facts & allegations Produced & made by the Different Parties Concern'd and your Petition's Shall Pray &c. JOS THOMAS Eliphalet Daniel Petition for a highway. Province of New Hamp. To his Excellency John Wentworth Esq' Captain General and Governour in chief in and over his MajestR Province of New Hampshire & To the Honourable his Majesty Councill & House of Representatives in General Court Convened This Eleventh Day of February A. D. 1768 The Petition of us the Subscribers being Inhabitants and Freeholders of Durham, Newmarket and Towns adjacent Most Humbly Sheweth That at his Majesty's Court of General Sessions of the peace begun & held at Portsmouth within and for the said Province of New Hampshire on the first Tuesday of September last, Your Petitioners humbly Petitioned said. Court of Sessions for a "High way of two Rods wide to be laid out from the Bridge at Lamprele River To the Road leading from Durham Point to Durham Falls in The following manner viz. beginning at the County Road at said Lamprele River near Joseph Hams Dwelling House & to Run as the Path now Runs through lands of Walter Bryant Esq' and Abraham Bennett To lands of Samuel Smith at the Gate at the Head of said Smiths Pasture from thence running between said Smith & Bennitts Land to the afores' path at the Head of said Smiths lane and Down said Smiths Lane To the End thereof. Thence running between said Smith & Bennitts land & Through Said Smiths land as The path now goes To Lands of Joseph Chesle Thence Through the Several Lands of Said Chesley The heirs of Ebenezer Smith Esq Deceased and John Smith to lands of Thomas Stevenson & through said Stevensons land between is House & Barn To lands of Joseph Footman & through said Footmans Land to lands of Dependance Bickford & John Durgin and through said Bickford & Durgins land To & through Lands belonging To the said Heirs of Ebenezer Smith To Mathes Creek (so called) near the Mill and over the said Creek between lands of the Honourable Peter Levius Esq' and John Kent To Lands in possession of John & Joseph Drew Thence running between said Levius & Drews Land To a Road Leading from Durham Point to Lamprele River"—and at the Court of General Sessions holden at said Portsmouth in December last The Petitioners prayed for a Committee. To view the Several Lands Through which said Road was Intended to be laid out and To Report To the said Court of Sessions Thereon but the Court refused To send a Committee or to grant the prayer of the said Petitioner and accordingly the Petition was Dismissed by means whereof your Petitioners are much aggrieved as the said Way if laid out would much Commode your Petitioners as well as his Majestys Subjects in general. Wherefore your said Petitioners Most humbly pray that your Excellency & Honours would Take The matter under your Consideration & Cause the said place to be viewed & if the said way should appear to be necessary & Convenient Then To order the Said Way to be laid out and opened in such way & manner as your Excellency and Honours shall in your great wisdom Think fit and your Petitioners as in Duty Bound will Ever pray Feb. 11th 1768. David Davis Moses Edgerly Jr. Truworthy Durgin Jun Nath Norton George Bickford Volentine Mathes John Mead Ede Hall Bergin Zebulon Doe Jun. Jonathan Doe Edward Smith Bradstreet Doe James Cram Tho Stevenson Joseph Wormwood Jr. John Edgerly John Smith Province of In the House of Representatives Feb 18 1768 Voted That the Petitioners be heard on this Petition the third Day In Council Feb 19th 1768 Read & concurr'd Geo. King Dep. Sec Province of In the House of Representatives March 15th 1768 Voted That Andrew Wiggin Esq' Capt. Eliphelet Merrill and Capt. Ezekiel Worthen be a Committee to View the Road Petitioned for to hear what any Persons Concern'd may offer and make Report to the General Assembly as soon as may be. The Cost of the Committee to be Paid by the Petitioners M. Weare CI' Province of New Hamp. At a Town meeting of the Free holders & other Inhabitants of Durham held at the Meeting House in sd Durham on Monday the 7th day of March 1768 at 3 o'clock P. M. Voted that Capt. Thomas Chesley shall be an agent in behalf of the Town to answer to a Petition signed by Thomas Stevenson & others, Directed to the Governor, Council and representatives of sd Province requesting a High Way To be laid out from the Bridge at Lampereel River To the Road leading from Durham Point to Durham Falls. And to shew cause why the Prayer of sd Petition should not be granted. A True CopyAttest John Smith S. Cler pro tempore EPPING. [Epping was incorporated 12 February, 1741. ED.] Petition of the Inhabitants of Epping for men to protect them. To His Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq' Governour and Commander in Chief in and over his Majesties Province of New Hampshire and the Hone His Majesties Council and House of Representatives for said Province in General Assembly Convened Humbly Sheweth the Freeholders and Inhabitants of Epping in s Province that your Petitioners are Sensible of the weak and Defenceless State of the Town of Nottingham which Lies on our Border-That the Inhabitants there Seem very much Discouraged Insomuch that Some are Removed and others are about Removing out of Town. That if that Settlement should Break up this Parish with Part of New Market and Durham will become Frontiers which we of ourselves Shall not we fear be able to Defend and the Enemy who will be much Incouraged will have near access to the very Bowells of the Province which may Possibly have very Fatal Consequences. We Do therefore by these Presents Humbly Request your Excellency and Honours to take the Premises with other Reasons that may occur into your wise Consideration and if it appear Proper make Provision for and send to said Town of Nottingham to be Kept there for their Safeguard and DefenceSuch a number of Men as may be needfull for that Purpose and as that Town is very much Exposed we Humbly Presume that a much Larger number will be necessary for that End than has been allowed them in years Past, and as the Common Road between Red Oak Hill so called and Nottingham is very Dan gerous to Pass we Would Request that a Small Scout of Men May be sent to the named Gareson on Pantuckaway road to scout from thence to Sanborns Garrison when not wanted for that to Guard the People at s Garrisons May it Pleas Your Excellency and Honours it appears to us that our Safety in a Great Measure Depends upon the Safety of Nottingham which we Hope you will Effectually Provide for and we shall Esteem it as an Instance of your Paternal Care not only of Nottingham but of your Petitioners also who as in Duty Bound shall Ever Pray &c. Edward Stevens Richard Samborn Jonathan Keesey Robert Hinkson John Hinkson Jacob Freese Jeremiah Prescut William Prescut Abraham Brown John Rowell John Page James Whidden Abraham Folsom Jonathan Smith Jonathan Rundlet Caleb Gillman Israel Gillman John Morison Epping March 5th 1747 In Council March 8th 1747 read & ordered to be sent down to ye Honble House Theod Atkinson Sec EPSOM. [This town was incorporated 18 May, 1727. ED.] An Act to invest Proprietors of Epsom, with town rights, &c. Anno Regni Regis Georgii Secundi Magnæ Britanniæ Franciæ & Hiberniæ Decimo Septimo. An Act to Invest the Proprietors of the Township of Epsome with the Powers & Privileges of any other Proprietors of Townships in this Province. Whereas the said Proprietors have Represented that they were not Enabled to proceed in the Settlement of their Township so Effectually as they might do for want of sufficient powers and authorities of Law to Enforce & Expedite the payment of such Sums of Money as should be agreed & voted by the said Proprietors to be Raised for the promoting & Carrying on the Settlement aforesaid-And as the making such Settlements are of General Benefit to the Province as well as for the Interest of the Particular Proprietors Be it therefore Enacted by His Excellency Govern' Council & Representatives in General Assembly Convened & by the authority of the same That the said Proprietors of the Said Township of Epsome shall be & hereby are Invested with all the Powers Authorities & Privileges given by Law to the Proprietors of any Town ship within this Province Respecting the voting Assessing Raising & Collecting or Levying any Sum or Sums of Money that have been or shall be agreed upon & voted by the Majority of the said Proprietors at any Legal meeting for defraying the charge of the Gospel Ministry in the s Township and for the future may Lawfully use & Exercise the same Powers, Authorities & privileges in all other respects as occasion shall serve as fully & amply to all Intents & purposes whatsoever as the Proprietors of any Township in this Province & in the same manner as if the same had been herein particularly mentioned and in Like manner may proceed to call or notify any future meeting of the said Proprietors & to order Govern & manage their proceedings & affairs at such meeting This act to Continue & be in force for the Space of five Years & no Longer. In the House of Representatives apr 18th 1744. The above Bill Read three times & past to be Enacted Province of Petition of John Weeks. To His Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq' Governor and Commander in chief in and over his Majestys Province of New Hampshire, The Honorable His Majestys Councill and House of Representatives in General Assembly Convened the Third day of March 1761 The Petition of John Weeks of Hampton in Province of New Hampshire Esq' in behalf of and as agent for the Proprietors of Epsom in said Province Most humbly sheweth That a Considerable part of the land in Said Epsome is owned by Non Residents. That there is no law in this Province whereby Proprietors of Common and undivided lands can raise Money by Taxes and Cause the same to be Collected. That the Inhabitants of said Epsom are unable to build a meeting house for the Public Worship of God or to support a Minister of the Gospel among them That the Proprietors of Epsom aforesaid at a meeting of said Proprietors held at Epsom aforesaid by |