At a Town Meeting of the freeholders & Other Inhabitants In Dunstable Qualified to Vote In Town affairs assembled at the meeting house In Dunstable On Monday the 21st Day of Sept 1757 Extract of the Votes The Question Was Put if the Town of Dunstable Wou'd set off the Inhabitants & Land as Petitioned for by William Cumings & Others to be annexed to Holles or any Part thereof & Voted In the Negative then Voted that Joseph Blanchard & Zacheus Lovewell Esqrs. & Capt Joseph French be agents In the Behalf of the Town of Dunstable Joyntly or Severally or any two of them to Shew Cause Why the Prayer of the aforesaid Petition shou'd not be Granted A True Copy pr. Jonathan Lund town clerk Dunstable April 2d 1757 A True Copy Taken from Dunstable Town Book pr Choice of agents March 21st 1757 Jonathan Lund Town Clerk At a meeting of the Freeholders & Other Inhabitants of the Town of Dunstable Regularly assembled at the house of Thomas Harwood In Dunstable the 5th Day of March 1754 Extracts of the Votes Voted that all the Inhabitants on the Place Called One Pine Hill viz: those to the West of Sampson Frenches & John Butterfield making a strait Line be excused from all charges In fitting Raising & finishing the old meeting house. Dunstable apri! ye 2d 1757 A true Copy taken from Dunstable town Book Pr. Jonathan Lund Town Clerk At a Meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Dunstable held at the house of Mr Jonathan French On the 24th Day of July 1749 Lawfully Warned for the following Purposes Extract of the Votes Also voted To hire a School for Eight months & that three months part thereof be Improved the North side Nashua River In two places. One the Most Convenient place at One pine Hill & that two months be Kept In the middle of the Inhabitants Between Nashua River & the Province Line & that the Other three months be kept the One half at the South End & One half at the North End to be Determined by the Committee to be Chosen the Most Convenient Places for that Purpose Dunstable April ye 2d 1757 A true Coppy taken from Dunstable town Book. Pr Jonathan Lund Town Clerk N. B. Y Petitioners Live at a place called One pine hill At a Meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Dunstable Assembled on Wednesday the 30th Day of April 1746 Extract of the Votes of said meeting Also Voted that the Inhabitants that by the Charter Was Incorporated With this Town of Dunstable Who Was by any Other Act or Law While Under the Jurisdiction of the Massachusetts Government Incorporated With any Other Town or Parish & have Continued to Pay Rates to the Respective Ministers of those Places be & hereby are Voted and Excused from the Tax or Rates Due to Mr Swan to Compleat his Salary Down to the Last Day of March Last Dunstable April ye 2d 1757 A true Coppy taken from Dunstable town Books Pr. Jonathan Lund Town Clerk At a Meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Dunstable assembled according to Law on Monday the Second Day of March 1746–7 Extract of the Votes of Said Meeting. Whereas it has been proposed by the Inhabitants of this Town of Dunstable at Several Town Meetings to agree upon a Place Where to Erect a Meeting house for the Public Worship of God In this Town & no place being agreed upon & it Being Necessary that a place Should be fixed or agreed upon for Said Use & to Prevent the Charge of a Courts Committee in Settling the Same & that the Same May be Don Just & Equal it is Proposed that a Committee of three Judicious men hereafter to be Named be chosen (Belonging to some Other Town or Towns) & that they be fully Impowered to meet & agree upon or fix a Certain place for Erecting a Meeting house In this Town of Dunstable & that they View the Land in Settling the Same & that the Said Committee or the Maj Part of them Certify to the Clerk of this Town (In Writing by them Signed) the Place they Shall agree upon or fix for Said use & that In their Judgment it is a place that is Just & Equal & Will Best acomodate the Inhabitants of this Town of Dunstable & the Clerk is hereby Ordered to Record the Same Which Being Done shall be & Remain the Place for Building a Meeting house In this Town for the use aforesaid if the Land Can be had for the Same & that the Select men Desire Said Committee to Meet In this Town & agree upon a Place as aforesaid upon the Cost & Charge of this Town Voted In the affirmative Dunstable April ye 2d 1757 A true Coppy taken from Dunstable town Book Province of New Hampshire Pr. Jonathan Lund Town Clerk We the Subscribers Being Chosen a Committee By the Town of Dunstable In said Province at their Meeting the 2d Day of March 1746-7 to fix & agree upon a place to Erect a house for the Public Worship of God In Said Dunstable according to the Directions in said Vote given us having Viewed the Land & hearing all Parties fully thereon So far as they See Cause have fixed & agreed That the Place for Build" the said house on be & hereby is stated (as In our Judgments most Just & Reasonable to be all Circumstances Considered) By the high Way on the Easterly Side thereof about four Rods from said Way at a small Pine Marked against Mr Samuel Whitings New field (so called) Near the Place Where the Road Comes from Phineas Lunds. as Witness our hands this 234 Day of May 1747 A true Copy Attes Joseph Fitch Jon Lovewell Town Clerk Dunstable April yo 2d 1757 A true Coppy taken from Dunstable town Book pr. Jonathan Lund Town Clerk At a Meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Dunstable In the Province of New Hamp' Being Regularly Assembled at the house of Mr Thomas Harwood the 21st Day of December 1753 Then Voted the Place Whereon to set up a house for Public Worship on Lords Day be at the Crotch of the Roads as Near as Can be With Convenience (Near the house where Jon Lovewell Now Dwells) Voted that the old Meeting house be Took Down Moved & Set up on the Place this night Voted for that Purpose & that the Same be forthwith Done & that the Honble Joseph Blanchard Esq Zacheus Lovewell Thomas Harwood Joseph French John Butterfield Jonathan Lund Ephraim Adams Jon Lovewell & amasa Parker be a Committee to Effect the Same & that the Necessary Charges be paid by this Town Dunstable April ye 2d yr 1757 a true Cop taken from Dunstable town Book Pr. Jonathan Lund Town Clerk Then Voted that Joseph Fitch of Bedford Capt. William Laurance Esq' of Groton & Capt. John Chamberlain of Souhegan East be the Committee to settle the Meeting house Place as afores & that they make Report Within three Months Voted that Capt. Rob' Fletcher be Chosen to Serve In the afores Comtee in Case Either fail Dunstable April 2d 1757 A Copy Taken from Dunstable Town Book [Here follows a plan of Pine Hill on the west part of Dunstable, which is omitted. ED.] DURHAM. [This town was originally part of Dover, and long had the name of Oyster-River. It was incorporated during the administration of Gov. Belcher, 15 May, 1732. ED.] Petition for Incorporation as a Town. To the Honble John Usher Esq' Levt Govern' Comand' in Chief of his Majests Province of New Hampshire and to the Honble the Councill. Wee the Subscribers Inhabitants of Oyster River Humbly Petition and Pray That whereas, his Moste Sacred Majesty King William has been pleased through his grace and favor to grant unto yo1 Hon' by his Royall Commission with ye Councill full Powers and authorities to Erect and Establish Towns within his Majesties Province and whereas now y' Petitioners have by divine providence settled and Inhabited that Part in this his Majests Province Comonly Called Oyster River and have found that by the scituation of the place as to Distance from Dover or Exeter butt more Especially Dover now being forced to wander through the Woods to yt place to meet to and for ye management of our affaires are much Disadvantaged for ye Present in our Business and Estates and hindered of adding a Town and People for the Hon' of his Majesty in the Inlargement and In rs creas of his Province Wee humbly Supplicate that yo' Hon's would take itt to yo' Consideration and grant that we may have a Township confirmed by your honours which we humbly offer the bound Thereof may Extend as followeth. To begin at the head of Rialls his cove and so to run upon a North west line seven Miles and from thence with Dover line Parrelell untill we meet with Exeter line that yo' Hon' would be pleased to Grant this Petition which will not only be a great benefitt Both to the Settlement of our Ministry The Population of the place the Ease of the Subject and the strengthening and advantaging of his majest Province butt an Engagement for yo Petitioners Ever to pray for the Safety & Increase of yo' Hon's and Prosperity Ecclesiastical document relating to Durham, 1723. Revend Hon. & beloved. understanding Col. Davis & his wife are abt to Joyn in full com" wth yo' church this is ya by virtue of ye communion of churches to enter my objection agst y for scandalous crimes untill their publick confession & reformation 1st crime agst him is his hipocrisy in pretending he could not with our church on acct of Capt. Jones who (as he said) had taken a false oath abt Capt. Hills land at ye falls wth Jos meader also when he Considered not the beam in his own eye relating to another oath he himself took concerning Wheelwrights pond 2 crime is his Sacrilegious fraud in his being The ring leader of the point peoples first rase of my first years sallary retaining 16 pound thereof now almost sixteen years 3d crime is his Sacrilegious covetousness of the parsonage land for his son Daniel acting thereby like Ahab coveting & forceable entry upon Naboths Vineyard 4th his late wresting the Law of this Province in his partial Spite agst his own legal minister for so innocently playing at nine pins at a house no ways license for a Tavern & also for reproaching & defaming s minister as being in drink or disguised therewth besides his the s Jas. Davis being so desperately & notoriously wise in his own conceit his pretending to have so much religious discourse in his mouth & yet live so long (40 years) in hatred unto contempt of & stand neuter from our crucified Saviour & his honouring his sons & his wife also above the Lord of Heaven by his hearkeing to them more & rather than to him I sam' 2:29 in the second place ag" her the sd Elizabeth his wife. 1st crime is her railing agst the s minister publickly at the church meeting in the meeting house by saying that the s minister told a lie in the pulpit ab' Sobriety Thomas &c 2 crime is her profane mockery at christ's ordinance of a church meeting for discipline by her saying in a way of derision theres going to be another caball now i e a horse raceing from caballas the starey constellation or else a secret council for some mystery of iniquity 3d crime is her being disorderly as a busy body at every one of her husbands Courts to be his advisor or intermedler in his passing judgmt in any case as if he sha regard her more than his oath the Law or evidence if these criminals will have these crimes to be proved at any church meeting to hear the Same wch yr reverend pastor Mr. Jona Cushing may please to appoint. Then as the Honble Col. Richard Waldron Esq. is one of the members of yo' Church in full comunion & a chief Justice of peace for the Province as a Subject I desire but as an ambassad' for Christ I demand of his Hon' aforesaid a blank sumons & notification seasonably as a complaint to sumons evidence for the confirmation of ye premises as witnesses [two Hebrew words] (1) Pastor. the woman's 4th crime is her so evidently insnaring her son Thomas into so many denials of any such concernt wth Sobriety Thomas in all that Scandalous business. For which cum multis aliis &c as baptized Children of the covenant by their (1) This was undoubtedly written by Rev. Hugh Adams, of Durham. See Prov. Pap. Vol. IV. and V., "Adams." ED. |