West, Dunstable, Litchfield, Merrymac, Bedford, Derryfield, Goffes Town, Dunbarton, Hopkinton, Weare, Mason, New Boston, Lyndsborough, Wilton, Temple, Peterborough, Boscawen, Salisbury and Hennikar all in said County which said Petitioners are Agents Legally Chosen and Constituted for the said Towns, Whereof they are Freeholders and Inhabitants

Humbly Shews That in the Month of Septem' 1772, an action was brought by John Holland of Amherst aforesaid Yeoman (a Deputy Sheriff for said County) against one Joseph Kelley of Nottingham West in said County Gentlemen, Returnable at the then next Inferior Court of Common Pleas to be Holden at Amherst aforesaid for said County in October A D 1772 who for want of Bail was Committed to his Majesty's Goal at Amherst aforesaid That the said Inf* Court action came on to be tryed at Oct Court aforesaid at Amherst, and the said Kelly then a prisener Moved by One Mr. Stephen Searles his attorney that he might either have Liberty to be present at the Tryal of that Cause and some others then and there pending wherein he the said Kelley was a party, or that said Causes might be Continued until he could be present.

Notwithstanding which their Honours the Justices of the said Inf Court Ordered the said Kelly to be Defaulted, and enter'd Judgment against him in favor of said Holland for the sum of £83 Lawful Money or thereabouts, Damages & Costs, and the said Kelley being confind in said Goal by Virtue of a Writ Issuing out of sd Court was under the protection of the same That to call him Out without giving him the power of being present was Requiring an Impossibility and that the said Cause ought to have been Continued by the said Court officially.

That on the 14th Day of October a D 1772 said Kelly with one John Thom who was confined in said Goal for Debt, made their Escape out of said Goal

That this Honble Court at their adjournment in June last upon application by s'd Holland, made a Grant to him of £83 Lawful Money or thereabouts for s'd Judgment Obtained as aforesaid as your Petitioners Humbly conceived to be paid out of the Monies of the Freeholders and other Inhabitants of s'd County That s'd Kelly before the s'd 14th Day of October had nearly Effected his Escape That the Sheriff of said County accepted of a Guard (Order'd by this Hone Court) for the greater safety of the Prisoners that he had from time to time placed a guard as your Petitioners are informed Dismissed sd Guard on the evening of the 13th of the sd October.

That your Petitioners are Likewise informed that s Kelly frequently gave out that he Intended to make his Escape on the sd 14th Day of October.

That your Petitioners apprehend that the s Sheriff' was very negligent of his Duty not attending the Goal himself, and suf

fering all his Deputys & Servants to be out of Town on s1 Day.

That the Towns your Petitioners have the Honour to Represent with the lesser Ones, have very cheerfully borne the charges & Expenses of the County afors hitherto ; which have amounted to Divers Large Sums of Money, and are still willing to bear the Necessary Charges & Expenses of sd County and even for the Escaped aforesaid, were they not apprehensive that some unfaithfulness or undue Practice was the sole cause of said Escape.

That the good and Wholesome Laws of this Province give to M' Holland and other Claimants other good Remedys for Recovering their Demands without Burthening the County.

Wherefore Your Petitioners as Agents for the several Towns afores'd which make the greatest part of the County aforesaid Humbly Pray that your Honours would suffer your Petitioners to State with Evidence the Notorious Facts before hinted at, and be heard by Council on the Premises-And that your Hon will be pleased to reconsider the Grant aforesaid made to s'd Holland and direct the Treasurer of s'd County not to pay the Same and be Tended (?) of making further Grants on account of s Kelley & Thoms Escape-and your Petitioners as in Duty Bound shall ever Pray.

Amherst augst 10th 1773

Benja Kennick

Daniel Campbell Committee from Amherst

James Karn

Moses Little Committee from Goffs Town

Caleb Page Committee from Dunbarton
Stephen Harriman

Christopher Gould Committee from Hopkinton

Aug ye 18th A D 1773 at his Majestys Court of General Sessions of the Peace held by adjournment the Question was put whether the Court would Issue an order to the treasurer to revoke the former order and it passed in the Negative Ordered therefore that the petition be Dismissed.

This Petition is Dismiss'd.

Copy Attest J. Holland.

Petition relating to Monson.

To the Honerable Council and House of Representatives in General Assembly convein'd for the State of New Hampshire the second Tuesday of June 1782.

The Petition of the subscribers Humbly Shews

That your Petitioners Inhabitants on a tract of Land Lying between Sowhegan River and the town of Hollis (according to its first Charter) which tract was once incorperated into a Township by the name of Monson but at the time such incorpation took place, the inhabitants thereof were but few in number and unable then to Suport the Charge of a town and Comonly attended public Worship at Hollis and Amherst.

That about the year 1770 a proposal was set on Foot for Monson to be devided and by new Charters anexed to the said towns, but notwithstanding the same was considerably opposed by many of the Inhabitants Both of Monson and Amherst the same has taken place and your Petitioners have been at much Public Expence in said Towns by reason of being anexed to them.

That the Contents of Monson are at least five miles Square and the Land as good as Land Generally is in this part of the Country and is now become considerably settled and increases dayly in Improvement and inhabitants, and are now able to Reap the Benefit of an incorporation if they might Obtain such a favour as they now consist of at least eighty five Familys.

That your Petitioners are not unacquainted of a certain Petition's Now being before this Assembly Signed by a number of persons residing in what was formerly Monson, Join'd by a Number Living in Amherst (according to the first Charter) Praying for Certain matters as in the said Petition is Mentioned and as the Matters Contained in these Petitions are of much importance to both setts of Petitioners a Consideration of this their request Previous to a final determination of the Petition above aluded to may Produce such a Law as will reconcile all parties and promote their Weal, Peace and Concord. Your Petitioners therefore most Humbly pray that your Honers will Take the Premises (in all its parts) under your wise Consideration and Give them Leave to bring in such a Bill as will Place the Antiant Town of Monson in its former Situation as to Boundaries, and invest them with such Priviledges and imunities as other Towns in this State hold and do Enjoye Your Petitioners can't think a Motion of this kind will be opposed by either of the Towns of Hollis or Amherst as they are large both as to extent and inhabitants, & should your Petitioners be so fortunate as to have a Bill passed in their favour as to an incorporation they will be Willing still to pay towards suporting the Gospel in the respective Towns they now belong to till they shall Maintain Preaching among themselves a very Considerable part of the time and as this Honerable Assembly can have no other thing in view but the Peace and good Order of all parts of the State they represent your Petitioners are encouraged to hope for a grant of their Request in such a way and manner as shall seem best to your Honers and your Petitioners as in Duty Bound shall ever pray &c

Dated Amherst May 23d 1782.

Josiah Kidder juner

Nehemiah French

Benj Messer

Joseph French

Joseph Wood

Ivory Hovey

William French
Oliver Bowers
Jerathmeel Colburn
William French j'
William Patten juner
Robert Perkins
Timothy Emerson
Silas Spaulding

Josiah Kidder
Daniel Kidder

Jonath Danforth

Jotham Stearns
Thomas Emerson

John Dutton
Abraham Leman

Jonathan Spaulding
William Peacock
Benjamin Emerson

We the Subscribers think the foregoing requested incorporations will be more for our and the public good than the privileges asked for in a former petition now depending before this Honorable House to which we were subscribers, and therefore humbly request that the same may be granted in preference to the matters contained in the said former petition. STEPHEN How SAMUEL HOw.

Dated May yo 23d 1782.

ATKINSON AND PLAISTOW.

[For a number of papers relating to these towns see Plaistow, on subsequent pages. Atkinson was one of the first towns incorporated under the administration of Gov. John Wentworth. The charter bears date 3d September, 1767.-ED.]

A Petition from Plaistow.

To His Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq' Governor and Commander in Cheaf in and over his Majesties Province of New Hampshire in New England, and to the Honourable His Majesties Councill, and to the Honourable House of Representatives in Generill Court assembled &c.

the Humble Petition of us the Subscribers in Habitance of the North West Part of the town of Plaistow in sd Province Humbly sheweth that we are so Remote from the Place of the Publick worship of God in said town of Plastow that we cannot attend the same without Great Difeculty and whereas we are very convenient to the Place of the Publick worship of God in the town of Hampstead, we therefore Humbly Pray your Excellency and Honours to take our Dificult Case under your wise Consideration and if in your wisdom you should think Proper to Set of sd Northwest Part of s town of Plastow the Line to Run from the Pine in Cloughs meadow (so called) South westerly to a white oake tree near Cornet John Ingalls barn thence on the Southerly side of his Land to his Southwest Corner bounds and from thence Still South westerly to the Bridge over Providence brook near John Curriers house at Salem Line and so by Salem Line to Hampstead Line & so to the first Bounds and Annex us to the s town of Hampstead you will Greatly oblige your Humble Petitioners and they shall as in Duty bound Ever Pray &c.

Dated Plastow april ye 11: 1766.