been settled on the spot for near fourteen years past without molestation or hindrance, and some of us hath lost three houses past and now live in the fourth house, to our further Expence ;-Therefore wee humbly Leave the same with you Gentlemen and hope to hear an answer from you to our satisfaction, wishing and praying you the full and perfect grant according to your petition, and conclude ourselves, Gentlemen, your most Humble and Obliged Petitioners & servt

These now living (JOSEPH PERRY

To the Gentlemen Petitioners for the Great Meadows.
Great Meadows, May 4, 1752.

WILTON.

[The first settlement in this town was made in 1738, by three families from Danvers, Ms., two by the name of Putnam, and one by the name of Dale. The town was incorporated, June 25, 1762, and derived its name from an ancient borough in Wiltshire, Eng. Before incorporation it was called No. 2.

Province of

ED.]

Deed from Joseph Blanchard, Esq.

Pursuant to Power and Authority granted & vested in me by the Proprieters of Lands purchased of John Tufton Mason Esq' in the Province of New Hampshier by their votes passed at their meeting held at Portsmouth in said Province the 16 Day of June A: D. 1749:

I DO, By these Presents, on the terms and conditions hereafter express'd, Give and Grant unto Thomas Read, Esq' Rob' Fletcher, Jun., Joseph Blanchard, Jun., Oliver Colburn, Oliver Ferwel, John Usher, Thomas Spalden, John Lovel, jun. Peter Powers, Humphrey Hobs, John Combs, Joseph Blodget, Sam Fowl, Josiah Swan, Ezra Carpenter, Jonathan Cumings, Thomas Parker, jun John Farnum, Will Foster, Rev Mr. Thomas Parker, Josiah Butterfield, Anthony Emery, Benjamin Parker, jun. Nehemiah Abbot, Sam' Greeley, Benjamin Ferwell, Oliver Whiting, Joseph Richardson, Benja Ferley, John Kindall, Abraham Kindal, David Adams, Joseph French, Elizur Blanchard, Zacheus Lovwel, Sam Ferley, Willm Cumings, Jonathan Powers, Sam' Cumings, Archelus Dale, Jacob Putnam, Nathan Putnam, John Dale, Stephen Heriman, John Shed and Ephraim Putnam:-all the rights title and property of the Grantors aforesaid, of, in, and to all that part

of a Township or Tract of Land in the Province of New Hampshier afore sd, containing Five miles square, Lying on the branches of Souhegan River, between Peter-Borough & Monson, Bounded as follows: Beginning at the South West Corner of the Premises at a White Pine Tree which is the North West Corner of the Township No. 1, and runs from thence North Five Miles to a White Ash mark'd; from thence East Five Miles to a Stake and Stones: from thence South five miles to a Chestnut Tree Mark'd; from thence West Five miles to the white Pine tree first mentioned: Which sa Township is laid out & Drawn for & ascertained to each Grantee respectively; Also, two Lots for encour agement of or Building of Mills, and three shears for Publick use, Viz. one for the first settled minister, one for the Ministry, and one for the School there forever: which said shares and Lots to be the same as drawn and allready entered in the Schedule and Plan hereunto annexed, unto them respectively & to their heirs and Assigns; TO HAVE and to HOLD, on the following terms and condition and Limitations, and on them only, that is to say, That a Meeting-house be built on the Lot No. 11 in the Fifth range, and that in the South West Corner of s Lott there be six acres of Land in a square for me Reserved, & apropriated for the Publick use of those who Do or shall hereafter Inhabit in s Township; that the remaining lands not entered to the Grantees in the Schedule & Plan as afore specified in the Bounds of the Township, be and hereby are reserved to & for the use of the Grantors of the Premises, their Heirs & assigns forever, free and clear from all charges, tax or Incumbrance of settlement, untill their or any of their Parts are improved respectively by their or some some holding under them; the aforesaid named Grantees exclusive of their Publick Lotts, shall carry on, perform and make settlement at their one expence in the following manner, viz. That there be all Necessary High ways laid out in said Town where they will be most convenient, without any pay or allowance to those Grantor, Grantors or Grantees, through whose Land the same shall go, that the Grantees build a convenient house for the publick worship of God there, and finish the same at or before the last day of Nov 1752 for the use of those who shall then or afterward inhabit there; that they the s Grantees after Five years from the Date hereof maintain Preaching there; that there be on some one Lot of each of Forty of said Grantees shears, 3 acres of Land cleared enclosed and fits ted so far as is Profitable for mowing or Tillage, at or before the las Day of November 1751, and each of the said Lotts to be cleared aafores to be settled, having a House of sixteen feet square at the least, and seven feet stud or more, with a chimney and a cellar finished and fitted for a comfortable dwelling therein, at or before the last day of May 1752, & some family or person inhabiting or Residing in sd dwelling House, & they or some other in each of their stead continue residing there untill the last of May 1755; that the owners of the said Forty settling shears have on each of their Rites respectively three acres of land more in like manner fitted, at or before the last day of November 1752; and the like quantity anually for two years next coming; that the remaining Five Rights or shears of the Grantees aforesaid, viz. Oliver Ferwell, Benjamin Ferwell, Joseph Blanchard, jun. Elizur Blanchard, and one Right of Robert Fletcher jun. Excused from the duty of building improving or settling untill the last day of Nov 1755, and then to have the whole performed as others at that time; that each of the s Grantees at the executing this Instrument, pay their thirty Pounds cash old Tennor to Defray the Necessary charges arisen & arising in bringing forward the settlement, to be Disposed in the hands of such person as they shall apoint, being a Resident and Freeholder in said Province; that the aforesaid Grantees or their Assigns, Assess such

further sum or sums of money equally in proportion to their Rights, on the share of each Grantee, exclusive of the three Publick Lotts, as may be necessary carrying on & compleating any of the Publick matters in making the settlement aforesaid, and on the failure of the Payment for the space of three months after such Tax or assessment is agreed upon & Posted up at such place or places as the Proprietors, the grantees aforesaid, shall appoint, to Give Notis for calling Proprietors Meetings, shall so much of such Delinquents Rights respectively be Disposed of by a Committee chosen by the Major part of the Grantees for that pur pose, as will pay the s Tax & all charges arising thereon, and in case any of s Grantees shall Neglect or Refuse to pay or perform any of the articles aforementioned, he shall forfeit his shear and Right in said Township to those of the Grantees who shall not then be delinquent in the Performance of the condition enjoined, and it shall and may be Lawful for them by their agent or agents appointed by the major part of those not Delinquent, for that purpose enter into & upon the Right of such Delinquent Owners and him to amove out and expel for their heirs and assigns, Provided they settle such Delinquents Rights within the term of one year after the Period that is by the Indenture stipulated as the condition of the Grant, and fully comply with the whole of the Duty such Delinquent ought to have done, within the term of one year trom time to time after the respective period thereof; in case they omit complying as afors in that term as afors', that all such Delinquents Right shall evert and belong to the Grantors, their heirs & assigns for ever, free from all incumbrance of settlement or charge, always Provided there be no Indian War within any of the terms and Limitations afors, for doing the Duty conditions in this Grant, and in case that should hapen, the same time be alowed for the respective matters afors", after such impediment shall be removed; That all White Pine Trees fit for masting his Majesties Royal Navy, be & are hereby granted to his Majesty his heirs & successors forever.

Lastly, The said Grantors do hereby Promise to the Grantees, their heirs & assigns, to Defend through the Law to the King & Council, if need be, one action that shall and may be brought against them or any number of them by any person or persons whatsoever claiming the s land or any part thereof by any other title than that of the s4 Grantors or that by which they hold and derive theirs from, Provided the said Grantors are avoutched in to Defend the same and that in case on Final Tryal the same shall be Recover'd against the Grantors, the Grantees shall Recover nothing over against the Grantors for the said Lands, Improvement or Expence in bringing forward the Settlement.

In witness whereof, I, the subscriber, Joseph Blanchard of Dunstable, have hereunto set my Hand & Seal this First Day of October 1749.

NOTE, BY THE EDITOR. The Plan and Schedule above referred to, containing the Names of the Grantees and the lots drawn by them, is annexed to the above Deed of conveyance, but it is impracticable to print it in form, without engraving. [See said Plan on MS. p. 302 of Town Papers, Vol. VI.]

Petition for Incorporation.

To his Exelly Bening Wentworth, Esq. Gov' &c. in the Province of New Hamp and the Honourable his Majesty's Council of said Province:

The Petition of us the subscribers being Inhabitants of a Tract of Land in said Province of the contents of five miles square called and known by the name of Num' 2; which Township bounds Northerly on Lyndeborough westerly & Southerly on Peterborough Slip and Num 1, Easterly on y Mason's Grant not taken up-which Tract of land is considerably settled & Improved, and is this year Taxed to the Prov. ince with other Towns:

We would therefore Humbly request of your Excelly & Hon that we may be Incorporated into a Township and be invested with such Privileges and Immunities as other Towns have and do Enjoy in this Province, for y more easy carrying on our Public affairs &c. and that the said Corporation may be Bounded according to the Grant of the said Township, and your Petitioners as in Duty bound shall ever pray, &c.

June 18, 1761.

James Man
John Cram

Jonathan Stevens
Heaziah Hamlet
Elexander Milicen

John Deale
John Burton
Philip Putnam

Henry Snow
William Gibson
Samuel Kinkeed
William Mansur
Robert Smith
William Vance
Robert Renken
David Barker

Samuel Mansur

Jacob Putnam

Ebenezer Perry

Hugh Smylie

Jonathan Grele

NOTE. The Town was incorporated, next year, by the name of Wilton. ED.

Province of
New Hamp

}

To the Gen Assembly of the Province of New hamp

Humbly showeth us the Subscribers, that in the year 1761, we were selectmen for the Town of Monson, and as such took an Inventory of the Poles and Estates of the Inhabitants of the Township of Number two, and Returned it to the Sec office in Ports according to the Direction given us in the Orders from the Assembly relating the same, which service took us two days each, for which we charge sixteen pounds old

Ten' and beg the same may be allow'd & paid to Joseph Blanchard-which much oblige y' most ob' Servts

Octo' 8, 1764.

NATHAN HUTCHINSON
BENJ KENRICK.

Province of In the House of Representatives, Feby 7th 1765.
New Hamp' The above Petition being read,

Voted, That it be allowed and paid to their order Joseph Blanchard, Esq. sixteen shillings proclamation money out of the Treasury.

16s.

In Council, March 6th 1765.

Read & concurred.

A. Clarkson, Clerk.

T. Atkinson, Jun. Sec'.
Consented to

B. WENTWORTH.

WINCHESTER.

[This town was originally granted and settled under Massachusetts, and first was called Arlington. It was chartered by New Hampshire July 2, 1753, to Josiah Willard (1) and others, who had effected a settlement as early as 1732. ED.]

Petition for Incorporation.

Portsmouth, Feb. 29, 1750.

Province of New Hampshire To his Excellency Benning Wentworth, Esq' Captain General & Commander in Chief in & over his Majesty's s Province, and to the Honbl his Majesties Council of said Province:

The Petition of Josiah Willard Esq' in behalf of himself & others Inhabitants & settlers of a Place called Winchester, bordering on Connecticut River within this Province, humbly sheweth:

That your Petitioners were induced about eighteen years ago to go into the Wilderness to settle & improve the aforesaid Tract of Land, being told it was within the Mass government, which Government made them & Predecessors a Grant of the Land, as by a Plan herewith exhibited the Bounds may appear, & also invested them with all the Powers & Priveleges of a Town within the said Government of the Massachusetts aforesaid; That in consequence hereof about

(1) There is a tradition that Josiah Willard, one of the principal grantees, refused to have Dartmouth College located in Winchester, on the ground that it would have a tendency to depreciate the value of his possessions! ED.