George Vaughan Esq' then Livt Governor and Comander in Chiefe in and over this Province of New hampshire to be set off as a Township; and therein prescribs bounds; The said Liut Governor with the advice of his Majties Councill did, on the twentyth day of March then next following, grant the Petition and gave them a Charter according to the Bounds prescribed (with the exceptions of fower families,) as by the Charter may be seen.

Now those persons that called themselves the Inhabitants of Squamscot Patent Did live upon a tract of land that its usually said was granted by the Councill of Plim° to one Edw" Hilton and his Associates three miles into the Country from the Maine river going up to Exeter, and as such the Towns round about acknowledged them, and none ever interfered or claimed within the three miles from the Maine River south east into the country; and tho' all their land fell within the auntient bounds of the Town of Portsmouth, yet the Town Voted that three miles that Mr. Andrew Wiggans claimed should still be to him & his heirs &c. And the grandfather of the familly of the present Wiggans (upon the marriage of Son to the Daughter of Gov Bradstreet) made a Deed of Gift of that part of the said Hilton's Patent which he claimed (being three miles square) and called it Squamscot, the bounds of which Deed were only three miles south-east from Exeter River, and no Dispute happened till since the grant to the Town of Stretham as aforesaid. In running the Bound of which according to the said Charter (at the West end of the Wiggan's grant) by an advantage of a Southerly turn of Exeter River, the south bound of Stratham (against the Wiggan's Grant is fower miles very neare upon a South east point) at the west end of Portsmouth bounds and they claime that land between the Charter line and the afores Wiggan's Right and so to a Gore at the easterly end, and say that it was confirmed to them by virtue of the Grant by Liv Governor Vaughan to Stretham aforesaid; Which notion had and Dos govern much with our country juries, So that those persons that have their Comon Rights laid out between the lines aforesaid are in a perpetual controversie and law suits. For Remedy whereof

Your Petitioners for themselves and the others of their Society as a Comittee and in behalfe of the Proprietors of the Comon Land of Portsmouth, most humbly prays your Excellency & the Hon" Councill, That as the Grant for the Town of Stretham was made only by that Hon Board, That an Explanation be made of Stretham charter (that as Wee humbly presume) that this Board in that Grant, Did not att all medle or pretend to alter the Right of the soile; and alsoe Wee pray that this Hon" Board would alsoe appoint a Comittee of In

different persons to rune the Dividing line between Portsmouth and that Deed of Thomas Wiggans Esq' to his son Andrew Wiggans; The Town having no Dispute beyond the Bounds of that Deed which Deed is conformable to the Patten of Edward Hilton and associates aforesaid; And your Petitioners as in Duty bound shall ever pray, &c.

Portsmouth, Jan. 3, 1733-4.

HEN: SHERBURNE

Petition of the South Parish in Portsmouth. To his Excellency Jonathan Belcher, Esq. Governor & Commander in chief in & over His Majesty's Province of New Hampshire in New England, the Honble his Majesty's Council & House of Representatives for said Province, in General Court convened, the 31st Day of January, Anno Dom. 1739.

The Petition of James Clarkson, Esq' Thom Wright & Daniel Pierce Merchis all of Portsm° in said Province, a Committee of the South Parish in Portsm" afores', and as agents for & in behalf of the said Parish:

Humbly sheweth:

That there has been for some considerable time a difference subsisting between the North and South Parishes in said Town respecting the settlement of their Parishioners and the removal of certain persons from one Parish to the other & the Taxes to be paid by such persons toward Parish charges:

That sundry persons that have removed from the attendance of the Public worship in the North Parish afores and have settled themselves or constantly attended the said worship in the South Parish afores for some considerable time past, have notwithstanding been rated or taxed toward the charges of the said North Parish, & so in consequence of such removal have been obliged to pay both;

That the greater part of those who have so removed have been induced thereto by a Prospect of Better accommodations for themselves & families in the meeting-house they have removed to, and think it a hard case that they must purchase those accommodations by paying a double Tax;

That those persons have not been able (tho' it has been several times requested) to obtain a regular dismission from the said North Parish, nor have the Parishes at any meetings, or by their delegates (tho' Essays have been made) been able to come to any terms of composition relating to the Premises;

That the said South Parish conceives the Rule & Method by which new parishioners have been & still are to be settled in said Parishes, is such as gives the said North Parish (which is much the superior for numbers & riches of its Inhabitants) greatly the advantage, and that therefore it is highly reasonable that a new and more equitable Rule for that purpose should be establish'd & the former suspended.

Wherefore your Petitioners humbly Pray that a Law may be now enacted agreeable to a, Vote of the Honorable the House of Representatives for said Province, of the 15 of Nov' 1738, Respecting the premises (and herewith exhibited) excepting only a clause in said vote Relating to such young men as should settle on the Estates of their fathers &c. But that the settlement of such persons should be determined by the same Rule therein proposed for the settling of other young men in the said Parishes & strangers that shall come to settle in the said Town; or that such other methods or Rules of fixing Parishioners in the said Parishes may be established as this Hone Court in their great Wisdom & Goodness shall think equitable & just between the said Parishes.

And your Petitioners as in duty bound shall ever pray, &c. JAMES CLARKSON THOMAS WRIGHT D. PIERCE.

Feby. the first 1739. In the House of Representatives: The within Petition Read & voted, that the Petitioners serve the Wardens of the North Parish in Portsmouth with a copy of this Petition at the Petitioners charge, and that they appear to be heard Tuesday the 12th Curr to shew cause why the prayer of the Petition may not be granted, if the General Court is then sitting; if not then to appeare the third day of the sitting of the Gen' Assembly next Sessions.

James Jeffry, Cler. Ass

I assent to the above votes,

J. BELCHER.

Feb 6, 1739-40. In the House of Representatives, Feb 7th A. D. 1739-40. Upon reconsidering the above Vote of the House: Voted, That the Petitioners serve the Wardens of the North Parish in Portsmouth with a copy of this Petition, and the above order.

In Council, Feb 8th 1739.

Read & Concurred.

Rich Waldron, Secy

James Jeffry, Cler. AssTM

Feby 8th 1739-40.

Assented to

J. BELCHER.

In Council, Feb 15th 1739-40,

Read, and on motion made by the Respondents, and the Petitioners

being heard in answer to the sd motion,

Voted That the consideration of the Petition be suspended till, yo next session of the general Court

R. Waldron, Secy.

Remonstrance of Portsmouth Selectmen.

To his Excellency Jonathan Belcher Esq. Governor & Commander in Chief in & over his Majesty's Province of New Hampshire, the Hon his Majesty's Council & House of Representatives for said Province, In General Court Convened, Jan 31, 1739.

The Remonstrance of the selectmen of the town of Portsmouth in said Province, Humbly Shews

That the Laws of the Province that relate to the admission of new Inhabitants into any of the Towns in this Province & the removal of such persons as obtrude themselves upon the Towns, are very defective in many Respects, so that the good purposes that were even designed by those Laws cannot be attain'd:

That the said Town of Portsmouth from its situation is greatly exposed to the entrance of strangers by sea, from which Quarter many enter & become Inhabitants even in spite of all opposition & often a charge to the town; for the prevention whereof there is no effectual Provision in the said Laws:

That Laws well calculated to remove or Prevent the said Inconveniency would certainly be of general Benefit & would serve the Interest of every town in the Province & the larger Towns in a more especial manner:

Wherefore your Remonstrants beg leave humbly to propose that the Laws already in force Relating to the premises might be perus'd by this Hone Court, or such as they shall appoint to that service & such an additional Act speedily enacted as will be necessary for the purposes aforesa

Your Remonstrants beg leave further to observe :

That the Town of Portsm afores in many places of it being built in a compact manner and in some places there are old houses with broken chimneys, ovens &c. and the dwelling in these houses especially in the winter season greatly exposes them to the danger of fire, by which, if they should be consumed whole streets might meet with the same fate.

Wherefore they humbly pray that a Law may now be made authorizing some officer or officers upon request to view such old houses & to determine whether they are in a condition fit to be occupied as Dwelling Houses; and if not to order the

George Vaughan Esq' then Livt Governor and Comander in Chiefe in and over this Province of New hampshire to be set off as a Township; and therein prescribs bounds; The said Liut Governor with the advice of his Majties Councill did, on the twentyth day of March then next following, grant the Petition and gave them a Charter according to the Bounds prescribed (with the exceptions of fower families,) as by the Charter may be seen.

Now those persons that called themselves the Inhabitants of Squamscot Patent Did live upon a tract of land that its usually said was granted by the Councill of Plim° to one Edwd Hilton and his Associates three miles into the Country from the Maine river going up to Exeter, and as such the Towns round about acknowledged them, and none ever interfered or claimed within the three miles from the Maine River south east into the country; and tho' all their land fell within the auntient bounds of the Town of Portsmouth, yet the Town Voted that three miles that Mr. Andrew Wiggans claimed should still be to him & his heirs &c. And the grandfather of the familly of the present Wiggans (upon the marriage of Son to the Daughter of Gov Bradstreet) made a Deed of Gift of that part of the said Hilton's Patent which he claimed (being three miles square) and called it Squamscot, the bounds of which Deed were only three miles south-east from Exeter River, and no Dispute happened till since the grant to the Town of Stretham as aforesaid. În running the Bound of which according to the said Charter (at the West end of the Wiggan's grant) by an advantage of a Southerly turn of Exeter River, the south bound of Stratham (against the Wiggan's Grant is fower miles very neare upon a South east point) at the west end of Portsmouth bounds and they claime that land between the Charter line and the afores Wiggan's Right and so to a Gore at the easterly end, and say that it was confirmed to them by virtue of the Grant by Livi Governor Vaughan to Stretham aforesaid; Which notion had and Dos govern much with our country juries, So that those persons that have their Comon Rights laid out between the lines aforesaid are in a perpetual controversie and law suits. For Remedy whereof

Your Petitioners for themselves and the others of their Society as a Comittee and in behalfe of the Proprietors of the Comon Land of Portsmouth, most humbly prays your Excellency & the Hon" Councill, That as the Grant for the Town of Stretham was made only by that Hon" Board, That an Explanation be made of Stretham charter (that as Wee humbly presume) that this Board in that Grant, Did not att all medle or pretend to alter the Right of the soile; and alsoe Wee pray that this Hon" Board would alsoe appoint a Comittee of In