Returned, and at an Unusual Expence fitted out Five fishing Vessells, Two of which were taken by the Enemy, and some of the Hands are yet on Board the Sloop of War which took them; and Since a Considerable part of the Inhabitants have Engaged in the Continental Service; and Others have no trade to Support them, That they at present are Unable to Support their Minister or School.-Wherefore your Memorialest would move that this Court would take their Case into their Calm Consideration and grant them such Relief with Respect to their Tax's for 1775 & 1776, as they may think Just & Reasonable in their present Distressed Situation and your memorialest as in Duty bund shall ever pray— Exeter Dec 12th 1776. Henry Prescott [7-168] [Petition for Authority to raise Money by Lottery to build a Bridge, 1778.] To the Hon The Council, and House of Representatives for the State of New Hampshire, Conven'd at Exeter, the Petition of a Number of the Inhabitants of the Town of New Castle Humbly Sheweth That your Petitioners, the greater part of them, being Scituate and Living on an Island, Renders their Communication with the Inhabitants on the main Extreamly Difficult, and Many times Utterly Impracticable; that for want of a Bridge we are Deprived of Any Markett from the Country Except what is by water, which is very Precarious and Uncertain; that in Case of an Attack from Our Enemys, Assistance from Our Bretheren on the Main would be Difficult to be Procured, and if Procured, a Retreat, in Case of a Defeat would be Attended with many and great Inconveniences That your Petitioners in this Time of general Calamity have been Deprived of the Usual means of geting their Livelyhood in a more Especial Manner, as their whole Dependance was upon Navigation and the Fishery, and are thereby Rendered Uncapable of doing any thing towards Building a Bridge themselves; That The Hon The Committee of Safety for this State did in the year 1776 Direct Col. Long when Stationed on this Island, with a Body of Troops, to Build a Bridge a Cross the River with the Materials of the Old One, as far as it would go, and also gave us some Old Condemned Masts and Booms to work into the New Bridge, But Unfortunately for Us Your Petitioners, the Season of the year was so far Advanced before He began that the work Remains Uncompleated Your Petitioners Therefore humbly Request your Honor's would enable them by an Act of this State to Raise Two thousand Dollars by a Lottery to finish the Bridge already began, and your Petitioners as in Duty Bound Shall ever pray New Castle February 10th 1778. [In H. of Rep., Feb. 13, 1778, the foregoing petition was granted.-ED.] [7-169] [Report of Committee on Damages to Property by the Troops.] State of New Hamp In the House of Representatives Nov" 21" 1778. The Committee appointed by the Council & House of Representatives to estimate the Damages and Rents of sundry Houses improved as Barracks in the Years 1775 and 1776 by Cap' Parr's Rifle men, and other Continental Troops under the Command of Col' Peirse Long having met for the purpose aforesaid—& after a full survey of the buildings at New Castle, at Seavey's Island, and Cap' George Janvrin's Island, do agree to Report as follows-viz' To Meshech Bell for his house and damage To William Vinard for ditto £45.0. IO. O. 20. 0. To Jane Watkins d To Henry Foss 12.0. 28. o. 24. 0. 90. 0. 56.0. 72. 0. 76.0. This Account of nine hundred and sixty-eight pounds appears to your Committee to be due to the above named twenty nine persons, for the improvement of their houses & Lands for the purposes before mentioned, and all their damages-All which is submitted by George Gains for said CommitteeWhich Report being read & considered Voted that the same be received and accepted, & that the President give orders of payment accordingly to Major George Gains Sent up for Concurrence— John Langdon Speaker In Council the Same day read and Concurred E Thompson Sec [7-170] [Relative to Legislative Representation, 1784.] To the Honble the Council and House of Representatives of the State of New Hampshire in General Court Assembled The Petition of the Inhabitants of the Town of New Castle Humbly Sheweth— That by Reason of the late Cruel and Distressing War your Petitioners have for a long Time been deprived of the Usual means of geting their Subsistance, and are so Impoverished in their Circumstances that they have been unable to pay their Usual Proportion of the Public Expence, or even to Support a Minister, or School Amongst them, and also that their Numbers are greatly deminished, by which Means they are, at present, rendered unable to Support Representation Wherefore your Petitioners pray that they may be disannexed from the Town of Rye, and not Annexed to any Other Town for the Choice of a Representative, they Choosing rather in their present Circumstances, to Rely on the Justice and Clemency of the Honbl the General Court of the State [7-172] [Petition for Authority to raise Money by Lottery to build a Bridge, 1789.] To the Honourable Senate, and House of Representatives in General Court Assembled The Petition of the Inhabitants of the Town of New Castle, humbly Sheweth-that the well known Importance of the small Town aforesaid, Imployed in the Fishing Business, to the State in General, and that the Increased Prosperity of it, is greatly Influential to the Fishery in general, that Publick source of Wealth, thrown into the Lap of the State, surely demands the Attention of the Legislature-And whereas, the Demolition of the Bridge, that connected the Island, to the main Land by means of which a Communication was Opened, and was a source of Prosperity, has greatly Impoveris'h us, and is still a hindrance to Our, Increase, Welth, and Prosperity, the Continuance of this Inconvinience, must, Continue, our Poverty Weaken and Deminish our Numbers, our Business, and means of Prosperity, and must in the Issue deminish the Wealth of the State in general, and so be a Publick detriment, unless the Bridge is Restored, and thereby a free Communication Opened to the Country,-And whereas the Inhabitants of said New Castle, are by no means Able to the Arduous Task of Rebuilding the Bridge without the help and Aid of the Publick, these are therefore Earnestly to Pray and Petition that your Honours would grant us a Lottery, to Raise Fifteen hundred Pounds Lawful Money, which sum we suppose will take to Rebuild the Bridge in said New Castle, and afford us Other help and Aid as you in your goodness and Wisdom may see fit, and we as in duty bound will Ever Pray &c New Castle Dec 24, 1789 Oliver Noble Sampson Sheafe Robert White George Bell Sinur Luke Wilkinson Nathaniel Amazeen John Carrell William Clarnboul William Vennard Robert Blunt Joseph Amazeen Jos. ffrost Edward Tredick Joshua Bickford Ju Abednego Bell Benja Prescott John Randel Stephen Batson Jun Joshua White [7-173] [Petition from Inhabitants of Rye concerning the same.] State of New Hampshire To the Hon The Senate and House of Representatives in General Court Assembled, at Portsmouth On the 23d Day of December Instant The Petition of the Inhabitants of the Parish of Rye Humbly Sheweth-That the Ancient Town of New Castle has been greatly distressed and Impoverished by Means of the late War, and the Bridge a Cross Little Harbour which Connected them to the Main, has been demolished, and the Inhabitants thereof are by no Means Able to Rebuild said Bridge, without the Aid |