APPENDIX. Petition of the Inhabitants of Londonderry for a Charter, 21 Sept., 1719. The Humble petition of the People late of Ireland now settled at Nutfield to his Excellency the Governor and General Court assembled at Portsmouth Sept 23d 1719. Humbly Sheweth, That your Petitioners having made application to the General Court met at Boston in October last and having obtained a grant for a Township in any part of their unappropriated lands took incouragement thereupon to settle at Nutfield about the Eleventh of Aprile last which is situated by Estimation about fourteen miles from Haverel meeting House to the North West and fifteen miles from Dracut meeting House on the River merimack north and by East. That your petitioners since their settlement have found that the said Nutfield is claimed by three or four different parties by virtue of Indian Deeds, yet none of them Offered any disturbance to your petitioners except one party from Newbury and Salem. Their Deed from one John Indian bears date March the 13th Anno Dom: 1701 and imports that they had made a purchase of the said land for five pounds, by virtue of this deed they claim ten miles square Westward from Haverel line and one Caleb Moody of Newbury in their name discharged our People from clearing or any wais improving the said land unless we agreed that twenty or five and twenty families at most should dwell there and that all the rest of the land should be reserved for them. That your petitioners by reading the Grant of the Crown of Great Britain to the Province of the Massachusetts bay, which determineth their northern line three miles from the 377 River merrimack from any and every part of the River and by advise from such as were more capable to judge of this Affair, are Satisfied that the said Nutfield is within his Majesties Province of New Hampshire which we are further Confirmed in, because the General Court met at Boston in May last, upon our renewed application did not think fit any way to intermeddle with the said land. That your petitioners therefore imbrace this opportunity of addressing this honourable Court, praying that their Township may consist of ten miles square or in a figure Equivalent to it, they being already in number about seventy Families & Inhabitants and more of their friends arrived from Ireland to settle with them, and many of the people of New England settling with them, and that they being so numerous may be Erected into a Township with its usual Priviledges and have a power of making Town Officers and Laws, that being a frontier place they may the better subsist by Government amongst them, and may be more strong and full of Inhabitants: That your Petitioners being descended from and professing the Faith and Principles of the Establist Church of North Britain and Loyal Subjects of the British Crown in the family of his Majesty King George and incouraged by the happy administration of his Majesties Chief Governour in these provinces and the favourable inclinations of the good people of New England to their Brethren adventuring to come over and plant in this vast Wilderness, humbly Expect a favorable answer from this honourable Court and your Petitioners as in duty bound shall ever pray &, Subscribed at Nutfield in the name of our people Sept ye 21st 1719. • By JAMES GREGG CONCERNING THE CLAIM TO NUTFIELD. A Petition of Joseph Pike, in behalf of himself and others, that Purchased a Tract of Land of John an Indian, Heir of Penicook, in the year 1701. which Tract is Ten Miles Square, Lying to the Westward of Haverhill. Presented to the House, and Read Shewing That sundry Irish People have Settled thereon and call it Nutfield. Praying, That the said Purchasers may have the said Tract Confirmed to them, or so much as falls within this Government. Ordered, That Mr. Cooke, Capt. Gardner, and Col. Dudley, be a Committee to consider of the said Petition, and of the affair of Nutfield, and make a Report to the House what they think proper to be done. [Mass. House Journal, Nov. 15, 1720.] Mr. Cooke from the Committee appointed, made Report on the Petition of Joseph Pike, Committed the 15th Currant, which was accepted by the House, And accordingly Ordered, That whereas James MacGregor, James MacKeen, and James Gregg, on behalf of themselves, and sundry others, by their Petition to this Court, at their Sessions in May, 1719. set forth that the Court in October foregoing, Granted them a convenient Tract of Land, of six miles square, and appointed a Committee to Lay it out for them in the Eastern Parts; and upon further Inquiry the Petitioners found a more convenient Tract of Land, about fourteen Miles from Haverhill; and that they had begun a Settlement there, and had increased to the Number of Fifty Families; and therefore Pray'd, that in case the Land should Lye within this Government, they might be formed into a Township, and till then, quietly possess and improve the said Lands unappropriated, free and clear from any Disburse. Which Petition was rejected. And that some time since they have applied to the Government of New-Hampshire, and are made by them a Township, and have Civil Officers among them, for Governing their Affairs; which is a great and open breach upon the Jurisdiction of this Government, and may tend to deprive them of their just Rights, and Proprieties, if not speedily prevented. And whereas Joseph Pike, on behalf of himself, and others Inhabitants of this Province have made application, for a Grant of those Lands for a Township. Wherefore Resolved, That Capt. Gardner, Capt. Kimball, and Mr. Sanders, be Desired and Impowered (taking with them the Sheriff of the County of Essex; and such a Number of Men from Haverhill, or those Parts as may be needful) to Repair to the aforesaid Land, and view the several Houses, and other Improvements that have been of late made by those people thereon; and report the same to this House, & at the same time signifie to the said James MacGregor, James MacKeen, and James Gregg, That they without delay come to the Court, and render the Reasons that induced them to proceed so far in their Settlements, without the leave or consent first had of the General Court. That this Court may take such further steps in this Matter, as they shall then think fit. [Mass. House Journal, Nov. 17, 1720.] A Message from the Board, by John Wheelright, Esqr. and Mr. Secretary Willard. Viz. His Excellency observing a Mistake in the Votes of this Honourable House, of November 17. relating to Nutfield, in these words, And that some time since they have applied to the Government of New-Hampshire, and are made by them a Township, has directed us to acquaint you, that upon application made to him, and the Government of New-Hampshire, That they might be made a Town; his Excellency absolutely refused; giving them for reason, that it was doubtful, in which Province the Lands they were Settled on would fall. And Col. Wheelwright acquainted the House, That he was present when the Nutfield People, Addrest themselves to the Governour and Council at New-Hampshire, to be made a Town, and that they were denied. [Mass. House Journal, Dec. 2, 1720.] PETITION FOR BILLS OF CREDIT, &c. To his Excellency the Governour and Honourable Council of New Hampshire in General Court assembled at Portsmouth Apr. 18th 1721. The humble Petition of the People of Nutfield, Humbly sheweth, That your petitioners are sensible of the Goodness of God and Care and Protection of his Excellency the Governour and Council of New Hampshire in supporting and defending their plantation for which they render them unfeigned Acknowledgments of duty and respect, That your Petitioners are in a Growing condition having already Exceeded the number of three hundred and sixty souls of which there are one hundred and thirty Effective men capable to bear Arms for his Majesty King George, as his Excellency the Governour and Council may think fit to Employ them. That altho' your petitioners have Exhausted their money in Subduing the wilderness yet they are Carrying on all the parts of good Husbandry and building a House for the worship of God; That your Petitioners want to be incorporated, that the affairs of their settlement may be managed with greater advantage. May it therefore please your Excellency and your Honours. to give order that our people which are already so numerous may not be too much Confined in respect of room by any newer settlement in our Neighbourhood, that Bills of Credit May be lent out unto them upon due Security in some term of years to be paid again without interest in Hemp and other |