that twenty four "Pounds per annum be paid out of the Excise towards the Support of a Gospel Minister on the said Island," by virtue whereof & of your Petitioner's sustaining that office there, he humbly conceives he has a just claim to the payment of the aforesaid Sum annually from the time of his Settlement in that Capacity, & that no Legal or Rational objection has ever been or can be made to the payment thereof so long as the Said Law Remains in being & full force which he also Conceives to be the Case & consequently that the non payment thereof yearly but much more the delay of doing it for so long a time as it has been your Petitioners Right is manifestly a Great Injury to him. That your Petitioner thinks he has the same Claim to the aforesaid Sum of money as he would have had to any Real Estate Granted by the Same Authority which is no more weaken'd because not paid as it became due than in the case of a Real Estate because one that has no Right Keeps the Possession a few years which no man would pretend to, And that Denying a due Compliance with the acts of the Governmt is not only a Breach of Public Faith, but of very ill Example to those who are the subjects of the Good & wholesome Laws of the Province. That as your Petitioner in his Settlement had some Regard to the aforesaid grant it has been a Considerable Disappointment to him that it has not been punctually complied with as every Gentleman upon the least attention to the Circumstances of the said place must needs allow. Wherefore your Petition' most humbly Prays that Effectual Provision may now be made for the payment of what is in arrearage & due to him agreeable to the aforesaid Grant, & for the due & Seasonable payment thereof for the future, and your Petitioner as in duty Bound shall ever pray. JNo BLUNT. March 1741 In the House of Representatives March the 10th 1741-2 James Jeffry Clr. Assm Rich Waldron sec. Same day A: M: assented to B. WENTWORTH An acco' of the Persons y' Voted at the Election of Representatives for the Town of New Castle and Parrish of Rye att New Castle on the 2nd Day of Janty 1748 wth the Petiti annex" to this Referd too as Persons who Ware not Qualify'd to Vote in Said Choice and are as Followeth Petition of New Castle relating to a Lottery to build a Bridge. To his Excellency the Governour of New Hampshire, The Honourable his Majestyes Council, and House of Representatives, in General Assembly conven'd. We being appointed a Committee by the Inhabitants of the Town of New Castle in said Province, to Petition the said General assembly for the Priviledge of a Lottery in Order to enable us to build a Bridge over Little Harbour River as set forth in our Petition now before you, beg leave to offer these following Reasons for the same viz: 1. The only Barrier or Forte, by Sea, belonging to this Province is in New Castle, or on the Island called great Island, and the only Place by Sea, which is in danger of being Attack'd by a foreign Enemy. 2. We the Inhabitants of said Island, ordinarily, have not more than Men enough to take care of our wives and Children, and to convey them to a Place of Safety, in case of a Sudden Invasion. 3. It will be really Necessary for the Safety of this Province, more Especially for the Towns adjacent to said Island, That we be so accommodated as that a Suficient number of men from the main may with speed and Conveniency, come to us for our defence and safety, in case we are suddenly invaded by a foreign Enemy. 4. We have not a sufficient number of Boats neither can we Expect that the Province will at their charge Provide and Keep in repair such a Number as may be Necessary to convey so many men to us as we shall need, in Case we are Distressed by an Enemy. Therefore 5. It is absolutely necessary that a Bridge be built over Little Harbour-River from Saunders Point on the Main to said Island. And then 2. With regard to us the Inhabitants of said New Castle or great Island, We would observe, The flourishing and Prosperous State of any Town in a Province more Especially of a Barrier-Town, is for the good and wealfair of the whole Community. 3. Altho' said Island is a Barrier Town, yet, we, the Inhabitants, are but in low Circumstances considering our Long Standing. 4. The only way which we can think of at Present to retrieve our Circumstances, and to Enable us the better to bear a Part in the Defence and Support of the Government, is that we may have a free and Open Communication with the Inhabitants on the Main 5. And this, appears to us, can only be effected by building a Bridge over said River, and then the Inhabitants on the Main can bring and sell to us the Necessaries of Life, which will save us a great deal of time and expence; and which must if rightly improved by us increase our wealth and strength, and be no ways detrimental to our Neighbors. Therefore for the Reasons above said with what we have suggested in our Petition now before you we Earnestly desire that the Prayer thereof may be Granted. N. SARGENT Committee for the Inhabitants of New Castle. New Castle April ye 25 1757. New Castle Petition for a Lottery to build a bridge. Province of To his Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq' N. Hampshire S Captain General Govenour and Commander in Chief in and over his Majestys Province aforesaid, The Honourable his Majestys Council and House of Representatives for said Province. The Petition of us the Subscribers Humbly sheweth, Whereas your Petitioners for many years past have been great sufferers for want of a better Conveniency of passing from the great Island to the Continent and at some seasons of the year it is almost if not quite impracticable to pass to the Main and so for the People on the Main to come to us which is the reason why the Country People bring not to us the Necessaries of Life to Vend as otherwise they would do and our poorer Families and Widdows who are not able to go abroad to provide for themselves are sometimes thereby brought into the greatest Straits and difficulties. And inasmuch as the only Fortification of this Province by sea is and ever will be for anything we can discern on said Island, Therefore it is highly necessary for the safety of this Province as well as for the Inhabitants of said Island that a Bridge be Built across the River called Little Harbour River to the Main so that help with Speed and Conveniency may come to us in Case of an Invasion by a Foreign Enemy which in time of War we have reason to fear may be our unhappy Case, and also that our Wives and Children and others who are unable to Endure the fatigues of War may with greater Conveniency and Speed, Retreat to some place of safety. Therefore your Petitioners most Humbly Pray that your Excellency with your Honours would consider our Petition and the Reasonableness of our Requests and grant us the Priviledge of a Lottery in order to raise money to build a Bridge over said River. Richard Yeaton Benjamin Bell W Branscombe Meshach Bell Nath Batson John Neal In Council Febry 23, 1757 Rich Kenney William Trefethen Benjamin Meloon his hand read & ordered to be sent down to the Honble Assembly Theor Atkinson Secy. Province of In the House of Representatives Feb 26th 1757 This PeNew Hamp tition having been read Resolved That the Petitioners be heard thereon the second day of the setting of the General Assembly next after the first Day of April next & that the Petitioners at their own Cost & charge Cause the Substance of said Petition with this order of Court to be advertized In the New Hampshire Gazette four weeks successively that any person or persons may appear if they please & Shew Cause if any they have why the prayer thereof should not be Granted. In Council Eodem Die read & Concurrd Andrew Clarkson Clerk Theod Atkinson Secy. NEW DURHAM. [Incorporated 17 Dec. 1762. See Kingswood. ED.] At a public meeting of the Proprietors of New Durham in the Province of New Hampshire legally notified, holden at the meeting house at Durham falls in sd province on monday the 30th day of DecembTM 1765 at 2 o'clock P. M. then & there the sd proprietors made choice of Maj Thomas Tash and Capt. Thomas Chesle as a Committee to apply to the general Court of s Province to see if s Court will pass an act to Impower the s Proprietors to sell so much of the land of the delinquent proprietors as shall pay their proportion of the charges to be defrayed by s propriety A true Coppy Tho Tash propTM Clark To his Excellency John Wentworth Esq' Governor and Commander in Chief in and over his Majestys Province of New Hampshire, the Honourable Councel and Representatives of Said Province. The Humble Petition of Thomas Tash and Thomas Cheslee. In Behalf of the Proprietors of New Durham Sheweth That Whereas a Great Number of the Proprietors of said New Durham have been Delinquent in paying their proportion of the Necessary Charges that have already arisin on account of the Settlement of Said Town, and it is highly probable s Delinquents will be as unwilling to pay any Necessary Charge that may hereafter arise; Therefore the Burden must Consequently Lay on such of said propriety as are most willing to promote said Town and the Settlement thereof. We therefore most Humbly Shewe, That at a Legal Meeting of Said proprietors held on the 30th Day of December A. D. 1765 it was Voted that we the said Thomas Tash & Thomas Chesley should be a Committee to apply to your Excellency and your honours, in order to obtain an act to Impower the said proprietors or their Collectors to Sell the Rights of Said Delinquent proprietors or Such a Part thereof as shall be Sufficient to pay their Respective proportions of Such Necessary Charges. Your Petitioners Earnestly hope your Excellency and Honours will Take our prayer into your wise Consideration and procure Such a Remedy as your Excellency & Honours in your Great wisdom Shall think proper, and your petitioners as in Duty bound Shall ever pray. New Durham September 10th 1767 THOMS TASH |