Hampshir the honnorable his Majestys Councell and House of Representatives In General Assembly Conven'd The pettetion of a number of the freeholders & Inhabitants of the Town of Derry field Humbly Sheweth that the first Monday of March annually is appointed by Charter to be the day for chusing of Town officers for the currant year and the usual costom of s town hes ben to warn the Town of time and place and design of holding said Meeting with the several articles to be acted upon on s day of posting up a coppy of Warrant at three several places in said town viz. one at John Goffe Esq one at John Hall & one at Mr Russes at Nameskeeg which was a vote of said Town for warning Town meetings in said Town but so it was that neither of the places had any notification set up and one of them particularly Nameskeeg had no coppy set up in that part of the town so that they knew not the time of Day the meeting was to be held yet notwithstanding two of the select men and town clarke did contrary to former custom with about ten or a dozen of the Inhabitants and boys & unqualyfied persons did enter and in about five minutes time chouse all the principal offi cersers for the town Notwithstanding one of the select men & the constable & several of the Inhabitants opposed them and told them it was not fair to hold the meetin before the Inhabitants came and that it was not the usual time of day that the meeting use to begin & that the Inhabitants that must pay the greatest part of the Taxes that shall come upon the town were not present-that they would be here presently yet they proceeded as aforesaid and at five minute's after eleven of the clock a considerable number came & in halfe an hour the Inhabitants chiefly came & upon hearing that the principal officers were chosen by a small number of Voters and many of them not quallified they concluded as that was the day by charter to chuse town officers, they being the largest part of the Quallified Voters belonging to said town maid proclamation that they were going to hold the town meeting & all were desired to attend and they went to the Meeting house and maid choice of a Moderator & Town clark & select men & all town officers & they were sworn to the faithful discharge of their duty as the Law directs so that their is two set of officers in said town which makes confusition we most Humbly therefore pray your Excellency & Hon's To Take our case under your wise consideration and grant that there may be a Regular town meeting in said town & that we may have town Officers chosen as the law directs and that our confusion may be brought into order and might be enabled to Raise the province taxes & mend high ways & do the necessary business of the town and that your Petitioners may bring in a bill for that end -& your petitioners as in Duty bound shall ever pray— Dated at Derryfield first of May 1766. John Goffe William McClintock David Starrett Samuel Boyd Nathaniel Boyd Charles Emerson William Nutt John Griffen John Stark James McCalley Daniel McNeall Tho Russ John Rand John Hervy John Moor. Province of In the house of Representatives June 26th 1766. The foregoing Petition being Read and Considered- Voted-That the Petitioners be heard thereon on fryday the fourth day of July next if the General Assembly be then siting And if not then siting thereon the second day of their siting next after And that the petitioners at their own cost cause the selectmen and Town Clerk who served for Derry field for the year 1765, to be served with a Copy of this petition and Order of Court that they may appear and shew Cause if any they have why the prayer thereof should not be granted In Council EodTM die Read & Concurrd T. Atkinson Jr. Secy. M. Weare, Clr. Province of In the House of Representatives July 4th 1766— The foregoing Petition being Consider'd And the Parties heard thereon Voted―That the prayer of the Petition be granted And that the petitioners have liberty to bring in a Bill accordingly In Council Eod Die Read & Concurr'd T. Atkinson Jr. Secy. M. Weare, Clr. DOVER. [This was one of the first settled towns in New Hampshire, Portsmouth being the other. It was settled in the Spring of 1623, by Edward and William Hilton, brothers, from London. It was first called Pascataquack, as was also Portsmouth; afterwards Cocheco and Northam. It has borne the name of Dover for more than 200 years. ED.] 30th 6 m° '43 Extracts from the Records of Dover. Att a Town meeting 30th of the 6 mo '43. It is this day ordered that William Pomfrett Shall have the Neck of Land between the Mouth of Cochecha River and Nechewanick River with the Marsh thereupon to the first Narrow March ye 19th 1693-4 By the Comitte Chosen by the freeholders of the Town of dover for granting Land given and granted unto Ephraim Tebbetts his heirrs and assigns for Ever Twenty Acres of Land on fresh Creek Neck to butt on Nechewanick River next to Saint Albonds cove. Test william Ferber Clark of s Comittee This Above grant voated and Confearmed in generall Town Meeting the Second day of Aprill 1694. Vera Copia. Test John Tuttle Towne Clerk Laid out to Ephraim Tebbets according to grant Twenty acres of Land on fresh Creek neck and bounded it as followeth viz at a white oak Tree markt E T from thence South an be west 40 Rods to a white oak markt E T Then west an be north 4 score Rods to A Pich Pine markt E T then north and be East 40 Rods to a Pich Pine markt E T then on a straight Line to the first markt Tree the River is the bounds at the East End Laid out and bounded by us this tenth day of July 1694 SAM HEARD EZEKIEL WENTWORTH Petition for bridging Cochecho and Lamprey River. To His Excellency Samuel Shute Esq. Capt. General and Govor in Chief of His Majestys province of New Hampshire, and to the Honourable the Council and house of representatives now Sitting in General Assembly The Petition of the Inhabitants of the Town of Dover Most humbly Sheweth The heavy burthen lying upon your petitioners, in building and renewing the many bridges in The said town, over and above the ordinary annual repairs of High ways through the same whereby your petitioners have stood charged with a much greater and more grievous tax than any other Town in the province more especially for the Erecting and maintaining Two very large Bridges over the river of Cochecho and Lamprey river; exclusive of which two rivers, your petitioners are more than even with the Inhabitants of any Neighboring town in ye Costs of bridging and whereas the last years floods floated away the boom at Cochecho with 3 piers and the Standing bridge at Lamprel river which are now to be rebuilt your petitioners Do therefore humbly pray that the bridging of The Said Two rivers may be made a province Charge to be defrayed out of the publick Treasury As is usual in other Goverm's & y petition's shall Ever pray &c R. WALDRON PAUL GERRISH Committee Copy of letter to the Selectmen of Dover and Exeter ab' bridge. Gentlemen I am commanded by the Honble ye Lt Govr & Council to let you know that it is their direction to you that you have a suitable bridge built Pursuant to ye foregoing reports (which ye Gen' Assm have accepted) with all possible dispatch and that it is their Expectation that you will improve every opportunity in forwarding so necessary a work and that there be no failure on any part (or by any means) in Complying with this order I am Gent" Tho. Cole, Shackfords by execution grant to Watson & sold to Nat Young L' Hatevil Roby Tho & Nat Roberts 30 acres ap's Daniel Jacobs Capt. Tuttle 2 g:31 Do 60 Tho Rob's wch had for wives portion Capt. Libbey Thorn Ben Marsh? Sam Cosen from his Father To the hone John Wentworth Esq' Lieut Govo & Commander in chief for the Time being of s Province & to the hon the Councill and house of Representatives Conven'd in Gen Assembly The humble Petition of the Representatives for the Township of Dover in Behalf of s Town humbly sheweth That whereas the said Town is one of the most exposed Towns in this Province to the Insults of the Indian Enemy And also whereas by an Act of the General Assembly of this Province Entitled An act for ye Settlemt & Support of Grammar Schools, the said Town of Dover (amongst others) is obleidged by s act to keep and maintain a Gramere School. And whereas the Circumstances & Situation or Settlements of the Inhabitants of s Town lying and being in such manner as it is, the houses being so scattered over the whole Township that in No one place six houses are within call. By which inconveniency the Inhabitants of sd Town can have no benefit of such a Gramar Schoole, for at the times fit for children to go and come from schools is Generally the chief Time of the Indians Doing Mischief, so that the Inhabitants are afraid to send their children to Schoole, and the children Dare not venture so yt ye Sallary to s Schoole Master is wholly Lost to s Town. So that your Petitioners at the Request & in behalfe s Town humbly prays y' hon's & Generall Assembly that there may be an act of this General Assembly Past that the s Town of Dover may be Exempted from keeping a Gramar School During the war with the Indians, as formerly they were so prays your humble Petitioners August 29th 1772 In Council. JAMES DAVIS SAM TEBETS TIM. GERRISH Voted That The prayer of This petition be granted for the reasons Therein Mentioned and That The petitioners have leave to bring in a bill accordingly Rich Waldron Cler Con. In the house of Representatives, read and lies for Consideration August the 30th In the house of Representatives read and Concurred with Provided they keep a Schoole for reading and writing & Arithmetic James Jeffrey Selectmen of Dover's petition and votes thereon. Pro. N. Hamp To the Honourable The Lieu Governour and Command' in chief of said Province and to the Honble ye Council and house of Representatives convened in General Assembly. The Petition of the Selectmen in behalf of the Town of Dover humbly Sheweth That whereas ye late bridge over Lamprey river has been carryed away by a freshet for want of a firm foundation and a passage over that river being so necessary and useful Especially at this time We Therefore most humbly pray that a Committee May be |