of ye smallness of our numbers and Distance From Neighboring Plantations and places of Defence are in Continual Fear Lest we should be Surprised by ye Heathen and although we are makeing ye best Preparation we Can to Secure ourselves yet we are Fearfull we shall not be be able to Stand our Ground but must be obliged to Leave our Habitations and Repair to places of more security If we Cannot be Supported by ye Government.-We therefore Earnestly Desire yo' Hon that you would Improve yo' Interest with ye Gov ernours Either of ye Massachusetts or N. Hampshire (which you shall think most Proper) that we may have such a supply of men posted here as they shall think Necessary for our Defence to be Employ'd Either in Scouting or otherwise as they shall Judge most proper. Lieunt Witherby is Willing to Come among us with a Company of Men, If he Can obtain order and Encouragement from the Government. We pray you would Write to Either Governour as your Discresion shall Direct you on our behalf and In our names submitting our Case to yo' Prudence praying you would do what you can for us and as speedily as may be and thereby will oblige Benjamin Willson Yo' Most Humble & Obedient servants David Farnsworth John Spafard Petition of John Spafford. To his Excellency Benning Wentworth Esqr. Governour and Commander in Chief in & over his Majties Province of New Hampshire and to his Majties Council for said Province & the House of Representatives now Conven'd in General Assembly John Spafford for himself and about thirteen familys Lately Settled on the East Side of Connecticut River being known by the name of No. 4 humbly Sheweth That your Petitioners have lately made a Settlement there and at their own Charge hath Built a Large & Strong Garrison and have twenty five men or thereabouts, and have good plantations there and a good prospect of a Considerable p'cll of Graine now growing on the Land. But so it is theire Settlements being so much exposed to the Indians, and not above Eighty miles from the French Fort on the Lake where the French may soon and Easyly annoy them & the Indians tells them that they must fight for the french and tells them to take Care of themselves. Your Petitioners being so Exposed to the Enemy and so far from any English Settlem1 they cannot pretend to stand on their own Defence, and therefore humbly prays your Excell and honours of the Gen' Ass that they may have some assistance of Men to assist them in Keeping their Garrison and preserve their Cattle and Graine, or as in your Wisdom you shall think fitt. And if no assistance of men may be obtained Then to let the People Know it, That your Petitioners may use Some Speedy means for the preservation of themselves & families and your Petitioners as in Duty Bound Shall ever Pray &c July the 24th 1744. JOHN SPAFFORD. Petition for a road. To his Excellency John Wentworth Esq' Captain General, Governor & Commander in Chief in and over his Majestys Province of New Hampshire &c The Honourable his Majesty's Council & House of Representatives in General Assembly convened this Eighteenth Day of October 1768 The Petion of Simon Sartwell, William Heywood and Elijah Grout as Selectmen of the Town of Charlestown in s'd province to your Excellency and Honours humbly sheweth, that the Inhabitants of said Charlestown with those of the adjoining Towns, have Looked out and marked a Road, and in part Cleared the Same, between said Charlestown & Boscawen and are of opinion the same may be made a good Carriage Road, which if effected, is humbly conceived might be of Great utility & Benefit to many Towns in this Province by having a much nearer & easier Communication with the Metropolis than has as yet been found out which is tho't would greatly Fecilitate the Settlement of many new Townships, hitherto much retarded for want of good Roads. Wherefore your Petitioners humbly pray your Excellency & Honours would be pleased to indulge them with your approbation of said Road and that ye same may be confirmed as the Main Road or Highway from said Charlestown to Boscawen and that such Regulations and orders for farther opening and Clearing said Road may be made as by your Excellency & Honours may tho't best or otherways to Grant such Relief to your Petitioners, in the Premeses as to this Honble Court Shall in wisdom, be Judged best and your Petitioners as in Duty bound shall ever pray SIMON SARTWELL Province of In the House of Representatives Oct 26 1768 Voted That the Petitioners have liberty to bring in a Bill to Oblige the Proprietors of the Several Towns through which said Road Marked out as mentioned in the Petition passes, to Clear and make Said Road Passable M. Weare Cl In Council October 28-1768 read & concurred T. Atkinson Jun Sec'y Petition of Timothy Lovell about an island opposite Charles Province of New Hampshire town. To his Excelley John Wentworth Esq Cap General Governor & Commander in chief in & over his Majtys Province afores In Council. The Memorial & Petition of Timothy Lovell of Rockingham in said province Humbly Shews That your Memorialist is now the owner of & in possession of a certain Island in Connecticut River, nearly adjoining to Charlestown containing about Nine acres, that the said Island was always deemed part of the said Township of Charlestown, & so alotted to & among the Proprietors, who with those who hold under them have cultivated & mowed the same for near seventeen years last past, & never heard the Title controverted, till within a very little time past y' Menlist has been informed that some persons are about to make application to Y1 Excellency & Hon for a Grant thereof, which might be productive of much Trouble & inconvenience &c. Your Mem list therefore humbly prays Yr Excell' and honors would be pleased to suspend your Determination of this matter, in case application Should be made, untill y' Mem list might have an Opp to prove what he alledges relative to his Right of property & possession as afores And y' Memorialist as in Duty bound shall Ever Pray &c TIMOTHY LOVELL. Portsm° 6th April 1770 Petition in behalf of Benj Page for a Ferry. To His Excellency John Wentworth Esq Governor and Commander in Chief in and over His Majestys Province of New Hampshire, and to the Honble His Majestys Council The Humble Petition of Benjamin Page of Charlestown in said Province of New Hampshire Yeoman Humbly Sheweth also the Petition of the Selectmen and other of the Inhabitants of said Charlestown-praying that the said Benjamin may have the benefit of the Ferry that leads from Charlestown to Crown point (as he is settled at the Ferry as near as is convenient for a Ferry man) he is a sober well disposed person and we think he will attend the Business and be faithfull to oblige those that Travel the road, there is no house that is within half a mile of said ferry on this side the river and we Your Excellency's Petitioners Humbly pray that he may have a Charter of the same if Your Excellency and Honours shall think fit to Grant the same to him as we Judge him to be suitable for the business and Your Petitioners as in duty bound shall ever pray. Jan 10th 1771. Nathel Powers James Farnsworth Osmon Baker Timothy Putnam Simon Powers Win HEYWOOD William Jacobs Sam Hunt Selectmen Silvanus Hastings jaa Petition of John Nott. To his Excellency John Wentworth Esqr. Governor & Commandor in Chief in & over His Majesty's Province of New Hampshire and to His Majestys Honble Counnicel That Whareas it Hath Bin Pleaseing to the People of Charlestown to Sign and Send to the Governor & Cownsel desiering that Ben Paige Should have the ferey Grantted to him it is also my desire that it Should be grantted to him and Pray your Excellency & the Oner Counsel to grant it to him on this Side of the River the humble Request of John Nott who hath maintained the ferey with a good Booat on my own Cost six years JOHN NOTT. January the 14 1771. Petition of Simeon Olcott for a Ferry. To his Excellency John Wentworth Esqr. Captain General, Governor and Commander in Chief in & over his Majesty's Province of New Hampshire &c. In Council Humbly Sheweth Simeon Olcott of Charlestown in said Province that there being no Ferry legally appointed and Established on Connecticut River between said Charlestown and Springfield on the opposite side of said River, by reason whereof his Majesty's Subjects are often obstructed or delayed in passing said River or exorbitant sums demanded for the same-Wherefore your Petitioner prays that he may be appointed and authorized to set up & Keep a Ferry on said River between said Charlestown and Springfield under such Orders and Regulations as in your wisdom shall be tho't fit and your Petitioner shall ever pray &c Portsmouth 19th March 1771. SIMEON OLCOTT. CHESTER. [Chester was an original township of ten miles square granted Aug. 26, 1720, and was incorporated 8 May, 1722. ED.] Petition in behalf of the proprietors of Chester. To the Honble John Wentworth Esq' Lieut. Gov. Governor and Commander in Chief in and over His Majesties Province of New Hamp and to the Honble the Council for said Province. The Humble Petition of Henry Sherburne Sam' Ingalls, John Sanborn & Tho' Packer in Behalf of the Propriety of the Town of Chester In said Province Humbly Sheweth That the Propriet's of the Town of Chester afores about two years since Chose a Comittee to Join wth a Comittee of the Town of Londonderry to run the Line between the two Towns, which the said Comittee accordingly Begun & made some Progress in it but did not Compleat the same, by reason that the Comittee for Londonerry would not consent to allow the usual allowance (of Eleven Chains for ten for windfalls & in ye woods) in the measure on the W. N. W. or Side Line, and would allow only bare measure which was unreasonable and never Practiced before the reason of their being so Exact is Because the Propriet's of Londonderry have Artfully contrived to have it so in their Charter as to Ingrose to them selves the |