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Reason than that they tho't it necessary in Order to their having any Colour for what they Ask, that there should have been in Reality what they without the least foundation Suggest. Such methods we think quite needless in a Good cause and they will we trust be quite unavailable in any Other. Wherefore we Humbly Pray, not only on behalf of the Parish of Hampton falls But of all Religious Societys in General that the Petition may be Dismissed. For we think that Encouraging Persons in Methods such as these Petitioners have Practised will have a direct tendancy to Destroy Religious Societys of every Denomination.

But if it shall Appear Otherwise to your Excellency and Honors, we Humbly Pray that they may be made a Distinct Parish to act in all Respects by themselves, we being fully convinced from what we have already Experienced how great will be the Difficulties of being Connected in Civil matters while there is a Seperation as to Others. For which Reason the Parish were willing Notwithstanding the unreasonableness of all their Proceedings that they should go off as a Distinct Parish and their not accepting of this we think Shews their Disposition more to keep the Parish in Difficulties, than that Religious Principles are the foundation of their Proceedings. MESHECH WEARE RICHARD NASON

JONATHAN TILTON

CALEB SANBORN

NATHANIEL GOVE

ABNER SANBORN JR

Committee.

Petition for a Presbyterian Society renewed—(with slight

1767

alterations).

To his Excellency John Wentworth Esq. Captain General Governor and Commander in Chief in and over his Majesties Province of New Hampshire, To His Honorable his Majesties Council and House of Repsentatives for said Province Convened in General Assembly July 3 1767.

The Petition of the Subscribers Freeholders and Inhabitants of the Town of Hampton falls in said Province, Humbly Sheweth.

That about three years ago the Revd Mr Pain Wingate in the Congregational way and manner was settled in the work of the ministry in said town;

That the Doctrines Preached by the said Rev" Mr Pain Wingate are very different from those of your petitioners and dis

agreeable to them. That your Petitioners apprehended they could not be Profited by the Preaching and ministration of the said Rev Mr Wingate. That the measures taken by the said Town in order to the Settlement and support of the said Mr Wingate are as your Petitioners Conceive unprecedented and Justly Grievous to them, and that Therefore your petitioners and many others (near one half thereof) constantly opposed his Settlement there and Dissented therefrom. That your Petitioners are Conscientiously of the Presbyterian Perswation Respecting Church Government, Doctrin Discipline and Worship That thay with others of their Breathren of that said perswation have for some time Past Been Regularly formed into a church built a meeting House in said Town for the Public Worship of God, Called and settled a minister in the Presbyterian way Namely the Rev Mr Samuel Perley. That your Petitioners Conscientiously and Constantly on the Lords day and at other times occationally attend the Publick Worship of God there according to their said Perswasion—That the Premises Notwithstanding the select men of the town of Hampton falls for two years Past have Rated your Petitioners for the support of the said Mr Wingate, which some of your Petitioners have been Imprisoned therefor, which your Petitioners apprehend to be a Greivious and unreasonable Burthan upon them. Therefore your Petitioners Humbly Pray your Excellency and Honors to take their case under your wise consideration, and as they Conceive themselves to be Intitled to his Majestys Grace and Faviour in allowing to all his subjects Liberty of Conscience and that it is unreasonable for them to be Compelled to Pay towards the support of a minister whom they do not hear and attend upon for the Reasons aforesaid when at the same time they are at the Expence of maintaining Publick Worship amonge themselves: Thay pray your Excellency and Honors would Grant them Relief in the Premises by Exonerating them their families and Estates and all other within said town of Hampton falls who are of the same perswasion and attend the Publick Worship with them from all ministerial Rates and taxes in said town Excepting to their own minister and setting them off as a distinck Parish for ministerial affairs only and enabling the said Presbyterian Congregation to Raise and Levy upon themselves such taxes and assessments as they shall from time to time Find necessary for the support of the ministry and Publick Worship of God amonge tham selves and as in duty bound shall ever pray &c &c.

Ebenezer Knowlton

Henry Robie

Richard Smith

Jacob Smith

Samuel Selley

Abel Davis
Joseph Norten
Winthrop Gove
John Eaton Jr
Job Haskell

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Province of New Hampshire.

Jonathan Hoyt

John True
Jacob Freanch
Simon Clough
Abner True
Jonathan Walton
Ebenezer Gove

Samuel Eaton

Elisha Merrill
Samuel Felch
Joseph Falch
William French
Paul Greenleaf
Sam Philbrick
John Chase
Isaac Brown
Benjamin Leavitt
Nathan Gove.

In Council Septem' 22d 1767.

Read & ordered to be sent down to the Honble Assembly.
T. Atkinson Jr Secry.

Province of New Hampshire{

In the House of Representatives Sept 22d 1767.

Upon Reading the foregoing Petition Voted that the Petition's be heard on the said Petition on the third Day of the sitting of the General Assembly after the first Day of November next & that they serve the select men of Hampton falls with a Copy of said Petition & the order of the assembly thereon within fourteen days from this time. M. Weare, Clr.

In Council, Eodem Die

Read & Concurred.

T. Atkinson Jr. Secry.

Province of New Hamps

In the House of Representatives Febry 12th 1768. The within Petition being Considered, Voted that it be dismiss'd Reserving to the Petitioners Liberty to Bring in a Bill as heretofore Granted to be set off as a Distinct Parish in all Respects.

In Council Feby 18th 1768.

Read & concurrd

Geo. King, Depy Secry.

M. Weare, Clr.

An Act for dividing Hampton Falls into two Parishes. Anno regni Regis Georgii tertii Magnæ Brittaniæ, Franciæ et Hiberniæ Octavo.

An act for dividing the town of Hampton Falls into two distinct Parishes.

Whereas a number of the Inhabitants of the Town of Hampton Falls have petitioned to be sett of into a distinct & New Parish for reasons in their said Petition set forth and approved of.

Be it enacted by his Excellency the Governor Council & Representatives in General Assembly Convened and by the authority of the same it is hereby enacted

That on or before the day of next the aforesaid Town of Hampton Falls shall be divided into two Parishes, each of which shall enjoy all and every Priviledges common to other Parishes, distinct and seperate from each other, under the following Exceptions and Restrictions vizt. A Divisional Line shall be drawn & setled by a committee of the General Court for that Purpose and all such of the Inhabitants who are of the Presbyterian Perswasion whose Estates shall not fall within the new Parish shall be poll'd off and belong thereto, and any of the Congregational Inhabitants whose Estates shall fall within the New Parish shall be poll'd off with their Estates and belong to the old Parish, and the Estates of all nonresident Proprietors that shall fall within the New Parish shall be assessed for all Parish Taxes (excepting ministerial) by the said New Parish.

Report of a Committee to fix the line between the said two Parishes.

Province of

We the Subscribers being appointed by a vote of New Hampshire} the General

Hampton falls in order to The southern Part Thereof Being Erected into a Distinct Parish accordingly we have viewed the Premises Heard the Parties & and agree to Report that a Line Begining on Kensington Line near Joseph Browns Dwelling house at a Road called Horsehill Road and Following said road Down to a Bridge Below Weare mill then easterly on the North Line of Elisha Browns Land to the North East corner Thereof by the Quaker Parsonage (so called) Then following the Road that leads by Henry Thresher's house to the country road, Then following the Line Between Land of Abraham Dow and Ralph Butler and Isaac Brown and between Said Dow & Meshech Weare Esq. to the south East corner of said Weare's marsh at Browns River (so called) then following said River to the western End of the parsonage Island (so called) then Round on the southern and Eastern Sides of said Island to the afors River and to the mouth thereof, shall be the Dividing Line between the two Parishes. Hampton Falls April 27th 1768.

Province of

New Hamps

John Giddinge

Josiah Bartlett

Ebenezer Thompson

Comittee

In the House of Representatives May 24th 1768. The within Report being Read and no objection made

Voted, That the Report be accepted and that the Petitioners may bring in a bill agreeable thereto

In Council May 24, 1768

Read & concurr'd.

M. Weare, Clr.

T. Atkinson Jr. Secry.

Petition of the Parish of Hampton Falls in relation to delinquent tax-payers.

Province of New Hampshire Rockingham ss

To his Excellency John Wentworth Esq. Capt. Gen' Governor & Commander in cheif in & over said Province, The Hon his Majestys Council & House of Representatives in general Assembly conven'd May, 1772. The Petition of us the subscribers a committee in behalf of the Freeholders and Inhabitants of the Parish of Hampton Falls in said County Humbly sheweth, that the selectmen for the year 1770 of the said Parish assessed the Inhabitants & Freeholders of the same in the sum of fifty five Pounds sterling money for their ministers salary and afterwards at a Legal meeting of the Freeholders & Inhabitants of the same Parish it was, among other things Voted that the selectmen for the year 1770 should be Directed not to make any tax or assessment on the Polls or estates in s Parish for the support of their minister (the Rev Mr Wingate) for that year and afterwards at another meeting of the same Freeholders and inhabitants the said Vote was Ratified and confirmed in consequence of which the selectmen aforesaid did not proceed to issue their warrant to the Constable of said Parish Impowering him to collect the taxes as they had before assess'd them but neglected by which means none of the Taxes asses'd aforesaid were that year collected—And your Petitioners in behalf of s1 Parish of Hampton falls further shew that the Inhabitants & Freeholders of the same Parish at their Legal meeting the following year (viz the year 1771) Passed a vote Impowering and ordering the selectmen for that year to issue their Warant to the Constable authorizing him to collect the Taxes for the preceding year as they were assessed by the then selectmen for said Parish for the purpose of paying their s ministers salary. They also Voted & appointed us a Committee to give security to the said Revd Mr Wingate for the Payment of the Salary before mentioned on or before the first Day of March then next together with one years interest for the same & if not Paid at that time to be upon interest untill Paid. Consequent upon which last Vote, your Petitioners gave the Revd Mr Wingate their Bond for Fifty five Pounds sterling for the Salary Due to him for the year 1770 and the selectmen for 1771 issued their Warrant Directly to the Constable impowering him to collect the Taxes for the preceding year of Parishioners as before assessed agreeable to said Vote, but afterwards Doubting the Propriety & Regularity of the Vote impowering the selectmen for one year to Rectify the mistakes and negligences of the select men for a preceding year said selectmen forbid the Constable Distraining upon any for said Tax (at lest for a time)

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