and that by the same number of votes Joseph Blanchard was chosen town clerk & Joseph Blanchard Zacheus Lovewell & John Butterfield was chosen Select" and did further Choose Other Town Officers. May 26th 1747 Attr JOSEPH BLANCHARD. those votes was Certified by major Zacheus Lovewell as moderator after he was Chosen J. Blanchard T Clerk At a meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Dunstable in the Province of New Hampshire Assembled at the House of Jonathan Lovewell (Inholder) in said Dunstable according to Law on Monday the sixth day of July 1747 Extracts from the votes of said Meeting. Voted and Chose Joseph Blanchard Esqr. Moderator of said Meeting it was then voted that this meeting should be adjourned to the last Monday of August next to meet again that day at the same place at two of the Clock in the afternoon the meeting was accordingly adjourned. The Freeholders & other Inhabitants of said Dunstable being meet again at the House of Jonathan Lovewell in said Dunstable on monday y 31st day of August 1747 Pursuant to the aforesaid adjournment ye 6th day of July 1747 a vote was then Proposed whether a Minister Should be chose this Meeting or not and it was voted in the affirmative that a Minister be chose this Meeting. Then a Vote was proposed as followeth Where as the Church of Christ in this Town of Dunstable in the Province of New Hampshire on the sixth day of July last made Choice of the Rev. Mr Samuel Bird for their Pastor and Teacher and having presented their vote to this Town with a desire that this Town would Concur with them in their Choice and make choice of the said Mr Sam1 Bird for the Settled Minister of this Town Now there fore be it voted and agreed that the said Churches Choice be Concurrd with an that the Said Mr Samuel Bird be Chose for the Settled Minister of this Town voted in the affirmative (& declared by the Moderator A true Copy Examd pr. JONATHAN LOVEWELL Town Clerk We the Subscribers Inhabitants & Freeholders of the Town of Dunstable hereby Desire & Impower Joseph Blanchard Cap' Joseph French & Mr Jn Butterfield or either of them in Our Names & Behalf to Represent to the Gen" Assembly of this Province the Unreasonableness & illegal Proceeding of Sundry of the Inhabitants of Dunstable in their town meetings the Sumer past and Particularly the Town meeting July the sixth 1747 and the votes at the adjournment of that meeting. And all votes Relating to the Choice or Settlement of Samuel Bird as the Minister of this town and pray that they may be made void or Otherwise Relieve us in the premises. the names of those persons yt voted for ye Revd Sam Bird being y Settled minister of the Town y° 31 of Aug 1747. The freeholders that are agst Mr Birds Settling and the Sums of y yearly income of y° real Estate sett agst the name. Compare with the Invoice Joseph Blanchard Jonathan French Joseph French Tho Patch Daniel Searles Real Estate 100 0 0 35 16 24 Joseph Butterfield 15 Thos Blanchard 16 A list of the Freeholders in favor of Mr Bird and the Sum of yo vallue of the yearly encome of the Real Estate At a meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Dunstable in the Province of New Hampshire on Tusday the fifteenth day of September 1747 Extract from the votes of said meeting a vote proposed as follow eth Whereas this Town of Dunstable at their meeting y 31st of august last made Choice of the Revd Mr. Samuel Bird for the Settled minister of this Town and did not at the same meeting settle any sum to be paid him for his yearly salary-Therefore it is voted and agreed that the full sum and Quantity of one hundred ounces of coin silver Troy weight Sterling alloy or the full value there of in Bills of Publick Credit be paid annually to the said M Samuel Bird for his Salary and to Commince at the day that he is ordained Pastor of the Church of Christ in this Town of Dunstable and that the same be assessed on the Inhabitants of this Town and paid to him annually so long as he shall continue in said office. Unanimously Voted in the affirmative. A true Copy Exama Attr Jon Lovewell Town Clerk At a meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Dunstable in the Province of New Hampshire on Tuesday the fifteenth day of September 1747 Assembled according to Law Extracts from the votes of said Meeting then a vote was proposed as followeth- Where as this Town of Dunstable on the 31st of August last voted and chose ye Revd Mr Samuel Bird for the Settled minister of this Town and Joseph Blanchard Esq Henry Adams John Lovewell Ju' Joseph French Jon French Jon Combs Josiah Swan Sylvanus Whitney Ephraim Butterfield Thomas Blanchard Joseph Butterfield Richard Stratton Ephraim Adams Thomas Adams Phinehas Adams Samuel Searles William Lund Jur. Phineas Lund & John Combs having manifested their dissatisfaction with the Choice and unwillingness to attend his Ministry therefore voted and agreed that said Persons and their Poles for the time being Lyable by Law to be rated and such Tenants for the time being as shall live on their Estates unless such Tenants shall give their attendance at said Mr Birds meeting be and hereby are Excused and discharged from all rates and Taxes what so ever that shall be raised and assessed on the Inhabitants of this Town for the Settlement Salary or Support of the said Mr Bird and all other their Estate Real and Personall while in their Possession equally discharged also for the Erecting and finishing a Meeting house where the said M Bird shall Preach always Reserving as the Condition of this Grant or vote that the Persons discharged as afore said do not vote in any affair Relating to the Said Mr Birds Settlement Salary or Support or the placing Ordering or Building the said Meeting house and in case any of them for the future do thus act in any of the affairs as afore said then the afore going vote to be void as to such person also provided that when any of said persons shall give their Generall attendance on said Mr Birds Ministry the afore said vote where by they are excused to be void as to such person voted in affirmative/A nother vote Proposed as followeth Where as this Town of Dunstable y 31st of August last made choice of y Rev M Samuel Bird for the Settled Minister of this Town and having determined to set a Meeting house for the Publick Worship of God near the Common Road of passing through said Town viz. the Road that passes by Thomas Harwood to Nashua River Bridge and Thomas Patch Joseph Farley David Hobart Amos Phillips Benja Parker Elathan Blood John Willoughby Jason Russel Simeon Blood Garsham Hubart & John Butterfield having represented their Circumstances to this Town viz. their liveing near the westerly line of this Town so that if the Meeting house should be Built near said road they say it will in no meashure accommodate them and that they cannot with any Convenience attend the Meeting also that they have lately before they ware Incorporated in this Town paid their proportionable part in Settling ye Revd Mr Daniel Emerson now in Hollis where they can now attend with much More Convenience then they can at a Meeting in this Town provided it be near said Road said Persons therefore desire that they may be Excused from paying any thing towards Building a Meeting house near said road and from paying anything towards Settling and Supporting said Mr Samuel Bird so long as he preaches near said road and provided they Constantly attend at said M Daniel Emersons Meeting on Lords days and pay their proportion to his Salary and make the Same appear to this Town and that if this Town of Dunstable Should at any time agree upon a place and Build a Meeting house near the Center of this Town or if a Comtee from the Gen" Court should settle the Place for said House that then they be not any longer Excused from paying as aforesaid Now therefore this town of Dunstable having Considered the Reasons offered by said Persons moving them to Desire to be Excused from paying as aforesaid it is Voted & agreed that said Thos Patch and the other persons beforementioned by Name be Excused from paying anything towards Building a meeting House and Settling and Supporting Said Mr Samuel Bird in case the said House be Built near Said Road and that so long as he continues to preach there and no longer and it is provided that if at any time this town agree upon a Place and build a meeting House near the Center of this Town or that when ever the Place Shall be Settled by the Gen" Courts Com1ee that then this Vote whereby said Persons are Excused be Null & Void and it is further provided that said Persons Constantly attend said Mr Emersons meeting on Lord's days and pay their proportion to his Salery and bring Certificate from the Officers of the Church in Holles and the Select men of that Town that they have thus done and Deliver the Same to the Select men of this Town for the time being from time to time whenever there shall be any money raised for the Building a meeting house or the Support of the Minister as aforesaid and that they & they only of said Persons who thus do be Excused as aforesaid and it is further provided that Said Persons do not act in any affair relating to the Meeting house or the Minister in this town and when ever they or either of them do, this Vote whereby they are Excused to be Void as to the Persons that Shall thus Act. Unanimously Voted in the affirmative Jonathan Lovewell Town Clerk Petition relating to an illegal town meeting. To His Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq' Governor and Commander in Chief in and over the Province of New Hampshire. To the Honourable His Majestys Councill for said Province & House of Representatives in General Assembly Convened The Petition of Joseph Blanchard, Joseph French John Butterfield Jason Russell John Lovewell Jun. Benjamin French Phinehas Lund Thomas Patch, Ephraim Butterfield Amos Phillips Joseph Farley Joseph Swallow, Gideon Henry Sam |