SOUTH HAMPTON. [Was incorporated by Charter, May 25, 1742. ED.] Petition of sundry inhabitants to be set off, &c. To his Excell' Bening Wentworth Esq' Capt" Gen" and Govern' in Chief in and over his Majesties Province of New Hampshire in N. England and to the Honble his Majesties Council and Representatives in Gen' Court assembled Septembr 14th 1742. The Petition of sundry of yo Inhabitants of the Est part of Salisbury which by the runing the new Line fall into the Province of New Hampshire and (as we are informed) are included in the late charter granted for ye Township of South Hampton, Humbly Sheweth :-That we the subscribers being comprehended in the afores Charter and by reason thereof exposed to greater hardships and unreasonable difficulties as to all Parish and Town affairs, being six miles or more distant from their Meeting house, we cannot with our families attend ye publick worship there, neither can we have y privilidge of voteing in their publick affairs respecting Town or Parish, for if their meetings are warned in the usual Method we shall have no knowledge of them, or if by chance we hear of any of them, such is the distance that we can't attend then; and therefore it will be very prejudicial to us to stand in such relation to them with whom we can neither do our duty nor injoy our just Rights and Privileges ;-We therefore pray that (as the rest of our Neighbours) we may be set off as to our persons & Estates from the said Town of South Hampton and annexed to Hampton Falls there to do duty and injoy ye privilidges of Townsmen, so shall y' Petition's ever pray, &c. John Collins David Norten Province of New Hamp In Council September the 16, 1742. The above petition read & Voted thereon that the selectmen of South Hampton be served with a copy of this Petition & the vote thereon, by the Petitions & at their expence; & that they appear on the 3d day of sitting of the Gen Assembly next, to shew cause if any they have why the Prayer of the Petition should not be granted. Eodem Die. Theod. Atkinson, Secy. In the House of Representatives, the above Petition Read & yo (1) A note in the margin by the late John Farmer, Esq. says, "Eliphaz Dow murdered Peter Clough in 1754, and was executed 8 May 1755." See Prov. Pap. Vol. VI. pp. 338, 384. ED. vote of Council thereon, and voted a concurrence wth ye Vote of Coun cil. September ye 17th 1742. The within vote Assented to, James Jeffry, Clr. AssTM. B. WENTWORTH. In the House of Representatives 9br 19th 1742. The within Petition read and voted, That the Prayer of the Petition be granted & that the Petitioners have liberty to bring in a Bill accordingly. James Jeffry, Cler. Ass In the House of Representatives, 9br the 24th 1742. Mr. Sec bro't down the within Petition to be Reconsidered, 9 ye 25th 1742. The within Petition Read & the House having reconsidered the affair Voted, That a Line be extended from the dividing Line between Hampton Falls P'ish & ye P'ish of Kensington to the Province Line, being south four degrees West, and that all the Inhabitants & their Estates to ye Eastward of y' line that did belong to South Hampton shall be annexed to Hampton Falls P'ish, And ye Petitioners have Liberty to bring in a Bill accordingly. In Council, Nov: 25, 1742. James Jeffry, Clr. Assm Concurrd with this amendment, viz. After the words Hampton Falls Parish, be added,-to all Intents & Purposes except the Dutys of repairing & mending highways below the above s Line, & paying their Province Tax which is to be paid as usual till a new Proportion or the further order of the Gen1 Assembly Theod. Atkinson, Secy. Eod. Die. In the House of Represents the above vote of Council for amendm' Read & Concurrd. James Jeffrey, Cler. Assm Eodm Die.-Assented to B. WENTWORTH. Petition of John Page and Benjamin Baker, to be set off, &c. [Compare the papers which follow, with those pertaining to Newtown, pp. 607-630. ED.] To his Excellency Benning Wentworth, Esq Cap. Gen1 and Governour in Chief in & over his Majesty's Province of New Hampshire in N: E: And to the Honourable his Majesty's Council and Representatives in General Court Assembled: November 1742. The Petition of John Page & Benjamin Baker late of Salisbury, now incorporated with the Inhabitants of South Hampton, Humbly Sheweth : That by Reason of our great Distance from the Place of Pub lick Worship in s Town of South Hampton, We cannot without great difficulty with our Families attend the Publick Worship there, nor attend other publick meetings for the management of Town affairs: And therefore pray that We may be polled off to Hampton Falls as to our Persons and Estates, there to do duty & enjoy Priviledges as sundry others of our Neighbours, in like circumstances with our selves, have been. So shall your Petitioners ever pray &c. South Hampton, Sept 27th 1742. In the House of Representatives gbr ye 19th 1742. JOHN PAGE The above petition read and voted, That the Petitioners serve the Selectmen of South Hampton with a Coppy of this Petition and Votes thereon, & that they appeare the third day of ye sitting of the Gen1 Assembly at the next sessions to show cause (if any) why the Prayer of the Petition may not be granted. Prov. of New Hamp' Nov 20th 1742. James Jeffry, Cler. Asst The within Vote of the House read & concurrd at the Council Board. Theod. Atkinson, Sec. Nov. 24th 1742. In the House of Representatives, May 25th A. D. 1743. James Jeffry, Cler. Assm Answer to the foregoing Petition by the Selectmen of South Hampton. To his Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq' Captain Genneral and Governour in Chief in and over his Majesties Province of New Hampshire in New England, and to the Honourable his Majesties Council and Representatives in General Court Assembled, May ye 10th 1743. We the Select men of South Hampton have taken oppor tunity at this time to express our loyalty to the King's Majestie and our Duty to your Excellency and Honours and to the Representatives: We humbly confide in your tender Regard to our holy Religion that whereas we have setteled a Church of our Lord Jesus among us that you will protect us so that we may be able to maintain it. We have been served with a coppy of a Petition that Doc. John Page and Mr. Benjamin Baker have prefered to this Honourable Court in order to pole off from us, which we oppose for these Reasons following. 1. Every man cant have an equal priviledge in going to y publick worship, in all Towns and Parishes there is some without as well as some within and since Doc. Page and Mr. Baker's lines are fallen to them without we think they ought to be content. 2dly We laid out a drift way from y high way that leads from Doc. Page's house a cross to our Meeting house and we made gats and some of our brethren came to us to meeting but they found some difficulties by Reason of ye Gats so they were desirous that we would lay it out an open high way and we being willing to shew them all Christian Regard and kindness layd it out an open high way and have agreed with yo owners of y Land and y way cost ye Town about one hundred and fourty pounds and we have made y° way so convenant to pass & Repass that som of our brethren comes to us to meeting and Doc. Page and Mr. Baker may come with their neighbours. 3ly We have laid out a high way from ye mouth of a high way y' leads from our meeting house to Powers River a cross Richard Curriers land to a high way y' leads from Almisbury through South Hampton to Kingstown to oblige our brethren at ye West part of ye Town, and we have built a Bridge over Powers River and we have been at an Extraordinary charge in building a long and high Cassey over a Great water y is flow'd by a Dam a cross ye River and we have made it convenant to pass and Repass And several familys come to us to meeting. 4ly If Doc. Page and Mr. Baker should be polled off there are some at ye west end of ye Town yt lives furder of ye Meeting house then Doc. Page and Mr. Baker, and they will say there is more reason y they should poll off then Doc. Page and Mr. Baker, because they lives furder of. Doc. Page and Mr. Bakers polling off Dont bring them any nere y Meeting house, but makes them more charge to pay and they as far from meeting as ever and so they will be for polling off too and so it will threaten y Dissolution and confusion of our Town. 5ly Your Excellency and Honours was pleased to grant us a Town calld by y name of South Hampton for which we thank you and you wear pleasd in your greate wisdom to send us a Committee of very judicious men and they came along by Doc. Pages and Mr. Bakers houses and so came across nere where we laid out our new high way to our Meeting house and viewed ye Town to ye Extent, and they judged that all ye Inhabitants that lives above or to ye westward of Kinsington line that was Run by Capt. Robie out to ye Province line should stand with us, and we stands by their judg ment, and we shall take hard that one or two privit men should spoil a Publick Intrest. 6ly Doc. Page and Mr. Baker have set forth in their Petition that they cant come to ye publick worship with us by Reason of the great Distance therefrom nor attend other publick meetings for y° management of Town affairs, whereas we think they are nearer to our Meeting house than they are to Hampton Falls Meeting house, and we think it cant in Reason be thought that ever Doc. Page and Mr. Baker will or intend to make any constant practis in going to Hampton Falls to meeting for they make it their constant practis in going to Salisbury to meeting, and will have their priviledge wth them, and we think it reasonable that they should stand with us because there is about thirteen families that lives at the North west End of Salisbury that constantly Assemblys with us. 7ly By What has been offered we doubt not but your Excellency and Honours will se just cause in your great wisdom to revers Doc. Pages and Mr. Bakers petition, and accordingly grant us our Request. Your humble Servants, Selectmen REUBEN DIMOND South Hampton Memorial of Inhabitants of South Hampton. To his Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq. Captain General and Governour in Chief in and over his Majesties Province of New Hampshire in New England and to the Honourable his Majesties Council. After our Duty expressed we find ourselves constrained to make our humble acknowledgment of your Goodness extended toward us, and Return you thanks for granting our Petition and Incorporating us into a Town called by ye name of South Hampton. We have been credible informed that some of our Dessenting brethren that lives at yo upper or west part of our Town have preferd a petition to ye Honourable Court to be set off from us and we hear all so that they have presented a copy of a vote to your Excellency & Honours that we are willing they should be set off, which Vote we oppose for ye Reasons hereafter mentioned. Our Dessenting brethren Did at a Town meeting present us a petition which is as followeth : September y 29th 1742. We whose names are under written Do Petition to the Town of South Hampton that they would agree to pass a |