Wee have unanimousely made choice of m' Nathaniell ffryer m' Robert Elliot m' George Jeffery and m' John Hinks to present this our petition and enlarge upon it as occation Serves. We whose names are under written, are by consent of ye Inhabitants of ye Grt Island appointed in all & every of their names to present ye within written Petition to ye Presid* & Counsel; & receiv their Answer to ye same Nathan ffryer Robert Elliot Vera copia from ye Original Petition on file Teste Rica Chamberlain Secrie [Rev. Samuel Moody was settled here soon after.—ED.] [7-137] The humble Petitition of Humphry Spensor to ye honored President & Council assembled at Portsm° in ye Province of Newhampshire this third of Octob' 1682 Humbly craveth yo' hono" favour Concerning a fine that was laid upon him ye last setting of ye Council at Portsm° It was as yo' humble Petition' hath formerly endeavoured to show before in his humble Petition to you' honors that ye mann' of his living & urgencie of incomm's did run him as he humbly confesseth, illegally to sell drink weh he would as willingly have given if his state would have bore it, ye Temptation of that run him to do amiss, & doth humbly crave yo' hono' Pity & compassion to remitt wh yo' hono' may of ye last fine imposed upon him, & doth promise to ye best of his pow' to be more watchfull hereaft of committing any disorder If yo hono' can find any room for favo' herein shall still reackon it a farth' obligation to pray for his majesties good Government in this place & yo hono" prosperity so Serving to yo' hono' favourable construction, humbly subscribe. Yo' humble Petition' Humphrey Spensor [7-139] [Petition for a Tavern License, 1682.] Great Island 22th February. 1682 To the Honoed Governo' of The Province of New-HampsheirThe humble petition of Henry Russell Sen' Whereas by the providence of God your poor petitioner hath Lived on this Island and haveing had a permition formerly to entertaine ffisher men and Seamen with Diet and Lodging at my house And being now well Stricken in yeares-My humble and earnest petition to yo' Hono' is That you would Favourably Graunt mee your License and leave To give accomodation to Strangers as fformerly with meat Beer and Lodging and I shall allwayes pray ffor your hono" prosperity and Govern ment Henry Russell. [7-140] [Joseph Purmort for Tavern License.] To y Honble the Precedent & the Councell of his Majestys province of New Hampshire The humble petition of Joseph Purmot inhabitant on ye great Island, Humbly Sheweth That your petitioner having a wife and family of Children to maintaine and at the present all trading being very dead, humbly beggeth yo' honors licence to keep a publiqe house of entertainement there being at present but one on y great Island and that very inconvenient for strangers and travellours in theire journeying through the country now your petitioner beggeth your honours favourable grant and he shall always pray for yo hono Joseph Pormort [7-143] [Statement and Petition of Joseph Purmort, 1783.] Your Humbell petitionour seueth; that He Having formerly had (from the lat President And Counsell) A Licenc to kep A Hous of Entertainmt Then here being none at this End of the Iland to Suply that plac Which occasioned our mor Diligence to provid our sellys for that Imploym' And for the purpos Hath fited my Hous Accordingly; and provided My Selfe With Lodgin and other nesesarys for that Imploym'; By means of it I am mutch in Disburs; Your Poor Petitioner Humbly Prays that your Honours Would Pleas to take it in to your Consideration; and Grant him the same privelidg; he formerly had: of A Licen to sell Beare; and other Provisions; for the refreshing of strangers; and others: I should not have desired this of yor Honours But that trading is very dead; Espetially for those of my Caling; and my charg of children great; and no other way to maintain them but, by my only laubour; I hop your Honours will be pleased to take it in to your Charitabell consideration; our former licenc proved to our Disadvantag by meanes of the short time wee followed That Imploym' haveing sutch suden orders as wee had to desist from selling Bear &c have not in any measur Reimbursed our selves what have beene out of pockett; mutch less have we gott aney thing By it so Hopeing your Honours will grant this your Pettitioner A Licenc; and your Pore Petitioner shall Ever Pray for your Honours and subscrib my selfe your Honours most Humbell servant Joseph Purmort [7-144] [Remonstrance of Portsmouth Selectmen, 1682.] To the Honrabl The Presedent and Counil now Setting in Portsm° June the 6th, 1682 May it please yo' Hon' In Obedience to an order of Councill bearing Date the 2a May, 1682 Wee Convend the Town, to agitate & Confer about the Settlment of a Minister Upon the great Island and have taken notice of the Petition p'sented yo' Hon" by Some of the Gent: men of Sd Island, who Call them-Selves p'sons Unanimusly chossen by ye Inhabitants for that End. but Upon Agitation & Conference the Inhabitants of the other partes of the Town, Culd not See cause to Consent to the motion of those on great Island at p'sent, for Sundrye Reasons. 1: The Gen' of Great Island are equaly ingaged with us to the payment, of One Hundred pound per Annum to Moody During his continuance here, we then advancing, to the Utmost of our abilities, for the promoting of so Good a work, in Expectation of being Daily Eased by the Increasing of our Inhabitants and Estates, but providence of Late hath not So Smila Upon Us, as to admitt of any Addition to our rates, with out preiudice to our familes. 2: We think it very Unreasonable they Should be sollicitos for the setling a new, till all arrears are adiusted with the old Minist', which will not be readly Done, by reson of the great aversion of the inhabitants of the Island, to the payment of the rats now in the Constable hands as by Sa Constable Complaints Doth appeare, when that is Done, together with what, Concerns the Town, we Shall Studiously endevor the Accomidation of the Great Island, as far as may Consist with the Peace and unety of the Town. 3: We are very fearfull Should this be admitted it would tend to a great Divission in the Town, for Such like reasons may Greenland Sandy beach, &c: Desier the Same, and then how far we Shall be able, to Comply with o' Obligation to m Moody, and allow Maintainance to others in the Same Capacety, we Humbly Submitt to yo' Hon" Judgm ts 4: What the Gent of the Island Dessier is purely for their own, with out respect to the Towns convenience, but when the Intrest, of the Whole, and a part comes in Competition, we leave themselves to Judg which ought to be p'fer'd. How Ever we are not insensable of the Inconveniency attending the Inhabitants, of the Island, in Coming to meeting, intimated in theire petition; & we beg them to be So Charitable to beleive we Sympathise with them, (but to their Reasons we would Say one word) I: Concerning the profaning of the Lords Day &c and (21) -abundance liveing with out ever hearing a Sermon So as they will grow heathenish, We Say, the Sabath will be profaned by Some whither neare or farther off, but one Good help here in will be for mast's of ffamilies, to teach, & Instruct those Under their care and government, as Christians ought to Doe, and this will be a means to remedy Heathenissim, and abate much of the profanity of the Sabath. ffor the 3d namely Servants Complaining of their Labour & & hazerding health if not lives, we would Say its imposable; all in these Scattering towns, Should live Equaly convenient, to the meeting-house, Sume must Undergoe, more then others, But the meeting house was Sett where it is, principally for the Convenience of the Inhabitants of great Island, and we never heard, and hope never shall, of any lives Lost, in attemting to come to meeting, if at any time, there Should be any Danger of that, they well know mercy is to be preferd befor Sacrifise as to his Majtis fortification being Exposed to an enemie; Scarce one Sufficient man Staying at home &c. Wee Humbly leave that to yo' Hon's in time of wars or Danger to take Such care as in yo' wisdome, Shall be thought meet, of which we presume they need not Dout. These with other considerations, which we Culd offer, give Humbly of Opinion, that the motion of the Gent men of great Island is at this time very Unreasonable, and that we had rather Unite both in Church & Town, which if we Doe, Hope Sume waye may be found out in Due time, to gratifie the Gent" of great Island with out Dissatisfaction to the rest of the Town. [7-147] [Precept for the Election of an Assemblyman at Star Island, 1694.] Hampsh To the Constable of Star Island: Pursuant to a writt from the Presid' & Councile to me directed these are in their Majest Names to require you upon Receipt hereof to give publick Notice to the freeholders of your Island that thay Convein on Munday the 29th Inst: by 10 of the Clock in the forenoone of the Same day at the Usuall place of meeting freely & Indifferently to Elect & Choose one fitt & discreet man of the Sa Island (being a freeholder thereof) wth full & Sufficient power for himself & the Comunity of the sd Island to be a General Assembly for the S Province to be held at New Castle on thirsday the first of 9 b' Next Ensueing it being for their Majest® Service: and to returne the Names of the person So chosen to me one day before the Sitting of s Assembly as you will answer the Contrary at your perrill: Gieven und my hand & seale at Portsm° Octobr 24th 1694: In the Sixth Year of their Majests Reigne Star Island october the 29th 1694 Richard Joses sherff According to the within Warrant, the ffree houlders of this Island Did meet and Chuse m' John ffobes For assembelley Man with Suffecient power to offetiat in that (Station or) place [7-148] [Relative to Town Bounds.] John Bradon To the Hon John Usher Esq' his Majists Lift Govern' and Comander in Cheife in and Over the province of Newhampsheir, and to his Majists Honbl Council now Sitting at New Castle The Humble Petition of the Inhabitants of the Towne of New Castle most Humbly Sheweth that we Your HounTM most humble petitioners doe make bold to lay before You, that whereas Your Houn" hath bin pleased to grant us to be a Township Caled by the name of New Castle and we are yet Ignorant of our boundaries Southerly and westerly therby not Knowing the number of our Inhabitants by which Cause many may Escape their Assesmts We Your most Humble petitioners most humbly pray that your Houn's would be pleased to give Order that our South boundaries may be apointed from the Creek on the South Side of the little Boares-head and from thence Westerly five miles or untill we meet with the line betweene portsm° and New Castle |