but still Requiring him to Collect the same as near as Possible without Destraint which accordingly he has done and has collected the major part thereof, viz: about three fourths-and we further shew that since the assessment of said tax which was in 1770, many of the Parishioners have withdrawn from said Parish & joyned themselves to the Presbyterian Society in Seabrook & Elsewhere whereby to Exempt themselves from ministerial Charges in said Parish which withdrawment was in 1771 before making of the assessments for that year therefore looking upon themselves clear of being taxed to any ministerial charges either for the present year or the arrearages for the year preceding and the selectmen authority to impower the Constable to collect said arrearages according to said Vote, being frequently Disputed, whereupon those thus withdrawn as aforesaid Refused to pay their proportion of said arrearages (altho not Denying it justly Due) unless upon certain conditions by themselves proposed upon which they would Readily Pay the same without Difficulty altho they could not be compelled to do it which conditions were complyed with by the selectmen to whom they were by themselves proposed whereupon the major part of said arrearages was immediately Paid without Objection & continuing to be collecting untill after a while one & another of those who were in the agreement as aforesaid objects & Refuses to Pay & the number increasing Whereupon others who before had nothing to object against paying their proportion of the same have also Refused & still Refuse untill all shall be compelled to do likewise. The names of those who have not paid their Proportion of said ministers Salary for 1770 are as follows, viz. Ralph Butler Abraham Burnam Joshua Chase Zebulon Hilyard John Lucy Francis Mershall Richard Mace Josiah Moulton Richard Nason, Esq Nathan Rowe Jonathan Stanyan Chase Williams Melcher Ward, (which were then Inhabitants in said Parish of Hampton falls those who were not inhabitants having some Interest in said Parish are as follows viz.) Thomas Rand Col Jonathan Moulton Christopher Toppan Esq Joseph Sweesey Ebenezer Barker Jeremiah Prescut Francis Batchelder Edward Tuck Wid Elizabeth Blake Wherefore your Petitioners in behalf of said Parish Humbly pray that your Excellency & Honours would take the Premises into your serious Consideration and as it would be very hard as well as inequitable that the whole burthen of Taxes should fall only on a part of the Parish when all have been equally Benifited & your Petitioners Doubting the Propriety & Regularity of the Vote as aforesaid & their own ability to compel the Delinquents to a compliance therewith, your Petitioners Humbly beg that your Excellency & Honors would order the said Delinquents to pay the several sums they are Respectfully assessed for the said year 1770, & your Petitioners as in Duty bound will ever pray. Hampton falls May 29 1772. JEREMIAH BLAKE Petition of Selectmen of Hampton Falls for leave to make Province of New Hampshire a rate, &c. To his Excellency John Wentworth Esq The Humble Petition of Benjamin Tilton, William Davison and Nehemiah Cram Selectmen of Hampton falls in the County of Rockingham & Province aforesaid, Sheweth, that on the 22 Day of May last in the thirteenth year of his Majestys Reign, your Excellency & Honors past an act intitled, "An act for dissolving the annual meeting of the Inhabitants of the Parish of Hampton falls and authorizing the holding a new meeting," and in & by the same act (among other things) the said annual meeting is declared illegal & the Proceedings thereof wholly made null and void, and a new meeting of said Inhabitants for transacting the annual Business of said Parish ordered, and the Honorable John Phillips Esq. a member of said house appointed to call and govern said last mentioned meeting till the Business thereof be ended. By Virtue of which said act a new meeting was called and held at said Hampton falls on the 28th of June last at which your Petitioners were duly chosen select men of said Hampton falls and legally sworn to Execute that office, but your Petitioners were chosen into that office after the time by Law fixed for taking the invoice for the current year was expired and no Power being given your Petitioners after their Election to take an Invoice they have hitherto been prevented from making any Rates in said Hampton falls and must still be so without the Interposition of the Legislative authority of your Excellency & Honors in that Behalf. And whereas the selectmen chosen at said annual meeting took part, and other persons appointed by order of said house took the rest of the invoice for said Hampton falls for the year 1773 the whole of which Invoice so taken was Exhibited to the General Assembly for said Province for the Purpose of assessing the Inhabitants of said Hampton falls their proportion of the Province Tax: Wherefore your Petitioners Humbly pray that they as selectmen afore's may be authorized to assess & Rate the Inhabitants of said Hampton falls according to the Invoice so taken & Exhibited to your Excellency & Honours, and that the same Invoice may be made good, as if the same had been seasonably & properly taken or that your Petitioners may be impowered. to take a new invoice and to make the Rates in s Hampton falls agreeable thereto, and your petitioners as in Duty bound will ever pray &c December 24th 1773 BENJA TILTON WILLIAM DAVISON Province of In the House of Representatives Jany 19, 1774, this pe tition was read & Voted that the petitioners proceed In Council Eodem Die, Read and Concurrd, Geo. King, D. Secry. HANOVER. [Hanover was granted by charter July 4, 1761, to eleven persons of the name of Freeman, and 52 others, principally from Connecticut. The first settlement was made in May, 1765. ED.] Petition of John House about Islands in Connecticut river. To His Excellency John Wentworth Esq Captain General, Governor and Commander in Chief in and Over his Majestys Province of New Hampshire in Council The Petition of John House of Hanover in the Province aforesaid, Gentleman, unto your Excellency & the Honble Council Humbly shews That your Petitioner was one of the first settlers of said Township with great fatigue and Expence, and has continued to improve his Interest there to this Time, That he purchased of James Hovey two certain Islands in Connecticut River at an expence of twenty Pounds Lawfull money, which Islands lies opposite to said Township and contains together about twelve acres and have always been improved by said Hovey and your Petitioner on a Presumption that they belonged to said Township & said Hovey claimed them in his Right of Proprietorship & Prior occupancy, your Petitioner has been since informed that all Islands in said River not Expressly mentioned in Town grants still remain the Property of his Majesty and for the considerations aforementioned, He humbly hopes to obtain y Excellencys and Honours Favours to him, in continuing him in his Possessions & Improvements of said Islands & to grant him the Property of the same, or otherways to relieve him on the Prayer of this his Petition as y' Excellency and Honours may Judge best, And your Petitioners as in Ďuty bound shall ever pray. Portsm° December 29th 1770. JOHN HOUSE. HILLSBOROUGH. [A settlement was begun in this town in 1741, by James McCalley, Samuel Gibson, and others; but was broken up in 1744. It was resumed not far from 1759; and incorporated by charter, Nov. 14, 1772. ED.] Petition in relation to roads in Society lands. Province of New Hampshire To His Excellency John Wentworth Esq. er in chief in and over said Province The Honble his Majestys Council and the Honble the House of Representatives for said Province in General Assembly to be convened at Portsmouth in said Province on the 20 Day of march next. The petition of Divers of the Inhabitants of Hillsborough in said Province Humbly sheweth that the Inhabitants of said Hillsborough were obliged to cut and clear a road through a Tract of Land call'd the Societys Land near eight miles in Length which Road we have maintained on our own Cost near seven years being the only way we could come to our own Lands which road has cost us a great sum of money and for two years past we have been obliged to pay province Taxes-Wherefore we Humbly pray your Excellency and Honours would please to make an act to oblige the proprietors & owners of said Societys Land to maintain and keep said Road in repair for the benefit of themselves the Inhabitants of said Hillsborough & Inhabitants of the country around us, your petitioners in duty Bound will ever pray. Hillsborough Feby. 15th 1770. Samuel Bradford Anthony Morin Samuel Bradford Josiah Colledge In Council March 28th 1770 The within Petition was read & ordered to be sent down to the Honble Assembly. Province of Geo: King, D. Secry In the House of Representatives March 28th 1770. Voted, That the Petitioners be heard on their Petition on the third day of the siting of the General Assembly after the first day of May next and that they cause the Substance of their Petition and this Order of Court to be Published two weeks successively in the New Hampshire Gazett that any person may shew cause why the Prayer thereof should not be granted. M. Weare, Clr. |