray that your Honours would Provide means for us to Collect said taxes by Laying the assessment on the inhabitints that now Lives in said town or such Relief as in your Wisdom may be Judged Proper and your Petitioners as in Duty bound Shall Ever Pray [7-74] [Petition for a Magistrate, 1790.] State of Newhampshire Strafford ss To his Excellency the President and Honble Council of the State aford_ The Subscribers Inhabitants of the Town of Middletown and other Towns adjacent Humbly represent to your Excellency and honors that a Justice of the peace is much wanted in s Middletown there being none already appointed Therefore Your Petitioners beg leave to recommend and nominate Cap Archelaus Woodman for said office who we pray Your Excellency & Honors may be appointed thereto and your Petitioners as in duty bound will pray &c |